PERSONAL NEWS #35
Yeah, I know, abit of a delay, but I'm back to relate more stories on my vacation to Canada. Hum, now where did I leave off from last time? Ah yes... still hanging out in Quebec with overcast weather and a chance of it clearing up. Josee and I still had a few "sites" to see on our list, before embarking on the five hour drive to Ottawa. So, without much further ado, I bring you "Oh Canada".

After a refreshing nights rest at the B&B, we partook of another enjoyable breakfast. Love those tiny blueberries in cream with granola. Total yummers! Finished our packing, paid for our two night stay at the B&B, which I might add was very reasonable and left shortly after 9:15am. Headed back into old Quebec and parked in the same spot as day before, right in front of Le Bistro on Rue Saint Jean. [smiling] We walked to the Citadelle to check it out and arrived just in time for the "Changing of the Guard" and the tour. [A word of advice when touring old Quebec, wear comfortable shoes. As it is built on hilly terrain with some cobble streets.] It was alot of fun watching the Changing of the Guard. All resplendent in their red/black wool attire and tall bear fur hats. Ugh ...sweaty! They even have a goat as mascot and I might add he behaved quite nicely. The Citadelle is an actual working garrison/barracks, so we visitors had to respect the rules. We were also treated to a live military band and we're told that the "Changing of the Guard" is only performed June 15th through September 6th.

Afterwards there are two tours of the Citadelle and we took the one in English. Our guide was a nice, knowledgeable, charming chap named Guyum [spelling?]. Halfway thru the tour the sky starts to clear up and the beautiful sun shines through. Viva la soleil! After the tour we checked out Notre-Dame de Quebec on Rue de Buade and was very much impressed with its beauty. It’s near the University of Laval and the Boutique de Noel. I ran into the latter to make some purchases of Xmas items. We wrapped up our stay in ole Quebec with a delicious lunch at an outdoor cafe and feeling the warmth of the sun. Then it was the long drive west, past Montreal with its rush hour traffic and ending up in Ottawa. I spent the remainder of my vacation with Josee and her mom [Louise is a darling] at their house, which is in Gatineau and a borough of Ottawa. They are in the process of moving from house to an apartment. Their realtor [Betty] briefly stopped by with paperwork. A nice, friendly, chatty lady. Also became acquainted with Josee's two cats... Mango & Noah. We went to do some grocery shopping at a place called Loblaws. [Which sort of reminds me of a cross between Hannaford’s & Wal-Mart.] Had a late dinner of sushi and got the tour of Josee's impressive Pearl Jam collection.

September 1st was my first official day in Ottawa, capital of Canada. Before Louise drove me into Ottawa she showed me the new apartment that they'll be moving into on September 9th. It’s much closer to downtown Ottawa and nicely situated. After giving me a quick tour of the area around Parliament Hill, Louise dropped me off on Wellington Street. I spent the next 2 hours strolling around Parliament Hill.

Checked out the statues, gardens, actors dressed up as 19th Century politians, stray cat sanctuary, a canal [a small motor boat working its way down the locks] and finally the National War memorial. Weather is much nicer with gorgeous sunshine and a slight breeze. Big difference from last few days. Stopped by the post office on Sparks Street to get stamps for postcards and envelopes. Then it was time to call up Josee and meet her for lunch. Sat on the steps outside the building were she works and we noshed on yummy sandwiches.

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading a magazine in a local park, further exploration of Parliament Hill and checking out all the shops and boutiques along Sparks Street. My first thought about Sparks Street and how it was situated ... it reminded me of Washington Street Mall in Cape May, NJ. If any of my readers have visited that charming Victorian style seaside resort town, you'll know what I mean. Josee and her Mom picked me up at 4:30pm. Back at the house we sat down to eat dinner [ie: grilled tuna steak & salad] and watch "OUTFOXED" on DVD. So glad I finally got to see this documentary. Quite a good film and it makes you wonder how some folk can believe the constant spin, lies & bullshit on Fox News. [O'Reilly is such a bully & moron.] That’s NOT real journalism, such a joke, but GOP propaganda at full throttle. Well, the evening didn't end there, Josee and I changed into sweatshirts to head back to Ottawa. [Still decent outside, but very windy.] Near Sussex Drive we found parking and stopped to purchase this great pastry called "Beaver Tail" with cinnamon/sugar. Sooooo good! Walked up to Parliament Hill with a blanket and sat on the bleachers [along with others] to watch the 9pm sound/light show. It was very enjoyable, in French and 35 minutes long. Capped off the evening with a stroll down a few funky streets to check out shops and street performers.

Still have a few more vacation day adventures to relate and that'll be in my next update. Plus I'll have news on what’s been going on since back from vacation. Lots of cool, fascinating events and yes, some are politically related. Stay tuned.............

