2012 US Election

Did anyone else watch the US election the other night? I spent most of the day fretting when the polls would close and how Hurricane Sandy would affect voters in New Jersey and New York.

I was glued to my computer, watching live results on the Guardian's website. They're a British website and just happened to be the site that popped up when I was looking for results. I stayed with them the whole day and had great time. Their results for various states updated every minute, they had correspondents all over the country providing updated information about polling stations, cable news coverage and random tweets about the election. PBS Newshour had live streaming coverage, breaking down the results for the presidency, the House of Representatives and the Senate (Who knew PBS had a news program?)

When polling stations finally had something to report, the board took on a red tinge. Only very slowly did blue states begin to pop up. My main concern was which way the 'swing' states would lean. The further we got into the night and as red and blue crept over a map of the US, we got closer to that magic number of 270 votes which is the minimum required of electoral votes to win the presidency. Then, shortly after 8pm the majority of the cable news shows and polls called the election for Barack Obama. Votes were still being counted and Florida was switching between the two candidates every half hour or so.

Everyone expected Romney to make the obligatory phone call of congratulations to Obama and then his concession speech. Instead, we had to wait almost two hours before he arrived and gave a speech about how he wished he had been America's choice and how everyone should pray for the president. Pundits thought perhaps the Romney camp was waiting on more results from Ohio as evidenced by Karl Rove on Fox News.



Or perhaps it was because Romney hadn't written a concession speech and was instead, hurriedly writing something down.

“I just finished writing a victory speech,” he later told reporters aboard the Romney plane for its final flight. “It’s about 1,118 words.”

What about a concession speech?

“I’ve only written one speech at this point,” the would-be next president said.

Now it would be simplistic to say that you can see the differences in these two men from the speeches they made. I will say however that the speeches elicited different emotional responses from me. Romney's speech felt short, rushed and inelegant but generous. In contrast, Obama's speech was elegant, inspiring, gracious and heartfelt.

For your own edification, here are both speeches.





Apart from Obama getting re-elected there were a lot of other amazing results to come out of that night, especially for women.

Wisconsin elected their first openly gay senator, Tammy Baldwin who also happens to be the first female to hold that office in the state.

New Hampshire will be sending an all-female delegation. This includes newly elected House Reps Democrats Carol Shea-Porter and Ann McLane Kuster, Governor-Elect Maggie Hassan and Senators Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat and Kelly Ayotte, a Republican who weren't up for re-election. This is absolutely awesome for women in politics. Unfortunately by next year Hassan will be the only female Democratic governor in the country as of the four female governors, the two Democrats will be stepping down after 2012.

Women will take a record 20 Senate seats, all formerly held by men.

Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren beat out Republican candidate Scott Brown in Massachusetts, making her the first female senator from the state.

Click here for more information on how well women did in the election.

The first Asian-American was elected to the Senate. She is also Hawaii's first female Senator.

Both Senate candidates who made controversial statements about rape were ousted from their seats.

Republican congressman Todd Akin lost his seat to Democrat Claire McCaskill in MissouriAkin claimed that female victims of “legitimate rape” rarely experience pregnancy from rape: “First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to shut that whole thing down.”

Click here to watch the interview in which he makes this statement.

Republican candidate Richard Mourdock lost the race to Democratic congressman Joe Donelly in Indiana. Mourdock claimed that pregnancy resulting from rape was “something that God intended to happen”: “I believe that life begins at contraception. The only exception I have to have an abortion is in the life of the mother. I just struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God – that I think even if life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”

Click here to see video of Mourdock making this statement.

It should be noted that Joe Donelly is also against abortion.

Also, both Washington and Colorado voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use for those 21 and over.

Four states have also voted for marriage equality. Washington, Maine, Maryland and Minnesota. This is a huge step forward in such a short span of time.

Something else you may be interested to know is that Puerto Rico voted to change their status. When asked how they wanted to change their status, a majority of Puerto Ricans voted that they wanted statehood, as in, become the 51st state of the US. They are currently a US territory. They are Americans but do not vote in elections or have representatiion in the government. They govern themselves but follow American laws.

