2008: Between Hope and Disappointment

Well 2008 went out gently for me, as if after taking me on the scariest flight I've ever been on, it just ran out of craziness and glided gently into oblivion.

But what a year it was.... so much hope and so much disappointment.The joy of the Obama victory. The bitterness of the Proposition 8 defeat.

The re-election of Stephen Harper's Cons, and the rise of the Coalition for Change.













That stopped the monster in his tracks.
















For now.

And then there were the other smaller stories that said so much about who we are. The Pope stepped up his crazed war on gays and lesbians.The bullies found new targets.....like redheads.

Omar Khadr remained in Guantanamo. Three Canadian soldiers got off lightly for beating an old homeless man to death.The Gay Holocaust Memorial was vandalized again and again.

So many sad stories to make me keep fighting even harder for a kinder, gentler, better world.

And to remind me how lucky I am to live in a country as big and as beautiful as Canada. To have a great family, a super companion, so many wonderful friends, the friendliest dog in the world.

And get to fight on the side of LOVE...




















That can't EVER be beaten.

So I'd just like to thank my readers and my blogging friends for their encouragement and support, and announce that whatever 2009 has in store for us I'm READY.

Beat the bullies, bring down the Cons. The Coalition LIVES !!!

2009 here we come ...


The future may be scary, but it BELONGS to us.

From me,Sébastien, and Kerouac....

My Excellent Christmas with the Homeless

Every year at this time Sébastien and I put together two haversacks full of goodies and deliver them personally to some of the many homeless people freezing on the streets of our city.

To make up for the Christmas presents they didn't get, to spread a little cheer, and above all to show that we care.

Because homelessness isn't just hard and cruel, and a country's shame. In Canada, in winter, it can be fatal.















And because I agree with this guy.

We've lost something in this country, I think. It happened in the past few years and it is particularly obvious in my neck of the woods. It's a loss of shame about the plight of others, fellow Canadians. Around the time that our armed forces became "warriors," not peacekeepers, something was unleashed. A sizable amount of vanity, greed and harshness of spirit.

I also feel that we're losing our precious Canadian values. That our hearts have grown so hard that we can't even see the misery around us.



















That's why it's so good to read stories like this one.

And to know that there are other Canadians like Daniel who are trying to stop our country from becoming a jungle. By treating some of our most miserable and vulnerable fellow citizens like human beings instead of animals.

As for Sébastien and I ....we had a hoot. Because in addition to the shortbreads and chocolates, I also made up a giant batch of coffee....with BAILEYS. Now I'm not much of a drinker. And the smell of Baileys makes me nauseous. And Sébastien said I put too much in. But boy was it POPULAR !!

We got to hear some sad and funny stories from guys with names like Rufus, Chipper, and Bear. Sébastien was able to slip in some medical questions, and escort one guy to a nearby hospital to be treated for a horrible ulcer on his leg.

And I hope that for a moment at least some of these poor Canadians didn't just enjoy my special Christmas Blend....but also felt a little less lonely.















Of course none of this changes anything. Little acts of kindness aren't enough. Homelessness remains a cruel and shameful problem. We need more affordable housing, and better treatment facilities. We need to make that a priority EVERY day of the year.

But I guess what I'm trying to say is that if we're ever going to solve this horrible problem, first you've got to see the problem....and the humanity. First you've got to feel the pain.

First you gotta care....

What Christmas Really Means to Me

As you probably know I'm an atheist. I don't believe in God. I believe a cosmic fluke explains the presence of humans on this beautiful blue planet. And that it's up to those humans to determine whether it will be their heaven or their HELL.

But I still love Christmas.

I know it can be a sad time for the sick, the poor, and the lonely. Just like it can be a hard time for many gays and lesbians driven from their homes, or alienated from their families, by the hatred created and stoked by evil religion.

But still I love the bright coloured lights, the parties, the food, the excitement in the eyes of the kids, and of course the movies.

All the usual suspects, A Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, and It's a Wonderful Life...with the sign on the wall of Pa Bailey's place: "All you can take with you is that which you have given away." Try taking that one to the bank these days.

But also since I was about five years old, The Small One, a story about a boy who is forced to sell his best friend...a little old donkey who had been abused by others all his life. But the only one who wants to buy him is a tanner, for his HIDE.

Until the magic moment arrives...



