Election Day

You haven't noticed it. You haven't been paying attention. It doesn't really concern you. But federal elections took place today in Canada.

A friend in Quebec reported to me that the big issue was the environment, but that was before the financial meltdown south of the border. I have to think that had ramifications, at least in the major urban centers near the U.S. But then again, my friend also was at some pains to point out that Quebec is not like the Rest Of Canada, which he cheerfully called the "ROC," and much of the dialogue in and around Montreal was about the Bloc Quebecois:

Non-BQ politician: You BQ guys are irrelevant and useless!
BQ politician: Non! N'est vrai!

And so it goes. Anyway, the CBC is predicting that the conservative party (which is not very conservative by U.S. standards) will lead a minority government, meaning it will have to team up with another party to capture a majority of seats in Parliament -- and Stephen Harper will remain Canada's Prime Minister.

Remember that, American Readers -- the Prime Minister of Canada is named Stephen Harper. You'll win a bar bet armed with that bit of trivia.