I'm not surprised Joan Crockett won her seat in Calgary Centre last night although the Conservatives should be maybe a little worried it was only by a few hundred votes, with the Liberal in second. She got a not-so whopping 37% of the vote in an election where 27% (according to CTV) of the eligible actually voted. So, I'm not sure which is worse, Conservatives gloating that they won an election where 73% of the population chose not to vote or the lives lost in Afghanistan fighting for democracy?Because obviously many of you couldn't care less about democracy in your own country. Well, my fellow Calgarians and Canadians if you want to leave elections to a minority voice I guess you get what you deserve. I suppose you're all too busy texting and driving, or are maybe afraid of making choices? Why don't you text your friends and ask them? I guess I'm really feeling middle-aged these days because the young people I know seem self absorbed and flippant and the elderly people I know also seem self absorbed and flippant and racist, homophobic and out of touch from reality. Unfortunately it is mostly the latter who exercise their right to vote, and is likely their exercise for the day too! Yeah, sorry, a lot of old people I know have had their day and their say. While reading about US Presidents I learned that shortly after Richard Nixon's inauguration in 1969 there were no living Presidents, he was alone on the stage and free from any living conscience of past administrations. It's because in those days people used to have heart attacks or cancer with their cigarettes, martinis, and skirt chasing. Now we have a generation of Baby Boomers and older who take care of their health and thus things change a lot more slowly! I have elderly people in my life, maybe you do too, they think cute things like Black People are merely slang words or women should be forced to carry babies they don't want or the gays just haven't met the right girl yet and should just go back in the closet, women should not have careers (probably to take of those babies they had no choice over) and many don't have the internet because it's so expensive. OK, well the ones I know don't have internet but people tell me many elderly are on the internet in increasing numbers these days, surfing porn and getting scammed by Princes in Africa. They are so out of touch I'm certain it's the elderly who are watching Two And A Half Men, I think this show is potty mouthed filth which is the first time I have ever agreed with a 7th Day Adventist! Well, someone is watching it, no one I know is, I prefer my filth with actual swearing on a Cable channel! I agree whole heartedly with Tina Fey who recently said "If I have to listen to one more grey-faced man with a two dollar hair cut explain to me what rape is, I'm gonna lose my mind." She was speaking on women's reproductive rights and certain Tea Party candidates such as Todd Aiken who thinks rape is the will of God and a gift to womankind. I too am getting very tired of Grey-faced men telling all of us what morality is, or the state of the economy (that they soley have benefited from), or that Obama will lose the election, hmmmm so many of them were soooo wrong on that last one!!!
Anyway, if I can bring this back to Canadian Conservatives, one need not be an actual old person to be a grey-faced man, one could just be a bloviating charlatan like Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto who was recently the victim of his own stupidity and then blamed the "Left-Wing Media" for his downfall. I'm not getting into the conflict of interest charge here what I find out of touch is blaming some mythological left-wing. I hear and read this stuff everywhere, apparently if you do not agree with the self appointed right-wing twitterotti you are either a "leftie", "paleo-liberal" or a "Lie-beral" my goodness! Why are some so willing to call names? I guess it's because they don't have an argument or enough words in English? Well, my Canadian Neo-Con friends you should be paying more attention to the American media right now after the Obama victory. Instead of trying to define your opposition you should define yourselves lest ye become the Republicans as led by Mitt Romney. So many of the right-wing pundits are scratching their heads and wondering why they lost so many votes, as if only appealing to rich white men was, well, only appealing to rich white men in an America where more and more people are Hispanic, Women, Gay, and Underemployed, who knew!?!?!?!? Mitt Romney allied himself with the biggest bloviating entrepreneurial charlatan of them all, Donald Trump as well as religious driven anti-abortion candidates and the handsome, faster than a speeding bullet, Ayn Randian, Paul Ryan. They were defining themselves narrowly, as only a churchy party for the rich and it didn't work! Beware, Canadian Neo-Cons! Pssst, did anyone tell you that being a "Neo-Con" went out with the George W. Bush regime? Oh Canada, always 10 years behind the rest of the world! The Conservatives had better start doing some soul searching because I cannot see their policies "winning" in our society that echoes American society more than any other on the planet. This heavy-handed Omnibus, ram it through the Senate without due process stuff is going to