Though I follow politics, I don't usually talk about them, but I can't resist this. Out of the mouth of Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada:

"I think when ordinary working people come home, turn on the TV and see a gala of a bunch of people at, you know, a rich gala all subsidized by taxpayers claiming their subsidies aren't high enough, when they know those subsidies have actually gone up – I'm not sure that's something that resonates with ordinary people."

The Conservative government cut $45 million from arts programs in the latest move to cripple the arts community in Canada, after proposing to censor Canadian films, and THIS is his rationale? You know what this boils down to? Harper thinks that "ordinary" people don't care about art. Artists aren't "ordinary" Canadians, trying to make a living, because they're spending all of their enormous subsidies on galas. Galas. What the fuck planet is this guy on? In what eleventh province can I turn on a television and get pissed at all of the never-ending GALA coverage that's being slammed in my face at my, the taxpayer's, expense? Idiot. Moron.

What pisses me off is that many Conservative voters will totally support Harper's viewpoint, assuming that money is going towards something their kid could paint instead of towards their kids' hospital bills. Culture keeps civilization running. It's what allows parents to feel BAD about their sick kids. If you make it impossible for artists to thrive, this country will become cold and sterile. You're talking about the end of humanity in humans. It's not a tenuous link.

Okay.

Yesterday Andrea, Sarah and I had dinner at the diner and walked up Elgin in search of ice cream. We popped into a couple of bakeries. It struck me during our quest that there are a lot of places in Ottawa I've never seen, little cafes and such that are hidden inside these faceless buildings that all sort of blend into one another. I'm intrigued to start checking out some new places because it might give my impression of Centretown a bit of a facelift. Not that I don't love it here.

They're starting to pave Bank Street, patching the violent holes that have been gaping since the spring. It's looking far less apocalyptic. Walking down the middle of the street instead of using the sidewalks always produces a surreal feeling in me.

Yesterday I was on my way to the new apartment (which needs a name. Suggestions?) when the thought struck me: I needed to pack my shit. The night would be my last at Riverside. I'm taking off for Peterborough/Toronto today, and when I come back it will be to move everything out. I couldn't believe I'd forgotten about it. Thankfully, I still hadn't unpacked a lot of things. Most of it is still in my closet, untouched since I moved in. The bulk of the rest was books, DVDs and my computer, so it didn't really take that long. Right now all of my stuff is in boxes yet again. Another move. Another freaking move. My ninth in ten years. Why can't I stay still?

I finished off the living room yesterday, or at least it's as finished as it's going to get. Fuck painting. My hands are really tender from washing them 20 times a day. I might pick up a small can of white to do some touch-ups, but I'll worry about that when I get back. It's done for now. I've figured out how I'm going to organize the living room once I get a new loveseat and coffee table. It's going to be swell.

I picked up the kitchen set at Hartman's yesterday - pots, a frying pan, oven mitt, measuring cups, dish soap scrubber, bag clips, spatula, spoons, steak knives, etc. etc. Over the week I've been eating the fruit salads they sell at the veggie counter for lunch. I've also been frequenting the Tim Hortons at Gloucester and Bank more than I ever have in the past. I'm starting to get used to the idea that the meaning of Ottawa, in general, changes only if I change. Cities can mount construction sites and tear up streets and physically alter in innumerable ways. I can move into a new apartment and change my surroundings. But the way I see the city only changes when my own needs and concerns and desires shift. So the city is new to me, in a way, which is a very positive thing, because it means I'm not allowing myself to get bored.

They're putting up a new building beside the Scotiabank on Bank Street. I can say that I was there when it was built. I watched it go up, from my seat in a Tim Hortons over a bagel and coffee, thinking about all the packing I still had to do.