I don't know why I like that story so much. I've got a scientific mind. I don't believe in manger myths. But it's probably got something to do with hope, and my belief that we should respect and celebrate the humble creatures who share this planet with us.

And then there's the music. Not just the Christmas carols I've been known to sing in the street when I'm.....um....a little TOO merry. But the songs I used to sing in churches when I was a boy...



The words meant nothing to me then, and they don't mean anything to me now. But isn't the sound of human voices HEAVENLY ?

Imagine how great we could be if we could all work together to make a world as beautiful as that sound. A world where peace replaced war, and love replaced hate. And gay people could live in peace and dignity instead of being insulted, attacked, and killed just for who they are.

So that's what Christmas really means to me. Coloured lights, sweet movies and music, good times with the ones I love, and the hope and promise of a better tomorrow....of a heaven for everyone right here on planet Earth.

From me, my shining star Sébastien, and my little donkey reindeer Kerouac...
















Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noël, Happy Holidays everyone !!!!

When the Christmas Spirit Goes Missing

Oh boy. It's so hard to get into the Christmas spirit, when the malls are full of worried people buying cheap gifts.

And you don't want to do or say anything to offend them, in case they SHOOT you. Or they work at the soup kitchen you'll be eating at next Christmas.

To make matters even worse, both my friends who work in this mall are having their hours cut....and expect to be laidoff in January. So there goes the entertainment budget.

And then there's this shocking story.

Can you believe that? Who knew that baby Jesus was so popular? My advice to that school in Regina?

Replace it with this inflatable model....


















And nobody will DARE steal it .....because it's too scary and UGLY.

Although to be fair.... despite the Harper dictatorship and the economic meltdown.....some people are doing their best to get some Christmas spirit going.

And failing MISERABLY.....



OMG. You know for a moment they reminded me of Kathy Shaidle and Ann Coulter.

Not that I have anything against the Bitter Dwarf or the Con She Man.....or even religious music for that matter.

In fact one of my favourite songs this year was this moving re-mix of Jesus is My Friend...



I guess it's like a PARABLE for troubled times eh?

If those visions of sugar plums ....and soup kitchens....are getting you down.

And the Harper dictatorship is making you feel like you're living in Albania....or Alberta. And the Christmas spirit isn't LIFTING you. And you can't get off on baby Jesus....no matter how hard you rub him.

Batten down the hatches.

And try something else instead...

The Pope, the Gays, and the Power of Love

Well I wasn't going to write anything more about Pope Benny's genocidal Christmas message that gays are a threat to humanity. Because life is too short eh?

And one bad post is bad enough. Although I did like the monkey.

But then I made the mistake of reading Lifeshite.

The Pope has sounded the alarm on rejecting God's plan for human sexuality and pointed to the dangers for those involved and society in general of fostering such behavior. He is now experiencing the backlash, but like any good parent, he will weather it in patience and love, knowing that one day, his aberrant children will come to their senses or at the very least that he has tried his best to get them to do so.

And as one of those "aberrant children" my blood began to boil. And I wondered whether I should write another angry post about Benny, and this time instead of the wanking Tarzan video, use the YouTube of the farting baboon.

But luckily for my reputation as a serious blogger, this guy made me think and laugh.

With those wonderful pictures of Radzi. Which I immediately added to my LARGE collection.

And then this gay blogger put it into the kind of perspective I can relate to.

When you are gay, you learn to handle the pontifications of religious leaders on homosexuality with care. The thing to watch is that it doesn't get under your skin. If, unwittingly, you do take it too much to heart, it can ruin your day. And if it ruins too many days, then it ruins your life.

Being gay is about your love life. Gay men and women aren't people who perform certain acts; they are people who love in certain ways. The L-word is never mentioned by those who condemn homosexuality. I suspect that they don't talk about homosexuality as a form of loving because if they did, their arguments would fall away. For what is life without love?

Which is so true. I suspect a lot of people just think of sex when they think of gay people. But of course it's such a small part of our lives, and love is so much more than that.















And homophobes HAVE ruined so many of my days, I'm not not about to let them ruin my life.

So all I have to say to that shrivelled prune in the Vatican is this:

You HATE me because I know the joy and the serenity of loving and being loved. I PITY you because you never will. And because you won't, you'll never understand how powerful love is, and that nothing you say or do will ever defeat it.

