Well, boys n girls, I think this is the longest I’ve been away from blogging. Other than the occasional tweet or Facebook posting of an article or picture of interest, and only recently, back to commenting on a few like minded blogs, I haven’t really written or done anything of substance. I have written nothing here and Kim has been keeping the site updated with occasional posts. Keep up the good work, Kim! I’m sure people miss you; probably more than they miss me!

This post will have no links, nor too much research, typically needed for political commentary, but this post is more personal than political.  It’s more of an exercise for me, really. An exercise in concentration of one activity. I have been maintaining a private personal journal to get back into writing. This post is just the next step. It won’t be of too much substance.

Without getting into too much detail, I have been dealing some serious health issues since the beginning of summer.  I’m not quite at a point where I am comfortable sharing all the details. Only a select few know what is going on in more detail and it’s best that it remains that way.  I can only say that I have been battling the health care system here in Montreal since the summer. I have been assessed and reassessed by specialists. I have a diagnosis — a diagnosis that was made at an ER visit in 2006 that I barely remember. One who assessed me over the summer had that file and told me what kind of therapy I need– said I had this diagnosis since 2006. It was quite a shock to me. I had no idea. No one saw fit to even tell me back in 2006 when I was still in my 30s — young enough.  But no, I only found out last July and still smarting from it while also trying to fight to get services. So far, all seem to pass the buck. They all agree I need this treatment, just no one seems to be in any kind of hurry to give it to me.  Right now, all I have is my GP who is new to me still — only started seeing him last spring.  It is indeed frustrating.  All I am being given is pills which have terrible side-effects and really are not doing me any favours. To think, for about 8 years, I had been on the wrong track in many aspects. Scary shit!

Should I ever feel like publishing more detail, I may well do it on another site.

Trouble focusing and concentrating are part of my condition these days– lots of migraines.  So I started trying to read about my usual favourite subject again — politics. I’m more or less current — Quebec’s lovely Bill 10 — health care deform if I ever saw one; Bill 3 — the bill to try to cover up a loss of pensions  of public servants.

Yup, I’m aware Harper sold us out to the Chinese and it looks like his reasoning behind it is well calculated.  It would appear that according to Mitchell Anderson in the Tyee, Harper gave the shop away in a feverish effort to strip us of our constitution. Read There is More than One Way to Skin a Constitution . It’s disturbing, but a must read.

Ezzy Levant sank to new lows over a pic of Justin Trudeau posing in a picture with a bridal party at some wedding, by calling his parents sluts and promiscuous. Much of the journalism community all abuzz about how Justin Trudeau’s boycotting Stun Media is — gasp– so horrible! What scares me even more about this group is that they’re not more outraged at Ezzy Levant or Stun Media’s inaction to date. I mean, what Ezzy did was an insult to journalism, or at least, shouldn’t it be? Thus, shouldn’t journalists be gathering a lynch mob toward Ezzy and his seemingly ambivalent employer ( I am being charitable, boys n girls).

And who could forget Stevie’s protege, Paul Calandra and his latest stupidities along with Speaker Andy’s more than obvious partisanship attitude toward Thomas Mulcair?

I know I’ve said this about previous absences from this site — that I would do my best to be more present. I won’t make promises I can’t keep. Taking it a day at a time, as the old cliche goes.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to express condolences to the families and friends of two great bloggers who contributed greatly to the Canadian progressive blogging community: Susan Kent Davidson, aka Skdadl and David Robin (Rob) Hills aka POGGE of the blog site Pogge.ca, which, sadly, is now down.  I never met them personally but I was a fan and there is a hole I think most of us from the Canadian progressive blogosphere feel there is on our side of the political spectrum. I didn’t always agree with them, but ultimately, we all had the same ideals and wanted the same things– one being, get Harper outta office.  RIP Skdadl and POGGE.

I am also putting out another call for contributors who are left of centre of any partisan stripe — just has to be anti-Harpercon. Please email me and we’ll discuss.