Thank You Mr. Dion

This is my first post in a very long while...

Thank you Mr. Dion.

Thank you for your inspiration.  Watching you during this election campaign, watching the assault you were faced with, watching the risks that you took, watching the way you carried yourself, was inspiring.  You made me more interested in politics than I ever have been in my entire life.

You were different.  You weren't a "politician."  You were thoughtful.  You were caring.  You were intelligent.  You were the opposite of every other political figure on the news.  You spoke directly to people.  You answered their questions not with sound bites, but with real consideration for what was being asked.  Perhaps this is why you were attacked at every opportunity.  Perhaps this is why some people weren't as taken to you as they should have been.  

But I was.

I haven't posted anything here in years.  Ironically the last thing I posted was in regards to your selection as Liberal leader.

This election hurts me.  

Not just because the party I support has fallen.  Not just because the Conservatives have inched closer to a majority.  But because of the way you have been treated.

But it shouldn't surprise me.  Since the day you were elected leader you were faced with nothing but disrespect.  The media criticized you.  The Conservatives ridiculed you.  Your own party speculated that you were not the right man for the job.  It's insulting and it's wrong.  Even as you have suffered a very public defeat while attempting to restore the Liberal Party to glory, there are voices in the shadows.  People looking for your job.  People looking to pounce on you.  People looking to blame you.

You are not perfect, but no one is.  What you are is a kind, generous, strong, intelligent man that been insulted and attacked for your ideas, your speeches, your policies, your accent and your appearance.

You don't deserve that.

You answered the call when Canada needed you.  You answered the call when the Liberal Party needed you.  And you deserve better. 

You deserve our thanks.

Thank you Stephane Dion.

Thank you for listening and caring and thinking.  Thank you for standing up to every assault you were faced with and forging forward.  Thank you for inspiring me.

Now you are faced with questions about your future.  Questions from the media and questions from your own party.  And whatever you decide to do I hope that you make the right decision for yourself and for your family.  You have given our country so much that now it is time for you to be selfish and do what is best for Stephane Dion.

Take care.

 - Rick

Glad to see this...

Since Dion's victory on the weekend I'm very glad to see the Liberal party embracing their recent past.

I felt that a huge flaw in Paul Martin's campaign last election was that he did not take advantage of the Liberal record. Yes, he was trying to distance himself from the sponsorship scandal, but in doing that he also distanced himself from everything good that the party had done during their time in power.

I liked Jean Chretien as PM. I respect him to this day. And I see that Dion does as well.
It makes me proud to see Chretien on one of the banners on the Liberal site.
It makes me proud to hear Dion openly thank and quote Chretien.

The Conservatives may call it "Back to the Future" but I consider embracing the Liberal past a great step towards the future.

Early Poll

Yes, polls frequently mean nothing, but this is an interesting one nonetheless.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061203/libs_poll_061203/20061203

My favourite sections from the article are this:

"'Stephane Dion is a little like (former Liberal prime minister) Jean Chretien. The media and elites always underestimated Chretien, but he identified with people on Main Street,' Fife said."

And this:

"In Dion's home province, 62 per cent found Dion a good choice while 29 per cent said he was a poor one."

I definitely think Dion stands a great chance whenever the next election is.

Though, reading the entire article leads me to why I dislike polls:

- The margin of error for the national poll was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
- The margin of error for the Quebec subset, which had a sample size of 247, was plus or minus 6.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
- The margin of error for the Ontario subset, which had a sample size of 379, was plus or minus 5.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The margin of error in Ontario and Quebec is pretty large.

Either way, this is positive news.

Slash and Burn!

This may be the worst-written, most insensitive article that I have ever read.

Essentially what the National Post is saying is that Harper's Conservatives are doing a good thing in cutting funding to the poor and Aboriginals because those people wouldn't have voted Conservatives anyway.

I was upset to hear about the cuts in the first place, despite having a massive surplus. I was more upset when I heard that Conservatives are now essentially considering surpluses a bad thing (more on that later.) But when I read that cuts to those who don't vote Conservative was a smart idea by the government I was shocked. This is the CANADIAN government. They should be serving all Canadians, not just those who supported them. And this government was supposed to clean up our country?

