Volcanating At The Vatican

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
John, 1:5, NRSV

The Oracle of Ottawa can't help but compare the retired Popes exit to that of Richard Milhous Nixon, all those years ago. The big white elephant of a chopper lifting the powerful into a one time trip to oblivion. It is all so strange and smacking of weirdness. Rumors abound, the internet and social media explode in the search of the most likely causes. Well, the Oracle of Ottawa is not being led astray in the least. It all has nothing to do with prophecy, or strange goings on with the altar boys, which you have to admit is all a welcome change. The Oracle of Ottawa strongly suspects that it all has to do with power and money, mostly the money.  

Cardinal Reinhard Marx the long shot...

Has some large derivative trade gone terribly askew? Did the Popes barber stock tipping finally tank? What is it all really about? The Oracle of Ottawa wonders and wonders. Anyone who knows anything about papal conclaves, is that it surely is something that is impossible to rig. With such a large number of electors, with such diverse goals and backgrounds, you always are nearly sure of the best worst possible choice. The Oracle of Ottawa just has to refer the reader to the guy who today caught his last helo out of Rome. His Holiness must have felt like Mike "The Puffster" Duffy being the last journalist out of Hanoi! And rumor has it that the reason the CBC got him back after all was that the Vietcong paid the CBC an amount to take him back that was just too great to refuse.

Karl Marx had a lot of relatives?

Now the buzz in Canada is that some right wing wack-ball from Quebec is all getting hyped that surely he will be next. The Oracle of Ottawa hardly thinks so. It just isn't going to happen. It will all be very interesting, of that, the Oracle of Ottawa has no doubt. We really need an unexpected Dark Horse to blow everything up so to speak. And of course the Oracle of Ottawa has discovered his long shot favorite. He has deep ties to the actual creator(s) of the left! Why he may even be related, and therefore be rabinical in his recent background. All the way to the House of David. It all could be a real crimp in the Curia...  

The World could use a good steward of the vineyard about now. The more the Oracle of Ottawa see's, the more he likes Cardinal Reinhard Marx. I mean how many Cardinals have been known to don motorcycle leather and lead the annual "run"! The one thing that the Oracle of Ottawa would like to know is; Harley or BMW? Please leave a comment below....

Employment Insurnace Police - The Finley's Are Coming?

Wives are young men's mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men's nurses.
Sir Francis Bacon, Essay VIII - Of Marriage And Single Life 

Ho! Ho! And the Oracle of Ottawa told you so, over a year ago now, Dear Reader, that the fascism would be coming thick and strong. And here we are again! The Oracle of Ottawa can hardly believe it; the 'Harper Government' is actually sending lowly CR's out in to the field to randomly knock on the doors of unemployed Canadians! And to add insult to injury, they are told not to return until they have found $485,000 dollars worth of fraud or "else".

MS. Dogbert??

But the Oracle of Ottawa must report the true master plan or rather the "final solution" that is only at present floating about Ottawa as a mere rumor. The present outpouring of "inspectors" is the traditional first thin wedge under the door. If this doesn't get stopped and / or none of the little "inspectors" don't get lynced and tarred, the 'Harper Government' already has step two in the works! And it has been passively reported to the Oracle of Ottawa that that step will include a full uniformed Employment Police Force, to be soon known as "The Finleys",  with cars and all, that will daily go out and come to your house or wherever the unemployed miscreant is to be found and you will be forcibly dragged and delivered to the local burger joints and assorted big box stores! Of course, from which, there is no return...


It is all rather a sad state of affairs. The Oracle of Ottawa can't imagine having to deal with a hairy assed Cape Brettoner after twelve pints (i.e. around 10:00a.m.) somewhere out in the metropolitan area of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia! Somehow, the Oracle of Ottawa feels that the 'Harper Government' will not be able to draw a line under this one as an unfortunate error and hope that Canada will allow then to get on with it.

