Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Bush-Clinton monarchy melts marginally

For those Americans who believe this presidential race seems not to matter, welcome to the club, after the flavourful hype for change, we are left with an obvious aftertaste of the same old. For those Americans who are sick of the Bush-Clinton monarchy, which has been in power over the colonial superpower for the past 17 years, there is still a good chance it will melt away marginally with the supposed would, could and should have been Queen Hillary, I guess after a King George I, Bill and George II, it was bound to die out eventually, but it doesn't mean the other two boys in the sandbox aren't going to treat their title as the new kings of the castle. For those Americans who truly want a third way, here's the lowdown, with 4 parties and that fringe Independence spot all looking for some action in 2008.

As the Constitution Party, formerly the Taxpayers Party, has just recently been elected at the state level, through Rick Jore, a former Republican for House District 12 in the Montana House of Representatives, it leads the list as most serious party to be named third, replacing Green and Reform before that. This party is especially important right now, as the Republican Religious Right's Moral Majority is still dissatisfied John Mccain, as openly attested to by James Dobson, with statements of the fracturing of an increasingly divided constituency already. This is where old Barack Obama rival, from their United States Senate campaign for Illinois in 2004, Alan Keyes of Maryland comes into play, as he tries his best to play spoiler for both sides, especially key if Obama wins the Democratic nomination, it will be the first time he goes head to head a second time against both Mccain and Obama.

The Green Party has Cynthia McKinney, former Georgia congressperson, going to bat for them, if Ralph Nader of Connecticut does indeed go Independent, just the same the Reform Party has Jesse Ventura, former Minnesota governor, if he doesn't go Independent too, with the Libertarian Party filling out the list, by going with either Mike Gravel, former Alaska senator, or Ron Paul, current Texas congressperson. All in all, I would say the Iowa results prove the MidWest is going to be a battle royale, with these fringe players making a difference, perhaps almost quite as much as 2000, except perhaps a little more riding on the results. But it will depend on the American people, the ones whose vote more than a nation counts upon, how much they see America in the vision of the frontrunners or all those running the back 40 in the political sense of the word.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Obama and Clinton would lead to Mccain and Lieberman

If a Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton ticket goes forward, as either could lead the party ticket, both currently polling in their mid fourties, John Mccain needs to pick up Joseph Lieberman as his running mate. Though John Edwards would seem the plain choice for either as Vice Presidential nominee, there seems to be a hope in the Democratic Party for a power ticket, where the winner remains on top and the loser stays with the campaign on the bottom. This would be the compromise for both Obama or Clinton, both candidates who really could win, neither having a huge advantage over the other.

With their own ticket's top nominee decided, a decision on the nominee for Vice President is now very key for the Republican Party, but on this question I think they must think outside of the box. Being a Vietnamese Prisoner of War, his time spent in solitary confinement and his country's historical love of war heroes as successful presidential candidates, one can see how such a worldview could be helpful for America from the Oval Office in the current days it is in, trying hard to find a tougher Republican would be quite hard to find, even harder to sell. Instead, though Iraq has indeed trapped him, Mccain's strength is domestic politics, somwthing which he would need to return to in order to win, thus perhaps a maverick from the other side, even within his own Gang of Fourteen, on filibustering judicial nominations, itself, being maybe the very individual he would co-write legislation with that would eventually create the 9-11 Commission.

But I personally can not think of anyone better to pair up with Mccain than Joseph Lieberman, an Independent from Connecticut, who not only had the experience of running as such a nominee in 2000 with Al Gore and the Democrats, but whose understanding of bipartisan politics, quite like Senators Russ Feingold, Fritz Hollings or Jim Jeffords, is just as strong as Mccain in times both the White House and the United States of America needs such guidance from above. His run in 2004 for President in the Democratic race, shows he still has spunk, as does his Independent run and win after his party spurned him in his Congressional primary race, plus he picked up Mccain's faltering campaign when he most needed it with an early open endorsement. That he now has a consistent record of voting on both sides of the House should tell others he is responsible to the people, not the agenda, with the only question being would either an Obama-Clinton or Mccain-Lieberman administration bring the reforms needed to bring America back from the advancing troubles ahead.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Province of Ontario to Join the Have Nots

In early 2003, during a heated online debate with an Albertan and a Québécois, I remember being laughed at from both sides when I suggested that before the end of the decade Canada would be in an economically advanced recession, Alberta would politically more elite, Québec would politically become more grassroot, the province to their own left in geography would become the opposite of themselves, while Ontario would politically stay the same old status quo. After their minutes of laughter out loud were finished, I laid down the real bombshell, not only would the Province of Ontario remain the same politically, as comfort has its price, but it would before 2010 become a have not province!

