There are a whole bunch of things running through this feeble mind of mine this week, so I have to get them out in the open to make room for more senseless items.
Everything must be recycled dear diary, even our thoughts.
Could it be possible that for the first time most of us can remember, the Canadian economic downturn will see Alberta in worse shape than Saskatchewan? At this stage, it seems so, even though they don’t have a sales tax. We know they should, but politicians are very reluctant to increase taxes on any front these days.
If Donald Trump wins the presidential election what will it mean for Canada? So far, I haven’t heard talking heads in Canada pontificating on that subject.
Does Trump know where Saskatchewan is? I expect there is a hotel or two named in his honour, by him, somewhere in Canada, but he might not have cast his eye to the central part of the northern map. If he doesn’t know where we reside, I’ll consider that a good thing. Is he really as smart as he says he is? Or is he just frightening?
How are our Syrian refugees settling in? Haven’t heard much about the aftermath following that big rush at Christmas to set the world record for importation of refugees. I still don’t know why Sunny Ways the Sequel was in such a rush. It wasn’t like he only had a few days left to get the job done. But rush we did, and Canada got the job done and met the target, or the reset of the reset target date.
Why are the Tories and the NDP wanting to take so long to select their new leaders?
Recent history suggests the longer you wait, the lesser the quality of the candidates. Just ask the United States how they feel about their dynamic duo.
We said goodbye to two of the greatest in the sporting world just recently. Totally different personalities but Muhammad Ali and Gordon Howe were giants in their respective professions and the sports world was much better off with both of them in it.
Gordie was pure Saskatchewan, right to the end. He didn’t play the role, he just was, and everybody who had the privilege of meeting him knew how comfortable he could make you feel, almost instantly. I met him while he was still active in the latter part of his ice career, and eventually felt at home in his company. I was a junior reporter and stammered my way through a couple of crackpot questions before the great Howe just leaned back, smiled got me engaged in an easy exchange. I relaxed and enjoyed the interview we had right there in eastern Ontario. It turned into an easy Saskatchewan to Saskatchewan talk about farming, family and even a little bit of hockey. He knew that I knew exactly where to find Floral, Saskatchewan.
My friend’s older sister had attended King George School in Saskatoon and was in the same Grade 7 and 8 class with him, and she has the class photo to prove it. He was kind of interested in that, wondering what he looked like back then. I noted he had those sloped shoulders, even then, and he was probably the tallest kid in the class, in the back row. He also found it amusing that my friend’s sister had told me that back then, she thought Gordon was a better ballplayer than he was a hockey player.
I don’t think she would ever make it as an NHL scout.