Well, from watching Question Period recently, it does not seem to be going at well for the pin headed small town hick that has the great misfortune to be named Diane Finley! The Oracle of Ottawa finds it all an outrageous hoot when under intense grilling from the head of The Royal Opposition, she starts to lose her voice, as her throat constricts in absolute fear. Yes, the Oracle of Ottawa "wags" like Dogbert every time he watches the so called "Minister" start to fold and wither away. The Oracle of Ottawa strongly suspects that she will soon fold up like the wee banty finance minister, the wee Jimmy Flaherty. 

It is all sweet days from now on folks. In closing, the Oracle of Ottawa must relate the latest joke circling about in Ottawa at the present....
Q: How does a woman become a cabinet minister in the 'Harper Government'?
A: Easy! Just screw a Senator....

Diane Finley circles the bowl...Enjoy!! Can't find where the Senators live?? Stop your killing me!! LOL!!

'Harper Government' - Office Of Religious Freedom

Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
Matthew, 24:28, NRSV 

Well, it happened today. After years of fearful dithering, the fruits of not really knowing what the hell you are doing, the Office of Religious Freedom was opened by the minions of the 'Harper Government'. The best two words to describe the whole non-event are: NOT NOTABLE. The first ambassador of the said office was identified as one "Doctor" Andrew Bennett, (which does not exist in cyber space) presently the "dean" of Augustine College in Ottawa, Ontario.   

Canadian Credibility...

Now the Oracle of Ottawa has lived in or around Ottawa for most of life and until today had never heard of Augustine College. The Oracle of Ottawa has provided a link. Don't look for the word accredited, it is of course missing. Sort of sends a signal about the whole business doesn't it? If you are really brave you may want to inspect the institutions home page. There you will find words such as "home schooling" and a dead head video by the nasally challenged and ever sickening John Robson, sometimes talking head of Sun News TV.  It appears that yet again the 'Harper Government' has again aimed very high...

On the CBC feed the young pretty "doctor" was identified as Catholic! The Oracle of Ottawa thought that surely upon the lightest inspection that all this would lead to one of the biggest blog posts ever. But as the Oracle of Ottawa was searching and coming up with nothing, a total busted flush. It turns out that the said pretty  young "doctor" (of political science) is in actuality a Ukrainian - Catholic  , that is, a huge force of all 10,000 members, mostly based out in Western Canada. All Roman Catholics of Canada can breathe a sigh of relief. The brand is untarnished, well, at least in one respect.

Of course the saddest effect of this total fuck up is the further tarnishing of the Canadian brand world wide. And to the Oracle of Ottawa it is all a further low besmirchment of all the truly Great Canadians that have come before the likes of the Western scum of the present 'Harper Government'. Not to mention the further erosion of the image of Canada as a nation of impartial fair dealers. But that is the way it is in a budding fascist right wing theocracy that is in the pangs of its birth... 

Job description follows....

On Canadian Senate Reform - (Again)

There would be no use of an upper house if it did not exercise, when it thought proper, the right of opposing or amending or postponing the legislation of the lower house.
Sir John A. MacDonald, Legislative Assembly, February 6, 1865 

A Senate or Upper House is only as strong as the people appointed to it. There has been no empire or hegemon in the history of the common era that has not had a Senate! The Senate performs the purpose of the house of second sober thought. The Oracle of Ottawa truly believes in this. John Kenneth Galbraith referred to this power as countervailing power. And the Oracle of Ottawa truly believes this to be true also.

Ceiling of the Canadian Senate Chamber

There have been nation states in recent modern history that had all the earmarks and makings of an empire, yet they did not survive intact for more than seventy years. The first example that comes to mind is the former Wiemar Republic, represented by the Weimar National Assembly. The powers that were at the time thought it be a great time to do away with old, ancient, and stupid things like a senate, while redesigning the system that would replace the imperial Prussian Empire. The Wiemar Republic lasted from 1919 to 1933. Most of you smarter readers don't need the Oracle of Ottawa to tell you what happened next in the absence of a House of Sober Second Thought!!

Roman Senate (Curia Julia) built 44BCE and still standing...