The reaction then was forget it, even if the former engine of the Confederation politically, economically and socially was not all three anymore, there was no way any bond rating agency like Standard and Poor's, Moody's or Dominion would downgrade the province's AAA rating, which brings a higher cost of debt payments than at current. A lesson they had thought was learnt when during Bob Rae's reign of economic terror, which thrice had to drop from the AAA status to AA+ then AA and finally AA- given by its debt handlers, taking a decade and a half for yours to recover from the less than 5 year under $35 billion to over $100 billion debt burst with three straight budgets with deficits over $10 billion and its final being $8.5 billion, thus 1995 was a reaction to 1990 which had been the revolution. But no, I do not think people can remember, or learn those lessons of the past, without repeating them in the future as the National Post seems to point out towards.

Will 2011 or 2015 be a reaction to 2003 or 2007 which had been the revolution of late, people choice that kind of change, but got more of the same, as the Toronto Sun poll asks "Do you think Ontario is on track to become a "have not" province within a couple of years?" to which more than 97% of the 15000 respondents answered yes. I believe economically Alberta will continue to get better, socially Québec will continue to get better, but politically Ontario will soon learn what better actually means, as it continues to find its own cultural self until it can finally center upon and rest within it. The question is, while it finds its political soul, will the economic and social questions stay constant in time for them to be solved down the road or does time keep marching on without it?

Monday, March 17, 2008

Banishing the Elitist Snakes, Stabbing the Back of Power and the New Politics

Trying hard to wrap up a St. Patrick's Day and the Ides of March edition here, I see no better opportunity at the present then for us to note, that in Canada and Ontario, there is a new politics being created. A brand new idea that it can expand past the right and the left, into that of what is right not wrong, one that includes without full exclusion, can be principled without absolute pragmatism, this new politics of the grassroots encourages realignment, which promotes multi party views, through choice, change and chance at a better tomorrow. Quite unlike the old politics of the elites that continues to encourages polarization at its pleasure, with a taxpayers ransom in the form of a electoral kickback of $1.75 per vote gained, which forces two if not one party view, through intimidation, division and fear of what a better tomorrow may be, differing from their same old status quo known one, which has kept them in power, on top and in control of the lives of those who cannot.

Without simplifying it, old politics of the elites can be found especially in the power houses of the Liberal Party of Canada federally and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario provincially, that we see, at the current, both out of power right now is meaningless, as their replacements and others in the power blocks, that be the House and Legislatures of provincial and federal parliament, still basically toe out the same line, therefore keeping the same agenda. Recently, however, the Liberal Party of Canada federally turned on a grassroots ethnic collective to its own probable folly, one that it traditionally used for its own enjoyment, leisure and benefit, likewise the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario provincially forsook a grassroots labour collective to its possible death, all in the same manner. Both actions will have dire consequences, moreso on the federal and provincial political parties than either of those grassroots organizational collectives, however what is key is that both of those collectives now have more power in a political than either of those parties, as they now singlehandedly used that power to make sure a representative of the party they had previously supported, now opposed, wasn't elected to represent them, as a very wise member of the Ontario Landowners Association stated quite plainly "If these representatives don't know why they get the amount of our taxes in their pockets, through actions of lacking representation, then why should they represent us."

