Court Painter lacks the energy at this point to offer up portraits of all the archetype-types described in author Olivia Nuzzi’s terrific description so he will just leave you with studio images of canvases in a blank state of anticipation…whatever…
Too much has happened too quickly involving too many people crammed into too small a universe. The same stars from reality television are the stars of our politics and our politicians are TV personalities and they all know one another and nobody ever goes away and the character arcs get crossed and tangled and sometimes it’s hard to keep it all straight.
The first Eastern European wife of the future president gave way to the southern actress who became the Dancing With the Stars contestant, as the second Eastern European and third-to-date wife then became the First Lady. The cast of Russians from the Mueller probe gave way to the cast of Ukrainians from the first impeachment. The press secretary competed on Dancing With the Stars, as did the guy in charge of the Department of Energy, who was also a guy from the last Republican primary before the one that nominated the host of The Apprentice. The great villain of the first season of The Apprentice who worked for Al Gore landed in the White House again working for the former Apprentice host and played to type, making secret recordings before getting the ax and releasing a tell-all book. A Celebrity Apprentice contestant became friendly with North Korea’s dictator, which helped pave the way for a summit where the president blew up precedent with Elton John references designed either to prove his madman theory of diplomacy or to provoke a homicidal lunatic into nuclear war. The Playboy model was followed by the porn star, and the porn star was promised a role on The Celebrity Apprentice. The war erupted between the other homicidal dictator and the other TV-star president of another country, who was in fact a central figure in the first impeachment.
And that is only a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the far-out shit that went on a fraction of the time, and that’s just the shit we know about.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is offering up a new version of why she engaged in a controversial phone call with a Calgary street pastor in which they discuss his upcoming criminal case related to COVID-19 public health measures.
Smith told her Saturday morning phone-in radio show she took the call from Art Pawlowski because she thought it was going to be in the context of his role as the leader of another political party, the Alberta Independence Party.
Court Painter captured the surprise & disappointment on the Premiers face upon hearing she did not have pardon power like American politicians.
She says when the discussion veered into Pawlowski’s court case, she says she simply reminded him that she had tried to gain amnesty for COVID accused but was told by justice officials the cases must play out independently.
Legal experts say the call was a clear violation of the firewall between politicians and the justice system, noting Smith is heard sharing internal details of Crown case strategy, promising to make inquiries on Pawlowski’s behalf and reporting back to him while also telling him the charges against him were politically motivated.
Court Painter seen with one of the many versions of Premier Smith he has rendered recently.
Court Painter in a burst of enthusiastic self interest has hired the same management consultant firm that recommended a 55% compensation increase for Loblaws CEO Galen Weston in 2022.
Court Painter with recent portrait of his new fan Galen
Court Painter went on to say at the top of his voice,”I’m fed up and won’t take it anymore…oops let me rephrase that…I’m fed up and will take…demand more!”, while also announcing his new hire!
Galen Weston got a 55 per cent raise for running Loblaws last year, after management consultants hired by the company his family controls determined he was underpaid. ( Court Painter hurriedly called Galen to find out who the consultant firm was…!)
Regulatory filings for Loblaw Cos Ltd. show that Weston, the scion of one of Canada’s richest families, took in just over $8.4 million in salary, bonuses and stock-based compensation last year as CEO of Loblaws, the grocery chain his family controls.
That was a 55 per cent increase from the just over $5.4 million in total compensation he got in 2021, the year he became president of the company in March. The year before, in 2020, Weston earned $3,549,591 in total compensation from Loblaws.
Ian Lee, an associate professor and free market blowhard of the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University in Ottawa , says that focus on executive compensation is misguided, because it is subject to the same rules of supply and demand that govern any market.
“Whether it’s entertainers, musicians, athletes, artist celebrities like Court Painter or CEOs, there is a supply and a demand, and you pay the market price or you lose them,” he told CBC News in an interview.
Following up on the professor’s words, Court Painter dangled the threat that unless a new compensation package was accepted by his studio he would time travel back to the 17th century when Court Painters were held in high esteem, lived high off the hog and were constantly high!
Former United States President Donald Trump has arrived in New York City for his first scheduled court appearance to face charges related to a hush-money payment made to an adult film actress before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump, the first former president to be criminally prosecuted, is expected to be fingerprinted, photographed and formally presented with the charges against him at the central Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday.
He’s now being described in some quarters as just an ordinary dude descending a staircase.
Court Painter seen with still wet Dude Descending a Staircase
A lawyer for Donald Trump says the former president has been informed that he’s been indicted in New York on charges involving payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter with adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The Donald was seen pounding the table and was joined by his lawyers,family members and allies.
There’s an old legal aphorism that goes, “If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table.”
Opposition leader Notley & Premier Smith peruse the latest polls
Majority of Albertans 35 and over say they intend to vote UCP; NDP leads among 18- to 34-year-olds
March 29, 2023 – The writs have not yet been dropped for Alberta’s May election but it’s already campaign season on Albertan airwaves as the United Conservatives and New Democrats battle for the province’s hearts, minds and votes.
As attack ads reign, new data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds the UCP with a seven-point lead in vote intention over the NDP.
For those really really interested in the recent dust up over the media stories of Chinese intervention in Canadian elections and the implied demonization of MP Han Dong , this is a must watch for Chantal Hebert’s clear analysis of the story.(Chantal’s tearing a strip off Peter Mansbridge for his loose tongue treason utterance is also worth the watch!)
Currently, Hébert is a national affairs writer with the Toronto Star as well as a guest columnist for Le Devoir and L’actualite . She appears frequently on CBC TV’s The National as a member of the At Issue political panel She also appears as a commentator on Peter Mansbridge’s Youtube GOOD TALK.