My guess for the future of the Republican party is that they’re going to have to evaluate their position on a myriad of topics including immigration, abortion, health care, etc. They must embrace female voters, young voters, African Americans, Hispanics and Asian Americans. If they steer the course they will continue on a losing trend as their core of dependable voters shrinks in the face of growing diversity. The party of old, white, rich men cannot succeed. That time in history is over.

I foresee the party breaking in two if they don’t agree on what values to hold. I don’t see how the moderates can countenance the vitriolic remarks made by those who lean more to the right on social issues.

The US may be in store for a three party system if the moderates and far right supporters go their separate ways. It would definitely may American politics more interesting! A two party system is a boring system. Look at Canada for instance. We have four major parties and you never know what's going to happen.

I had a great time watching the US election but I am supremely happy that it is finished for a few years. What did you think of the 2012 US election?

Egyptian Revolution

Egypt: A Nation Forced Offline from Michael Marantz on Vimeo.

Canada on Mars

For those of you who don't know, the Phoenix Mars Lander has reached Mars safely, landing in the arctic region. The Canadian side of the story is that we designed and own the weather station aboard the lander. How very...Canadian of us or I might say, how cliche.

I never understood the whole Canada + weather obsession until a few years ago. But if you think about it, a lot of Canadian families started out as farmers and to a farmer, the weather is of utmost importance. It determined if farmers would have a good year or not, though I have to confess I've never actually heard of a farmer having a good year. As well, up here in Canada we have a shorter growing season than the US and therefore a smaller window to grow crops and make enough money to keep the farm.

Today isn't much different. Most of the conversations I eavesdrop on overhear consist of gas prices and what a weird spring we've had. Gas just keeps going up and up, causing me to reminisce about the days when gas was 60 cents a litre. Of course, this was during a gas war a couple of years ago but still, I can reminisce. It makes me feel like one of those old miners/trappers/curmudgeons bragging in a saloon about the blizzard they lived through in '96. That's 1896 to you. There was a major snowstorm here in 1996 or so I'm told. I left the day before it hit, escaping the perfect conditions for snowforts, snowmen and the occasional holiday snowball fight.

But let's return to the Phoenix Lander. Do you have any idea how historical this moment is? A piece of Canada, physically material, built here, is now on Mars, another planet! I suppose I can't fault Canada for contributing a weather station to the mission but I'm disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm and excitement from the country. I know that space is so 1969 but remember, we never went to the moon. This is important and I for one am happy to say I was here to witness it. I may not be in Houston or on Mars but I'm not going to forget this moment.

Sickness + Hockey + WWI

I am so happy to be posting again. I thought this was finally going to be when I start posting daily and then I happen to get sick. I spent all of yesterday lying as still as possible and, if you'll excuse me, trying not to blow chunks. The worst part was I wasn't sleepy and couldn't even read a book without feeling nauseous. Do you have any idea what it's like staring at the ceiling all day? Fortunately I was listening to CBC but it got tiresome after hearing the same stories every half hour.

I'm feeling much better today but the experience made me think of women who spend their whole lives in bed. Two immediately came to mind. One was a women in "Harriet the Spy", one of Harriet's "victims". I believe she spied on her through a broken skylight. Then there's the bedridden woman in the movie "Pollyanna". I always remember that woman because Hayley Mills decorates her room with crystals and there's some discussion of calf's foot jelly. To my knowledge this is still the most disgusting kind of jelly I've heard of, though I'm still not clear on the distinction between jelly and jam. To elaborate I looked up a description of this jelly: a savory jelly made with gelatin obtained by boiling calves' feet. *shudders*

Some announcements you might not be aware of:



The IIHF World Hockey Championships are currently underway in Eastern Canada. So far Canada has gone 6-0 and is into the Semi-Finals. Yes! We play Sweden on Friday to get into the Finals.

Also, did you know that the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) is 100 years old this year?




The last known surviving Canadian WWI veteran has become a Canadian citizen again. John Foster Babcock was born here but became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1946. At 107, he's now holds dual citizenship.

He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Forces at age 15, lying about his age and was shipped over to Britain. I only hope to live as long as he has.

Robert Dziekanski Incident

I had to take a few days to write this post because it was hard to put into words. If you're Canadian then you'll have heard about the tasering death of Polish immigrant, Robert Dziekanski that took place in Vancouver Intl. Airport last month. And even if you're not Canadian, you may have heard about it. This story has circled the globe.

