Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Away
Just a quick note to say I'm going to be on the road and out of province for a while, so there will be no posts again until sometime in July.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
In her own words...
I stumbled on this compilation just today, though it was uploaded almost 2 months ago. I don't know how old the specific clip I will be referring to is. Listen carefully.
Did you catch it?
Try again, starting at about 1:43 through to 2:00
Did you catch it this time?
This is Michelle Obama speaking:
"What that reminded me of was our trip to Africa... uhm... two years ago... uh... and the level of excitement that we felt in that country - the hope that people saw just in the sheer presence of somebody like Barack Obama. A Kenyan. A black man. A man of great statesmanship, who they believe can change the fate of the world."
When I first heard it and caught her referring to Africa as a country, I had to laugh. I seem to remember someone on the Republican side (can't remember who) being dragged over the coals for referring to the African continent as a country. To be fair, a lot of people seem to make that mistake, simply because that's how the word is used, as if Africa were just one, great homogeneous country rather than quite a lot of very diverse countries.
Then I heard to referring to her husband as a Kenyan.
I had to replay is again, just to make sure I wasn't mishearing it.
So what was she saying? I suppose one could try and brush it off as her referencing his cultural ethnicity, perhaps? His racial ancestry? You'd think his own wife, however, wouldn't refer to her husband, a US politician, as a Kenyan unless he actually was one. Not that it would be the first time, as he was heralded by another politician for being a US senator, even though he was Kenyan.
Yeah, yeah, I know. With the release of a pdf of his birth certificate, it's all supposed to be over and done with, but with stuff like this coming from Michelle Obama herself, no wonder so many don't believe it!
Did you catch it?
Try again, starting at about 1:43 through to 2:00
Did you catch it this time?
This is Michelle Obama speaking:
"What that reminded me of was our trip to Africa... uhm... two years ago... uh... and the level of excitement that we felt in that country - the hope that people saw just in the sheer presence of somebody like Barack Obama. A Kenyan. A black man. A man of great statesmanship, who they believe can change the fate of the world."
When I first heard it and caught her referring to Africa as a country, I had to laugh. I seem to remember someone on the Republican side (can't remember who) being dragged over the coals for referring to the African continent as a country. To be fair, a lot of people seem to make that mistake, simply because that's how the word is used, as if Africa were just one, great homogeneous country rather than quite a lot of very diverse countries.
Then I heard to referring to her husband as a Kenyan.
I had to replay is again, just to make sure I wasn't mishearing it.
So what was she saying? I suppose one could try and brush it off as her referencing his cultural ethnicity, perhaps? His racial ancestry? You'd think his own wife, however, wouldn't refer to her husband, a US politician, as a Kenyan unless he actually was one. Not that it would be the first time, as he was heralded by another politician for being a US senator, even though he was Kenyan.
Yeah, yeah, I know. With the release of a pdf of his birth certificate, it's all supposed to be over and done with, but with stuff like this coming from Michelle Obama herself, no wonder so many don't believe it!
Saturday, June 04, 2011
To market we went.
While Eldest and I were outing-and-abouting today, I finally got to see an outdoor market in our area. We've been living here for over 6 years now; it's the first time I've seen it and only the second time for Eldest - and that was 5 years ago! I keep hearing about how great this market is, but it's one day a week, starting mid-spring and only running through to the end of summer. They also open very early in the morning and are closed by mid-afternoon. I just haven't been able to make it, though I know people who visit it every week, waxing poetic about all the offerings.
I have a love/hate thing with markets.
On the one hand, I love how diverse they are. There are things you can buy in markets you won't find anywhere else. As a supporter of free enterprise and capitalism, I love that there are all these small entrepreneurs selling their wares, and want to support them in their endeavors.
This particular market has fresh produce, home baking and canning, jewelry, art, clothing and even wine. Several kiosks sold meat - elk, bison and grass fed beef were included, and another sold beef jerky. A few places were selling transplants and hanging baskets for the gardeners, with flowers, vegetables and herbs available. There were a couple of places shilling health food/supplements, and a couple of local restaurants had food available. Tables were set up in one area, where eaters could be entertained by buskers - a couple of guys were playing when we went by, and they were fantastic. I didn't have much cash on hand, but what I did have, I dropped into their guitar case. From what I saw already there, we weren't the only ones to appreciate their talent.
