Canadian universities are superior

Something I don’t get about the college admissions bribery scandal. If the kids, whose parents bribed their way into prestigious universities, weren’t smart enough to score well on the SAT exams, why do their parents think they would do well in university, once they got there?

I’ve always believed that an education from a Canadian university is superior. This scandal reinforces my viewpoint.

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Spoiler Alert: Stephen Harper’s reason for not wanting the media at his luncheon in Kelowna this week was that he now makes his living as a speaker (er, what about his MP’s pension?) and he doesn’t want what he says to come out in advance of his other engagements.

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True fact. The only living American president who does not charge for a speaking engagement is Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy believes that if someone thinks enough to invite him to speak, he couldn’t possibly hand them a bill — especially to educational organizations.

Jimmy Carter is a living saint. Why does this man not receive more respect, accolades and recognition?

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It’s somewhat disheartening to Canadian music fans when some of the biggest stars don’t attend the Junos due to scheduling conflicts. (Anne Murray did this for years ... but it was some kind of personal protest.)

There was a time when the only love Canadian pop/rock singers received was from the Junos.

I’m a fan of Shawn Mendes, his music is great and he hasn’t done anything to embarrass Canada, but I’d sure love to see him sing live at the ceremony on Sunday and not a pre-taped performance.

Justin Bieber was another who, once he made it big, skipped the Junos. His Juno acceptance speeches were often pre-taped, if in the event he won.

On a positive note, Corey Hart will be doing a set to close the show. That’s awesome! I hope he includes “Boy in the Box.”

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In a letter to the editor of Okanagan Weekend last week, Nol Preen chatted about how much he misses the traditional Blockbuster video store.

I agree with Nol — Blockbuster is better than Netflix, at least for theatrical films. I think what did in the big-box video stores was that everyone was just interested in new releases. If they didn’t have the latest superhero movie in stock, customers walked out without browsing the back shelves for some old chestnuts.

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Tim Schroeder writes a fine column every week. I thought this morning’s was exceptional. If you’re one of the few who doesn’t read it faithfully, please take a moment to check it out. It’s a great story. I too knew someone like George.

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To all of my Irish friends — and everyone who secretly wish this weekend that their surname began with the letter ‘O’ — Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

And it’s no, nay, never.

No, nay, never no more. James Miller is the valley editor and director of content for Okanagan Newspaper Group. Email: james.miller@ok.bc.ca.