I'd leave it at that because it's enough eh?

But since the love of my life .... just went to the store.

And now I can say what I REALLY want to say.

I'd just like to add this.....



Ratzi you're PATHETIC.

Merry Christmas you old sod....

The Pope, the Gays, and the Rainforest

Golly it's a MIRACLE !!!!! It looks like the Vatican rat has turned into a rainforest monkey.

Pope Benedict XVI has said that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

"If tropical forests deserve our protection, humankind... deserves it no less," the 81-year-old pontiff said, calling for "an ecology of the human being."

So now we're not just a threat to straight marriage, we're a threat to humanity. Great.

Oh boy. I KNEW it was going to be a Gay Christmas at the Vatican.

So all I can say tonight is I just wish someone would slip that closeted old monkey a banana. Because he really NEEDS one eh?

Or introduce him to a fascist organ grinder so they can sing Hitler Youth songs together. Like that old classic "I BLEW a Bugle for the Fuhrer."

But as for me, all I can offer that deranged bigot....in view of his new found interest in the rain forest.

And his creepy obsession with gay people.

Is my old Tarzan salute....



In fact I think I'll make it my Christmas present to him.

From me AND the rainforest.

Because I'm sure that twisted old queen would LOVE Tarzan. Me Cheetah...you Benny.

And one WANKER deserves another....

Me and the Great Snowmageddon

(click to enlarge)

When I heard that a big storm was heading for Toronto my first thought was to leave town as soon as possible.

So nobody could accuse me of being a wimp for living in a place where they call a snow storm snowmageddon.

In Canada. In WINTER.

When of course I'm from Montreal and I LOVE snow storms. I used to love the way they cancelled classes...so I could go snowboarding on Mount Royal. I love falling asleep in a warm bed listening to the snow ploughs go by outside.

I love it because the white stuff makes everything so bright and beautiful. Just like it does here...













Looking across at the city.

Or down by the frozen canal...















And then there's always the FUN part.

The promise of things to come...













This will soon be a hockey rink believe it or not.

And if I'm not skating, I like playing with the only buddy I know.

Who likes snow even MORE than I do....
















He just turned thirteen.

But the white stuff turns him into a puppy again. So how could I not love it?

Of course, snow isn't ALL good....















But you know what cheers me up right now?

We're all on the same iceberg.

“I would dare say if you're in a satellite looking down on Canada, it would be white from coast to coast to coast and it would be frozen.”

Hmmmm....reminds me of the Charlebois song Mali Ilse Paquin is talking about here.

Je reviendrai à Montréal

Dans un grand Bœing bleu de mer

Je reviendrai à Montréal

Me marier avec l’hiver


I'll return to Montreal.

In a big sea blue Boeing.

I'll return to Montreal

To marry winter.


*Sigh* How romantic. Life in the Great White North. You gotta love it eh?

Now get out there and start SHOVELLING everyone!!!!!!

Yeah you too BALMY British Columbia !!!! Heh heh heh...

Shovel shovel shovel ... damn that dastardly snowmageddon.

Anyone seen a big blue Boeing ........going to the Caribbean?

WAAAAAAAAAH !!!!!!!

Obama, Rick Warren and the Donuts

Well it seems that Rick Warren's comments about feeding donuts to faggots has come back to haunt him.

In a very small way. I mean why send a donut when you can throw one?

.....this all but guarantees that during the invocation, Rick Warren will be pelted with donuts. Listen carefully for the shouts of "This is a farewell kiss, you dog!" and don't say I didn't warn you.

Although I think that might be dangerous. Tubby could fall off his pedestal trying to grab a creamy donut....and EAT it.

But then he has so many other questions to worry about.

And as for Obama...... well the timing couldn't be worse.

It's as if Warren and his buddy's want to ruin Obama's inauguration. Just imagine what will happen if Rick Warren's buddies kill 18,000 marriages of gay couples days before Obama is sworn in with the obese bigot by his side.

Tonight candlelight vigils are being held in support of the 18,000 gay couples whose marriages could soon be annulled.











My suggestion? Move these vigils to Washington on Inauguration Day. And turn them into a Freedom Protest....or a joyous riot. With flags, banners, whistles, noisemakers, waterguns....... and of course donuts.