Insane.

More later when I have more time to post.

Five Years Ago...

The following was a post of mine from five years ago today, posted on an old website of mine. The writing is crude at best in many places, but it was a genuine reaction from me that day, and it remains just as genuine today.

Tragedy

As I walked through the Ryerson bookstore, I noticed a group of people gathered around a television set. It was just after 12pm, September 11th, 2001. I had no idea what they were watching. As I ate lunch at Pizza Pizza, I could scarcely hear the news over the radio. Something about a plane crash, but I didn't know what. Sitting in the student lounge, my cell phone rang. A friend asked me if I knew what had happened. I was then told that two airplanes had hit the World Trade Center in New York. Many classes had been cancelled, but before I could ask anymore questions, my friend said he had to go, and that he would meet me soon. I wasn't quite sure what had happened, but I waited for him. As I waited, another friend sat beside me and said "We have to find a TV." As I asked why I was told an answer that would make me truly understand what had happened.

"You know the World Trade Center in New York? The twin towers?" "Yeah." "They're not there anymore."

No there anymore!? How can buildings not be there anymore!? We met up with other friends and headed to the bookstore to watch the TV there. As we watched, it still didn't sink in to me. I was trying to fully comprehend what had happened.

Later on, I was standing in the Rogers Communication Centre, with around 30 other students, watching nine televisions on the wall, all showing different news networks. It felt like a movie. People huddled together, watching buildings explode on television sets. People crying. No one really knowing for sure what was going on. The President giving an address to the nation. Not unlike Independence Day or any Arnold Swartzenegger movie. It didn't seem real.

"This is North America! This doesn't happen in North America!" I said as I waited for my television broadcast class to begin. I still don't think I believed it.

Watching the news and reading the newswires, I started to understand. It was real. There would be no Arnold to swoop in and stop the destruction. Everyone would not be saved. Thousands had died. Now I understood, and I was afraid.

I watched the news all night. I now knew that this was real, but it didn't seem real. This only happens on the big screen. There can't be a war. Even if this isn't an official war, it's VERY war-like.

As much as I don't like the United States at times, this shouldn't have happened. And as bad as this sounds, I have a sick feeling that this isn't over. Either more terrorist attacks will take place, or the US will find who did this, and they will pay with their lives.

The credits will not roll on this situation. This is not a film. This is life, and truth is scarier than fiction.

- Rick

Stereotypical Alberta Sightseeing Checklist

I spent some time in and around Canmore, Alberta last week.

It's a beautiful place. However, on the way there I could only think of Alberta stereotypes that I wanted to see. Now that I'm back, let's review my list, shall we?

• Cowboys - Well, I saw some people in cowboy hats, so that counts - CHECK!
  
• Oil - I saw some oil burning at the top of a oil rig thingy (for the life of me I can't think of what that's called!) - CHECK!
• Ralph Klein - He held his last press conference while I was there... but I didn't really SEE him... - NO CHECK!
  
• A bear - CHECK!
• Rampant conservatism - CHECK! (I saw a "Save the West: No Kyoto, No Wheat Board, No Gun Registry" bumper sticker.)
  

Four out of five isn't bad!

Anyway, Calgary wasn't really all that special, but Canmore, Banff, and Jasper were absolutely amazing.

So, here's some pics:






Alberta is absolutely beautiful... I'd love to live there!

All Around The World

One of my fears is that I'm growing up without seeing the world.

I'm afraid that one day I'll suddenly realise that I'm 40 years old, married with two kids and a white picket fence, and that I've never seen Italy. I've never seen France. I've never seen Germany. I've never been back to London at an age where I can appreciate it.
I want to see all of those places and more.

I wish I could just quit my job, quit my life, and take off around the world.

Don't get me wrong. I like my job and the people there are great. I love my fiancée and my family. But I long for more. The next 40 years of my life cannot be spent going to work, coming home, and sleeping. Repeat, endlessly.
I need to experience more, and I need to do it when I'm still relatively young.

You can take off from life at 25... it's a lot harder to do so at 35.

