Layton's State Funeral

Much is being said of Layton's state funeral.

I don't know it's "misplaced sentimentality" but personally, I don't think it was necessary or even deserved despite his popularity. Call it "misplaced convenient state hero worship."

He's a "great Canadian" to many voters, but I have no idea how one qualifies as such next to his or her peers. It's too vague a tag to place on a public servant.

Stuff like that should be reserved for the cream of the crop; Where a politician stands, preferably one who at least led a nation, so far above his or her peers, Zeus could drop by for a drink on Mount Olympus.

Nonetheless, he was popular and above all and most important, leaves behind an entire family.
***

Bah.

Alas.

I'm a tightwad that way.

What I'm trying to say is Layton was no Ty Cobb. Ok, okay. Cobb was nuts. He was no Honus Wagner. Better?

The way I see it, even baseball's hallowed hall of fame is slowly showing cracks so an opposition leader in a mid-sized paper company, erm, country like Canada - damn The Office - receiving the full funeral stop isn't that surprising.

I suppose The Hall is my barometer to what's going on in life in general. Just like how I use Bugs Bunny as a metaphor for our existence.

The "feel good everyone gets a ribbon don't tally the score to preserve superficial self-esteem" society ain't worth a damn St. Louis penny.

Could you believe it? In some place on the continent, leagues are compelled to not keep score among kids.

Good way to build a society. Strip away the competitive spirit. Don't demand too much and make sure you follow the government guidelines to whatever it is the frick you do or eat.

Anyway.

Digress.

Once the resting place of the greatest and most dominant players is now starting to admit lesser beings who weren't so. If they keep this up, they'll achieve hockey hall of fame standards. Which isn't saying much.

Ah, yes. Standards. What of it? Not much is asked of it so why bother discussing it?

Excellence, or the concept of, is done and gone in the West. The curtains are down. The only thing keeping me from concluding we're in a contemporary dark age is the advancement of internet technology.

Even that may not be enough.