A Little Levity

In times like these, we all need to laugh a little. So I ran across this pic that is a delicious example of ironic ad placement.

If I believed in a god, I would thank him, or her for it, but it seems that humanity does a much better job on it's own.

Ignorance Is Not a Virtue In Times Like These

In this election time on both sides of the border, it seems that the perpetrators and the all-too-willing, supposed victims of the intellectual menace of society have made their own dreams of persecution come true through generating needless fear of terrorism and allowing unfettered financial dealings that they can now use as justification to continue a shameless parade of utter stupidity that they actually take as a point of justified pride.

Honestly, when I was a kid growing up in western Canada, I was often told by friends and acquaintances that whenever I questioned the status quo, I was running a serious risk of being an elitist intellectual little prick and that was bad for the country. When I asked why, I was always told that the people who had the real knowledge weren't the intellectuals but people with street knowledge that somehow transcended any form of intelligence whatsoever. The very people who were convinced that Elvis was still alive and they had a cousin who was abducted by space aliens knew for a fact their leaders would save them and that too much knowledge was the worst possible threat to a free democracy.

I've spent the summer watching what can only be described as the train wreck of what has been touted as the epitome of modern, idealistic, democratic society and the hope of the World as it desperately degrades itself into fear and superstition because it has nothing left to offer itself than a few cheap votes from people who don't want anyone to be smarter than hockey moms.

The ultimate hope of desperate anti-intellectualism has finally come to fruition in the form of Sarah Palin running for one of the most important posts in the world, unable to give an informed answer to any question, she can do nothing more than wink like an insecure school girl and offer the worst form of uninformed, ignorant generalities.

Then we have the situation up here in Canada, where an incumbent government with a so-far undisclosed platform that must be so unpalatable or so incomplete that it dares not speak its name until mere hours before the election, and even after the advance polls, for fear that it will terrify the electorate with its grandiose plans of the only thing the Conservatives know, the assumption that their vision of our nation is entirely dependent on a severe lack of knowledge that they, and only they, can compensate for through their manufactured anti-intellectual wisdom. We have all heard of oxymoron's before, but it has to take almost super-human intellectual artistry to come up with so much of nothing that it can be sold on the merits of sweater vests and little else.

This is the supposed secret, repackage the standard Conservative line that bullshit baffles brains, put a sweater on it in the middle of summer and speak of nothing but boilerplate. Somehow through all of that we are supposed to believe that the needs of the common man are miraculously going to be met because they possess knowledge that somehow transcends reason, while at the same time they use their version of logic and pass it off as the most divinely informed type of reason.

Look, I'm not a smart guy as judged by many on the educated, intellectual scale, in fact I'm pretty low on the totem pole. But when I get up in the morning I give a shit about the world I live in, and I take it as my responsibility to be as informed as I can be as opposed to informed as I wish to be about the world. Somehow to some this makes me an intellectual elite, or at least a nasty sympathizer, honestly, people who believe that wish to have no clue.

There have been precious few moments in my 50 years to enjoy the hopes and dreams of men and women who dared to answer beyond the seemingly perpetual need for stupidity of the masses. They gave us hopes never before told and bold visions of a future in which people could share as a community. In Canada, those people gave us medical plans, social benefits, even an immigration policy that affords us a window onto the world that makes us richer through cultural understanding.

But now, our elections are being fought over the personalities of people who have none, people with no vision and little understanding of the current economic crisis, or any current situation for that matter.

When was the last time any of our leaders had a clear vision for Canada? (Aside from Harper's culturally backward vision of returning us to the McCarthy era.) When was the last time we were offered a bold new future and a better way to live that reflects the hopes and dreams that all people aspire to?

The only time I can honestly think of is The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Since then, what has anyone offered us, except, NAFTA?

The Harper Government: Here For a Good Time?

I had the great fortune to meet up again with Rick this afternoon and he told me about this video, we don't know who did it, and the Youtube page doesn't offer much information. But it's really good stuff, so here it is.

