In this post: Christmas cards, politics, gender equality - plus, it tastes like chocolate

I've been making my own Christmas cards this year, even though I haven't gotten it together to actually have them ready in time to send anywhere. Here are a couple of the images - they're, well, a matter of taste.

(watercolour pencils on card)

Christmas is one of the two times people become so cloyingly earnest it makes me vomit. The other time tends to be in politics, a la Barak Obama at all kinds of conferences lately preparing to begin his run for 08. However, earnesty in politicians is at least forgivable. It's not really their fault, it's just so easy to confuse with honesty, and we know how important looking honest is. What I'm really saying here people is c'mon, leave the earnesty to the pros and let's have ourselves a catty little xmas.

Argh, okay, I'll confess, that Obama one-liner wasn't nearly enough to scratch my US politics ranting itch. I'm once again transfixed by the unnatural glow of the US politics machine grinding itself back to life. As one magazine editor after another shows up with shovelfuls of fuel, the great bellows begin to wheeze again, and for politics junkies everywhere, the show begins anew. And this year, it seems set to be quite the show indeed.

As a Canadian, I tend to feel I can watch and comment on US politics with at least some sense of smug satisfaction and superiority; definition-by-comparison labels me the more progressive cousin to the north. This time around though, I'm worried. As the candidates que up, I'm beginning to notice an uncomfortable pattern. Let's see, Obama, Hil Clinton ---- WAIT RIGHT THERE! Seriously? 2 front runners, and one's a CHICK, and not only that, but an actual, bonafide member of the female persuasion, and the other is a guy named OBAMA (middle name Hussein) who is not only charming, but also BLACK! What, you may ask, in the hell is going on?
Why this almost looks like a relatively-progressive line up fitting for a 21st century multicultural democracy!

So what's the problem? That's supposed to be us, not them. We're the progressive multiculturalists. We're the overlords of equality and personal freedom-slash-responsibility. We've even had a woman leader before, but I'll be damned if we can actually elect one, something these new, wacky Americans just might pull off.

Now I'm not saying Hil's going to win, or even Obama for that matter, but if you compare the Dems new starting line to, say, the sad round of pasty male offerings at the last Lib con, you might actually get confused and think they're - GASP - more progressive than we are! As you all know, I'm not a Lib, never have been, and this has long been one of my reasons why. If they really want to be the big inclusive conscience clearing-house they claim to be, then they really need to get serious about a representative ballot.

Both women and members of ethnic minorities are shockingly underrepresented in this nation's halls of power, and despite a few seats scattered through the house, the "higher the fewer" still holds. Top 5 candidates for Lib leadership? All old white guys. Remember the last election? I think Uberpasty white dude pulled out a narrow victory over Mr. Culture-void McJowly, but I could easily have the candidates confused.

I suppose it's all a matter of taste, and old white guys in power have been the safe, stable norm for our lifetimes and beyond, but personally I think we need to do better, and in fact, I even think the health of our democracy depend upon us doing so, and now, before it's too late and we effectively disenfranchise too many. People don't vote if they don't feel represented in the process, and our turn out numbers are getting worse and worse with each passing election and each list of possible white guys vying to be our leader.

Fa la la la la la la la la...