My Thoughts on the Election Results

NOTE: As of this writing, even as I publish this, mail-in ballots (of which there's expected to be plenty) have not been counted in full, so there may be a slight change in some results when they're finally counted. The opinions written below reflect on the potential results from these mail-in ballots.

Looks like more of the same — a minority government three-way. Okay, okay; it's technically a four-way but it doesn't feel like it because one of the three opposition parties has a focus only on the province of Quebec. The Bloc looks like it lost a few seats, with the NDP making fairly big gains. Not too bad, but the NDP needs better leaders next time. Yes, leader with a plural. If not, the leaders need to GET THEIR ACTS TOGETHER! Honestly, supporters of all parties should demand better of their leaders, present and future. I'm stark serious on that. But going forward, I expect obstructionism and partisan grandstanding from the opposition (NDP & CPC, in this case), with picky-choosy politics from the Bloq depending on how much of a whiff of a fart the country of, I mean, province of Quebec, will get in all forthcoming decisions.

 

On a Liberal minority government:

 

The people need to demand better of Trudeau. He needs more pressure, and I'm not talking about the fake bravado and showmanship kind of pressure that permeates the sociopolitical landscape, either. I'm talking about the people holding the Trudeau Liberals' feet to the fire. No more half-measures, no more reneging on pledges, and stop pretending. Address climate change, stop maintaining the status quo so damn much with regards to the income gap and climate change, stop merely 'saying' with regards to indigenous reconciliation and start 'doing'. 

 

End oil & gas subsidies, stop putting corporations first whenever & wherever possible at the behest of the workers. UBI, UBI, UBI! Pharmacare, dental care. Stop apologizing when you don't need to because if you didn't mean anything harmful by something you said or did a long time ago then why fucking apologize!? Improve your optics because the opposition and the vulture-like media will hop on ANYTHING you do or say to score cheap political points. Stop trying to please everyone because no matter how much you try to appease your usual detractors, it will never be enough. Less cute platitudes and more action.

 

On the (actual) official opposition:

 

I don't really take the Bloq all that seriously to be really frank with you, and why not? They just care about Quebec, so why should I care about them? Priorities, man. Anyway, on the CPC & NDP, I expect nothing but obstructionism going forward. Most especially from the CPC. I'm glad that the CPC didn't win this time around, so I can breathe a sigh of relief for that one. I do that for virtually all Canadians, too, even the ones who actually voted Conservative. You really, REALLY don't need them, folks and the CPC don't deserve just ONE of your votes.

 

The NDP is what miffs me the most. Sure, I loathe the CPC but the less I can talk about that criminal brigade, the better. Anyway...Jagmeet Singh needs to fucking go, guys. He's lost the plot. He's exploitative, ignorant, and loves to gaslight everyone. He's got charisma and seems ambitious at first, but there's nothing but empty space in that veiled ambition. He's also a two-faced prick who will jump on any bandwagon in order to score cheap political points. This is not a unique trait for a politician to have, by any means, but with Jagmeet it was relentlessly discouraging.

 

He had me at "Hello!" when he came into the limelight several years ago. I still remember his encounter with a rabid member of the Alberta Jane-Q public, and how he handled that dangerous creature with gusto and respect at the same time. He also had an air of real charisma and charm to him, seemed very affable, too. Was great in the more down-to-earth interviews and such back in the day. Even until last year, when he did a live-stream of "Among Us" on Twitch alongside people like Alexandria Occasio-Cortez and others, he still seemed to have that likeable quality to him. I was willing to give him a chance even then.

 

But then he resumed being a part of the "here's some bullshit about Trudeau that means nothing and just waste's everyone's time" crowd. Remember, prior to the 2019 election, he joined in on the insipid fake-outrage non-scandal that was "blackface"? That fucking happened almost exactly TWENTY YEARS AGO. And it was for a damned gala event, themed in the style of...Arabian Nights! And he chose to dress up as Aladdin. It was an upbeat, casual, positive party event for a school in Vancouver. The two guys seen in one of the photos of Justin in blackface had even come out and said they were not bothered at the time because they were all just having fun. 

