119 over 63 and that's a good thing! Low Blood Pressure.

I gave another unit of blood to the Canadian Blood Services this week. My goal is to give as much if not more than I have given to the LPC. This was my 54th and I had to interrupt several years out because of pregancy, lactating, once for acupunture, another time because of surgery. If you are a Blood donor you'll understand. If you are not a Blood Donor, I recommend you locate the nearest Canadian Blood Services Clinic donate a unit then get out and Vote.

That done, I've voted and mailed in the ballot, which had to be post marked no later than 5 pm today,October 4th they are counted in Vancouver Office of the LPC.

I always feel great after donating Blood, and it feels just as good sending off the Leadership ballot.

I'll be checking out all the real bloggers who have made predictions and percentages over the next few days but I won't know what the results are in my own riding until this time next week.

I like the idea of one member one vote and if my riding along with the others here in BC prove that it is effective then the LPC would be smart to consider it Canada wide the next time.There is much to clean up and knowing the rules clearly would be a giant step forward...... I've already bitched about that.

Politics must be FUN.
It is too important to take to seriously.
Always, expect the unexpected, because it will always happen.
Keep smiling!
Most importantly

GOTV!

Friday ! Not another one.

"Gossip isn't scandal and it's not merely malicious. It's chatter about the human race by lovers of the same."

Phyllis McGinley (1905-1978)

What to do, what to do? Who to vote for, Who to vote for?

Vancouver Island North has a mail in ballot, it arrived in mail boxes on Monday and Tuesday here in the southern end of the riding GOK's if everyone up at the northern reaches has theirs by now.

First off, I did not fill in a Form 6 as I have been to the 3 previous Leadership conventions and I am way to cynical & jaded besides it is time some of the locals who have worked in this riding get elected as delegates. I did sign up and renew several people before the July 4th deadline at that time thinking I might want to go in the end but wouldn't be able to if didn't get my own butt covered. As I've said before I know more than I ever wanted to know.

The Ballot has 117 names on it of which 32 live in the riding. Our riding list is around 133 The candidate delegate breakdown goes like this .

Volpe 14 ( from away) Kennedy 19 ( all his organisers from away)
MHF 2 ( from away) HF 1 ( poor soul) Dryden 13 ( 11 from away 2 locals) Rae 26 (22 from away 4 locals) Dion 18 (12 locals 6 from away) Ignatieff 21 (14 local 7 from away) Brison 1 (local) Undeclared 2 (local). You can see by these numbers that only Mi and Dion have worked this riding.

What I have learned this week is that not only has the LPCBC waived our ridings motion to not allow foreigners on our delegation lists , but that these slates are being run in multiple ridings.

Only in BC ?

I have spent much time on the telephone and in person explaining to my "vote" What to do! and who to vote for. they thought that it would be just a vote for me and I'm not on the ballot, this is a shock to new liberals who do not understand the slate system in a riding that has traditionally voted for delegates to represent them.The thing here is getting those ballots mailed before the Friday deadline and more importantly will they arrive at LPCBC HQ in time for the count on October 4th.

There has been absolutely no explaination of how they will let the membership know who actually gets elected to represent them in Montreal. It may be that only those elected will be informed.

Who knows?

Five ways the "F" word has influenced moi!

http://canadiancerberus.blogspot.com/tagged me on this campaign to come up with 5 things feminism has done for me.

I should feel somewhat uncomfortable with the "F" word now that we are in the 21st Century or at least an article in the Fall Issue of Chatelaine magazine suggests that young women do not use that word in their daily vocabulary after all they don't burn their Bra's either these days.

I am a full figured women so I don't burn my Bra's either. Nada Jane Russell .
I am a Feminist.

Now that it's out herefollows my list:It is to important to take to seriously.

1. CHOICES:

Raised with a Catholic education in the separate school system of Alberta in a RCAF Family.The Sister's of St Joe's and the FCJ taught us the most important things in life were the Arts, Home Economics and Textiles. Once learned, the next step was to find and Marry a good Catholic boy and fill up the pews of the church. back in those days my parents were what they called a mixed marriage, protestant father and catholic mother. I questioned everything about the Dogma of the Church and was continuously told to "Wait for Judgement day" but I was also taught in my catechism that God gave us each an intellect and a will. I chose to use my intellect ( will) to make my own decisions.Married a non catholic, had one son, joined the Liberal Party.

