Tuesday digest

- Could it be that a deal on softwood lumber is imminent? It's amazing what can happen when actually accomplishing something takes priority over playing to anti-American sentiment to score cheap political points.

- Interesting article here about how Waterloo Region, where I come from, is bounding ahead economically despite recent job losses in the manufacturing sector. What strikes me is how local government and business have found success by working together to achieve mutually desirable goals. It's also obvious that unions have priced themselves out of the market, so to speak, and are being left behind.

- Ever wonder why Jews are often liberals, despite the fact that the American (and Canadian) right are often Israel's staunchest allies? Interesting article on that above.

- John McCain, sleazeball.

- And it's about time someone said it: The vast majority of Leaf fans are not hockey fans. They're Leaf fans. During university, many Leaf fan friends would simply turn off the TV after two periods of the Leafs playing losing hockey. Also, each spring, after the Leafs are inevitably knocked out of the playoffs, most Leaf fans I know don't have a minute for hockey once their beloved Buds hit the links. This is to say nothing about the legions of empty seats at Copps Coliseum during Hamilton Bulldogs games.

I'm just sayin'.