I love the fact that I'm getting married. I love the fact that having steady jobs will allow my fiancée and I to buy a condo downtown and spend our weekends sipping coffees on Bay Street when so many other people never get those things. Being "sensible" not spending all of our money on trips and adventures will be a huge advantage in the long run.

But I can't help but think that I need to do more... to see more.

Having a wife and children and a white picket fence would be amazing.

Having a wife and children and a white picket fence after you spent a year travelling Europe? I can't think of anything better.

Walking Through Markham

I decided to go for a walk through my new Markham neighbourhood tonight.

Now, I've been feeling a little bit down about my family's move to Markham for the last few days.
I never thought I would, but I think I miss Scarborough. And everything takes longer to get to in Markham.

Anyway, I went for a short walk tonight. Nobody walks in Markham.
Even though it was 9:35 when I left the streets were essentially deserted. But not scary, more like calm.
So it was quite surprising when I saw a woman walking down the street in the opposite direction from me. I looked at her and she looked at me. And then it happened.

It a nice, friendly voice she said "Hi. How are you?"

I was shocked. I grew up in Scarborough and I now spend most of my time in downtown Toronto. Such friendliness is strange to me. So strange in fact that all I could muster was a weak, almost inaudible "Hi" and a slight smile. I hope I didn't offend her.

Her nice gesture was all I thought about on the rest of the walk. And it really cheered me up.

They're building an elementary school near my house. It's not done yet but it looks like it will be done by September for the new school year. Walking by it I thought about all the children that will go to that school and all the memories they will have there. It's sweet.

This really is a great place to raise children and have a family.

This will never feel like Scarborough to me. This will never truly be my home. But this walk today made me like Markham a whole lot more.

Some pics from Edgefest 2006

Saturday July 1st, 2006 - Molson Amphitheatre, Ontario Place - Toronto, Ontario, Canada



Mobile



Neverending White Lights (featuring Raine Maida)


Hot Hot Heat


(Blurry) Keane



Our Lady Peace


Steve Mazur of Our Lady Peace


Our Lady Peace


Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace


Our Lady Peace

How 'liberalism' became a bad word

There are numerous good points in that story, but this one hits home the most, and can be related to Canada:

energy alone won’t win the day. “Being against Bush isn’t a policy. His name
isn’t on the ballot now. The question becomes: `What is the story we have to
tell to the post 9/11 world?’ And how are we as liberals going to make the world
better?”

While Stephen Harper will run again in the next election, the point made here still stands.
It does make sense, to a certain extent, to criticize Stephen Harper, but one thing I disagree with is how many Liberal leadership candidates seem to be running their entire campaigns by being "not Stephen Harper."
That was the Liberals' issue in the last election: They didn't stand for anything except for being against Harper.
People are rarely passionate about not standing for something, they want to support something.
If the Liberal party of Canada hopes to envigorate people, they have to do so by standing FOR something, not just against something.

Six hours, Ten Chase Points, One Free Beer!

The Bell City Chase

On Saturday my fiancée and I participated in the Bell City Chase. This was our second year participating, and it was a great experience.

GOD do my legs ever hurt today!

Essentially the Bell City Chase is a quasi-Amazing Race ripoff. It's a scavenger hunt/race/obstacle course/team building exercise.

And this year was MUCH harder than last year.

The event started at Dunday Square at 9:30am for a kick-off and the actual race began at 10am.

Our first clue, given at 9:59am, was this: "Your clue sheets are located at two different fire stations in Toronto. One is in the entertainment district, and one is in Regent Park." And, like that, we were off!

We chose to head to the Regent Park site, since we felt it was closer. When we got there (after a crowded street car ride and some pushing and shoving on the car) we were handed our clue sheet. Fifteen possible Chase Points - 10 needed to be completed to finish the event, and a few were mandatory.

The first mandatory one was a "Scivanger Hunt" ("Scavenger" and "Triva", get it?) Again, 15 questions, 10 needed completion. The questions ranged from "How many days since the Toronto Maple Leafs last one the Stanley Cup" to "What is the phone number on the Bell phone booth at Dundas and Bathurst" to "Find an inflatable object." The sheets needed to be brought, completed, to the VIA stage in Toronto's "Gay-bourhhood" (which ended up being at Church and Wellesley.

