When is a Coalition NOT a Coalition

According to Dictionary.com the word coalition is defined as follows:

An alliance, especially a temporary one, of people, factions, parties, or nations.

A combination into one body; a union.

Now, I've commented on political current events in the past and make no claim whatsoever to be particularly knowledgeable or astute in such matters. My comments are merely the observations of an average Canadian who happens to be a political junkie.

Based on porn star Jack's comments on national television with respect to how distasteful he finds the Prime Minister's modus operandi with respect to his dealings with the other parties and the Canadian public, methinks Mr. Layton doth protest far too much.

The NDP, lacking any real vision fresh ideas, or even the ability to make a decision about whether the name of their party remains relevant, let alone the experience or ability to ever become the ruling party in our lifetime, will continue in their role as political shit disturbers for the foreseeable future. This is not necessarily a bad thing. They serve to keep the other parties honest.... or so one would think.

Which brings us back to the questions: when is a coalition NOT a coalition?

When the Liberals, NDP and Bloc agreed to form a coalition with the intent of defeating the government, they called it what it was. Mr. Dion and Mr. Ignatieff both clearly used the language and acknowledged the intent. Whether Canadians liked it or not is a separate and more complex issue: but they knew exactly what was going on, and had the option to support it or not.

Now, Mr. Layton is suddenly in favour of changes to EI for which he has yet to see ink on paper. Out of one side of his mouth he's Harper bashing, and out of the other he's kissing fat conservative butt. But no, there's no coalition here. I doubt we'll catch Messrs. Harper and Layton sharing a steak dinner followed by cognac and cigars at Hy's any time soon. But if one were to hang around 24 Sussex long enough, one just may catch Mr. Layton sneaking out of the residence like a cheap hooker at 2 a.m. But at least we won't have another coalition, right?

My most humble opinion, for what it is worth.

Letting Go

Driving home from North Bay today, I did a lot of thinking.

Over the last couple of weeks there wasn't a whole lot of time for that. I was juggling work, and running around getting things ready for Andrew to leave for college. It was manic at times: setting up his on-line banking (so we can transfer money to him - lol), buying supplies (a couple grand worth) and generally helping my 18 year old suddenly adult son get ready to leave the nest.

It occurred to me today that I'm not ready for this. But apparently, I don't have a choice. We were sitting at lunch on the patio in North Bay Bay at Boston Pizza and I was eternally grateful for the the knock off Chanel 'move star sun glasses' that I bought at Pink Closet last week, because we were half way through lunch before saying our good bye's and I was already in tears.

I looked at the grown up young man sitting across the table from me but all I could see was the little boy I left at the door of kindergargen 13 years ago - giving me a nervous smile as he waved and said "bye mumy". Or the kid who stood on the front porch and waited for his friends to stop by to walk with him to the first day of grade 9.

Where did the time go? Have we taught him what he needs to know to survive in the real world? Will he remember not to put the whites in with those dark hockey jerseys when he does his laundry? Will he eat 3 square meals a day or will it be Doritos and Pepsi?

He's not a man yet, he's still my little boy........ isn't he?