If my friends could see me now!

Last night I had some friends over for dinner. I did well with the mix of people, from 24 to 64, we sang songs from Broadway. It was to borrow an old fashioned term a hoot! It went on past the midnight hour finally succumbing to our bodies need for sleep. We really wanted to keep going. It was one of those times you never want to end.

The food and wine was good. The intergenerational mix added much to the night. I am expecting to do this again, trying to recapture the magic. It will be different next time and with a couple more people my tiny kitchen will be pushed to its max as will the simple joy of making our own entertainment.

This weekend I will be headed to our farm, where we do this sort of thing often. We have space there and a commercial sized kitchen. Ideal for bringing people together. We will be hosting the Radical Faeries Canada Day weekend gathering and if you know faeries, you know they can entertain. We do it together. Only 20 or 30 of us make up the cast, crew and audience, it may as well be on Broadway. We are into it, we are the stars, the music is perfect, the dancers, as light as the country air and the curtain calls are many!

The gathering will as it has in years gone by bring together young and old, with all of us feeling the joy of our magic, letting that inner kid, child and maybe a little brat out for an entire weekend. The food will be vegetarian as always, it will be good of course, we are known in Fae circles as the 'gourmet gathering' and long will it be as we be blessed with such a good mix of people and place.

All of that brings me to this video below. Its something that happens often these days and some of us might like to try this action in a public place near you one day. The magic of the moment brings everyone exposed to it a moment of the joy we had in our little Toronto apartment last night.

We will of course be looking to bring more people into our not so secret society. No secret handshake, unless you want one, we don't have one but wouldn't object to you creating one that makes us dance or smile, or laugh, or sing, or just enjoy being together.

The video below isn't us. It is however a reflection of many a night here in this comfy apartment, a representation of our gatherings here and at the farm. Egad, have to go, its another curtain call...

Sober second thought

Sober second thought, of what...

A globe editorial said even though Bill C-6, A Bill to force the resumption of postal Services sailed through the upper chamber, the bill received considerable airing.  Let me tell you what happened in the Senate...

Conservative Senator: Okay the Man wants this passed by this afternoon, I`m sorry Honourable Members that you had to come in on Sunday, but its not like we actually sit more than 3 days a week anyway.  Get this through and we don`t have to be back here till fall sometime.

interjections by some Honourable Senator: this never happened in my day

Conservative Senator: The Honourable Member who was appointed by Trudeau says they never did it like this, ha ha remember wage and price controls, you guys campaigned against them and then brought them in.
Now where was I, oh yes, time to order those ungrateful mailmen back to work.  I would like to lend my support to the Prime Minister for giving me this great gig.  Our job, that`s funny as hell as its hardly work eh guys and gals, anyway back to the issue of incredible national importance, we must get the mail moving and the only way those mailmen will understand that they work for us is if we pay them less and reduce their pension, they should feel damn lucky to have a job, I work hard for Canadians and they should too.  I move we pass the legislation forthwith.

Liberal Senator:  With respect my honourable friend, some 30 of my fellow Liberal Senators couldn`t make it here to vote today.  Those of us that made it to this debate can at least add some sober second thought.  I mean that's why there be at least 105 Senators.  I flew back from Mexico for this so lets provide a thorough airing of the bill before we pass it.  I move we ask the head of Canada Post and the the head of the Strikers, whoops, I mean locked out employees.

Conservative Senator: So Mr. CEO of Canada Post. Before I start. I want to thank you for that lovely little weekend at your cottage, your selection of scotch is second to none sir.  Now lets get serious for a few minutes.  Did you want the government to order the mailmen back to work.

CEO of Canada Post: No most honourable Senator. We wanted to work out our issues with the workers and certainly did not want to ruin your weekend.

Conservative Senator: There you have it, it was those mailmen that caused this whole crisis.  Over to you my Honourable Liberal friend.

Liberal Senator: So Mr. CEO, You didn`t lockout workers because you knew that would give the government an excuse to order an end to the strike, I mean dispute between you and the mailmen.

CEO of Canada Post: No my most Honourable Senator.  I was so involved in trying to settle the dispute, frankly I never heard the Minister of Labour say she would use back to work legislation to end our dispute.

Liberal Senator: Thank you for being so forth right and for making yourself available on a Sunday, I know you are a gracious family man and I too would like to thank you for your generous hospitality at your condo in Barbados.

