from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Apr 1, 2012 at 8:53 PM
subject Un sommet pour les politiques sur la drogue; Privacy a scarce commodity in a digital world
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived the weekend. I’ve been having ups and downs, emotionally. Will explain more tomorrow, I don’t feel like getting into it right now, suffice to say we had a great little impromptu dinner party last night. We invited Sarah W. and Stacy over, Clo made salmon fishcakes topped with large scallops, rice and bok choy. Rose stayed up late with us, not wanting to leave the party. Also, I’ve been listening the heck out of Avec pas d’casque’s new record, Astronomie, which Claudine ordered and which arrived in the mail a few days ago. It’s soooo good.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 9:49 PM
subject Fonction publique: le couperet tombera mercredi; Suicide rates among Canadian girls rising
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday at work. Today we decided to remove the carpet and plywood sub floor from underneath the Amentia cube, which meant moving the cube, and then carpet tiling directly over the concrete. Turns out the the IR lights cause too much reflection on the concrete. Still, all was hooked up again by the end of the day. And negotiations are now underway with the AV company in Bogota. We need to bring their first quote down to almost half what they offered, and there is still shipping to consider. We Skyped with my folks tonight keeping a separate window open with Toy Story on Youtube to keep Rose distracted. Had a bath with her, she had eaten well tonight, and all seemed perfect until right up before bed, when she threw a crazy tantrum. She was super-tired but was refusing to go to bed, wanting to sit on the potty and have me read another story. Do you remember how crazy toddlers can be? Full-on screaming, foaming at the mouth, violently thrashing themselves to the floor? Finally, she succumbed to her utter exhaustion. She could have slept on the floor, but I put her in bed. Then I fixed her stroller (again), then Équiterre called and I signed up as a monthly donor. So should I quit Greenpeace now, or just absorb the extra monthly expense?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 9:37 PM
subject Le «député fantôme» conservateur quitte son poste; F-35 program proving a political pain for Tory government
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Another typical day. Work. Tonight I ate leftovers with Rose, then we watched 1/2 of the Muppet Movie, then read stories, she peed twice on the potty with me (and once as soon as she got home with her mom). She’s become a real “potty animal”, in the word’s of Sesame Street’s Baby Bear. She still fussed more than usual about actually going to bed, and didn’t go down until almost 8pm. She must be growing up!
Washed dishes, cleaned up the kitchen a bit and now it is time for some Internet / emails / Pinterest / Facebook and Twitter activity. Here’s some news I’ve come across lately that isn’t concerning the budget, the auditor general’s report, or the F35s:
OTTAWA (NEWS1130) – The Harper government has been monitoring political messages online, and even correcting what it considers misinformation. One local expert says the government is taking things too far.
Under the pilot program the Harper government paid a media company $75,000 to monitor and respond to online postings about the east coast seal hunt.
UBC Computer Science professor and President of the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, Richard Rosenberg, says it seems unnecessary for the government to be going this far. “The government has a lot of power, that it feels the need to monitor public bulletin boards, or places where people express views and then to respond to that, seems to me going beyond a reasonable action the government should be taking.”
Rosenberg says knowing that the government is monitoring certain topics online could result in people being more careful with their identities when they’re posting about political issues on the Internet.
He says it’s the first time he’s heard of this happening in Canada.
Well, there is a first time for everything!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Apr 4, 2012 at 10:05 PM
subject Le Sénat met fin au registre des armes de chasse; Website rates treatment record for Canadian hospitals
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Survived another day at work. Picked up Rose after daycare, we went to the market to buy some fish and ice cream. We ate the ice cream first, in the market, then came home to make supper. I left Clo with Rose in the tub after supper to go to the studio and worked straight for a good 1.75 hours. Made good progress. I now have 5 Tim Horton hockey card reproductions done, one more near completion, 1 F-35 fighter done and started another, and have plans to do a couple De Tomaso Pantera sports cars (the one Tim was driving when he crashed and died). Do you know what colour it was? I have heard white, but also yellow.
