Can the ABBA reunion live up to its hype?
If ABBA was able to hold off for 39 years without releasing new music, it would have been cool for the Swedish pop quartet to stay permanently retired.
Colonel Tom Parker’s philosophy with Elvis was always “keep them wanting more.”
I do hope that ABBA’s longawaited album, “Voyage,” is a hit, but I’m skeptical. Acts that come out of extended retirement only end up disappointing their fans. Steve Perry, The Go-Gos and Shania Twain all went years without an album, then released new songs. Betcha can’t name a single from any of the above comeback albums.
As Dennis DeYoung, former frontman of Styx told Rolling Stone in 2020: “The two most dreaded words in the English language to a classic-rock fan are ‘new music.’”
—————
If you’ve ever wondered about how gangsters can walk into a casino with briefcases full of cash — and how it negatively affects real estate prices in B.C. and also contributes to the opioid crisis — I highly recommend Sam Cooper’s new book, “Wilful Blindness: How a network of narcos, tycoons and CCP agents infiltrated the West.”
Cooper’s book is meticulously researched and once you make it past the first several chapters, it’s impossible to put it down. It sells for around $30 (paperback) at your favourite local book retailer.
——————
I’ve been reading several letters defending Tracy Gray for not voting to not ban the cruel practice of conversion therapy.
“An MP who does her homework,” Gray defenders state.
“I have trouble with the bill’s wording,” is another observation.
I ask Tracy Gray’s defenders, were her Conservative colleagues Mel Arnold and Dan Albas wrong, or is Gray the one who’s wrong and Arnold and Albas are right?
—
Milo loves the new lake-to-lake bike lanes in Penticton because he’s able to hurdle the metal railing. He thinks he’s Edwin Moses.
—————
As editor of The Herald, I was happy to feature a photo of Ben Van Exan in the coverage of Wednesday’s illegal protest outside Kelowna General Hospital and I’m glad the Courier did the same.
Our original thoughts were to ignore them. Don’t give the mob any fame or notoriety.
Van Exan was one of only a handful of counter-protesters present and I’d rather see him highlighted than the goons who tied up traffic and chanted obscenities at our health care professionals.
There’s a difference between free speech and hate speech. Any rally or protest that potentially puts the public in danger should be shut down immediately.
Since Trump was elected in 2016, hate and anger directed at innocent third parties has escalated.
Bad behaviour can be justified in a lot of people’s own minds.
—————— Happy Labour Day everybody! And thank you to those who have worked hard in positive ways to support working people — Kevin Epp, Lynn Kelsey, Pat Bulmer, Terry Green, Ian Gordon, Susan Bauhart ... just to name just a few.
Have a great holiday weekend!