Conservative Senator: I guess we need to talk to the mailmen now, is he here yet.  Be nice if he could make himself visible.  Oh there you are, dressed like that I am surprised they let you in sir.

Union Leader: Thank you for the opportunity to explain our side of the story.  Canada Post and the Govt want to contract out our work, cut our pensions and create a two tier wage contract. That means younger workers will get less pension and lower wages.

Conservative Senator: Do you really think you work harder for your pension than I do. How ungrateful.

Liberal Senator: I would like to interrogate the Union Leader now. Sir I want to say how troubled I am that it has come to this. I support my union mailmen. You deliver my bank statements, my pay cheque, see I am old fashion, still like to see the cheque, you would too if you saw mine, anyway, I am sorry it has come to this.  It really is a sad day. I would have at least preferred we waited a couple more days. I was in cabinet the last time you were ordered back to work, its not something I take lightly, but that is also why I am in this place, to pass judgement over the likes of you.

I can only add that I will be voting against this draconian action of my Friend, the Honourable Conservative Senator`s boss the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada. We could have waited a day or two more before ordering mailmen back to work.

Speaker: All in favour:  All opposed, The Bill passes.  Good work Gentlemen. I will be hosting an evening in my offices directly following this vote. breaking out some vintage scotch, given the enormity of today`s vote.

North American Security Perimeter Agreement

Many of us look forward to four years of fights with the Stephen Harper Government.  They have in the first session so far signaled that they will do what it takes to curb the rights of workers.  They will have many opportunities to do more of this in the following session.


It seems however the areas we most need to keep an eye on involve trade.  I know its hard to narrow the hard right turn this country is headed on and suggest trade maybe at the top of the list of concerns but it is.


Firstly we are about to sign the North American Security Perimeter agreement with the USA.  This will harmonise many of law as and regulations as to who gets into Canada, with those of the US. There has been no public debate. 


Prime Minister Harper said the following after a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the G8 meeting in Deauville, France in May of this year...

"The president and I are committed to pursuing a perimeter approach to enhance our security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods and services between our two countries," Harper said. "We are pleased that discussions are on track, and we expect to have an ambitious joint action plan ready this summer following public consultations." CBC, May 26, 2011

It`s already the end of June and the Government of Canada has yet to signal any intention of consulting Canadians. Consultation I suspect will be with industry and trade organizations and not the rest of us.  The Government of Canada has not even published a report for Canadians of their efforts to reach an agreement with the US.  

Until I see more, and given Stephen Harper`s secretive nature, I can only assume Canada will sign an agreement, which in turn will give up many Canadian `freedoms`in the name of trade.   It is Fortress America.  The US will have access to more information on ordinary Canadians.  When crossing the border back into Canada, it`s likely we will be screened by an American border agent as we harmonize resources. 

Scrutiny of the deal looks to be one that is left to Parliament. Lets hope Harper won`t use closure to bring it into law.

I almost forgot, didn`t Harper use he money for border security for Tony Clements` riding.  300km from the border.

Afghanistan document link

Have you been following the Afghanistan Detainee fiasco in Parliament?  If so the Harper Conservative government today released some 4,000 documents to the media.  MACLeans Magazine is making them available on the web.

They (documents) will be posted here as fast as I am able to upload them. The 4,000 pages of detainee documents have now been released to reporters.  - Aaron Wherry reporter

That is a lot of documents.  There is also a lot of not telling us stuff.  Notice the redactions in this photo of a document released today...

DFAIT. 4 R

And that is not one of the worst for redactions.  The Harper government is hell bent to keep as much secret as they can.

Let's be Marines! Get over DADT

Sgt. Maj. Barrett speaking to new Marines and I suspect to the attackers of  DADT ...

Sgt. Maj. Barrett, top ranked enlisted man in US Marines

“Get over it,” he said. “We’re magnificent, we’re going to continue to be. … Let’s just move on, treat everybody with firmness, fairness, dignity, compassion and respect. Let’s be Marines.” - Washington Wire

Will these people opposed to gay people serving in the military ever grow up. They have lost this fight on all counts, morally, ethically and politically.