We read the clues and planned our root for a few minutes, the only stipulation was that you needed to complete two out of three other mandatory tasks. The Chase Points could be done in any order.

We chose to do one of those tasks first, since it was at Riverdale Farm (both near where we were and far from pretty much everything else.)

Once we arrived there, we were to carry a large bale of hay down a hill (heavier than it seems!) build a scarecrow at the bottom of the hill, and then carry the bale back up.

After completing that, it was back to Dundas Square. We entered the Olympic Spirt Cafe and were again given a choice: Mental or Physical. Mental involved answering a series of questions using artifacts inside the cafe. Physical involved completing two Olympic sports simulations. We chose physical. It turned out to be a good choice. We quickly completed a 100-metre dash and scored a curling rock each into the house to complete the task.

Next, off to King and Bay to the photo hunt task. Using a Bell cell phone (did I mention the blantant product placement on this race yet? Because there was tonnes of it) we needed to take pictures of four out of seven things. We snapped photos of a man with a mustache, a mannequin wearing jeans, a kid (in McDonalds) eating ice cream, and somehow managed to convince a girl to let us draw a City Chase logo on her cheek! Once that was done, we raced back, received a stamp for that Chase Point, and we were off! All and all, everything was going quite well!

Thought the task we had dreaded came next. We had completed this task last year and had vowed not to do it again. But since it was a place we knew and it was along the way, we went for it once again.
The task? Climb 27 stories to the top of the larger tower at the Toronto City Hall. Again, it's a lot more difficult than it sounds. After some serious hard work, some fear of heights, and some minor stress, we made it to the top! What a view! After looking out at the city for a few seconds (I raced by the view last year and was determined to enjoy it this year) we moved on, with aching muscles.

It was then off to the National Film Board on Richmond. There we needed to piece together a piece of paper that would form a question. We then needed to watch a film for the answer to that question. It didn't take long - another good choice of tasks. Five down, five to go!

Then it was off to Kensington Market. There we had to find five sites out of seven and record information about them. Thanks to some help from some friendly fellow teams, we completed this one quickly.

Then we took the streetcar back to College, and took another streetcar across to Ossington. There we had to compete against another team of two in a short game of ultimate frisbee. We did not do so well in this task. Let's just say that we were beaten by two all women teams, and I hurt my leg pretty badly. Thankfully, you either had to win a game or lose two games before continuing, and thus we eventually moved on.

Next, it was off to Harbord and Ossington for the next task. We had to tie sponges to our arms and, without using our hands, we needed to soak up water from a small pool and drain it into a bucket. We struggled for a bit (my inability to tie knots slowed us down) but we completed the task!

Eight down! Only one more task, and then we had to hand in our "Scivanger Hunt" sheet. We had almost all of the items at this point (again, thanks to some very friendly teams that we traded answers with.)

For this task we went to the Royal Ontario Museum. Anna had to dress me in a toga using a bed sheet and some instructions. Not a bad task. We completed it and moved onto the homestretch!

Two items short of our required ten, we raced to the VIA stage anyway, hoping we would find some help along the way (we needed either a live animal, a man in tighty whities, a man in cut off shorts, a shaved eyebrow, or a City Chase magazine ad to complete the task.) Thankfully, being Church street on Pride Weekend gave us the man in the underwear. And another friendly team gave us a bug of some sort in a bottle. Thankfully no eyebrow shaving was necessary!

With ten Chase Points under our belt (actually punched on the card around my neck) it was back to Dundas Square! We ran into Wellesley Station and barely caught the subway (yes, holding the doors open is technically illegal - but this was a race!) Several other teams were on the same subway car. We knew we'd need to beat all of them out of the subway or risk finishing behind all of them.

The train came to a stop and everyone ran. Now, this is where attending Ryerson for four years finally paid off. Some teams ran towards the Atrium on Bay to exit the station. Some, along with us, ran up the steps leading to Ryerson. There were a few teams ahead of us. We emerged from the subway and ran across the street (yes, jaywalking is technically illegal - but this was a race!) Looking behind me I saw Anna on my side of the street, and a few teams on the opposite corner, heading towards Dundas Square. I ran across the street again (yes, jaywalking is technically, yadda, yadda, yadda) and sprinted into the Square. Almost getting hit in the face by a stream from the fountain, I hit the finish line. I turned around, expecting to see several teams barrelling down on me.... instead there was only Anna! She ran up to me, I hugged her, and we finished the race!

