A few days late, but the feeling is still there.
It's been a good year so far. Carey Price is the Eastern Conference starting goaltender at the All-Star Game (I personally contributed about 0.00001% of his 1.5 million votes) and 3 of his teammates will also be there. The Canadian junior team has been amazing and is going for gold tonight. It only snowed about 8 inches on New Years Eve so I was able to venture outside on January 1st. I received Christmas presents in the mail on Friday. And I still have the world's best girlfriend and two most wonderful cats. So yeah, this is a good beginning. I hope the trend continues.
Showing posts with label random musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random musings. Show all posts
05 January 2009
22 July 2008
Environment > Civil Liberties?
I'm a little scared at the idea that we should be taking our cues on the environment from the Communist, human rights-abusing government of China. What I'm even more scared of is how many people in this country think it's a pretty decent idea. The poll results from this G&M survey, while not scientific of course, suggest that nearly a majority of G&M readers support a half-baked concept that will ultimately do very little for the environment over their civil liberties to enjoy their private property and do with it as they see fit. Behold in awe and horror:
This is one of those things that Canadians say they would do, but let's face it, if push came to shove, they'd be screaming bloody murder at whatever level of government had the unmitigated gall to impose such an absurd law. Last I looked, Canadians' rights to do as they please don't only apply on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That nearly half who have responded to this poll support the idea doesn't speak well for us.
This is one of those things that Canadians say they would do, but let's face it, if push came to shove, they'd be screaming bloody murder at whatever level of government had the unmitigated gall to impose such an absurd law. Last I looked, Canadians' rights to do as they please don't only apply on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That nearly half who have responded to this poll support the idea doesn't speak well for us.
10 March 2008
Bon Chance!
Good luck with that then.
In other news, the Liberals are going to introduce a motion condemning the other opposition parties for bringing down the Liberal government in 2005.
Good luck with that then.
02 March 2008
When Writers Stop Writing
I've identified myself--in part--as a writer for a long time now. Ever since I first got interested in politics I've found myself writing about it. Short letters to the editor, term papers, essays, a thesis, policy papers, discussion forums, this blog. It's what I do--have done--and it's a very large part of how I define myself. You'll notice that I haven't done a whole lot of that this year. It's not that I'm not paying attention or that I'm not interested, I'm just going through a period where I don't feel as though I have a whole lot to say, or much that is interesting. There's only so many times, I feel, that I can write about Stephane Dion's abstentionism and find it noteworthy. Normally the budget is a bit of a big deal. I can't really say that I found anything in there interesting enough to me to write at length about. That may be a problem, I don't know. After all, if you can't write about billions of dollars being spent by the government, are you really a politico anymore?
Of course I am. But I'm not as knee-deep as I was a year or two ago, certainly not neck-deep as I was when I was with the Liberal Party. It's interesting to look at the level of my participation--even when I was trimming lettuce in that awful store years ago I kept myself very involved in what was happening. I was engaged and connected; today I'm not quite the opposite, but the scale and scope has certainly been scaled back. I think a lot of it has to do with the, and I don't know if this is too strong a word, contempt I have for the political class in this country and the manner in which it approaches foreign affairs. That's another one of the areas around which I define myself, and having to constantly watch it being kicked around like a political football where the parties (and the media) hope to score points is pretty insulting. Harper is a great politician, sure, but he's no statesman. The opposition leaders barely qualify as good politicians. The city councillor wants to play field general with Canadians' lives in Afghanistan, and it makes my stomach turn. It's hard to take seriously people who discuss whether or not Canada should have tanks or armoured vehicles when we're in combat missions. Honestly, no matter what one thinks of Hilary Clinton's absurd pledge to be out of Iraq within 60 days of her administration, one can never honestly see her going on national television to state that American forces in places like Afghanistan or Iraq don't need tanks to protect them. It'd be utterly alien to that audience. So I've largely tuned out.
