Demonblade

My riding had a Con who stated at least a year ago that she was not returning, leaving the spot wide open. It's interesting how the parties reacted to the open seat. The Liberals recruited a long time city councillor, who quickly resigned his position to become the Liberal nominee. The Cons selected an unknown to replace their outgoing MP, and the Greens and NDP basically just filled a spot with a name on a ballot. The NDP even selected a provincially unpopular MLA from the provincially unpopular Manitoba NDP. So it's looking like the only party actually trying to get the vote here are the Liberals. I refuse to vote for the Liberals, mostly due to their support for Bill C-51, and I can't bring myself to vote for the NDP's choice for my riding (I loathe the Manitoba provincial NDP), so it looks like my vote is going Green this time. Not that it matters, as none of the parties particularly care about fighting for any Manitoba votes. There's too much focus on seat rich areas like southern Ontario for any party to make much of an effort over here in Manitoba, where there's likely only about 5 seats up for grabs.

If Harper starts to acknowledge First Nations treaty rights in a meaningful way, for example, by agreeing to sell federal land back to First Nations, allowing the Kapyong Barracks to be commercially developed and finally doing something about Kenaston Blvd (it's a Winnipeg thing, folks), then his whole economic philosophy will be compromised.  His idea of economic development for Canada heavily depends upon resource extraction, resource extraction on Crown land, which if treaties had any real meaning, would mean that First Nations would share in the profits.  But of course, that could never happen, as the few agreements he does make with First Nations are heavily skewed in favour of the developers, and always are bargained with a gun pointed at First Nations' heads.  So it is basically the settlers vs. colonized dynamic where the settlers have no reason to change from their privileged status, except from his perspective, that privileged status is necessary if Canada is to prosper.  There's no way full treaty recognition will ever come from the likes of him.  

It's certainly starting to look that way.  The attack ads are basically the same as they have been since the Dion days, at least.  Affix an easy-to-remember epithet based on a perceived character flaw, add a misleading image, and repeat ad infinitum, or, if history is any indication, until the target finally quits.  But I can't see it working this time, as its basically the same approach, and assumes that nobody else remembers at least some of the shit that's been attached to the Cons in the last four years.  Surely some of that must resonate enough to not fall for the exact same talking points, what, four elections in now? 

Because the most feasible alternative for the left is the NDP.  There is the Green Party, but they have less than 10% of likely voters.  Of course, they could go ahead and vote Conservative, but given the amount of bridges Harper and his minions have burnt over the years in power, I find this to be a highly unlikely prospect.

I agree.  The Liberals are toast, and if their ultimate demise occurs later rather than sooner, we'll have another four years of Harper.  I find it very unsettling that after the numerous scandals, the dismantling of the labour movement, the rampant exploitation of the environment, Bill C-51, etc., Harper still has at least 29% of the voting population supporting him and his party.  It's madness that he still has as much support as he does.  

I see it as either a NDP majority or a Conservative minority.  It all depends on how well Trudeau does in the election, imo.  If he does well, then he splits the left vote and Harper's in again.  If he screws up or perhaps just gets overshadowed by Mulcair and Harper, then I think that will be enough for the left to coalesce around Mulcair, reducing the Cons to their core supporters and the NDP continuing to making breakthroughs throughout the country and gaining a majority.  I'm not sure that anything else will really matter, as Harper is going to have his core support no matter what happens, and I can't see Mulcair or the NDP doing anything to turn people against him/them in droves from now to October.  Or maybe people will just wizen up and realise that Harper is an absolute travesty of a PM and abandon the Conservatives, but given that core support, this appears to be rather unlikely, imo.  

Well if it turns out that Cersei had Littlefinger take out Jon Arryn and he found an opportunity to incite a little mayhem, then it might make it less lame.

I assumed that the reason why Locke was there was to have an excuse to find an opportunity to kill Jon, and chanced upon finding Bran and a new opportunity. I thought that's why he was there, too see if Bran and Rickon were secretly with Jon, and kill him anyway if they weren't.

The gf (who has not read the series), after watching the scene where Arya smiles after Sandor tells her that he is planning on taking her to the Twins to meet her mom and brother, asked me,'so is she going to be OK?' (she asks stuff like this all the time). I gave my usual non-committal response, which is a shrug and a smile, but as tears welled up in my eyes, I think I might have given something away. :blushing:

I like how they managed to fit in the whole Tyrion casting a long shadow image. Other than the gratuitious gay sex scene, it was a great episode.