Harper now claims that he has the mandate to govern like normal during this intermediate time, and it's the responsibility of everyone (else) to play along and try to work with each other. I assume this means Harper intends to do exactly what he intended to do before and continue to blame other parties for not rolling over. He further claims that he never depended on the Bloc for support. I am very disappointed.
No, no, no Bob Rae: he will never get support from Ontario. Ignatieff is too much lord on high deigning to return from the US to lead us all into whatever his policies are (just a little torture and only sort of indefinite imprisonment). I was a fan of Gerard Kennedy, but Dominic LeBlanc is interesting, especially what with him not being an MP from Toronto or Quebec. He is another lawyer, though.
It would be interesting to see what if any restrictions were put on the choice of a new leader of the Liberals by the (much more left wing) NDP and BQ.
It's about time, really. Harper governed as if he had a majority for the entire first parliament, playing chicken, and he won. Despite massive vote splitting in left(er) wing parties, he still didn't get a majority, and he still decided to pretend he had. I'm just relieved that the rest of the government finally stood up to him.
Emma @ 118
That's similar to the "the other left!" principle, also sometimes called "your left or my left?". It isn't restricted to people with a bad sense of direction, though.
Serge, because it was following 17 years of instruction in French, as well as living in a place where I used it regularly, and saw that specific word on bathroom doors daily? Also because this friend enjoys making fun of me.
Bridget Kelly @ 28
Also called anomia. As there are more specific terms like averbia and colour anomia for people who can't remember verbs and colour words, respectively, anomia is often used to refer only to people who have trouble with common and proper nouns.
This happens to me a dozen times a day, usually at the least opportune times, either because I'm doing something important or I'm with family or friends who will make fun of me for ages. (I still haven't lived down the time I asked someone how to say "man" in French so I could finish some paper on Sartre.)
And if you live somewhere it might possibly ever snow, buy a brush and keep it in your car (not the trunk). The number of people I've had to lend brushes to -- eventually I decided that if you were in a parking lot, you could suffer brushing snow off with your arms. Even a crappy one is better than nothing. Do not leave it in the trunk -- it's a lot easier to brush snow off one door than the entire trunk.
When you all go visit Portsmouth, try either The Friendly Toast, for diner-ish food (I had a lovely gingerbread waffle with pomegranate sauce) or The Green Monkey, for pricey-ish food.
I can no longer recommend the goat cheese truffles at the Mainely Gourmet, because the last three times I got them, they were mouldy. But when they're not, they're absolutely delicious.
Serge,
But pretzels are terrible, while bagels are delicious. And he is your Dear Leader, my Dear Leader has no bread-related history that I know of.
Larry,
The thing is, I ferried bagels all the time (every time I went home I came back with one to four dozen, depending on who else wanted some), but only once did they set off an alarm. No one bothers taking mediocre bagels, though I find that the best *fresh* bagels are not the same as the best bagels that you freeze and later defrost.
I will mention that I am young, white and female, am anglophone (but can speak to the French customs agents in French, which I do), unfailingly polite at the border, and did a lot of driving with two cats in the car and plastic dollar store flowers in the dashboard. No one suspects someone with a cat on her shoulder.
My favourite experience was flying to the US from Montreal. I put my carryon through the machine, and the guy asked me what I had with me. I said clothing, books -- nothing, really. He then brought me over to look at the suspicious round masses in my suitcase.
Oh! Bagels!
He laughed. I did not have to show him that my bagels were not dangerous weapons.
I believe you are legally obliged to use US citizenship, if you have it, to enter the US, even if you have dual citizenship. I am somewhat less certain that this is the law for Canada.
I am never asked ID driving into Canada, and always into the US. But the border officers at the two Quebec borders (into NY and VT, on 89 and 87) are always very nice, though sometimes the people at Rouse's Point are annoyed when you drive through there instead of Lacolle/Champlain. Except when I have expired work or study visas into the US, because they seem to think I am looking for a new job there. Luckily, I have a new passport now.
It is your right and your choice to make the choice not to believe.
I didn't make a choice not to believe in any relevant use of the word choice. That's an unfair description of atheism (read broadly): we see all this evidence for some sort of god and we choose not to accept it for some obscure reasons.
There is a debate going on to change Canada's motto to "From sea to sea to sea"/"A mari usque ad mare ad mare"/"D'un ocean aux autres". The premiers of the territories are the ones proposing it; a survey says that 44% of Canadians are for it, 17% against it, while 37% don't care.
The correct lyrics (link gives other versions, too) are indeed "We stand on guard for thee", God appears later in "God keep our land / glorious and free". There is no God mentioned in the French version.
| Year | Number of comments posted |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2006 | 5 |
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