wear on Canadians some day. Let alone the abortion talk, remember when the Minister for Women, Rona Ambrose voted against abortion rights? Or how about the ever expanding budget deficits? From more incarceration to the F-35's they appear increasingly out of control budget wise, not a Conservative value. In fact they seem more concerned with spending money to monitor Jason Kenney's image in multicultural newspapers,the War of 1812 and other poto-ops to be seen as anything but an expensive propaganda machine. Maybe if you weren't so concerned about people liking you and swindling a few hundred people in Calgary to vote for a skitzy Wendy Malick-type character, and actually governed openly and honstly and fairly you could ease up on the media machine. Imagine me, an apparent leftie arguing for openness and honesty?, hey I thought that's what you guys were supposed to be all about? Your problem will become, like the Republicans, you don't know who you are, the "left" is all about inclusion, civil rights, expanding civil rights, war if necessary not as Neo-Con leverage with public opinion, caring for the planet we live on and not denying science, we know who we are and what we stand for, the Conservatives are as empty and devoid of substance as Rob Ford's charge the media is against him. No, you do it to yourselves. If only a fresh young charismatic leader could persuade enough young and minority folks to vote next time, nahh, it's never happened anywhere you stupid leftie!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Matter of Time
Howdy y'all!
Apparently I have been ignoring my blog to the dismay of many fans. Hello to new followers, including my bi-polar sister and some other new ones who are either from the Conservative Party or just really like reading intelligent writing!
I have been busy doing my summer things of course and then the American election had me tied up for months, more on that later! What's really got my goat this week is the Calgary Centre by-election. I wish I lived there right now, we used to back in my College days. We loved the Mission district where we lived for many years, back when there was affordable rent, gay bars and an exciting 17th Avenue! Now, I'm afraid a few things have changed but the Center of Calgary remains our little version of Downtown Toronto or Vancouver, it is no bland suburb my friends! The area is still a mix of young renters, urban professionals and the LGBT community unfortunately this urban area got gerrymandered into a huge area encompassing Mount Royal, Elbow Drive and others whose income should make them blush. The district goes all the way to Sarcee Trail and 50th Ave, just north of the Glenmore Resivor, these are pretty wealthy areas and likely pretty Conservative. I live in Calgary Centre-North and am gerrymandered in a different way into wealthy neighbourhoods, go figure, wouldn't it be nice to have all the urban areas in one riding? Sorry we don't have the same issues in an urban area compared to a wealthy inner city suburb. Alas.
It is with great delight I hear the by-election in Calgary Centre is very very close! Apparently the polls are saying that Conservative Joan Crockett is only 5% ahead of the Liberal Harvey Locke, it's a big deal because usually the Conservative is ahead by something like 55%! Perhaps that's because it used to boast qualified candidates like Joe Clark! Remember him? Back when the Conservatives were Progressive and not just insane right-wing parrots? I do, I remember when Joe Clark was the Marshall for the Gay Parade, I don't think that's going to happen with this bunch of Neo-Cons. Take Joan Crockett..........Please! I remember her from appearances on CBC and Alberta Primetime and most recently for her vocal support of the Wildrose Party. Yet for all her years of public rambling she has little presence on the internet, not even a Wikipedia entry! So I can't tell you much, I remember her mostly for supporting the most far right ideas with little to go on except feelings and perhaps a Sun Media article to back her up, I would usually change the channel at that point. I did have to look up what the hell she is constantly on about with this charge that the CBC is funding a porn site! Since she couldn't be bothered to attend campaign debates or talk to the media except for "it's on the internet, look it up!" So I did. Turns out this non-scandal started in February 2012 and was made up by the Sun Media, surprise! Apparently it is the brain child of Ezra Levant who has talked about it ever since, to what end? I'm not sure because this is the first I head about it. Story goes that Radio-Canada the French version of CBC in Quebec was broadcasting (?) a soft core porn channel from France and little Quebecois children everywhere were being exposed to it. That sure is nice for Sun Media to be so concerned about the kids in Quebec. Well.....aren't you outraged????Maybe, if you're 80 years old and don't know that children can access internet porn at any time of day, let alone the soft core porn that is supplied by Shaw Cable every night on Movie Central or Video on Demand or just on regular TV! It is a bit of an exaggeration and sky is falling, rhymes with T and stands for trouble! Yes we got trouble right here in River City!!!!! Stop the CBC!
