It’s mayor or bust
Now that we’re within 10 months of the next municipal election, people are beginning to speculate who will run for what positions.
Repeating an editorial I penned several years ago, I like how the Penticton Indian Band and other First Nation communities conduct their elections.
First, there’s an election for chief. About a month later a second election is held for band members. Sometimes a strong candidate who was defeated for the chief’s job will run for band council and get elected. Sometimes they don’t.
It results in more suitable candidates for chief because if you lose the top job, you can always run for council and get elected.
The system everywhere else (Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon), is winner-take-all — mayor or bust.
Spoiler alert. The movie “Get Out” was released to theatres nearly a year ago. I wanted to see what all the hype was about because it will likely be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, a rarity for horror films. (Oscar nods will be announced on Tuesday.)
I rented a copy of “Get Out” and the DVD extras included the original ending that was left on the editing room floor. Like “Fatal Attraction,” which had to change the ending because test audiences hated it, I thought the original conclusion to “Get Out,” was better than the one they chose to go with.
While editing the “Today in History” column this week, I noticed the A.A. Milne was born in 1882. As we all know from childhood, he created the wonderful characters of Christopher Robin, Owl, Eeyore, Tigger, and of course the beloved Winnie the Pooh.
It made me stop and reflect. Pooh has never been out of fashion. Pooh has never had to make a career comeback. The beloved bear is timeless. Generations of children love him.
Pooh has always remained popular. Think of pop culture icons such as Mike Tyson, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Cher, Michael Keaton, Betty White and The Bee Gees, they all had their ups and downs. Pooh has never been uncool.
It has come and gone and everything will be fine from here. Blue Monday is considered the most depressing day of the year. For me, it’s the day my property taxes arrive in the mail.
I can’t wait to see “The Post,” a movie that showcases the fine work of print journalists. It offers a film with my favourite actress (Meryl Streep), my favourite director (Steven Speilberg) and it’s about my profession — print journalism. It even includes a CCR song on the soundtrack.
Still, my favourite movie about the media remains “Network.” An all-star cast, it’s a story about insane anchorman Howard Beale, assassinated on the air because his ratings were poor.
“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.”
Karen Carpenter was gone far too soon.
Why did the Toronto School Board put an 11-year-old girl in front of the media to claim she had her her hijab cut on the way to school by an unknown assilant?
In an era where photojournalists have to check in advance to assure specific students have signed FOIP forms in the office, it’s amazing someone would think this was a good idea.
The girl’s story later proved to be false and news agencies have now shaded her face to conceal her identity.
Whether or not the story was true, it was still a serious allegation, one which drew the attention of the prime minister, premier and mayor of Toronto.
Why not have a cop or the school principal speak to the media and not a child? Meryl Streep could recite the Kelowna telephone book and it would be a great performance. James Miller is valley editor for Okanagan Newspaper Group.