The Hello World Edition

Well in the words of Tiger Woods... "Hello World" http://stamant.org/Albums/Variety/images/Christina%200531.jpg For those who haven't seen and don't know (and there's quite a few on my little mailing list here who don't), we have a new member of the family Christina Haley Swartz was born June 19th at 3:35am. She was 5 weeks early so she weighed in at only 4lbs 9.3oz. She's had a rough go of it and sadly she's still in the hospital however the regular updates we've been getting say she's growing and will soon be home where she belongs. I was lucky enough to be home in Virginia Beach when she made her debut...I guess she knew her wandering uncle was in country and wanted to make sure she had a chance to say hi to me. Frankly while I appreciate the gesture, I'd just as soon had her stay put for the duration just because she seemed so fragile. As I sit here writing this I am filled with awe and a bit of sheer terror. My baby sister had a baby of her own. Essie is 8 years younger than me, so I well remember my mother being pregnant with her, my brother and I being shipped off to some friends house during the '76 Olympics while she was being born, then my parents bringing her home and introducing her. I must confess to you that I, embarrassingly, remember being a spoiled little brat and being jealous of the attention she received. I got over it quickly though and her's are the first diapers I ever changed...scaring me for life apparently as I've yet to have children of my own (so to my mom and Mom Snyder...blame it on her ok?) The key word in that paragraph by the way was yet in case you missed it. So anyway, I now have a grand total of 2 nephews and 3 nieces, in order in case you're scoring at home (Samantha, Leah, Quinn, Nicholas, and Christina)...whew...somewhere the guys at Toys R Us go "Chaching" Speaking of Quinn, it is with great sadness I report that he no longer wishes to be known as Harry Potter and will only answer to Peter Parker (or Spiderman). I wonder where kids get their immersion in stuff, but then after I took his aunt Shelley to see Spiderman 2 last night, she went around all day making sounds like she was shooting web out of her wrists...so now I know where HE gets it at least. Anyway, back to my trip to the Old Dominion... It went very well, if brief. I stayed at the Dave and Missy Andrews Bed & Breakfast (though, ahem, Melissa? where was my breakfast dude?). They are so wonderful to put me up/put up with me. I also got to play some poker with my boys at Scott's house...even Sir Phillip managed to make a rare public appearance! I was deeply honored. I returned to Canada to find that my wife had painted the bedroom and really made it look spectacular. We don't have pictures yet because it isn't completely finished, but wow! Settling back in, it was time we did the kitchen reno. Of course as The Dude says in The Big Lebowski "I'm using the royal 'we'" because my addition to the project was lifting things and taking out the garbage...I like to look at it as playing to my strengths! Wednesday of last week, Dad Snyder came over and he and Shell put in all the new plumbing, moved the electrical, and patched some of the holes. Friday night Shelley and I put together all the cabinets. Saturday Tim and Shell hung the cabinets and cupboards (while Les painted my office!!!!) and then on Sunday, Dad Snyder came over and he and Shell finished setting the lower cabinets and putting on the wood for the countertop. This weekend Shelley will be picking out the tile for the countertop (we went with tiled counter for various reasons) and then she'll be tiling and hooking up the sink and maybe the dishwasher. Then we have doors to affix, and paint to splatter on the walls and voila we shall have an almost completely new kitchen. When all is finished I will of course post photos. I can't say enough about how incredible my in-laws are. They can do just about any construction task and seem not to mind doing it...while I of course am mechanically reclined. Today (Thursday) was Canada Day, so I had Wednesday off (yeah I don't understand it either). Canada Day is Canadian Independence Day or Dominion Day, when Canada's Federal Government was formed via the British North America Act which united the provinces on July 1st, 1867. Obviously just to be different from America they had to wait 91 years and make it on the 1st instead of the 4th...whatever!?! I kid. If you're an American you can celebrate too of course. I recommend singing O Canada (because as National Anthems go it's a really good one to sing...and makes you feel like you're about to watch hockey), or you can take this quiz http://www.kidsturncentral.com/games/quiz/cdquiz.htm I was very proud that I got all 5 but then I realized it's aimed at kids...it's pretty tricky though so try it anyway! Smarties to any Americans (not named AJ) who get 5 out of 5. The week ahead looks busy. Monday I get my U of T ID and meet with an advisor!! Also I want to wish 2 very special people and one very special country a Happy Birthday on Sunday. My father in law Gerry, my best pal Scott, and my country America were all born on July 4. Scott is 37, America is 228...and Dad Snyder is somewhere in between <-- I'll pay for that joke, I assure you. This week's deeper thought: Minority Report Last month I wrote about the Canadian Federal Election. This past Monday millions of Canadians went to the polls (including, for the first time, my wife...you can't be married to me and not have the politics jones rub off on ya) and the Liberals retained control but with a minority of 135 seats-it took 155 to reach a majority. The Conservatives had taken a lead in the polls briefly a few weeks ago, but lost the momentum and, due mainly to Ontario, the Liberals stemmed the tide. So Paul Martin remains Prime Minister...for now. A minority government in a parliamentary system is an unsteady beast. If Martin and the Libs are unable to forge some sort of coalition, at least on key legislation, his government may collapse and a call for new elections will be made. Canada is as much divided as America is politically. But such division makes, in my opinion, for real choices. In a democratic system, be it parliamentary or representative republic, there is one fundamental question from which all others emanate- What is the role of government? We can sometimes get lost in the little details of single issues, without realizing that there is a bigger issue at work. How much control and the nature of that control the government has over our daily lives should be the debate before we get into the others. I'm currently reading (or rereading really) The Federalist papers, the collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, to encourage New York to ratify the Constitution. If anyone thinks that the problems either of our nations (or other democratic states) face are too difficult for the antiquated ideas of the American Founding Fathers, I challenge you to read these essays. Whether it be the separatist movement in Quebec, or the war in Iraq, the words these brilliant minds wrote over 200 years ago still ring true today. The argument for a strong Federal system may seem a moot point to you since both the US and Canada have centralized governments, but the ideas and scenarios they embraced and predicted are still vital to our societies. The preamble to the Constitution carries the phrase "in order to form a more perfect Union". These men knew that government, its responsibilities, and 'We The People' who create and mold it, are ever evolving. Since it is a government 'of the people', democracy is a living entity-our blood coursing though it in the leaders we elect to represent us, the laws that are enacted, and the allegiance we give to the idea that man shall be ruled not by monarch, but my himself through the collective wisdom of a peaceful society. Both nations that celebrate their 'independence' this week are founded on just such a proposition and we, their citizens, are guardians of those sacred compacts that sealed our liberty. Until next week, God Bless Canada and God Bless America.