Hello to my loyal readers, if there are any out there in the first place. It has been at least a month since my last blog update, so you can expect this blog update to be incredibly long as well.
First off, I'd like to move directly to the rants about things that have occurred within that last month. Of course, that doesn't always necessarily mean that it will be all about rants.
First off, I think that it's great that the Honourable Andrew Scheer is now the Speaker of the House of Commons. He is the youngest Speaker in Canadian history, and is also the first for a Member of Parliament from Saskatchewan. In addition, he looks way too friendly, which makes him a perfect candidate for the position.
Now, speaking of Parliament, I am still happy that the Conservative government is now a strong-stable-national-majority-Harper-Conservative (the Harper part was added by Steven Blaney, and I enjoyed it) government. However, that brings up the concern of Brigette DePape, who insulted Parliament and lowered the reputation of the Senate (she also violated her oath to the Queen while disgracing Parliament, making her an absolute disgrace). Of course, people like her are a fad, and shouldn't be taken seriously. I will say, however, that her actions were completely inappropriate. For those of you who don't know what she did, she was a Senate page that interrupted the Throne Speech earlier this month on June 3, 2011. Later on television, she claimed she performed such disgraceful actions because she believes the Conservative government's actions and policies are a detriment to her (and I guess mine, too) generation, without going into any specifics. I don't agree with that, but you should already know why by now. But speaking of politics, I must bring up a man who is no longer involved in politics: Michael Ignatieff. I am not saying anything bad about him now, as he is no longer in politics. However, the world of politics does go by a lot quicker than we'd like, especially during a minority government. In late 2008, Dr. Ignatieff became the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. In the spring of 2009, he officially became their leader (although the convention from that year just affirmed his leadership) and at one point brought the Liberal Party of Canada above the Conservative government's poll numbers for short period of time. But anyway, my point is that politics does move fast, and during the two-and-a-half years that he was leader, it seems like a really short blur that didn't seem very long. And within a short-but-seemingly-long day, his fate was decided in less than 24 hours. And within 24 hours of such a crushing defeat, the Liberal leader became the former Liberal leader. And of course, this brings up the fact that the Conservative government won a majority government with only 40% of the popular vote. And with this, those on the left will always complain that 60% of Canadians did not vote for the Conservative Party of Canada and they achieved a majority government because Canada has an "archaic" first-past-the-post electoral system. Well, it's the same system that gets the NDP elected in provincial governments and it's the same system that pushed the NDP to the status of Official Opposition. So, the only reason they appear to be complaining is because their favourite party didn't get to form government. Obviously, it must be pretty lonely on the left side of the political spectrum. Canada's system works, and allows Canadians to quickly throw out unpopular governments. Those people on the left should stop complaining.
This brings up Michael Moore, who supposedly offered disgraced Senate page Brigette DePape a job. Although his movies and lame documentaries often highlight the supposed "faults" of capitalism, I still feel as if he is a capitalist himself. As such, I cannot take him seriously. However, when Mr. Moore said that he doesn't think Canada's government should be a copy of the American government, I feel the same way. The current U.S. government likes to spend... a lot of money. Meanwhile, Canada has one of the greatest-performing economies in the world right now. So, why would we want to copy the U.S. government and their policies when it comes to the economy? But speaking of politics, I am glad that Budget 2011 contains provisions to eliminate per-vote subsidies for all political parties, even if it is not going to be phased out immediately. Taxpayers should not be funding parties they don't support. Yeah, his government is a big-spending, big-government-type government, and Canadians did prevent a Canadian government of becoming the current American government.
On Thursday, June 30, 2011, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be visiting Canada on a nine-day tour of our beautiful country. Usually, all royals meet the prime minister at some point during their trip, and I'm glad it's going to be Prime Minister Stephen Harper... and not Jack Layton.
Well, that's enough about politics for now...
As you know, I've been watching a lot of How I Met Your Mother recently. As the show began, the Barney Stinson character, played by Neil Patrick Harris, has always been a womanizing, and entertaining character. But as the show progresses, a more sensitive side of Mr. Stinson becomes visible, especially in season 6, in the episode titled "Legendaddy." In this episode, Mr. Stinson has dinner at his father's house, after reuniting with him for the first time in 30+ years. This episode highlights Mr. Stinson's childhood without a father. In the show, he wishes his dad were a womanizing, trouble-making "bad boy." Instead, he is "some lame suburban dad," according to Barney. When asked why he was so upset about that, Mr. Stinson asks why his father wasn't there for him when he was young. That episode really bugged me, and it bugged me for days... mainly because I can relate to the situation. However, the best part of the episode was when Barney described his dad as "legen-daddy" and said that the man "is a god." Now, the only thing I wonder is... what is a rotating Vietnamese shame wheel? Apparently, I'm not ready to know what it is. In addition, this website says the same thing. What I also like about the show is that websites mentioned are actually on the Internet as well. Other websites include canadiansexacts.org and tedmosbyisajerk.com.