So why has this story suddenly become front page news for the world a month after the incident? Because a bystander caught the entire incident on video.

To me, the taser is just a replacement for the gun. And you know that there are plenty of people walking around with undiagnosed heart problems. What happens if they happen to get tasered? Who knows.

My issue with the entire incident is that this man spent hours upon hours in the airport and not once did anyone approach him to offer assistance. On the video you could clearly hear bystanders saying to the police that he was speaking Russian, which was obviously incorrect. At an airport with an international clientele surely there would be someone on staff who would have recognized his distress and been able to help him.

I didn't think the news would air the footage. They did mention that all of the major news groups had met and decided to air the footage. I think they were doing it in the name of the public's right to information. You see, the police had confiscated the video and promised to return in within 48 hours. They didn't return the video when promised and it started to look like they were just trying to cover up the incident.

In hindsight I think I should have changed the channel or turned off the tv. I can't tell you how chilling it was to hear Dziezanski screaming and then grow quiet. The idea of seeing a man literally die on public television is repulsive and nauseating. And the police, those officers, how can they justify what they've done? How can they live with themselves?

Whistler - 1st murder in 30 years

I don't know how many of you know this but earlier in the month, a 26-year old man, Michael George Boutros was killed in Whistler.

I was a little freaked out when I heard about this, especially when papers said that it was the first in 30 years. I think it was the fact that this happened while I was here. I didn't necessarily get chills up my spine but I did feel like looking over my shoulder every time I walked to the bus stop late at night.

On Monday I walked past the place where he was killed, where he died and I was really worried about getting creeped out. Would I feel so weird I'd never be able to walk by that spot again? How would this affect my walk to the library or the grocery store.

Strangely enough, I didn't feel anything. The walkway was crowded with tourists and the outside patios were full. Everyone was going about there business and no one stopped to look or pause. My own thoughts and the actions of these other people really bothered me. Was I really more concerned about how my ability to buy apples and milk would be affected than the fact that someone had been killed in the place that I lived?

He'll never get married or have kids. He'll never get pink flamingoes on his lawn when he turns 40 or have the biggest retirement party ever. He'll never get seniors rates or go on cruises for people over 80. He'll never do anything again and that really bothers me.

Now, on the news I hear about people dying every day. But this is different. It's close and every weekend I have to walk by the place that it happened.

I suppose in a way it wasn't suprising how people were going on about their day but at the same it almost felt like a lack of respect. Boutros' family isn't going to be moving on anytime soon and the reaction almost seems to make life less precious than it is.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Real Romeo and Juliet found?

Apparently archaeologists have found two Neolithic (5000-6000 years ago) skeletons buried outside of Mantua. The pair, found in locked in an intimate embrace are believed to be a man and a woman who died young, because they still have all their teeth. Who knew dental work could be so important?

Mantua also happens to be about 25 miles from Verona. This of course, being the legendary home of Romeo and Juliet. Kinda makes you think, no? Makes you want to stroke imaginary chin hairs and wonder. Billy Shakespeare had no way of knowing that the play he wrote in the 16th century would have a real application with a couple that lived thousands of years before he did. It's kind of creepy if you think about it too hard.

Iceland breaks 21 year hunting ban

PS. You know how my last post included info about Tokyo Rose? Well it turns out, she passed away on September 26. Coincidence? Cue Twilight Zone music.

Iceland has been in the news for hunting whales after breaking a 21 year hunting ban on October 21. They harpooned and killed a fin whale, an endangered whale species. They're on the "red list" of the World Conservation Union, a network composed of 181 countries and 10 000 scientists.

Reykjavik, the capital, decided on Tuesday to catch nine fin whales and 30 minke whales in the year to August 31 2007 despite the 1985 moratorium imposed by the International Whaling Commission.

My problem with this is the fact that they're harvesting endangered whales and this might open up the door for more countries to break with the ban. An example would be Japan who backed Iceland and their move to start whaling again. Both Iceland and Japan hunt whales for research purposes but until now there hasn't been any whaling for commercial consumption. Of course, I'm sure there's been illegal whaling.

