WARNING! This Blog Contains; Personal Opinion, Parody, Humour, Satire, Sarcasm, Criticism, Incredulity, Contempt, Indignation and/or Expletives. It also Contains a Huge Number of Rather Surprising Facts About the Oddly Dysfunctional Nature of Harper Land.

CHECK BACK OFTEN ~ ALL POSTS are Updated As New Information Becomes Available.

March 31, 2011

<> How Well Do You Know Our Next Ex-Prime Minister? <>

Hey It's Movie Night in Canada!
Tonights Theme:
Meet Stephen Harper


Stephen Harper on gay Rights:


Stephen Harper on Same-Sex Marriage:




Stephen Harper on Health Care:


Stephen Harper and the Environment:


Stephen Harper On the 'Left Biased Media':


Mrs. Harper? Can Stevie Come Out and Play?

Yesterday, Stephen Harper, in a moment of panic and confusion bravely challenged the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Michael Ignatieff  to a One-on-One, Face-to-Face, Man-to-Man Debate.

Although many of us who follow very closely and really understand the problem-child leader of the Conservative Party of Canada were sure that he was not only putting his bid to keep Canada on the road to becoming "Haperland", in grave danger, but that he would weasel out of it!

Today, he has backed out citing the Canadian Media Consortium and their apparent disapproval. I am left wondering if that is really the reason that he cancelled this chance to show how his intellect aligns with one of the world's most admired minds. I suspect that there are many many other reasons!


The Consortium of (CBC, CTV, Radio Canada, Global, and TVA) Canadian Broadcasters who are putting together the traditional mid-campaign encounter of the major party leaders have so far ruled out hosting a separate Harper vs. Ignatieff event.

Harper says that that settles the issue for him, but Ignatieff quietly scoffed at that.

“Less than 24 hours ago, he was saying, ‘Let’s go into the ring, toe-to-toe, head-to-head,’ and I said, ‘Look, I’m willing to do that provided that other leaders participate in a regular debate,’ Ignatieff said in Winnipeg on Thursday. “And now he’s turned around. You can’t trust this man.”

Just for interest sake: He also said that he and the Liberal Party favour Elizabeth May's inclusion in the debates. A stance that Harper has not yet clarified. Harper may not always play by the rules, but when they favour him or his agenda, or he can find a loophole, he he will take advantage of them and scurry to a safer position. I am afraid he is running out of places to hide.

The prime minister , who is NOT actually the Prime minister these days but should be referred to as the leader of the Conservative party of Canada during the election period, says with a straight face that Michael Ignatieff is to blame. Note that he also insanely blamed Michael Ignatieff for Canada's failure to get a seat on the UN Security Council last year. Apparently according to Harper, Michael Ignatieff is a very powerful man.

“Mr. Ignatieff insisted that his first preference was to have his coalition partners there at the debate, so that’s the format that was proposed and we’ve accepted it,” Harper told journalists in Halifax. “If Mr. Ignatieff wanted that debate, he could have chosen that debate, but he didn’t.”

One of these responses is quite serious and factual, the other, much less so. I'll let you decide which is which. This video should help!



A danger to Himself?
Mr. Harper may be well advised to keep himself out of the public sphere for the next 30 days, as he did during the last election and ^NOT to get into the ring a man of  Doctor Ignatieff's intellect and much quicker left! I mean seriously? Does this man look like he is up to the job?

On a Side-Note: In a flourish of whimsy, wit and wisdom Michael Ignatieff  blythely opined, the other day, while in Mississauga, that Stephen Harper might just want to bone up on what it means to be a Canadian. I wholeheartedly agree.

Hey Stevie? If you can^NOTcome out to play, and we already know you like to hide out,  and if you are going to be hiding in the basement of OUR HOUSE, why not take the time to read this!

Ignatieff ~ To Harper's Character Assasination Attempt!

A Measured Response
From the Canadian
on Whom
Stephen Harper
 Wasted Million$ of Dollars
in a CONtemptable Attempt to Ruin!



I like This!

My Mom will like this!

My Daughter will like this.
My Nieces will like this.
My Nephews will like this.
My Friends will like this!

Dimitri Soudas will ^NOT like this!
Jenni Byrne will hate this.
John Baird will loath this.
Pierre Poilievre will smirk at this.
Jaime Watt will sneer at this.
Evan Solomon will giggle over this.
Vic Toews will feel like a victim!