Since the inception of the 'Harper Government' many ancient and revered Canadian Institutions have been put under stress and some even have vanished. The Oracle of Ottawa is now going penniless and truly does not welcome the opportunity of having the "free choice" to buy a Mickey Mouse hat the next time that he visits a National Canadian Museum! (Take it, or else, is not a choice...) Only the likes of the hapless 'Harper Government' could save a crummy eleven million dollars while incurring damages of over one hundred million dollars and go on to brag about all the money that has been saved!

There have been many sneak communication (i.e. fart catcher) gambits to convince the people of Canada that the Senate should be abolished. Well good luck with that. The Founding Fathers of Canada built the system bulletproof. The abolishment of the Senate would require Constitutional Reform which would all but be impossible. The present system is the way it is for very good reasons. This system was, Thank God, even further protected and locked down and in by Prime Minister Trudeau, with the Repatriation of the Constitution in the 1980's. Perhaps he had a nightmare of something like the 'Harper Government' somehow coming to power in Canada.

Let us look at the facts, as they are, at present. Who is the leader of the Senate? Answer: Marjory LeBreton, if any one knows which high school she graduated from in the Peoples Republic of Nepean they should update her Wikipedia article.  Again, you only get the Senate that you appoint. Who has made all the appointments of the majority of those now in trouble? Steve Harper of the 'Harper Government'. What does this tell you? It tells the Oracle of Ottawa that the Conservative Party of Canada knows very few posh people. The proof of this is the wave of the utter shit quality of most all of the 'Harper Government' Senate appointments.

How the 'Harper Government' elected senate would work....

Again, the Senate of Canada as it is composed has been a very powerful body of good. There is a reason for an appointed senate. This was discussed long and hard by the Canadian Founding Fathers way back in 1865. The transcripts were recorded and are still extant. Perhaps the brain trust of the right wing of Canada should read them!

 The Senate of Canada as it has run in the past, and will no doubt continue long into the future...

What Is Marc Garneau On?

Certainly vain-glory helpeth to perpetuate a man's memory; and virtue was never so beholding to human nature, as it received his due at the second hand.
Sir Francis Bacon, Essay LIV, - Of Vain Glory

If Marc Garneau dropped dead twenty years ago he would still be today a great Canadian. The first Canadian in space and a past president of the Canadian Space Agency, Chancellor of Carleton University, and he, still not having his ego satisfied, ran for Parliament and won the seat Westmount - Ville Marie in Montreal! The Oracle of Ottawa truly believes that Canadians are entitled to their entitlements, but holy crap, this Jean - Guy space cadet is already triple dipping!

Marc 'Barfey' Garneau

   The reality is that once ole Marc was Canada's first space cadet, but now he is sixty three years old! Time stops for no man, and this goes for ex space cadets. By the time of the next scheduled Federal Election (2015), Marc Garneau will also be a senior citizen! He will then be QUAD dipping! As he will be getting his old age pension checks in the mail. Why is it that some guys just never know when to quit? And why would an old man want to be Prime Minister when he could be making up to five times as much just talking about his past exploits on the talk circuit?

The Oracle of Ottawa was quiet surprised that ole Marc put up the money to run in the present Liberal leadership race. What was he thinking? What the hell is he on? The Liberal Party needs a leader that can wet the panties. Marc Garneau hasn't wet a panty in decades. Of course the little old ladies that let go into their depends, while remembering how sexy Marc was decades ago, while watching Question Period, of course do not count.    

It really irks the Oracle of Ottawa when ole Marc comes on to Justin Trudeau with slippery cheap shots. Justin Trudeau can win. Justin Trudeau can wet the panties. Like father, like son. The apple does not fall far from the tree, does it? The effect of Marc Garneau on the ladies is if you check into the matter deeply, is just the opposite! If he just stayed out of the way, and warmed a back bench seat quietly and refused to run in this leadership race, he would no doubt have copped a great cabinet portfolio in the next Trudeau government. Then there would have been the certain Senate appointment to follow.

