Blogging Frank 519

It’s only good til November 13 – there will be a new issue, like, tomorrow? so we are a little late in cribbing from this issue but, hey, no one from Frank can complain now for sure, right?

So is there anything of interest in this issue?

First up- remember the cat by-law HRM shed so much blood sweat and tears over? Seems the main result may be a surge in the rat population. Unintended consequences strike again!

Next, since Wolfville is a University town and, since it is always good to know what the opposition is up to, the St. F. X story on Sean Riley’s high jinx (or not) is perhaps of interest. Apparently there was -briefly – a Sean Riley Facebook profile which has since mysteriously- or not- disappeared. According to University sources this was put up by an imposter. There is also a bit on the “ouster” of the former VP of student services at St. FX (seems to be a vulnerable position) but she’s happy since she has a new job at McGill. We’ve been following the chat on Frank’s facebook about Prez. Sean which Frank frankly makes fodder of. [Do you get it yet folks?] Frank reproduces the chat which is very supportive of Prez Sean (we won’t do a cf here) but we will give this link which is instructive.

[Sems to us Acadia students may be jealous]

Just to be fair there is an article on Dal. Prez. Tom Traves who hauls in $335.714 per. Having seen the pay scales of the local Acadia ex-strikers the pay scales listed for the big-wigs at Dal come as less of a shock but we have to wonder how any academics -who have pretty pleasant working conditions, let’s face it- have the crust to complain ever. We know that we could lose all the academics in Canada overnight and not much would change in our daily life whereas if the mechanics, technicians, and other hand-on-folk we depend on were paralysed we would feel it big time. As Frank says:

“Now I’m no University- educated math whiz anything, but I do believe that means Dal pays the 59ish Tommy Terrific about $28,000 each month, which is what the average hard-working Nova Scotian earns in a year.”

What really bugs us – these are the very same folk who talk about the tragic wage gap between the rich and the poor and the need to eliminate child poverty [whatever that is- when we were children all children were poor with no sources of income whatsoever except what they earned from doing chores, mowing their neighbours' lawns, shovelling driveways, raking leaves or delivering papers!]

Moving on. Mulroney at Bat! Frank took our “Casey at Bat” line and did a whole doggerel thing. …

Now the fight continues, Mulddoon must hit one out the park

and questions over $300,000, why they just can’t be barked

For someplace in Toryland, they’ll build that edifice to self

Poor Canadians will rue the day Mulroney hit the shelf

And somewhere in Toryland, history’s writ with a Tory slant

And oh when the Grits strike out o’er sleazz, life is so grand

And somewhere hopes are high to put Mulroney’s face upon a bill

But of course that could only happen in the place they call Muddville.

Never did like Mulroney and still don’t but we don’t think Frank will win the Nobel Prize in Lit. with this opus … but then since Al Gore won the Peace prize perhaps no one should make any bets on that.

We’ll skip over the bit on the Immigration Program fiasco as this has been hashed over so much in the MSM and go on to the more interesting bit about the husband of another missing woman selling his their home [Seems to be a lot of missing NS women these days]. This article is right next to the picture of Paula Gallant ["671 days without an arrest"] We have our own version of this story locally so both are poignant.

At the end we always enjoy the letters. We sometimes wonder how many of them are real, as so many SOUND as if they were written by Franklanders – but we are sure the two from the friends and family of Heather Proudfoot Barry thanking Frank for its tribute to her are sincerely meant. Signed too. The one from an Ontario subscriber is pretty special too.

The first issue of my new subscription arrived today and I am now the talk of my humble, rural Upper Canadian neighbourhood! Thanks Frank! As a long time and faithful purveyor of all things frank Ottawa, Toronto and Halifax, I have enjoyed the read immensely. I can think of worse things I could waste $54.95 on Leafs tickets come to mind.

Heh, heh! Great testemonial, eh? Which makes us wonder if Frank is advertising in Fort McMurray and places like that. Think of all those ex-Atlanticos out west sucking up the bucks and no better place to spend them.