Dealing with the cards in hand..........

Well I was going to take a deeper look into what makes a leader, but right now I'm dealing with other issues. A family member in the hospital, and being there to help in any way I can. That does kind of point to something a leader should possess, that being able to respond to a crisis at hand, willing to pull up there sleeves and help and being able to change direction in a moment's notice to help.

The election is coming soon and this event has made me think as to which leader in our pit of choices would actually be able to do this. Not only do it, but with compassion and grace and still carry on afterwards and changing direction once again. Who is best able to put together a team of people who can work together and get things done. Who can best work with the others within the other parties. Plans are not written in stone....... a leader must be flexible enough to be able to respond or adjust.

Quite frankly once I started looking at this issue I really doubt Stephen Harper as a leader. He called his government dysfunctional, he couldn't get it to work. How much of that is actually a reflection of him and not what he has to work with?

I will continue to ponder this leadership topic and am more than willing to share my thoughts on it. The election is only one week away. To close to completely investigate it fully. I encourage everyone to go and vote their conscience. What can you really live with for four more years.

There is a small niggly part of me that swears this election was called in order to announce a partnership between the Republicans of the States and the Conservatives of Canada. Like I said it kind of twittering away there somewhere inside of me. I personally don't see this happening but I'll wouldn't be surprised.


Post Scriptum........ Ok so I was just glimpsing over some news and this is the one thing that is bugging me. Stephen Harper is going on to say the Canadian Banking industry is not in crisis. I don't ever remember anyone saying it was! I can imagine people are kind of skiddish, but to think that since so much of Canada's investments as far as jobs and new investments come from outside of Canada than how in the world does he not think the banking fiasco does not effect Canada. Again I prove my point that he is delusional. How can he not connect the dots.

Political fodder or just plain BS!!

There is something brewing here...... oh dear **** soup. Could be that there was a listerosis outbreak in the Green Room at the debate. I woke up in the middle of the night as I do sometimes and for some crazed reason decided I would look at the Star online. Voila there is was staring me in the face like pasty mouth after being sick. The english leaders debate. Oddly enough the picture they chose was a picture with all the leaders obviously looking at the camera and Stephen Harper typically with his back to the camera walking away from the other leaders. Subliminal as it may be this is exactly how I picture Harper, with his back to the constituents, with no real concern or conscious towards the people and the land that he represents. I would put a link here to the picture but of course as I sit down to write this of course the picture has been changed.

There are some very interesting things to point out here. One of them being Stephen Harpers' denial that Canada is undergoing a recession. Curious what it would take for him to actually realize this. The second and this has been going on for awhile is his refusal to put a plan forward in this election. It's very easy for him to pick apart others plans cause hey!!!! they actually have some. I think my biggest question that continually nags at me is this - I am pretty certain we will end up with a minority Conservative Government that is unless the conservatives have rigged the election as they did when good ole Bush got elected.
In fact I think they will end up with fewer seats than they now hold. But the burning question is......... Harper claims to have called this election because the Government was dysfunctional and he couldn't get things done, so if we end up in the same situation what is his call going to be. Oh I think I will just call another election or will he actually get down to the task at hand and show some leadership?

Leadership..... that's my next burning topic, it's percolating in my head and I don't just want to spew it out hapharzardly. Why? Well the leadership of this country is in peril so maybe we need to actually take a closer look into what good working leadership is.

For now enjoy the ongoing saga of familiar regurgitated pat answers of the political arena and the avoidance of putting forth any real plans.

Lily

Finding the Answers - a guide to our future!!!

Yup, here I go again. So because the US Republicans deregulated the markets and relaxed the rules, the big shot fat cats it seems decided to take upon themselves to make up their own rules. Now look at the mess their in. Is it just plain GREED. There's a hint in here though and I wonder if anyone can figure it out. The hint is that the Canadian conservatives also want to relax the rules and deregulate a lot of industries, including the Food Inspection Agencies and look at the mess that's happening there.

There is a bill to impeach President George Bush, not necessarily over this current crisis, but over his lack of forthcoming of the truth regarding Iraq and claiming Weapons of Mass Destruction which was just a ploy to send in the army and attempt to secure their oil interests. He has been trying to do it again in the whole Georgia/Russia incident, President Bush is making desperate attempts to upset the apple cart and one has to wonder what the underlying reasons for this are.