Iceland says there are about 70,000 minke whales and 25,800 fin whales in the central North Atlantic region but I'm not sure how accurate those numbers are. All I want though, is for whales to be around when I'm retired, when my hair is white and I walk with a cane. But Iceland opened up a can of whale meat and I think it's gonna cause quite a stink.

Oil spill off Howe Sound

Yesterday a ship came into the docks at the Squamish Terminal in Howe Sound, BC and spilled 45 tonnes of fuel

This is a problem because winds and currents are going to drive the spill to shore. And apparently the Squamish Estuary (where the Squamish River empties into Howe Sound) is located quite close and is important in terms of wildlife and nature and marshland areas. It's an ecosystem with salmon runs, eagles, seals, birds and marine life that could be damaged and most likely will be if this mess isn't cleaned up right away.





You may ask, how was this oil spilled? Apparently at 2:30 yesterday, the "Westwood Anette" was leaving the pier when high winds pushed it back into the dock, puncturing two holes in the starboard side of the ship, spilling the fuel.

Officials at Environment Canada are saying this is a big spill and being so near to an important area, it could really damage the ecosystem for who knows how long. I mean, the Exxon Valdez disaster was 17 years ago and Prince William Sound is still contaminated with crude oil.

The government has fallen! The government has fallen!

My utmost apologies for my lack of blogging but currently I'm in the midst of finals. But this just means that after finals are over, I'll have a lot more time to post. Anyway, back to my catch-up post.

And so as Chicken Licken predicted, the government has fallen. Of course, no one believed him after a chunk of the Peace Tower conked him on the head. But then again, he did run around screaming that the government was falling when in fact, he should have said that the Parliament buildings were falling.

But does it really matter that the plucky little clucker was right? I think a lot of people were fed up with what what happening on "the hill". This includes myself of course but at the same time I didn't want an election.

This was mostly because I wondered who was going to actually go vote. I mean, in the middle of January there are lots of people who are snowed in and don't want to make the trek to the polling station. What about those Snowbirds who migrate down to Florida for the winter? What about the growing sense of apathy among young people?

Why should I be worried? Why should you be worried? Well if we look at our numbers for the last election, it's kind of scary. Apparently the voter turnout for the 2004 election was the lowest it has ever been since Confederation. When was Confederation you might ask? For those of you who can't remember what you did in Socials 10, Canada became a country in 1867. That's 138 years people, for those of who can't remember what you did in Math 8. It's almost as if your great-grandfather built a bridge on his property and when you finally inherited the place you decided to chop up the bridge for firewood because you were too lazy to a) chop up brush wood b) install a gas fireplace or c) put on a friggin sweater.

But there are ways that you can vote without going to the polling stations on January 23. Canada had the first Internet election in North America. So this is a possibility perhaps for some ridings, even with the security issues. You can also vote by mail if you don't want to leave your house on election day. I believe you can also vote early whether you're an absentee voter or not.

So, when the time comes and we're all sick of those ads and posters and campaign signs please go out and vote. Because otherwise, you're not allowed to complain. At least, that's the way I see it. If you don't exercise your democratic right and then you complain about who was elected, you better go cry in the corner because no one is going to care about your whining.

Holy Gomery Report Batman!

So it's been almost a week since the Gomery Report went public and I can tell you the fur did indeed hit the fan.

So let's break this down. Who is the victim?

The Canadian People.

Who is guilty?









#1 Former prime minister Jean Chretien. He was partly to blame for mismanagement, as he was responsible for the program.

#2 Chretien's chief of staff - Jean Pelletier - who failed to manage the program properly.

#3 Chretien's friend, Jacques Corriveau, the central figure in the kickback scheme. He provided funds to the Quebec wing of the Liberal party. He benefitted personally from the program as well.

#4 Alfonso Gagliano, directly involved in decisions in spending sponsorship money.


PM Paul Martin was "absolved of personal blame" in the scandal because he wasn't involved in the supervision of spending. John Gomery said:

"Mr. Martin, whose role as finance minister did not involve him in the supervision of spending by the PMO or (Public Works) is entitled, like other ministers in the Quebec caucus, to be exonerated from any blame for carelessness or misconduct."


So what have we learned? That politicians and politics make you want to wash your mouth out with acid. At least, that's how I feel.

Don Cherry favours the Senators?

