Canada is purchasing new fighter jets. Finally. The talking heads and opposition are blathering on about how this will cost every Canadian $1,200. So what?! We have to have fighter jets to be a country. We have to be able to protect our sovereignty and that means fighter jets. We also have to have a naval fleet..........coming.
What would be a good price? $1,100 per citizen? $1,000? I mean, how can you quantify it? There was the ridiculous Thomas Mulcair going on about the expense on Don Martin's 'Power Play'.
Hey buddy, wise up.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Not sexy anymore
Whatever happened to waterskiing? Just watching a replay of the Canadian championships and sex appeal has completely disappeared. With helmuts and wetsuits, forget the sex appeal.
Used to be that great waterskiiers were about the sexiest people around. I mean, you had to have a great body and a very cool bathing suit to get it done. Like my old friend John Booth. JR used to slide casually off the dock on one ski, never getting wet, then skiied around with his shoulder almost touching the water, arriving back and landing on the dock as if arriving for cocktails. Never got wet. Oh yeah, he also used to ski barefoot. Yep, the guy was as cool as cool was. Ever.
He was also generous. He taught me to waterski...........hours and hours of me trying to get up........hours and hours of John turning the boat around and getting me up again..........hours and hours of John teaching me how to ski on one ski.............the guy was incredible.
Waterskiing used to be about cool guys and gals with great bodies, flexing and showing off. I loved it. These guys in the wetsuits and helmuts just don't have it.
Used to be that great waterskiiers were about the sexiest people around. I mean, you had to have a great body and a very cool bathing suit to get it done. Like my old friend John Booth. JR used to slide casually off the dock on one ski, never getting wet, then skiied around with his shoulder almost touching the water, arriving back and landing on the dock as if arriving for cocktails. Never got wet. Oh yeah, he also used to ski barefoot. Yep, the guy was as cool as cool was. Ever.
He was also generous. He taught me to waterski...........hours and hours of me trying to get up........hours and hours of John turning the boat around and getting me up again..........hours and hours of John teaching me how to ski on one ski.............the guy was incredible.
Waterskiing used to be about cool guys and gals with great bodies, flexing and showing off. I loved it. These guys in the wetsuits and helmuts just don't have it.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
200 years later...........
Nothing's changed. The indians are still trying to storm the fort. Yesterday it was Fort Parliament Hill, when, in a demonstration of perfect and uncivilized non-democracy, a number of chiefs whooped it up and attempted to break down the doors of the House of Commons to express their displeasure at the passing of an omnibus bill which included (gasp!) a number of changes to The Indian Act.
There's no way to put this nicely: protestations to the contrary, the National Assembly of First Nations wants nothing to do with changing one letter of one word of the arcane Indian Act. And we all know why. Because it would mean the no-serious-strings-attached money wouldn't flow quite as freely into oblivion and waste as it does now.
The outraged chiefs argued all over the airwaves that there had not been enough "consultation" or "transparency" in the changes. Since when have the natives been voluntarily transparent about their finances? Since when have they consulted in good faith? Their big beef to this latest move is the strengthened financial transparency and accountability it demands. Oh dear, oh dear.
Never play chess with the patient and cunning Mr. Harper. As he was ushering native leaders into the House of Commons a couple of years ago -- complete with sweet grass and ceremonial dress, dancing and drumming -- to apologize for the residential schools' debacle, he was planning drastic changes to the deeply-flawed and out-of-date act. After waiting in the weeds and vainly trying to consult, Mr. Harper has sprung.
Not a minute too soon, in my opinion. Long overdue. Chiefs, get used to it.
There's no way to put this nicely: protestations to the contrary, the National Assembly of First Nations wants nothing to do with changing one letter of one word of the arcane Indian Act. And we all know why. Because it would mean the no-serious-strings-attached money wouldn't flow quite as freely into oblivion and waste as it does now.
The outraged chiefs argued all over the airwaves that there had not been enough "consultation" or "transparency" in the changes. Since when have the natives been voluntarily transparent about their finances? Since when have they consulted in good faith? Their big beef to this latest move is the strengthened financial transparency and accountability it demands. Oh dear, oh dear.
Never play chess with the patient and cunning Mr. Harper. As he was ushering native leaders into the House of Commons a couple of years ago -- complete with sweet grass and ceremonial dress, dancing and drumming -- to apologize for the residential schools' debacle, he was planning drastic changes to the deeply-flawed and out-of-date act. After waiting in the weeds and vainly trying to consult, Mr. Harper has sprung.
Not a minute too soon, in my opinion. Long overdue. Chiefs, get used to it.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Go fly a kite
So, the Quebec legislature has narrowly defeated a motion to ban the flying of the Canadian flag anywhere on the premises. The PQ accuses the opposition of being "anti-Quebec" and"pro-Canada". Geeze, last time I checked Quebec was still part of Canada and stealing bags of "equalization" money from the rest of us.
It's appalling. They have spent weeks on this debate, instead of trying to fix the broken province they are supposed to be governing. And it's not as if our flag were waving in the legislature itself. No, it's hidden away in the now defunct Red Chamber, which used to house the upper chamber.
The PQ are operating in a '60s time-warp twilight-zone. Separatism is deader than a doornail. Face it Pauline, you and your zombie friends need to get over yourselves. Crawl back into your graves and let Quebec at least get into the '70s.