This will make Harper Shudder!

And All of this!
Absolutely All of it!
Will help make Me like this Even More!

The Time Has Come Canada, The Time Has Come!


Please Comment if You like This!

March 24, 2011

ON THE EVE of CONTEMPT ~ please tell your Mother!

I hardly know where to begin.

For me personally, these last five years have been very difficult ones. And although I have always had grave doubts about the intent of the Right side of Canadian politics and been warry of Stephen harper, I was a long time waking to the fact that Stephen Harper has in many ways been an assault on Canada.

Since that awakening, I have spent the last 3 years attempting to wake up a few of my fellow Canadians, and today,
the 24th of March, 2011 is the Eve of that Wakeup Call!
Something very Unusual is about to Happen tomorrow, unless the PM runs away for the third time to see the (representitive of) the Queen. At around 1:30 pm EDT, the Government will face an Historic vote in the House that will, barring an act of God, result in a formal charge of  Contempt being levelled by the parliament of Canada, against the Government of Canada, but more specifically at an entire Canadian Political Party. This Motion will pass if presented for a vote.

The difficult part is that it will still take a while for this to sink in. It should help a bit that it will be of interest all over the world and will not go unnoticed in the International press.

So, What is Contempt?
That, of course was just a Definition.

How has History Viewed Contempt?


In a perfect world, we would all be wide awake and looking closely and happily as the Harper Government finally goes down in flames. In a perfect world, we would all know the real story. In a perfect world, this Governement would ^NOT have spent the last five years treating Canadians with such open and yet somehow deep-seated Contempt!

We really do need to have a closer look at the man at the helm. But it may take a long time to get Canadians, even those who already know that Harper as a petulant problem-child, to realise the real and much darker truth. For any of you less familiar, but still reading this, I would encourage that you get involved, or at least get yourself involved. He is being held in contempt for real, relevent and to those of us who know his record, quite obvious reasons.

Look closely and you will come to see that: He is a secretive and vindictive man. He is feared by even his supporters. He is not a man of any real substance. He sees no reason to tell us the truth. He sees no reason to encourage us to do research into his tenure. He is not a man who comfortably walks among other people like a more normal and friendly Canadian.

Even as I watched John Baird during Question period this afternoon, I was again reminded that he is a most disrespectful, ill-mannered, and smug man who is almost giddy to be charged with being both the First and the Last line of defence to this, in many ways, very Odd and innapropriate Harper Government.

At the end of Question Period today, Liberal MP, David Mcginty stood and said a few words, and asked the Government if they would not consider voting YES on the Motion of Contempt, tomorrow. To which the House leader John baird responded with a very glib, Accusation of smuggness on the face of Mcginty. Having John Baird call you smug is an insult somewhat akin to having Vic Toews calling you senile. If you do ^NOT get the reference, you need to catch up and soon!

Our ability to Wake on time and to Wake other Canadians on time to this unDemocratic Oddness and Surreality over the next 6 weeks is imperitive. So, I think you should arrange a wake up call. My clock has been set.
See you in the Morning!

March 22, 2011

Happy Birthday, Go Away! ~ Stephen Harper!

So, Which bag is the money in?
You Can't Budge a Fudge-it
If he wants to Fudge a Budget.
You can't fool with Flatteries,
A man who runs on Batteries.

It really doesn't matter he
Will say things odd and scattery
And get all pitter pattery,
Yell his name, and scoot away!


In spite of his Mad hattery,
and the fact that he's quite chattery,
He still can't tell a number
from a Rock!

Hopefully, the Big Poll will be held May 2nd.
That's Perfect! That will keep Mr. Harper home in Canada, (Missing a Royal Wedding, ewww Boner!) for his whateverith? birthday on Saturday the 30th of April while he sweats out a looming Monday election after a very difficult campaign in which he was pitted against a man with a beautiful mind and a better, smarter plan.

What is Contempt? Well, that nice Mr. Harper never even stopped in the Foyer to talk to any of us lowly citizens after the budget. He doesn't care enough about any of us to deign to ever seem like he is one of us, so I have no vested interest in his Birthday.
I just don't want him around to "MC" the Big gig on July the First! That is every Canadian's Birthday!

Click on Pic to see detail!
*If you are a intending to send him a gift in spite of his Contempt for Canadians, please consider making it a 'GO AWAY' present and make it small enough to fit in this Bit of specially designed 'Birthday/GoAway' wrapping paper. Just steal the picture, it's nine by nine and perfect for dollar store items!
Bring it on!
 
