It's easy to sit here and criticize our neighbours to the south. To watch Fox news and think; 'Sweet Jesus, what are they thinking?'
But every now and then I get taken in and see America for what it was supposed to be and not what it has turned into. And I feel proud for them because they really can be a great nation.
Nothing shows me this more than the 2008 presidential election. Watching Obama speak feels like watching history unfold and if there's one thing he's great at, it's making ordinary people feel involved in this new history with him.
He's not perfect - no president ever was or will be - but he's the right choice. He's gotten people motivated and given them hope for a new country. For once an election doesn't seem like a popularity contest. There's a vitality and energy in America that hasn't been seen in almost half a century and its this vitality that history is made out of.
In 2 days, American voters will confirm what I already know; Obama is already the next American president.
I hope he keeps this vitality and energy through two terms in office. I hope America gets drunk from it and demands more from future candidates than what we've seen in the past.
I hope Obama becomes the face on posters tacked to the walls of students decades from now and that he delivers one great speech which, one day, will be catalogued beside other great American speeches like Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address and Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I have a dream' speech.
I hope he stays true and doesn't fall victim to corrupting influences which have become so prevalent in Washington.
I hope he listens to the people when they disagree with him and makes sound decisions, though they will certainly be difficult.
But most of all, I hope I'm not disappointed.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The big dark...
Not even Hallowe'en and there's a winter storm warning for all of us here in Ottawa.
There's a certain part of winter I don't mind. That time around Christmas when snow is almost quaint and you've almost missed having it. But the snow we have right now isn't big and bright and fluffy and floating down in giant clumps. That child-beating bastard, Bing Crosby isn't singing his joyous duet with David Bowie just yet.
Looking outside, this snow is like shards of glass.
On my side of the street it's blowing west. On the other side it's headed east, as if this snow is important enough to warrant its own traffic system.
This is February snow and I hate it. Goes with the solid summer of rain and last year's record snowfall.
What is that thing called? It's like hibernation for humans. Oh yeah. Coma.
Sign me up.
There's a certain part of winter I don't mind. That time around Christmas when snow is almost quaint and you've almost missed having it. But the snow we have right now isn't big and bright and fluffy and floating down in giant clumps. That child-beating bastard, Bing Crosby isn't singing his joyous duet with David Bowie just yet.
Looking outside, this snow is like shards of glass.
On my side of the street it's blowing west. On the other side it's headed east, as if this snow is important enough to warrant its own traffic system.
This is February snow and I hate it. Goes with the solid summer of rain and last year's record snowfall.
What is that thing called? It's like hibernation for humans. Oh yeah. Coma.
Sign me up.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
It strikes me as amazing how often I consider turning into a criminal.
Not a 'bad' criminal, per se, but I guess that depends on your point of view.
A teacher once told us about a story he was researching about B.C. grow-ops. Turns out, a group like, say, the Hell's Angels would give a homeowner $50,000 to use their house to grow pot. An electrician would come in to hook it all up, they'd haul in the dirt and all the homeowner would have to do is water the plants. If something weird started to happen, there was even a 1-800 number they could call and a chemist would be sent over to test the soil and make sure everything was running smoothly. After the 'season' was over the plants were harvested and everything was shipped back out of the house.
Criminal? According to the courts; just barely.
See, judges in B.C. got so fed up with wasting taxpayer money on trials that they reduced the penalty to a $5,000 fine if you were caught. There would just be more grow-ops anyway, so the judicial system wasn't even a bandaid compared to the problem.
Every time I think of ways to cut back my spending, or if something like my phone or car needs a repair, or when I watch my crushing student debt loom over me I think about the B.C. grow-op story.
With $50,000 I could be debt free in a day and still have some left over to live comfortably for a year or take a vacation. At this point, another $5,000 penalty seems like a joke compared to the rest of my debt.
I should be thankful I don't own a house out west, otherwise, I might be making a phone call. Instead, I find ways to become what I call an urban or modern bohemian. I've even considered growing a beard because it might save me from the ridiculous cost of razors.
And rich people wonder why things like piracy are such big issues. Consumerism itself creates criminals.
Not a 'bad' criminal, per se, but I guess that depends on your point of view.
A teacher once told us about a story he was researching about B.C. grow-ops. Turns out, a group like, say, the Hell's Angels would give a homeowner $50,000 to use their house to grow pot. An electrician would come in to hook it all up, they'd haul in the dirt and all the homeowner would have to do is water the plants. If something weird started to happen, there was even a 1-800 number they could call and a chemist would be sent over to test the soil and make sure everything was running smoothly. After the 'season' was over the plants were harvested and everything was shipped back out of the house.
Criminal? According to the courts; just barely.
See, judges in B.C. got so fed up with wasting taxpayer money on trials that they reduced the penalty to a $5,000 fine if you were caught. There would just be more grow-ops anyway, so the judicial system wasn't even a bandaid compared to the problem.