Lots of news lately about the F-35s, the CBC cuts, the NFB cuts, Katimavik, Rights and Democracy… crowding out the Robocalls election scandal.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 10:25 PM
subject F-35: le cabinet était au courant des coûts réels, dit le vérificateur général; Den Tandt: A-G shreds Harper’s fig leaf of deniability on F-35 debacle
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 10:21 PM
subject F-35: le cabinet était au courant des coûts réels, dit le vérificateur général; Helene Campbell in induced coma after rare, double-lung transplant
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 9:44 PM
subject F-35: MacKay connaissait le coût réel des achats; F-35 cost difference comes down to accounting differences: Peter MacKay
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived an Easter egg hunt (and brunch with the in laws) on Île Perrot. It was a long but fun-filled day. First we drove out to the Auberge past Rigaud, had a nice brunch, played in the playground, went for a walk, then stopped at Chatal’s to look at their horses (Rose was thrilled), then spent the afternoon and supper at Jo and Phillippe’s, playing with Nataniel and Dorian. Rose was all hopped up on chocolate and didn’t even sleep during the drive home. We, on the other hand, are exhausted.
Yesterday I went to the AGM for the Papineau EDA and was elected President. I still don’t quite know where I’m going with this but plan to ride it our for awhile. First order of business is to send renewal documents to t Elections Canada or else the association could lose its status with them. This would be bad, no? There was surprisingly good attendance at the meeting. Out of 30 current members in good standing 5 showed up. There is room for 7 people on the executive so becoming President was not difficult. Jerry was re-appointed Treasurer by acclamation, as he couldn’t attend. Michel refused to stand again as Vice-Preseident, which was disappointing, but he promised to always be available as a consultant. And Louis-Philippe attended in his capacity as regional coordinator. He told me about a workshop on May 5 in Quebec City for EDA executives; how to fund raise, increase membership, etc. I just might go.
For now, though it is off to bed. Easter continues tomorrow with another Easter Egg Hunt planned with Femke and Felix. I love 4-day long weekends.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 9:16 PM
subject L’état-major du NPD a de plus en plus l’accent québécois; Short-term costing for F-35s a ‘distortion’: ex-DND official
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Had a fun day, Easter part two, at Femke, Sarah and Etienne’s. Etienne made pulled pork sandwiches which were amazing, he is quite the cook. After nap time we took the girls to Parc Jeanne-Mance for epic sliding and swinging, despite the near-rain. Tonight was cleanup night, with baths and shavings and showers. Clo’s watching Mad Men while I wash some laundry. Did I mention that on Friday we stopped at Renaissance and Clo found a ton of shirts for me? I tried on a bunch, anyway, and bought a few, so they and my new jeans from a few weeks ago need washing.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 10:11 PM
subject F-35: le calcul des futures dépenses militaires sera modifié; Public service to get word on job cuts starting Wednesday
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived a couple crazy, out-of-control fits that Rose threw upon arriving at daycare. First she didn’t want to get out of the stroller (“dodo stroller!”)then she freaked out massively when I took Mini Elmo from her (outside toys sensibly not allowed at daycare). I took a Bixi to work, working out the kinks in the legs, but at the end of the day realized I must have left my keys attached to the station, which was really, really quite exasperating. Luckily I got home after taking Rose to the park just as Christophe was leaving and he has extra keys to our apartment so I was able to get in. Skyped with my dad, downloaded Toy Story for Rose (was sick of watching the same lo-res Youtube clips; the computer is HD, might as well let the kid enjoy some quality animation). Now I’m off to bed with the new New Yorker. Tomorrow I have as my goal to get a new haircut.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Apr 12, 2012 at 10:49 PM
subject Suppressions d’emplois: les Anciens combattants aussi touchés; Conservative popularity falling in wake of recent criticism: poll
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived getting my haircut and going to the studio and then to the new bar on Beaubien that has the miniature bowling lanes in it. Sarah W. invited me. Today was another day at work and then I survived a marathon SKOL board / planning meeting. I’m beat.
Read an interview in the Metro this morning that clearly demonstrates that Line Beauchamp is a moron.
