Like so many of you I have usually taken a great deal of interest in the political process and elections, especially after having the honour of being elected and serving on the Ponoka town council for three terms in the 1990s. I have, however become completely turned off by the loud and vindictive United States Presidential campaign that has been waged between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Right from the get-go this fiasco has turned out to be more like the epic and age-old battle of the “Hatfield’s and McCoy’s.” It seems that their entire platform was based on how much dirt they could dig up about each other instead of what they were prepared to do for the beleaguered citizens of the U.S. if they happen to get elected, and thank goodness that the fiasco will finally be over today.
Whatever the results may be it could be a real wild ride for the entire world for the next four years during which time there will be no doubt that our beloved Canada will be affected by the actions of a new government regime that will be leading our good neighbours from across the border into the future. Today’s politicians need to focus on the people that they serve and not on the perks of power. The bad politicians and parties will eventually get voted out, but unfortunately not before they have left us with four years of pain and very little gain. On the other side of the coin it most vital that men and women are willing to come forth and serve their province, constituency, or community as representatives of government at all levels, and the next big test in that regard will be our municipal elections in October of 2017.
How about a few political jokes?
There are many people who don’t believe in political jokes, simply because some of them get elected.
Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?
U.S.A. placards and signs waving the day before the 2016 election. This Sunday please remember to turn your clock back one hour, and then on Tuesday please remember to cast your ballots NOT to set the country back 20 years.
Flamboyant South African President Jacob Zuma will soon receive delivery of his luxurious $400,000,000 plus personal aircraft. Believe it or not this Boeing 747-8 luxury liner, which usually holds 600 guests and crew has been custom built to provide his staff and VIP guests with: Staterooms, bedrooms, lounges, kitchen facilities, 14 T.V.’s, and all sorts of other fancy amenities as they fly around the world. By the way, our always gracious and generous Canadian Government has kindly donated over $200,000,000 to aid this troubled nation?
You have to love the time change?
As laid-back seniors we had a lot of fun rolling back the clocks last Saturday night, doing it early in the evening and then staying up an hour later to watch television. We did, however, wake up at the usual time for ‘first coffee’ in the morning, but were quite shocked when it suddenly got dark at 4:50 p.m. This little shift in our Mountain Standard Time usually indicates that old man winter is just around the corner, but it also means that many folks will be driving home in the dark and we all need to be extra careful on the highways and by-ways, with lights on and winter tires safely in place.
We went and got a double whammy of our influenza and pneumonia shots last week, and it really wasn’t too bad, with one quick poke in each arm and the clinic not busy at all. I found out that during the last influenza vaccine program available to everyone from two years old and over, only 27 per cent of Albertans (1.1 million) got the FREE protection shot. Please consider the health and safety of yourself, your family, and everyone around you, and check out the list of clinics and drug-stores now offering the program in your community. In the meantime let’s keep on enjoying this balmy November, and have a great week, all of you.