Banishing the elitist snakes can only start by stabbing the back of power they hold, to weaken its political authority, if morally it already is lacking, these federal and provincial political parties, both those powerhouses or in the power block itself, have built themselves upon the foundation of old elitist politics, they can not produce any good results because they have consumed bad policies, therefore anyone waiting for their wholesale turnaround is only fooling themselves. These organizational collectives, who see no productive qualities to the lacking representation they receive in return, are very smart indeed to banish, stab and leave those wrongful abusing powers behind like a battered wife from a brutal husband, as this is the very essense of grassroots democratic power, the new politics, which allows this thundering electoral herd to move from different multi party views, until the one that is right has been found. Leaving the old political elite's spectrum view of right versus left dichotomy, which produces that unproductive polarization, to enter a right versus wrong one, to where an electorate must consume the idea of realignment, is the last step towards bringing the new political grassroots from off the ballots and into the parliament for the betterment of society in general.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Bob Rae and his New Democratic Liberals may have lost the Laurier advantage amongst Métis

Putting on my own Métis Aboriginal cultural and Liberal Reform political hats for a second, I think by ignoring the people's voice and choice, especially the Métis constituents who make up the majority in Saskatchewan's Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, the chance of breaking down the status quo regime in that riding tomorrow has a nil to null percentage of change and therefore Bob Rae and his New Democratic Liberals may have lost the Wilfrid Laurier advantage amongst Métis. Not only for this byelection, but perhaps for others in the future as well, as these New Democratic Liberals, who stand for more government, less freedom and the continuance of excessive government interference, principles that fly in the face of Métis culture quite specifically, seem not to have learnt their lessons of the past. These principles also hurt the original cause of Reformed Liberals, ones who have watched big government after big government, dictatorial administration after dictatorial administration tell us what to do and why all of us should do their bidding with force to boot.

Bob Rae, a former Premier of Ontario, who has moved the party from the supposed center to the crowded supposed left, thus creating the New Democratic Liberals, has really made it hard for Stephane Dion to get any tread, as the Old Progressive Conservatives under Tory Prime Minister Stephen Harper move from the supposed right to retake more of the vacated supposed center from Dion. This may help both in the urban ridings of Toronto Centre, Willowdale and Quadra of Vancouver, where a larger welfare state through more taxation with less representation is fine and dandy, but where does that leave those in rural northern Saskatchewan who pay more and get less? Worse, that our Liberals have decided to move once more closer to a big government modern New Democrat policy and now further away from its historic small government Reformed policy and mentality traditionally, especially in denying members the basic democratic ability to make a grassroots run for nomination in their riding by making a top down selection, all of which tells me that no restoration of its old values has taken place internally since the last scandal, which means future governments and administrations, both dictarorial and big, will keep doing the same things, making the same mistakes and then once again will be asking us all to pay for them in the end!

Rae, Dion and the NDL may have decided to ignore the ideals of Laurier, reformed liberal ideals which honestly made him so loved by the Métis and Québécois minority of the day, backing Louis Riel when he was down for the count in Regina, after Tory Prime Minister John A. Macdonald showed him in the Northwest Rebellion what the power of a real statist government could do to make up for the Red River Rebellion at the Battle of Batoche. Laurier, a Reformed Liberal, could have gone with the grain, but he bucked the going trend, set his foot down and made it clear that he would not have any of it, to which he was supported from that next election time on and the party has done well for a full century ever after since. Tomorrow night Riel, the heroic patriot, founder of Manitoba and a reconciliated Father of Confederation, and his descendents of today in Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River will look on with disgust at the current affair that is federal politics in the Dominion, but with hope, a genuine hope that perhaps we can all work together and strive for a more consensual politics of days yore, that brings true choice towards a chance at real domestic change in this very foreign system.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Ontario Landowners Association sees common legal and political fight in Reform Party of Ontario

The Ontario Landowners Association sees a common legal and political fight in the Reform Party of Ontario, enough that its members, originally loyal to the Tory Progressive Conservatives, wonder if perhaps the elite party is not grassroots enough, thus now interested towards joing en masse with the Reformers. The article in the Ottawa Citizen and National Post speaks about how John Tory, leader of the Ontario PC Party sold out the Mike Harris Tories or Common Sense Revolutionaries, many of which had also been Rural Ontario Libertarians from the Ontario Landowners Association, this group believes in the same Ontario Reform principles of less government, more freedom and the end of excessive government interference, which is why a Belleville sitdown between the leadership of both the legal and political organizations will be held today.