Despite a drop of six points, you must be happy with your high approval rating of 42%.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Apr 15, 2012 at 12:10 AM
subject Compressions: des milliers de fonctionnaires inquiets; Ottawa woman speaks first words after double lung transplant
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. So tired: drove to Granby today, hung out with Simon and Emilie, then an opening “in town”, then rushed back to Montreal to participate in Sophie Castonguay’s “prêter vos oreilles” performance against the tuition fee hikes. We grabbed pizza on the way home and didn’t get Rose into bed until 9:30. Bad parents? We spent the evening working on our taxes, as Kim is coming over tomorrow morning for brunch and will take our documents with her. I’m hoping for a decent refund to pay down my VISA. I’ve also got to stop procrastinating and call TD on Monday and figure something out with my bank account. I paid over $350 in bank fees last year. Doesn’t that seem a bit much for a basic chequing account? What do you pay?
Second evening in a row that I am up past midnight. Last night was a staff get-together at Pub Victoria. We closed it, and I still managed to get home by 12:15 or 12:30.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Apr 15, 2012 at 10:30 PM
subject Harper quitte le Sommet des Amériques sur une note discordante; Den Tandt: Wildrose victory in Alberta election would hardly be surprising
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. We woke up early to the aftermath of Rose puking in her bed. She was trying to climb out and away from the sick, poor thing. We don’t know if it was gastro, flu or just a mixture of the late-night cheese on top of too many almonds in the car. In any case, after getting everything and everyone all cleaned up, and after she threw up on me and we cleaned up again, she spent a quiet morning at home, we watched videos and then she had an early and a long nap. We cancelled Play Date with Kim and I went over to her place instead with our taxes. Rose was feeling a bit better after her nap and we went to the market and the playground but she still wasn’t 100%, she seemed low energy. She was more or less back to normal after supper, which was delicious, Claudine made her famous salmon soup. This evening we watched Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, which is a real rear-jerker for a wimp like me. That Kevin Clash is one dedicated individual. Very inspiring.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 8:58 PM
subject Harper ne célébrera pas l’anniversaire de la Charte; Birth numbers suggest female-fetus abortions more common in Asian-Canadian communities: study
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday. What a scorcher it turned out to be! I Bixied home, it was way too hot for jeans and closed shoes. Bought Rose a chocolate ice cream which turned into a melting, staining disaster as she wouldn’t let me near it to even try to keep it from dripping all over her. In the end it was all fine as we went home and she was able to run around naked all night, which is one of her favourite things.
For me, I don’t know if it is work or politics or mainstream news or what but I’m heading back into a bad mood funk. Maybe I can’t really stand living in the city anymore. The noise, the pollution, the high taxes, the noise, the idiot drivers. I’d probably be bored stiff in the country, but if we lived in the country I could just … do what? Make art full time? Not much of a chance of that happening. Should I go back to school? Take advantage of the lower tuition here in Québec, before the big increases begin. I’m against the hikes, as I believe education should be free. What’s the harm in making higher education more and more accessible and encouraged? Imagine, instead of mandatory armed service, young people everywhere could stay in school. I know we don’t have conscription here, but the Armed Forces do their best to entice people to make it a career choice. Weird. On the other hand, when I’m blue like this I even wonder about the value of a liberal arts education, and what studying the arts actually does, for the individual or society. I guess it encourages critical thought? Blah-blah blagh. I’m going off to listen again and again to the texts Sophie prepared for the Prêter vos oreilles 2.1 performance / protest planned for Friday morning. I really need to practice, my French comprehension is not nearly as good as I had fooled myself into believing. At least we’ll be walking outdoors; initially this was planned to be in the metro, on a train! I would have been too embarrassed to speak at all, for fear of making mistakes. I’m almost forty years old and I still don’t know what I’m doing with my life. I confirmed my attendance at the meeting of Conservative Party Associations in Quebec City on May 5. Why am I doing this to myself? Why am still even doing this writing project? What’s it for?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 10:18 PM
subject Des écologistes accusent Ottawa de les exclure des consultations publiques; Tories criticized for vastly divergent reactions to Canadians on death row
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived a full Bixi day. I Bixiied to and from work, and then to and from the studio this evening. I also bought some markers and some blank stickers and have been adding my own caption, usually against the tuition hikes, to the front basket part of a bunch of Bixis. Easier than trying to pull the stickers off.
Oh God more Facebook sucking away at my brain. I need to learn to just turn it off. It’s worse than crack, not that I’ve ever tried crack so how would I know? I did see some nice pages about the size and age of the universe. It,s so darn big!
