A New Year's Gift From Inse

On my previous post, Inse left a link for the following. Enjoy!

2015: Less Can Be More

While I am long past the age where personal New Year resolutions are anything other than exercises in futility, I can't help but think that a few well-placed aspirations for both Canada and the world would improve everyone's lives tremendously. Although some of the following may sound a tad sanctimonious, they are bound by a common theme: less can be more.

So, for 2015 and beyond, may we all strive for:

Less consumption of the world's resources, and more respect for the limits of the earth.

Less material pursuits, and more spiritual ones.

Less self-centredness, and more concern for the collective.

Less engagement with our technology, and more engagement with the world.

And finally, most importantly for the well-being of Canada,

Less Stephen Harper and his reactionary, divisive and vote-pandering policies, and more politics based on critical thinking, compassion and real leadership.

I end this brief post with a quote from one of my favourite poems, Tennyson's Ulysses:

Come, my friends,
‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

May 2015 be a good year for Canada and the world.

As The Year Ends

... this deserves one more play. For a full review of the abysmal Harper Veterans Affairs record, check out the good work by the good folks at Press Progress.

The Harper Contest Continues

Lots of good observations and suggestions coming in. The above picture of The Blue Meanie was offered by Peter Leslie in the Facebook group Canadians Rallying to Unseat Stephen Harper (C.R.U.S.H.) It seems a most apt rendering of Dear Leader, and that very fashionable blue is sure to appeal to his acolytes.

Also on Facebook, Skeena has compiled a series of memes inspired by Michelle Rempel's bedroom selfie.

Here are two of them that do real justice to the Cowardly Lion residing at 24 Sussex:





Enjoy, and I hope these pictures inspire more submissions.

Sometimes Mockery Is the Best Weapon

H/t Vicki Denyer

Please Pass it On

... to anyone who you think might need a reminder:

A Harper Naming Contest

Although there is no official prize, except possibly the profound gratitude of all those who aspire to rid our country of the Harper regime, a response by Scotian to a previous post about the cowardly lion who now 'leads' us got me thinking about a contest with which we might have some fun.

First, here is what Scotian said:

I normally do not use pejorative nicknames for politicians, hell, I don't generally use nicknames at all, but this requires one, and I am torn between Captain Closet or The Closet Commando. I'm leaning towards the former, because it resonates to the image of Captain Canada which Harper loves to portray him as, and as much as I hate to say it, when I say it I hear in the back of my head that old Hanna Barbara cartoon Character "Captain CAVEman!" shout as well, and I hope that also might resonate in the older voting crowd.

I believe it is important to get this into common use as much as possible as soon as possible to combat the revisionism Harper has been doing on this subject, because this moment in his life showed his true character, as moments of crisis will do in the heat with human beings. Given his bellicosity on the international stage, given his branding himself as a strong domestic leader the fact that his first instinct was the abandon his closest people and hide by his own choice needs not to be forgotten!

While I very much like both of Scotian's suggestions, I want to extend naming rights for the 'illustrious one' to all Canadians.

Assuming there is some interest in this idea, the best suggestions will be reprinted in a separate post in the near future.