I think it's pretty rich that every time I am watching Power and Politics with Evan Solomon on CBC the Conservatives are beating a path there as fast as they can to over-talk any opposition or whiff of scandal. For a station they hate so much they sure are there a lot! Oh yeah and Crokett was there almost on a daily basis, if you got rid of the CBC where would y'all go? The Sun News Channel? No one watches it, even though it's been on air for over a year many people I know don't even know of it's existence. They seem to have a little fantasy that if the CBC were no more then people would watch them, and not all the great American TV that's on!!! I digress, sorry!
Anyway, so what does defunding the CBC have to do with the citizens of Calgary Centre? Probably nothing. Just like the Neo-Con flunky my riding sent to Parliament, Michelle Remple, if you elect these yes-women you'll never hear from them again! Except for maybe appearances on CBC. My MP doesn't even send those newsletter things anymore. There was one once asking people to check off what concerned them most The Economy, Morality Issues and The Wheat Board, to name a few. Dear Ms Remple, since you do not live in my riding I would like to inform you that there are no grain farmers in Calgary Centre-North so no the Wheat Board is not a major concern of mine! As for morality, I am only concerned that the Conservatives have none as you ask all of us to work longer and continue to collect huge salaries and retirement packages so I guess my concern is the Economy as in the one you are ruining! I'm not even sure why we elect MP's to Parliament anymore as none of them are allowed to disagree with the PM.
I will congratulate the Sun Media however for drudging up this smear campaign against Justin Trudeau and a big thumbs down for the rest of the media including CBC for buying into it. By now I'm sure you've heard 2 years ago in a lengthy French interview Justin said he didn't like Albertans taking over Canada's social values and taking us in the wrong direction. It's nothing like the time Stephen Harper said Maritimers were part of a culture of dependency. It smacks of swift-boating which comes right out of the George Bush playbook, remember the campaign against John Kerry? I see this as American style politics I wonder how the Quebecers see this??? It is truly low and desperate on behalf of the Sun and the Conservative Party.
Crockett may very well win, if I may borrow a term from the Sun here, "sheeple" it's what they call anyone who disagrees with them because they think people just follow what the mainstream media tells them, I know, it sounds like something Sarah Palin would say. But there are a lot of Calgarian sheeple, and I don't mean it the way they do. There is a prevailing attitude that Conservatives good, Liberals bad and it's pretty much on that kind of Frankenstein "Fire bad" level.I'm just waiting for them all to die off or the current government to really fuck up, either is a matter of time. I will just remind any undecided voter out there that the Harper government has increased the National Debt to $600 Billion today, November 23 2012, and is increasing $74.6 Million a day. All you rich Calgarians should be out with pitchforks over this! How about the state of food in this country, how can you trust beef again and especially those who monitor it? I guess city dwelling Albertans don't care about our Beef industry? As long as you can go to upscale restaurants and order it, who cares I guess? Just like the American right-wing, our Conservatives have pursued close ties to big Corporations including Oil and Phramaceuticals, why did the Health Minister move to let manufacturers put crushable oxy-contin back on the street? Because it's profitable for drug companies, never mind the addictions and deaths and drug smuggling and associated crime,this from the government of Law and Order?