So tired. My legs aren’t used to all this biking, or all this wind! It was so windy today some of my shirts blew off the clothesline into the neighbouring yard. Good way to meet the neighbours.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 11:37 PM
subject Appels trompeurs: une ex-employée du PC a éprouvé des «inquiétudes»; Tori Stafford trial: Rafferty told Facebook ahead of murder that ‘good’ things were coming.
Dear Stephen’
I am still alive. I had thought up and planned earlier a really good email but now I have had a little too much to drink and perhaps won’t get to touch on all the topics i was thinking of. Primarily, there is work, which is fine. Then there is the TD Bank which called me out of the blue Monday night which was weird because they were asking about my bank fees, which as you may guess from what I discovered with my taxes, were incredibly high this year. Over $320! Can you even imagine? But anyways, they for some reason called out of the blue. I even asked if they were mind-readers. What a coincidence, no?
Tonight was the opening for the BIAN, Biennial Internationale des arts numerique (de Montréal) at le Musée des Beaux Arts. The one piece on view was an adaptation with 6 video projections in 3D of a Robert Lepage theatrical piece. He himself gave some opening remarks, flanked as he was by 2 bodyguards, as far as I could tell.
Damn, Firefox just crashed, and I am too damn tired to replace everything. Suffice to say that there was an open bar that didn’t seem to run dry, and voila. We took a taxi there and home, Leah is our new de facto babysitter 9she who grew up in our apartment, which must be a little bit strange for her).
Whatever. i need to get some sleep. Once things stop spinning.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 11:12 PM
subject Mamelonet reste au caucus libéral; Critics slam federal plan to shutter Kingston Pen, Leclerc Institution
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived the opening of the BIAN (Biennale Internationale des Arts Numerique) last night at the MBA. There was tons of free wine. The installation of 6 3D screens projecting a room with an extract from a Robert Lepage play, made by two Australian artists, made a big splash I think. It is better to go back when I have more time to concentrate and have had less to drink. The audio was way too low considering that optimal placement is around 3m or further from the screens. Anyway. Work was work, though I felt a bit hung over from the wine. It’s amazing how quickly a cute toddler can eradicate a headache. I drove the car to Pacart to measure the basin in the Michal Rovner rock, then returned the LED light to Ivan and Co., where the guy sold me a Samson Meteor Mic. I have no pressing need for an external computer mic, but it’s such a gorgeous object, well-designed, and it can come in handy for video / skype / etc. Anyway, I’m stuck on Facebook yet again, getting angrier and angrier each time as I see photos of police intimidation, the violence committed against the students on strike, the idiot politicians …
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sat, Apr 21, 2012 at 11:27 PM
subject FMI: Flaherty juge inutile de contribuer davantage; Rollicking, ribald, roller-coaster Alberta election nears historic conclusion
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Despite all this:
10 weeks of more than 160,000 students on strike. An arrogant and inflexible neo-liberal government. Multitudes of police in the streets and the skies. Rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray used on our youth, our « leaders of tomorrow »…. Court injunctions that disregard the legality of the strike and bring private security onto the campuses to force professors to give classes. Finally, « Preventative arrests ». I’m losing my mind because I see evidence of a totalitarian police state around me EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Last night we had Fred and Sarah (the next tenants here) over for drinks, it was quite pleasant. Led to mild hangovers this morning. Went out in the morning to get L-trim to finish the wall at Skol that I helped install with Maxime. Did I tell you I spent the whole day at SKOL, first on the door, second on programming? I saw the big anti Plan Nord protest just before it turned ugly.
I made protest signs tonight for the bi Earth Day rally tomorrow. You can see them if you search my Facebook page.
