8.30.2008

Our New Republican Leadership - the Farce Continues...

Are you kidding me?
When Sarah Palin on Friday introduced herself as John McCain's Vice Presidential pick, I thought I was watching a speaker at a local Parent-Teacher Association meeting, NOT the woman who could become the president of the United States. To put it mildly, it was shocking.

Our planet is in peril from global warming. The United States is mindlessly fighting two huge wars. The tremendous loss of innocent life is constantly increasing and yet remains an afterthought to this current administration. Instead they continue play out their Neo-Con fantasies like it is a video game. Billions of dollars are being spent to bomb and destroy for control of oil and gas. Torture and other human rights violations are now an accepted government policy in the U.S. as part of the very misguided 'War on Terror.' Poverty, desperation and extreme oppression is lighting the Middle East aflame. Genocide is still ravaging Sudan and the Congo - even after we said never again with Rwanda. The 21st century specter of the Cold War is rising once again with Russia. China continues its powerful march forward. Meanwhile the American economy continues to plummet. Food prices are sky rocketing (not to mention the global food shortage). The United States has lost its standing in the world. Its presidential office has been reduced to fodder for jokes at home and abroad.

Oh, I could go on and on...

But somehow because I am a woman, I am supposed to leap for joy because John McCain put a woman with absolutely no national and foreign policy experience on his ticket? This is insulting. While Mrs. Palin and I both share the same XX chromosome, I am first a citizen of the world and a resident of the United States and after eight years of botched policies, I, along with most people in the U.S. and the world are in dire need for sound and thoughtful American leadership and judgment. And while a miracle may prove me wrong, I doubt it could come from former beauty queen whose primary experience in politics comes from being a mayor of Wasilla, a tiny town of approximately 5,000-7,000 in Alaska. She has so little experience, that EVERY news article I have read about her has written about her favorite food (moose), the sports she plays, her teenage summer jobs - just to fill up space on the page. Even news commentators and political pundits joked that her foreign policy experience comes solely from Alaska's geographical proximity to Russia. How would any world leader take her seriously? The conversation would end at moose burgers.

And after eight years of the Bush's administration dangerous disregard for the environment, the last thing we need is someone else in the White House who believes that global warming is NOT man-made - and that we should continue to drill and exploit all our natural resources at ANY COST to the environment - which seems to be her only expertise.

During the Republican primaries, Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and founder of Bain Capital, seemed much too smooth and slippery with his slicked back hair and daily flip flops, although I could not deny his business savvy. Now, with the introduction of Sarah Palin, oh how I miss him. If you are going to pick someone who is an religious conservative as a running mate - he or she might as well know something about the economy.

There is so very much at stake in this election. McCain's whim of a pick to get more media attention clearly demonstrates how disconnected his is from the gravity of our present situation. The George W. Bush and his administration has made a mockery of this country the past eight years. Now John McCain with Sarah Palin want to ensure that the United States remains the laughing stock of the world.

Wasilla, Alaska - not quite a thriving complex metropolis - more a tiny suburban town with beautiful natural surroundings. It is most known for its annual Alaskan sled dog race. Yup, that's it. Apparently that is all the experience you need to be a Republican Vice President nominee.
(*Image above taken from BBC website).
(Image from www.city-data.com/city/Wasilla-Alaska.html)

8.25.2008

how i spent my summer

As I watch the last few days of August slip lazily by, I am made painfully aware that the warm summer rays will soon dissipate with the cooler autumn breeze. This transition in seasons however, has reminded me how long it has been since I have posted anything on either blog. It has been a slow month...my mind has been absent - on vacation. However, before we are firmly launched into September, I thought I would do a post that recalls my childhood on the first day of school - "How I Spent my Summer."

Earlier in August, I went to Toronto and unlike my usual trips where I visit only my usual haunts, this time I did a little sightseeing. Here are some pictures I took ....

Mona Lisa eating a banana - Graffiti at Kensington Market

Children's drawings blanketing a wall on McCaul Street, downtown

Frank Gehry's addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario (re-opening November 14, 2008)

Image of the final design on a wall around the AGO construction sight

Graffiti around the corner from the Queen Street

Ontario College of Art

The CN Tower lit up on a misty night