I'm on my way home at last and as I sit on the bus typing this I'm thinking about the Middle East, as the paper was filled with news of little else. Now I'm not going to discuss possible solutions as there are none, nor am I going to discuss blame, as there's plenty of that to go around in the region. What I am going to discuss is the reactions of the Harper government and the media's take on those reactions.

The chair car I'm currently sitting in has power outlets in the seats for notebook computers. I am bitter about this as had I known this, I'd have brought my DVD's with me in the car instead of packing them in my checked luggage. Oh well, it has given me time to finish reading the newspaper that came with my room this morning. It is newspapers that have me writing now (that and the electricity). The past two days have had Microsoft stories in the Globe and Mail's Report on Business. They weren't good news stories.

Well I'm in Halifax and I spent the day doing squat. Just in a do nothing mood. The weather was a little off which may have had something to do with it. It's been raining since I woke up this morning and it got downright nasty this afternoon as the remnants of tropical storm Beryl washed over Nova Scotia with lots of rain and wind. I went out twice, and then only to the local mall for food. It's alright though, I'm on vacation and sometimes down time is just what you need.

...or at least maims. My last night here in Montreal has been exciting to say the least. So there I am walking back to my hotel along Sherbrooke when I have to wait for a light (something that most people in Montreal don't bother with). As I'm waiting, a car comes careening down Sherbrooke, swerving through the intersection, nearly hitting a light standard. It then screeches, out of control, into a gas station hitting a mini-van taxi that is there refueling. After bouncing off the mini-van it finally comes to rest when it slams into a brick wall. One injury (the taxi driver) was taken to hospital in an ambulance. I hung around and gave my statement to the police in English and broken French (the officer listened in French and broken English) and was sent on my way. These Montrealers know how to show a guy a good time.

Well I've made it to Montreal. It is hot here. Not just not, but humid. Currently it's a little after 1 in the afternoon and the outside temperature is 29C and the humidity is 58%. The humidex is 37C. I am typing this from the air conditioned comfort of my room.

Well, I've toured Toronto and now it's time to move on. I've had three full days here and have hit the major spots. As with any large city, there's never enough time to see it all so I will have to return here again sometime in the future when time and finances permit.

I've made it into Toronto by train. The train was about an hour and a half late due to a freight train ahead of us having an issue with a hotbox. Upon arrival at Union Station, I caught a cab to my hotel, a mere $5.75, which is how close to the station my hotel is. I got my room and then called it a night.

So I'm now just sitting in the breakfast area of my hotel waiting to go to the train. I've opted to wait here and not at the train station since the hotel has internet access in the breakfast area and is more comfortable than the train station. The VIA station in Edmonton, for your info, is very similar to many small town airports I've been to. A small, nondescript single story building with a waiting area and a small ticket counter. The hotel is far more comfortable.

It's been a while since I've made an entry here. Generally, I've been crazy busy with work and cadets, and since my vacation started a week ago, laziness. A lot's happened in the past few weeks, but more on that later.

It would appear that Ralph Klein is again doing his best to ensure that Stephen Harper won't get a majority government. This time it's Ralph spewing about eqalization payments and how Alberta wants to keep the other provinces away from Alberta's oil revenue.