THE LATEST NEWS & COMMENTARY BY ERIC P AT CITIZEN UPDATE
[Many thanks to Ellen J in sharing it with the Duchess]

It is assumed that it's not likely that you have heard this information before, so we are here to help each other figure out which is the alternate universe (the one where Captain Kirk, Spock and everyone else all have beards), and which is the real universe (the one where everything is exactly as you think it is).

Item Number One: Great News! John Edwards has said that there would be no draft under a Kerry/Edwards administration! YYYYYYYYYeah!!!!!
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/091704B.shtml

Do you grasp the significance? I repeat: NO DRAFT UNDER KERRY/EDWARDS!!! Now put this email away for a few minutes and tell everyone you know immediately! Who in their right mind is going to take the draft over no draft? Yell it out the window. If this isn't a great selling point, I don't know what is, so go ahead....are you done? Okay, great. I am giving you free help from camp Nader, because we have said "Take our issues, PLEASE!". We mean it, we want Bush/Cheney to crumble to fine dust, so, the Nader/Camejo platform, (the undisputed champion of the people's platforms) is there for the taking. There is no charge, no copyright, nothing. The windows are rolled down, and the doors are unlocked, so take the whole damn thing, please, we WANT it to get swiped by anyone and everyone. Who loves you Kerrycrats? That's right, we do. You like? Go, ahead, have some more:
http://www.votenader.org/issues/index_home.php

These are the things you need to WIN. Hey, I also think that Dennis Kucinich has left the keys in his car, with the motor running. Go take it for a ride, Mr. Kerry:
http://www.kucinich.us/issues/

Item Number Two: Did you know, that G.W. Bush missed the September 1st deadline to get on the Ballot in Florida, and Illinois? "WHAT?" Wait, it gets more bizarre. Guess, who helped him get around or change the law to get him on those ballots? Nope. Wrong. Not even close. No, not him/her/them...give up? (wait, let me get out my sticks and do a drum roll) The answer: THE DEMOCRATS! "Huh? What the f--k? No way, man!" At your service:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00197.htm

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1146441/posts

Now, at camp Nader, we're staying out of this, because we think that everyone should have easy access to the ballot. We find it insane, as we're sure you do, that the Democrats would help G.W. Bush get on ballots worth a total of forty-seven electoral votes, while simultaneously causing Naderites to literally fear for their physical safety and illegally keeping Nader/Camejo off the ballot in several states. Kerry, Bush: Different people; same paymasters.

Item Number Three: Here are some vital things that will definitely NOT be in the corporate news in the coming weeks. This is an article written by Anthony Wade, for op ed news.com. I realize there has since been much ado about Dan Rather, but the fact is, Bush was AWOL. This seems to be a problem, because he went on to one day say "Bring it on!" as he enthusiastically sent those who have shown up for duty to their tragically unnecessary mutilation and death:
http://www.opednews.com/wade_090604_truth_crying.htm

DAVE JOHNSON AT “SEEING THE FOREST” WROTE AN INTERESTING PIECE FOR ANONYMOSES BLOG. . . .DISTRIBUTE WIDELY TO ALL & ESPECIALLY THOSE UNDER AGE 30

The Draft – A Reason to Vote if You’re Under 30. You already blew it: You didn't vote last time, or voted for Nader or Bush, and now you're gonna get drafted. There's no way around it now, the draft is almost a certainty. You're hearing about Reserve and National Guard units being called up, and about people not allowed to leave the military even though their term is up. Have you thought about what this means to you? You KNOW this means they're having trouble finding enough soldiers to go to Iraq, right? Of course Bush doesn’t want to start the draft BEFORE the election. Duh! But what do you think happens the day AFTER the election?

I repeat, they are having trouble finding enough soldiers to go to Iraq. Think about it. Right, you're gonna get drafted. Or, maybe you think they can't do that? Maybe you think the draft doesn't happen in America. Maybe you think they can't just grab your ass up off the street, stick a rifle in your hands and send you off to war? Of course, that NEVER happens. Right. WAR. Yes, that word. The word you have been hearing from Bush’s lips for months now. "I'm a WAR president", he says. Well, what did you think war MEANS? Somebody ELSE’S war? Did you think it means you get to watch a TV show with planes and stuff? No, WAR means young people getting grabbed up off the street and sent off to fight. That. Is. What. War. Is.

And, by the way, women and students are NOT going to be exempt this time. Maybe not even rich kids. ONLY the children of politicians will be exempt. THIS TIME. So, are you finally ready to do something about it THIS TIME? Which candidate do you think is more likely to grab your ass off the street and send it to Iraq? Which candidate do you think is more likely to start a war with Iran, or Syria, or maybe even North Korea? Like Bush says, we're at war, and that's the issue in this election. Well, THAT’S what you should be thinking about THIS TIME. So vote. THIS TIME.