Little Flakes, Big Snow

After six full seasons, the winds of change have finally brought a different look to Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops. Those of you who have visited this space previously will observe that the vibrant (ahem) colour scheme is gone, replaced now with something a little more muted and somewhat more seasonal. Over the next couple of weeks you can expect to see some additional albeit smaller modifications, but  the big stuff is done (at least until Spring).

While the look has changed, the Trans Canada motif remains. Several readers have asked me about the connection to Highway #1, as I seldom explicitly mention it.

In lieu of editorial counsel, I keep some touchstones around which help my otherwise scattered posts retain at least a little consistency with respect to demeanour and perspective. One such touchstone is the honorific, which I hope steers me toward a respectful tone even when my purpose is critical.

Another is Kamloops and its relationship to the nation, as a filter for - and influencer of - the issues and opportunities that affect Canada, both real and imagined. Occasionally the posts here address that relationship directly, such as this entry from July of 2007, Hinton, Conservatives Continue Summer Spending Spree:

The struggles and values and priorities and opinions of the citizens of Kamloops exist at the core of the middle-Canadian and western-Canadian identities. 

...The Trans-Canada Highway and two national railways that run through this town sometimes remind us of the tenuous connections and broad differences between our own experience, and the experiences of other Canadians in other towns, and other villages, and other cities all along these razor-thin corridors across the country.

...Overall we may be less diverse and more redneck than most big cities, but we still find a way to lead from the front of Canada's social reality, having elected not only the first Chinese mayor in North America (for three terms!), but also the first Status Indian to the House of Commons (who later became a member of cabinet, then a senator).

...If the only thing that mattered at the polls was how much pork [then-MP Betty Hinton] brought home, I'd say she's earned my vote.

But that isn't what really matters, so I don't know why it seems to be the bar against which we've chosen to measure her. We should measure her based upon how well she represents the values and common sense of the citizens of Kamloops Thompson Cariboo, and to what extent those values help shape the nation and its laws.

As you can see, I never pass up a little excuse for a long explanation. The Trans-Canada logo remains, because it helps me maintain focus on two things that have always interested me; local and influence.

But issues come and go. Here are some of the ones that garnered attention from me and my readers this year:

• You got humour in my politics! - Be it Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Tina Fey (s-s-smokin!), or any number of lesser known polebrities, politics and pop culture embraced one another this year as never before. Late in the U.S. presidential campaign, John McCain appeared on Saturday Night Live (for the second time) with Ms. Fey (she really is) as Sarah Palin, although IMHO the purpose of the visit was not so much to get out the vote as it was to resurrect his once-popular appeal from the miscues and carnage of the campaign. Like Bill Clinton in his Final Days video, but with some popular cachet. Humour. Politics. Two great tastes that taste great together! Embedded video from CNN Video

• Voters got high on democracy - We enjoyed a fine harvest this fall with a federal election, an aborted hostile takeover by the opposition in parliament, and BC municipal elections. Lucky west coast voters feasted on a cornucopia of homegrown politics that varied from bloodthirsty to outright boring. Readers of this space definitely had the political munchies; during the heat of the fray we served up well over a thousand visits a day. But don't freak out, there's another election bud growing. You can save the pangs of withdrawal for June, after the upcoming provincial election in May. And Dude! You can become a registered voter online right now!

• The consumer is in the house - but the recycling bin is on the curb. The Baker household produces enough recyclables to pretty much fill the blue bin every week. Although we used to visit the municipal recycling bins on a regular basis, I'm confident that curbside recycling has helped us divert a significant amount of material from the landfill over the past 10 months. And I've been recycling jokes for years.

• The speed of news - Every news delivery medium exhibits some manner of latency. But all familiar media, whether broadcast or print, are feeling the pinch as consumers demonstrate less patience for latent news today than in the past. Meanwhile, demand for real-time/near-time news market is expanding, which is one reason blogging has become so popular with news hounds. Consumers want to follow stories, to slake their thirst for information in the now, not the later. When traditional media don't satisfy this craving, consumers look elsewhere.

It's been almost a year since the last assessment of the local media's online efforts was published here, which means it's about time to revisit; with the exception of Kamloops This Week, things look pretty meager. I can't assess what I can't see, so if any media reps would like to discuss your future online strategies, this is your invitation.

• Hold please? As reported here in February, Convergys announced it would move some of its Canadian operations to the Philippines. This blog not only received a tremendous amount of traffic from readers across the country looking for more information, but also anonymous tips about the future of Convergys in in the Great White North. I Interviewed a senior manager for Convergys in Canada, but wasn't able to corroborate and ultimately chose not to pursue. I may not be a journalist, but publishing uncorroborated information provided by persons unknown with uncertain motivations (especially about a publicly traded company) seemed to be both unethical and and poor use of my time (that's me reserving the right to publish trash if it is a good use of my time). In the end, some of the information was accurate and some of it was not; maybe it was simply overtaken by current events. For now, I'll stick with my own unsubstantiated speculation, thank you!

• Emerson Greene will represent Kamloops in Ottawa - Speaking of unsubstantiated speculation, my wild guess about David Emerson becoming the Member of Parliament for Kamloops earned me some attention here and there, but no doubt perpetuated the notion that some bloggers have more time on their hands than access to inside information. What's next? Look for my exclusive interview with Bat Boy, who I predict will be deployed to Kamloops this spring to help manage mosquito populations.

• Debtmageddon - debt has been the US' largest export for years. But as with many other products, when production increases quality tends to decrease. Now you can't give it away (this I know from personal experience). Canadian financial institutions seem a little healthier than south of the border. But with all the cheap money flowing, I just wish I knew how to get in line at the pump. Anyone for big government?

• What happens in the KMHA stays in the KMHA - As expected, parents of youth hockey players were too timid or too jaded to hold the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association executive accountable at this spring's AGM. Rather, Ladd Maloski serves as a reminder of what happens to those among us who put common sense before the status quo.

There you have it, some of the biggest stories of 2008 here at Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops. Think I missed something? Leave me a comment below, and tell us all about it!