 
 
Jim Flaherty, As I type this: (loudly at a podium in the Foyer of the House of Commons) to Peter Mansbridge: "No one has said to me that they want an election" I guess Jim never opens his mail or his inbox. He is spreading the fear very thickly, Insecurity, Fragile, ... He is saying protect, certainty and stability....." I've Heard all of that, before.

 Mr. Flaherty it is too late. If you lose the helm,
we will all get to see the actual Numbers.
And like I said above buddy,
You have a lot to learn about Numbers.

Now, Let's have a look at those books.

March 21, 2011

Fight Ice with Fire, Fight Contempt with Contempt!

<><><><><><><><><><>
C.R.U.S.H.

Fire and Ice ~ Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire;
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great

And would suffice.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

Some say the Harper Government will end in Fire, Some say it will end in Ice. Personally, so far, My Money is on Contempt!

The House Committee looking into the Speaker's recent rulings, to which Harper responded contemptuously by saying "YA Win Some Ya Lose Some" is scheduled to report back to the House, on Monday, March 21st at or before 6:00 PM. EDT. At the time I am writing this, that is this evening! It rather auspiciously just happens at the very end of the first full day of Spring! What better time for such a monumental decision? It is the very point in the year where it is finally becomes evident that Ice must by it's nature, give way to Fire!

If the Committee decides to deliver a finding of Contempt against an entire Political Party, it will be the first such decision in the "Westminster" Parliamentary Democratic Model's long history of Democracy. This falls just short, in my mind, of Treason. And it will be forever on Harper's Record that he does not respect Democracy, the Dominion of Canada or it's 33 Million residents.

A finding of Contempt goes beyond Non-Confidence, it is a statement that goes beyond simple doubt about the functioning of the self proclaimed "Harper Government" and places the label of Dysfunctional indelibly on the back of a Prime minister who has stepped well beyond the bounds of job description. In that sense it is actually Democracy that is being held in Contempt by the elusive "Harper Government". he is in contempt of Canada.

So, is this about the budget?  I say it no longer really can be. Because if as I saw while watching the House Committee, No one can dare to trust this Government any longer to tell us the real figures within that budget. It will be impossible to support!

The last Budget did not contain a mind boggling $125,000,000.oo for advertising, but that is what it appears they have spent in the last year. And most of that was spent for partisan propaganda. That is a lot of Money and reminds one that this is the same Government that now stands accused of Cheating during the 2006 election. That should also clearly show their complete lack of ethics and show no sign of even the slightest remorse for their chronic habit of Contempt!

So, will it be the slow burn of Economic Incompetence or the Cold Shoulder of Contempt that finally gets Canadians engaged in the election process? Again, my money is on Contempt.

The budget does not matter to me any more, as the Committee, in my opinion, will be deciding the fate of the dismal government of Stephen Joseph Harper.

A Formal finding of Contempt is worth a Billion words, and that is a thousand thousand Pictures. Here are a rather large number of them.

The hearings lasted three days. They were quite educational and quite revealing. It was easy from the outset to see that the Conservatives had come Only to disrupt this Committee.

Click here to adjust your Government!

Click here to meet me on facebook!
The behavior of the Ministers; Vic Toews, Rob Nicholson and Bev Oda was dismal. Aided as it was by the young and bumbling Chair, Joe Preston, who did his clumsy best to slow things to a crawl, and the outrageous long rambling monologues of Lukiwski, the constant confused interuptions by Scott Reid, they managed to make a dog's breakfast of their Credibility.

Their actions at the Hearings can only be seen as contemptible. It was ^NOT a very clever showing, especially as it is their constant tendency to act with Contempt for all others, that was the subject of the Committee hearings.

" Tories' dirty little tricks:

Outraged opposition MPs called on the government yesterday to make public a secret guide book it distributed to Conservative committee chairmen which counsels them on how to cherrypick witnesses favourable to the Conservative Party and disrupt committees that want to study subjects that don't suit the government. " By The Gazette (Montreal) May 19, 2007


It kinda takes the "Right Honourable" title away from any and all in the Conservative caucus. I can ^NOT imagine letting them run this country any longer. Can you?

It has always been seen as fair play to fight Contempt with Contempt. Now it is the will of the Highest Authority in the Nation. It is now our duty as a Democratic Society to distance ourselves from this dismal Government. We need to go to the polls!


