So what I have liberal views? Seriously.. so what? Is it against the law? Is being anything but a conservative a threat to democracy? On the contrary, I’d say people who blindly support Harper are the true threat to democracy. Disagree? Check his record of contempt for the democratic process – when the going gets tough, Harper prorogues or dismisses Parliamentary procedure as an irrelevant distraction.

Using a term like “card carrying liberal” simply warns the public the person uttering it is a fool who needs a history lesson.

Although no election has been called, the federal Conservatives have been running ads that are, by any definition, election ads. In my mind, this is a violation of election laws, but then I guess that’s just one more distraction. Not only are we being treated to the “Harper is wonderful”, “Iggy is bad” silliness, we have to endure the endless “WOW IS OUR GOVERNMENT GREAT” bullshit promotions. There has been a barrage of ads that try to instill a sense of fear with the “do you want to risk losing Harper’s steady hand on the helm” message. If there isn’t an election, then why are they running? Also, who’s paying for the gee whiz our government is great campaign? Wouldn’t the money be better spent elsewhere? I suspect this is another Harper Government end run around Canadian law. After all, the government is his, right?

I think we should change the Conservative ad to read: Steven Harper – “NOT” here for Canada.

“I do not think that this is a repudiation of Canada’s foreign policy,”said Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon on Tuesday afternoon. “Canada ran a campaign based on principle; we ran a strong campaign. Unfortunately, back home in Canada, the leader of the opposition determined that Canada does not speak with one voice.

“In my view, (Ignatieff’s statements) were used as an issue to prevent Canada from succeeding to the Security Council.”

Mr. Harper is the master of the blame game. He and his handpicked group are never responsible for anything. The Liberals are always at the root of every defeat. If the Liberals are so all powerful, why are they not in power? Oh and NO Canada does not speak with one voice – can we spell D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y? Or is this not in the Little Blue Book of Quotes? Canadians are not always locked into step, we are a rather argumentative bunch. We’re funny that way.

Look at how Canada backed out of the Kyoto Accords, tinkered with foreign aid support, ignored the UN until there was something in it to pad Harper’s prestige coupled with Harper’s poor pitch to the UN for the seat (one columnist likened his presentation to the Slap Chop guy’s ad) and you have a resounded defeat. Harper can take credit for the failure all on his own. Does he seriously think the UN council members huddled in a corner ohh and ahhing at a Canadian newspaper, like naughty children who have just discovered their father’s Playboy and decided policy based on a few mutterings from Iggy? This is starting to sound dangerously deluded. Trust me, most Canadians don’t pay attention to Iggy, why should the UN?

This is a government incapable of doing anything but blaming either the mythical Toronto elites or the Liberals for every failure. Essentially Harper seems to think no one but his group have any rights to express an opinion. I’m a bit tired of this blame game. Every politician blames the opposition to some extent, but Harper is taking this to new levels and is seeing conspiracies where there are none. I think the lady doth protest too much. (Apologies to Will)

Santa Claus
NORTH POLE H0H 0H0
CANADA

The jolly old elf and his minions will read your letter and reply – last year over 1.6 million letters were answered. That’s a whole lot of ho ho ho’s…

Oh and you don’t have to be Canadian to send your letters – Santa is international, not Canadian. It’s just that his mail drop off box is sitting on Canadian soil so the Canadian Post Office has assigned him a Canadian address and postal code. His reindeer fly out to the mail box and get the letters for Santa and bring them back to his workshop.

Don’t forget the H0H oHo – that’s a postal code (like a US zip code). You don’t want your letter misdirected!

P.S. I’m still stewing over the TTC’s mishandling of the shutdown and fare hikes. I just thought it would be nice to think positive thoughts for a change… ttc .. fare hikes .. think nice thoughts nice thoughts … think positive… fare hikes… surly… no … think positive thoughts… oh darn… time to abdicate responsibilites and go draw birds …

It is cold outside
I curse my ancestors as I shiver
Why not move to New Zealand

I saw snow today
I shivered in my jacket
Come back summer

Stupid fecking ancestors just had to choose a cold country, didn’t they? Why not New Zealand? It sounds lovely to me.

We have lost 73 soldiers in the past five years. Yes, it has been that long. Hard to believe that while we sit in our homes, with hardly a thought to what is going on a world away, the fight is continuing unabated. I have my own opinions about the wars and conflicts going on around the globe – and not all of these thoughts are polite or politically correct or will endure me to my readers. Today is not the time to debate the rights or wrongs of Iraq and other battles. But when it comes to the battle with the Taliban, I’m not torn at all. This vile group of misogynistic knuckle draggers have caused too much pain and devastation. They want to pull the world – and women in particular – into the dark ages of repression, violence and abject poverty, all in the misguided name of god. I think it is at times like this that god must weep at the hatred spewn in his name.

The soldiers in Afghanistan have said over and over, they believe they are doing the right thing – they believe they are helping the Afghan people fight a reprehensible enemy. Many of the soldiers have fallen in love with the people and country they are trying to help. Last week for Remembrance Day family members of a couple of the fallen soldiers were flown to Afghanistan to be with the serving troops during the services. One parent said it was special being so close to the soil her son died on, gave his life for. I’m sure more than one parent took home some sand from the parched landscape.

Remembrance Day is the day Canada stops to remember those fallen in all wars and peace keeping actions. On the 11 minute of the 11 day of the 11 month – 1918 signalled the end of the Great War, or the War to End All Wars. We simply refer to it as the First World War. Ironic isn’t it, the War to End All Wars is now the starting point for a century + of unrelenting carnage. Since 1919, this day has been kept as our national day of Remembrance. For years, while I was growing up, the crowds at the cenotaphs grew smaller, but in the last 2 years there has been a reversal. The Canadian public has woken up to the dangers and heartbreak of war. Years and decades went by when our Peacekeepers died without much more than a small article in the newspapers – 186 died. Now, Canadians are remembering.

It saddens me to think of the new generation Silver Cross mothers being created. Silver cross mothers are women who have been given a silver cross when their child dies in battle. This year’s mother, chosen to lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa was Mrs. Wilhelmina Beerenfenger-Koehler of Embrun, Ontario. Her son, Corporal Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger, was killed near Kabul by a land mind in 2003. Robbie left behind his wife Tina and three children, Matthew, Kristopher and Madison. One Silver Cross is poor compensation.

Canadians have reacted in a typically Canadian fashion to the deaths. While our politicians twiddle their thumbs and ho hum about the tragedy of the deaths, we have created our own impromptu memorial or road of honour. When the soldiers are sent home, they arrive at Trenton Air Base and make the journey to Toronto’s Centre for Forensic Sciences and then returned to their families. They travel along Highway 401 – the main traffic artery that spans the country – which has been unofficially renamed Highway of Heroes. When a soldier makes this last journey, Canadians line the road and overpasses and silently stand as guards for their final trip home. For 172 kilometers from Trenton to Toronto, since 2002, people stand and salute these fallen Canadians.

Its not a glorification of war – its a brief second when the public feels a connection to the families that are now suffering such a horrible lose. It is the one point in the war, that regardless of your political beliefs, you stand with the families and soldiers and say “I’m sorry.”

No rhetoric, no speeches, no politicians, just citizens lining a long stretch of road saying goodbye and we’ll remember.