Monday Moanings - August 3, 2015

Summertime and the living is...?

It's a holiday Monday! Simcoe Day here in these parts. I've written about this holiday in my blog in previous year. Click Here for the link. Around the province other names prevail: Colonel By Day in Ottawa, Joseph Brant Day in Burlington and Benjamin Vaughan Day in the City of Vaughan. And around the country still other names head up this first Monday in August: Regatta Day in Newfoundland, Natal Day in Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan, Heritage Day in Alberta, and British Columbia Day in, you guessed it, British Columbia.

A rose by any other name... it seems. Whatever it's called, the bottom line here is that most Canadians get a mid-summer long holiday weekend to revel in the all too short pleasures of summer living - boating, water skiing, swimming, bbq's, beer, baseball, wine spritzers,  lounging in the sunshine and ... electioneering. WHAT?? Where did that come from?






Ah yes the feds chose this weekend to kick off the election campaign. We all knew this was coming. We all knew that October 19 would be Election Day, but most of us including me, hoped we would be spared the hype and hoopla until after Labour Day. But NO, the writ has been drawn up and the party leaders are off and running, subjecting us all to 78 days (the longest campaign since 1872!!) of attack ads, empty promises and political rhetoric, none of it particularly good.















Here's my strategy: I will PVR the shows I want to watch, then fast forward through all the commercials thereby skipping the attack ads. I will be live streaming much more TV for the same reason as well as relying heavily on Netflix® for my viewing entertainment. I will tune into the first debate this Thursday, but will tune out if it proves too superficial or is allowed to degrade into a personality contest. I will watch Peter Mansbridge and the 'At Issue' panel on The National (CBC) every Thursday night for balanced, well thought out analysis.

The key issues for me are: the economy, the environment and health care, particularly for seniors. I cannot be bought, bullied (no, there is not a terrorist under every Canadian bed!) or conned. I know without a doubt that I will not be voting for the current leader and party in power. I have a pretty good but not entirely unshakable handle on who will garner my vote, but under no circumstances will I have a lawn sign on my yard. I firmly believe that the secrecy of the ballot box is a hallmark of democracy - thanks Dad! - and my vote is my business and mine alone.

Democracy - that's really what it's all about on this Simcoe Day. Regardless of how one feels about the current government, this elongated election campaign, or any of the other political leaders and parties, regardless of how cynical one may have become about government, we have the vote. It is our duty and our responsibility as citizens to exercise that immense privilege.

Happy Holiday Monday!

©2015 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - March 25, 2013

I should have been at the gym this morning, but instead I frittered away the appointed time slot for this activity, parked in front of my computer, a steaming latte for company. It was all so very easy...

A brief check of my email - a few replies and satisfying use of the 'delete' key - then it's over
to the BBC World News. I see that the EU worked out a deal with Cyprus and, OH, Prince Harry is going to tour the US for 6 days promoting rehab for injured troops. Why is Canada left out? Hmmm... Well on to the CBC World News; not much different from the 'Beeb', but a click over to Canada and well, 'The Pandas are Coming, the pandas are coming'! There's a link to check out the plane's progress on a flight tracker. And the PM himself is going to meet them. Cute, even very cute, but it seems a little over the top doesn't it? How much is all this costing us? I leave that hanging in the air and click over to Facebook. A talented painter friend of mine has posted a picture of one of her paintings, an absolutely gorgeous apple blossom. Surely Spring must be coming any day now? Over to Twitter to have scroll through Chris Hadfield's latest pics from the ISS, and across to Google+ to check out a few new posts. Good time to check my security settings, again. All is well. "Bing Bing" announces a new email - just junk, but while there, my clicky finger finds the JigZone puzzle of the day; an ornate hawk needs piecing together.

Of course tempus fugits all through this April in Cyberland adventure and I look up at the big rabbit's watch on the wall; the little hand is on the 9 and the big hand -- well let's just say it's past 9. Oh Crap! I've missed the gals at the gym. I'm not even dressed yet. But then I am reminded of a recent workout study that found that less is more. Two 40 minute cardio workouts and two 40 minutes resistance training (Yay! I'll be good at that one. What? Not that kind of resistance?) a week is optimum. With this new intel I draw up a revised workout schedule and lo and behold, today is a rest day!

Oh look! A bowl of jelly beans!