Live Blogging the Debates

I'm not sure how well this will work out, the biggest question in Canada is what debate are you watching?

I'm watching both, I have the TV on split screen. I was invited to join Democrats Abroad to watch a gathering to watch the US debate, but I have to do this.

So, Palin, opening with her soccer mom thing, I was certain her voice was going to break, gawd it was close and I saw Biden looking at her, as long as he gives her a chance, this can only get better.

In Canada: Gang up on Harper time, I like this. It's about the role of the government, not the conservative dream.

The reality, Mr. Steve is the the reality has changed, it doesn't come back, it changes and you can nothing about it

Sarah's head is close to its limit, nothing says informed leader more than a statement like "darned right"

"There has not been a lot that I've promised because I've only been at this for 5 weeks.

Yeah

Second questions in Canada: too much of an issue, Harper is talks about balance between business and environment but he spouts the 1950's line

Same sex down south: after Biden expresses specific rights for same sex couples, Palin finds it awkward to make talking points, but makes it clear that she shares the Palin/Obama view that there is no support for gay marriage.

What a shame, neither one cares.

Oil sands, up here:

Harper's position: if we don't take advantage of the opportunistic needs of the energy industry, then we face the chance of losing out on their demand.

Um, the demand will always be there, why should we sell ourselves out for profits now on commodities that will still be there in the future?

Jack, honey, there's more to life in Canada that OHIP

US: Brucie doesn't do the the Isreal thing, that's the real American dream

Canada: Health Care. It's not a federal problem, they just dole out the money.

The Arts. I'm always reminded of the old line that freedom of the press belongs to those who own one. If you cut off funding to the creativity of your nation, you betray the wealth of your nation because the ultimate expression of your success is the arts

Crime question: What crime increase? the isn't one, this a fucking football question.

May's answer is innefective, Dion's is nonsense, Harper's is rhetorical fear mongering

US: Biden:
VP Cheney is the most dangerous VP we have ever had in history

She just called the mom card again, I hope someone is keeping track of that

Win the wars, rescue the economy, fix all the things her party lead us into. Ignoring the fact it was her party that created those problems.

Canada: Harper: If we are truly to pacify this country [Afghanistan]... [paraphrasing] we have to follow the mission that was voted for in Parliament when we were in opposition.

I'm pooped, Brucie out

Just for the record, I'm never, fucking ever, doing this again. First of all, I'm not the best political analyst, I don't have the training and I can only offer myself as not much better than a hockey mom when it comes to political opinion. But I like to think I put the needs and ideals of our nations in a frame of reference that might be a little closer to our real needs.

All in all, the Canadian debate was better. It was more thoughtful, more informed and more engaging. Everyone did well and didn't fall into the trap of sensationalism. I think the Canadian debate was a job well done.

So who would I vote for? I live in a rabidly Liberal riding, so what does it matter?

As an aside; I think Liz did well.

Stephen Harper's Canada in 60 Seconds

Another Timely reminder from the good folks at A Creative Revolution.

If this is what we've been through with a Harper government so far, imagine what things will be like if he gets back in and has more confidence to push his "vision" of Canada through even more. Scary stuff indeed.

Fannie, Freddie, Healthcare, Restaurants, Whatever

It's almost impossible to avoid making fun of the most ridiculous political act I've seen in my lifetime. We are actually experiencing a situation where the difference between satire and reality are almost indistinguishable. I never though that at my age I would look at the world and wonder if I should laugh or cry.

I blame Pale for exposing me to this, I have to lay the blame somewhere, and it ain't gonna be me.

Markets Tumble Over Bailout Defeat

Good. The only way out of this mess is for a lot of people, preferably rich ones, to lose a lot of money. I think in some circles that's called dreaming the big dream, because it's little dudes like us that end up paying for it through the loss of our relatively meager earnings and assets to protect those all-important interests of the big players who swear the money trickles down.

