%#@& !!!!!

Well, now I’ve got an even bigger bee in my bonnet than my frustration with people who don’t vote: People who don’t use their heads when they vote, who knowingly and obstinately choose bad candidates — willfully ignoring the consequences of such actions. They drive me crazy and piss me off royally.

You know who I mean. All those in the US who defiantly, sanctimoniously and emphatically stated, “I’ll never vote for Hillary Clinton;” and then spitefully voted for Donald Trump. I’m not talking about his avid and rabid supporters. I honestly don’t think there’s anything that would make them turn against him.

No, I’m talking about all those who knew better. They knew he had a lousy reputation as a businessman. They knew he lied, insulted, bullied, bragged, swore, threatened and incited violence as he blustered his

Accentuate the positive …

Today marks 12 years since my mom passed and I’m dedicating this post to her. She was an eternal optimist who always looked for and found, the good in people and in life. 

There was a time I did a lot of blogging, here and for Huff Post, on US politics. I finally gave it up because it was making me tense and angry and I decided I wanted to change the channel.

I didn’t only stop blogging about it, I stopped watching the news — primarily CNN, where’s there’s an endless loop of misery 24/7. I haven’t stopped watching completely but I have cut back dramatically. There are days now when I don’t watch at all, weeks when I only tune in once or twice, and only for the briefest

I just don’t get it

Last week I saw a Levi’s commercial urging Americans to vote. It’s a great spot and bravo to them for doing it, but that they should have to, makes me crazy. Theirs is the only commercial I’ve seen — at least so far. But apparently, they’re just one of many companies doing it.

The Skimm has also been pounding away at trying to get people to vote. For those of you unfamiliar with it, The Skimm is a quick and easy-to-read daily digest of news stories.

They’re so concerned about low voter turnout among female Millennials, for months leading up to voter registration for the upcoming US midterm election, they launched a “no-excuses” campaign, with daily tips, apps, info and even a link to register.

For the life of me, I will never understand why people are so ambivalent about voting, how they have no compunction

A desperate plea …

I watch the news in horror everyday. I still can’t believe that such a vile, unscrupulous, self-serving, demented, dangerous man could have been elected in the United States, of all places. 

In part, it’s due to an electoral system that made it possible, despite his losing the popular vote. One also cannot overlook the shockingly enormous number of Americans who share his sick, twisted and ugly beliefs,

Well, that sure didn’t take long …

The Canadian election was a week ago yesterday.  Justin Trudeau was declared the winner at about 10:00, 10:30 p.m.  The Liberals, his party, won by a majority, unexpected by most Canadians I think it’s safe to say.  For that matter, it may very well have taken him by surprise.

Absolutely fascinated, swept along the wave of happiness that was permeating our country from coast to coast, relieved we’ll finally see the back

Isn’t it time we stopped deluding ourselves?

I mean really.  Isn’t it time we finally admitted to ourselves, and everyone else, that the Canadian economy is not good?  That it’s tanked?  That we’re really in a recession? And, for that matter, things are not that great in Toronto, either.  I know it’s a tough pill to swallow for folks around here, but it’s time we faced facts.

Every time I turn around another chain of stores is closing.  Big chains,
employing hundreds and sometimes thousands of people.  Independents are

Politically speaking …

…it’s no picnic on either side of the border these days.  Here in Canada we’re getting ready to elect a new Prime Minister, or nightmare of all nightmares re-elect Stephen Harper, our current PM; and the U.S. is awash in presidential hopefuls.  All I can say is, God help us all.

Last Thursday night was election overload.  The leaders of our four parties

Day 82. Hush Now

Honestly, I can’t take it any more. You cannot open a newspaper, or watch television, without being absolutely bombarded with political opinions. The pundits are dissecting every word, every nuance, every stance, every plan, every wink, every blink, every smile, every frown, every step, every misstep, every platform, every remark (snide and otherwise), every criticism, every accusation that is coming out of anyone’s mouth.

They’re commenting on the opinions of other pundits, other networks, former politicos, the candidates, members of congress, celebrities and businessmen and women. They’re even commenting on what Mr. and Mrs. average American citizen is saying, as they’re interviewed coming out of malls and movie theatres and parking lots.

No wonder people are confused. How are you supposed to think with all that noise?

This is not my country, I’m talking about. It’s not my election. Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are not my candidates. I can’t vote. But I do vote here, in Canada. So this I know.

Day 30. Slim Pickings

Between yesterday’s Quebec election (the outcome of which made me want to swallow arsenic) and it also being the first night of the Democratic Convention, I would have been far better off if I’d never turned my TV on last night.

In past years I would have been glued to CNN.  I’m a political junkie.  In ’08 I didn’t miss a debate.  I watched all the primaries.  Both conventions.  All the Town Hall meetings.  The endless, and repetitive, discussions and disagreements between the political pundits; and the equally endless high tech electoral maps.   And, then, I watched the inauguration, live, from a remote hill station in Southern India, on the one TV in the lodge, at 1:30 in the morning.  But this year, I’m so disgusted with the way both parties are running their campaigns I’ve tuned out.

Worse than the lies, though, worse than the licentious nature of the campaigns, is the fact that the real issues are being ignored.  Neither of the candidates is really talking about what’s wrong with the country and what they’d do to fix it.  And how.  They’re spending all their time, and money, dissing their opponent.  They’re pointing fingers all right, but not at the problems.  Not at the threats.  And definitely not at the solutions.

And here we are, inching closer and closer to election day in the U.S.  What’s a voter to do?

I’ve got to say, I’m not crazy about either of them.  I know that President Obama inherited a mess from Bush and his cohorts. I know that no one could have predicted