Secreting Garden & Democracy at work
May. 17th, 2005 03:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jawnbcHere I sit, in me bed
Snout a-snotty
Heavy in head
The mucus gathers, dribbles, flows
Freedom it seeks via my nose
Sniff! Snoof! Snorfle! Snoo!
I tire of all my gooey goo!
In other news, I've got a cold. I'm home sick, with no appetite, little energy, and the aforementioned discharges demanding my attention. Maudit Christ! His Royal Loveliness![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
querrelle came home to have lunch and a wee cuddle, which was...lovely. I've been trying to amuse and distract myself with the 'Net and daytime TV. But Australian daytime TV sucks, and not the way American daytime TV sucks--it's not even bad, it's just banal. Canada, by the way, doesn't really have daytime TV--we use America's. 5 hours of Canadians on chat shows not disclosing their shames and secrets, well who wants to watch something not happen? Cultural colonialism does have its advantages, prurient though they be.
We did our regular grocery shop Saturday arvo and I was tickled to discover Marshmallow Fluff™, whichsarahparah blogged about months ago: her entry left me jonesing for a FlufferNutter (Fluff and peanut butter sammich). Had 1.5 of them today, and even with my tastebuds impaired it was grand. querrelle's review of the Fluff? "Not nearly as awful as I expected." Is that enough of an endorsement people? What else do you need?
For those unawares these are both banal and exciting times in the realm of British Columbia politics. First, the banal: tomorrow is the provincial election for Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), or state representative en parlance américaine. There are 79 sears, which the NDP currently hold 3 (go pinkos!), the Democratic Reform hold 1 (go away, faux theocrats), there are 2 Independents (go cranky ex--faux-Liberals) and the faux-Liberals hold 72 (one is vacant). BC politics are awesome if you appreciate the absurd: the NDP have broken collective agreements with trade unions (pinkos? baaaad pinkos), and the Liberals are about 25% constituted former Social Credit MLAs. Social Credit, for those unawares, supported things like eugenics, Xtian education in public schools, and the lovely Free Market Solves Everyone's Problems Except the Whiners school of political theory. Even the Federal Liberals in Canada keep the BC Libs at arm's lengths for the most part. Most predictions are that the NDippers (cute, eh?) will claw back 20-30 seats. And there is an outside, slim chance that a Green MLA will be elected for the first time. But probably not, because the Green's economic stuff is more neocon than some of the faux Libs.
My prediction: 28 NDP seats, 1 Independent, 50 Libs.
As for real Liberals--the Federal Liberal Party of Canada, the party which has ruled almost 2/3 of the time since Confederation, the party which has been in power in Ottawa (the city that fun forget, the only bilingual city in the world that manages to be wholly tedious, even though it's the fisting capital du Canada) for over a decade, they're in trouble. Big trouble. There's a big scandal about payoffs and unsavoury deals, all ostensibly to promote Canadian nationalism over Québec nationalism. Paradoxically, the scandal has given Québec nationalism a big leg up for the first time since 11/9/01.
Here's the deal: there are 308 seats in Parliament, with the Liberals holding 131, the neo Cons (don't get me started....ok I'll get started in a minute) with 99, the Bloc Québecois (ostensibly separatist, but often voted for by pinkos since the other Canadian pinko party ain't on the electoral map au Québec) have 54, the NDP (yay!) have 19, there are 3 independents (1 fired from the Libs, one quit) and 1 vacant seat. Plus the Speaker votes in a tie and he's a Lib.
Of course the most interesting math is what's currently going on. The Libs don't have 154 votes for a majority, so they need support for any bills to pass. The neoCons are antagonistic at the best of time, so they're not available; ditto le Bloc. That leaves the NDP to be had, but that still only makes 150 votes: the Cons and Bloc add up to 153. But the Bloc are socialist and the Cons are the rarest of rare things au Canada: a socially conservative party--they'd never pair up would they? Guess again. That makes it 153 versus 150, against the government. This week the annual Budget is up for a vote, if it fails the government "loses confidence" and it's time for tubby bye-bye. Which, when a government is scandal-plagued is a good thing, eh?
Not according to most Canadians--even those who hate the Liberals. Unless the budget passes, there's effectively no $$ to spend for government business this year. And it means another national election, which will cost nearly 100 million (it's only been a year since the last election). Public polls are running 60% against an election until a public enquiry about the sponsorship scandal runs its course--which will be in December. The Liberal Prime Minister, Paul "that fucker exploited me as Finance Minister then left me holding his scandalous bag when I finally got to be PM after 12 years" Martin, promise to call an election within 30 days of the report. And most Canadians think it only fair to wait for the report.