I haven’t been acing lately like a typical president of a Conservative Party Riding Association.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 10:46 PM
subject Ruth Ellen Brosseau a la piqûre de la politique; Debate set to resume on Canada’s F-35 fighter purchase
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Happy Earth Day. It was damn cold today. We managed to leave in the morning so we had time to take in the final day of the Valerie Blass show at the MAC before the rally. Claudine had yet to see the show, and if gave Rose the chance to see some grade school art projects on display, as well as the new abstract art selections from the permanent collection. She was actually really well-behaved, even during lunch, which ended up being St. Hubert. Not even in the restaurant, but the take-out. Waaaay too much packaging, what a waste, especially on Earth Day! And then it was just ridiculously crazy intensely packed full of people outside at Place des Arts. I hear that over 250,000 people were out. We did manage to find Sarah and Sophie but we couldn’t stay with them for long, Rose was exhausted as it was past nap time and so we extracted ourselves and walked to the Palais du Congres. Tried to film a bit of the interview for the Originals after Rose fell asleep in the stroller and then took the metro home. Clo continued to Darsha’s b-day party, I took Rose to the park, where she was falling asleep on the swing, and then back home to finish her nap. Me too, I needed a nap. We had an OK evening, Clo picked up some chili for supper, Rose went down OK, we took some time to read, I worked on the Originals video, finally filming it in front of the computer. The new microphone does make a sweet difference in the quality of sound, though. Clo is pissed at me because I accidently cut our sofa while making our protest signs last night. I’m pissed too, it’s a nasty cut, and will be hard to repair and even then, it will be obviously damaged goods. Of course, one of Roses’ favourite things to do after every meal is to run to the couch and jump on it, regardless of how dirty her mouth, hands and bib might be. It’s like she is testing the stain-proofing of the fabric.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 9:35 PM
subject Ignatieff prédit l’indépendance du Québec; Alberta election: Wildrose poised to win historic vote
Dear Stepehn,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday. It is all go-go-go at work now. Lots of planning going on. I picked Rose up this afternoon, she was in a great mood and we had fun preparing supper and hanging out together. After Clo came home and we ate I went to SKOL to help Peter and Maxime with the door install. Picked up some materials from the Home Despot on my way down. Added a skim coat of plaster to both sides of the wall, chatted with the guys a bit, then drove back home. I need a shower. I can’t remember when I had one last. Seriously.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 10:01 PM
subject Ignatieff souhaite que le Québec reste au sein du Canada; Coyne: Alberta’s stunning election defied (most) prognosticators
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Had a big desire to cook tonight so made salmon doused in maple syrup (Claudine had already made rice; she picked Rose up a bit early from Daycare as she had diarrhea – Rose, not Claudine) and a hamburger pizza, then cleaned the kitchen, now responding to emails and washing clothes, hands are dry, nails need to be clipped, muscles sore from the Bixi ride home, and mood is wary due to the rain, grey skies, and high winds.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 10:04 PM
subject Motion liée à l’avortement: le PLC permet le vote libre, pas le NPD; Abortion debate returns to Parliament
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive, even though my wrist pain has come back with a vengeance tonight. I’ve got the blue splint on it. Started watching Metropolis tonight but had to stop after 1 hour, am just too sleepy.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Apr 26, 2012 at 10:48 PM
subject Une motion liée à l’avortement est débattue à Ottawa; Blatchford: Will Rafferty take stand at Stafford murder trial?
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another day with tendinitis-like symptoms, and wore my arm in a brace. It was more painful in the middle of the night. I had my employee evaluation today and met the HR guy for the first time. It went well, I am exceeding expectations, and I am getting a raise of 4%, which at the time I thought was great but it turns out it is the same increase as is already in my contract.
Saw a hilarious ironic protest today at Place d’Armes. The students had pro-tuition increase signs and slogans, were calling for the war-measures act, dressed and marched as soldiers and even created a cardboard tank that led the parade. My favourite sign was on the back of the van that was supporting their loudspeakers: “Discipline, disciples de Line!” A few called me a communist for sporting le carré rouge.
And after a lot of bluster for the past year you spent on fulfilling campaign promises, here’s one you are apparently willing to break: that of abortion. Or are you? It seems unclear:
«C’est le droit de n’importe quel député de déposer une motion. Les chefs des partis ne contrôlent pas cela. C’est un comité, formé de tous les partis, qui décide si ces motions seront votées ou non. Ce comité, composé des trois partis, a décidé, malheureusement – à mon avis – qu’il y aura un vote», a expliqué M. Harper.
Le chef conservateur n’a d’ailleurs laissé planer aucun doute sur ses intentions lorsque viendra le temps, en juin ou à l’automne, de voter sur cette motion.
«Personnellement, je voterai contre cette motion.»
