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Graham Thomson: When is a political coincidence a conspiracy? Brian Jean would probably like to know

MLA Derek Fildebrandt went through the seven stages of a politician hoisted on his own petard after the Edmonton Journal broke a story that he was renting out his government-paid apartment on Airbnb, says columnist Graham Thomson." src="http://wpmedia.edmontonjournal.com/2017/08/20150221-forsyth-338-jpg.jpg?quality=55&strip=all&w=625&h=469&crop=1" width="625" height="469" /> August 12, 2017 9:00 am Sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence. Unless it’s a political coincidence, that is. Then it can easily smell like a conspiracy. Just look at the political coincidences last Thursday. First, there was the suspicious timing of an anti- pipeline news conference held by the British Columbia government Thursday morning just as Premier Rachel Notley was about to hold her own pro- pipeline news conference in Alberta. It sure seemed like the B.C. government was trying to pour cold water on Notley’s good-news event. Then there was ...

The Army Captain Trying to Prove the U.S. Has Lost the War in Afghanistan

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Aug 16, 2017 The first time Captain Noorullah Aminyar traveled to the United States, in 2012, he felt calm and peaceful in a way he never had before. Back home in Afghanistan, he had slept fully clothed , boots on, hand on his rifle. The Taliban attacked every night, and he had to be ready. "But when I come to America," he told me, "I have no stress in America. I sleep good. I tell you, I have no stress. It was really easy. It was a good thing. You feel safe. I was born in the war. I grew up in the war. Always, your life is in danger. You find a little safe time, for sure you'll be happy." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Advertisement - Continue Reading Below For Aminyar, then twenty-eight, coming to America was an honor and an achievement. He attended the prestigious Defense Language Institute in San Antonio, the culmination of more than a decade of studying English, followed by a basic infantry officer 's course at Fort Benning, Georgia, with Ame...

Sometimes more can be too much when it comes to sports coverage

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Foxtel's coverage of the AFL and NRL is first class, now we can watch international games live and in high definition. The thought of this, even 10-15 years ago, would have been unthinkable. And the commentary is, generally, of a high standard. That said, I really cannot see or understand the logic or rationale behind the recently adopted practice of interviewing players coming off the field during the half-time break. Surely it is unreasonable to expect players coming in at half-time to readily come up with any deep and meaningful analysis of his/her performance or that of the team when all the player wants to do is have a quiet drink and unwind. It would also be appropriate to remind players that officials are now "wired for sound" and of the need to moderate their language during the game and in after-match interviews. Some of the comments are colourful, to say the least. Andrew Rowe, Florey Centre design flawed A new National Convention Centre is wrongly proposed...

A Depressing Psychological Profile: My Meeting With Donald Trump Shows His Obvious Impairment Has Only Gotten Worse

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Photo Credit: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock In 1994, I visited the home of Donald Trump. He was a Democrat then, of sorts, and I was the party’s nominee for governor of Connecticut. He’d taken an interest in our state owing to his keen desire to lodge a casino in Bridgeport, an idea I found economically and morally dubious. I had scant hope of enlisting him, but made the trip anyway, thinking that if I convinced him I might win, he’d be less apt to bankroll my opponent. I arrived at Trump Tower in early evening, accompanied by my finance chair and an old friend and colleague. Stepping off the elevator into his apartment, we were met by a display of sterile, vulgar ostentation: all gold, silver, brass, marble; nothing soft, welcoming or warm. Trump soon appeared and we began to converse, but not really. In campaigns, we candidates do most of the talking; because we like to, and because people ask us lots of questions. Not this time. Not by a long shot. Trump talked rapidly and virtually no...