There are many, many theories and predictions out there. I mostly go on what my gut tells me. Let's face it, it's time to wake up people. It doesn't matter what other people say to you, truthfully! What matters the most is that you come to your own conclusions based on your own true feelings regarding everything.

We live in a world where everything is handed to us right down to the way we should think. The fact is we know how to think, but we don't know how to feel. We tend to push what we truly feel aside and opt out instead to take on all of this other stuff on. Right down to the ruling by fear..... George Bush had suggested on the American psyche regarding terrorists, and now the catastrophic financial sector bailout.

We as humans are given this tool of intuition, which is basically what most psychics build upon to be able to retrieve information that already exists within us. So what I'm saying is the answers to everything exists within you. The problem is we are constantly being bombarded by all the media messages and comparisons to one another to really be able to tap into those answers. So it would be no wonder that a book such as the POWER OF NOW by Eckhart Tolle would have come to such success recently. The Power of Now suggests that we sit in stillness..... when we sit in stillness that is when we are able to hear, know and feel the answers that exist.

We are given messages all the time when we are at are most relaxed and often times that happens in meditation or in REM state. Although these messages may not be specific to any given situation there usually is an underlying clue.

Lily

Election Broo Ha Ha!!!!!

OMG!!! All this election stuff is really starting to grate on my nerves. And sadly the US election seems ultimately much more exciting than our own here in Canada which can be very distracting. Makes one think if that was part of Harper's election strategy to call an election right at this moment.

OK so here it is, I'm just going to come out and say it. A vote for Harper is a vote for Bushlike politics. Wake up people look at the mess happening in the US. And don't stick your head in the sand and deny there is no mess here. Harper and the rest of anyone who is anyone that works within the financial arena are all in denial. Of course they don't want to admit things are not all that rosy. They want consumer confidence. All PR reps will always put a positive spin on things and the fact that Harper has barely said a peep about the economy makes one wonder if the PR train has left the station and just how much denial there is.

Can we really afford Bushlike politics in Canada. Take a look at your bank account, your investments and so on. Look at the bigger picture.

I found it kind of interesting watching a news show this weekend in which they spoke about the economic crisis that we are apparently not in. It was interesting from the stand point that the men on the panel were all painting a rosy picture and No Canada is not going to undergo the same kind a downfall as the US. Which actually I believe! (However, I must also interject that it is a very fine line that we are standing on.) But the women on the panel, sadly yes only one represented, did point out that consumer confidence is already down and people are tightening their belts. The question is how would four more years of a Harpercons affect us financially. Remember, look at the bigger picture people.

Let's not forget Harper is more interested in cutting trade deals that would badly affect our bottom lines as it is. I got to say it - IT's TIME TO LOOK OUT FOR CANADA FIRST. Let's not become a part of the global economic detritus.


WAKE UP CANADA!!! GO OUT AND VOTE TO SAVE CANADA, A CANADA YOU ARE PROUD TO LIVE IN!!
Time is running out.

Just a few post scripts here....... it is my prediction that ultimately Canadian will end up with the same government we now have, still a minority with Harper at the helm, although I do think there will be a surprising pick up of more NDP seats. That's just my prediction.

Here's another postscript for those who are following the US eco bailout situation, here is a look into what may be the background to what and how things have come about at Divine Cosmos. David is generally a voice of calm in a sea of chaos. Most of his messages are uplifting.

The Stephens - you have some 'splaining to do!!!

So I picked up a Metronews this morning after dropping my child off at school and I came across this article, which I thought was pretty funny and so timely.

Here's a little excerpt to bring you up to speed.

What campaign attack ads need is a commentary track, just like the ones that come on DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, except these commentaries would tell you what the people who made the ads are really thinking.

from Metronews, Mike Tennant

Here's the thing - the attack ads are a strategy that Harper actually brought in let's not forget that. They changed the legislations saying that they could do whatever they wanted. Damn to the standards council! But Mike does have a point about the intention behind the ads. However, there is one minor thing he left out. Although they are attacks ads there is always some grain of truth there. The onus is on us the voters to uncover the truth behind those headlines.

