sad/happy

11.25 p.m. I'm mourning on one hand and celebrating on the other. What an extraordinary country, that can elect a majority of Conservatives and yet also, overnight, propel a left-wing party from obscure third also-ran to a huge swath of seats in the official opposition.

I am nauseated at the thought of what that sea of self-congratulatory blue will try to do to this country. But overjoyed to think that they'll be facing Jack! Jumping Jack and all his people, who'll be making lots and lots of noise. So it's pretty bad, but it could be so much worse. Obviously, the Libs will have to clean house and change course, and Jack will consolidate, so next time, maybe we can wipe those blues right out.

And we do not miss the Bloc at all.

In fact, so far, the Tories have won 40% of the popular vote, and the NDP 30%. If you add the Libs at 20%, it means that half the country did NOT vote for the Tories. It's crazy that they should be able to form a majority government when 50% of this country doesn't want them.

However. It's over. I heard one commentator say, "With a majority, at last we'll have stability." And I thought, yeah, right, stability, prisons, war, secrecy, cutting taxes and social programs, stability. Well, let's hope Jack fights that stability every step of the way.

And in the meantime, my daughter had her birthday party, and we ate like kings, as always; I kissed her a great deal and read funny stories from the book of anecdotes I jotted down during her first years, till we wept with laughter. Then turned on the TV and began to weep in earnest.

No we didn't. Those Tories will never make us cry. As Cee Lo sings in his marvellous song, "@#$# you."