1st World Problems

 Here comes another political post.  Gird your loins friends. As you are well aware the federal PC party is looking for a new leader. They said, "see you later loser" to Erin O'Toole months ago. According to the die-hards in his party, he was too liberal when he spoke on acceptance and how the party itself needs to move forward (and maybe a little scooch left) if it wanted to be a contender for becoming Canada's top party.  That was far too much and he was catapulted out. I bet he was hurt at the time but is now super relieved that he isn't the one that needs to herd all of the cats that are currently running to be the leader.  Let's start with Jean Charest. He seems to be the safe choice. He is the best choice to work on stopping the growing divide in our country. He acknowledges that the country can't continue this way if we ever want to work together. He comes with some issues though. He has been in the leader's seat before. In 1993 he was the leade...

 It is Canada Day eve.  Usually spent camping, fireside, with a good chance of someone nearby shooting off some fireworks.  Memories of burned marshmallows and sunburns, this weekend always felt like the start of summer to me.  I have been a proud Canadian since I was old enough to understand what that meant. Our contributions to the world range from medical breakthroughs ( Banting ), to sports ( Naismith ), and our role as peacekeepers ( berets ). We have a lot to celebrate.  We do need to acknowledge a lot of our failures as a nation as well though. Internment camps , starlight tours, and our treatment of Indigenous people in general (think drinking water ).  Then there is the waving of our flag. Since the convoy, I haven't seen anyone flying our flag in the same way. Instead of a feeling of pride and community, I now think of people who think that their rights triumph over everyone else. I think people who have moved so far from the truth and what I alwa...

 I have talked about this before.  So if some of the things I say in this post sound familiar, it may be because it is something I have said before. Some points in this issue bear repeating, and sometimes to feel truly heard, you have to repeat yourself. So, it actually happened. Roe Vs. Wade was repealed. And almost half the states in America have either made abortion illegal already or are working on it. In some states, like Texas, people had appointments made and had traveled to appointments. Only to show up and find the clinics closed.  This wasn't a surprise really. That is what happens when the highest court in the land is stacked to one side. R V. W isn't just about access to safe abortion though. It is also about privacy in health care and accessing health care safely. Part of the explanation for the repeal is that things like abortion, contraception, gay marriage, and interracial marriage were not specifically mentioned in the constitution.  My question to t...

 Indigenous Musicians.  We have all heard of Robbie Robertson and his time in The Band (have you seen the Last Waltz? I don't think anyone there remembers it). And who doesn't enjoy "Somewhere Down the Crazy River"?  And then there is Redbone. This band is somewhat lesser-known, but I bet if you click the link you will recognize the song "Come and Get Your Love" . And let's not forget everyone's Mother-In-Law's favorite Tom Jackson and his "Huron Carol" . There are so many Indigenous artists right now that should be recognized and have a much larger audience. One of my favourite songs, and has been for a while is "Wasted" by William Prince. The first time I heard the song was while watching the New Year's Eve special on CBC. Prince was born in Selkirk, Manitoba, and later moved with his family to the Peguis First Nation as a child. Prince has won two Junos, a Canadian Folk music Award, and the 2020 SOCAN songwriting prize...

 So today, I thought I would introduce you to some Indigenous Canadian artists. Also, here is a reminder that art is subjective, some work will speak to you and others won't. And another thing, supporting an artist doesn't mean only buying their largest pieces. If you like a print, and can only afford the postcard size, treat yourself. You deserve nice things. Just be sure you are buying from a source where the artist gets their cut.  Norval Morrisseau Bird Family Morrisseau was born on March 14, 1932, on the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation.  He was often called the "Picasso of the North".  His work featured the beings in the legends of his people, the struggles of the Indigenous people, and his own beliefs and struggles. Also known as Copper Thunderbird, Morrisseau was a self-taught artist who founded the Woodslands School of Canadian art; and was a member of the Professional Native Artists Incorporation. A piece of Morrisseau's was chosen to be the cov...

 It's Indigenous People's Day here in Canada.  Yesterday I featured world-renowned sniper Francis Pegahmagabow. You can go back and read it if you missed it.  And today I am going to feature one of my favourite actors.  I have said many times, and I will probably say again, that a Canadian movie isn't truly Canadian unless it features one of two actors. One is Gordon Pinsent (more on him another day), and the other is our person of the day. Graham Greene! Graham is an Oneida that was born on June 22, 1952, on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. His first brush with the stage was working in Newfoundland as an audio tech. In 1974 he graduated from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre's Native Theatre School Program and from there starred on stage, in movies, and in TV shows.  Nominated for an Oscar (one of only two Indigenous actors nominated, ever) for the 1990 movie "Dances With Wolves", Greene has starred in many great films (Wind River, The Green Mile, Winter...