It has all the makings of what should be a wonderful morning.
And yet, I came out of there in a snarly mood.
Why? Well, as much as I like the diversity of vendors, it's getting to the point that whenever I see words like "organic" or "all-natural," I get a foul taste in my mouth. To me, the words scream of obnoxious pretentiousness. That and I can't help but feel sticking the label on their products (which included "fibres" and clothing, as well as food) is a convenient way to charge triple the price. I know it costs a lot to get organic certification, but sheesh!
Which leads me to my other problem with markets. I have a limited budget, but we are fortunate enough to have room for some extra luxuries. I don't mind spending more for greater value. However, much of what I saw that I might have wanted to check out more, I didn't dare, because I didn't have enough spare cash to buy anything. We passed a clearance bin of casual shirts (long sleeves t-shirts, I believe they were) labelled $40 each. If that's the clearance price, I won't want to know what the regular price is! I've got a pair of tuxedo shirts that cost less than that. Both of them together. I mentioned how I increasingly feel the "organic" labels come across as pretentious, but some of these kiosks didn't have those labels, but still screamed "pretentious" so loudly, I didn't feel comfortable walking past them, never mind pausing to look at their wares. It felt like going to an event in jeans and a t-shirt and discovering it was black tie.
But maybe that's just me.
I am not actually complaining about their prices. Vendors can charge whatever they need to and feel the market can bare, and clearly there are lots of people willing to pay those prices. It's just that, going to markets and not being able buy much of anything really puts me in a foul mood. It's not like we're broke or anything. I could have bought all sorts of things - but doing so would either wreck our budget, or eat into the funds we've got set aside for our road trip. Not only do I hate going to markets and not be able to buy things for budgetary reasons, I feel bad for the vendors seeing people walk past their kiosks and not buying. For a lot of these vendors, this market is where they make their money for the year. I want to support them and feel bad not being able to.
Overall, though, the wares available were really interesting, and I did enjoy seeing them. Well.... Seeing as much of them as I could. Which leads me to my main problem with markets.
Market goers.
You know how, when you're walking through a mall, you get stuck behind someone who's shambling along slowly, taking up half the aisle, blocking the way and forcing everyone behind them to slow down to a crawl? Then when you see an opening, you quickly dash around them before it closes up again?
Well, that's what we had to do. Unfortunately, we kept having to dash around people so often, we never quite got to slowing down to a normal pace. I started to get a crick in my neck from rubbernecking at the displays as we squeezed our way through the crowd (and this was a relatively sparse crowd, due to the chilly weather). Before we knew it, we'd raced from one end of the market to the other, then were racing back again down the other side. We tried to pause and look around - at one point I even picked up some smokies so we could sit, eat and listen to the buskers (just in time for them to stop for the day... oh well! *L*). Once we were done eating, it was right back to rushing through the crowd.
Now, I do understand people wanting to walk slowly. They're shopping. They're looking at things. There were quite a few people in walkers or wheelchairs, or walking with canes. No problem. What gets me are the people, or groups of people, who saunter along in the middle, or weave back and forth from one side to the other, cutting people off and blocking the way. Could they at least saunter on one side or the other, not in the middle or back and forth? There was one woman wandering slowly along, weaving from one side to the other with every step. Anywhere else, and she would have appeared inebriated. I tried going around her several times, only to have her weave right back into me. Eldest finally saw an opening and sped up to go around when her ankle give out because she'd stepped into the gutter and the pavement tilted unexpectedly. Just as I was about to ask if she was okay, the same thing happened to me! Neither of us were hurt, thankfully. Then there was the guy we got stuck behind while he shambled along, head down as he texted while he walked. I swear, it was worse than trying to get through a Zombie Walk!
By the time we'd seen the entire market, I was in a crappy mood and glad to get away. As if that weren't enough, there was a chilly breeze. The temperature was fine - comfortably cool to walk in - but the breeze was just enough to bother my ears. For me, that means an ear ache and sudden head rushes. At one point Eldest looked at me and told me I looked terrible! *L* When we had the chance, we went indoors and continued our wandering there. Though it was only a few blocks from home, I ended up calling Dh for a ride to avoid making it worse. It's been several hours, and my head still feels wonky, though the head rushes have stopped.