2. TOLERANCE:

In the earlier years of the BCWLC there was a very strong group of women who were a major influence in who I am today. The newly formed Ministry of State for the Status of Women, was shadowed by a group called N.A.C. the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. the BCWLC was one of several hundred member organizations they claimed to represent. Joan Wallace was on the Board of CACSW and an active member of the BCWLC she was the woman who ran for the Liberal Nomination in Richmond South Delta 1978 my first experience at a nomination meeting.

During that time I also became very active with the Council of Canadian Unity, and Chaired the BC Canada Week Committee . I received earfuls from veterans across the province who were outraged with the Maple leaf flag. Just mention "Canada Post" and the voice at the end of the line yelled back "What are you a Trudeauite?" Trudeau was blamed for everything that didn't work to some peoples satisfaction.

3. QUALITY of LIFE:

Being a Feminist is not exclusive to women, I know many men that I would be honoured with that label as well. "A Man of Quality is not threatened by a woman for Equality." My home is an equal opportunity household, we have no gender split on cleaning toilets, making beds. taking out the garbage, driving a truck, splitting wood or fly fishing.If it needs to get done it gets done.it was my Father who taught me "if you see a job that needs doing, don't wait for someone else to come along and do it, the helping hand is at the end of your own arm". All the old cliche's work it's your choice.

4. ACCEPTANCE:

I was a Political Assistant to a Cabinet Minister where my job was to liason with Women, Youth, and Ethnic groups around the lower mainland. I became a regular at multicultural events, Race Relation Conferences. Meetings at the CACSW Offices.

The Youth grew up and lived happily everafter... seriously.

I learned the sensitivity of my Gay friends who outed to me, I really admired/ and still do a cousin who Co Chaired the Gay and Lesbian Committee for the United Church of Canada during those years that Church was debating the inclusivity and ordination of Gay/Lesbian Ministers.I agree with SSM and the right for adoption of children.

5. EMPOWERMENT:
I love that Fathers have been empowered to parent not just 'babysit'.
I love that young women can and do go out into that big world and use the opportunites made available to them by the preceding generation of women.
I want my young neices to know there is more to the world than their little universe. I want them to exercise their rights to get out and vote, to travel and experience history, the present and our future.

That wasn't so bad, I have mellowed during the past few years because Life is way to important to take to seriously.

http://lobsterthermidor.blogspot.com/

http://thewhatdoiknowgrit.blogspot.com/

http://liberalpebbles.blogspot.com/

http://localgrit.blogspot.com/

http://calgarygrit.blogspot.com/

Stinky Monday.

Membership irregularities are a constant headline for all political parties during leadership races. This is a stinky lead up to Super Selection weekend. It is not just he smell of memberships, it goes much deeper. To react with the calling for people to resign is also assinine.

Hedy Fry to Bob Rae smells bad.

Joe Volpe to stay.... take a deep breath.

The voice messages from leadership candidates and Dryden delegates who live in other parts of the province phoning and asking Vote me! Vote me!

The Infrastructure is crumbling in more than the communities of the country the whole of the liberal party's future depends on a clean up and it is caught in the slime of old times.

ASK101 Just ask.

Smell it! It's Friday.

Stay tuned for a kindergarten level of the basics for fundraising.

ASK 101 Or How Alfred Apps sold me on a 45 day Popular campaign.
Coming in this space next week.

Clue: There is nothing popular about raising money or asking people to give. He conned ( as in conversation on the telephone) me into asking friends to donate ( give money) in a lpc grassroots campaign he labeled as Popular aka Population = grassroots. Ya right!

It worked!

VINFLA has a mail in ballot.

The Bad :

The letter from LPCBC telling us that we have a mail in ballot arrived yesterday late afternoon.It will be sent from LPCBC on September 19 (today) and must be post marked no later than September 29th to be counted on October 4th. That is the gist of it.