As you know by now, June 15, 2011 was an interesting day, I guess. After the Vancouver Canucks failed to win the Stanley Cup, rioters essentially took over the beautiful city of Vancouver, which has some pretty awesome traffic signals. Cars were overturned and burned, businesses were looted (automatic doors were damaged) and more. Thankfully, I didn't see images of a Toyota being destroyed. I did, however, see a Toyota RAV4 sitting undamaged, as a car almost directly behind it was burning. What I find funny about the situation is that websites and Facebook groups have been set up to ridicule the rioters, showing their faces in pictures and providing links to their Facebook profiles. Some websites include vancouverriots.com and a Facebook page titled "Vancouver Riot Pics: Post Your Photos." That whole situation was... sad. However, what I found funny was that some people were turned into the police by their own friends and family members. Meanwhile, perhaps Vancouver doesn't really deserve a hockey team. Maybe their NHL team should be moved to a city that would truly appreciate it... like Saskatoon, or Hamilton.
Not long ago, the Government of Saskatchewan decided to cancel its proposal to build a football stadium in Regina, and I couldn't be happier. Projects like that should be funded by private companies, and not taxpayers. Of course, that reminds me as that Quebec City will eventually be getting a new arena to replace the aging Colisée Pepsi. However, I don't live in Quebec, so I don't care, expect for the fact that they are still receiving equalization payments from the Government of Canada. So, in a way, all taxpayers in Canada are paying for the stadium, regardless of how you put it. Meanwhile, the city hopes that an NHL team will someday return to the city, and it has been cited as one of the reasons to build a new stadium, even though it's not a guarantee that an NHL team will return to the city. So, why build a new one? I understand that it will be used for more than a hockey arena, but I still believe it should be funded by private companies, and not by taxpayers. In fact, Conservative MP Maxime Bernier provides better arguments for my point of view than me. But on another note, I'm glad an NHL team will be returning to Winnipeg. Now, the only thing I find lame is that the Winnipeg Jets name will be used again. Sure, that may be good for fans and easier to market. I was hoping that the team would be named the "Winnipeg Wheaties," as it sounds funny. But at the end of the day, Winnipeg has an NHL team once again, and I could care less if they are able to reuse the Winnipeg Jets name. Besides, when the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary, it simply became the Calgary Flames. What's sad is that this is the second hockey team Atlanta has lost... so I wonder, who made the decision to have a second hockey team return to Atlanta, only to see it move to Winnipeg?
As you know by now, Canada Post will be resuming operations effective today, which means mail will likely be delivered beginning tomorrow, or Tuesday, I guess. The union, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, began rotating strikes across the country. Eventually, Canada Post locked out its workers at 11:59 pm (it is unknown which time zone) on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. Eventually, employees couldn't get to work, and mail delivery, including parcels and letters, were ultimately suspended. In the end, the Conservative government introduced Bill C-6: An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of postal services, which was debated upon in Parliament for more than 48 hours. In the end, the bill passed after more than two days of filibusters by the NDP. This useless NDP tactic is reminiscent of the days Jack Layton was a city councillor in Toronto. The bill, which would have ended the lockout and forced workers back to work, also imposed lower wage increases than the ones offered by the Crown corporation. It's sad that it had to happen this way, but I blame the union for not being able to get its act together. During this process, my dislike of the NDP has reached new levels... to the extent where I wish they would suffer the same fate as the Liberal Party of Canada just did. Of course, Canada does have a democracy, and you can't really change the will of the people in this great country such as Canada. But hopefully, the useless NDP tactic in Parliament will turn off potential and existing voters when it comes to that radically-left-wing party. At this point, I see the situation benefitting the Conservative government (at least for the short term).
