Swish

Controversial Statements

I know a lot of people aren't going to want to hear this. Especially at this time, right now, with everything that's happened and everything that's to come. Maybe I'm just hugely contrarian, and maybe I just like pissing people off, but I need to say this. It needs to be said.

I fucking hate the Santa Claus Parade.

They do this thing through Kanata every year. It starts just on the corner by my house. I live on a crescent, both ends of which connect to the same street, the same street that is ground zero for this annual festivity of music, fake-looking Santas, inexplicably undecorated cars, and wagon-loads of waving schoolchildren dressed like Elves. It's always gray and rainy and it always takes forever and they always completely clog up all the roads anywhere near my house, making it absolutely impossible to get anywhere.

One Saturday morning a year, you'd better be happy sitting your ass down and not going anywhere, because that's what you're going to do, like it or not.

I'm not a fan.

In Other News

So, there was an election, right?

I get the Obama thing. I really do. After 8 years of George Dubya, the need for a little bit of catharsis is something I can totally empathize with. But, seriously, people ... perspective.

US politics are not changing, in any way. The US is just as divided, confused, bitter and unreconciled right now as ever it was. Young people aren't making a difference. Race isn't going to stop being an issue. You can doubt me if you like, but the numbers are with me on this one.

And, most importantly, let's remember that Obama is a human being and a politician, and therefore he lies better than half the time and owes a lot to unsavoury people who got him where he is today. The fact that he gives a good speech doesn't make him FDR. And, truth be told, FDR was a bit of a bastard anyway.

I'm glad he won. The US could have done a lot worse, and probably couldn't have done better. But the US of A is so far up shit creek that Jesus would have a hard time finding shore, and Obama isn't Jesus.

Everybody is going to be a lot less disappointed four years from now if they moderate their expectations to achievable levels. That's all I'm saying.

Just wanted to get that off my chest.

In other news, I'm already enjoying the whiplash this is forcing on the left in this country, who long ago traded in any semblance of policy in favour of knee-jerk anti-Americanism. Just watch how fast all the accusations of Harper being in the pocket of the Americans turns into people arguing over how they're way more in the pocket of the Americans than Harper is.

The Liberals are trying to introduce a rule for their next leadership convention that nobody with outstanding leadership debt will be allowed to run for the leadership this time around. Martha Hall-Findlay came out with a doozer of a line stating that this was terrible because it harms Canadian democracy, and "what's even worse", that kind of a rule would have stopped Obama from running.

Can we all agree that Canadian democracy is more relevant to Canadians than which rich elite is going to run Washington? And if not, can we at least continue the pretense, in the interest of looking like a real grown-up country?

Geekery

I've started a website for people new to VTES. There is an associated blog. I hope that this will allow me to vent my Vampire enthusiasm without getting any of it on all of you here.

Working

I'm working this weekend. It sucks.

Okay Then.

That's about it. Enjoy your weekend, everybody.