It's nice they give us these pointers and these markers to look into, but really whose got the freaking time. Instead, let's forgo all the crap that's coming at us and start looking at those topics that personally effect us. Aside from just looking how things just effect us personally we than need to take into account the bigger picture. For instance, I may not live in Alberta, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be concerned of all the Multi-National entities coming in and carving up the land and not taking into consideration the environment. Plus all the jobs that go to non-canadians. Which quite frankly I find absolutely hilarious and short sighted on Harpers' part.

Let's not forget the current conservative government is in the midst of making a trade agreement with the European Union which implies that more and more of this will be happening. Let's also not forget Harper has a way of giving corporations many tax breaks. So ultimately if you look down the road, in 20-30 years we will be left with and even huger mess to clean up. Harper is in fact going to sell out Canada, bankrupt the government or worse!! He doesn't have the best interest of working Canadians in mind. As a country we can not survive alone on just importing everything and providing service. It's seriously an unbalanced approach.

Our country CANADA is a great country!! Is worth more than just a little thought about putting an X next to someone's name and making them responsible for our future. CANADIANS need to stand up and make sure our voices are heard at election time and beyond.

The ultimate question should be - What kind of CANADA do you want to live in?????

Promises, Promises, Promises

Well it didn't take long for the election propaganda to start. Not long at all. However let's keep in mind this election campaign is very short and it's important enough to actually ignore all this crap and do some digging. It doesn't matter what these guys say or the promises they make. It's time to cut to the quick and look at past performance and records not only for the leaders involved but also in the ridings and for the particular parties.

The fact is Canada is in an economic slow down........ yes, a recession and truth be told things aren't looking good. Let me remind everyone. You can hire as many analysts and publicists as you want. The story will always be the same, it will be spinned to give the most uplifting message possible, ignoring the true facts. So here's the challenge, start looking around, poke around things that might for the most part notinterest you and start putting all those puzzle pieces together to see the larger perspective.

It is the government's pipe dream to think the implosion of the US economic situation will not effect ours. Keep in mind NAFTA, keep in mind that we have more foreign companies in Canada than ever before, and yes it will trickle down. Let me remind you that Stephen Harper wants fewer regulations and wants to relax foreign investment pitfalls to bring in more foreign investors. What do you honestly think that will mean for Canada down the line. If Harper has his way he will be carving up and selling off Canada in pieces. I don't know about you but is that the kind of country you want to live in. It may be I'm slightly over reacting and you may think I have a hate on for Harper, but when it comes right down to it, with his my way attitude, do you really trust him to have all of Canada's best interest at heart.

Remember above all things, that your choice does ultimately send a message as to the kind of country you want to live in.
I will not kid you that the leaders we have to choose from are any good choice. I will not kid you that the way our electoral system is set-up is a true reflection of how the people would truly like to vote. Personally, I would like to be able to vote for our leader separately from the person who I would like to see represent my riding, but I would also like to get rid of partisan politics too. I definitely will not hold my breath on the last one. However, I do believe if people could vote for a leader separately from the ruling party you might be surprised at the results. Ultimately it would be nice to know that these people are here to work on behalf of the people of Canada, to represent our best interests, here at home and abroad.

So as for all the polls and constant barrage of bull puckey, remember the challenge and do some digging. Hearsay is just hearsay go with your own informed choice.

So how does the American election affect Canada?

That's a big topic and for those of you who thinks it doesn't affect us you're living in your own little reality. First let's take our present Prime Ministers relationship with the US leader. On the surface it may seem like there isn't really that much going on there... passing acquaintances but underneath it all, there is nothing but the interest in Oil that is the connecting factor.

Yup that's right I said the bad word Oil and everything the republicans do is tied to Oil. One is because many of them have personal interest and wealth in the Oil industry. Now to say the industry includes only oil is a bit deceiving there are other industries and interests involved here. Like the production of ethanol for the new alternative fuel, but ultimately it's self interest and not interest for the quality of life for americans.

Here's my take on this and it's only my take...... I go on what my instincts and intuition tell me.