Five hours and 25 minutes! Nine minutes less than last year, and the race was much harder this year. Still, we had wanted to improve greatly on our 348th place from 2005. But when they told us our place we were shocked: 103rd! Out of over 550 teams! We were really pleased!

From there it was off to the afterparty at Philthy McNasty's (one free beer coupon each - a far cry from the six we managed to scam last year!)

All in all, it was a great time, and this is a really long blog entry.

We are seriously contemplating entering again in August, but we'll be there for sure next year!!!

I want a Nintendo DS Lite

I want one of THESE.

Why? I'm not sure. See, I have this issue: I think that I like video games, but I'm not sure if I actually do.
Sounds ridiculous? It is.

See, I currently own a NIntendo GameCube and have put a decent amount of money into buying games (though mostly used off of eBay so I haven't spent THAT much money.) I play it once-in-a-while, but I'm not "hardcore" at all.
And yet I still consider myself a video game fan.
I'm eagerly awaiting the launch of the Nintendo Wii, moreso than I'm awaiting many other things to be honest!
And now that the DS Lite has come out, I want one. I think I've just fallen for the hype. Why do I need a portable game system? I spent 99% of my life either a) at home b) at work c) driving or d) at my fiancee's place. There is very little need for a portable game system at any of those places.
I don't take public transit anymore and it's not like I'd be playing video games outside or anything.
But I still want one..

It's probably just the hype.


But I also want to play Tetris DS, Mario Kart DS, and New Super Mario Bros. so perhaps I will end up buying one someday.
But I've spent too much money this month thus far.

In other news, it looks like the Oilers are going to end up losing game four to Carolina.

God I'm a lazy ass...

For a while there I was actually posting regularly!

Honestly, there were many times when I thought "That would be an interesting topic to blog about" but then laziness took over and I did nothing instead.

In fact, a great deal of my life can be summed up with the end of that phrase, "but then laziness took over and I did nothing instead."

Morrissey says the seal hunt is like the Holocaust

Statement from Morrissey

27 March 2006

Statement from Morrissey:

"We will not include any Canadian dates on our world tour to promote our new album. This is in protest against the barbaric slaughter of over 325,000 baby seals which is now underway.
I fully realise that the absence of any Morrissey concerts in Canada is unlikely to bring the Canadian economy to its knees, but it is our small protest against this horrific slaughter - which is the largest slaughter of marine animal species found anywhere on the planet.
The Canadian Prime Minister says the so-called "cull" is economically and environmentally justified, but this is untrue.
The seal population has looked after itself for thousand of years without human intervention, and, as the world knows, this slaughter is about one thing only: making money. The Canadian government will stream all of the pelts into the fashion industry and this is the reason why the baby seals are killed with spiked clubs that crush their skulls - any damage to their pelts is avoided. The Canadian Prime Minister also states that the slaughter is necessary because it provides jobs for local communities, but this is an ignorant reason for allowing such barbaric and cruel slaughter of beings that are denied life simply because somebody somewhere might want to wear their skin.
Construction of German gas chambers also provided work for someone - this is not a moral or sound reason for allowing suffering.
If you can, please boycott Canadian goods. It WILL make a difference. As things stand, Canada has placed itself alongside China as the cruelest and most self-serving nation."

---

Excuse me Morrissey, but fuck you.

I'm sorry, I usually try to be more witty than that, but saying that profitting from the seal hunt is no different than "Construction of German gas chambers" is pure idocity and an attempt to create a sensationalist headline.

Yes, maybe I am biased since the seal hunt at the centre of all of this controversy takes place in Canada, but the outrage against it is simply insane.

I, for one, do not agree with hunting. Hell, I don't even like how they kill cattle for beef (though I still eat it... which, yes, does make me a hypocrite.) I would never hunt an animal and, quite frankly, the idea of hunting makes me quite sick.

But hunting is hunting.