It should have been an enjoyable day. I love wandering around with Eldest, checking things out and just talking about whatever comes up. I keep thinking I'd love to go back to this market when I have some spare funds to actually buy something (like some of that beef jerky!), but then I think of just how much worse the crowds are on a day that isn't so cold and damp.
Hmmm...
Maybe markets just aren't my thing.
I have a love/hate thing with markets.
On the one hand, I love how diverse they are. There are things you can buy in markets you won't find anywhere else. As a supporter of free enterprise and capitalism, I love that there are all these small entrepreneurs selling their wares, and want to support them in their endeavors.
This particular market has fresh produce, home baking and canning, jewelry, art, clothing and even wine. Several kiosks sold meat - elk, bison and grass fed beef were included, and another sold beef jerky. A few places were selling transplants and hanging baskets for the gardeners, with flowers, vegetables and herbs available. There were a couple of places shilling health food/supplements, and a couple of local restaurants had food available. Tables were set up in one area, where eaters could be entertained by buskers - a couple of guys were playing when we went by, and they were fantastic. I didn't have much cash on hand, but what I did have, I dropped into their guitar case. From what I saw already there, we weren't the only ones to appreciate their talent.
It has all the makings of what should be a wonderful morning.
And yet, I came out of there in a snarly mood.
Why? Well, as much as I like the diversity of vendors, it's getting to the point that whenever I see words like "organic" or "all-natural," I get a foul taste in my mouth. To me, the words scream of obnoxious pretentiousness. That and I can't help but feel sticking the label on their products (which included "fibres" and clothing, as well as food) is a convenient way to charge triple the price. I know it costs a lot to get organic certification, but sheesh!
Which leads me to my other problem with markets. I have a limited budget, but we are fortunate enough to have room for some extra luxuries. I don't mind spending more for greater value. However, much of what I saw that I might have wanted to check out more, I didn't dare, because I didn't have enough spare cash to buy anything. We passed a clearance bin of casual shirts (long sleeves t-shirts, I believe they were) labelled $40 each. If that's the clearance price, I won't want to know what the regular price is! I've got a pair of tuxedo shirts that cost less than that. Both of them together. I mentioned how I increasingly feel the "organic" labels come across as pretentious, but some of these kiosks didn't have those labels, but still screamed "pretentious" so loudly, I didn't feel comfortable walking past them, never mind pausing to look at their wares. It felt like going to an event in jeans and a t-shirt and discovering it was black tie.
But maybe that's just me.
I am not actually complaining about their prices. Vendors can charge whatever they need to and feel the market can bare, and clearly there are lots of people willing to pay those prices. It's just that, going to markets and not being able buy much of anything really puts me in a foul mood. It's not like we're broke or anything. I could have bought all sorts of things - but doing so would either wreck our budget, or eat into the funds we've got set aside for our road trip. Not only do I hate going to markets and not be able to buy things for budgetary reasons, I feel bad for the vendors seeing people walk past their kiosks and not buying. For a lot of these vendors, this market is where they make their money for the year. I want to support them and feel bad not being able to.
Overall, though, the wares available were really interesting, and I did enjoy seeing them. Well.... Seeing as much of them as I could. Which leads me to my main problem with markets.
Market goers.
You know how, when you're walking through a mall, you get stuck behind someone who's shambling along slowly, taking up half the aisle, blocking the way and forcing everyone behind them to slow down to a crawl? Then when you see an opening, you quickly dash around them before it closes up again?
Well, that's what we had to do. Unfortunately, we kept having to dash around people so often, we never quite got to slowing down to a normal pace. I started to get a crick in my neck from rubbernecking at the displays as we squeezed our way through the crowd (and this was a relatively sparse crowd, due to the chilly weather). Before we knew it, we'd raced from one end of the market to the other, then were racing back again down the other side. We tried to pause and look around - at one point I even picked up some smokies so we could sit, eat and listen to the buskers (just in time for them to stop for the day... oh well! *L*). Once we were done eating, it was right back to rushing through the crowd.
Now, I do understand people wanting to walk slowly. They're shopping. They're looking at things. There were quite a few people in walkers or wheelchairs, or walking with canes. No problem. What gets me are the people, or groups of people, who saunter along in the middle, or weave back and forth from one side to the other, cutting people off and blocking the way. Could they at least saunter on one side or the other, not in the middle or back and forth? There was one woman wandering slowly along, weaving from one side to the other with every step. Anywhere else, and she would have appeared inebriated. I tried going around her several times, only to have her weave right back into me. Eldest finally saw an opening and sped up to go around when her ankle give out because she'd stepped into the gutter and the pavement tilted unexpectedly. Just as I was about to ask if she was okay, the same thing happened to me! Neither of us were hurt, thankfully. Then there was the guy we got stuck behind while he shambled along, head down as he texted while he walked. I swear, it was worse than trying to get through a Zombie Walk!
