iMatt :: The Blog of Matt Clare

The first step towards a degree in Education: I’m on the cover of the Ontario College of Teachers’ quarterly publication “Professionally Speaking”. The magazine was doing a profile on the 40th graduating class of education students at Brock University. I just work at Brock, and graduated with an honours degree in Communications Policy – but apparently it’s all about who you know.

A prof who I had worked with was coordinating the photo shoot and knew where he could quickly grab some ‘attractive young people’ who weren’t dressed in black. So one moment Giulia (dressed in pink — and actually an Education grad in Brock’s 39th year) and I were working in our respective offices, the next moment we’re in a photo shoot for the cover of Professionally Speaking.

In the end it wasn’t a total free ride. When my parents received their copy (both teachers) they did not see their son since there was a cell phone ad covering Giulia and myself.

Click the second cover to see the larger cover.

I seem to get Darth Vador impersonations into my blog a lot……

A few weeks ago after Belinda Stronach (a Canadian Tory politician that’s been the least right-wing-nut of the bunch) crossed the floor to join the Liberal party to ensure that a confidence vote would pass and Canada wouldn’t have another federal election within a year of it’s last one.

It was quite the juciey political story, attractive young politician (a story in itself in the Conservative party,) romantically linked to the deputy leader of the party (Peter McCay), defects to a cabinet position in the ruling party and crushes her ex-party’s plans for over throwing the government.

Belinda Stronach effectivly created the new Conservative party by acting as a go between for the old PC/Tory party and the Reform/Alliance party which looked as though they could never merge and be a credible alternative to the Liberal rule of Canada. Then she left her job as CEO of Magna International to run for the leadership of the party, a real working-your-way-up-from-the-top career path.

Apparently, morally conflicted, but perhaps just part of that career path, she was forced to join the Liberal party that her father Frank Stronach had actually ran (and lost) as a few decades ago and Belinda had spent two years vilifying.

The morning after the CBC Radio show “The Current,” which always opens with it’s James Earl Jones-like announcer known as “The Voice” giving a cheeky two minute bit, tempted Belinda to “The Liberal Side”. It was comedic genius and my sides literally hurt after I heard it. I’ve since recounted it poorly, so I thought I’d share the transcript — please try your best to read the following in character (reprinted from “The Current”, CBC Radio, May 18, 2005 – with attribution, but not permission:)
Read more... (566 words, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)