Soooo, alot has happened since my last update, mostly political, my personal life, as always, is incredibly boring and uneventful. To limit the amount of time spent writing this when I should be studying for exams, going to the gym, etc. I'm just going to choose three things that have happened politically in the last week to blog about.


1. ETFO - This is probably not interesting to anyone but me, but teaching is soon to be my life.The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, the bargaining agent for all English public school teachers, has just rejected the last proposal put forth by the Ministry of Education. Originally the school board representatives and the Ministry put forth a proposal offering elementary teachers a 12% wage increase over the next four years and 40 minutes of additional prep time. However, since the financial crisis the school boards have significantly scaled back their proposal to just a 4% wage increase over the next four years, far below the rate of inflation. Furthermore, the proposal offered by the school boards does nothing to close the funding gap of almost $500 per child between elementary and public schools. Ontario's public schools at both levels continue to be chronically under funded. The massive cuts to education and the centralization of school boards under both Harris and McGuinty have left schools, particularly schools in poor neighborhoods, unable to deal with diversity in the classroom. Teacher's working and living conditions, as well as the quality of education in the province, should not have to suffer for the mistakes made by the provincial government and the implicit role they have played in creating this crisis. While the ETFO are not yet talking job action and have yet to take a strike vote, the rejection of this proposal sets the stage for labour unrest in the province. Ontario teachers unions, while often correctly associated with "business unionism", have historically been one of the most militant in the province. In 1997 they staged the largest strike in Canada's history and one of the longest illegal strikes since the famous "sit-down strikes" of the 40's. In 1975, the resigned en masse to protest cuts to education and attempts by the provincial government to legislate them as "essential service workers." All over the world teachers unions are often the first of many to fightback against attacks by the capitalist state on public services and the working and living conditions of the working class.

2. The workers of Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago, set to shut down Friday at 10AM, was occupied over the weekend. The workers are demading the 75 days severance pay guarenteed to them by Illinois law. This has been happening all over Southern Ontario recently, but it is the first time in decades that workers in the states have adopted militant strategies to demand justice in the workplace. However, the occupation should not stop with severance pay. This is their factory! The money stolen from these workers in the form of profit has built this workplace. Every tool and machine in that factory is theirs! They know how to run that factory better than any boss.The workers of Republic Windows and Doors should re-start operation at this factory under democratic workers control.

3. And finally the issue that everyone is talking about, this fucking coalition ! Harper just recently suspended Parliament for seven weeks. As the IMT predicted earlier, this attempt at a coalition was a disaster for all parties involved. Dion is expected to step down as his popularity plummets, and the NDP, once poised to overtake the Liberals in the polls, are back down to around 14% support. This attempt at a coalition has unmasked the NDP bureaucrats for what they really are, greedy, power hungry and willing to sell out the rank and file to gain a few cabinet seats. No actually democratic system would of allowed the Prime Minister to suspend Parliament to avoid loosing his job. Imgaine the furor if Chavez would of don this? Who has this latest debacle benefited? None of than Mr. Harper himself. Harper's popularity has been polled at around 41% recently, higher than his support has been at any point when he was actually governing. If the NDP is truly interested in gaining power and setting a course of meaningful change it must adopt policies in the interest of workers and give up on this game of political manouvering. Workers are looking for real solutions to the current econmic crisis. Capitalism is in a deep crisis and the working class realize this. The NDP must adopt and follow through on socialist policies.

On a personal note, the only thing really exciting this week was my work X-mas party. I'm always surprised at how much fun I have at these events.



The girls in our limo. Look at me, I look like a real live girl !



Look !My work BFF and general favourite girl, Sharra.



The boys. As much as I make fun of these boys, sometimes they are fairly amusing.

And here is when my camera died.

I also did a wee bit of baking and cooking this week.



A tale of two breads ....
I made a chocolate chip banana bread and a cranberry orange bread for Ryan and Dylan of the Vegan Police when they invited me on their amazing radio show.



Chixen Ceasar Salad Wrap. This dressing is 100% stolen from Jon at www.ohgourmet.blogspot.com It's everything caesar dressing should be, incredibly creamy and super garlicy !



I also made this delicious and unphotogenic Curried Cauliflower and Red Lentil Soup and "buttery" Naan bread. I think I could actually live off this stuff in the winter. Sorry for the shit quality, I didn't realize how dark it was.

Oh, oh, oh. I also cleaned my room ! I think there might of been dragons living under my piles of books and papers !