But ole Marc will deeply regret his unbridled egomania. He will be lucky to get his papers signed for the next election....

The Just Society. Let us get ready for the second wave. Old men and women should get out of the way....

The Next Pope - My Top Three Picks

In the Bible poverty is a scandalous condition inimical to human dignity and therefore contrary to the will of God.
Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology Of Liberation, p. 165

The Oracle of Ottawa was mildly shocked at the news of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI as it rolled past the bottom off my screen on the news crawler while I was checking the market open. It was in no way the feeling of utter dejection that the Oracle of Ottawa felt at his election! And I remember the occasion very clearly. The inside power of Opus Dei had a lot to do with this screw-up. At the time I felt it was all going to be a total fail, and history has proven me correct.

Of course the world bookmakers have already opened book on the next Pontiff. But what are the qualities that the Oracle of Ottawa and all the world want in the next Pope? It has to be someone of the political left, and it has to be someone that understands that the social contracts of the world are under constant attack. It has to be someone that understands that the Roman Catholic Church is only as big and powerful as its members. With all that in mind the Oracle of Ottawa will share his picks for the next Pope. I will start with my third choice, ending with my favorite last.

Cardinal Francis Arinze

 For my third choice, the Oracle of Ottawa has to go with the book-makers favorite at 3-1 odds. And that gentleman is Cardinal Francis Arinze,of Nigeria. He is a strapping, good looking man but alas he is 80 years old at the time of this writing.... Hugely respected, but in tight with the right wing that made him. At the end of the day, not a chance.

Cardinal Luis Tagle - The Prince...

 My second choice is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Aged 55! And now presently the Archbishop of Manila and Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Deeply involved in many social issues, and being from the Philippines, the Oracle of Ottawa has heard there are quite a few of those presently outstanding in his patch. This guy seems to have the iron and the spine of a real Italian Prince. And he is sharp as hell (or rather heck), in that it is recorded that he could recite the complete Rosary at the age of three years. No doubt a good choice, but guys like this scare the hell out of the Oracle of Ottawa!

For the Oracle of Ottawa's first choice a small disclaimer must first be stated in that all this data and biographies are in earnest. The Oracle of Ottawa is not having the dear reader on, and that the Oracle of Ottawa takes this issue seriously. It is just that my favorite choice, not even the Oracle of Ottawa could make this up! 

Cardinal Reinhard Marx (seriously...)

The Oracle of Ottawa's first choice for the next Pope is Cardinal Reinhard Marx  (59 years old), former Bishop of Trier, Germany, really! Like the Oracle of Ottawa said, you can't make this up! And pardon me but there is a warm resemblance to Karl Marx, which really makes the Oracle of Ottawa wonder could he be even distantly related? And the good Cardinal has written a book recently (2008) entitled "Das Kapital: A Plea For Man" !! The good Cardinal truly believes that capitalism and the messes it creates requires a "fundamental social debate" Amen to that Your Eminence!! Now if you are a clever Catholic punter, the Oracle of Ottawa is sure that you could get the good Cardinal at around 500-1 at your local bookmaker, and the more the Oracle digs on Cardinal Reinhard Marx the more he is very impressed. This is the Pope the whole world really, really needs. And right now, if not sooner!! 

This is the Pope the Holy Roman Catholic Church  and the whole world needs. Now, Right freaking NOW!!

'Harper Government' - Stupid Bites Back

Costly followers are not to be liked; lest while a man makes his train longer, he makes his wings shorter.
Sir Francis Bacon, Essay XLVIII - Of Followers And Friends

It doth wax wondrous strange to the Oracle of Ottawa, how upon the events of the passing week, that anyone can be of the opinion that Ottawa is a boring town! It all got started with the slow but persistent boil of the matter of one rather rotund newbie Conservative Senator that was having a wee bit of trouble proving that he was in actual fact a resident of a certain small Maritime province that he was recently entrusted to represent. Which was all rather awkward in the face of the fact that he diligently claimed for his residence allowance for as long as he has been sitting in the Senate of Canada.