In the meantime I think Obama should use the holiday season to reflect on his unfortunate choice of Rick Warren as the Grinch that Stole the Inauguration.. As well as his views on gay marriage. So he can one day understand that gay marriage isn't a religious thing....it's a human right.

And that the new gay generation,that makes up some of his best foot soldiers, isn't about to be denied....by ANYONE.



My feelings EXACTLY.

January 20th 2009. Inauguration Day.

Show Obama that Change means Change. Not kissing the bigoted ass of the religious right.

Bring your anger and your HOPE.

And don't forget the donuts....

Obama's Tainted Message of Hope

On a day when the guy who designed this poster and Time Magazine's Person of the Year cover, sends a message to Obama.

I’m very disappointed by Obama’s appointment of Rick Warren to deliver his invocation during Obama’s inaugural address.....I understand that Obama is trying to appeal to conservatives and evangelicals, but this move is symbolically a slap in the face to many people. Warren is not a uniter, but a divider… he is intolerant in many of his views. I still think Obama is the best choice for president, but I can’t condone Warren’s involvement in Obama’s inauguration, no matter how insignificant it is.

On a day when the U.S. government refuses to sign a U.N. declaration calling on countries to stop jailing, torturing, and murdering gay people.

Alone among major Western nations, the United States has refused to sign a declaration presented Thursday at the United Nations calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality.

Even though the streets of the United States are full of homeless gay kids.

Gay youth are disproportionately represented among homeless youth, according to a study released this week. Roughly 20 percent of homeless youth self-identify as LGBTQ... and that's a conservative estimate.

On a day when Obama's message of hope rings hollow...and one can't help but wonder what kind of country wages war on its own people.

And why Obama would hug a fat greaser Monkey God hustler homophobe like Rick Warren, and BETRAY all those gay Americans who voted for him.

And it's hard not to despair or get really angry.

Out of the blue comes a young gay American voice that lifts my spirits, and reminds me the bigots won't win...



YES !!!!!!!!!!!!

YES. WE. ARE. Which these days sounds better than Yes We Can.

Obama's message may be tainted.

But Hope springs ETERNAL....

Obama, Rick Warren, and the Slap in the Face

Because Obama is doing such a good job demolishing the right-wing Republicans I hate so much, I'm willing to forgive him practically ANYTHING.

But not this slap in the face.

There was no doubt that Obama, like every president before him, would pick a Christian minister to perform this sacred duty. But Obama had thousands of clergy to choose from, and the choice of Warren is not only a slap in the face to progressive ministers toiling on the front lines of advocacy and service but a bow to the continuing influence of the religious right in American politics.

Because Rick Warren is a monstrous asshole. Not just because he compares gay relationships to incest, pedophilia, and polygamy. Which is absolutely unforgivable.

Or because of his disgusting views on how women should be submissive.

God granted women a measure of freedom in submission that we can learn to enjoy.

It is a relief to know that as a wife and mother I am not totally responsible for my family. I have a husband to look to for counsel and direction. I can rely on his toughness when I am too soft and his logic when I am too emotional.

Which make me want to VOMIT.

But also because this greasy hallelujah homophobe thinks he can buy gay people off with DONUTS!!

Can you believe that latest version of some of my best friends are gay? The fat pig. I can only hope this comes true...

On a related note, this all but guarantees that during the invocation, Rick Warren will be pelted with donuts. Listen carefully for the shouts of "This is a farewell kiss, you dog!" and don't say I didn't warn you.

Or hope that when this Christianist porker hits the ground for the final time he makes as big a bang as Gerry Falwell did.

But then what do you expect in a country like the United States that is more of a theocracy than a democracy? And that ignorant Jumping Jesus hatemongering shite is EVERYWHERE.

As for Obama, it may be a shrewd political move to lure even more Republicans out of the ruins of their shattered party, until only a redneck rump is left. But it is also callous and insensitive.











Because so many gay people who were robbed of a chance to celebrate his victory, when the Proposition 8 defeat turned cheers to tears, were hoping for a chance to at least celebrate his inauguration.

Now they can't. Even though this battered and bruised minority voted overwhelmingly for him, and were dreaming of a new beginning.

Oh boy. As long as Obama can INCINERATE the Republican Party I'll still support him.

But I have to warn him, disappointment turns to anger, and his timing really sucks.

If Obama doesn't know how hurt and angry gay people are.

I'm afraid he's going to find out....

