The cubby and the underdog

There's a really small sort of cubby behind the Whig-Standard. It's actually smaller than the closet I lived in during my first few days here, and most of the space is taken up by a picnic table, which the old bats from the business department sit around to smoke and talk about their kids and buying christmas gifts and all the rest. But I can tell you that little brick hovel is the most magical place in the building.

To explain, I'll digress.

I had a really hard time getting up today. I bullocksed this story the day before on the local children's aid society's response to the damning auditor general's report, which found that the societies were leaving needy kids in the lurch, meanwhile buying flashy cars for their executives. The whole thing had to be re-written - and I missed the last bit. For some reason, I didn't think it was as important as the former in my deadline-crazed mind. Yeah, I know. So getting up was tough, but quitting is just not in my blood (Re: recipient of recent dedications).

And by mid-day today, I had three stories hovering over my head and had no idea how I was going to write any of them. The morning began with only two reporters, and we were a mess. Well, I was. But a few others luckily emerged out of the woodwork and some of the tension eased. Meanwhile, I went out there with a smoke in my mouth as usual and a hope for ideas. And then came my Eureka.

My interview with Green Party Leader Elizabeth May went really well and the writing just sort of flew out of me. She talks really fast and the phone recorder thingy attached to my phone doesn't work that well so finding usable quotes was tough, but it still came together in about two hours. Well, they wanted it in a half hour, so I guess I disappointed them a bit, but the cubby once again came through in a clinch. It's amazing what you can do in two hours when the desk is breathing over your neck. Can't forget the cubby.

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In other news, May made me a Green Party believer. I am honestly considering voting for that party next election. She has WAY more promise and charisma and leadership ability than Layton. I've interviewed them both, and May blows that mustache-sporting used car salesman out of the water. Although it will never happen, I really wish she'd get a spot in the national debate. If she did, I'm sure she'd wrap at least some of you non-believers around her finger. She's not a dummy and she's honest. That was her explanation for praising Dion's record recently when he came under fire for Liberal corruption. She says she will never tell a lie for her entire political life. Seems crazy and self-defeating. But she doesn't seem to care. And she actually seems honest.

Will the Greens get a seat? She might. She's thinking of running in Cape Breton next election after losing an extremely slim race in London North Centre just two weeks ago. I hope she does.

Then again, the Greens attract people like Nick Wright, the former Halifax candidate who used to be an ecstasy-head and apparently couldn't hide his drug-induced twitch during the debate at the Dal student union building. I'm guessing they allowed him to run just because Alexa is pretty much unbeatable.

Anyway, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm going to seriously follow the Greens over the next little bit (MAN I wish they'd change their names, though). Their Nova Scotia counterpart is beyond absurd, suggesting things like increasing gas tax so people will drive less. I think the feds have a bit better of a grasp over the reality of an economy.... well, over reality in general, so I'm going to stick it out. But this simply means I'm on the fence and no longer committed to the NDP. I usually vote for the candidate, so we'll just have to wait.