THE PERFECT STORM

Batten down the hatches, there's a big one brewing. Those dark clouds you see on the eastern horizon are heading our way and it might be time to get off the Ferris wheel. Here's the recipe to create a "perfect storm" if you live in Alberta:

1. elect a provincial premier who is out of touch with the people and industry
2. add a pinch of arrogance and watch him tax the province's biggest industry so that they move to adjoining provinces where they feel more wanted
3. add insult to injury by backtracking half way without admitting your mistake
4. call a federal election a couple of weeks too late so that the economy begins to loom large as a serious threat to prosperity
5. see the PM make a serious error in judgement in the middle of the campaign in the province he really needs in order to elect a majority
6. watch oil and commodity prices drop like a stone around the world from the view of a resource-producing nation - sweat should be breaking upon your brow about here
7. elect a minority government with a leader who doesn't receive advice well but promises a new era of cooperation
8. watch our neighbours to the south elect a new president who promises change and see one of their biggest industries go through the throes of bankruptcy causing the loss of many jobs in our biggest province
9. watch that same neighbour's outgoing leader pour billions of dollars of debt into a faltering economy without a plan other than to attempt to save jobs (and votes) at home
10. stir in a cup of arrogance and pour the cooperation down the drain while presenting a mini-financial update that requires approval of the House of Commons, by cutting the funding lifeline of the opposition parties who are attempting to plead the case of their now unemployed supporters
11. start back stepping faster than the guy who dropped the bad smell on the elevator, on all of your economic plans or lack thereof, thus making yourself a lame duck PM
12. stir this mess up and hand the bowl to a media maven without political, constitutional or legal experience who goes from being a figurehead to having to make the biggest decision of her life, while being pummelled from all sides by conflicting and self serving opinions masquerading as advice
13. stand and watch as the economically strongest country in the world dissolves into political chaos with the 3 stooges on centre stage directing the orchestra
14. bring to a boil the populace that is seeing their savings vaporize into thin air while the politicians dance to the strains of "What a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts."
15. Steve, errrr...... Stephen, it's time to do the honourable thing, otherwise think Joe, er...Joseph Clark
16. Yet another election showing through the dark clouds
17. Can you name the 3 lame ducks in the election pot this Xmas?

Good Luck to us all!