Hunting deer, or moose, or quail, or seal... hunting is hunting.

And thousands of people around the world do it every year.

And it's not like it's complete lawlessness in the Canadian north. There isn't a constant orgy of baby seal killing running rampant through our country. I don't club some cute little white seals on the way to work in the morning.

Just like all hunting and fishing, the seal hunt is regulated. Is it right? I'm not sure. Do I agree with it? I'm not sure about that either. I just know that I'm sick of all of the commotion and celebrity attention it's drawing.

I don't see past their prime-entertainers and fringe pop culture personalities coming out and boycotting American goods because they hunt deer there, or British goods because they hunt pheasant.

And, FOR THE LAST TIME, the killing of white coat baby seals is illegal. Do some people still do it? Probably. But lots of people commit lots of crimes around the world, and I'm not boycotting the goods made by their countries.

And comparing Canada to China?
Yes... the seal hunt and Tiananmen Square are very similar.
I knew someone who visited China and saw nurses carrying garbage bags filled with dead female babies by the truckload out of a hospital.... yes, that IS equal to the seal hunt.

And, for your reference, this isn't the first time Morrissey has cancelled/delayed a Canadian tour, just the first time he's given a ridiculous excuse like this. He also rescheduled his 2002 Canadian tour twice before cancelling it (Source) and he only played one date in Canada in 2004 (Source) so snubbing Canada on tours is more like par for the course for Morrissey and not a political statement.

By the way, "a veterinarian study published in 2002 found that several hundred animals examined after they had been clubbed were, for the most part, efficiently and humanely killed."(Source)

Maybe the seal hunt is wrong and it needs to be stopped. Part of me agrees that it should be stopped. But comparing the seal hunt to gas chambers and human rights violations (when it would be much easier to compare the seal hunt to... I don't know... maybe HUNTING!?) has the same effect as blowing up an abortion clinic or suicide bombing an Israeli settlement to prove a point.


That's right, two can play your ridiculous "what you're doing is the same as anti-Semitism" game Morrissey.)

Sidney Crosby Video

There's no hiding that I'm a huge Pittsburgh Penguins fan, I love the team,

I've edited a video as a tribute to rookie sensation Sidney Crosby.

Enjoy!



^ Click to view.

How to Spot A Conservative Baby

"Remember the whiny, insecure kid in nursery school, the one who always thought everyone was out to get him, and was always running to the teacher with complaints? Chances are he grew up to be a conservative."

Who would have expected a left-leaning article from the beacon of truth in this city: The Toronto Star

I mean... that would be like reading an article about how Stephen Harper is God from The Toronto Sun or National Post.

(=

Regardless, it leads to a somewhat interesting, if not controversial, point.

However, I was far from confident as a child, so how does that explain my liberal-leanings?

Either way, it's still interesting.

Microsoft made me use Firefox

I've always been a fan of Internet Explorer.
Regardless of how evil I believe Microsoft to be, regardless of how many other browers I've tried, I've always gone back to Internet Explorer.
I tried Netscape years ago... didn't like it. Same for Opera. And Firefox.
I loved my IE.
So, imagine my delight a month or so ago when I heard that IE 7 was being launched! Finally, an updated version! It sounded really good as well! More security!!! I'd show all of those Firefox fans! I new IE was going to be great.

So I downloaded it.

In short, I hated it. They moved everything around. It looked different.
It had tabbed browsing (for the life of me, I can't understand the popularity!)
I wanted the old IE back! I wanted IE6!

And there was the dilemma.

As far as I know, you cannot downgrade back to IE6.

I tried. Believe me, I tried! I spent hours - no, DAYS - trying to get my old IE back.

And I managed to get it back. But it doesn't work right. It freezes a lot and crashes. As far as I know, safely downgrading to IE is impossible without using the Windows installation disk (which I lost.)

And so, because I didn't like the newest version of a Microsoft product that I had always enjoyed, I'm now using Firefox.


Dammit.

I'm watching the Much VJ Search

So I'm watching the Much VJ Search, and now that it's ending I just stopped and thought "Why am I watching the Much VJ Search?"
Is it because - for some odd reason - I love watching reality TV?
Is it because I like music and pop culture?
Is it because I studied broadcasting and thus this interests me?
Or is it because, in actuality, I really would like to be a VJ?

