Election and Other Stuff

A big news week this week all round! So I was up late as usual last Sunday night watching Celebrity Apprentice, only to have it interrupted by the breaking news of Osama Bin Laden's death. I stayed up even later watching the president's announcement and all the news surrounding it, It's strange, I found the news interesting, yet at the same time an anti-climax. My personal opinion is that it really won't make a jot of difference in the scheme of things.

So after that late night excitement, it was off to work with bleary eyes in the morning and Election Day in Canada. For the last couple of years they have had a minority Conservative Government, and my colleagues have been speculating as to how this election would turn out, with some healthy debates in the office at some points as many of them have mixed views on who should govern. Unlike the UK the polls close much earlier, so you don't have to stay up all night and wait until the next day to find out the outcome. As it turned out the Conservatives romped to victory and now have a majority government. The most interesting part of the election for me was the fact that the Jack Layton and NDP party (most like the Labour Party), grew their number of seats massively and became, for the first time the opposition party. It reminded me of when Neil Kinnock, very nearly made it, back in the day and paved the way for Tony Blair. So I actually think the election to watch will be the next one, depending on what the Tories do in the next four years.

Of course Rob and I don't get to vote yet. We would have to apply for citizenship before that would happen, But as I do like politics, I have been taking a healthy interest in all the goings on.

In TV news this week, we have a new talent show called "The Voice". I am loving it. And what I love best about it is the fact that it is like the X Factor, but without all the crap and Simon Cowell...Best of all though is the fact that they aired it before Simon got his on the TV. The Voice doesn't have loads of pre-amble auditions, it's gets straight down to business, with 4 judges and a blind audition, the judges sit in big red chairs with their backs to the singers, and they hit a button to spin the chair round when they really want an artist on their team to mentor. If more than one judge wants them the artist gets to choose who they go with. At the moment they have 8 acts each, but next week they pair up their acts and put them two by two in the ring singing the same song together and then have to send on of the two home. leaving them with 4 acts each for the live rounds.

I am also excited to see the return of Sir Al on the UK Apprentice this week...Can't wait!

As for us this week, we attended camera club on Wednesday where they were holding their own elcetions for committee. I have a small role as part of the iner-club exchange programme now, which suits me just fine.

Robert had Saturday and Sunday off, which is rare, so we headed out for a spin yesterday to Sambro Head, (thanks to my new travel co-ordinator in the UK Robert, who knows more about Nova Scotia than we do!). It was a nice drive and an area we had not been to before, plenty to see, lots of fishing boats of course and I think I have found a new favourite place to live in Ketch Harbour. (I just keep adding places to my never ending list). That said, I thought I would highlight Dartmouth a little more in this weeks images, so that you can see more of where we live.


Sambro Harbour Reflections (click to view larger)


Dowtown Dartmouth

Part of the Shubie Canal, Dartmouth

There is also a new campaign online to vote for the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World, our very own Bay of Fundy is included in the selection, so why not check it out and vote! (Thanks again to Robert for finding this).