When the Music Stops

Hedley band member charged. meh rock stars aren't exactly known for being diligent about checking ID backstage. by going backstage or to the hotel after the show, the understanding is the person is confirming they are of age, and agreeing to participate in what is very well known to happen partying with rock stars backstage. a convention that has been in place for decades. Hedley seems to find themselves suddenly afoul of some new rules that weren't there before and they weren't told of. in a way it's unfair to Hedley as backstage antics are long part of the lore of rock star life. so I guess Hedley is perhaps unlucky that a long tour bus ride seems to have suddenly ended when they happened to be on. oh well I guess the results will play out in court as they will.

Hunter Tootoo loses job for office flings. hmmm I think it's safe to say that as long as women have been working on Parliament Hill in numbers, going back to the 1970s, there have been office affairs between cabinet members, senators, and other powerful persons, and their staff members. Sure it looks bad, it's tawdry. But if you unpack and expose every other Ottawa affair between powerful men and women and staff members, all of them would look bad too. The mother/daughter thing, yeah it's bad. But not especially worse than what has been the norm for decades now. Really the worst that should have happened to Tootoo for it should have been a reprimand for conduct unbecoming of a cabinet member. But nothing more.

Massimo Pacetti ons. Liberal MP kicked out over one night stand with fellow MP. hmmm, again as long as there have been women in numbers in Parliament, going to the 1970s, there have been drunken one night stands between MPs in hotel rooms. nothing to be proud of, not the type of thing you would include in the quarterly letter to constituents back home, but something that has long been accepted as part of the culture. to the details Frank link, the evidence is they went to the hotel room and did hotel room things voluntarily. uh it was her who provided the protection. the intent seems pretty clear. if there was an issue or changed mind then should have said so and made it clear. Pacetti cannot be expected to read minds. so again the worst for Pacetti should have been a reprimand for conduct unbecoming of a Member of Parliament. nothing more


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So the social revolution of the last 50 years or so is ending or at least changing. When I was younger we were told coming out of the 1970s the standards are "if it feels good it's okay". That is not quite compatible with the new norms emerging today. Some like those discussed above have been caught up in this changeover. It's clear that the new standards or today's norms, are similar yet somehow different.

meh the social revolution is turning out to be a house built upon the sand. perhaps it always was. it's not clear what will emerge. maybe for the better in some ways. clearly the men of today have to be much more careful than in the past two generations. avoid these types of dubious situations. the wise man should avoid situations where there is an imbalance of power or resources, or where he is relying on the discretion of the other party.