Swedish Toast

(Let me start by saying that my entire mother's side of my family are from Quebec and continue to live there, while my Dad's side is from and in Ontario)
There is an inherent bias in declaring that one group is a distinct nation while implying that other groups are not. Everyone has a past, whether it be rich or poor, whether it is replete with cultural or historical milestones or simply dull as lard. To suggest that I am not part of a distinct nation while my provincial counterpart is, well, it's kind of like saying "my past has no distinguishable value, but his past is so significant that it sets him apart from me." Therein lies the bias. There is no such thing as one past being better than another, no such thing as certain neighbourhoods being better than others. A so-called "richer" past should not confer status; that is the same bullshit logic that was employed to prove that French Kings and Roman Emperors were descended from God.
Enough! Let's all get along! When Gilles Duceppe and Stephen Harper start talking about living together and not apart, that's when we'll be getting somewhere.

Okay, this is for the States, so it doesn't apply to us, but it is interesting to look at. The President's 2007 budget request.
Click "view the graph" and zoom in and out to view it.

The Budget Graph

I've uncovered stunning revelations regarding political evolution. I'm sure you knew this, but I was stunned. (click the pictures to enlarge)

Here's Peter Mackay's origins (and we thought Ray Bolger was a gentleman):
And here's where Ralph Klein came from, as well as where he is going:

The US Democrats have finally wrestled a bit of control away from the large, slobbering jabberwocky known as Bush (also French for The Mouth). NOW THAT IS SOME GOOD NEWS!

Also, according to the subject of an email I just received from someone named Lacey Anderson, I can look slimmer and leaner by next week.

I have a feeling these two things are in some way related.

This idea that the US is an advanced country needs to be reassessed. Has there been an election day in the past six years in which the voting machines have actually worked? My problem is this: for a country that totes higher than thou values of democracy, the persistent failure of massive amounts of voting machines is a total pox. And things aren't getting better, they're getting worse. Newer electronic machines have been introduced, but these have less of a functional success rate than the old machines. What the hell is going on and are any of them actually paying attention? They elected an idiot, twice! I assume that people will only notice the next time it happens if they happen to elect someone who is actually Russian, Iranian or French. My advice to Arnold Schwarzeneggar is: Run now! You can win!

And this idea that Osama actually records messages on cassettes?! COME ON!

yeah, so Tom Cruise is one of the new heads of United Artists, the very company founded by Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith. THAT HURTS!

First up on their production slate is a fluffy movie that deals with the stupidity of Brooke Shields. It will be called Shallow Brooke.

The next film will venture into Scientology, with a sneer to Tom's ex-wife. It will be called Old Mother Hubbard.

And of course, Tom will be the subject of a documentary that looks at his world view, familiarly titled Eyes Wide Shut.