Canada's Next EX~Prime Minister!
 
Oh, and just for the record:

They do not have to check in with the still pending decision on Oda's little affair until the 25th. Hopefully, it will all be anti-climactic by then!


FIGHT CONTEMPT WITH CONTEMPT!

Now, Run and tell your Mother! If she is anything at all like my Mother,
She will ^NOT likely allow herself to be held in Contempt!

This just in: Harper on Integrity, 2004.



That is some serious bedtime reading!

That is some Serious Contempt! 


March 16, 2011

IS THIS YOUR CANADA? ~ OR HARPER'S?

This it it folks! The Gloves are OFF!



This is a burning Bridge!

No Governement of Canada has ever been Officially designated as in Contempt of parliament. Will the self-proclaimed, "Harper Government" be the First? It is becoming a distict possibility! If the demenor of the Governments' Ministers, so-far Toews and Nicholson who appeared before Committe today does not improve, by this Friday We should know for sure. That is of course only if those on on the Committee do ^NOT lose their patience before then!



THE COMMITEE from CPAC.ca

Procedure and House Affairs (March 16, 2011)

MPs discuss a question of privilege on the government’s failure to disclose cost estimates for its corporate tax cuts and crime bills. The House of Commons Finance committee had requested the documents last November, but the Conservatives cited cabinet confidence and refused to provide the information.


The Chair Joe Preston

House Speaker Peter Milliken has ruled that the government likely breached parliamentary privilege by refusing to release all the cost details.
Please note that regularly scheduled programming may be pre-empted due to live CPAC programming. Please check listings for rebroadcast dates and times.
See what the world is saying about this Committee on Twitter

Follow in real time or catch the summary as Kady O'malley Live Blogs it!

As a self-proclaimed (future) 'Hockey Writer" Stephen Harper understands that sometimes a real man just has to Drop the Gloves.

Even Don Cherry knows that much!


IS THIS YOUR CANADA? ~ OR HARPER'S?
Now for something Completely different! New Liberal ad. Hey they even tell ya who is paying for it. That's cool!


More later! ~ It is going to be a real Ride! ~ Don't be a stranger!

March 15, 2011

Polls Are For Trolls and Fools ~ Just Ignore Them!

Or Better yet, just stop taking them!

The Nik Nanos interview on CTV's Power Play  on Sunday Feb 20th (see the Nanos interview at the 1:38 minute mark) should have been billed as a Conservative Infomercial, or at the very least, a Con Game. And since it was not, I think some might have taken it seriously, the way Canadians do. Not that they tend to take it so seriously that they look at the disclaimers at the bottom of the stats, or even more importantly, the light that was made to shine on it just last week in print, and on "AT ISSUE" by Allan Greg. He is always described by Mansbridge as a long time Conservative Pollster, so it was refreshing to hear his refresher on the subject.


Allan Greg speaks to "The House" on CBC radio via CBC.ca
At any rate, The Cons are not worried, nor will they be until the Pollsters stop hyping them. Nik Nanos like all pollsters who insinuate that polls can be trusted, simply can ^NOT be trusted. And an increasing number of those of us who like to do a bit of math when we have doubts, see that the numbers are more political than scientific and our oddly widespread faith in them makes them much more able to affect outcomes than predict them. Polls don't just let us know who is going to win, they help determine it.

I Call in to "The Week" ~ A Sunday NOON ET show on CPAC with a few Questions and a few comments including one about Greg's idea that these Polls are now unreliable and as always an exercise in political interference. I ask them why in light of this, they still insist on pushing poll results.
Watch it Here ~ I'm on at the 23 minute mark,
but the whole show is well worth a look.
Pollsters call a few thousand or so (that's one in every 70,000 or so voters) mostly folks on land lines, only 15 to 20% of whom will talk to them at all and blithely come up with numbers which are (19 times out of twenty) somewhere ( according to them) within +/-3.4% (That's a possible 6.8 points off of, (-) or added to (+) the total spread) and rely on our being too damned lazy to do the math.

We could simply subtract that 6.8% and know that the current (supposed) 14% spread might only be 7.2% but they never bother to do that little bit of the real math on our behalf.

