HAPPY CANADA DAY (for tomorrow)

Time to remember that despite all the bullshit just how lucky we really are to live here.

In fact I think this story goes to heart of all that is good with modern Canada
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060630.wmounties30/BNStory/National/home

Not only are these guys part of a national symbol (RCMP), a symbol can also kick the asses of hippies 64 ways from sunday, take on international crime and terrorism etc, but these are also individuals who rights are protected by Canada's charter and courts and their desire just to live and not make a political statement. I think this entire story illustrates why we are so lucky here.

Also in keeping with our new government's spirit of standing up for Canada and delivering very specific and targeted policies to Canadians please see the most recent announcement on the environment by a spokesman for Minister Ambrose (as quoted in the Ottawa Citizen):

"I can't speculate on environmental policy at this time," Mr. [Ryan] Sparrow said.

Cheers,

P

A WEEK OF VACATION THIS WEEKEND!

So Liz and I drove in to Montreal to attend the graduation lunch for my Counsin Angela. She has just graduated from teacher's college. Our initial plan was to stay in montreal for a night or two and just relax and enjoy the best city in Canada. However, it was grand prix weekend and well... the hotel rooms that were left were all at least $400 (or they rented by the hour).

So we changed our plans. After my counsin's lunch we kept on going until we got to Quebec City. As this was also liz's birthday weekend I had made arrangements for a hotel in QC.

Seriously, this has to have been one of the most relaxing 1.5 days and one night of my life. We wandered around the old city (upper and lower), explored numerous art galleries, ate well, bought chocolates, visited and walked around the Montmorency falls and finished up on ile D'Orleans where we purchased home made cider and other cider beveragesa and had supper on a terrase which was also the backyard which overlooked the rolling laurentians and the St. Lawrence river.

Drove home but didn't really want to leave.

Fabulous weekend!

Cheers,

P

GOOD NEWS...

I was shocked at the number of really good stories or at least good quotes from the news today.

My pick for top prize is this quote from an Globe article co-authored by Irwin Cotler the former Minister of justice regarding social justice and human rights in Iran

"Accountability for past abuses is vital for building a better future in Iran. Meaningful regime change is not about replacing anti-Western tyrants with pro-Western tyrants, or vice versa; it is about transforming oppressive political habits and changing the rules of legitimacy by eradicating the culture of impunity within which state-sponsored violence is rooted. This is perhaps the most important lesson for Iranians lamenting the failed promises of the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah. Whether pursuing the compelling ideal of justice for victims, or the realpolitik calculus of security against nuclear proliferation, <Canada> and the world community should not underestimate the power of holding individuals accountable for human rights abuses. "

And this excellent quote from and article in the OttawaCitizen regarding the lack of funding for this year's 'Gay Pride' parade/festival

"Surely, we're past the point where gays and lesbians need to march in a parade to convince themselves they are all right. They certainly don't need to convince me. If you're gay, I don't care. I'm sure you're no more interested in my sex life than I am in yours. Some of those seeking city money argued it would be embarrassing for the national capital not to have a gay pride event. Not really. Maybe it would just show that gay people here have become part of the mainstream. Wasn't that always the goal? "

And last but most certainly not least is this gem concerning what our government is FINALLY doing to get our military some decent equipment to help them do their very important jobs overseas, specifically a 15billion dollar package of new purchases from vans and trucks to heavy lift aircraft and transport helicoptrs as well as new supply ships:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/21/military21062006.html

It is a good news day.

Cheers,

P

WHERE THE PRICKS ABOUND (ottawa)

Notice: until today there has been a pleasant shortage of pricks in my office as opposed to the rest of this 'government' town.

I'm so bloody sick of these pretentious assholes who think just because they wear a shirt and tie and have a 2X2 cube in a government office that they own this town, country and (specific to today's rant) ME.

As some of you may know we live in card key sealed office sections where I work. The funny thing is that you need a card key to get back in to your office section from the bathroom section. Stupid I know since there is no way into the bathroom section unless you've already gone through secure doors.

Anyway since the idea of swiping one's card is irritating for all if someone is approaching the door they will usually let you through as a friendly gesture.

TODAY... some late 20 early 30' something, was approaching the door. I was about to swipe but decided that he would just let me in like everyone else. NOT TO BE...

Well he did open the door and instead of holding it open, as is customary and civilized, he rushes through. I thank him for opening the door anyway. He then says with his little pretentious asshole smile (PAS) 'Do you have your card?'.

Keep in mind I don't know this guy but clearly if I was able to go to the bathroom I must have been able to access a secure area either directly or by being escorted by someone.

I replied to him quietly with my own PAS, 'Yes'

He repeated 'Excuse me do you have your card'

'YES_I DO!' I replied more forcefully in a F*&k off and die sort of way

'Well are you going to let me see it'

THAT WAS IT - without missing a step or turning around I just loudly reply

'I DON'T BELIEVE I NEED TO SHOW *YOU* ANYTHING'. and that was that.

My small fight agains Assohole Pricks in the office, across this assohole prick centred city and across country and world!

Come on... ask me again... I dare ya.... (next time I won't be so nice ie. "ok show me your badge as head of security or as a security officer, further demonstrate to me why you need to see my card and what legal authority you have to ask for it aside from you being a complete and utter pretentious asshole?)... yeah bring it on jackass.