As you may be aware tomorrow (June 21st) is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada.  Our country has a long way to go when it comes to acknowledging the way that it has treated and continues to treat the Indigenous people. Part of that is celebrating the impact that Indigenous people have had on us historically.  While Canadians are for the most part thought of as peace-loving and gentle people. we do have a number of war heroes. One of those that hasn't received as much attention as he should is Francis Pegahmagabow. Francis was born on March 9, 1891, in the Shawanaga nation in Ontario. Following the death of both of his parents, he was later raised by his grandfather of sorts (Noah Nabimanyquod had also raised Francis' dad after his parent's death) in the same nation.  Francis worked many jobs around his nation and excelled in his studies and music. In 1914, at the start of the first world war, Indigenous people were discouraged from joining the war. In 1916, after m...

 The Klondike Papers. If you pay attention to politics, you may have already heard about them. And they aren't about the wrapping on ice cream sandwiches.  According to someone who is calling themselves a whistleblower, there is a church in Canada that has hatched a right-wing plot to not only have the Prime Minister "taken care of", but to place the furthest right of right people put in control instead.  From what I have heard, the main part of this plan is a lawyer here in Calgary. Not only is he a member of a church with many whispered accusations behind it, but he is super-rich. And no one trusts the super-rich.  I don't want to get too deep into the rabbit hole about this right now. I don't know how much truth there is to the allegations, and I find most conspiracy theories to be easily debunked and the people truly obsessed with them might need a grippy sock vacation.  These papers hold some of the same bases as many other popular theories. That the rich a...

 I'm feeling a little feisty today. Maybe it's the sudden snowstorm that came through last night, maybe it's the longer days.  Remember February? When all of the goose convoy (noisy, angry, left a lot of crap around that they didn't pick up) decided it was a great idea to park in downtown Ottawa? You know, the people that were trying to overthrow a democratically elected government? With the memorandum of understanding? The one that said that the current government would step aside and let the members of the convoy lead the country? Yeah, those guys.  Well, it seems that at least the leaders of that group are having a heck of a time.  Tamara, who started the GoFundMe that raised $10 million was back in court today, arguing that the ban she was given to not use social media basically is too broad and not fair. I wonder if they will ask her where the $8 million that was removed from the fundraising before it was shut down went. Maybe partially to fly her husband in on ...

 What are you grateful for? It's not Thanksgiving, but why should that day have a chokehold on expressing what we are grateful for? I feel like for most of us the low-hanging fruit is family, but let's not stop at the easy grabs.  What else are you grateful for? I am grateful for the healthcare in this country. Could it be better, sure. But we have it, and no one here goes broke after a trip to the emergency room. Nor do we have to do research to see what ER takes our insurance. Bigger picture. Our hospitals are safe places. No bombing, no emergency evacuations.  I am grateful for our government. Before you get all hyped up, I don't mean the specific people that are in power. I mean our type of government. We get to vote, no one meets us at the polling station to tell us we already voted, and no one in the polling station has a gun to ensure you vote the way you are supposed to. The vote doesn't always go the way you wanted, and you know what? You get to complain about ...

In 103 days My mom, my daughter, and I will be taking a trip.  During the trip, my mom will turn 65. And for her milestone birthday, we are going home together.  We are going without many plans. Well, I should rephrase that, I am going without any real plans. My daughter has a few. She has only been to Newfoundland once, but she knows what she likes and it would seem custard cones are near the top of that list.  The idea for the trip started kind of thanks to this blog. My mom reads it (Hi Mom!) and picked up on my wanting to learn more about her family. I know the basics, I can name names and for the most part, I have the main players down. But there is a difference between knowing the names and seeing where it all happened.  My mom and I have always been close, mostly because for a long time we were it for each other. And my daughter is just like us. We wear our hearts on our sleeves and act tough. We love deeply and get hurt easily. We run our mouths a little more...

 Who else remembers Canadian Heritage minutes? And the shorts between movies on the movie and on public television? I was listening to music this morning and a song came on that sent me all the way back to childhood. Who else loves " The Log Driver's Waltz "? I have memories of watching tv after school and waiting for something to end just so I could see the shirt cartoon.  I loved how it started with archival footage and then when to the simply drawn cartoon . At any given moment, even now, I can sing this song. From beginning to end (with a few mumbled lyrics in the middle if I forget a few words), I think almost all Canadians my age can do the same thing. Then there are the Canadian Heritage minutes. There is a large swath of us that still makes jokes about the smell of burnt toast. Beyond the camp of teaching history through one-minute vignettes, they were shockingly effective. Through them, I learned about Jennie Trout, how the Winnie the Pooh got his name, and that ...

 Let's talk about representation and why it matters. This is going to be very brief but hopefully, it will make sense in the end.  Part of reaching equity means that we are equal. Not just putting lip service to it when it comes time to prove that you care about other people. It also means doing the hard stuff. Like sitting and listening. Not interrupting or sharing a time that you felt as though someone was mean to you. Being uncomfortable and hearing things you don't like is a part of learning. It means sometimes letting someone else go ahead of you, and letting someone else shine as well.  When you don't see yourself on TV or in movies it either makes you feel like you aren't seen, or it makes you feel like you don't belong. As a fat woman in a beauty-obsessed culture, I am made to feel as though I shouldn't want to dress in any way other than like my grandmother in polyester pants and loud, floral blouses, or in shapeless, floor-length muumuus. No one should...