I have no idea....
Now THIS is one of those pointless posts that I expected I'd be making in this blog!
All of that socially relevant stuff I was talking about earlier is all CRAP! Okay, not really, I can be socially relevant too.

Okay, it's time for "Flight 93" on A&E!

God... why do I watch this stuff!?

Thank you Mario!

Yes, a post that's not about politics!

Mario Lemieux retired today, for the second and final time.

Throughout most of my life, since I started watching hockey at least, Mario has been one of my heroes. I was lucky enough to meet him in person twice, at charity golf tournaments. This year, after watching him at Maple Leaf Gardens a few times many years ago, I finally saw him play in Pittsburgh, at the Mellon Arena. I had no idea then that this would be his last season.

But Mario made the right choice in retiring. Once you start to develop heart problems like he did, playing hockey should be the least of your concerns.

It's simply amazing what Mario has done for hockey in Pittsburgh - God knows I wouldn't be a Penguins fan if it wasn't for him. He's done a lot for the city of Pittsburgh as well, participating in several local charities and starting up his own - the Mario Lemieux Foundation - to help, mostly, children in the city.

And that's why it really bothers me reading the stuff I do online. It seems like the governor of Pennsylvania could not care less if the Penguins remain in Pittsburgh or not. The team draws in tourism for sure, the Penguins' official message board is filled with stories of people like myself who travelled to Pittsburgh and spent money there solely because of the Penguins. And yet, no one in the government seems to care about the team. Living in Toronto, where the Leafs are essentially a religion, that really confuses me. (Okay, there's a BIT of politics in this post!)

Hopefully Mario can do one last great thing for Pittsburgh and gain some leverage that will help them get a new arena. Maybe he can sell the team to someone who is dedicated to keeping the team in Pittsburgh.

But even if he can't do that, the city of Pittsburgh, and hockey fans all around the world, should thank Mario Lemieux for everything he had done for the game, the city of Pittsburgh, and Canada (Canada Cup, World Cup, and Olympic Championships afterall!)

It's ironic that someone who didn't even want to put on the Penguins' jersey when he was drafted would be responsible for such a large part of the Penguins past, present, and - hopefully - future.

But a lot of that future is left up to the various levels of government that could award the slots license to the Penguins and help them get an arena.


And Sidney Crosby. A lot of the future is up to him as well. (=

"Don't Blame Me, I voted for Kodos!"

So this is the way the world ends.....

Not so bad actually. 21 seat majority, with the Liberals still over 100 seats. If it had to end, this is the best possible way for it to end. The Bloc lost seats, the NDP gained them, and I love Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal! (=

I'm proud of the Liberal party. They didn't die, and they outperformed many expectations, including my own. BRAVO!

But with the defeat, Paul Martin is stepping down.

I've never been a fan of Martin as leader, seeing as how I was a huge Chretien supporter, but it leaves me a little sad that he'll be gone.

He seemed to have a true passion for Canada, even if he didn't know how to lead a party. (=

His consession speech last night was the best speech I've ever seen him give. Maybe it's because he was relaxed, or because he could speak without worrying about the polls, I don't know. But it was a great speech.

On the other hand, Harper's speech still sort of scared me. He seemed to pay a lot of attention to Alberta, the west, and Quebec, paying only lip service to Ontario. Perhaps it's because we didn't elect enough of his party.... I don't know. Maybe I'm just dreaming up scariness out of no where.

The whole thanking the troops in Afghanistan thing, while possibly noble, does scare me a bit, since Harper seems to want a more active military, which I don't think we need. I have nothing but respect for the troops, but mentioning them in his speech was a little weird. Unless he's trying to show his support for them after the whole "Soldiers. With guns. On our streets" fiasco.

And "God Bless Canada?"

I don't like that at all.



Regardless, hopefully the Liberals find themselves a dynamic new leader, preferably one who is not Ignatieff (I don't think he's the new leader this party needs right now... maybe some other time) and in the next election, whenever that may be, they regain the throne.

Until then, I'll be bracing for the drastic changes that I hope are kept in check by the slim minority.