Canadian Passport can save your life!

Reading the headline today in the Globe: "We Love Canada", made me proud and honored to be living here in Canada. I was born and raised here, one of the lucky ones who never had to worry about health care, rights and war; If going to school was a question of "if I would die going there in a gun fight" or "if there were books to read".

The story was about Mark Budzanowski, who was captured by a group of Palestinian Extremists and held hostage for 30 hours. He was later released (30 hours after capture) on the basis that he was Canadian. When searching through his pockets, the gunmen found his Canadian Passport and began to question weather he was American posing as a Canadian or he truly was a Canuck. After numberous questions, the gunmen realized he was telling the truth, and they began to treat him differently from the other hostages (who were American and European), and released him without any problems.

The gunmen told him "they Loved Canada" and gave him phone numbers for him to call if he had a problem in Gaza again, and praised Canada as a country. It feels good to hear that Mark made it out without any harm done, and brings up the point of our World Status as a peacekeeper. Do you think that people like the "Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine" will change their minds if Afghanistan becomes a War? This freedom we Canadians have right now in the world, will it weaken as time goes on?

If Afghanistan becomes greater than what our Mandate from NATO is now, then why not pull out and save Canada's reputation as a Peacekeeper?

With todays release of warning from the Taliban stating: "Afghan soil will turn red for the crusaders and their puppets and the occupiers will face an unpredictable wave of resistance" I think we should hold a public vote in the House, before this situation blows out of control. I for one, would not like the idea of Canada entering a War, and conscription of troops. We all know the Army is under-populated with most of the troops coming from the Atlantic Region, so it would make sense that if we do enter a full blown War, conscription would be necessary. Crazy.

Image courtesy of www.theglobeandmail.com

Job security on "24" for actors is risky at best!

Well, to start off lets go with a "spoiler" alert. I just finished watching "24", which is my Monday ritual and I am filled with very mixed feelings. This season started off with an amazing and shocking death of the character President Palmer, who is the new face of State Farm insurance. This death had meaning and the shock value was off the scale. The next huge death (which if you have seen the show is common-usually 1-2 main characters are killed off) was a much loved character called Edgar, and in this episode we see he did die with numerous close ups of his dead body to prove it. His death was such a suprise, it was a brilliant piece of writing. Even though I liked the character I found his death was a great plot twist.

But to then kill off, not one but two more main characters in tonights episode is, in my opinion, just plain nuts. Tony Almeida, a character who has been on the show from episode one, was killed off while he was in the process of killing Henderson (a villian). Sean Austin's character, McGill, was also killed off, which I didn't really have a problem with because he was introduced this year. And his death was heroic and he gave his life for the others in CTU. So here you have Tony, a great character, long standing character who dies off the show while in the act of doing something unlawful? And you kill off a new character with the utmost of honour and heroism?

I think not. This is "24" and main characters die off, I know that, but the way they killed off Tony (who I though was going to die tonight) and the way they killed off McGill, should have been different. Tony should have died with honour!!

Above all this, the episode was great. I like watching "24" because plot twists and huge shocking events happen without warning. That is what makes this show so different. Even though I thought the way they handled Tony's death was wrong, I still like the show and won't turn away.

I sure hope the writers got all their "killing off main characters mood" out of their system and focus now on the terrorists. Prediction: I think the target will be LAX. The terrorists hinted that they are all "there" which shows all 19 canasters are in one place, so LAX probably has the most amount of people in one place? Any thoughts?

RIP Tony and McGill. Plus the guard who died talking to his daughter, and the other 200 CTU employees who died with pink foam coming out of their mouths.

Photo courtesy of www.fox.com/24

Mr. Harper goes to Afghanistan

Well well, I guess there are a few political advisors in the PMO who actually have a few good ideas, and still have jobs. Stephen Harper went to Afghanistan on a suprise visit, to help boost the troops and show NATO that Canada is in this 100% (even though the voters and the opposition parties want a debate with regard to the mission). I for one, praise and thank Stephen Harper for going there; Paul Martin never went there (his term was too short) and Jean "stopped by" during a world tour, nor did they both really care about the army, cutting spending, jobs and capital. So I thank Stephen Harper for having the guts to go there and show strength and moral honour. Too bad he doesn't show it here in Canada.

Image courtesy of www.cbc.ca