The brainchild of which has been Reform Party of Ontario's Eastern Ontario organizer and cofounder of the former Lanark Landowners Association, which later on became the OLA, John Vanderspank. He watched as 131 Ontario Landowners attended the Ontario PC Leadership showdown in London, as 10 percent of the eligible voters, where they knocked John Tory's approval ratings down in late February, to a low 66.9 in opposition of his ongoing leadership issues that now actually do matter. While this almost gave John Tory his third such electoral defeat in less than a year, losing the general election, his electoral district then almost his leadership position, people across Ontario had to wonder just what this Rural Revolution could do if ever at full power, even within an elitist party like the Ontario Tories.

Vanderspank's other cofounder, Randy Hillier, was elected MPP for the riding of Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington after cutting a backroom deal last year with John Tory for support from John Tory's party for the Ontario Landowners principles of less government, more freedom and the end of excessive government interference in return for Hillier's running under their banner in that upcoming election. Hillier kept his part of the bargain, as the Ottawa born electrician gained the same kind of significant high profile support and attention he received from various confrontations with the power that be in that region, a populist network that includes Reform like politicians such as Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington MP Scott Reid, Nepean—Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke MP Cheryl Gallant, Leeds-Grenville MP Gord Brown and other Ontario MPs in the Harper Conservative Government, eventually winning his riding handedly. But John Tory did not keep his end of that specific bargain, creating the election platform on his own, through policy elite advisory, without any real grassroots development, which not only ended up losing the election, but also lacked any of the Ontario Landowners principles that were promised upon that deal for their support.

Now, since the open battle for his leadership defeat by the Ontario Landowners, John Tory and his handlers are calling out the controversial and impolitic tactics used to win the support they had been hoping to use politically for themselves, some openly questioning their Rural Ontario MPP's party loyalty and allegiance to its brand of politics, despite their openly autocratic sellout as the party backroom elite to his and their populist rural organization's. This has placed much pressure on Hillier and the Ontario Landowners, having been railroaded by the Ontario Tories, who now feel payback is possibly in order to show politicians, who simply waste their valuable time, just what happens when they do. But Carleton—Mississippi Mills MPP and John Tory loyalist Norm Sterling last week called the Ontario Landowners group's influence "limited", proofed by gloatingly pointing to his own comprehensive victory, while the Ontario Landowners had supported the Ontario Green candidate, as the OLA president Jack Mclaren said they "found they have more common ground with the provincal Green party than areas of disagreement" as several of the Green people were found to be good folks, while OGP leader Frank Dejong said they "see eye to eye with the provincial Landowners association on many issues." Especially in a general election, where Ontario Reform tested its formula by only running 2 candidates, the Ontario Greens satisfied the Ontario Landowners much better than those Tories, with candidates that supported their position on three issues, enshrining property rights into a provincial constitution, compensating landowners for protecting the environment at the expense of their property rights and finally allowing municipalities to deamalgamate if it was the will of the people. From Ontario Greens to Ontario Reform, the possible move by the Ontario Landowners forced one leading one John Tory Ontario PC senior aide to state "I'm not saying there's not a concern, there's always a concern about everybody in the party. But a bunch of guys who throw a party together in a basement? Good luck to you!" while University of Toronto political science professor Nelson Wiseman chimed in that "I have a feeling they will take some Conservative votes away, but more likely, and you just can't tell, if there's an appetite for change in 2011, they'll overcome the fact that some of their vote was chipped away."

That John Tory spurned Rural Ontario by telling Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey that Urban Ontario is where he belonged, when he left to run in Toronto's Don Valley West, he killed any shot of getting back in through such a route again. The best he could do is follow Parry Sound—Muskoka MP Tony Clement up the 400, past Muskoka and north on the 69 because any Rural Ontario run will be complicated by the Ontario Landowners now. This is especially true if such a John Tory loyalist as Leeds—Grenville MPP Bob Runciman even tried his best to sneak him in the backdoor by resigning, such a byelection would likely produce an Ontario Landowner victory under the Ontario Reform banner, who like Don Valley West MPP Kathleen Wynne would slaughter John Tory back to a Bay Street condo retreat over the Lakeshore. The backroom pals of John Tory, such as former Premier of Ontario Bill Davis, right now are likely trying hard to use their longtime connections and contacts to find a friendly Liberal or New Democrat in 416 Toronto who could give him their seat, pleading that having a friendly ally like John Tory in the Park to the Big Three's collective cause is to all their benefits communally, making this a most likely and probable scenerio indeed, especially as Northern Ontario is becoming just as strong as Rural Ontario with their revolution.

