Dear diary...

Dear Diary,

My plan to take over the Humanities Department at MUN is proceeding apace. I did get a minor set back today when I found out that I had been wait listed for SSHRC funding for my doctorate. They call it "Recommended but not funded." I replied "Show me the money dammit!" They snickered and that just won't do.

But on the brighter side my daughter Tianna has accepted into the same Master of Philosophy in Humanities (MPhil) as myself and my son Evan and with excellent funding. So buck up troops. We will eventually conquer the academic world.

Not politics as usual...

I have been avoiding the political scene all winter since Stephane Dion won the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. It is not that I do not like Dion. In fact I think he has the potential to surprise us all. Certainly he proved he is masterful at the game of politics both by the alliances he nurtured during the leadership race and his subsequent moves to consolidate his position. It seems clear that there will not be a continual civil war within the party such as the one that continued unabated from the election of John Turner to the fall of Paul Martin.

No, I had simply grown weary of the whole mess and decided to withdraw into my academic pursuits. But now I am taking a break [sort of] and recent events have piqued my interest. The arrangement made between Dion and Elizabeth May of the Green Party of Canada is causing ripples in the political continuum. It is beyond ironic to witness the Conservatives and the NDP trying to attack the arrangement whereby the Liberals will not run a candidate against Ms. May while the seem to be having an ongoing conclave between them. Even Ed Broadbent has tarnished his stellar reputation by attacking a deal that is intended to ensure the focus on the environment is maintained.
Criticism that this is inhibiting the democratic process is downright ludicrous and draws attention to a desire for power that trumps the good of the nation. If the primary aim is to ensure that the country is well governed and reflects the will of the people then how can any such arrangements be attacked when the electorate is in fact being asked to vote on how they feel about the arrangement. When the next general election is called the people of Central Nova will be able to exercise their political will and either re-elect Peter Mckay or Elizabeth May. That is democracy.
The hypocrisy of these attacks on the Liberals and The Greens seems boundless given the ballyhooing over the appointment of Bert Brown as an "elected" senator when Michel Fortier was appointed and sits as Minister of Public Works. The one thing that sustains me is my limitless faith in the Canadian public's ability to make sophisticated choices in the midst of complex political situations. In the end we always get the government we deserve.

Meditation on Epictetus...

I bought two books recently. One is a selection of the work of Epictetus the great Stoic teacher. The other is from one of his most famous students Marcus Aurelius. If you reread my caption above you will see that I have added a quotation from Epictetus.

I have been reading the text and reflecting on his wisdom. I think I am well disposed to Stoicism because it reflects my father in his later years when he had made peace with himself and his life. There is a great joy that emanates froth from anyone who is able to accomplish that. I find it so ironic that many people see Stoics as dour and long-suffering. The opposite is true for they find joy and peace in the most dire times. They are untouched by any pain and yet filled with compassion. They seek only to live life fully in the moment for that is all we have and when we are lost in the past or dreaming of the future we lose sight of our lives as they happen around us.

In the words of Epictetus: "Content yourself with being a lover of wisdom, a seeker of truth."