By the time we'd seen the entire market, I was in a crappy mood and glad to get away. As if that weren't enough, there was a chilly breeze. The temperature was fine - comfortably cool to walk in - but the breeze was just enough to bother my ears. For me, that means an ear ache and sudden head rushes. At one point Eldest looked at me and told me I looked terrible! *L* When we had the chance, we went indoors and continued our wandering there. Though it was only a few blocks from home, I ended up calling Dh for a ride to avoid making it worse. It's been several hours, and my head still feels wonky, though the head rushes have stopped.
It should have been an enjoyable day. I love wandering around with Eldest, checking things out and just talking about whatever comes up. I keep thinking I'd love to go back to this market when I have some spare funds to actually buy something (like some of that beef jerky!), but then I think of just how much worse the crowds are on a day that isn't so cold and damp.
Hmmm...
Maybe markets just aren't my thing.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Yes, prayers do get answered
A few posts back, I wrote about how we were hoping to get a road trip out to visit family. We'd originally been looking at making the trip as a group near the end of summer. With how gas prices have been going up, along with all the other expenses (except our electricity - that one is actually going to go down!), the amount of money we'd need for the trip was going up while the amount we could set aside for it was going down. Just to make it even more challenging, we'd have one night's hotel stay en route in each direction (we've done the drive without staying at a hotel, but that is something to be avoided, even with two drivers). I don't have a credit card, so that means having a rather large chunk of cash on hand for a deposit. It was looking increasingly unlikely that we'd be able to swing the trip at all.
My family, meanwhile, has been working on getting a permanent monument placed on my brother's grave. At the one year anniversary of his death, there are plans for a get together, including a mass and blessing of the new monument.
Of course I wanted to be there, but just couldn't see how we could swing it so close. Though there was still a slim chance that we could make it out at the end of the summer, there was just no way we could come up with the money for the trip so much earlier. Still, though I told my family it was unlikely we'd make it out, I have seen too many things happen unexpectedly for me to rule it out. What could I do, but send out a quick prayer and hope the answer would be in the affirmative!
Well, our little miracle happened, and with greater generosity than I dared hope for. Granted, we won't all be able to go. Dh can't book the time off - with all the holiday time he's been using as sick days, I'm not even sure he'd still be able to take the time at the end of the summer. Eldest has her art sale to prepare for. That means it's going to be just Youngest and I making the drive out. This will actually allow us to leave earlier and stay longer. Not too long. The van will be needed to haul things around, plus I've become a crochet instructor and need to get classes arranged. Still, we'll have at least a week to do the trip, and could probably take a day or two longer.
I'm looking forward to seeing both sides of the family while we're out. I just wish it could be for a different reason.
My family, meanwhile, has been working on getting a permanent monument placed on my brother's grave. At the one year anniversary of his death, there are plans for a get together, including a mass and blessing of the new monument.
Of course I wanted to be there, but just couldn't see how we could swing it so close. Though there was still a slim chance that we could make it out at the end of the summer, there was just no way we could come up with the money for the trip so much earlier. Still, though I told my family it was unlikely we'd make it out, I have seen too many things happen unexpectedly for me to rule it out. What could I do, but send out a quick prayer and hope the answer would be in the affirmative!
Well, our little miracle happened, and with greater generosity than I dared hope for. Granted, we won't all be able to go. Dh can't book the time off - with all the holiday time he's been using as sick days, I'm not even sure he'd still be able to take the time at the end of the summer. Eldest has her art sale to prepare for. That means it's going to be just Youngest and I making the drive out. This will actually allow us to leave earlier and stay longer. Not too long. The van will be needed to haul things around, plus I've become a crochet instructor and need to get classes arranged. Still, we'll have at least a week to do the trip, and could probably take a day or two longer.