The war on the middle class and unions, how many times has the Minister of Labour interfered with striking workers or change the rules for business so they can hire foreign labour at a much cheaper rate and with no benefits, wonder where your kids or you will get a job, if you're the so-called Blue Collar worker? Canada has created thousands of part-time jobs so don't let the stats fool you, these are not good signs for the economy in the future.People need good full-time employment with retirement benefits for the economy to grow. Maybe people just aren't feeling yet, you will, just as George Bush ruined the Republican Party and the economy in the U.S., Harper will ruin his party and country too. We've lived through many Prime Ministers in Canada, they all have too much power and often make a mistake wielding it, it's all just a matter of time!
Apparently I have been ignoring my blog to the dismay of many fans. Hello to new followers, including my bi-polar sister and some other new ones who are either from the Conservative Party or just really like reading intelligent writing!
I have been busy doing my summer things of course and then the American election had me tied up for months, more on that later! What's really got my goat this week is the Calgary Centre by-election. I wish I lived there right now, we used to back in my College days. We loved the Mission district where we lived for many years, back when there was affordable rent, gay bars and an exciting 17th Avenue! Now, I'm afraid a few things have changed but the Center of Calgary remains our little version of Downtown Toronto or Vancouver, it is no bland suburb my friends! The area is still a mix of young renters, urban professionals and the LGBT community unfortunately this urban area got gerrymandered into a huge area encompassing Mount Royal, Elbow Drive and others whose income should make them blush. The district goes all the way to Sarcee Trail and 50th Ave, just north of the Glenmore Resivor, these are pretty wealthy areas and likely pretty Conservative. I live in Calgary Centre-North and am gerrymandered in a different way into wealthy neighbourhoods, go figure, wouldn't it be nice to have all the urban areas in one riding? Sorry we don't have the same issues in an urban area compared to a wealthy inner city suburb. Alas.
It is with great delight I hear the by-election in Calgary Centre is very very close! Apparently the polls are saying that Conservative Joan Crockett is only 5% ahead of the Liberal Harvey Locke, it's a big deal because usually the Conservative is ahead by something like 55%! Perhaps that's because it used to boast qualified candidates like Joe Clark! Remember him? Back when the Conservatives were Progressive and not just insane right-wing parrots? I do, I remember when Joe Clark was the Marshall for the Gay Parade, I don't think that's going to happen with this bunch of Neo-Cons. Take Joan Crockett..........Please! I remember her from appearances on CBC and Alberta Primetime and most recently for her vocal support of the Wildrose Party. Yet for all her years of public rambling she has little presence on the internet, not even a Wikipedia entry! So I can't tell you much, I remember her mostly for supporting the most far right ideas with little to go on except feelings and perhaps a Sun Media article to back her up, I would usually change the channel at that point. I did have to look up what the hell she is constantly on about with this charge that the CBC is funding a porn site! Since she couldn't be bothered to attend campaign debates or talk to the media except for "it's on the internet, look it up!" So I did. Turns out this non-scandal started in February 2012 and was made up by the Sun Media, surprise! Apparently it is the brain child of Ezra Levant who has talked about it ever since, to what end? I'm not sure because this is the first I head about it. Story goes that Radio-Canada the French version of CBC in Quebec was broadcasting (?) a soft core porn channel from France and little Quebecois children everywhere were being exposed to it. That sure is nice for Sun Media to be so concerned about the kids in Quebec. Well.....aren't you outraged????Maybe, if you're 80 years old and don't know that children can access internet porn at any time of day, let alone the soft core porn that is supplied by Shaw Cable every night on Movie Central or Video on Demand or just on regular TV! It is a bit of an exaggeration and sky is falling, rhymes with T and stands for trouble! Yes we got trouble right here in River City!!!!! Stop the CBC!