And don't forget that one in Twenty polls where even that huge inaccuracy is multiplied by built in error. (nineteen times out of twenty, remember)

Now Keep in mind that these polls are pretty much weekly and given the 52 weeks that is a year here in Canada, we are fed this twentieth poll two or three times a year. They don't bother to make that clear. Like I said they leave us to do that math. Why?


Is it because they know that it would show them to be irrelevant and leave them much less useful to the political parties that pay for them? I am afraid  that that is a sad and distinct possibility.


Food for thought.
A Review BY ALLAN GREGG of"
"Harperland" ~ The Politics of Control by Lawrence Martin published by Viking Canada

March 14, 2011

"The Harper Photo Opportunity Dilema" or "Men, Both Dim & Dimmer"

First Things First ~ This Blog is ^NOT  About Science! It is about a Governement so bent on self promtion that they keep getting it wrong. This is but one sad chapter in their story. Let's start with some background.
Stephen Harper speaks at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic School March 11th 2011 in Guelph Ontario.
As usual his handlers have chosen to use human props. You can see some them
 standing quietly in the background as PM Harper delivers a long speech.
As per usual he (the propagandist) has water they (the props) do not.
This set up for a photo opportunity may look familiar to some of you as this is standard procedure for any right wing Government worth it's Rovian label. The little people as they are called can generally be counted on to stand in the glare of television lights for quite a long time without incident. That is not always the case:

This video is from September 2010 and shows how concerned a man Harper can be when youth are at stake.


What a trooper that Harper is. He hesitates, looks back only after being told some several seconds later that a child has fainted and without so much as an ""Are you OK?",  drinks his water and starts right back into his Boring and Somnambulatory monotone.

When this man speaks he just does not seem to be aware of anything around him, and why would he? In his mind, he is the very Center of Canadian Existence. He is, after all Stephen Harper. Besides, he has to concentrate as  he is usually reading his responses, often from a very sophisticated computerized teleprompter.

That not withstanding, he took a lot of heat for this first inciden, mostly in the social media but was not able to spin it successfully in the Main Stream Media and the video was viewed many thousands of times. He made no apology about it at all. He is just too busy a man to be worried about some kid. But that was then and this is now!

Again last week, his handlers rounded up some school kids to serve as human props while he spoke. This time at St. Ignatius of Loyola, a Catholic School in Guelph. And again, no water for the props, just water for the propagandist. (A short mainstream media version)


Here is a much poorer BUT FUNNIER amateur version which goes on a lot longer and seems to have vastly amused the cameraman. He and a friend can be heard roaring with laughter, at first at the fainter, but soon it becomes apparent that his laughter is due to Harper's automatonic continuance of the speech which of course he was droning out in his famous subdued style.



It, I guess, was shot from a monitor, and that is a good thing because I can not seem to find that longer version anywhere, only the shorter edited version. If he had shot it live he would never have managed to get past Harper's highly efficient small army of handlers! Lucky for us he took the time to capture the longer shot or we would not know just how long this man can fail to know what goes on around him.

So, what do you do after such a huge failure to seem quite human in front of the world?  Enter Dimitri Soudas, Harper's PMO twittering spokesperson. Although details of the timing of this are not yet available to me, I am looking for information that would shed some light on what exactly happened in the time between the end of the speech and the taking of picture that he released on Twitter. At any rate Dimitri Tweeted a picture of Mr. Harper and the child who had fainted lying side by side on the floor, Harper looking every bit like a father and mentor. Or at least that is, I think, Dimitri's spin on the story. Frankly I just find it sad that they would go to such lengths to disprove Harper's obvious lack of normal human connectedness.

Dimitri's Tweet: Complete with Right Wing Spin:

The link leads here and you can comment on the picture of our PM laying on a floor next to a student. Oddly Dimitri used the word 'lies'.A fraudian slip? It depends on whether you believe that this was done to sooth the child, or to cover Harper's absolute failure to see past his own nose.


The Photograph: Complete with Left Wing Spin:
Oh, come on, one of the commenter asked when their would be a caption Contest! I thought a short story might be in order!
"Stephen Harper Misreads St.Ignatius Tee-Shirt and Performs Emergency Exorcism"

Still faint from the shock, the Prime minister was lead away repeatedly muttering to himself: "But I was sure it read St. Ignatieff!"

Apparently it had triggered in the overworked mind of Mr. Harper, memories of a recurring nightmare that he has been having since he was a mail room clerk 2nd class, for Imperial Oil in Calgary,the one job that he is still considered adept at. It consisted of delivering weekly huge paychecks to Imperial Oil Executives, an activity that he still considers a hobby.