I'm looking forward to seeing both sides of the family while we're out. I just wish it could be for a different reason.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Proving my point
Okay, so I'm getting waaayyy behind on blogging these days. I've managed a few posts on our home school blog, but that's about it these days. Our usual routines have been shaken up and stirred a few times and just when I think I'm finally able to devote time to writing again, something else happens! Skaloop, I am working on a response to you that will be posted on my mirror blog, honest!
Today I had a weird sort of conversation that I wanted to post briefly about. I often share stories on my facebook, with or without personal comments. I have no idea how many people in my friends list actually read it (and would not be surprised if some of them have blocked me, if only for the sheer volume of things I share! *L*). The stuff I share includes news stories, special interest sites, blog posts, etc. on just about any subject that I think others might find interesting.
In my life, I try to maintain friendships and acquaintances with people who hold a wide variety of views, including some who's views I find so bizarre, the only reason I continue any contact with them is because without them, I would have no idea that there are really people out there who think this way. Most, however, are not in the extremes (nor are they as vocal as the ones that *are* in the extremes).
Recently, I shared this article without any personal comments.
To quote part of it:
Now, as someone who's spent quite a bit of time enjoying the Get Religion blog, I find myself asking questions I normally would not have thought of - such as how they went from talking specifically about "Evangelical Christians," (which they neglect to define) to just generic "Christians." They only talked to 350 people, too - a very small sample. Also, why did they just approach first generation Canadians? The article brings more questions to my mind then it answers.
Still, the article talked about something I have long observed myself - and not just limited to first generation Canadians; that Christians are not free to express their faith due bigotry and harassment against them. This in a country where the majority of the population is one form of Christianity or another. Lord knows, I have experienced it myself, many a time.
What amused me, however, was the very first comment someone had made about this article, with no sense of irony at all, quoted part of the article, followed by an anti-Christian put down! When I pointed that out, it was justified because...
...the writer has a gay son.
Oh, and as an atheist, she experiences anti-atheist bigotry.
Talk about proving my point!
Every now and then, people make comments about how one group or another is the victim of the "last acceptable prejudice." Well, I find there are quite a number of groups that it is acceptable to be prejudiced against. More than acceptable - prejudice against these groups is actually encouraged and considered completely necessary and justifiable. Groups such as fat people. White people. Males. Conservatives. Heterosexuals.
And, of course, Christians.
What would be amusing, if it weren't so incredibly sad, is that pointing out these prejudices so often results in people (especially the self-proclaimed "tolerant") jumping in to say how attacking these groups is not prejudice at all, because it is justified by whatever their pet cause is. Likewise, expressing bigotry against any of these groups is often used as a way of demonstrating one's own tolerance and moral superiority.
Somehow, that fact that they are proving the point escapes them.
Today I had a weird sort of conversation that I wanted to post briefly about. I often share stories on my facebook, with or without personal comments. I have no idea how many people in my friends list actually read it (and would not be surprised if some of them have blocked me, if only for the sheer volume of things I share! *L*). The stuff I share includes news stories, special interest sites, blog posts, etc. on just about any subject that I think others might find interesting.
In my life, I try to maintain friendships and acquaintances with people who hold a wide variety of views, including some who's views I find so bizarre, the only reason I continue any contact with them is because without them, I would have no idea that there are really people out there who think this way. Most, however, are not in the extremes (nor are they as vocal as the ones that *are* in the extremes).
Recently, I shared this article without any personal comments.
To quote part of it:
Evangelical Christian children of immigrants feel they cannot openly practise their religion, and worry that Christianity is no longer a guiding force in Canadian society, while Muslims say they are free to follow their faith in this country -but face other forms of discrimination....
“They feel like there’s prejudice against religious people: ‘I can’t pull out my Bible, I can’t talk about my religion without getting shot down. I don’t even mention it for fear of getting a bad reaction.’ “
Now, as someone who's spent quite a bit of time enjoying the Get Religion blog, I find myself asking questions I normally would not have thought of - such as how they went from talking specifically about "Evangelical Christians," (which they neglect to define) to just generic "Christians." They only talked to 350 people, too - a very small sample. Also, why did they just approach first generation Canadians? The article brings more questions to my mind then it answers.
Still, the article talked about something I have long observed myself - and not just limited to first generation Canadians; that Christians are not free to express their faith due bigotry and harassment against them. This in a country where the majority of the population is one form of Christianity or another. Lord knows, I have experienced it myself, many a time.