It helps that this government has demonstrated competence. It reminds me a lot of the Chretien days. People don't really pay as close a level of attention because they're more or less content with the job that is being done. Whatever little hiccups appear from time to time are smoothed over, the opposition media and parties have their little tempest in a teacup for the day, but Canada continues along, true, proud, and free. This is a hallmark of conservative government: no big projects, no glitzy and glamourous new spending sprees to get government more involved in the lives of citizens, no major initiatives. It's pragmatic. It's kinda boring, and maybe that's why I'm not writing as much as I used to, but it works.
Of course I am. But I'm not as knee-deep as I was a year or two ago, certainly not neck-deep as I was when I was with the Liberal Party. It's interesting to look at the level of my participation--even when I was trimming lettuce in that awful store years ago I kept myself very involved in what was happening. I was engaged and connected; today I'm not quite the opposite, but the scale and scope has certainly been scaled back. I think a lot of it has to do with the, and I don't know if this is too strong a word, contempt I have for the political class in this country and the manner in which it approaches foreign affairs. That's another one of the areas around which I define myself, and having to constantly watch it being kicked around like a political football where the parties (and the media) hope to score points is pretty insulting. Harper is a great politician, sure, but he's no statesman. The opposition leaders barely qualify as good politicians. The city councillor wants to play field general with Canadians' lives in Afghanistan, and it makes my stomach turn. It's hard to take seriously people who discuss whether or not Canada should have tanks or armoured vehicles when we're in combat missions. Honestly, no matter what one thinks of Hilary Clinton's absurd pledge to be out of Iraq within 60 days of her administration, one can never honestly see her going on national television to state that American forces in places like Afghanistan or Iraq don't need tanks to protect them. It'd be utterly alien to that audience. So I've largely tuned out.
It helps that this government has demonstrated competence. It reminds me a lot of the Chretien days. People don't really pay as close a level of attention because they're more or less content with the job that is being done. Whatever little hiccups appear from time to time are smoothed over, the opposition media and parties have their little tempest in a teacup for the day, but Canada continues along, true, proud, and free. This is a hallmark of conservative government: no big projects, no glitzy and glamourous new spending sprees to get government more involved in the lives of citizens, no major initiatives. It's pragmatic. It's kinda boring, and maybe that's why I'm not writing as much as I used to, but it works.
19 February 2008
05 February 2008
12 January 2008
Misc Musings
My computer monitor is dying. Earlier this week it looked like it was receiving stuff from the future world of Year Zero. Today it's gone green.
The fog is so thick outside I can't see the apartment building across the street.
Though I don't really like being awoken at 5am by his chattering or dropping a scrunchy ball/fish on my face, Orion is just so darn cute.
I may be heading out to get my Habs jersey (the one that Anna Lou got me as a present for the 2007-08 season!) crested with a Price 31 today. Or maybe a Higgins 21. Or a Komisarek 8. The big guy was a monster against Boston on Thursday, some people even drew comparisons to Scott Stevens he was so dominant.
Excellent article posted over at the WRC-Halifax blog today. Go read it.
Life is good.
The fog is so thick outside I can't see the apartment building across the street.
Though I don't really like being awoken at 5am by his chattering or dropping a scrunchy ball/fish on my face, Orion is just so darn cute.
I may be heading out to get my Habs jersey (the one that Anna Lou got me as a present for the 2007-08 season!) crested with a Price 31 today. Or maybe a Higgins 21. Or a Komisarek 8. The big guy was a monster against Boston on Thursday, some people even drew comparisons to Scott Stevens he was so dominant.
Excellent article posted over at the WRC-Halifax blog today. Go read it.
Life is good.
21 December 2007
Musings
Kosovo is set to unilaterally declare its independence from Serbia in the next few weeks, following years of intransigence between the Albanian-dominated province and Belgrade. This is a move that Canada should support, having invested blood and treasure in protecting the lives of Kosovars in 1999 and thereafter. Canada should also not pay much attention to the Russian promise to veto conferring legitimacy on the UDI by Kosovo in the UN Security Council, something that the Russians say "is the first attempt to say that the West is no longer interested in the United Nations, that they will now solve complicated international problems outside the United Nations." Well, that's fine with me. The West's leader, the United States, has been little interested in the UN for many years now, and other countries are seeing its limitations as well. It is well past time to move towards a new multilateralism based on the realities of the 21st century, not the world order of 1945. I know that if Canada were governed by the Liberals, they would acquiesce to the will of the UN after Russia vetoes any resolution proclaiming Kosovo's independence, but I have confidence that the Harper-led government will do what is right and support the principle of self-determination for Kosovo.