What could really use some debate right now is universal access to higher education, tuition freezes, dialogue between a rigid provincial government, police brutality and a growing student movement.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 11:33 PM
subject Ottawa donne son appui au dalaï-lama; Toll rises to seven in fiery northern Alberta head-on
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived a day off that wasn’t really much of a day off. I decided to go to the office and take some photos of Gallery 4 for Ryoji so we can make a decisions: should the gallery be black or white. Since I wasn’t in a rush – this was, after all, my day off – I drove Claudine to the locksmiths so she could get some keys cut before work. When I arrived I found that there was a problem with the video projector in the Omer Fast exhibit. It took an hour of fiddling around and troubleshooting before it fired up again. Still don’t know what caused it. Stacy and I had lunch together, splitting a pizza from Louigi’s, and then the replacement hotplate in the Margolles piece went down again, so we had to turn off the valve above it. Spent the rest of the time in the office working on a faux Montreal parking ticket that accuses Charest of being ignorant or indifferent to the effect his proposed tuition hikes will have on students. I found the image on Facebook and just made my own copy, with the intention of placing a bunch around town on parked cars but never really had time today. After getting Rose we went back downtown for Peter’s opening at SKOL where I worked the bar while Rose zipped around like a normal 2-year old. Luckily Nathalie was able to take over when Rose got tired out. It was a late night for her, I didn’t get her down until after 8:30.
Here is what the text says on the parking ticket:
description de l’infraction :
Rester IGNORANT ou INDIFFÉRENT face aux réalitiée décrites ci-dessous :
Que les étudiants ont déjà subi une hausse de 30% des droits de scolarité depuis 2007 ;
Que les étudiants doivent assumer un investissement personnel de 100 000$ en perte de revenu et en droits scolaires et afférents pour la durée d’un bac ;
Que les prêts étudiants sont un gaspillage de fonds publics au seul profit des banques ;
Que l’augmentation des frais de scolarité ne garantit en rien une amélioration de la qualité des études ;
Que le gouvernement libéral demande aux étudiants et aux travailleurs de se serrer la ceinture alors qu’il multiplie les allègements fiscaux pour les plus nantis et les grandes entreprise.
Et de façon plus large à propos des budgets 2011 et 2012 :
Que toute hausses de tarif (comme la hausse des frais de scolarité) est un fardeau supplémentaire pour la classe moyenne.
And here are 2 lines copied from an Conservative Party email sent o me recently:
Our Government’s top priority is creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity.
Our Government’s job-creating, low-tax, pro-trade plan will ensure jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians.
Is it just me, or is there something incredibly grammatically awkward with this phrase?
I’m watching a bit the live broadcast of the 10,000 students marching peacefully in downtown Montreal tonight. The SPVM is making targeted arrests of those committing crimes, but otherwise letting the protest happen. They haven’t declared it illegal, though there is a rather large anti-riot force out. How much does all this cost the taxpayer? Gerald Tremblay was saying something like $3-million already. Oh wait, lapresse.ca says the protest has been declared ilegal. An hour ago. But the CUTV footage clearly shows thousand of students peacefully walking. Confusion?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 11:15 PM
subject D’autres fonctionnaires fédéraux risquent de perdre leur emploi; Canadian banks received ‘secret’ bailout: Think-tank
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Survived another Monday at work. Also survived another performance of Prêter l’oreille 2.2 at CEGEP Edouard Montpetit in Longueuil. I took the car to work, met Nicole there and then drove to the college, getting lost along the way. I almost always get lost going to or driving through Longueuil. The performance went well, we staged it outside the sports centre where a general vote was taking place. Had to go back to work afterwards, lots needs to be planned and finalized this week. Spent almost the whole night on Facebook and Twitter following the big protest (6th or 7th night in a row?). I had stopped by Clément’s house to get some of his signs but it was Claudine’s yoga night and too short notice to find a sitter. She ended up marching a bit afterwards as the protest went north.
Did I even tell you about the weekend, the visit with Greg and Rebecca, the opening at Oboro, brunch at Sarah’s? I can’t remember and am too lazy to check. If I didn’t ask me and I’ll tell you all about it.
I’m wondering if I should wear my carré rouge at the #CPC meeting in Quebec City this Saturday?
-chris
DEAR PM 