So of course the Bloc are happy to do anything that shows that Canadian federalism is dysfunctional. But the neoCons should know better, but their leader, Stephen "I wish I could get a Green Card" Harper, is so hungry for power he's gonna push to bring the government down. Unless the Libs can get the 3 Independents on side, in which case the Speaker would cast the deciding vote--in the Government's favour, no doubt.
The Indy who got fired by the Libs will support the government--waste of $$ for the election etc. The one who quite has been trying to wring some commitments out of the Libs, but says they might not be enough. The 3rd guys--who, paradoxically, was a Conservative MP but got railroaded by the national office in his local nomination for the last election (but won the seat easily as an Ind) changes his mind every day. I think the government's going down, and we'll have another election in late June. Where we'll elect another fucking minority, maybe even another Liberal minority, government.
The only party that's been following public sentiment has been the NDP--who, as it happens, finished 2nd in 51 seats last year, many of them to Liberals. Ooooooh......
*pinko wipes saliva from chin at prospect of 30-40 seat NDipper caucus in Ottawa.
Snout a-snotty
Heavy in head
The mucus gathers, dribbles, flows
Freedom it seeks via my nose
Sniff! Snoof! Snorfle! Snoo!
I tire of all my gooey goo!
In other news, I've got a cold. I'm home sick, with no appetite, little energy, and the aforementioned discharges demanding my attention. Maudit Christ! His Royal Loveliness
querrelle came home to have lunch and a wee cuddle, which was...lovely. I've been trying to amuse and distract myself with the 'Net and daytime TV. But Australian daytime TV sucks, and not the way American daytime TV sucks--it's not even bad, it's just banal. Canada, by the way, doesn't really have daytime TV--we use America's. 5 hours of Canadians on chat shows not disclosing their shames and secrets, well who wants to watch something not happen? Cultural colonialism does have its advantages, prurient though they be.We did our regular grocery shop Saturday arvo and I was tickled to discover Marshmallow Fluff™, which
sarahparah blogged about months ago: her entry left me jonesing for a FlufferNutter (Fluff and peanut butter sammich). Had 1.5 of them today, and even with my tastebuds impaired it was grand. querrelle's review of the Fluff? "Not nearly as awful as I expected." Is that enough of an endorsement people? What else do you need?For those unawares these are both banal and exciting times in the realm of British Columbia politics. First, the banal: tomorrow is the provincial election for Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), or state representative en parlance américaine. There are 79 sears, which the NDP currently hold 3 (go pinkos!), the Democratic Reform hold 1 (go away, faux theocrats), there are 2 Independents (go cranky ex--faux-Liberals) and the faux-Liberals hold 72 (one is vacant). BC politics are awesome if you appreciate the absurd: the NDP have broken collective agreements with trade unions (pinkos? baaaad pinkos), and the Liberals are about 25% constituted former Social Credit MLAs. Social Credit, for those unawares, supported things like eugenics, Xtian education in public schools, and the lovely Free Market Solves Everyone's Problems Except the Whiners school of political theory. Even the Federal Liberals in Canada keep the BC Libs at arm's lengths for the most part. Most predictions are that the NDippers (cute, eh?) will claw back 20-30 seats. And there is an outside, slim chance that a Green MLA will be elected for the first time. But probably not, because the Green's economic stuff is more neocon than some of the faux Libs.
My prediction: 28 NDP seats, 1 Independent, 50 Libs.
As for real Liberals--the Federal Liberal Party of Canada, the party which has ruled almost 2/3 of the time since Confederation, the party which has been in power in Ottawa (the city that fun forget, the only bilingual city in the world that manages to be wholly tedious, even though it's the fisting capital du Canada) for over a decade, they're in trouble. Big trouble. There's a big scandal about payoffs and unsavoury deals, all ostensibly to promote Canadian nationalism over Québec nationalism. Paradoxically, the scandal has given Québec nationalism a big leg up for the first time since 11/9/01.
Here's the deal: there are 308 seats in Parliament, with the Liberals holding 131, the neo Cons (don't get me started....ok I'll get started in a minute) with 99, the Bloc Québecois (ostensibly separatist, but often voted for by pinkos since the other Canadian pinko party ain't on the electoral map au Québec) have 54, the NDP (yay!) have 19, there are 3 independents (1 fired from the Libs, one quit) and 1 vacant seat. Plus the Speaker votes in a tie and he's a Lib.