With such odds stacked against them by Toronto city politicos, a question of why on earth would the Ontario Landowners bank their power on the Rural and Northern Ontario Reformers can be answered, with this sitdown meeting of 23 Ontario Landowners and 3 Ontario Reformers bringing all of them under the same big tent, one must go back to their original principles of less government, more freedom and the end of excessive government interference, these keys to a chance for change through choice is why the Ontario Landowners got involved on the political side in the first place, not for power but for principle. If Hillier doesn't see any of these three principles, or even one of the three, being practised by the Progressive Conservatives, or other two types of political parties provincially at Queen's Park, in the Liberals and New Democrats, then why would he not be considering a change of allegiance to Ontario Reform, which is where he originally began his political calling as a Reformer in the first place with best of buds in people like Reid.

Vanderspank and Ontario Reform along with Hillier and Ontario Landowners have a real job ahead of them, to make the principles they had originally cofounded their Ontario Landowners organization upon into a political force, they must unite to ally once again within the Ontario Reform movement that made their cause célèbre against authorities of the elite the cat's meow, if they are to gain the steam it had legally into one of the same politically. But they have lots of help, as the Reform Party of Ontario grows, the potential as witnessed by the June 1991 Mississauga rally of 7,730 members and the membership of Ontario Reformers being more than the rest of the Reform Party of Canada's combined in the other provinces, so for the idea Vanderspank puts out there, the validity of it remains in Hillier becoming Ontario's version of Deborah Grey and Harness becoming Ontario's version of Preston Manning, allowing one to automatically become Reform Ontario's House Leader inside and other to automatically become its Party Leader outside, with a grand provincial assembly in 2009 to make it all so, to solidify the electoral base with a brand new choice just before the next general election in 2011 and do so for the most optimum chance at victory so the Park will once more be home to change like 1919.

Populism trumps autocracy, the United Farmers of Ontario proved it almost about a century ago, people in Northern and Rural Ontario already on board the Ontario Landowners idea legally were already with Ontario Reform politically in the past, all that needs to happen is bringing it back into the future, bringing each organization a lot more visibility, immediate capability to make change now and automatic opportunity to ask questions at the Park, all in all such a democratically made decision to work together would strengthen the grassroots populist choice for citizens wanting a chance to vote for a more people first political alternative provincially over the Big Three in the Ontario Legislative Assembly right now, especially if one argues there is not much difference between the elite triad of power that maintains the status quo there current and such a boost for choice really could reform Ontario in ways one could not believe.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Hamilton, Halton and Niagara look to Reform their politics

The brand new leader of the Reform Party of Ontario has made Hamilton, Halton and Niagara regions a priority in his first events, back in early January he came to McMaster campus to speak with the students, he will return later this March to speak with students on the Redeemer campus, perhaps an event with Mohawk campus to close out the school year. Brad Harness truly had a vision for the future of this Province of Ontario, one that needs to be heard, development of it could indeed stave of the hard times ahead in the province that is headed for the have nots. The party organizers gathered yesterday in the executive room at Redeemer to speak about starting the party's first riding association in Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, these regional organizers are charged as well in starting up riding association eventually in neighbouring Oakville, Burlington, Halton, Hamilton Centre, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, Hamilton Mountain and Niagara West—Glanbrook ridings within their region, this bodes well for the Reform Party of Ontario in the region, as political competition always does, but right now just gaining momentum is all that should be expected from the upstart group in these early days.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Canadian Climate Change is Global Cooling not just Global Warming