More on DADT here.


h/t to Matthew Elliott on twitter

They are going to create a monster here

“They are going to create a monster here, because you will have at the end of the day … an elected body that may or may not be elected, that the Prime Minister may or may not accept the recommendations that come out of an election. It’s going to be one ugly scene and throughout that generation, we will spend $100 million a year feeding this beast which will by and large stand in the way of democracy in this country … It’s a disaster for Canadian democracy, all wrapped up in the guise of Senate reform.” - Jack Layton, Leader of the Official Opposition (The Star)


I think Jack summed that up rather well.

He robbed a bank of one dollar to get health care

North Carolina man robs store for a dollar so he can get health care in prison for medical problem

"The pain was beyond the tolerance that I could accept," he told the Gaston Gazette. "I kind of hit a brick wall with everything."  With little money to his name and many medical problems, including a growth on his chest, two ruptured disks and an unidentified problem with his left foot, he said the "robbery" was his last resort. 

Health care is so important and one of the things that binds Canadians from coast to coast to coast.  We have a good system here, it could be better, yet its not like the USA.  This man was so desperate, run out of options that he robbed a bank of one dollar.  

Now in the USA robbing a bank is very serious.  The guy will likely get several years in jail.  Once in jail, his multiple health issues will finally be dealt with.  Imagine the desperation one must be in to commit a crime so he can get health care. 


I suspect that many of us in Canada find this unreal.  Yet  millions of Americans have no healthcare. Many States are rationing healthcare for the poor. Texas is trying to get out of the federal program of Medicaid all together, a state where 25% of the people have no health care coverage at all. 


I have a friend that works in a upper middle class profession in North Carolina.  He has a first class health care plan.  He only pays five to six thousand a year in co-pays.  He pays for every Doctor visit, every specialist visit.  Last year he had a heart operation.  


After scheduling the operation and a talk to the admitting clerk a week ahead of time he received a call from the accounts receivable department.  They wanted to know how he would be paying his three thousand dollar co-pay.  Would that be by check or credit card, when would they receive the check.  It was that straight ahead.


Now my friend could pay this fee.  He gave them a credit card number and agreed to pay two thirds up front and the remainder after surgery.  He was home only three days after the surgery and they called about the additional money. 


My friend feels very lucky to have his plan, even with the many additional costs he has to pay. He knows that earning an upper middle class salary and having a Cadillac health plan makes him fortunate.  He can pay the co-pays.  Unfortunately many Americans can not.


This same friend comes to Canada every summer. He needed to have monthly tests done on his blood so he could adjust his heart medication.  This is a vital test.  Here in Ontario he would go to a lab, get the test done and receive the results in a week. It cost eleven dollars (the test is free to OHIP card carriers). The same test in the United States cost him seventy five dollars.  


I know we have much work to do to improve our system, yet it is still much better than the USA, especially if you are a middle class income earner or someone with little or no income.  Its vital that we in the next few years, work to protect our public system and not opt for more privately delivered care in this country.


If we go the way Steven Harper wants us to go, I fear for our collective well being.

Government misses CAW but slams CUPW to the Floor

These are very busy times.  First there was the Air Canada fiasco.  They were out less than a day and the Prime Minister was laying down Back to Work Legislation.  Fortunately the parties concluded an agreement before the Legislation could be passed.  The Canada Post management then decide to lockout workers and again, in less than a day the Minister starts screaming that the economy is falling apart and it is her intent to legislate an end to the dispute.

Canada Post never likes to negotiate. They prefer the government to settle disputes because they usually have a big business friend in the government. They certainly do now. The Legislation is decidedly anti-union.  In the offers exchanged between the parties to date Canada Post offered 1.9% increase.  The union was asking for 3.5%.   The government has decided that Canada Post's offer was too generous and has set the rate at 1.75%. 

The government is not acting to end a dispute, it has decided to take this opportunity to slam the union.  The legislations calls for binding arbitration.  The arbitrator is to take the last union offer and the last employer offer and choose one of them.  There is really nothing to arbitrate. The wages have been set by legislation.  The arbitrator will then decide which proposal will be implemented.  

All of this becomes a roll of the dice for the union. Do they take their chances? I don't envy the Union leaders decisions in the coming days.  

You also have to know if the government really wanted Canada Post and the Union to work out a deal, they could have told the company in which they control 100% of the stock to lift the lock out, told CUPW to go back to work and negotiate   It was that easy.  

The government just missed its chance to slam CAW workers at Air Canada, they won't let that happen again. 

Say Uncle CUPW.

Link to:

An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of postal services Bill  C-6