 

A huge nothing-burger over what was really just a waste of all our time. Justin, silly enough, actually apologized for that and I really want to personally pick his brain, in a matter of speaking, as to why he did that. I'm a fair person, even when I'm critical. Indeed, if I'm critical, then I'm paying you some form of respect because if I didn't have any for another person, then I wouldn't even give them a moment of my fucking time.

 

Singh's "trial period" has run its course already and it's time to consider either of two options:

 

A ) Replace him with a truly ambitious, more confident leader who doesn't play silly partisan games and focuses on what his party can do for the country instead. Minimize uttering the name "Trudeau" if possible, only for substantive criticism at most.

 

or...

 

B ) He needs a major overhaul in his leadership style and abilities. Enough to convince me that he's actually leadership material and not just some bitchy, opportunistic and ignorant rich boy from Burnaby who, for some reason, wears Orange instead of Blue.

 

Because it was fucking hard to vote Liberal this time around. We should all demand BETTER of ALL of our party leaders.

 

As for Bernier? Well, even Beauce (his riding, which he LOST today) doesn't really care so I certainly won't. I mean, 😆😆😆 I guess. Enough talking about that manchild tantrum-throwing loser.

Discourage Pure-Breeding of Dogs

Pure-bred, or 'pedigree' dogs are more likely to have various health issues, because the more you breed the dog (to be pure), the more their genetics get...messed up due to the fact that this is a case of in-breeding. 

What is the big deal with in-breeding?

 

Well, it causes your recessive genes to eventually become dominant ones. These recessive genes can carry traits from one generation to the next. Selecting the right mate for a dog where such recessive traits are not apparent, or are believed to not have the trait guaranteed, can lead into the diversification of genes. Every sexually-reproducing creature, which includes humans of course, must promote the diversification of genes by mixing with those who are not so closely, even directly related. Diversity wins, demonstrably so, again and again.

 

Anyway...

 

Just some dogs that have some major health issues because of how they're bred (especially if pure-bred, which is a euphemism for in-breeding, which only makes these issues worse with each generation):

 

•  The English bulldog
•  The Pug
•  The Norwegian Lundehund
•  The Bull Terrier
•  The Basenji

 

Then there's breeds with certain traits that persist due to breeding (sometimes in-breeding, others because of deliberate selection of traits, etc.):

 

1) The German Shepherd: hip dysplasia is the most prominent issue, and most visible (the lowered hips).

 

There's at least one breeder (seen here: https://www.facebook.com/TsaheyluShepherds/) who is working to rectify the issues that have been plaguing this breed for generations.

 

2) The Dalmatian: prone to deafness

 

A study with 26-years of data shows that there's an effort with some breeders to decrease the incidence of deafness, by selecting mates that do not exhibit this trait. In-breeding has allowed the gene to proliferate more often in this familiar breed. (https://www.veterinary-practice.com/.../new-study-reveals...)

 

3) The Boxer: many of these dogs have heart disease

 

Earlier this year, research at the Cummings School yielded some promising clues into reducing the predisposition of this breed for getting heart disease. The disease in question is called "arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy", or ARVC, a condition that humans can get as well. It's a condition wherein fatty tissues replace the normal muscular tissues of the heart, which can interrupt the electrical signals the heart needs to function. You sometimes wouldn't know that your dog(s) of this breed have it until it's already dead – sometimes suddenly so.

 

Read more on that study here: https://now.tufts.edu/.../mending-hearts-beloved-dog-breed

 

...and more where both lists came from.

 

Encourage the diversification of the genes of dog breeds. If you want a dog:

 

1) Adopt a dog from a shelter or owner who cannot keep said dog for whatever reason.

 

2) Jumping off of the previous option, give senior dogs a chance. They may not have very long to live, and could have health issues, but they deserve happiness like any GOOD BOI.

 

3) Find a responsible breeder who tries to correct the problems with pure breeds, and takes care of their dogs & their puppies. Never wean a puppy before 3-4 weeks of age because that often leads to its own set of issues down the road. A place like Kijiji is actually fine for looking to adopt, since the site has had to follow enforced guidelines over the years. 

 

Still issues with trust and quality of breeding programs, but how can you absolutely avoid that in this world?

 

It can be difficult due to a variety of reasons, but if more people educate themselves about the downsides of espousing "pure breeding", then they can help endow future generations of the various degenerating (through no fault of their own) breeds with a brighter, healthier future.