Recently, Tom Nevakshonoff, an NDP Member of the Legislative Assembly in Manitoba, spoke to constituents in the riding of Interlake, of which he is their MLA. He then made a comment about how they were lucky in comparison to those who were in earthquake/tsunami-ravaged Japan and Joplin, Missouri. Although that may be true to most people, it's something that should not have been said in the first place, as it can be hurtful. As for the people in that riding that are offended, they should lighten up... because the sad fact of that matter is that, what Mr. Nevakshonoff may actually be... correct, and you can't hold something against a man for speaking the truth. And yes, I do realize that I am defending an NDP MLA, even if I don't necessarily like the NDP.
As you know by now, the City of Saskatoon has essentially approved construction of the Remai Art Gallery of Saskatchewan (formerly known as the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan). Although there are private donations, and the City of Saskatoon will not be footing the entire bill, I still think it is a waste of money. Although the idea of a new public gallery is great, the price tag associated with the project seems astronomical, and should be funded entirely by private enterprises. Public money towards a public gallery is mostly money wasted. However, it is not as bad as money that goes towards the arts, which in return, produces inappropriate music and complains about the same government that is giving them funding in the first place.
The last thing I would like to touch base on is the mandatory curb-side recycling program that will soon be forced upon the residents of Saskatoon. From the start, I did not like the idea at all, especially when everyone has to pay for the program and the program somehow still remains "voluntary." At this point, I have a lot of questions that I'm too lazy to ask, because I know little to nothing about the process. So, I don't really have complaints about the process... yet, but I am somewhat concerned about the implications, as I am fine with lugging recyclable materials to the existing recycling depots that exist in Saskatoon, as they are convenient. For a little bit of information, you can consult this PDF document.
Well, that's all of my complaining for now...
Up next, I'd like to talk about my boring life.
So, it really has been a while since I last updated this blog. In fact, it's been more than a month. So, instead of going into detail what I've been doing, since I'm too lazy to go into detail in this update, here's a list of the highlights (or other things) of my boring life since my last blog update:
My evil cousins and their family went to Alberta for the Victoria Day long weekend. That left me taking care of their evil dog Jack, whom I swear is possessed with something odd.
I visited one of my mom's friends at the Saskatoon City Hospital. In the process, I made fun of a friend named Lisa, whom I did not know was working there.
My cousin Jeannette's baby Isabelle finally arrived in our world! It's a miracle. She was born on May 26, 2011 (I believe). I know that David and Jeannette will be great parents!
I learned that the Blockbuster Canada stores I often frequent in Saskatoon would not be closing. Lakewood Common, however, wasn't so lucky. I did visit the closing store at least three times before it closed, and managed to buy some things at some pretty good prices, including rechargeable batteries at 50% off the regular price and titanium batteries at 70% off the regular price.
I bugged my cousin Ky at work in person for the first time, ever.
The first session of the 41st Parliament finally began on June 2, with Andrew Scheer becoming the new Speaker of the House of Commons. Of course, the Throne Speech on June 3 was interrupted by one grand-standing girl named Brigette DePape. My street also got swept on June 2, 2011.
The weekend of June 9-11 was a good weekend, as the Conservative Party Convention occurred in Ottawa at the new Ottawa Convention Centre. It was also Family Fun Day at work. I didn't take many pictures, and my cousins "cheated" at bowling by choosing lanes with guard-rails that prevented bowling balls from going into the gutter.
For every day of work between June 12 and June 17, I added a little bit of overtime to every work day, therefore making it a week full of long work days. I even worked five hours on a day I had... off.
Canada Post eventually suspended its operations nationwide, thus locking out 48,000-50,000 employees.
On Wednesday, June 15, 2011, I harassed a number of people at their workplaces. I had planned to make fun of two people, but was able to make fun of five people at work. However, I was not able to mock Shelly at work. By the end of that night, many parts of Vancouver would be destroyed by rioters.
On Saturday, June 18, 2011, I was going shopping with my mom. She told me to stop at the Canadian Tire at Preston Crossing. Having issues finding a parking spot, my mom interrupted my work and told me to park in a handicapped spot as I waited for her. Obviously, she is a bad influence, and this may explain why I myself may be evil. Later in the day, I watched a movie called Hall Pass. The Vietnamese women in the movie were funny. But what I found more entertaining is the fact that a Honda Odyssey is used in the movie. It's funny because it represents an inside joke between my mom and myself. My uncle has a dark blue 2007 Honda Odyssey, when he should be driving a Toyota Sienna. The colour of that mini-van drives my mom insane, as she hates that dark shade of blue. Then, her boss eventually bought one and bragged about how cool he thought it was... with the exact same colour. Then, her boss' brother bought a 2007 Honda Odyssey as well, with the exact same colour. Therefore, she hates Honda now, with a specific emphasis on the Odyssey. I'm just glad the van in the movie wasn't dark blue. Well, I actually am kind of sad, because I could have bugged my mom about it for a while.