Well, hockey is back, sports bars are full and hockey widows and widowers are back in black.

There were 15 games played on Wednesday, a full plate for people trying to watch three at a time, taping two on other tvs in the house and hijacking friend's tvs as well.

I saw the first shootout ever in NHL history and it happened in Canada, with Canadian teams. Ottawa whupped the Leafs 5-4 when it was all over.

And I also kept seeing that phrase, "Thank you Fans" pasted on the ice. But to what is this referring? Thank you for coming back, thank you for putting up with our crap? But regardless of this I'm glad it's back.

Now, I've heard from various sources, including Don "Redface" Cherry, that the Ottawa Senators are favoured or expected to win the Stanley Cup and will either win against Calgary or Vancouver. Any thoughts, opinions, raging blackouts?

I also watched the women's exhibition game yesterday between the US and Canada and I was very disappointed. We won 6-0 but it was a hollow victory. It's not worth winning if you don't beat a worthy opponent and the US women didn't live up to my expectations. There's always been this great rivalry between the US and Canada and that last great game I watched between the women was the 2002 Olympics. That final had me yelling at the tv screen. So this is a message to the US Women's team, I expect a fight for the win in Torino or I'll turn off the tv.

CBC strike may be over

Yesterday I heard that the CBC might be going back to work soon if a deal can be worked out. So I jumped about like a giddy penguin and danced on the ceiling.

It's sad how I never knew how much I missed the CBC until it was gone. It's like not knowing how important having a toothbrush was until your teeth start feeling like you've been painting them with slime from the fishtank.

To help speed this process along, I've decided to send a message out into "the internets". Hopefully it will be happily received by both sides as a prompt to kick their keesters into gear before people begin to think CBC stands for 'Canned Beets Company'.

So, to misappropriate a well-known quote: "I want my CBC!"

Last Living Canadian VC Veteran dies

"Smokey" Smith, the last living Canadian WWII veteran to earn the Victoria Cross died last week. He was 91 years old and was one of only ten Victoria Cross recipients still alive in the British Commonwealth.

Before I go into how he won his medal I wanted to find out exactly what the Victoria Cross is and where it comes from. It turns out that it's a bronze medallion on a dark red ribbon. They're created from the bronze of Russian cannons captured at a place called Sabastopol during the last battle of the Crimean War in 1854-55.

The whole idea of cannons made me wonder how many they took at Sabastopol as spoils of war. What happens when they use up all the bronze? But why am I worrying about there being enough bronze to make medals? I'd rather not have any wars and not have to give out medals for putting yourself in the direct line of fire.

Now that I've thoroughtly disgusted myself and you dear reader, I thought I'd share this little tidbit. I've had members on both sides of my family fight in WWI and WWII. I'm proud of the service they did for their country but at the same time, I absolutely hate the idea of humans beings killing each other. It seems like such a waste. But does this take away from what my relatives did for Canada? I really don't have an answer.

According to a website I looked at, the VC is the most prestigious award in the British Commonwealth and is given for "gallantry in the face of the enemy." "Smokey" Smith received his in Italy by single-handedly fighting off German tanks and troops during a battle 1944.

Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith was born in New Westminster, BC. He was part of the Seaforth Highlanders and this same regiment brought his coffin to Parliament Hill where he lay in state on Tuesday. On Saturday he'll be returned to BC and will be given a full military funeral.

MP Gurmant Grewal Bribery Scandal

On my 50th post I talked a little about how Conservative MP Gurmant Grewal was in a bit of trouble about trying to get people to take a package of his on a plane. I also talked about how he secretly taped conversations where the Liberals were trying to bribe him into crossing the floor.

Recently he was cleared in an immigration case. He has also been cleared of any wrongdoing in the "airport incident".

Things have just gotten worse for this man. Apparently when some people made donations to his party and his campaign, their cheques and money went missing. They never received tax receipts but the cheques were deposited. And apparently they weren't cashed with the riding association or Conservative party. Hmmmmm. Could the gnome underground have stolen the cheques? I wouldn't be surprised if they had an agent in every political office in the country. They're crafty little critters and it seems that they've moved on from stealing car keys and hiding remotes.

