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17:13 - 07/24/2010
july
It�s been an interesting month dear diary. Just after last writing to you, there was a home invasion robbery on my street. Just before midnight I sat watching the police carrying out their duties. Later news would talk of firearms involved. No wonder the officers looked so tense. Subsequent invasions have occurred all over the city and, from the description of the perpetrators, it appears it may be the same group each time. The news reports indicated that the invasions are targeted to specific individuals rather than being random robberies when no one is home. Disturbing.

As you might have guessed the upload of the new website did not go smoothly. I found myself spending hours trying to negotiate a joint effort between the three technical parties that needed to co-operate in order to complete the transfer the domain name. Success finally arrived a week after I wrote to you. So far, there�s only been positive feedback and requests for additional material to be added. The only real negative was the one event organizer who appears to have a control complex. He wanted any reference to that event removed from the social media sites I set up to link to the website �because it is too confusing�. Yes of course, the information was, including wording, identical to what he had provided to be placed on the website. Whatever. One of the people involved with the association expressed some qualms too, but they had to do with the political issues that always arise when one is dealing with government institutions. I can�t do anything about that.

In addition, in the first week of this month I was contacted by two separate people I haven�t heard from in years � �how are things going?�. Both support a particular perennial political bloc/candidate. It�s difficult to gauge if they are planning a campaign for federal or provincial office, but there�s a campaign a-building for certain. Local provincial job posting for a Returning Officer might also have influenced my perception of a pending event. Given the local headlines this month, it looks as though this province will be dealing with three elections this fall � municipal, provincial and federal � given the beating of the drums from all sides. Only municipal elections are legislated to be held on a specific date, but usually the other levels of government are silent over summer. This summer their posturing has been featured every evening in the media, even when more pressing issues deserve their attention.


A+ and I were downtown twice in the first week of this month. Canada Day on Prince�s Island was quite entertaining. Lots of local entertainers amusing the crowds, while local groups had booths to educate citizens about their home cultures and how they add value to our country. Food and music are always great ways to build bridges aren�t they? It was a hot sunny day this year which added a great deal to the ambience. Two days later A+ accompanied me on a work assignment, since he wanted to take photos of an exhibit being held in the museum/cultural centre where he used to work. The Stampede parade had been held the day before, but apparently had set a policy of no religious organizations being allowed to be involved � just for the sake of non-conflict probably. Two of the groups excluded decided to hold their own parades on that morning we were downtown. Near the cultural centre one Asian faith that is considered apostate in it�s home country and then on Olympic Plaza we encountered an evangelical Christian group dressed up as crusaders hauling a bemused infant along in a cart, I guess representing their saviour. Looked a little odd given that the mall was crowded with tourists in summer garb mixed with local cowboys and cowgals dressed in their rodeo finery. Each to their own, I guess. I actually sang along to one of the hymns � at least it had a beat to it.

As we were waiting for the train, we witnessed the parade of one of the political parties preening on it�s power, by deliberately disrupting downtown traffic. This scene came complete with a police escort to clean up the horse poop after the cavalcade had passed; they were travelling by horse drawn shays after having held their Stampede breakfast on the rodeo grounds, you see. Too bad there isn�t a street sweeper that can scoop up the political poop too, eh? As it was, the trains in both directions were all halted for some time to accommodate the inflated egos on the shays. Grumble. A+ and I did take a lot of photos though so something good came out of it.

I don�t mind paying the taxes for citizens to exercise their charter rights to freedom of assembly, association and free expression, but given the disgusting behaviour of our government with respect to the G8 and G20 summits held in eastern Canada the week before, that particular political party shouldn�t have access to a dime of mine or anyone else�s taxes to promote themselves. In the final count there were nearly a thousand illegal detentions at that summit � most were never arrested or charged - of peacefully demonstrating citizens, plus threats, intimidation and physical assault by security forces, all of which seemed to have been orchestrated by our government. How incredibly embarrassing to have the President of the United States, the leaders of Europe, Asia and Africa and even Queen Elizabeth II subjected to scenes in our country that were reminiscent of what I watched on television as child during the civil rights demonstrations in the US. Deliberate provocation and agents provocateurs too, who were obviously police, pretending to be part of the civilian population. How completely disgusting. Maybe it was just me, but both the US President and the Queen appeared to look quite disturbed at various points in the summit even though both are usually masters of their own emotional responses in public. At a guess, the Canadian government is so desperate to divert attention from their abuses in Afghanistan � alleged war crimes - that they are willing to descend to third world behaviour worthy of Kim Jong Il and his ilk. Umm, end of rant. Maybe.