Alberta is in a way the Canadian Texas with all it's Oil producing fields and it's attitude. The PM really doesn't give a hoot about all Canadians, but mostly what will benefit Alberta in the long run. Now I can't really blame any particular PM that would come from any other province especially since the usual experience is we only ever have PMs that come from Quebec. (which in itself is a bit suspect and suspicious, but a little bit more understandable for many reasons).

I do find it a little suspicious that Harper of all times has chosen now, right now an October election. An election that will take place before the American election. Historically in Canada we don't have long huge drawn out campaigns, but there is something inside me that says there is more to this election than meets the eye. What exactly this is I can only take a guess.

There is one thing I'm grateful for and that is there haven't been any attack ads. Attack ads on everything from a person's character to their ability of as a leader. These types of ads are an American phenomenon. Canadians are generally kinder and more supportive hence our reputation as a Peace loving country and peacekeepers and makers. The basic thing to this is...... we spend so much time teaching our children about bullying and how not to be a bully or how to deal with a bully. Yet these types of ads do nothing but perpetuate that very kind of behaviour.

Now if I'm not mistaken we are talking about adults here, adults that are educated, adults who claim they have ideals, morals and values. Plus I'm sure these adults deal with teaching these very same issues to their children. So when if ever has it been considered alright to perpetuate the very same behaviour and attitudes we don't want to see. Our leaders need to be leaders and although this may seem like the tiniest smallest thing they need to worry about it's this very kind of example they need to set. We are all watching!!!! Don't forget it.

In fact to point out an example, when Stephen Dion was elected the Conservatives started a campaign discrediting him based on out of context speeches. All I can say is shame on the conservatives. Now on the other hand have you noticed the newest ads put out by the Conservatives, they do not slam anyone in fact they qualify no one but their leader and that's how it should be. (okay so I spoke to soon and now since the election is officially underway the mudslinging is about to begin, but as long as they stick to their records and not their characters are we still one step ahead? Hmmmmmm..........?????)

Now back to how the US election affects us. The thing is if you have been watching any of the campaign unfolding in front of our eyes you have to remember we get a very different perspective the outsider's view that isn't skewed drastically to sway us to see just one side. We actually get to see things from the broader perspective, we get to look at the larger picture. And if it wasn't for Youtube and other social networking sites, the good US citizens too may only be getting a specific view. With all these new things available to them they get to take in the broader perspective if they want. If they're interested.

So in the larger perspective in my opinion you have Obama who I believe and feel that he is completely aware the entire world is watching. As a fairly new political player with a short history of experience he has taken on a very experienced running mate.

McCain on the other hand although maybe more experienced by his years of service has chosen a relatively inexperienced running mate and a female to boot. My gut is telling me he is pandering to get voters he might not otherwise get. Not only that but to go after more Oil in Alaska that is in a national reserve to boot. Yup there is the Oil connection again. Now Palin may be a bit of a spitfire and the token female, but truthfully as a VP would mostly be ineffective not only to the country but in some ways not with Alaska's best interest at heart.

With Canada situated in the middle between Alaska and the rest of the US it will definitely affect the Northern environment and trickling down to the rest of Canada. Now either way the election goes Canadians are looking at our trade agreements being under scrutiny. And rightfully so, the North American Free Trade Agreement has never in any way or form ever been beneficial to Canadians, in fact in many ways it has been detrimental in the loss of manufacturing jobs and many other issues. These agreements have basically taken the spotlight off the service to citizens and placed the service squarely on private enterprise. There is no balance. So it is no wonder that the rich get richer while the majority is forgotten. Again personal interest on part of the government. Plus it is no wonder that the Free Trade agreement was one that was penned and signed by both Republican and Conservatives.

If you just look at the pattern of how the economy does while each perspective party is in power both here and in the United States, what would you rather have. You would think that if a Conservative or Republican party were truly conservative in their ways the money wouldn't be going out the window in droves. And each and every time it's always the Liberals and Democrats that come in to reset the economy and bring it back into balance. Now you would think with a record like that the choice would be obvious. Republicans/Conservatives in my view are equal to Enron's executive corruption. Now I'm not saying that corruption does not happen within the Liberal/Democratic realm cause well that would be someone with there head in the sand, but you really can't fault a government that creates jobs and reduces the debt and takes care of the people who voted them in.