The RCMP is now investigating five such cases and I'm wondering just what dirty little secrets they're going to find. Perhaps at one time he used to collect hot pink flamingoes or perhaps he has a fetish for used whoopie cushions. You'd be surprised how many closets people have with mismatched skeletons.

By the way, the gnome in the picture is missing his pet fox. If anyone's seen it, let me know.

Canadian Beef Ban Lifted

Things seem to be moving along for the beef industry up here. A few days ago, a US appeals court lifted the ban on Canadian beef. Hopefully this means that we'll be able to move stock across the border again but everybody has to hold their breath. A ruling next week from the same judge that kept cattle from moving across the border in April will determine the outcome of the POCS (pissed off cow syndrome). I suspect that many Canadians will die of asphyxiation if he doesn't rule in our favour. Then he'll feel bad.

As for those guys at R-Calf, I was listening to one guy on the radio saying that he just wanted to protect his country, his culture and his family from Canadian beef. Ladies and germs, when was the last time a side of beef attacked your loved ones? If you have come across this problem just be sure to phone the Beef Exterminators and they'll come right over to your house and roast that sucker on the barbie. There's nothing like eating the flesh off of a pest you brought home from the supermarket.

I also don't understand what the whole 'destruction of culture' bit was about? Are you afraid Canadian cows will eat the Declaration of Independance? While I'm sure that aged paper would taste good to, I don't know, silverfish, I highly doubt that a cow would be interested. Plus, isn't the Declaration sealed away in bullet-proof glass? Even if a cow did get a hankering for tree products, they wouldn't be able to get near it. Unless it was a cow with a gun. I think I smell a fall sitcom.

And honestly, how can this guy claim that Canadian beef is dangerous when a case of Mad Cow was discovered in Texas? I'm sure he's not going to ban beef from Texas so what's the deal? Maybe he thinks that cows north of the 49th parallel develop some sort of strange disease. Well, actually, I think I might have heard something about this. Canadian beef cows have been known to have feces fights with milk cows. They also have a tendency to maul anyone who mentions POCS.

I mean, the Kiwis (New Zealanders) opened their borders to us and they have some of the strictest regulations in the world for cattle.

Did I mentioned that I love Alberta beef? A few years ago I attended a relative's wedding where top Sirloin from Alberta was served and my fork cut through it like butter. It was so good (cue drooling Homer Simpson sound).

Check this link out for more info.

The NHL strike is over!

I don't know how many of you read this blog so I'll just mention a few months ago I posted a topic about Hockey. It seemed like the players and the owners were trying to use outdated techniques from a fictional novel (Frankenstein) to revive the season.

But the drought is over ladies and gentleman. The Hockey Gods have spoken!

This reminded me of the blackouts in 2003. When this happened, the news made reference to another famous blackout that I think was in '69 and nine months later, babies! So I thought this time the players had decided to spend $100 000 over the next 20 years on children instead of playing hockey.

But that madness is over now. Hockey is back, a six-year agreement has been struck. But things will be different come Fall. Players will be struggling with beer bellies obtained over the summer. Fans will be cheering from hoverchairs and the zambonis will be driven by unionized penguins. Now, it may seem strange and a bit scary but these were the conditions set so you'll just have to get used to them.

Some things I didn't agree with that I've heard about the new deal but haven't been confirmed yet are more teams and a larger playoff pool. I think we need fewer teams, with talent concentrated in places where there are dedicated fans. Any thoughts?

London Bombings

Last week a tragedy unfolded in London aboard a bus and in the underground. At last count, 52 people had lost their lives. The city was shaken and Tony Blair spoke out against the attacks. But despite what has happened I don't think anything could break the Brits. During the bombings of London in World War II the people remained, only sending their children away. Even the royal family stayed in London. Canada has strong ties to the UK as do I and all I can say is that our thoughts are with you.

What does this event have to do with Canada? Supposedly there is a list of countries that will be targeted. Canada is on that list. But at the same time you say hey, we're a bunch of nice guys and they probably couldn't even find Canada on the map.

But Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan says we're being ignorant. "I do not believe that Canadians are psychologically prepared for a terrorist attack," said McLellan. "I think probably we all should be. I think we have for perhaps for too long thought that these were things that happened somewhere else."