Every time I think of ways to cut back my spending, or if something like my phone or car needs a repair, or when I watch my crushing student debt loom over me I think about the B.C. grow-op story.
With $50,000 I could be debt free in a day and still have some left over to live comfortably for a year or take a vacation. At this point, another $5,000 penalty seems like a joke compared to the rest of my debt.
I should be thankful I don't own a house out west, otherwise, I might be making a phone call. Instead, I find ways to become what I call an urban or modern bohemian. I've even considered growing a beard because it might save me from the ridiculous cost of razors.
And rich people wonder why things like piracy are such big issues. Consumerism itself creates criminals.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Sprawl-mart...
Sometimes unions get out of control, but most times it's the company that does.
You mean to tell me that a union in a garage bumped up costs to customers by over 30 per cent? How underpaid are these poor guys? And ontop of that, Wal-Mart, arguably the largest seller of everything ever can't spare the profits? I don't buy this horseshit for one second and you shouldn't either.
The article should begin; "In an attempt to keep it's strangle-hold on the souls of underpaid employees, Wal-mart destroyed their first unionized workforce with lava and herpes pouring from the mouth of a seven-headed beast with seven crowns and terrible halitosis."
It would be more run-on, but it's still early.
Labour Minister David Whissell is apparently on the case. Send him a message and put some pressure on him to do a good job and get these guys their jobs back.
His addresses are at the bottom.
You mean to tell me that a union in a garage bumped up costs to customers by over 30 per cent? How underpaid are these poor guys? And ontop of that, Wal-Mart, arguably the largest seller of everything ever can't spare the profits? I don't buy this horseshit for one second and you shouldn't either.
The article should begin; "In an attempt to keep it's strangle-hold on the souls of underpaid employees, Wal-mart destroyed their first unionized workforce with lava and herpes pouring from the mouth of a seven-headed beast with seven crowns and terrible halitosis."
It would be more run-on, but it's still early.
Labour Minister David Whissell is apparently on the case. Send him a message and put some pressure on him to do a good job and get these guys their jobs back.
His addresses are at the bottom.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Social sterility...
I understand people who don't like to vote or refuse to for whatever reason.
Part of me gets it; that despite who's turning the crank, the wheel keeps spinning no matter what and that the actions of people in high-office don't really change your daily life too much. Not enough for some people to care or even sometimes to notice. After all, true anarchy is everywhere and a law in some book isn't going to stop someone from doing what they want.
But another part of me wants to infect those people with some deliciously debilitating disease and then talk about health care while they uncontrollably shit out their lungs.
There is a bigger picture to voting and sometimes it's not about how great one leader will be, it's about how bad the other ones are. It's also about shaping the direction of your country, your neighbourhood and taking some responsibility for the world around you.
Stick around for ten minutes and watch my second favourite Aussie. Even though he's talking about the American election, it applies to every democratic election. He's right. And he swears almost as much as I do.
Part of me gets it; that despite who's turning the crank, the wheel keeps spinning no matter what and that the actions of people in high-office don't really change your daily life too much. Not enough for some people to care or even sometimes to notice. After all, true anarchy is everywhere and a law in some book isn't going to stop someone from doing what they want.
But another part of me wants to infect those people with some deliciously debilitating disease and then talk about health care while they uncontrollably shit out their lungs.
There is a bigger picture to voting and sometimes it's not about how great one leader will be, it's about how bad the other ones are. It's also about shaping the direction of your country, your neighbourhood and taking some responsibility for the world around you.
Stick around for ten minutes and watch my second favourite Aussie. Even though he's talking about the American election, it applies to every democratic election. He's right. And he swears almost as much as I do.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Election erection...
I love elections if only to study the psychology of our country's officials. But beyond that, they're usually exciting and it gives voters the feeling of actively helping to shape our country.
I've always felt that it's important to vote and if you feel strongly about not voting, it's important to state the reason's why. But in either case, it's ultimately important to know a thing or two about what's happening.
The way the party leaders talk and the way they're discussed on the news, it's easy for young or uninformed people to think they get a hand in voting in the big party leaders. When I first voted in an election, I was surprised when I didn't recognize any of the names on the ballot and I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to vote for who I thought was running. So I had to vote by party, not knowing anything about the person I just decided I liked on a whim.
If you're interested in understanding how you can better learn politics, don't look at the leaders. They're just distractions and spokespersons for party policy. Think of big parties like a band. Sure, the frontman is flashy and loud, but without the rest of the band he's just a crooner.
So it's important to know your riding and who you can actually vote for. Luckily, I'm in a fairly important riding which is currently held by CPC member, John Baird. It's important because this man is also the Minster of the Environment and we all know how big the climate change issue is this election.
Honestly, my riding excites me more than the entire federal election.