In other hits, I got my Carey Price rookie card last night! Yay for eBay!
The view from my office window is almost nothing but cars packed into the mall parking lot. Looks like most folks aren't done their shopping yet. Must be awful.
In case I don't blog again between now and Tuesday, Merry Christmas!
In other hits, I got my Carey Price rookie card last night! Yay for eBay!
The view from my office window is almost nothing but cars packed into the mall parking lot. Looks like most folks aren't done their shopping yet. Must be awful.
In case I don't blog again between now and Tuesday, Merry Christmas!
18 December 2007
Quick Hits
At precisely 7am this morning, I finished my Christmas shopping. Thank goodness for 24-hour WalMarts to pass the time brought on by out-of-commission elevators.
Now that the Mulroney/Schreiber madness has died down a little, can we get back into the business of running the country and looking forward? Nary a peep of the Manley panel on Afghanistan and Canada's future role there during the past few weeks because of all the airtime dedicated to this political farce.
Trying to snag a Carey Price rookie card on eBay is proving to be as challenging as that time I tried to get Elton John tickets for some folks back in Kelowna when he came to town. That ended in success (after a frenzied ten minutes of F5'ing), so there's no reason to believe that I won't have Upper Deck Young Guns #227 in my hands in the near future.
Being at the office while it's still dark outside is a unique experience I hope I don't have to replicate again.
Now that the Mulroney/Schreiber madness has died down a little, can we get back into the business of running the country and looking forward? Nary a peep of the Manley panel on Afghanistan and Canada's future role there during the past few weeks because of all the airtime dedicated to this political farce.
Trying to snag a Carey Price rookie card on eBay is proving to be as challenging as that time I tried to get Elton John tickets for some folks back in Kelowna when he came to town. That ended in success (after a frenzied ten minutes of F5'ing), so there's no reason to believe that I won't have Upper Deck Young Guns #227 in my hands in the near future.
Being at the office while it's still dark outside is a unique experience I hope I don't have to replicate again.
04 October 2007
On Team Captains
This morning, given the fun events going on in both politics and the NHL, I have come to notice two distinctions between the captain of the Montreal Canadiens and the captain of the federal Liberal Party:
1. One doesn't speak French.
2. The other one is not a leader.
I'll leave it to my faithful readers to guess which is which.
1. One doesn't speak French.
2. The other one is not a leader.
I'll leave it to my faithful readers to guess which is which.
16 May 2007
Fun Facts and Reflections
Now that the Great BC Adventure of 2007 is something that exists only in our memories, it's time for a few little tidbits. This would have been up this morning, but the power was out in the building from 9am to just after 3pm. Welcome back eh!
The pace of development in Kelowna is amazing to behold. Buildings proliferate there like graffiti does here. Seriously, you can close your eyes, spin around, open them again and you'll find at least two new projects going up so that people in Kelowna have a place to live. Meanwhile, do the same action here, and you'll see at least two new "tags" that make me feel embarrased that this is where I live. The lowest sight of all is the apparently popular "Shoot Cops, Not Crack" with a semi-automatic drawn beside it.
Gas prices are always a fun topic. During the two weeks in the Okanagan, prices there rose from 112.9 to 117.9 and then to 123.9, a rise of 11% in only 14 days. We were lucky to catch a Petro-Can on the way out of Penticton that hadn't yet jacked up the price. I'm sure that folks everywhere wouldn't mind if they got an 11% raise every two weeks. Meanwhile, here in Haligonia, prices only inched up from 113.1 to 114.4. Those lefties who are convinced that consumers are being gouged (and they're correct) will find a very sympathetic audience in BC. I'm also interested in seeing how Stephane Dion will square his newfound mission to lower gas prices with his long-running crusade to protect the environment.