I watched a CBC documentary of the medical damage done to the 40,000 responders to 9/11 not long after the G20 summit as well as the little political vignette of stopping the trains �because they could�. It didn�t help my state of mind with respect to government abuses of it�s citizens. From denying care or compensation to those specific responders who are dying at an incredible rate because of the toxins they were exposed to while demonstrating their dedication to their fellow citizens, to denying soldiers in Canada and the US care or compensation when they are injured (one of the moms I volunteered with many years ago was telling me of her son�s two year battle to get disability care), to denying full compensation to all the citizens whose lives have been devastated by the actions of the economic sector and the oil companies costing citizens homes, jobs and even basic needs being met, there are enough reasons to boot the whole lot out of power who insist on promoting their corporate campaign-funders� interest over and above the citizens whom they are supposed to be responsible to as stewards of our countries. Sorry � Fire in the Head is a genetic Celtic condition, I can�t help my genes.

To continue, the next week on I was trying to outrace the garbage truck approaching my home to the back gate. I forgot that this current body isn�t equipped to fly and landed very hard on my one ankle as a result. Sprained at the very least it is, if not some of the little bones in the heel broken. So much for that free Scottish Country dancing class I was about to begin with a friend. It�s been about ten days now and I�m finally able to see I have an ankle. I�ve still carried out quality assurance assignments and visited A+�s home in order to use his internet to work on the website, apply for jobs, submit my reports and to ask for additional assignments, since I still can�t afford to reinstate my own service. When I was writing this post on my home computer the modem suddenly lit up and the internet connection did activate for a moment, but an error message on my screen stated that a local area network cable was unplugged. Yes indeed - it's called the double billing connection. The one consolation, in addition to the extra time I get to spend with A+, is that the local media have finally acknowledged there is no work available in this province. Our April census numbers show a decline in this city�s population for the first time in over a quarter of a century. One mom I met at the store mentioned that her husband hasn�t been working for over two years now. He is a musician as well so I�m guessing that he is making some income that way, but very few musicians in this city can make a living at their craft. Similar stories from other friends and acquaintances seem to emerge each week. At least I have managed to keep working part-time. Unfortunately I need much more than part-time wages and I need that income soon. Since the beginning of June I have attended some job interviews and I have one more coming up next week. I haven�t been picky about what I am willing to do either, but the interviews for the less skilled positions always end the same � �you have too much experience and we are afraid you won�t stay with us�. Catch 22 and can�t seem to win either.

The day after I sprained my ankle my Dad and his partner picked me up so we could attend the funeral of one of my Aunts. It was being held in a small town where that aunt had been born about an hour outside the city. Anglican service � I knew the hymns at least. A lot of my extended family whom I hadn�t seen in a long time, were there and I appreciated the opportunity to be able to catch up with their news. My cousins were holding up remarkably well, but as always there were some very painful moments. At least if they are shared there is some comfort, I guess. After the gathering and the visit to the cemetery my Dad and his partner wanted to go antiquing. We visited every second hand store and antique shop in that town. Fascinating history and artefacts emerging from unexpected places as we browsed. Next visit to A+�s I spent some time working on the on-line ancestry site as a result; responded to internal emails from other researchers. There are one or two a month now. At the funeral my one uncle was expressing his delight with the WW I military records of his two grand-fathers that I had forwarded to him for his records. What greater reward could there be for this type of work. My Dad and his partner took me out for pho when we returned to the city. The week before my Dad, one sister and I had gone to one bookseller to see if they were interested in his collection of radio service manuals and then went out for some eastern Canadian cuisine. My Dad wanted something a bit less spicy this time round, hence the choice.

Since then I�ve been trying to rest my ankle so I can continue my assignments dear diary. The only other excitement has been the shutting off of the local water supply for a couple of days this week in order for the city work crews to repair a damaged water main. Hauling water indoors from the potable water truck caused me to pretend I was out in the mountains camping; well it�s as close as I�ve come to camping in over a decade. Make do with what is on offer, eh?

Anyway, time for bed, the cats are waiting for their pillow. Good night dear diary.

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