I was absolutely gobsmacked last week when John McCain decided to play drama queen and postpone his freakshow campaign to deal with the financial crisis. John, sweetie darling, I'm a fag so I know from drama queens and you ain't got it honey. You got nothing.

So the republicans won't allow this to get solved because they can't get anything out of it, all because they allow the average person to suffer for their own gain while they continue to promote the fantasy that they, and only they, can protect the interests of the average Joe.

This situation is the fruition of the biggest myth of right wing politics, the fantasy that only big dreamers like them can protect the interests of the average man. Being right wing means never having to think about the consequences of your actions.

No down payment, no interest loans, it creates so much new business how can anyone lose? You're living it now boys and girls, or you will be soon.

Those of us in Canada should take serious heed of this situation because if we allow a Harper government, we will most certainly face an even more dire situation just as the US votes for their first black President and gets it's shit together. I know things are a little messed up and I live in eternal hope, but I can't make myself believe they would be so stupid as to vote for McCain, again.

My boyfriend lives in Seattle and I just might show up on his doorstep, imagine a gay man leaving Canada for political reasons, I don't think it's ever been done before. Depending on how the elections go, I'm either moving in with him, or he's moving in with me. If both countries vote left, we'll probably meet half way and end up in some exotic place like Saskatchewan. If both countries vote right, and we haven't had the nerve to consider it, we'll most likely be in the mountains getting drunk and riding ATV's like a couple of faggot hillbillies who stopped caring (think Deliverance). I just have to get him to start drinking, worst lush I've ever seen. But he's cute.

Toronto Views

My social conscience tells me I should be blogging about our current political state of affairs, but I'm still waiting for someone to wake me from this nightmare that I'm experiencing, seriously, none of what is going on can be real, right?

Last week the boy and I went for a walk along the "Mighty" Don River, it makes for an interesting contrast between man and nature, where there is no doubt that man won out. The entire river is hemmed in by concrete and steel and it tries to stay alive in spite of all our efforts, kind of like the Liberal party these days. (Oh, did I say that out loud?)



There are several abandoned bridges south of Queen Street, some are blocked off entirely, but this one, I'm guessing it used to be Front Street before they built the Gardiner Expressway, is a lovely old structure. It has a certain post-modern charm that invokes everything you can imagine about a successful city in the industrial age. For good or bad the city has long since grown beyond its usefulness, but it sits there, an eloquently simple, utilitarian structure that when you stand on it, welcomes you as if it's glad you came to visit.





I found what I thought was one of the coolest bits of graffiti on one of the structural supports. You know this is a bridge that is loved when you find things like that, there is very little other graffiti, people don't deface it, they let just it live.

Catching Up

The boy is gone now so I can get back to bitching about the general state of the Universe again. There's a lot to bitch about so let's get a few things out of the way:

Gay and Conservative is just a way of saying dimwit with a lot more syllables. Chris Reid has learned that if you're a Conservative candidate and you have been nominated to run in Toronto Centre, you have effectively been thrown to the lions. I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I guess he thought he might have some gay cred in this riding (fool), or that he's one of those delusional types who thinks he can "change the party from within" (huge honking fool), that'll never happen on Steve's shift.

Fortunately Big City Lib has been covering the story while I was busy um, er, entertaining, yeah, we'll call it that. If you're going to run for political office, it doesn't pay to be a loudmouth shmuck, Steve learned that lesson and now he's our exalted leader. I could cry.

It's official now, Unrepentant Old Hippie is some kind of fertility goddess, kind of ironic in a way, but I like it. It seems that every critter that walks on her property ends up giving birth. I have my own fertility issues, so many of my female colleagues have given birth in the last couple of years that the joke around town is: If you work with Bruce, you're going to get pregnant.

I see McCain found a way to possibly get out of the debate, more on that later, it's lunchtime for Brucie.