CIFA is monitoring the recall of some food flavor enhancer in the USA.  It hasn’t opted to RECALL it here, which begs the simple question.  

IF THE PRODUCT IS NOT SAFE IN THE UNITED STATES, HOW CAN IT BE SAFE FOR CANADIAN USE?

Sure, I know, different lots made on different days, in different plants, all are things that come into play, but without knowing if the stuff shipped up here is from that lot, or if the products using it, are shipped up here, why are we just MONITORING IT?

I would suggest that from now on, let me do the shopping for Mr. Harper. First off, I’ll save him lots of money, because I’ll only buy the stuff that is being discounted.  While I won’t buy it for my family, given Mom is 92, and I really don’t buy into Harper’s Bullshit that a ‘Best By Date’ isn’t important, I am sure our PM won’t mind.  I mean after all, he is young, vibrant and can easily weather some tummy ache, right?

So what if the meat is brown instead of red? Once it’s cooked, you won’t notice the color, and add a few more spices, you certainly won’t notice the horrible odour from it either. So I could really save a lot of money, given how virtually every grocery store can now legally sell expired foods.

I’ll make some nice sandwhiches for him to take to the office, while he mulls over which lines to change in our National Anthem, or in how he can not tell us just where he spent $60 Billion of our money.   A couple of extra stuffed ham or corned beef sandwhiches will help him concentrate, and well, so what if they passed their ‘best buy date’ a week ago, and are from Maple Leaf Foods.   We all know that Listeriosis is everywhere, right?

GET REAL MY FRIENDS, THIS IS HARPER’S TYPE OF COUNTRY WHERE THE ONLY THING THAT COUNTS IS THE PROFIT MARGIN FOR BIG BUSINESS.  YOUR HEALTH IS THE LEAST OF THEIR, OR HIS, CONCERN.

THAT IS WHAT YOU GET FOR VOTING FOR STEPHEN HARPER

 NOTHING!

I guess it was bound to happen, when one lives so close to the biggest bully in the World, and when our Prime Minister is such a toady of big business and corporate interests, but it is starting to be reflected in the foreign media.  Not everything they say is true, and yet, a great deal of it, is spot on.

In the UK, the press is pointing fingers at us, for the death of the Luge Athlete, and to some extent, they have a point. [source]

Not all that long ago, our Illustrious Leader said we should be more vocal, more aggressive in proclaiming our greatness, in our accomplishments. And we can see how his thinking has warped the National Identity, we had built up. Even during the Mulroney Era, we at least still had that reputation, that ability to be CANADIANS.

It has taken a Stephen Harper to twist our national identity to where it is no longer distinguishable from our Southern Neighbor. You know, the one we always whine about, for their rudeness, their arrogance?  Now we are simply acting out, like them.

SO HOW LONG BEFORE CANADA BECOMES ABSORBED BY THEM AS A NEW STATE? AFTER ALL, ISN’T THAT THE WHOLE PLAN BY BUSINESS, TO MAKE US AN APPENDAGE OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR THEIR DUMPING OF CRAP?

Our local newspaper, the Times Colonist has published a viewing schedule for the Olympics.

Mom is very much interested in catching the skating events. She really does enjoy her figure skating, even though she doesn’t really know today’s skaters, like she did when people like Kurt Browning, Elvis Stoyko were skating.

Thing is, the schedule lists the times using the 24 hour clock.  And some people, mom included, simply can’t get their heads around it. She keeps thinking she had to get up at 4am to watch the programs, despite my telling her it wasn’t so.

Then there is the whole, what channel is it on?

IF you are going to publish a viewing schedule, be nice if you would tell us what channels the events are on, or at least give us a clue as to which channels are carrying the blasted games.

I have to say, it is a bit much. CTV is supposed to be the OFFICIAL TELEVISION NETWORK for the Games, and yet somehow the Figure Skating (one of the more popular attractions to the winter games) is not on it, but on a sports channel.

And that sucks too. I mean not everyone gets those other ‘cable packages’ that include those sports channels, so they get to miss out.  Frankly I find this disturbing, and typical of the way the television networks treat their viewers. It is wrong, to not show the more popular events, on the main channel, sluff off the less popular to the themed channels, or pay channels.

You know, this is what really pisses me off about the television networks. They demand we pay a tax, because the Cable companies are getting too much, yet when special events, like the Olympics come along, they push the premium stuff onto the more expensive channels, not the one’s people can get for free.  I mean you can use an antennae to get the main channel, but not the blasted sports channel.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY BITCH ABOUT THE CABLE COMPANIES BUT IN REALITY THEY USE IT TO MAXIMIZE THEIR PROFITS, THEIR VIEWING, WHILE STICKING IT TO THE POOR CONSUMER WHO CAN’T AFFORD ALL THOSE ADDED CABLE FEATURES. 

So we got ourselves a Gold Medal in the Mogul event today, and you would think that we put a man on Mars.  Least from the constant nattering by the various sportscasters as they narrate other events, since that winning performance.

Personally I am glad he won. Hell I love this country, love to see Canadians reach top spot, whether it is in Sports, or other areas, like Science, Industry, and so on. I think there is just too much hype on this, and that we are somehow, making more out of this, than it deserves.

Whatever happened to just simply let people watch the event?

Seriously, if you attend the games, is there some announcer hidden behind the scenes commenting on the costumes being worn by the figure skaters, or some talking about how many are dreaming of winning Gold?  I DON’T THINK SO!

Yet when we watch it on the boob tube, that is all we get. Right now we are watching the pairs short program, and frankly I am sick of hearing the voices of the announcers, even though two of them were Canadian Champions. I mean, come on, let us watch it, let us get wrapped up into the music, into the movement.

After, while waiting for the scores, then natter about the boring stuff. Plus, there is the constant replay going on, which makes for a good time to comment on the moves, on the mistakes, which they do (by the way) should be enough. After all, isn’t the goal of the olympics to be showcasing the best of the amateurs, in their various events?

Or so the CEO of the Olympic Organizing Committee thinks, as he stated on the boob tube tonight, in the run up to the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.  My God, I sure as hell hope not many believe that crap, because if they do, we are really in trouble, as a nation.

To even think that putting on some sporting event, that goes for 17 days is a crowning glory for a country, is ludicrous and damn embarassing. Course not as bad as the Olympic Torch not fully opening for the lighting portion, but then after seeing what it was, maybe it was a good thing it didn’t fully open.

From the horrendous singing of our National Anthem, to the foul up of the lighting, I was left cold, and unimpressed. NO matter what Lloyd Robertson thought, if that is one of the best opening ceremonies, well it is no wonder the Olympics are  rapidly becoming a bust.

And on that, funny how parts of a team, found to be using illegal drug enhancements, are participating in these here Games. So much for the ideal of purity of mind, body, and spirit, but hey, it brings in the bucks, so what the fuck, right?

I love Canada, not what it is today, but what it once was. A country that led in innovation, in adhering to its principles, and ideals. Not a country that placed corporate profits over the needs of people. A country that developed a National Health System when the ruling party and opposition party didn’t want it, but we got it anyway. A country that developed the space arm, that spirited American citizens out of harm’s way from the Iranian Revolution, a Country that kept the peace in Cyprus for decades.

IT IS THAT CANADA I LOVE.