Cheers,

P

DIS_GUSTING

In the near non-existant coverage of the leadership race of the Green Party of Canada I came across this this morning

http://www.therecord.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=record/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1150408213932&call_pageid=1024322085509&col=1024322199564

Specifically that she's runing on behalf of Stephen Harper's children because "You're just not a good father if you do what he's doing," said May, the former executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada."

I think that's the lowest attack between sitting and or aspiring politicians I've ever heard. I really hope David Chernushenko wins the leadership race. May, while she has been in the past a strong voice for the environment, has in the past few years just become a loud mouth spouting off anything that happens to fly into her head regarless if is factual or not, hurtful or not, or constructive or not.

Elizabeth May has shown by these callous, childish and petty comments that should she be elected to lead the GPC that she will single handely vapourize any gains the Greens have made in acquiring wider and deeper support.

For shame.

Cheers,

P

SELF-CORRECTION... in the media!?

I found this article/headline most comforting:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060612.wdougg0612/BNStory/Entertainment/home

Apparently the CBC has gone to the trouble of getting a historical expert's opinion on the recently released to TV, movie on Tommy Douglas' life. While this has already aired it caused a fair bit of controversy due to its protrayal of certain other characters and personalities that surrounded Douglas at the time.

After this the CBC, it seems, got an independent opinion on how accurate the movie protrayed characters and found that it was not very accurate at all. CBC has now pulled the movie and the video/dvd release until the problem can be fixed.

This is a credit to the CBC and filmmaking in Canada. One cannot imagine such a thing happening in hollywood or on any of the US networks who make a habit of 'chaging the characters just enough so we don't have to pay royalties...' I'm quite proud of the CBC for this and am very very happy my tax dollars go to support this venerable, if left wing, institution.


Also, this is going to be wild. Normally I'd never recommend to anyone to watch Leno but this will be well worth missing letterman. Oh and KT Tunstall is the musical guest... this is going to rawk.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060613/leno/20060613?hub=Entertainment

Cheers,

P

H'AWSOME

This is the best thing I've seen and heard in months...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGf9Hc-KpAA

Stewart, actors, screenplays, mind control and trek.... you will not be dissapointed.

Cheers,

P

TERROR AND CHARITY

So just about everyone on the planet knows about the recent foiled attempt to inflict terror on Canada. These were, for the most part, homegrown terrorists such as those in London last year and we were very lucky that this plan was stopped before it could go off. I think we should all be very thankful and appreciative of our security apparatus that unlike the US is not public 24/7 but remains sensitive to the treating people justly. I for one am increbily proud at how each police/security agency functioned, and proud of how the government just did its job without constant press releases the whole time.

I also think its important now, not to look at this as an attack of islam on Freedom. I have travelled to middle eastern countries, I have very close friends who are devout, and not so devout, muslims and I can tell you it is a beutiful religion and one of peace. Extremists are extremists in any faith. Christianity has its share, as does Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism etc etc. The point is that it is doubtful that any religion preaches anything but tolerance and brotherly love. Unfortunately there are individuals twisted by hatred and bigotry in every faith who don't want peace or cooperation or hamony. I pity all of these people and hope that each time there is an attack stemming from some form of religious or political extremism that the rest of the world, regardless of politics or faith, binds together even stronger in the face of an adversary that threatens us all.

As for CHARITY.

As many of you know I have recently convinced the City of Ottawa to provide seed money for a 'Sustainability Fund' for the city. While this is still early days I'm expecting, along with others in the city, to grow the fund to at least 1-5 million within 5 years (I low balled that at 100k and was told that I'd be able to go much higher???:).

At any rate, if anyone out there is interested, now or in the future, to donating to this fund you can do so here

http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=31222 (select Donate now and then the Ottawa Sustainability fund from the drop down menu).

Also if people want to know more about the Fund or the Foundation that will administer it please have a look around the Community Foundation's website or leave me a message and I can send you the fact sheet on the Fund.

Cheers,

P

VIEWS FROM JORDANIAN MEDIA

An article I came across this morning out of Jordan regarding Canadian society. Thought it would be a fairly interesting article to post:

"(Walid M. Sadi, Jordan Times, Jordan, 04-06-2006, Print Media) One of the key issues raised when the Canadian periodic reports were considered by the UN ECOSOC in Geneva in May was multiculturalism. Is Canadian multiculturalism indeed a success story, and is it sustainable ?

The Canadian delegation expressed confidence that multiculturalism is working in Canada, and has no doubt about its continued success. Even a short stay in Canada substantiates the government’s optimism: with the exception of isolated episodes of anti-Semitism, there is hardly any notable tension between various ethnic groups in the Canadian population. True, there are sporadic complaints about discrimination from Aboriginal Canadians, but otherwise, Canada is a very peaceful country when it comes to inter-ethnic relations. Canada is how God intended peoples of the world to live together: Arabs live side-by-side with Jews in peace and harmony, as do Indians and Pakistanis; Turks enjoy the best of relations with Greeks and Armenians. The same goes for relations among different races. But will it last ?

Newcomers to Canada appear, for the most part, to leave their ethnic, racial or religious problems behind them. Immigrants want just that: a new life, breaking with the past. They don’t deny their roots or origins, yet are determined to be part of a new society that offers them much if they do not bring conflicts with them. The Canadian experience appears to be working and there is every reason to believe it will continue to work. The world can learn much from the Canadian experiment. "

Cheers,

P

BACK!

Dear readers and friends. Due to certain circumstances the temporary removal of this blog was essential. I have now reactivated it with a new template.

Please check back for new posts regularly!

Cheers,

P