Wednesday digest

- As America's largest city is on track to have its coldest April on record, what's presumably more important are the views of decorated scientific researcher Madonna on the issue of climate change. I guess we should all fall in line now?

- I suggested yesterday that the Don Imus affair is about the symptom rather than the disease, which includes not only the coarseness of gangsta rap but the fact that young African-American youth are encouraged to look up to individuals like "Pacman" Jones, recently suspended by the NFL after being involved in a shoot-em up at a Las Vegas strip club. Thuggish behaviour shouldn't be tolerated because it is socially unacceptable and so I applaud the NFL for drawing a line in the sand. You know that so-called "community leaders" like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton sure won't because they're too busy peddling the white privilege line to be making any time for honesty.

- A hospital in England didn't serve hot cross buns to patients on Good Friday. You get three guesses why and the first two don't count. (H/T: Fred.)

- Well, the political career of one Belinda Stronach has come to an end after three years of utter inconsequence in terms of actual achievement. One of the fellas with whom I was watching the NHL playoffs tonight said it best, tongue planted firmly in cheek, of course:

"We'll miss her idealism."

I wish her luck with baking that bigger economic pie and all.

- Just when you think it can't get any worse, here's the latest disgrace from the Harper government: they've appointed an individual, who built a career on arguing that the federal government is illegitimate, to a lucrative contract in order to evaluate work carried out on behalf of the Crown, including sensitive issues management advice procured during the mid-1990s during the last Quebec referendum.

Nice work, if you can get it.