Senatus Populsque Romanus

But the above matter paled in significance, when latter in the week, the Oracle watched in bemusement at the vulgar medias coverage of yet another newbie Conservative Senator that ran afoul of the local civil power in the matter of a routine domestic disturbance call. As the footage played out on the screen, the Oracle of Ottawa realized immediately that the matter was indeed going to much more serious, due to the fact that the Police do not tape off domestic disturbance calls, but rather, they usually as a rule, only tape off crime scenes. And sure enough, as night turns to day, as a dropped writ falls to the ground, the observational powers of the Oracle of Ottawa again proved their worth, as news leaked out that the said newbie Senator would be gracing the presence of a certain Quebec jail cell for an overnight visit, one that would certainly not incur any free frequent flyer miles.  

Of course the "State Broadcaster", the good old CBC, had a field day with all the recent "alleged" indiscreet events. Other matters were raised in the case of one ex "retired" CBC talking head from Bloated Floater, Saskatchewan, also a Conservative Senator, who it was ventured had not been home since she left the fine town to leave it all those decades ago. And of course there was the one straggling Liberal Senator from Ottawa, (Who you would think should have known better), who was appointed to represent Ottawa and the defined environs, as he tried to claim a second residence! Did the Oracle of Ottawa hear that right? He was laughing rather heartily at the time...

A Canadian Prime Minister is a lot like an American president, in that, he is invested with great powers! In theory the Prime Minister can appoint nearly anyone to a Senate seat, but in practice, no he cannot, and the events of the last week in Ottawa have surely proven that, haven't they?

The Oracle of Ottawa will allow Charlie Angus of the young and up and coming NDP to explain some of the other fine details from the safety and immunity of the House of Commons....

The Best Apocrypha

Wisdom was created before all other things...
Sirach, 1:4, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Augmented Third edition 

It all started with the reading of The Great Code: The Bible And Literature by the great Canadian Northrop Frye. The search for enlightenment and the ensuing "thinking about thinking" project has taken some very weird twists and paths. After literally burning through the Great Code, and continuing with The Words of Power, the Oracle of Ottawa often felt the top of his head seemingly to loosen. It was all so masterful.

The one you really want...

 What really peaked the Oracle of Ottawa's interest was the discussion of the importance of the Apocrypha. The discussion of its importance in the Bible peaked the Oracles interest very much indeed. So much so, that I was determined to dig up a copy and get right on it. Left to right, front to back, Starting at the top left of the first page straight through to the bottom right of the last page, like ole Norie always said, there is no other way.

After going through my (extensive) stash of bibles, a very wondrous collection of various translations and printings over time, the Oracle of Ottawa was shocked to discover that he had only one Bible that had the Apocrypha! And that was The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Augmented Third Edition, in the New Revised Standard Version. I bought it brand new a couple of years ago, and it only cost a little over twenty bucks, out the door, all in. All 2300 plus pages of it. If scholarship is measured by the pound, it was one of the best deals I ever cut!

The Cyrus cylinder...

 The only problem was that Northrop Frye was not very big on the Revised Standard Version, but it was all that I had at hand and I got on it. It seems that the editors of the New Revised Standard Version took Northrop Frye to heart and seriously, the NRSV is very literary in its style. And, if you check out the excellent essays in the back, they made a note of Northrop Frye's criticism, and mention him by name, and claimed to have fixed the problem. All the Oracle of Ottawa can tell you dear reader is that the editors were true to their word and claim.

Long story short, the Oracle of Ottawa enjoyed the Apocrypha very, very much. The annotations are excellent, along with the confirmation references, such as this passage is confirmed in the Dead Sea Scrolls, with the proper text reference number. Don't ask me why, but the Oracle of Ottawa loves that stuff. The literary style and the content was enjoyed mightily. These books are very important, since it lays out the ground to the time just before the coming of Christ. After the Apocrypha you will have a most visceral feel the Gospels that follow. And the Book of Judith? It simply has to be the most X-rated book in the whole Bible! Some say it is the first historical novel, but the Oracle of Ottawa says it is the earliest example in any language of feminist literature. Judith made her way in the world. No glass ceiling whining from this hot babe, she just cut her way through.

