Celebrating Our Differences

I think now more than ever, it's clear that Canada and the US are very different places, depite many geographical and historical similarities. So, to mark a day of protests raging across the capital to greet Bush, police lines, and more helicopters buzzing overhead than I've ever seen in a single day, I'll pass along an article that really brings home the reasons why our two nations are so different and the mechanics of attitude and belief that form the foundation of who we are as societies. Personally, I'm gonna buy the book the first chance I get.

One Week Down, Ready for Vacation Time

I'm about to start week two now of my new job. And since last week, I have learned two very important lessons:

1) When you work for the federal government, it's rare that things get done as fast as you'd like, and,

2) A week can go by unimaginably slowly when don't have access to a computer and have no other means to get your work done.

So I guess I shouldn't make any further comments until I, y'know, actually sign my letter of offer and get my computer access and so on. But the people are still great and I know they're doing their best to tie up all of the loose ends. There just seem to be SO many loose ends.

World on Fire

Just for the record, I'm not a Sarah McLachlin fan at all, never have been. But when I saw this video, I knew that it was something very special and lots of people should see it. And not only for the message, but also for the cool, original idea in a stale music video market.

It's My First Day....Quack, Quack, Quack

Boy, is it ever hard to get back into the swing of things after a two-month "vacation"...but things are going well since I started at my new job! The people there are just as awesome as I remember them, and for the first time ever, I have my very own desk. All mine. Won't have to leave it in two weeks because someone else took a liking to it. It may not have a window, but it's still all mine. And oooo! I get office supplies.

Now if I can only train myself to stop thinking like a consultant (i.e. "I always have to do what the client tells me"), I could really start enjoying myself. I actually have some power to change stuff for the better....or screw with people's heads, one or the other.

More to come soon.

American Voters Said They Wanted Leadership....

....And like a herd of bison, the larger half won't even know any better until he's lead them all over the cliff.

(I tried three times yesterday to log into blogger and the page wouldn't even load. But I had a lot of fun watching that little loading bar inch across the bottom of my screen, followed by an error message. You know too many people have the will and the opportunity to put in their two cents about an issue when....)

My favourite responses I've seen so far....this person and these people. In my opinion, anyway. I wish things had gone more their way, in the end....after all, who wants easy comedy when the alternative is an intelligent, balanced, and rational head of state?

LOVE the two-party system. 51% to 49% and they're heralding this as one of the most solid trouncings in modern American history. I sure can tell you one thing: I'm more happy than ever that I'm a Canadian and I'm still happy and free and my government treats us with respect.

Especially more so....now that I've found out I'm going to be working for them. I got the news this afternoon. They finally got that last hold-out signature we were waiting for and I'm going in to sign papers early next week. As you might expect, I'm overjoyed.

Now I all I have to do is re-train myself to fall asleep before 4 am.

Update: Dammit, should have guessed that cliff analogy would already be popular, even north of the border. I ain't changin' it now though.

Jay and Silent Bob in tha Hizzzzouse!

Yes, we do birthday parties.


This year's costume was an absolute smash hit everywhere we went. There were even people we met on the street who had their picture taken with us. But the ultimate frustration? I've never met (or been hugged by) so many cute girls in sexy costumes in one night....and I wasn't allowed to say anything to them! Gah! Sure, it's easy for Silent Bob to communicate in the movies, Kevin Smith writes all the dialogue and responses to his hand gestures himself. Not that Silent Bob ever had much luck with the ladies in the movies either, of course....

I have a few pics of this year's pumpkins as well, which I'll upload as soon as I get them developed.