This is bad for the single most important purpose the LPC has. That is election readiness in all 308 ridings; granted that VIN is a rural riding where there is a historic pattern of anti establishment strategic voting. I have been told that the criteria set out for ridings to get a mail in ballot had a lot to do with the membership growth in the preceding few months of the leadership race. The membership from a list of 1200 in 2004 fell by attrition because LPCBC made NO effort to get renewed forms out to the lapsing members. the total left on the list plus a few online sign ups came to 130. Kim Haakstaad, was told to come up with a plan and she did. Abitrarily setting the number of 220 members (approx) as the target. Any ridings under that would get a mail in ballott, and I was told that 3 of the BC ridings came into that category. There was no discussion and no concerns by the intellectuals representing us around that table. No brain cells in that group.

Fair enough, that the death knell for this riding has been slowly ringing since the 'corruption' and 'criminalization' words of the CPC were used to beat the Liberals down.

My real problem is that the LPCBC has chosen to turn a blind eye to the problem, all laying low through the long leadership race hoping it will fix itself. The members of this ridings executive have tried to get the Vancouver Office to heed the fact that no meetings have been called for them to meet and each member who has tried through the person who is registered by Elections Canada as the contact (President)is just that :

A CONTACT who attends federal Council meetings pretending there is a living breathing organization getting ready to run in the next election. How stupid can they be when the membership list sits silently at 13o members.

I feel the LPC has disenfranchised me as a Liberal.


The Good:
In New Brunswick the Liberals are celebrating a majority victory. Congratulations! to their new Premier Shawn Graham, and all those Liberals who worked so hard to help make it happen. Nice!

Bennett drops off Leadership Ballot.

It beats me why a family physician would change her ( much needed in Canada )Doctor's medical career to Member of Parliament. Today Carolyn Bennett has announced her withdrawl from the Liberal Leadership. Finally, she got it! T' is the smart thing to do.

It would be even smarter if she went back to being a Family Physician where there is more need for the skills and experience she has on her resume'. TBH I have found it extremely difficult to find a woman physician who doesn't job share with her spouse ( work 1 day a week).

This is a good time for Hedy to follow suit and make a grand exit.

Webcam of the Comox Valley from Valley View.

This is bound to make any CV BCer homesick.

http://www.royallepagecomoxvalley.com/Black_Creek_Real_Estate.Comox_Realtors.575233167.html

Trying to help an oppressed person is like trying to put your arm around somebody with a sunburn.

That is a quote from Florynce Kennedy, American Lawyer, founder of NOW.

I use it as a preface for the following books I have read and recommend to further a better understanding of things we cannot fully comprehend at an International level.

1. The Zanzibar Chest, by Aidan Hartley ( white african journalist)

2. Shake Hands with the Devil, the failure of Humanity in Rwanda

by Romeo Dallaire

These are not Harlequin Romances, both Authors are unrelated except they both share their experiences amidst horrifying killings, one working feverishly through the United Nations to help.The other photographing and whilst writing for Reuters.

Reading books such as the two I recommend has helped me grapple with the reality outside my own country. Africa is the continent, I am most curious about and it all started 6 years ago when I bought this book (online )

3. The Scramble for Africa, a History by Thomas Pakenham

Two years after the Alqueada bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania we lived in Dar es Salaam, where daily we past by the bombed out ruins.. It was a constant reminder, left in ruins. This is one thing that we in Canada do not do, that is leave our buildings in ruin we demolish , erase and remove all bad things from our sight, perhaps that is why we think we are so prefect and immune from participating on a global level.

What you don't know or see does not exist!

Or worse, been won and lost within a generation.

Wanted:

More Women in Politics

As part of his ongoing policy development process, Michael has unveiled a plan to increase women’s representation in the Liberal Party and in the Canadian Parliament.