It's appalling. They have spent weeks on this debate, instead of trying to fix the broken province they are supposed to be governing. And it's not as if our flag were waving in the legislature itself. No, it's hidden away in the now defunct Red Chamber, which used to house the upper chamber.
The PQ are operating in a '60s time-warp twilight-zone. Separatism is deader than a doornail. Face it Pauline, you and your zombie friends need to get over yourselves. Crawl back into your graves and let Quebec at least get into the '70s.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Pool friends
I have made a few "friends" at the pool. Not the kind one would call up and chat with in one's "real" life, but friends nonetheless within that sacred enclosure that is the women's locker room. Afterall, waltzing around start naked tends to engender a certain intimacy.
As Christmas approaches, nice things happen there. Walking in this morning, I was stopped by "K" who said, "Nancy, I made Christmas cookies with my Icelandic friend on the weekend and these are for you." With that she proceeded to hand over a beautiful collection of the most wonderful-looking creations. I was bowled over. Not that I will actually eat them -- I now evaluate everything I insert into my mouth against the rigid criteria of how-many-laps-is-that. But I popped them into the freezer 'cause someone will enjoy them very soon.
Then I bumped into "S" in the water -- the lovliest drug addict you will ever meet. She lives with a badly injured leg caused by years of lifting heavy patients as she toiled as a nurse. She now copes via vicodin, or some such other narcotic...."Otherwise I would have commited suicide long ago," says this vivacious grandmother. She was telling me I should definitely invest in a pair of jeans, now that I have lost 20 pounds. "You'd look great in jeans now," she said. "What are you, about 51 or so? Get some jeans." 51-or-so !%$%#^((*&^%^%*()^%^!!!! That made my week -- or maybe my year!
Changing, I chatted with "W". "We're having a party after Christmas, can I get your e-mail because we'd love to have you come."
So, that's life here in Calgary. Very rewarding!
As Christmas approaches, nice things happen there. Walking in this morning, I was stopped by "K" who said, "Nancy, I made Christmas cookies with my Icelandic friend on the weekend and these are for you." With that she proceeded to hand over a beautiful collection of the most wonderful-looking creations. I was bowled over. Not that I will actually eat them -- I now evaluate everything I insert into my mouth against the rigid criteria of how-many-laps-is-that. But I popped them into the freezer 'cause someone will enjoy them very soon.
Then I bumped into "S" in the water -- the lovliest drug addict you will ever meet. She lives with a badly injured leg caused by years of lifting heavy patients as she toiled as a nurse. She now copes via vicodin, or some such other narcotic...."Otherwise I would have commited suicide long ago," says this vivacious grandmother. She was telling me I should definitely invest in a pair of jeans, now that I have lost 20 pounds. "You'd look great in jeans now," she said. "What are you, about 51 or so? Get some jeans." 51-or-so !%$%#^((*&^%^%*()^%^!!!! That made my week -- or maybe my year!
Changing, I chatted with "W". "We're having a party after Christmas, can I get your e-mail because we'd love to have you come."
So, that's life here in Calgary. Very rewarding!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
What a great day
On this first Sunday in Advent, I say a prayer of thanks. Life is wonderful here in Calgary and I am enjoying being a hands-on grandma for Reed. He will turn one on December 18th and is adorable.
After Mass we went to an invitation party at a local men's wear shop here in Crowfoot. The food was fabulous....and so was the wine. I bought B's Christmas present -- a gorgeous new tweed jacket (or "coat" as they call it). We were helped by a charming young man who wore a beautiful suit, white shirt and snappy bow tie -- rare here, with everyone in jeans, jeans and more jeans, regardless of the occasion. I think if the Queen of England dropped in, jeans would still be the order of the day. As I have said, I am always overdressed in Calgary.
Came home and enjoyed the pair of quail-like prairie ground birds that visit my feeder every day. Today they stayed, burroughed into the snow and slept. Also had a few hares hopping around the feeder. We live next to an open, wild area, hence the coyotes and other wildlife with whom we share quarters.
It's very cold and snowing here, but who cares?! Put up the outside lights, decorated the mantle, put up the little two-foot tree that was my mother's in our bedroom, bought the pointsettias and set up the creche. The table and big tree will be next.
But the perfect gift was a great chat with my Toronto son. That topped it all off.
After Mass we went to an invitation party at a local men's wear shop here in Crowfoot. The food was fabulous....and so was the wine. I bought B's Christmas present -- a gorgeous new tweed jacket (or "coat" as they call it). We were helped by a charming young man who wore a beautiful suit, white shirt and snappy bow tie -- rare here, with everyone in jeans, jeans and more jeans, regardless of the occasion. I think if the Queen of England dropped in, jeans would still be the order of the day. As I have said, I am always overdressed in Calgary.
Came home and enjoyed the pair of quail-like prairie ground birds that visit my feeder every day. Today they stayed, burroughed into the snow and slept. Also had a few hares hopping around the feeder. We live next to an open, wild area, hence the coyotes and other wildlife with whom we share quarters.
It's very cold and snowing here, but who cares?! Put up the outside lights, decorated the mantle, put up the little two-foot tree that was my mother's in our bedroom, bought the pointsettias and set up the creche. The table and big tree will be next.
But the perfect gift was a great chat with my Toronto son. That topped it all off.
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