Should the Liberals Form a Coalition with Harper?

Yikes. It's such a scary image I'm going to have to keep a nightlight burning by my bed. Andrew Coyne's suggestion for a coalition between Harper and Ignatieff.

Well now, it’s been a week since Ignatieff’s—what should we call it? Appointment? Installation? Inevitability?—and what message has he been sending ever since? That he will do everything in his power to ensure the budget is not defeated, the government does not fall, and above all that there is no election.

Moreover, the tripartite coalition that was supposed to be the alternative is clearly dormant, if not expired. Ignatieff hardly bothers even to mention it anymore. He can read the polls, showing upwards of 60 per cent of the public hostile to the coalition taking power—assuming the Governor General were even disposed to call upon it, of which there is some doubt.

Now I'm not going to waste any ammunition shooting holes in Coyne's arguments. He does that himself. Especially since he's been trying to kill the coalition baby from the moment it was born. Any more Con than that and you get to work for the PMO...instead of pretending you're a journalist.

But I will point out that at least he recognizes something that a lot of Liberals don't seem to understand. Stephen Harper wants an election as SOON as he can.

Oh sure he will do what he has to do to win himself a budget vote of confidence, to make sure the Governor General won't ask the Coalition to form a government.

But as soon as that is over he knows that if his government is defeated again...in two weeks or two months... the GG will have no choice but to allow him to call an election. So he can jump on the back of the Liberal Party and suck out its juices and bankrupt it .....before Ignatieff is even confirmed.

And you can be sure that he will find some way to bring down his own government and trigger that election. Because Stephen Harper hates the Liberal Party even MORE than he hates Canada.

Whether they like it or not, the Coalition is the ONLY way the Liberals can avoid an election, before they can rebuild their party.

But Liberals being Liberals they may think they can play footsy with Harper and achieve the same result.

But they'll only end up in his web. Because when Harper sees something as weak and as vulnerable as the Liberal Party, the bully in him wants to KILL it dead. And he knows that he could be just one election away from doing that. But only if he strikes while the Cons are rich and the Liberals are poor. i.e. SOONER rather than later.

Hey c'mon. Everyone wake up and smell the coffee eh? This isn't Disneyland or Iggyland, this is Stephen Harper's Krazy Kanada.

Build up the Coalition, don't keep it on the shelf, or let it wither on the vine. The only reason these Cons hate it so much is because they fear it more than ANYTHING. That's why they attack it like rabid dogs....or mock it....or try to laugh it off.

For the sake of the Liberal Party. For the sake of Ignatieff's future. For the sake of us ALL.

Beware the kiss of the spideyman...

The Hospital and the Homophobes

St Michael's Hospital is a Catholic hospital affilated with the University of Toronto, located not far from the city's Gay Village.

A hospital which is now being attacked by the Catholic extremists at LifeShite News for having a gay flag in its lobby.

“It is sad to see St. Michael's hospital promoting the homosexual agenda. In the past the same hospital has funded the 'Gay Pride' parade. A Catholic institution should know well that promoting such a destructive lifestyle is against Christian charity. The idea behind such a decision is gravely malformed.

When in fact what is gravely malformed is that article. One because the flag has been there for years. And two because all decent Catholics should be proud not ashamed of what that hospital has accomplished.

You see up until about ten years ago most of the gay people who live in the Village used to go to another hospital. Then that hospital was closed, and most of its services moved to St Mike's.

But there was a problem. Many gay people were reluctant to go there, because they were afraid they would be treated badly in a building full of stone angels.
















So the administrators and the staff reached out to the gay community in a truly amazing way. They hung the gay flag in the lobby, supported certain community events, and did everything they could to send out a welcoming message....and live up to the hospital's core values.

Especially the one on human dignity.

We value each person as a unique individual with a right to be respected and accepted.

And it worked. The barriers of distrust came down, the gay people came, and now nobody would think twice about going there. Just like I didn't when I banged up my knee last winter.

The staff were professional and super friendly, and when Sebastien dropped by to check on me he was treated with respect and as a member of the family. Which of course is what a hospital should be all about....helping and healing people and making them feel at home no matter who they are.

The administrators and staff of St Mike's deserve to be congratulated for their decency.... and their creativity.

The bigots at Lifeshite should hang their heads in shame.

They really are DISGUSTING...

