I really, really need to stop being surprised by people.  Although, honestly, it is kind of nice to know that I can still be surprised.

This week has brought us, among other things, the promise that if we vote for the Conservative Party, that it will lead to the development of a a “Barbaric cultural practices tip line.”  This, on the coat tails of the identity politics being played with regards to the ridiculousness of the niqab issue makes me want to smash my head with a skillet or something.  Identity politics are always a dirty game, and right now hardly seems like the time to want to encourage further xenophobia and cultural divides in the Canadian population.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-barbaric-cultural-practices-law-1.3254118

Maybe it’s just me, but realistically, these just don’t seem like issues that deserve all THIS much attention.  That’s not to say forced marriages and FGM don’t happen in Canada, but realistically….  when we have a crisis where 23 veterans are taking their lives daily, our first responders and service people are being crushed between duty and personal sacrifice, and we are dealing with climate change, refugee issues, and of course, our missing and murdered, it seems somewhat……..  Shall we say…..  inconsequential.  Unless of course, you want to use fear to buy votes.

VICE intends to have a one-to-one with Justin Trudeau on October 5.

I’ve still not heard back from a single party leader who I sent an email to; I do realize that they are probably inundated with all kind of letters from all kinds of crackpots, so I’m not going to get too bent out of shape over it.

15 more days of this election to go.  I have to say, this has been easily the longest year of my life.

I was able to find a copy of the Canadian Cyber Strategy last week, and I keep intending to sit down and read the entire document, but I’ll be honest, I’m lazy.  http://www.securitepublique.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ctn-pln-cbr-scrt/ctn-pln-cbr-scrt-eng.pdf   For the curious and ambitious.  http://csis.org/publication/measuring-cybersecurity-success-summit