Almost Like Baby Chicks

So it is Easter weekend and I'm The Cottage for the weekend. (Teri, or was it Kristen? Someone was asking when I would stop calling it The Cottage and start just referring to it as my parents' house. I don't think ever.) Anyway, my grandparents are visiting along with their friend from England and later on today my aunt and uncle and little cousin will be here for a big turkey dinner.

This morning we went to the Bird Studies Canada - Long Point Bird Observatory. (I can feel your judgement already.) My grandparents are hardcore birders, and they wanted to show their friend. My mom and I went along because the place is pretty awesome. Anyone who I have brought there would agree that it is way cooler than they thought it would be. They catch birds in these huge nets strung up all around the forest, then go get them and put them in bags, then bring them back to the lab area to band, identify, and document before letting them go again.

Today the nets were filled with birds. I was walking past one that had three birds caught in it and was looking at them. My grandfather came up beside me and I turned to him and said, "This one is pretty. The one in the middle is not so pretty, I don't like that one very much. But I like this one, it's cute."

Pa replied with, "Wow, you're a great birder Chris." I was never very strong with the remembering of names or the identification part. I also don't like to be particularly near the wild birds. I like to watch other people handling them from a safe distance. Wild things, and dead things, just make me feel very very uncomfortable, and a little scared.

While we were there, wandering through the paths in the wooded area, someone saw a bunny. I missed the bunny but I figure that, and the fact that little birds are kind of like baby chicks, makes The Long Point Bird Observatory an appropriate place to visit for Easter.

Oh But He Is Pretty

I love Jack Layton and Anna just put this link up on Facebook. Check it out. I love him now, and wow would I have loved him back then! Click the link:

Young Hot Jack Layton

Research Your Vote

The election is coming, the election is coming. Election Day (Federal) is May 2nd and if I stand for anything political it is for sure the strong belief that everyone should vote. Though I am finding myself for the first time in my life sadly cynical about Canadian politics.

I don't know what it is about the 2011 Federal Election that is draining me of all my hope and passion but there is one thing that I am finding exciting - The Vote Compass! Developed by a team of 15 top Canadian election researchers and political science scholars, and co-ordinated by the University of Toronto, this survey uses a series of questions to take each person's political temperature.

I think this is the greatest tool ever. I love it!! Though am very surprised to see where I ended up. This is what I got:

Try it out for yourself HERE at
CBC News - Canada Votes 2011 - Vote Compass

To A 'T'

To double the 't' or not to double the 't', that is the question...
-write
-wrote
-written
-writing
-writer
More reasons why I can't spell!

Emo Pony

This isn't as good as Goth Guinea Pig and it isn't nearly as awesome as the Emo Bunny, which was hilarious. However the saga continues:
Text and photo from Cute Overload (See Link to Right)

Nobody Understands Emo Pony
Emo Pony is destined to travel through the misty and cold fog of existence alone and cold. Emo Pony is going to put on his tight, itchy wool sweater and contemplate the failure of humanity. Emo Pony isn’t afraid to express himself with a forelock that covers 3/4 of his face at an angle.
Life is hard for Emo Pony.
(Erin AH sent this to me, she knows I love them!)

This Month

This is my life for the next month:
-researching
-writing papers
-marking exams
-marking final papers
-invigilating exams

Missing My Riding

I miss my old riding! ('Riding' is slang for Canadian Electoral Distract, I have learned on wikipedia.) I used to live in Ottawa Centre, the shape of which adorably kind of looks like a maple leaf. Ottawa Centre is a predominately liberal riding, this is probably helped by the fact that it includes two universities: Carlton and Saint Paul's. It hasn't had a Conservative Member of Parliament since the late 70s and even then it was only for a short period of time. It has been represented by the New Democratic Party since 2004 when it was originally Ed Broadbent's riding, the old NDP leader before Jack Layton. Paul Dewer has been the MP for the last five years. I loved being represented by NDP and was so proud of the political leaning of my little district, even with the Glebe which I find a little too yuppie-hippie-leftist.

I follow Paul Dewer on Facebook and recently he linked to a video made by a high school student somewhere in Ottawa. It is a bit of a strange video in places but it is so nice to see the desire and drive to vote that feels missing from a lot of Canadian youth. I have always loved to and believed strongly in voting. On May 2nd - GET OUT AND VOTE!

The Finer Things In Life

The government is selling thongs! Really. It is just strange and I have no creative way to write about this at the moment, except that JennB sent me the link and the story both puzzled and amused me. Read it HERE. If you too are interested in buying government surplus crown assets the full website is HERE. Personally I have no money. (Literally! I woke up this morning to some pretty scary numbers when I checked my banking online and am trying not to spend the day sweating about it. I should be getting paid tomorrow and that will sort it out, but today I'm a little money stressed.) I don't want to waste the day looking over the site, it looks like it could be a pretty cool distraction. It lists some of the craziest things for sale. I would really have liked to buy the shark research vessel though.