I set foot in Okanagan Falls for the first time since 2005. Tickleberry's has grown, but the ice cream is still awesome beyond words. The rest of the town looks very similar to how it did when I moved to Kelowna in 2000, but it probably hasn't changed a whole lot since 1921. It is a cute little place, though. I still avoid Oliver like the bubonic plague, however.
We took around 200 pictures on the trip. Around 150 of them involved cats--be it Frosty or Oliver, or the Pachos, or the little Pacho riding Frosty or Oliver. I want a cat. Tasha *might* share that sentiment.
Finding a BC flag in Kelowna is an impossible task. We spent 3 hours doing that on Saturday with no luck. Apparently nobody carries much in terms of flags until closer to Canada Day. That's really typically Canadian, though: don't celebrate unless it's a state-sponsored event.
I didn't set foot in IGA even one time, and for that I'm glad.
My youngest sister is exceptionally cool, and I want her to come visit us...unless we find a way out of here in the near term so that she can save some money to visit us in a better place.
The weather yesterday in Kelowna was beautiful, with a high in the mid-20s. Here in Halifax, it was 9 and raining. Today isn't much different. Summer is both a memory and something I won't experience until July.
That's all for now. With the holiday over, I'll be resuming posting about the usual subjects that everybody has come to expect from a political scientist. I'm hoping to get back on that tomorrow but I may do one later today if I feel so inclined.
The pace of development in Kelowna is amazing to behold. Buildings proliferate there like graffiti does here. Seriously, you can close your eyes, spin around, open them again and you'll find at least two new projects going up so that people in Kelowna have a place to live. Meanwhile, do the same action here, and you'll see at least two new "tags" that make me feel embarrased that this is where I live. The lowest sight of all is the apparently popular "Shoot Cops, Not Crack" with a semi-automatic drawn beside it.
Gas prices are always a fun topic. During the two weeks in the Okanagan, prices there rose from 112.9 to 117.9 and then to 123.9, a rise of 11% in only 14 days. We were lucky to catch a Petro-Can on the way out of Penticton that hadn't yet jacked up the price. I'm sure that folks everywhere wouldn't mind if they got an 11% raise every two weeks. Meanwhile, here in Haligonia, prices only inched up from 113.1 to 114.4. Those lefties who are convinced that consumers are being gouged (and they're correct) will find a very sympathetic audience in BC. I'm also interested in seeing how Stephane Dion will square his newfound mission to lower gas prices with his long-running crusade to protect the environment.
I set foot in Okanagan Falls for the first time since 2005. Tickleberry's has grown, but the ice cream is still awesome beyond words. The rest of the town looks very similar to how it did when I moved to Kelowna in 2000, but it probably hasn't changed a whole lot since 1921. It is a cute little place, though. I still avoid Oliver like the bubonic plague, however.
We took around 200 pictures on the trip. Around 150 of them involved cats--be it Frosty or Oliver, or the Pachos, or the little Pacho riding Frosty or Oliver. I want a cat. Tasha *might* share that sentiment.
Finding a BC flag in Kelowna is an impossible task. We spent 3 hours doing that on Saturday with no luck. Apparently nobody carries much in terms of flags until closer to Canada Day. That's really typically Canadian, though: don't celebrate unless it's a state-sponsored event.
I didn't set foot in IGA even one time, and for that I'm glad.
My youngest sister is exceptionally cool, and I want her to come visit us...unless we find a way out of here in the near term so that she can save some money to visit us in a better place.
The weather yesterday in Kelowna was beautiful, with a high in the mid-20s. Here in Halifax, it was 9 and raining. Today isn't much different. Summer is both a memory and something I won't experience until July.
That's all for now. With the holiday over, I'll be resuming posting about the usual subjects that everybody has come to expect from a political scientist. I'm hoping to get back on that tomorrow but I may do one later today if I feel so inclined.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)