I just want to get this one straight, Canadian Climate Change is Global Cooling, not just Global Warming. As one of those Green Reformer grassroot political types, I do believe there is long term significant changes in the variability or average state of the atmosphere over long term durations in the average weather, such as temperature, precipitation and wind patterns. All of which leads to climate change cycles that any given region experiences, caused mainly here on Earth by fundamental dynamic process, external forces including variations in sunlight intensity, internal forces including various anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic factors and activities, whether natural or artificial. But for goodness sakes here, let us be clear now, if you are to believe that climate change cycles lead us to global warming, you must also be prepared to believe they can lead us to global cooling too. The reason being is that we have been, plus still are currently freezing every winter for the past few years now, as the main stream media continues to refute the science I was taught well, saying we should be suntanning out there on the snow and I mean come on it really can't all be simply blamed on us living in Canada, as 75% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the ol' U.S. of A with a near empty True White North at present here!

Friday, March 07, 2008

What Happened to the Pursuit of Happiness?

So whatever did happen to the pursuit of happiness, thinking about the question, while restarting our Five Oclock Friday Night Football Indoors after workouts in the gym, except now without the violent tackling which prematurely ended the season last time between December and January of this year, taking out a couple dozen players, instead switching to pathetic touch rules. Like this last sentence above, I think we as a society have gotten off track, perhaps even off the message of what the collective pursuit is as a people and what the individual pursuit for each ourselves. This should not just be a catchphrase, with political idealism of inalienable rights towards eventual independence being its hook, that we declare out any old time, it must be a way of life for those who believe in keeping freedom, building democracy and making the most out of life with the hope, wish and dream of gaining the highest amount of enjoyment derived from it.

Liberty, from Thomas Hobbes into the minds of John Locke, Thomas Jefferson and their contemporaries, basically modernized the Golden Rule, stating that no one ought to harm another in his life, health, and their possessions. Going from just narrow guarantees, that a government must give its people to a wider spectrum of governmental intervention, which directly gave us our rights based society today, now this along with the growth of the government outside of those checks and balances led to a society without a fully recognized list of responsibilities. Without responsibilities added to any bill of rights, liberal ideology changes from being that of a sovereign commonwealth to night watchman to regulatory state to equal opportunity to choice enhancement stages, with individuals giving up more of the former to their government, in exchange for more of the latter for themselves. The strive for absolute individualism miracuously led to inclusive collectivism, the exact opposite of what they wanted, one that actually was less than the originally intended liberalism.

Individuals who look for the security of the person through its state may achieve this, mainly though bureaucratic entitlement legislation, but without a stronger check and balance of their government, the individual, even through its collective, will not be able to reign in the new found power that government now holds, which limits the people rather than its state they created. Equality can not be achieved, without taking away someone else's, so we must understand the concept that our time here just is not fair, work to make others happy in their pursuit, helping one another in anyway possible, even without the chance of reward or choice of deed if positive, then perhaps we can find some happiness in our very own, need to today try making the best of it while here. I think in the end, once we realize and know that in this world injustice will remain the name of the game, then and only then can any of us actually find a small measure of justice in this life.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Mccain Outlasts Others to Lead the Republicans

Arizona Senator John Mccain got past former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney to try taking his shot at a Republican threepeat in the White House, but as he already is the favourite to win the race, his opponents did not help their united cause by pulling out beforehand. Mccain sit back and watch as Clinton and Obama knock each other down in their primaries, but it may not be in his best interest, as the Democrat who comes out from their internal war, being very battle ready for the next fight. Huckabee and Romney therefore, in the end, may just have given their new found pal the rest and relaxation he did not need for the road ahead.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Pain stays temporarily, glory lasts forever, plus chicks dig scars

Hamilton is quite the boxing town, I know the more established Steeltown, Regency, Premier Fitness and other joints in the city are fine, but I like the backlot of the private Mile High Mountain gym, which is basically a downstairs vacant basement of a Mac acquaintance with all the essential equipment for boxing or mixed arts. A good independent startup place, with small circle of users, for those either beginning or those wanting to get back in, allowing one the lack of structure to be flexible, improvise and maximize their horizons, despite not having any inhouse professional boxing coach, to help end any bad habits or improve your form and technique, if you are lacking either or both. After some intense rope jumping and mirror shadow boxing at the beginning, that follows sprinting, weight or strength training and conditioning throughout the week, heavy bag, reflex speed bag, double end bag, bob and weave speed ball, focus mitt work, body cushion work, and of course, sparing with other fight club styled indies around town who show up.

