Flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop...

PM rejects NDP demand on same-sex vote

Prime Minister Paul Martin has rejected calls by NDP Leader Jack Layton to force the entire Liberal caucus to vote in favour of same-sex marriage.
Mr. Layton argued in a published article that Mr. Martin is "playing politics with human rights" by allowing his backbench MPs to vote freely on the upcoming marriage bill.

And I've heard some Liberal backbenchers say the very same thing, wanting the party to take a stand and vote together on the same-sex marriage bill.

My retort is this: EXCUSE ME??

These are essentially the SAME Liberal backbenchers and opposition parties that were in Parliament during the regin of our last Prime Minister...a man so heavily criticized for not allowing his party to vote according to their conscience, which eventually led to his ouster in a bitter infight amongst the Liberals.

Now after that ugly mess, you now have a Prime Minister who's actually willing to let his party vote however they choose (except his cabinet, for obvious reasons), and these backbenchers/opposition members don't want to? Cry me a river! If you're afraid of responsibility and being held accountable for your own choices, then you shouldn't have gone into politics in the first place.

These backbenchers have been begging for this power for so long...but the spotlight comes with it. You can't have one without the other, folks...unless you'd prefer to be the robots you once were.

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test"

There's a funny headline I just saw on CNN's website as I was looking over the headlines of the day that I had to share. The lead story is entitled "Bush: Better human intelligence needed". It took him about 4 years to realize that, but better later than never, I suppose ;D

I just passed an intense, grueling, but free, one day class on how to use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. I said on my resume that I knew how to use them, but in reality it was a bloody lie. I was the best student in the class...yes, I may have been the only student in the class, but don't rain on my parade, people.

In my first year of university, I helped a fellow French classmate file a complaint against a French professor who was really insensitive towards her...embarassing and ridiculing her in front of the class because she would ask a lot of questions, etc. She wasn't the only one who complained, I'm sure of it. Today, I see the same guy on TV introduced as the DEPARTMENT HEAD for languages and linguistics. Good grief. The only good thing I could see coming out of this is that he spends more time in his office, and less in the classroom.

I'm up at 730 in the morning, as well as every other morning this week. My work is done here. Good night, citizens.

Hi, Poochie! You look like you have something to say. Do you?

Yes, I certainly do!

1. Carolina Hurricanes' owner Peter Karmanos said today that "my gut feeling is that this season is gone". Hey, thanks for sharing that nugget of information with the rest of us, Mr. Obvious. I'm pretty sure I'd have that same gut feeling if the owners and players barely talked to each other since September, with half of the season already gone.

You know what? I'm not missing the NHL one bit. Football is filling the void quite nicely (surprise, surprise). And with the world rallying around those affected by the tsunami disaster, it sure makes a fight between billionaires and millionaires seem rather petty and childish, doesn't it? Take your time gentlemen...you're not missed.

2. Crossfire has been cancelled! For those of you not familiar with this show, it was on CNN and promoted itself as a debate show between the political left and the right on the issues of the day. Actually, it was promoted incorrectly. It's more like a shouting match between the left and right, and whoever shouts loudest is apparently deemed to be the winner.

Jon Stewart, the brilliant host of the brilliant show "The Daily Show", went on Crossfire a few months ago and basically ambushed the two hosts by saying that their show was hurting America. He's right...that show offered nothing constructive to its viewers. It's just "partisan hacks" reciting (rather, screaming) their party's speaking notes, and little else. Well, CNN's president of programming agreed with Stewart and cancelled the show. One of the weasels (sorry, hosts) is getting his own show on a right-wing cable network that I'll be sure to avoid like the plague.

Stewart's reply? He didn't know he had so much power. He now says that the sitcom "According to Jim" is hurting America. LOL! I think all those home-renovation shows are hurting America, but that's just my opinion :D

3. Prime Minister Paul Martin has been heavily criticized for his percieved lack of action in responding to the tsunami disaster. The Canadian government has stepped up to the plate big time financially, but it doesn't look good on the PM when he sends his vacationing cabinet ministers home to formulate a response to the crisis, yet stays on his own vacation. Hello PR nightmare.

4. Poor Ashlee Simpson. She got booed during her halftime "performance" at the Orange Bowl. If that's what she sounds like live, then I suggest she go back to lip-synching immediately! She's getting perilously close to becoming "Roseanne-singing-the-Star-Spangled-Banner" bad.

5. Going back to school and getting a masters degree is looking real attractive to me right now. I thought I would've been qualified enough to at least get an interview somewhere given the credentials I already possess, but apparently not. Hopefully being overqualified will do the trick...or else!

6. I'm doing New Year's Resolutions this year, but not in January. That way, I won't break them so early in the year and be so very disappointed in myself. Is that a good idea or is that a good idea? :D

7. It's 2 in the morning. Why am I not in bed?

8. Good question, to which I have no good answer. I'm going to bed.