The Loonie Loonie

Okay folks this high Canadian dollar is bad and I mean really bad news. A high dollar may mean that we can all go shopping in the U.S. but it also means that the Canadian economy is going to suffer because our competitive edge has been lost. Why buy Canadian goods and services if they are the same price or more expensive than other countries?
I know that some local manufacturers have cut their work weeks and laid off employees. These people are going to have less money to spend and those in the service industries will also suffer. It is a domino effect to all areas of the economy. So stop cheering for a high dollar and pray for something in the 75 to 80 cent range in comparison to the American greenback.

Outremont

Many Quebecers have told me that they don't like Stephane Dion because he lectures to them like a father lectures to a badly behaved child. I think that a by-election provides an electorate the opportunity to rebel without the severe consequences of a general election loss. Meaning that you can elect an NDPer without worrying that somehow you are electing a government. The voters can say to the LPC and Stephane Dion we don't like the way you have been treating us so we are going to elect someone other than a Liberal. When it comes to a general election I believe that the voters of Outremont will behave differently.

That being said the LPC had better examine the campaign they ran. A poor choice in candidate for the riding, poor organization and party infighting are not going to win a campaign. I can't understand why Dion would appoint a candidate who isn't liked by the Jewish community. Even if the perception of the candidate as being anti-Israel is wrong, it is a huge obstacle to overcome in politics perception is everything. Reading the post of Justin Tetrault it is clear that this wasn't a well run campaign. The party infighting is also documented in that post.

As for the Conservative gains, it is Brian Mulroney all over again bribe the separatist voters with federal money and powers and reap the dividend for your party. To hell with the country all Harper cares about is staying in power.

The Ontario Election

I am going to make a prediction now and see if it comes true, I think that the Liberals will win a small majority. I think that John Tory will be a one election leader. I think that this will be Howard Hampton's last election as leader of the NDP and I think that MMP will fail.

Lets see what happens.

The August Doldrums

Damian Cox writes about how this is a down time for sports a sort of calm before the storm.

I feel that it is the same with politics. PMSH is about to announce a cabinet shuffle but I've been hearing that for about 3 weeks. In Ontario the MMP campaigns have just started and the provincial election is coming up but there really isn't any big news yet. In Alberta Ed Stelmach is trying to sound like Ralph Klein, who whenever he was in trouble tried to sound like Peter Lougheed and Dalton McGuinty is attacking the Feds over EI, same old same old.

It is so hot and steamy today everyone should just stay cool and wait for the cooler weather to get excited about sports or politics.

Thoughts for a Friday before Vacation

Canada is an interesting country, we are talk hockey 12 months of the year, we think some one has made it only when they are popular in the U.S.A but criticize American policy on everything.
Why do we love Canadians who have made it big in the U.S. but we don't like the U.S.A.

We like Americans as individuals but we don't like the collective. I am as guilty as anyone. We want Americans to like us but we don't want to be American. I won't drink Bud beer brewed by Labbatts because of the marketing premise behind the beer is that anyone who isn't American wants to be American.

Kind of silly I know but I can be very silly at times. I won't buy Time Magazine because I didn't like the issue when they picked the Personal Computer as Man of the Year. I think it was 1980 and I thought and still think that it is wrong to treat machines as human like. That is why I enjoy books like Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut and movies like the Matrix and Blade Runner.

I am trying to avoid writing about politics because I feel like it is the same thing over and over, Stephen Harper is ruining the country and the majority of Canadians don't seem to recognize it. We have to get this man out of power.

Those are my thoughts. See you in two weeks.

Bits and Pieces

I find this sad Stephen Owen was a good MP and cabinet minister. It seems to be a step down to me.

My son has is on his second of these, it is high time that Microsoft did something about this issue.

This story says everything about the CPC's and its leaders ethics and vindictiveness.

I'm going to wait and see how this works out before I make a decision. I like that they chose someone from outside the RCMP but I am concerned about political interference.

I love potato chips but they don't love me, reading this story made me very hungry.

Gary Bettman is an NBA mole

Interesting post on Lord Kitchener's Own about Gary Bettman. I had never heard this theory about David Stern planting Bettman as a mole in the NHL in order to destroy the league, but it explains everything that Bettman has done as Commissioner.

The insane expansion into non-hockey markets, the moves from Winnipeg and Quebec City, the poor treatment of Canadian fans, the lockouts etc. etc.

The latest scenario where Jim Balsillie is treated like crap because he wants to move the Predators to an actual hockey market is proof positive that Bettman is out to destroy the NHL. I have to believe that when the NHL finally goes bankrupt that a new league will emerge that has teams only in sustainable hockey markets in Canada and the USA. No more Nashville, Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa, Florida and with new owners in Chicago and Boston great hockey towns that have been alienated by the teams ownership.