Happy birthday to you, Conrad Black

Newspaper mogul and celebrity inmate Conrad Black was born on this day in 1944, in Montreal. Glad to know he’s doing all right. I doubt that his shrill denunciations of the American justice system and complete lack of guilt will endear him to the parole board.

Conrad Black on a shopping spree

On this day in 1995, Conrad Black’s Hollinger buys 19 local newspapers from the old Thompson chain. Later in the year, he grabs Regina’s Leader-Post and Saskatoon’s Star-Phoenix. Thirteen more newspapers would follow one year later, as well as a good chunk of Southam’s shares. It goes on and on until 1998, when Hollinger establishes the national Post and starts selling other assets.

Karadzic arrest might lead to the trial of the century

Wow, they got Karadzic in custody. You know, the Bosnian Butcher of… something. That will be quite the trial in The Hague.

Sure, the century is just 8 years old and there haven’t been that many candidates. A trial for Crimes against Humanity in Europe, with all its grisly details, will certainly be more widely reported than the recent financial misdemeanors of Martha Stewart and Conrad Black. One can always hope, anyway.

Hey, maybe MacLean’s will send Mark Steyn to report on the trial!

UPDATE: Today’s Guardian Poll is on Karadzic. That’s a tiny bit morbid.