That's something I think Canadians tend to believe. All the bad stuff happens somewhere else. Does that mean we should be afraid? No we should be aware. I woudl hope that nothing would happen but it seems to be inevitable.

Gurmant Grewel + secret tapes

So this is my 50th post! In celebration I decree throughout the land of Blogdom that there shall be free spam for everyone!

It seems like all I'm blogging about "these days" is politics in Canada but you know what, the politics here are actually getting juicy. People crossing floors left and right (okay that was bad), national scandals, missing money, secret tape recordings. Now I can't say that the politics are as interesting as the time when Mulroney screwed everybody over with WaterGate because well, that was before my time. So, this is the big thing of my time...in Canadian politics. I wish I could make that sound more interesting but I doubt that MPs would juggle flaming chainsaws on CPAC if I asked them to.

So, I actually had to find out about from a podcast because of my lack of media sources where I'm living now but Gurmant Grewal's allegations are starting to sound suspicious.

This is the man that secretly taped conversations with Liberals. (Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and Tim Murphy, Prime Minister Paul Martin's' chief of staff). Supposedly they hinted at the fact that he might be able to further his career if he missed the important non-confidence vote a few weeks ago. Perhaps they were promising him a pool full of jello or a sculture made out of macaroni that he could offer to Harper as a grain-product sacrifice, I really don't know.

The tapes were released and many people agree that the tapes were doctored or edited. An audio expert hired by the Conservatives says the tapes are clean but is he to be believed? Prior to them being released to the media, they were in the hands of the Conservative party. The Tories admitted some segments of the tapes had gone missing. So, does this mean that some thief out there gets his jollies by clipping bits of tape and stealing them?

Wait, the story gets better. It turns out Grewal was at the Vancouver airport and was trying to get a package to Ottawa. But he wasn't leaving until the next day. So he bothered various people, trying to get them to take the package for him. You're not allowed to do this in Canada. You either send it by courier or you take it on the plane yourself. I guess that's because there might be a bomb in the package or a deadly fruitcake that's been sitting in the back of your freezer ever since your mother-in-law made it.

Anyway, what was in the package? One of the unedited tapes that were supposedly all handed over to the RCMP (our police guys). So what does the man do? Well, he does what any man in his situation does, mows the lawns of Parliament. Okay no, he took a leave of absence. My prediction? He's gone. He's gone like dinner when the dog's left alone with it.

Who is telling the lie?

New Ambassador to Canada

Well, America's ambassador to Canada, Paul Cellucci is leaving his job. We should all be singing Auld Lang Syne because it's a new year. That guy has been pissing me off ever since he said he was "disappointed and upset" about our decision not to join the war in Iraq. That's a very diplomatic way of putting it because from what I got from his own mouth in interviews, he was disgusted. He just doesn't seem to like us and don't you think you should like your job if you're going to do it well?

The man who's going to replace him is David Wilkins and from what I read in the paper, he's a nice guy but then, on the net, he's a southern fundamentalist. And I just can't decide which one to disbelieve more so I need your help. Well actually, I need help from someone who has seen him in action or knows him or at least delivered pizza to him.

Is he a nice guy? Does he use fabric softener? Does he remember the summer of '69? My one problem with the man is that he has visited Canada exactly once, in the 70s. I can't see how he would have gotten a very good impression of my country as the only colours that existed in the 70s were brown and orange. He said he doesn't know a lot about Canada so I expect him to do some reading. I can't see how he can be worse than the man he's replacing so I hope he does a good job.

Two asides completely unrelated to this topic: 1) In another interesting developement, a Liberal member of Parliament located in Labrador has died, meaning that an election needed to be held. A Liberal was elected to the seat, making the seats dead even 153-153. Independant member Chuck Cadman holds the balance of power. This message is for him: Chuck, if you screw this up, I'm coming to your house, duck taping you to a chair and making you listen to a CD of Joan Rivers singing, set to repeat.

2) Did anyone watch the Contender finale? I had imagined myself not being able to watch grown men beat each other to death but I was actually cheering them on. Carnal rage? Sadistic? I prefer to call it, living through someone else's actions. But I won't spoil it for you, let's just say that the man I was gunning for won. I always thought boxing was more bloody but there were few cuts and little blood. Vampire boxers, now there's a cable access show if I've ever heard one.