What amused me, however, was the very first comment someone had made about this article, with no sense of irony at all, quoted part of the article, followed by an anti-Christian put down! When I pointed that out, it was justified because...
...the writer has a gay son.
Oh, and as an atheist, she experiences anti-atheist bigotry.
Talk about proving my point!
Every now and then, people make comments about how one group or another is the victim of the "last acceptable prejudice." Well, I find there are quite a number of groups that it is acceptable to be prejudiced against. More than acceptable - prejudice against these groups is actually encouraged and considered completely necessary and justifiable. Groups such as fat people. White people. Males. Conservatives. Heterosexuals.
And, of course, Christians.
What would be amusing, if it weren't so incredibly sad, is that pointing out these prejudices so often results in people (especially the self-proclaimed "tolerant") jumping in to say how attacking these groups is not prejudice at all, because it is justified by whatever their pet cause is. Likewise, expressing bigotry against any of these groups is often used as a way of demonstrating one's own tolerance and moral superiority.
Somehow, that fact that they are proving the point escapes them.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Thoughts on the election results.
Now that the election is over, this will be my token political post on the subject. ;-)
Getting right to it.
There are no Independent seats this time. Last election, there were five. I think people saw the writing on the wall and didn't dare vote for an Independent this time around.
The Greens finally got their first seat. Congratulations to them for getting their toe in the door. Too bad it had to be May. The Greens have sacrificed a lot for her, and quite frankly, I think they deserve better than her and her whining temper tantrums. I expect a lot of noise and bluster from her, every chance she gets.
The Bloc. Down from 47 to only four seats! Duceppe lost his seat and did the right thing by resigning right away. Hopefully, this is the end of this separatist party.
The Liberals. Down from 77 to 34 seats. A major trouncing, though to be honest, I would have liked to see the numbers lower. Not out of any specific dislike for the Liberals. I believe we need a strong Liberal party. They need to spend a bit of time looking hard in the mirror, then rebuild. They have just enough seats that they might think they don't need to. The Liberals are under the delusion that they represent the centre, and they don't. They still have that "natural governing party" attitude, and they need to lose it. They still seem to think Canadians think like they do, and losing the last several elections hadn't done much to point out to them that they don't. With 34 seats, they might struggle with that.
Ignatieff's speech last night was... weird. He rambled on for far longer than he should have. Though he lost his seat, he said he would stay on as long as his party wanted him. A difficult thing, since party leaders must also be elected MPs, which meant a winning Liberal MP would have had to step down and let him step in. A moot point, since he officially announced he would step down this morning. Now the Liberals need to have some new blood on all levels and a leader that they've actually elected. They need to reinvent themselves from the ground up. As it stands now, I have no idea how they'll do this, and the number of seats they've got now just might let them think they don't need to change all that much.
The NDP. Wow. From 36 to 102 seats and the Official Opposition. They quite nearly obliterated the Bloc.
Last night, when Layton stepped up for his speech, everyone was understandably ecstatic. I totally understand that, but I found a few things rather disturbing. One of those things was Layton himself. Listening to his speech, I found myself thinking, someone needs to tell this man that they didn't win the election and he's not Prime Minister. He made a lot of promises of what they were going to do, and as opposition, he can't be making those kinds of promises. They actually have less influence now than they did with a minority government (which I see as a good thing), not more. I also found myself noting his tone and body language. There is nothing humble about this man. Arrogant superiority is what comes to mind. As glad as I am to see them as the opposition, the more I see and hear from Layton, the less I like him. The guy gives me the creeps, and just when I think I might be acting silly with that, I hear him again and get creeped out even more. I think having the NDP as an opposition will be a nice counter balance to a majority Conservative government, but I am bothered by their ideologies and their leader.
Another thing that bothered me was the ungraciousness of the audience. That they cheered wildly for Layton makes perfect sense, but as soon as the name "Harper" was mentioned, people started booing. Layton, to his credit, did motion with his hands for people to tone it down, but it was still not something I liked to see during a "victory" speech at an election. When Layton congratulated Harper, they booed. When he spoke about May, Ignatieff and Duceppe, they cheered. The lack of graciousness at this particular time was bothersome to me.