Another aspect that really interested the Oracle of Ottawa was the Maccabees books. Especially the mention of Cyrus and the detailed description of the return from bondage with his full support. While reading the Apocrypha check out the subjects and rulers on Wikipedia as you are reading. It will deepen your understanding deeply and very quickly, especially from the historical and literary views. While checking out Cyrus the Oracle of Ottawa learned of the Cyrus Cylinder! Most fascinating...        

 One thing leads to another, seeking enlightenment is like that...

Prisoners Union Of Canada? - Sign Me Up!

 Unions make gains when they are militant and creative.
 Errol Black, Jim Silver, Building A Better World - An Introduction To Trade Unionism In Canada, p. 171

Life is a lot like a stochastic process. It is a random process of events. And these processes have fat tails. It is all just fancy way of saying shit happens, and never forget that this shit could also happen to you. Allow the Oracle of Ottawa to demonstrate. You have as about as much of a chance of being a successful entre-pren-whore as you do of having the misfortune of serving twenty five to life in a Canadian prison! Allow that to sink in, ponder that, and tell the Oracle of Ottawa if it isn't true.

Does this work all the time for everybody or what?

Where does it say in the Canadian Constitution and / or the Charter of Rights, that if you have the misfortune to be incarcerated, that you are automatically somehow less of a Canadian? Has the Oracle of Ottawa missed something? Or is this all part of the Preston Manning bullshit of the falling to the right? How is it that as the Oracle of Ottawa watches Question Period, he gets the feeling that if you are a Canadian stranded in a barred shit hole abroad, the present speed of the assistance of the Canadian government will depend if you ever spent time, for whatever reason, in a Canadian prison, and if you have, well your a die hard criminal and you deserve to rot where you are! Not true? What about that potato farmer from New Brunswick?

The Oracle of Ottawa was very surprised that the attempt of a bunch of prisoners out West in British Columbia were refused the right to organize! Every time the Oracle of Ottawa climbs into his nice new car he can't help but see the Ontario license plate. And I always get that queasy feeling of the knowledge that that plate was made by a prisoner somewhere close to me, and he did not and still does not get at least minimum wage for his or her work. What kind of society do we really live in? Just asking....

Prisoners Union of Canada - Local No. 1

After the shock and the amazement of the utter balls of the inmates, the Oracle of Ottawa wondered why the CLC, the Canadian Labour Congress has not yet made a peep? I mean they only have the connections to over three million union members. And Bill C-377 is sitting in the Senate all but in and done to final passage. This bill is a crafty Conservative Party Of Canada version of American 'Right to Work' legislation. It will keep every Canadian so busy and use up so much resources that in the opinion of the Oracle of Ottawa, it will all but put organized labour out of  business in Canada. 

What better time then the present to organize some new members? There have been many attempts to organize the hamburger joints and the box stores, but these entities are monsters of bottomless cash resources. Why doesn't big labour send the 'Harper Government' a real message and send some burly Teamsters, and some militant auto workers and for good measure some hairy assed Steel Workers to get every prisoner in Canada signed up? What the fuck is there to lose? One last defiant act!

Could you just imagine the shower of shit this would cause? Could you just imagine Vic 'The Dick' Toews and Rob 'The Knob' Nicholson having to stand up in the House in Question Period to report on the progress of the Prisoners Union of Canada first contract negotiations? With the full Canadian Rand Formula of course... Now that would be priceless! And we won't stop there would we? How many people are unemployed in Canada at any one time? And having a hell of a time to get their rightful UI money. Do you see where this all going? Then we could do all the welfare recipients, across Canada. Everyone deserves representation don't they? Don't they?

 Face it folks. Pretty soon all we are going to be left with is the Ashes and the Rain....