Why Should that Iraqi Journalist have all the Fun?

When you can throw a shoe at Chimp Bush yourself.

Or a pretzel, or a tomato, or the Bill of Rights.

It seems it's a phenomenom.

Oh goody. The Chimp must HATE it. Those flying shoes must haunt him. It must be awful to look out at the ruins of your country, see your Presidency going down in flames, and hear the whole world LAUGHING.

Muahahahaha.

As I said before..... the monster got off lightly. But history will be brutal.

Now gimme a WATERMELON !!!!!

Gay Holocaust Memorial Vandalized Again

When they put up the small humble Gay Holocaust Memorial I wrote this:

"They'll probably have to post guards to prevent the whole memorial from being destroyed."

Then it was vandalized.

And now it's been attacked again.

Berlin's memorial to gay victims of the Nazis has been vandalized for the second time in four months.

Berlin police say a window on the outside of the memorial has been broken, probably with a stone.

Just like it was last time.

To destroy the video inside it...



Talk about the beautiful power of a kiss.

Talk about the ugly insanity of hate.

Maybe now they'll surround the little memorial with guard towers and electrified barbed wire. So people will finally get the message.

Hey Jo we hear you.

That's why we FIGHT....

Gay Penguins and Pregnant Gay Kids

Well I'm sure that by now EVERYONE has heard the story of the two gay penguins who were so desperate to become parents they went on an eggnapping spree......and had to be separated from the other penguins.

And how their dream of domestic bliss. Daddy daddy vomit me a sardine !!!!!!!

Finally came true.

A pair of gay penguins thrown out of their zoo colony for repeatedly stealing eggs have been given some of their own to look after following a protest by animal rights groups.

Last month the birds were segregated after they were caught placing stones at the feet of parents before waddling away with their eggs.

Golly. It even has a happy ending. Their keepers say "they've turned out to be the best parents in the whole zoo".

Awwwwwwww.

And then there is this other story about gay parents. Right here in Canada. And it's not so cute.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual teens in British Columbia are at a higher risk of becoming pregnant or causing a pregnancy than their heterosexual peers, says a study released Tuesday.

The authors suggest the discrimination, sexual abuse and harassment that gay, lesbian and bisexual teens face may prompt them to indulge in more sexually risky behaviour like having sex without using condoms, starting to have sex before the age of 14 or having multiple sexual partners.

And it won't have a happy ending until we end bullying in our schools. And tackle the real problem.

David Wolfe, a clinical psychologist who has a chair in children's mental health at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said the way to address the elevated pregnancy rates among bisexual, gay and lesbian teens is to find ways to stop making them feel so stigmatized.

"We are creating our own problems by creating problems for them," Wolfe insisted. "By not giving them a chance to have a voice in it. Then it becomes a bigger problem - and we blame them for it."

Homophobia. Bad for adults. Bad for kids. Bad for babies. Bad for EVERYONE...

Gay penguins are celebrated. Gay children are forgotten.

Daddy daddy vomit me a sardine.

What a crazy world...

Please Feed the Rich... or Bleed them

Lordy. You know the shadow of the Great Depression is upon us when the rich start pawning their possessions.

In Beverly Hills, one of the nation’s glitziest post codes, so-called “collateral lenders” report an influx of well-to-do customers pawning everything from fine art to designer watches and diamond-encrusted jewellery worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

They need the money for everything from plastic surgery to keeping their businesses afloat and meeting mortgage payments on their mansions.

Holy Caviar. Is nothing sacred? They can't even change their faces from one season to another? What's next.....public transportation?

And if you think the adults have it rough.

Pity the poor rich kids.

“The other night Christian had eight friends over and I spent $110 on pizza...I don’t mind doing that, but he’s got to know that the pizza budget is not $500 a month.”

Oh no. Not the pizza budget.

Will somebody please feed the rich?

Or bleed them....



Feed them. Bleed them. But keep a few around eh?

Because before the Great Depression is over.

We may need to EAT them....

Harper and the Judgement of History

"Remember, Canada is not the United States. The fundamentals of the Canadian economy are sound."

Stephen Harper September 29, 2008

"The truth is, I've never seen such uncertainty in terms of looking forward to the future....I'm very worried about the Canadian economy."

Stephen Harper December 16, 2008

And now we find out that little Jimbo Flaherty isn't a Con gnome....

















