Go! VOTE! Go Vote Now!
Hiya. Whatcha doin'? Me? Oh, stuff I shouldn't be. Like drawing Octopuses in pirate gear and thinking about how my pants smell like bugspray and how I would very much like a big bowl of cherries right now. Stuff like that.
I should be thinking deeply political thoughts about democracy and elections and government policy and such, because we're having one. yep. Today is Election Day here in Canada. I will be making the trek to mark my ballot in about an hour. If you're Canadian, you best be hoofing to the polls too. 'Cuz stuff like that is important. It's also important that when you're there, you don't vote Conservative. That's kinda undemocratic of me, I know, telling you how to vote. Or rather how not to vote. But have you seen Stephen Harper?!! He has flat, silver shark eyes. They're creepy. And who wants a Prime Minister with creepy shark eyes? So don't do it. Don't vote Conservative even if you really want to, Okay? Just don't. Okay...End of political mumblings. Bring on the Octopuses. Or Pirat-o-puses as the case may be.
Update: Okay. So I voted and even though it's probably all for naught as my riding always, always, always goes Conservative and will most likely go Conservative again despite the threat of a creepy shark-eyed PM, and despite the fact it always makes me a bit angry because why, why, why can't Canadians vote directly for their Prime Minister? Why can't we vote for our MP (Member of Parliment) and our Prime Minister like they do in the States? ...even though all that, it's all good.
'Cuz on the way to the polling station? I saw this little kid in a Canada t-shirt, a little boy who was adorable in that so-goofy-and-outrageous-looking-he's-cute kinda way with bright flaming red hair sticking straight up in the air and ears (hot pink with the backlight of the sinking sun) that would dwarf Dumbo's, waving his mom's registration card and grinning this insanely wide, three toothed grin. That alone was worth the effort it requires to go make an X behind a cardboard shield in an elementary school gymnasium. That alone would have satisfied me.
But then...at the polling station.... this couple straight out of a Chistopher Guest mockumentary (Waiting for Guffman, Best of Show, The Mighty Wind) told me they had been waiting for me all day! All day! Just for Me! Since 9:30 this morning!
The woman who would be played by Catherine O'Hara explained that in some wacky voter's list anomally, my name and address were listed twice.
"TWICE!" the guy who would be played by Eugene Levy enthused, nodding and beaming and twinkling at me almost maniacally causing me to wonder if perhaps they had been cooped up in that school gymnasium just a little too long and maybe the shiny wooden floors were emitting some potent euphoria-inducing fumes or something.
"We were so worried you wouldn't come in!" Catherine O'Hara said.
"So worried! " Eugene echoed.
"Now we've solved the mystery! Thank you so much!"
"Yes, thank you so Much!" Eugene enthused some more.
Sometimes it just feels so good to do your patriotic duty.
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Update the Second: YAY! YAY! Ol' Shark Eyes* didn't get elected! YaHoo. He did not do nearly as well as anticipated. Paul Martin is still our Prime Minister and it's a Liberal minority government, the first in 25 years. ( the first minority government in 25 years that is...the Liberals have been in power for quite awhile now ) That means we may be going back to the polls as early as this fall to vote again (or maybe not for another year or two...we'll see), but right now I'm just tingling with relief.
Plus I'm shocked and staggered (yes, shocked and staggered!) by the fact that the Liberals took my riding by a comfortable margin. This despite the fact that our neighbourhood was a veritable sea of blue Conservative lawn signs, with nary a red one to be found!
And to all of you darling Canadians who turned out to vote... good on ya! Way to exercise your rights! Keep it up!
* I really do have very good reasons for not wanting Stephen Harper running our government aside from his eerie eyes, I really do. Well-researched and informed reasons... It's just that though I have definite political views and I do follow this stuff closely (I'm a bit of a news freak, actually), I don't think my blog is the place to share them for the most part. And I totally respect your right to have a differing opinion. Just so you know.
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