It is well documented that Mr' Harper has always held chronic delusions about his primary Opponent for years and still insists on telling his distorted views of Mr. Ignatieff. He has even gone so far as to divert Millions upon Millions of taxpayers dollars to purchase advertising on a continental scale to tell repeated lies about Mr. Ignatieff's origin, his experience, and his motives.

The boy, it turns out, was fine, having fainted after having to pretend to listen to a longer than necessary speech by the minority leader, while standing under huge lights, knowing that he was going to be seen all across Canada. That is a lot of pressure on the average teen-aged boy. This is not his fault, he is just a victim of the relentless need for propaganda to drive the Harper Myth. As usual only the prime minister gets water during these speeches, and this is not the first time that this has happened to one of Mr. Harper's young human props. It is time to stop this practice.
No such assurances have been made about the Condition of the Prime Minister. However he is still understandably, under observation.
********************************************************************
What bothers me most about the story is that it is supremely superficial. Harper's huge Party Machine spends massive amounts of his flock's huge fortune on these events. I guess they have a contingency plan for the inevitable fainting. They handled the last one so poorly, and they now know that 14 year olds cannot stand long in stage lights lights and listen to dull men talk, so they have a plan which is the real plan, in essence. "The Hero Photo Opportunity". Enter Dimitri Soudas to get the word and the spin, out to the masses.                      

Clockwork Strange and the Wizard of Odd!
I am adding a video that was sent along by a commenter below, Nadine Lumley, who shares a growing distaste for the Current vacuous dolt at the Helm. Here, he disappoints a whole town and leaves a child crying!
Stephen Harper ~ Blowing through a Town Near You!

("Get Over it kid, he is ^NOT such a great man")
It is quoted widely that his security bill is something like $47,000,000.oo a year. We know that because it is our money, although he makes getting this information difficult. Some of his huge entourage are paid by the party. That means that wherever he goes, with this huge entourage, properly trained medics and such are bound to be available. There was no need for Harper to intervene.

The Story of his diving in to comfort this child follows almost exactly the now famous plot-line of last summer's odd political theatre involving Tony Clement. Tony tweeted about the big rescue that he arrived late to, because he stupidly took the long way there, and even though it was not him who saved the mysterious woman, made himself out to be a hero!

Having this picture out over the net, knowing that that huge machine is getting it out to their base means that we have to get it out to ours as well.

We, as private citizens, end up having to compete with these huge amounts of cash that Harper's little gig as minority leader generates. I can imagine the elderly who have seen this 'Oh, so Cute Picture' opening up their chequebooks, even as I type this! That is why we need to work so hard to counter the spin from the most powerful and deceptive Prime Minister's Offices this country has ever seen.                 

Oh well carry on, eh?

March 04, 2011

So, now it's "The Harper Government" Oh CRAP!

.Prima Donna ~ Lena Sotskova, artist

Our Prime Minister is a Prima Donna. Not in the Classical sense, I suppose, but a Prima Donna none the less. Vanity may not be his only fault, but it certainly is very near the top of that very long list of qualities that make him such a questionable leader. Narcissus has nothing on our Mr. Harper. From  his labour intensive hair to his 'oh so soft' hands, He is no more the image of a leader than he is a leader. He is a man of illusions, and not a man of real substance.

To illustrate this I want to examine his fascination with his own image, and his oddly delusional belief that his image is dear to all Canadians and that it fills us with pride.

I am not sure where to start here, as there are so many examples of Harper offering form where substance was required.

Waving to the crowd totally oblivious to the
amount of coverage that it was going to get,
 and that it still gets more than 5 years later.
"They are gonna love this!"
I know! Let's start with the fantasy that he shared with us back in 2005 when, while in Calgary at the Stampede, he quite sadly  donned a far too tight-fitting leather cowboy outfit and had his picture taken as he posed seemingly comfortably in the style of a 1920s silent film star.
That really is the only way I can describe it, but it continues to gain attention some five years later. The latest version (there surely will be more to come, I am quite sure) was published yet again just yesterday by a very good friend of mine on the quickly growing and very educational Canadians Rallying to Unseat Stephen Harper Facebook page. The ill conceived picture was, and remains, a source of great embarrassment to the PMO. It also remains deliciously hilarious.
And then there was the famous Powder Blue Sweater-vest. I won't dwell on it though, Just this short blog that was easy to find as most of us are already familiar with the effect it had on Canadians. Literally hundreds of stories have been written about it but it would be hard to say that any have been quite so poignantly and sincerely appreciative of it's glory than Canada's own Marg Delahunty.