Jim Flaherty - Gone A Downer

They offered the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries,
to arouse them for battle.
1 Maccabees, 6:34

It is perhaps a good thing that the Wee Jimmy has no enemies! He really should be very worried about his so called "friends"! One of whom the Oracle of Ottawa watched on the recent vulgar media, (CTV), gushing about how bad and unhealthy his good friend Jimmy seemed to be as the PMO announced his demise, temporary, of course, due to "health" problems and a disease even the Oracle of Ottawa cannot pronounce.

Sh**t, shovel, shut-up...

 It seems wondrous strange that Jimmy Flaherty, who is no friend of the Oracle of Ottawa, did not have the same friends over a year ago. The Oracle of Ottawa commented more than once at the failing vigor of the banty Minister in this very blog. Why the Oracle of Ottawa became very alarmed just after the horizontally challenged Member came back from his great trek to the Holy Land, along with John "The Bird" Baird. The Oracle of Ottawa put it off to watered down Irish whiskey mixed with too much "West Bank" water. Or perhaps the cuisine was all just too much or the most likely problem, having to be around John Baird for more than an hour at a time....

"Gone a downer" is a western cowboy term that describes a sick piece of livestock. When an animal of the cow kind gets sick it goes down and won't usually get back up - hence the term - gone a downer. Now we also know that the 'Harper Government' is run by Cowboy Rules: (i)Never complain, (ii)never explain, (iii)never admit your wrong, (iv)never apologize, and, of course, (v)ride for the brand!

It all started so well didn't it? The Wee Minister thought Ottawa would be like Whitby, Ontario. And the Wee Jimmy was a big fish in Whitby! And then as the problems of the whole (real) world started to take hold, the Wee Minister soon came to realize that the Adam Smith platitudes that have gotten him so far, in reality, of the real world, don't work worth fuck! It was all so hard to face and deal with. The wheels actually really started to come off in Davos Switzerland a while back, remember that weird interview? Then the Wee Minister saw John 'The Bird' Baird crash and burn at the UN. The lads at the PMO really tried to right the ideologically beached  whale, but alas, to no avail.

So it all came down  to the Western Version of the Final Solution. Shoot, Shovel, and Shut-up....   

 Tony 'Two Tier' Clement helps the PMO to pat down the earth... Remember, the bloating starts first, and then the wheels fall off. There will be about a half dozen, to a dozen more of these 'Final Solutions' before the next election, which will be way before 2015.... 

Jonathan 'Jethro' Genest-Jourdain - Scrub Up!

If you love to listen you will gain knowledge,
and if you pay attention you will become wise.
Sirach, 6:33,

The NDP is so close to power that even the Oracle of Ottawa can taste it! Now the Oracle of Ottawa knows a few things, having lived for over half a century so far. The Oracle of Ottawa knows that young Members of Parliament make a decent wage. They also always get a media "boot camp" when they first enter the House. But should the NDP handlers be cutting corners by not running a "media image camp"?

Jonathan prepares for Question Period....

 A very good example of this has caught the Oracle of Ottawa's eye lately in the form and visage of one Jonathon Genest-Jourdain. Now that suit that he has been wearing (see video clip) of late was once in fashion. I believe the last time was that wedding in Matane, Quebec on that long weekend in 1989! God! And those sideburns were all the rage back in the 1970's! But it seems that the young member has discovered another MP perk, all that good grub in the MP's Cafeteria... Ole Jonathan seems to have been really helping himself. That favorite suit of his now fits like Jethro Bodines graduation suit from the sixth grade!

And could some one from his office inform the young member that he can also get a subsidized haircut right near where he goes to stuff his face? The Oracle of Ottawa suspects that the little pretty boy doesn't let anyone but his Mom cut his hair at the communal Igloo back in his riding. So it may require the assistance of Yvon Godin and Charlie Angus to go with him for his first haircut in the big City! Yvon could comfort the young Member while Charlie installs the baby seat in the barber chair. The crying and screaming will no doubt be pretty loud, so the Oracle of Ottawa suggests that the barber be told to be fully stocked with lots of lollipops...

Scrub up buddy! We will work on your "coming out" latter...