Tuesday, April 26, 2011

EKOS Has Really Shaken…

 

The Pundits Up.

A recap – Ekos came out yesterday with a Poll showing the Tories @ 33.7 % – the NDP @ 28% and Liberals @ 23.7 %.

It would be quite shocking – if only it was Accurate.

Rest easy though since It Is Not.

The Tories have not run a spectacular campaign – but they have held their own and their core following is in tact; that is to say in the very high 30 per centile.

The NDP has caught fire in Quebec – and I have no clue as to why, other than the fact that Quebecers are merely leaving one Socialist Group – ie the Bloc – for another – the NDP.

The Liberals have not run particularly well and Ignatieff continues to be the least popular Leader but although they are in decline they are by no means in collapse.

All this to say – as I have continued to say – the Tories remain in the high 30s and the Layton and Ignatieff are splitting the balance more or less evenly albeit with an edge to the NDP at this point.

The only question remaining for me is whether after May 2nd there will be a Majority Tory Gov’t or a Coalition between the other Two.

That said, I have never seen an Election where the majority of the Pundits are so dumbfounded:  they readily admit that they have no idea what the make-up of the next Parliament will be.

I had promised to publish my prediction on Sunday but given the interest and the conflicting polls will do so over the course of this Saturday.

If the Libs and NDP do in fact form the new Government – especially with Jack Layton as PM – Canada will spiral down as is currently the case with our neighbours to the South.

Pretty Scary Stuff..

As I see it …

‘Galagher’

Sunday, April 24, 2011

I’m A Little Disappointed…

 

Following my Everglades Blog – no one came forward to ask if I had experienced other such Adventures on our recent Florida Holiday.

We did in fact – but given your lack of interest I will not be telling you about them.

In Particular, I will not tell you about my Deep Sea Fishing Outing with Skipper Dan.

I won’t recall how we (me) and a crowd of 2 others -gathered on the Dock – after paying another King’s Ransom for an Outing.

Only to be told by Skipper Dan (we all soon just called him ‘Skipper’) that we were wasting our time since for the past week no one, on his boating outings, had been successful in catching a fish. (at least Billy Bob waited until we were on route before giving us the bad news)

And Skipper Dan did not offer to return our money – even though I did make the request.

A little background here would help.

The Ad for this Deep Sea Adventure stated that the crew – i.e. the Skipper since he was all there was – “would clean any fish we caught” so we could take our harvest home and BBQ it for dinner – with no doubt lots left over for following nights.

Anne and I had been ‘restauranting’ each evening so this night would be different – I would catch our dinner and cook it – the Skipper would do the Cleaning.

That was the Theory of course – as a back-up – just in case.. I told Anne to meet me after our Fishing Excursion outside a nearby Restaurant in the Unlikely Event I came up empty in the Fish Department. 

Okay now let’s not go back to the Dock (remember – I am not telling you this Story for Lack of Interest).

We all (the 3 of us) and the Skipper scrambled on board.  We got the usual pitch where the life jackets etc are and off we went.

Some 45 minutes after departure we dropped anchor.

“How deep do you think it is here”? I ask Skipper.

“Four, maybe Six Feet”.

And you call this Deep Sea Fishing – I thought.

At least I did not need to worry about Life Jackets – I could walk / bob in that depth.

But low and behold we start to catch fish.

The Skipper is ecstatic – his week’s drought has come to an end.

On a sadder note though, he classifies each fish we catch as being “non-edible”.

We must have anchored at a half dozen different spots throughout the day and wouldn’t you know it – every fish we caught, regardless of where, was tainted with the Skipper’s “non-edible” designation.

This included fish such as the succulent Sea Bass that Anne and I had been so enjoying over the course of our stay.

To say that I was suspicious was an under-statement.

Soon our time was up.  With ‘threw back’ the last of our catch and returned to Port.

The Skipper wished us all – you know the three of us – a bon farewell and just before parting provided each of us with a bag containing brochures about the Adventure that he would appreciate us handing out to friends and passers by.

With bag in hand, I made my way to our Restaurant rendez-vous where I found Anne patiently awaiting me.

She smiled at seeing me approach and then frowned when she noticed the bag.

“Oh no” she pronounced.. “you didn’t actually catch fish”.

“Well yes I did – but don’t look so crestfallen – this is only a bag of brochures”.

“Thank God” she exclaimed, as we sauntered into the Bar.

 

So again, I am sorry that I could not relate the above story to you.

Nor will I be telling you about our adventures on the new Harry Potter Ride at Universal Studios.

My not doing so, in that case, has less to do with your lack of interest as it does will the nausea I still feel whenever I think back to that Ride from Hell.

As I see it…

‘Galagher’