The routine is the key, setting up goals, keeping to those targets, achieving those objectives, identifying your strengths, like mine is improved foot and hand speed, and improving on your weaknesses, like mine is identified hand and eye coordination, going from a broad vision to a narrow focus is where this kind of training should get you. Performing each of the starting basic element means, like in sprinting or weight and strength training and conditioning, brings you closer to your end desired goal, whether it be losing some weight, gaining some muscle or having the high intensity for overall greater fitness in life.

A one two three rhythm stolen from Rocky, along with various other punch combinations, has indeed noticeably helped me on the bags gain internal focus, with the foil to counter the sparing partner's reactive blows, as they come each time, which confidently prepares me for the next. But you can not block all shots, whether a jab, cross, hook or uppercut, from the left or the right, or a combination of any of these, can right well test your power to stay in the game, forcing you to slip, duck, break, sway, fade, bob, weave, parry, block, clinch and coverup before you take a big one right on the chin. Strength, speed and agility are tested in this sport to their limits, so I highly recommend headgear, as you do not know when all three will collide onto your face, leaving a scar or two, but then like I say, pain stays temporarily, glory lasts forever, plus chicks dig scars!

Monday, March 03, 2008

Reformed Liberals to defeat the Progressive Conservatives

Watching the Albertocracy unfold once more as their Liberals fall easily to Progressive Conservatives, buoyed externally by the fact most citizens openly participated in their leadership race over a year ago and internally by the fact Reform opposition in Preston Manning, Ted Morton and even the Wild Rose Alliance participated in the same leadership race to validate it amongst Reformers, leads one to the thinking that this is the way it was meant to be.

Well, it actually truly is not, the opposition is what keeps governments from becoming corrupt, no matter what the flavour. Last year, Saskatchewan has it right with its balance, the governing Saskatchewan Party holding the majority with 38 seats of 58 while the opposition New Democrats have 20, or even in 2007 once again, Québec where the governing Liberals hold a minority with 48 seats of 125, the official opposition Action Démocratique have 41 and the third party opposition Parti Québécois have 36. All of these are healthy politically speaking provinces with real alternatives to vote for.

We here in Ontario are not quite in the same boat, the governing Liberals with 71 seats of 107 have a majority, but the official opposition Progressive Conservative at 26 and third party opposition New Democrats at 10 all work towards similar legislative goals when elected at Queen's Park. With very little difference between any of these Big Three, the grassroots voter is left with no alternative, which is how Small Too parties like Green and Reform takes on more important, as voting grassroots to protest the elite. Blocking the same old political status quo becomes the objective, towards denying the subjective politically, so people can ignore politics and go about more important things in life.

Canadians and Ontarians in general do not believe politics is key in our current democratic society, all of us are still run by a monarch across the pond, not truly in need of a declaration of independence, but rather an affirmation of dependence, one that says I as an individual can not do much, but we as a collective will do such. It has left our parliaments and legislatures powerless to make real change, sometimes even with real alternatives that could make it at the door, every one person and each community of people can make a difference, if they believe themselves able to. But the power to do so remains in their hands, where both positive action and negative reaction is created, from the creased palm right to their mighty fingertips!

All those in Alberta, who perhaps lost their chance to make change by their own choice tonight, I challenge them, just as I challenge Ontarians. Let us rise to it, give the people a governing alternative from the ranks of the opposition for the future, let the elite run as the grassroots democratically make their mark, then all together come as one force to show the pulse of a nation in a show of liberty, independence, freedom, equality and justice for our society. Just as many former Liberals in Ontario have tried hard recently to create a Reform Party of Ontario, myself humbly giving help where I can, perhaps Liberals in Alberta need to aid those in Wild Rose country by working along with like minded Reformers left behind in the dust by the electoral drive for power these Progressive Conservatives have recently finished. Just as here, those high Tories need to know what honest, accountable and transparent Reform is politically speaking, so perhaps the right time for a Reformed Liberal party to rise against the Progressive Conservative party is now in this nation provincially, what say you?