The make up of this election is much the way I hoped to see it turn out. The Conservatives in a majority, the NDP as opposition and the Libs and Bloc well behind. What I would like to see is the Libs rebuilding and strengthening to become the opposition next election. As for the NDP, I predict a lot of NDP supporters are going to be very, very disappointed in their leader soon. Meanwhile, they've got a whole crop of completely green MPs that have a very steep learning curve ahead of them. I wish them well.
Now to the CPC. An amazing jump from 143 seats to 167 ! I am normally okay with a minority government, but with the opposition doing everything they could to sabotage the CPC, things have been very ineffectual. Clearly, voters saw through the fake contempt charges and scandals. With a majority, some work will finally be accomplished.
Harper's victory speech was something to see after the previous ones! What a difference! Talk about gracious. The focus was completely off of himself, and how he spoke about his opponents and the win was really classy. He was quick to mention things like passing the budget and fulfilling various other promises the CPC were prevented from accomplishing due to the machinations of the opposition parties, which brought out much cheering from the audience.
In the end, I see one very clear winner with this election, and that's Canada. This in spite of the folks I know on the left who are moaning and groaning, wailing and gnashing their teeth. You'd think it was the end of the world, and there's no shortage of demonizing and dramatic prose. Break out the sack cloth and ashes, folks. These people seriously seem to think that, any minute now, Canada is going to declare war on the rest of the world while forcibly impregnating women and shoving them barefoot into the kitchen. I've mentioned before that I used to think the term "Liberalism is a mental disorder" was just hyperbole. After seeing what these folks have been saying, I began to agree with the statement, but I am amending it again. It's leftism, not liberalism, that is a mental disorder. Straight off the deep end, delusional, mental illness happening here. It's very disturbing.
One comment that the losing side brings out right away is the old canard about how few people actually voted for the CPC, and that they have to remember that "60% of the population voted against them." Really? Tell me. Would you guys be saying the same thing if the NDP won? Or the Libs? You certainly weren't saying it when the Liberals had majority governments with even less of a percentage than the CPC minority government. Guess what? 70 % did not vote NDP 80% did not vote Liberal 95% did not vote BQ and 97% did not vote Green. Of course, there were the usual grumblings about election reform and proportional representation. What they sound like are a bunch of sore losers who want to re-write the rules of the game to make themselves winners. At first glance, proportional representation sounded like a good idea to me, but the more I looked into how such a system would work, the more I disliked it. In a grand, general sense, it sounds good, but at election time, we don't have one big federal election and vote in a Prime Minister. We have 308 little elections and vote in local representatives. Proportional representation would manipulate the final results of 308 local elections by appointing unelected people based on national averages. That doesn't sound very democratic to me!
Me? I'm happy with how things turned out. It's the configuration that's best for Canada right now, though I might still like to see specific numbers slightly different (like 0 Bloc... one can dream! *L*).
I look forward to 4 years of stability and progress.
Getting right to it.
There are no Independent seats this time. Last election, there were five. I think people saw the writing on the wall and didn't dare vote for an Independent this time around.
The Greens finally got their first seat. Congratulations to them for getting their toe in the door. Too bad it had to be May. The Greens have sacrificed a lot for her, and quite frankly, I think they deserve better than her and her whining temper tantrums. I expect a lot of noise and bluster from her, every chance she gets.
The Bloc. Down from 47 to only four seats! Duceppe lost his seat and did the right thing by resigning right away. Hopefully, this is the end of this separatist party.
The Liberals. Down from 77 to 34 seats. A major trouncing, though to be honest, I would have liked to see the numbers lower. Not out of any specific dislike for the Liberals. I believe we need a strong Liberal party. They need to spend a bit of time looking hard in the mirror, then rebuild. They have just enough seats that they might think they don't need to. The Liberals are under the delusion that they represent the centre, and they don't. They still have that "natural governing party" attitude, and they need to lose it. They still seem to think Canadians think like they do, and losing the last several elections hadn't done much to point out to them that they don't. With 34 seats, they might struggle with that.
Ignatieff's speech last night was... weird. He rambled on for far longer than he should have. Though he lost his seat, he said he would stay on as long as his party wanted him. A difficult thing, since party leaders must also be elected MPs, which meant a winning Liberal MP would have had to step down and let him step in. A moot point, since he officially announced he would step down this morning. Now the Liberals need to have some new blood on all levels and a leader that they've actually elected. They need to reinvent themselves from the ground up. As it stands now, I have no idea how they'll do this, and the number of seats they've got now just might let them think they don't need to change all that much.