Lets move on to the Harper Photo Gallery within the confines of the House of Commons. Unbelievable as it sounds, Stephen Harper has filled the exclusive government lobby of the House of Commons with an amazing number of portraits of himself. Of course the public is not actually invited. No one gets to bask in the glow of  the portraits of "such an important man" as Mr. Harper without a Conservative party membership, enough security clearance and a keen sense of the absurd.

I have often felt that I would love to know how those few lucky people who do get to see them, actually feel about the unusual experience.

Luckily, back in early 2008, a couple of unlikely Canadians got to see these amazing images of the Cult of Stephen Harper, when Green party leader Elizabeth May and then Macleans.ca blogger Kady O'Malley got to play tourists in the presence of this shrine of our very own Narcissus. They shared their impressions on line:

" Elizabeth May and Kady O'Malley were surprised and a bit speechless when they saw the exhibit recently as guest Commons Speakers during a youth Parliament.<> "When you walk in the door, all you see are pictures of Stephen Harper," said Ms. May. "I'd say between every window, in every available space of the wall, at eye level, every available space has a photo of Stephen Harper."               
"You've got photos of Stephen Harper, but not of previous prime ministers," she added. "Photos of Stephen Harper in different costumes, in different settings, dressed as a fireman, in Hudson Bay looking for polar bears, meeting the Dalai Lama, even the portrait of the Queen had to have Stephen Harper, but in a candid, behind her." 

Harper Chastises Americans for saying
that the Economy was in danger.
 This is his famous "Recession?
What Recession? Moment
Moving 'Right' along, I want to share with you what I consider Stephen Harper's finest Moment in the "Imaginary Harper" game.

It also contributed a photograph that I consider a milestone and a highpoint in his quest for the perfect image of  a perfect Leader. This photograph presents the image of a confident, trustworthy, accomplished, man with superior knowledge of Economics and his hand firmly upon the rudder that controls that Economy.

And that Perfect Image, in my opinion, was clearly achieved the night, just before the 2008 election, when he Chastised Americans for even suggesting that Canada's economy was at risk. A claim, by the way that his Opponent, Stephan Dion was supporting.

But of course, as more of us are coming to realise, the Masterful Image of a Confident Stephen Harper assuring us that there would be no Global meltdown in the Economy in the face of all the then mounting evidence to the Contrary, was an illusion. It was in fact a Lie in the Order of "Weapons of Mass Destruction" ( a lie he also upheld by the way.)


He is an Illusionist of Considerable skill, but sadly, Just an Illusion.

It has come to my attention that to this day Stephen Harper insists that his Cult of Personality is alive and well and living in Canada within the Hearts and minds of many. The best illustration of Harper's clinging to this illusion, or delusion that he is beloved by many, as it were, is that he is in the habit of mailing out unsolicited 8 x 10 Glossy 'Autographed' photographs of  himself (suitable for hanging) to some of  those who contribute to his parties coffers. I can only imagine the joy that must accompany such a wonderful gift lol. 

IMPORTANT PHOTO ENCLOSED
PLEASE DO NOT FOLD OR BEND?
A mysterious Envelope:
With one of those labels from the Cheque Republic on it?

Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God!  My God! .... It Must be one of those .....
        Great Big Cheques!





And Look! It's got my name on it! And there is a letter. This is exciting!          
A Photograph of Steven Harper? WTF?
And it comes Complete with Lies about Michael Ignatieff?




Oh Look an 8 x 10 glossy Photo
of the man who Wanted me to hear those LIES about
Michael Ignatieff!


A Glossy Photograph of a
Glossy Man who is just an Illusion,
is Just Another Glossy Thing
it's Just Another

So, if you read all of this and are still interested, let me know how you feel about Stephen Harper and what you would do with a Photograph of him! I will try to get back to those of you who do have an opinion. 

I started a discussion that you can still join on the C.R.U.S.H. SITE @ this address.

Personally, like the Cowboy outfit, the Blue sweater vest, the fact that he feels that a Museum to his image is what is needed within the Halls of the House of Commons, I find Stephen Harper's Attempts at establishing a Culture of Personality hilarious beyond belief.