He's a crazy ventriloquist's PUPPET.

Jim Flaherty stays because Jim Flaherty isn't really the Finance Minister.

To a degree seldom seen in Ottawa, his department has been stripped of influence. As opposed to being minister, Jim Flaherty administers. He passes along the PM's policies and directives. He's the yes guy. It's aye, aye, Prime Minister. "And what else would you care for? Coffee, doughnuts, pistachios?"

So it's ALL Stephen Harper's fault.

Enough said.

If we don't get rid of this incompetent ideological fanatic he'll take us all down with him.

Long live the Coalition for Change !!!!

Down with the bumbling idiot....

The Canadian Blog Awards and Me

Well I managed to cram fifty four bottles of beer, six big bottles of vodka, and a mickey of rum, into my igloo in preparation for the Big Party.

The humungous bash and drunkathon that was supposed to celebrate my night of glory at the Canadian Blog Awards.

In fact I was so confident I would be crowned Gay Blogger of the Year, I had even designed a simple but stylish..... and tres gay crown.

Like the one Stephen Harper wears these days.












You know the mad King of the Canadian Banana Republic. The democracy without a Parliament.

But alas, all my party plans and my dreams of blogging glory came crashing down, when due to unforseen circumstances.....or some dreadful mistake.....the party had to be cancelled.

And I was forced to drink all the booze myself. *sob* *hic*

Seriously though, I just want to say I'm honoured by the award I received, I'm grateful to those who voted for me, and I think the organizers deserve a big pat on the back for all their hard work.

Now I don't think the CBA voting system works, since it's clearly open to manipulation. It should be replaced by a jury system.

But I do want to say that I am extremely happy that my buddy Mark won, because he's not just a nice guy, he's BRILLIANT and he deserves it.

And furthermore I wish to state that despite the grinding humiliation of getting only twelve more votes than Uncle Fred at Gay and Right *gasp* I intend to keep on blogging. Because as the great blogger James Bow wrote recently, it has been quite a journey.

I’ve noticed a change in Simon’s writing since he came into the blogosphere a couple of years ago. When he emerged, he startled a number of us with the depth of his passion, speaking of his painful experiences dealing with bullying and homophobia. Today… well, I would hardly say that he has mellowed, so while he continues to advocate passionately for what he believes in, and gives no quarter to those people espousing views he disagrees with, I sense that he is more at home with himself. It’s hard to put my finger on it. But I’m reading a blog where, if I may be so bold as to say, someone is getting happier.

And because the guy most responsible for the happy part, gave me a brand new laptop today to replace the one that has been dying on me.

Along with a little note...in French: "To my favourite blogger...as long as he's happy I am. Love Sébastien."

What more can I ask for eh? My friend wins the big award. I get this one...









Along with a good review from James Bow, and a laptop and a special note from my favourite guy.

Is it any wonder I LOVE blogging?

Who needs next year eh?

Now where's that mickey of rum? *hic*

The Chimp's War in Iraq in Two Minutes

THE BEGINNING: Shock and Awe



THE MIDDLE: Suffer and Die.

THE END: Duck and Cover.



The bloody bastard chimp got off easily. He really did.

I don't know what's going to happen to that poor Iraqi journalist.

But tonight he's the hero of the long suffering Iraqi people.

And my hero too....

Why the Coalition is the Only Rational Choice

Was it the magic moment when the centre-left finally united to say YES WE CAN ? Or just a ghostly mirage frozen in a time of hope? Is the Coalition for Change the weapon that will bludgeon Stephen Harper out of power?

Or is it, as Steve V from Far and Wide seems to think, a monstrous mutant creature whose deadly embrace is threatening to drag us a ALL...especially the New/Nouveau Liberal Party.... into The Abyss? *Shudder*

I think it's important to separate personal want from rational thought. If confronted with clear evidence that rejects a concept, it is far more astute to incorporate that knowledge and react accordingly, rather than to pretend it doesn't exist or put one's faith in the unlikely possibility of seismic change.

In other words run for your lives !!!!!!!

Now I have a lot of respect for Steve. No blogger on our side spends more time poring over polls, like the ancient soothsayers used to rummage through goat guts. But I'm afraid to say that this time he's dead wrong.