The NDP. Wow. From 36 to 102 seats and the Official Opposition. They quite nearly obliterated the Bloc.
Last night, when Layton stepped up for his speech, everyone was understandably ecstatic. I totally understand that, but I found a few things rather disturbing. One of those things was Layton himself. Listening to his speech, I found myself thinking, someone needs to tell this man that they didn't win the election and he's not Prime Minister. He made a lot of promises of what they were going to do, and as opposition, he can't be making those kinds of promises. They actually have less influence now than they did with a minority government (which I see as a good thing), not more. I also found myself noting his tone and body language. There is nothing humble about this man. Arrogant superiority is what comes to mind. As glad as I am to see them as the opposition, the more I see and hear from Layton, the less I like him. The guy gives me the creeps, and just when I think I might be acting silly with that, I hear him again and get creeped out even more. I think having the NDP as an opposition will be a nice counter balance to a majority Conservative government, but I am bothered by their ideologies and their leader.
Another thing that bothered me was the ungraciousness of the audience. That they cheered wildly for Layton makes perfect sense, but as soon as the name "Harper" was mentioned, people started booing. Layton, to his credit, did motion with his hands for people to tone it down, but it was still not something I liked to see during a "victory" speech at an election. When Layton congratulated Harper, they booed. When he spoke about May, Ignatieff and Duceppe, they cheered. The lack of graciousness at this particular time was bothersome to me.
The make up of this election is much the way I hoped to see it turn out. The Conservatives in a majority, the NDP as opposition and the Libs and Bloc well behind. What I would like to see is the Libs rebuilding and strengthening to become the opposition next election. As for the NDP, I predict a lot of NDP supporters are going to be very, very disappointed in their leader soon. Meanwhile, they've got a whole crop of completely green MPs that have a very steep learning curve ahead of them. I wish them well.
Now to the CPC. An amazing jump from 143 seats to 167 ! I am normally okay with a minority government, but with the opposition doing everything they could to sabotage the CPC, things have been very ineffectual. Clearly, voters saw through the fake contempt charges and scandals. With a majority, some work will finally be accomplished.
Harper's victory speech was something to see after the previous ones! What a difference! Talk about gracious. The focus was completely off of himself, and how he spoke about his opponents and the win was really classy. He was quick to mention things like passing the budget and fulfilling various other promises the CPC were prevented from accomplishing due to the machinations of the opposition parties, which brought out much cheering from the audience.
In the end, I see one very clear winner with this election, and that's Canada. This in spite of the folks I know on the left who are moaning and groaning, wailing and gnashing their teeth. You'd think it was the end of the world, and there's no shortage of demonizing and dramatic prose. Break out the sack cloth and ashes, folks. These people seriously seem to think that, any minute now, Canada is going to declare war on the rest of the world while forcibly impregnating women and shoving them barefoot into the kitchen. I've mentioned before that I used to think the term "Liberalism is a mental disorder" was just hyperbole. After seeing what these folks have been saying, I began to agree with the statement, but I am amending it again. It's leftism, not liberalism, that is a mental disorder. Straight off the deep end, delusional, mental illness happening here. It's very disturbing.
One comment that the losing side brings out right away is the old canard about how few people actually voted for the CPC, and that they have to remember that "60% of the population voted against them." Really? Tell me. Would you guys be saying the same thing if the NDP won? Or the Libs? You certainly weren't saying it when the Liberals had majority governments with even less of a percentage than the CPC minority government. Guess what? 70 % did not vote NDP 80% did not vote Liberal 95% did not vote BQ and 97% did not vote Green. Of course, there were the usual grumblings about election reform and proportional representation. What they sound like are a bunch of sore losers who want to re-write the rules of the game to make themselves winners. At first glance, proportional representation sounded like a good idea to me, but the more I looked into how such a system would work, the more I disliked it. In a grand, general sense, it sounds good, but at election time, we don't have one big federal election and vote in a Prime Minister. We have 308 little elections and vote in local representatives. Proportional representation would manipulate the final results of 308 local elections by appointing unelected people based on national averages. That doesn't sound very democratic to me!
Me? I'm happy with how things turned out. It's the configuration that's best for Canada right now, though I might still like to see specific numbers slightly different (like 0 Bloc... one can dream! *L*).
I look forward to 4 years of stability and progress.
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