It includes:

1. Sustained efforts to realistically reach the target of 50% of female MPs. During elections:
concretely - for the next election - this means no less than 35% women candidates in ridings that are un-held or where the sitting MP is not seeking re-election

recruit and assist female candidates to increase that ratio in every subsequent election until we achieve the 50% target

ensure new women candidates are given a fair share of winnable ridings
Between elections:

direct the National Campaign Committee to establish a nation-wide system to identify, recruit, train, mentor and financially encourage and support women candidates

require riding associations to canvass/prospect for women candidates and to demonstrate they have expended best efforts to attract women candidates before establishing a nomination date

2. Gender parity across the party

composition of the National Campaign Committee should reflect the principles of gender parity

ensure more women become delegates to our conventions and assist in collateral fundraising efforts to help support elected delegates, especially women

encourage all delegates to vote for people running for executive positions of both sexes who reflect their needs, wants, perspectives and priorities

3. Better support for female parliamentarians

expand child care coverage as a refundable expense in both election and nomination campaigns

increased travel flexibility and schooling flexibility for the families of MPs
-
If elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada,

I would work to achieve sustainable gains in gender equity; gains that, to date, have eluded us, or worse, been won and lost within a generation.

We have to make gender parity a core continuing political and organizational objective of our Party’s life - reflected by commitment at all levels of the Party machinery.

4. Gender balance in appointments
· seek qualified female candidates for every order in council and ministerial appointment
seek to secure that 50% of these appointments

for more visit www.michaelignatieff.ca

Thank goodness someone has been listening to the wisdom of the women in the LPC. This task must be taken on by the Liberal Party and more importantly the Leader must Lead the

Wanted : More women in Politics.

Some of us have been beating our gums black & blue on this issue for years, when we thought we had won we found that we had lost.

Over to you, Michael.

Don't let the bed bugs bite.

Several years back at a LPC Convention at the Congress Centre in Ottawa the party passed a resolution to stop the use of Cosmetic pesticides on lawns, golf courses and public parks; a resolution that has taken a decade to reach the communit(ies) that I live in.
In Africa, we thought absolutely nothing of fumigating our bed room and the mosquito nets et al every single night, in fear of the illusive mosquito and the terror of malaria.That was in addition to the weekly prophylactic Larium tablets.



International travel news

'Don't let the bedbugs bite' heard as infestations on the rise Absent from the United States for so long that some thought they were a myth, bedbugs are back. Entomologists and pest control professionals are reporting a dramatic increase in infestations throughout the country, and no one knows exactly why."It's no secret that bedbugs are making a comeback," said Dan Suiter, an associate professor of entomology at the University of Georgia.Before World War II, bedbug infestations were common in the U.S., but they were virtually eradicated through improvements in hygiene and the widespread use of DDT in the 1940s and 1950s.Bedbugs are tiny brownish, flattened insects that feed exclusively on the blood of animals and humans. Their bites may cause itchy red welts or swelling. Unlike mosquitoes, though, they are not known to transmit blood-borne diseases from one victim to another. They are extremely resilient and very difficult to exterminate. Experts say bedbugs are not necessarily an indicator of unsanitary conditions.In the past 4 years, reports of bedbugs have significantly increased in U.S. cities, from New York to Honolulu, especially in hotels, hospitals and college dormitories - all places with high resident turnover.Experts are not entirely sure what has caused the marked increase. Some speculate that increased international travel and immigration may be partially to blame. The tiny bugs may be hitching a ride in the luggage or clothing of travelers. This could explain the high concentration of the pests in cities like Atlanta and New York, which attract a lot of international traffic.Another factor is a change in pest control practices. Companies are spraying more responsibly now, Suiter said. Instead of indiscriminately saturating the perimeter of all rooms, they often use more conservative measures and do large-scale spray treatments only when there's an infestation. As a result of consumer demand, less toxic chemicals are also being used.In Hawaii, where tourism is a major industry, state lawmakers passed a resolution for a prevention campaign after infestations at some hotels damaged their reputations and annoyed travellers. Similarly, legislation for a bedbug task force has been proposed for New York City.

This makes me wonder if there is a middle ground or compromise position between all (fumigation) or not?

We are damned when we do and we are damned when we don't.

It's my BD

Montreal; in December isn't without it's complications.

LPCBC members have received in their email boxes the September issue of Jamie's Blog with all the important information any member interested needs to know about becoming a delegate.It does answer many questions that people have been asking over the past few weeks. To be fair it describes 4 'W's the Form 6 process very well as to who, what, when ans where it even gets into HOW!