The MuchMusic Video Awards (obviously on MuchMusic) this year was held in Toronto on June 19, 2011. Selena Gomez was a co-host, and I enjoyed the fact that she said Saskatchewan was fun to say. Aside from her and Justin Bieber, I failed to recognize most of the guests during the show. And yes, I actually watched.
Earlier this month, McDonald's Canada brought the McRib back to its Canadian restaurants. I had one for the first time, ever.
On Thursday, my cousin Tho's grade 8 class had its farewell ceremony at Saint Philip Neri Parish. I got some answers to questions about my own cousin from his evil friends because my own cousin is evil and deceitful. Then, he received his completion certificate and we all went to Montana's Cookhouse for dinner, where I had an awesome steak. I also got mocked in the process. To see pictures from the event, click here. Later that night, the NDP would delay back-to-work legislation for Canada Post workers (Bill C-6) for as long as it could. The filibuster would last until Saturday evening, when MPs were finally able to vote on the bill, which ultimately passed. The Senate debated the bill, and it received royal assent last night. Workers will be back at work tomorrow, or Tuesday as it is called.
On Saturday, I finally began packing for my trip to Ottawa. Eventually, I finished packing last night. Saturday was also the two-year anniversary of the day Michael Jackson passed away.
Canada Post employees began rotating strikes across the country. The rotating strikes eventually led to a lockout by Canada Post, which led to back-to-work legislation being passed to force everyone back to work (after filibuster-after-filibuster), and to accept wage increases that are less than what Canada Post was offering. This is where the union... lost.
Saskatchewan Conservative MP becomes the Speaker of the House of Commons. He becomes the youngest Speaker in Canadian history and the first MP from Saskatchewan to accomplish such a feat.
The iconic Toyota HiAce is getting a makeover. I'm saddened by this, as the design of the current generation is quite legendary.
A Saskatoon resident is "irked" by the construction of a sound wall adjacent to Lakeridge that also happens to be by her backyard. There appears to be a lot of inconsistencies from the woman featured in the article. I'd say she's kind of... bitter, and one of those people who constantly calls police about people who drive fast on Circle Drive. Well... she lives near Circle Drive, so high speeds can always be expected. I'm wondering why this was news in the first place.
Now, this wouldn't be an awesome blog update without sharing some awesome photos. Here are some pictures I've taken recently that I'd like you to see:
The old Canadian Tire store on Confederation Drive still sits empty.
Well, that's all I have for you today, and I would like to thank you for reading my incredibly-long blog update, which I've tried to shorten somewhat. On Tuesday (tomorrow) morning, June 28, I will be leaving Saskatoon for a nine-day vacation/trip to Ottawa. I will actually begin my trip by visiting Reverend Nathan in Montréal upon my arrival in Ottawa. Then, I will likely head to Québec City at some point. But ultimately, I will return to Ottawa on July 1, 2011 for Canada Day, where I will hopefully meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate Middleton) on Parliament Hill, as they will be doing a walkabout in the afternoon. I've been "encouraged" to propose to Kate Middleton by someone that my mom has long considered to be a bad influence. Although it is a funny idea, it will likely not happen. Anyway, I will be back on July 6, 2011, and I will be sure to tune you into my travel experience with another very long blog update, as well as with pictures posted to Facebook and Flickr. Now, as exciting as my trip will be, it is also important to note that Canada's mission in Afghanistan wraps up in July, and it is those brave men and women in Afghanistan that have chosen to serve their country for nothing in return in order to secure the safety and freedom that we seemingly take for granted here in Canada. And at the major risk of sounding selfish, I couldn't be more excited that they are finally coming home... to Canada! Now... as for the Ottawa trip, I plan on dropping by John Baird's constituency office in Ottawa West-Nepean. As for the entire itinerary, I think I shall keep it a secret this year. However, you can rest assured that I have made charts and tables again, the same way I did last year.
Thank you for reading, and remember: DON'T GET RIPPED BY THE RIPTIDE (a message brought to you by Martin Sargent). Man, I really miss his show that was on TechTV (and later G4techTV), Unscrewed with Martin Sargent.