Of course the most interesting math is what's currently going on. The Libs don't have 154 votes for a majority, so they need support for any bills to pass. The neoCons are antagonistic at the best of time, so they're not available; ditto le Bloc. That leaves the NDP to be had, but that still only makes 150 votes: the Cons and Bloc add up to 153. But the Bloc are socialist and the Cons are the rarest of rare things au Canada: a socially conservative party--they'd never pair up would they? Guess again. That makes it 153 versus 150, against the government. This week the annual Budget is up for a vote, if it fails the government "loses confidence" and it's time for tubby bye-bye. Which, when a government is scandal-plagued is a good thing, eh?
Not according to most Canadians--even those who hate the Liberals. Unless the budget passes, there's effectively no $$ to spend for government business this year. And it means another national election, which will cost nearly 100 million (it's only been a year since the last election). Public polls are running 60% against an election until a public enquiry about the sponsorship scandal runs its course--which will be in December. The Liberal Prime Minister, Paul "that fucker exploited me as Finance Minister then left me holding his scandalous bag when I finally got to be PM after 12 years" Martin, promise to call an election within 30 days of the report. And most Canadians think it only fair to wait for the report.
So of course the Bloc are happy to do anything that shows that Canadian federalism is dysfunctional. But the neoCons should know better, but their leader, Stephen "I wish I could get a Green Card" Harper, is so hungry for power he's gonna push to bring the government down. Unless the Libs can get the 3 Independents on side, in which case the Speaker would cast the deciding vote--in the Government's favour, no doubt.
The Indy who got fired by the Libs will support the government--waste of $$ for the election etc. The one who quite has been trying to wring some commitments out of the Libs, but says they might not be enough. The 3rd guys--who, paradoxically, was a Conservative MP but got railroaded by the national office in his local nomination for the last election (but won the seat easily as an Ind) changes his mind every day. I think the government's going down, and we'll have another election in late June. Where we'll elect another fucking minority, maybe even another Liberal minority, government.
The only party that's been following public sentiment has been the NDP--who, as it happens, finished 2nd in 51 seats last year, many of them to Liberals. Ooooooh......
*pinko wipes saliva from chin at prospect of 30-40 seat NDipper caucus in Ottawa.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:08 am (UTC)I'll keep a track on what's going on. I think Canada is a too-cool country to be skipped!
Re: Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:13 am (UTC)Re: Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:15 am (UTC)Geez, I haven't checked up if the video recorder works in the Madrid appartment to record the SemiFinals in spanish for you!
Writing down in to do list...
(BTW, do you also write things on your hands to remember them?)
Re: Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:23 am (UTC)Folks I know in Kyiv are so excited because we all hated the Spanish song but love Spain!
Next year, in Catalán!
Re: Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:26 am (UTC)I think Spain is not going to do anything good in the contest... See, we don't even believe in our contestants and we have that cronical victimism of "they hate us". I'm sure they will say that on Saturday... I hope I will record it for you.
And... Spain is never going to send a song not sung in spanish, even less chances to hear another official language like catalan, basque or galician... I'm sure that Canada would send a song in french sometimes if they were in the contest...
(see how I managed to get back to speak about Canada?)
Re: Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:32 am (UTC)Tous les trois étaient québecoises....quel surprise ça
Re: Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:37 am (UTC)Et aussi en français... Est-ce que tu te souviens de Luxembourg 1978? Des filles laides de quelque coin de l'Espagne en train d'essayer de chanter en français (Elles ont chanté aussi en anglais avec le même terrible résultat) - Baccara!
"Parlez-vous français? If you do, we will be ok. If not, it's allright 'cos maybe tonight l'amour will tech you what to say".
Re: Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:48 am (UTC)Horrible...deux femmes qui ne chantent pas bien, avec une chanson quotidienne...la pire du concours! Moi-méme, ma chanson préferée du concours est «Un jour, Un Enfant» par Frida Boccara. Quelle chanteuse!!!!
Re: Aw!
Date: 2005-05-17 07:52 am (UTC)see this
Date: 2005-05-17 07:46 am (UTC)www.maspetardaqueninguna.com
i hope you can understand (through french) some of the texts there... it's the paradise of kitsch. there's even eurovision references *wink*
Re: see this
Date: 2005-05-17 07:49 am (UTC)Re: see this
Date: 2005-05-17 07:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-17 10:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-17 11:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-17 01:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-17 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-18 12:29 am (UTC)