To stand as a delegate you must have completed a "Form 6" and submitted your form to the party office no later than 5:00pm, September 15th, 2006. Please note that the form must be physically in the office by this time, not post-marked. You can get a form 6 from the party office or a representative from the leadership campaign you are supporting. You can also find Form 6 on the Liberal Party of Canada website here: http://www.liberal.ca/pdf/forms/delegateform_e.pdf. Delivery of these forms can be also be facilitated through local leadership representatives, or faxed, mailed or hand delivered to the party office at 460 - 580 Hornby Street in Vancouver. The postal code is V6C 3B6.
Please watch for notice of the delegate election meeting in your area.

There are a number of meetings that will be held on a regional, rather than a constituency level. In other words, 3-4 ridings in close geographic proximity may have meetings in a single location.

Does this mean there just are Not enough Liberals who will volunteer to run the meetings in a non partisan DEM ? The past administration alienated liberals with their bulldozer's, it isn't any wonder they can't get anyone to spend 6-8 hours overseeing an election process that is terribly flawed.

For most party members in rural and remote areas, there will be a voting by mail.

A "mail in vote" sounds like a logistical nightmare. I can just imagine the brilliant minds who engineer the mailing of ballots.

Not that it isn't a great idea. I would love to have the ballot and vote in the comfort of my own surroundings, put it in a Canada Post mail box and await the results.

Many questions come to mind, if we can have a mail in.... how many days between receiving the ballot and mailing it back? When are the results announced and to whom? Everyone who voted, or only those that got elected, by snail mail, by email, by telephone call? Why not a Email in? Vote early, vote often!Why not a Canadian Idol style, vote as many times as you can in a 2 hour time frame, just keep hitting the redial.

More information will be provided about this process in the coming days.

It is all about an open and accountable process which the Liberal Party must provide, the last thing we need is having an abusive and questionable Delegate Selection Process.

I'm not holding my breath for the next installment of Jamie's blog, it can't arrive to soon.




This from a post from Yesterday by Sean Holman of Public Eye Online

Michele Cadario, the former deputy chief of staff (operations) to Prime Minister Paul Martin, will soon be doing contract work for the federal Liberals in British Columbia. Those in the know say Ms. Cadario has been tasked with "helping coordinate operations and logistics" for the Grit's delegate selection meetings. And, as part of that contract, she has signed a "declaration of neutrality."


So it's not that they can't find Volunteers to run the DEM's it is that they DON'T WANT VOLUNTEERS.

The Bulldozer's are back on contract.

LPC-BC Appeal of nomination meeting.

PublicEye Online presented the findings of the LPC Permanent Appeals Committee, Two Parties, Two Processes, the same results on August 30th.

The dialogue between the commenters is the age old debate about appointing women candidates or sell,em,(memberships) stack,em (GOTV)soundly trounce'em(win).

The appointment of candidates has been done long before Confederation, most often to bring a person into Cabinet with a expertise that was needed to help run government.

In the early years the fear was having farmers and their sons ( the uneducated vote) making decisions that they were "not informed "about. Exactly the same debate that was held a few decades later when suffragets took to the picket lines.

I am keeping this as simple as possible so you won't be getting an in detail lesson here.

One example of being a woman and winning a nomination that clearly shows the importance of the appointment of 'same' candidate.

Several years ago during the nominations of the NPA slate for the Vancouver Minicipal Elections the best possible person was knocked off the slate by lesser mortals who had signed up their ethnic community to vote for them.

Carole Taylor lost that nomination, ran as an independent twice; elected both times. That is a very rare occurrence in politics, it takes a very special and well respected person to be elected as an independant.As a City Councillor, Carole Taylor was in constant demand, attended to all that crossed her desk, was exceptional in her capacity to work with the citizens of Vancouver.

Not your career politician this woman is an excellent role model for all women, who aspire to the political arena.Today as the BC Finance Minister she continues to use all her learned skills in the running of a smooth and seemingly fair government.

The other side.

Chretien appointed several people to Cabinet, first then election later. Pierre Pettigrew, Stephane Dion just as I reminder.

The appointment of candidates that really piss people off are the ones that PMPM made with appointing the likes of Bill Cunningham and John Bethel. Those hurt the Liberal party right across the country, and they were proven unelectable and shall remain that way.