Thoughts on BC Politics and More

My heart is heavy. I fear for the future of our country. To me, Canada is a powerhouse, indivisible, not because we are all the same, but because are all so different and we love each other for what we bring to our society.  The one end result of this era I want is a strong, united Canada. I embrace the people who live in the arctic, I love our first nations, I embrace the truckers who had the freedom to make a blockade and their right wing supporters, I embrace those who want French first and most importantly, I endorse all Canadians. I want to share some of my family political background to help illustrate the view. Tommy Douglas (shown with my mom in the photos), whom many consider to be the greatest Canadian ever, was a close family friend. At a time when I was learning how to stack wooden blocks (poorly), my entire family was working hard with Tommy to bring social justice and unity to Canada. If you skip my political posts and think I should just stick to tech...

It's still quite early in the contest but, judging by the March 12 televised leadership debate on the replacement of Tom Mulcair at the helm of the federal NDP, the entire proceedings could become known as the bland leading the bland. Even the traditional iconic bright orange party colour has been replaced by a washed out tangerine with an even duller gray background. Somehow it all seems symbolic as the federal NDP fades into history.   There is no excitement. There are no headline-grabbing events. There is no attraction to the federal NDP for most Canadians . As the party struggles to re-establish its credibility with Canadian voters, it has to bury a few hatchets left over from Mulcair's embarrassing loss to Justin Trudeau's surging Liberals in the 2015 federal election. It became even more embarrassing when, after stating he wanted to remain as party leader in the next federal election, Mulcair was defeated in 2016 in a confidence vote o...

Kamloops South Thompson Communist Party candidate Beat Klossner Today I have the second in a series of posts, from candidate who will be seeking the votes of constituents in the Kamloops South Thompson riding, in the May provincial general election. Today's comments come from a candidate for the Communist Party.  And let me say right from the outset, I did have reservations about even offering the opportunity for a Communist Party candidate to participate.  I personally do not believe in communism, however if I believe, as strongly as I do in democracy, do I have the right to stifle free speech ... and the thoughts and opinions of others?  No ... I think not.  So today, meet Beat Klossner, candidate for the Communist Party.  I think like me, you will find answers to the questions I posed to him to be very interesting, and enlightening, given perceived notions that I had. Beat will be asking for your vote in the May Provi...

The Vinyl Cafe's Stuart McLean I wonder how many reading this, listen to the Vinyl Cafe, with Stuart McLean, Sundays at noon on CBC radio.   I love it ... and I especially love the stories he tells.   I have several of his books as well.   One I started reading just yesterday (and which I am already over halfway through) is called, "Vinyl Cafe Turns the Page". This question is just for those who have heard Stuart McLean read a story aloud.   When you 'read' one of his books, is there a voice in your head that sounds like Stuart?   There is for me. Meantime I digress. In McLean's book the "Vinyl Cafe Turns the Page" is a story called "Stamps" ... it starts with the following paragraph: Choosing a hero is a delicate business -- one that shouldn't be taken frivolously.   For the heroes we choose, whether real or imagined, whether from the world of fact or from the pages of fiction, will determine, to a gre...