I think it's pretty rich that every time I am watching Power and Politics with Evan Solomon on CBC the Conservatives are beating a path there as fast as they can to over-talk any opposition or whiff of scandal. For a station they hate so much they sure are there a lot! Oh yeah and Crokett was there almost on a daily basis, if you got rid of the CBC where would y'all go? The Sun News Channel? No one watches it, even though it's been on air for over a year many people I know don't even know of it's existence. They seem to have a little fantasy that if the CBC were no more then people would watch them, and not all the great American TV that's on!!! I digress, sorry!
Anyway, so what does defunding the CBC have to do with the citizens of Calgary Centre? Probably nothing. Just like the Neo-Con flunky my riding sent to Parliament, Michelle Remple, if you elect these yes-women you'll never hear from them again! Except for maybe appearances on CBC. My MP doesn't even send those newsletter things anymore. There was one once asking people to check off what concerned them most The Economy, Morality Issues and The Wheat Board, to name a few. Dear Ms Remple, since you do not live in my riding I would like to inform you that there are no grain farmers in Calgary Centre-North so no the Wheat Board is not a major concern of mine! As for morality, I am only concerned that the Conservatives have none as you ask all of us to work longer and continue to collect huge salaries and retirement packages so I guess my concern is the Economy as in the one you are ruining! I'm not even sure why we elect MP's to Parliament anymore as none of them are allowed to disagree with the PM.
I will congratulate the Sun Media however for drudging up this smear campaign against Justin Trudeau and a big thumbs down for the rest of the media including CBC for buying into it. By now I'm sure you've heard 2 years ago in a lengthy French interview Justin said he didn't like Albertans taking over Canada's social values and taking us in the wrong direction. It's nothing like the time Stephen Harper said Maritimers were part of a culture of dependency. It smacks of swift-boating which comes right out of the George Bush playbook, remember the campaign against John Kerry? I see this as American style politics I wonder how the Quebecers see this??? It is truly low and desperate on behalf of the Sun and the Conservative Party.
Crockett may very well win, if I may borrow a term from the Sun here, "sheeple" it's what they call anyone who disagrees with them because they think people just follow what the mainstream media tells them, I know, it sounds like something Sarah Palin would say. But there are a lot of Calgarian sheeple, and I don't mean it the way they do. There is a prevailing attitude that Conservatives good, Liberals bad and it's pretty much on that kind of Frankenstein "Fire bad" level.I'm just waiting for them all to die off or the current government to really fuck up, either is a matter of time. I will just remind any undecided voter out there that the Harper government has increased the National Debt to $600 Billion today, November 23 2012, and is increasing $74.6 Million a day. All you rich Calgarians should be out with pitchforks over this! How about the state of food in this country, how can you trust beef again and especially those who monitor it? I guess city dwelling Albertans don't care about our Beef industry? As long as you can go to upscale restaurants and order it, who cares I guess? Just like the American right-wing, our Conservatives have pursued close ties to big Corporations including Oil and Phramaceuticals, why did the Health Minister move to let manufacturers put crushable oxy-contin back on the street? Because it's profitable for drug companies, never mind the addictions and deaths and drug smuggling and associated crime,this from the government of Law and Order?
The war on the middle class and unions, how many times has the Minister of Labour interfered with striking workers or change the rules for business so they can hire foreign labour at a much cheaper rate and with no benefits, wonder where your kids or you will get a job, if you're the so-called Blue Collar worker? Canada has created thousands of part-time jobs so don't let the stats fool you, these are not good signs for the economy in the future.People need good full-time employment with retirement benefits for the economy to grow. Maybe people just aren't feeling yet, you will, just as George Bush ruined the Republican Party and the economy in the U.S., Harper will ruin his party and country too. We've lived through many Prime Ministers in Canada, they all have too much power and often make a mistake wielding it, it's all just a matter of time!
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