Nothing much on the Hill is going to change. I'm predicting the same Conservative minority this fall. By far the biggest surprise has been the Green Party. Elizabeth May will finally get a chance to debate and they've seen a (relatively) big jump in popularity.
My riding of Ottawa West/Nepean has a cool voting history for anyone who gives a shit. And I do.
The area has become more right-leaning over the past decade;
Some quick federal election stats for Ottawa West/Nepean:
1997
Liberal - 29,511 (votes)
Reform - 11,601
2000
Liberal - 22,607
Alliance - 14,753
2004
Liberal - 23,971
Conservative - 22,591
2006
Conservative - 25,607
Liberal - 20,244
I find election results over time fascinating. It's like watching the piece of Canada you live in grow and change over time. To me it's a notch on the door frame of your neighbourhood measuring the growth of a community.
I've always felt that it's important to vote and if you feel strongly about not voting, it's important to state the reason's why. But in either case, it's ultimately important to know a thing or two about what's happening.
The way the party leaders talk and the way they're discussed on the news, it's easy for young or uninformed people to think they get a hand in voting in the big party leaders. When I first voted in an election, I was surprised when I didn't recognize any of the names on the ballot and I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to vote for who I thought was running. So I had to vote by party, not knowing anything about the person I just decided I liked on a whim.
If you're interested in understanding how you can better learn politics, don't look at the leaders. They're just distractions and spokespersons for party policy. Think of big parties like a band. Sure, the frontman is flashy and loud, but without the rest of the band he's just a crooner.
So it's important to know your riding and who you can actually vote for. Luckily, I'm in a fairly important riding which is currently held by CPC member, John Baird. It's important because this man is also the Minster of the Environment and we all know how big the climate change issue is this election.
Honestly, my riding excites me more than the entire federal election.
Nothing much on the Hill is going to change. I'm predicting the same Conservative minority this fall. By far the biggest surprise has been the Green Party. Elizabeth May will finally get a chance to debate and they've seen a (relatively) big jump in popularity.
My riding of Ottawa West/Nepean has a cool voting history for anyone who gives a shit. And I do.
The area has become more right-leaning over the past decade;
Some quick federal election stats for Ottawa West/Nepean:
1997
Liberal - 29,511 (votes)
Reform - 11,601
2000
Liberal - 22,607
Alliance - 14,753
2004
Liberal - 23,971
Conservative - 22,591
2006
Conservative - 25,607
Liberal - 20,244
I find election results over time fascinating. It's like watching the piece of Canada you live in grow and change over time. To me it's a notch on the door frame of your neighbourhood measuring the growth of a community.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Dead-lines...
I work at one of those jobs where more is never enough and I'm on the giving end. I could spend 10 hours a day there and still it doesn't seem that everything would get done.
Almost every day is a race from an office chair working on computers that barely work with programs that can make Bill O'Reilly look reasonable.
Every week I get one writing assignment and every week I get so excited to work on it. To write.
And then I write.
With the already short amount of time at work, I never really get to have fun writing. I paste together bits of news releases and wikipedia into a sort of mosaic of information with no real direction or purpose. Nothing I'm very interested in anyway.
When I have to write something I'm not interested in, or spend most of my time staring at the clock waiting for the deadline instead of focusing on how cool this information could be if I weren't so distracted, that's when I feel bad about what my final product will be.
Luckily for me, or not depending on how you look at it, there's not much of a bar to raise in terms of writing for a bunch of American geriatrics who would probably get offended if I included words like nipple, underwear, poop, bum, Obama or moist.
Whenever I work with information I don't necessarily care about on an already stressed timeline, I turn into a monkey packing shit together like it's going to save my life.
Remember Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters when he was using his fork to frantically plaster a mountain of mashed potatoes on his plate? And he looked at his wife and said; "This means something."
I'm him.
And sometimes it's just so hard to convince myself that this means something.
Almost every day is a race from an office chair working on computers that barely work with programs that can make Bill O'Reilly look reasonable.
Every week I get one writing assignment and every week I get so excited to work on it. To write.
And then I write.
With the already short amount of time at work, I never really get to have fun writing. I paste together bits of news releases and wikipedia into a sort of mosaic of information with no real direction or purpose. Nothing I'm very interested in anyway.
When I have to write something I'm not interested in, or spend most of my time staring at the clock waiting for the deadline instead of focusing on how cool this information could be if I weren't so distracted, that's when I feel bad about what my final product will be.
Luckily for me, or not depending on how you look at it, there's not much of a bar to raise in terms of writing for a bunch of American geriatrics who would probably get offended if I included words like nipple, underwear, poop, bum, Obama or moist.
Whenever I work with information I don't necessarily care about on an already stressed timeline, I turn into a monkey packing shit together like it's going to save my life.
Remember Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters when he was using his fork to frantically plaster a mountain of mashed potatoes on his plate? And he looked at his wife and said; "This means something."
I'm him.
And sometimes it's just so hard to convince myself that this means something.
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