Sunday 31 October 2010

Muse Winery on the Saanich Peninsula near Victoria, BC



The Muse Winery (formerly Chalet Estate Winery) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. They produce some wines I really like and are only about 20 minutes from home. Check out their website at http://www.musewinery.ca.

Gordon Pinsent reads Justin Bieber



From a Canadian icon about a Canadian iconlet, viewed 530,000 times! :-)

Thursday 14 October 2010

And now for something completely different from my usual postings

After Canada's embarrassment in full view of the whole world a few days ago, it's time for progressive Canadians to wake up and shout ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! It's time for intelligent Canadians to get together and make a decision to rid the country of the neo-conservative politics of division and return our country to its democratic roots.

Canada needs a leader who knows and understands and cares about the whole world, someone who respects diverse opinions and can empathize with other human beings. In other words, we need someone who is a fully rounded, intelligent human being with an enquiring mind open to all and a vision for Canada and its place in the world!.



Since first being elected to Parliament in 2006 as the MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore in Ontario, Michael Ignatieff has travelled to every corner of the country, listening and talking to Canadians about their hopes and dreams.

Before entering politics in 2005, he served as Director of the Carr Centre for Human Rights at Harvard University and taught at leading universities around the globe. He has been a proud contributor to international public policy for nearly four decades, as an author, broadcaster, and advisor.

Michael Ignatieff’s commitment to Liberal values has defined him throughout his career, from his undergraduate years at the University of Toronto to his graduate work at Oxford and Harvard to his first teaching job at the University of British Columbia and the long career that followed. Michael has been a leading advocate for human rights, democracy, and international law, and has been recognized around the world for his leadership and scholarship.

He’s contributed to the World Economic Forum and served on international commissions that have contemplated the future of NATO, humanitarian law, citizenship and minority rights.

Michael is married to Zsuzsanna Zsohar and has two children, Theo and Sophie.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

UN Security Council: Canada Embarrasses Itself

There he sat today at the United Nations General Assembly, Lawrence Cannon, our Foreign Minister, watching Canada's humiliation as we came in 3rd in the voting for a two-year Security Council Seat. That's the first time that's happened since the UN was founded.

And what's the Neo-Cons reaction to this defeat? THEY BLAME MICHAEL IGNATIEFF! If Michael Ignatieff is so powerful that he could effect this, there's only one thing to do: MAKE THE MAN PRIME MINISTER! Of the many idiotic pronouncements made by Harper and his neo-con minions, this has to be right up there near the top.

I'm not going to go into all the reasons why Canada fell short in obtaining the votes needed to be elected, they've already been covered elsewhere. But surely, this defeat is proof of Canada's diminishing reputation and role in international affairs. When you have a prime minister who sees everything in terms of national political aims, you shouldn't be surprised that you're ignored internationally.

How Canada has been diminished since the day of Lester B. Pearson! Pearson was our pre-eminent diplomat and the man who gave us, despite running a minority government, the basis of what Canada stands for and hopefully will continue to stand for, despite the Harper interval which is an embarrassment to us all. Canada can do so much better than what Harper is doing to us and to our image in the world. Oh Canada!