The brutal political reality is that Coalition for Change is not only the best and the quickest way to end Stephen Harper's foul Con regime, whose ideological straitjacket and dirty political games are leading us to disaster in a time of crisis.

It's the ONLY way to do that without an election, that the progressive parties can't afford, and neither can the country.

Firstly forget about polls like this one. That frame their questions this way:

"....because of the severe economic situation the country faces and the fact the Liberals and NDP have entered into an 'unholy' deal with the Bloc separatists."

They just play to the barrage of misleading Con radio ads that panicked some Canadians into believing the Evil Separatists were staging a coup d'etat. Or that it was a recipe for the break up of Canada.

The Coalition wasn't able to counter that Con propaganda then, now it can. The three leaders can face the cameras together, explain the role of the Bloc, and tell Canadians in a calm reasoned manner why they alone can offer the kind of stable government the country need in a time of crisis.

And besides times change, recessions deepen. Harper will present his budget a week after Obama becomes President. The celebration of change will be in the air. If Ignatieff's polls can rise. So can the Coalitions. If all three leaders get out there and sell the Coalition effectively...... instead of running away from it.

Secondly, and most importantly, if the government should fall over the budget, it is almost certain that the Governor General will offer the Coalition a chance to form a government. And for her polls don't count. And neither does what's in the budget.

Her only duty is to determine whether the government enjoys the confidence of the house, and then decide whether to allow an election...or call on another political formation that can form a STABLE government.

Since Parliament has only sat for TWO weeks, and an election so soon would only mean more instability in a time of crisis, and only the Coalition can offer the stability of a government that cannot be defeated from one day to another like the Cons can, her choice will be obvious.

Even if she hasn't read Paul Wells.

The whole point of the fall election, we were told, was to give Harper some “open water” to govern without having to worry the opposition would do anything nasty, such as opposing him. The whole point. Certainty vs. chaos. Steady hand vs. the deluge. The voters granted him, for the second time, the awesome gift of power; he used it to steer a straight line away from open water into chaos and deluge, like some mad Ahab of parliamentary mischief.

Harper knows that he stands to lose everything. She told him. That's why he is trying to drive a wedge into the Coalition by luring Ignatieff into holding separate talks. So he can divide and conquer. Or argue that no serious alternative exists because one leader says one thing and another says another.

That's why he is trying to inflame sentiments in the West with his absurd Senate proposal so he can claim that removing him from office would trigger a national unity crisis.




















If the Governor General stands up to him, as I believe she signalled she will, Harper's arguments will fall on deaf ears.

But for that to happen the Coalition must stay united and be prepared to govern, because it will only get ONE chance.

If the Harper government's budget is approved, the Governor General will recognize that it has the confidence of the House. And next time the government is defeated she will have no choice but to allow Harper to call an election. And he could call one ANYTIME he wants. i.e. sooner rather than later. Because let's never forget that for Great Ahab Leader the Liberal Party is his great white whale.

And if the opposition parties don't have the money to properly contest that election, the only alternative would be to let Harper govern like he had a majority. Again. And look more and more impotent. Again. Just like Dion did. Is THAT what we want?

And even in the worst case scenario, and the Governor General allowed Harper to call an election the first time, a strong Coalition would facilitate a strategic voting plan that could defeat the Cons in riding after riding. And help save money by not having to run candidates in some ridings, and backing a sure winner.

Oh I know that there are some Liberals that dream of the good old days. And believe that the arrival of Michael Ignatieff will change everything and that they can do it all by themselves. But in an increasingly balkanized country, with a fragmented left, and a Bloc and an NDP who stand to gain from the betrayal of the Coalition, how realistic is that?

We would probably end up with the same kind of Parliament we have now. And then what? And where would Ignatieff be? When if he became Prime Minister of a Coalition government, he would have a chance to show his stuff, reap the political benefits, and choose when to call an election, AFTER his party has rebuilt itself.

Never mind the hope that a coalition would bring to a country that needs it so badly. For all the above rational reasons. The Coalition still is the best and quickest way of getting rid of Stephen Harper's crazy and dangerous ideological government that is leading us all to disaster.

We need to seize the moment, present a united front, and act rationally and ruthlessly to drive these wretched Cons from power.

And whether we believe it's just a bargaining chip, or the path to a better future. At this critical time in Canadian history, everyone needs to be out there selling the Coalition.

Instead of running away from it...