I know this is pretty much what I've been saying every second day lately but the battle's not over until election day on October 14th. Ideologically I disagree with Prime Minister Harper on, oh, pretty much every front but, like a lot of people, my biggest concern these days is the environment. What do we have without it?

Stephen Harper continually says real change will be too costly—but it's not hard to see that refusing to protect our environment will cost us much more in the long run.

At the end of September The Toronto Star printed an article that explained that although Stephen Harper believes Canadians have become more conservative in the past 20 years, evidence doesn't back that view up.

It seems Canadian ideals are as strong as ever and that Canadians list a good quality of life, a strong health care-system and low incidence of child poverty as things they want for the nation. Unfortunately, over the years Canadians “have been convinced that their values will not or cannot find their way into public policy.” We think we can't change what politicians and the media have decided the national agenda should be, which is incredibly sad.

It's hard to have faith when we see the things we believe in continually ignored but resigning ourselves to that fate is giving up on democracy. This is still a free country. We do have a choice and several Canadian artists including K-OS, Ed Robertson from Barenaked Ladies, Jason Collett of Broken Social Scene, Sarah Harmer, Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent and Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace, have banded together to remind us of that.

Together they've recorded a song they're calling the "Stop Harper" anthem. The song "You Have a Choice" can be downloaded at Avaaz. ca and “hopes to draw attention to an online campaign aimed at persuading Canadians to help the environment by voting for the candidate in their riding most likely to defeat a Conservative opponent.”

One of my favourite lines is the following snarky one that references Harper's early common man sweater campaign commercials. “We can change things/For the better/Not just dressing it up with a sweater.”

And you know you have a choice
If you don't then it's already happened
Only takes one moment, rejoyce
If you don't then it's gone like the wind

—You Have A Choice

Please, vote for the Canada you want on Tuesday. Not the one you think you have to make do with.

I just received a few advance reader copies of One Lonely Degree. Part of me would love to hold on to them all forever but at the same time I'm so excited that I can't resist having another contest! The book's release date isn't until May 26th so this is a real sneak peak.

1 One Lonely Degree prize pack will be randomly awarded. The prize pack includes: a signed advance reader copy of One Lonely Degree, a 12"x18" 1LD poster, a 1LD mousepad and the 2006 greatest hits CD (" A Decade") of main character Finn's favourite band, Our Lady Peace.

To enter email me with your name, the subject line “1LD ARC Contest” and the answer to the following super-easy question by midnight on October 31st.

* Finn considers this guy, “the most beautiful of all the Beautiful Boys and that's not just a physical thing.” Who is the lead singer of Our Lady Peace?

Draw date is November 1st!

Good luck everybody!

1LD jacket photograph © 2009 by Tracy Kahn

Stephen Harper's approval has continued to drop in the polls, a sure sign his Jedi mind trick power has been failing him as Canadians refuse to believe that there's nothing to worry about as far as the economy's concerned.

If Harper lands back in minority power, as is appearing likely, he'll no doubt blame any failures to counter economic woes on his lack of power. Damn the opposition parties and their wacky concerns about the Canadian economy, food regulations, saving the evironment and the importance of the arts!

However, even if Harper never realizes his dream of a majority and his planned Death Star remains unbuilt; we'll always have the below action figure to remind us of Prime Minister Harper's 2008 election campaign. In one hand he carries the Canadian flag, the other is poised to lull us into a false sense of security as he tries desperately to conjure his waning Jedi mind trick magic.

Election 08 Harper available at toy stores across Canada.

* Election 08 Harper contains lead paint, which could be hazardous to children, and trace amounts of listeria, which may cause stomach and intestinal problems. You may develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, tiredness, and diarrhea.

Last week I stopped in to visit I Know It's Over in several local bookstores, signing whatever copies they had on hand. It felt kind of like visiting a pet store in that I wanted to scoop all the copies of I Know It's Over up and bring them home with me. They just looked so cute but helpless surrounded by all those other books on the shelves, the copies of I Know It's Over huddled together for warmth and companionship like puppies.

Monday morning FedEx showed up with advance reader copies of One Lonely Degree and again, my instinct was to keep them all here, where I know they'll have a good home. Are you supposed to get this attached to your own books? I mean really...

But just look at the jacket and maybe you'll see what I mean. Not only do I want to keep them all but I want it to be late June again—warm enough for sunscreen, swimming pools and Creamsicles.

Of course I already promised an advance reader copy of One Lonely Degree to the winner of the I Know It's Over contest so I'll be sending that out tomorrow. And since that means I can't keep them all anyway I might as well give another copy away, right?

So I'm going to have the details for a brand new contest up here on Friday and in the meantime I've put the first two chapters of One Lonely Degree up on my website. Hope you like them!

jacket photograph © 2009 by Tracy Kahn

So says the headline of the Toronto Star this morning. The Canadian Press Harris-Decima rolling poll puts the the Tories at 35% support as of yesterday. Here's how the rest of the support breaks down: Liberals - 22%, NDP - 20%, Green Party - 13% and Bloc Quebecois - 9%. Apparently the French and English leadership debates have taken a slight toll on Conservative support. Hmm, I can't think what the debates would've revealed about Tory leader Stephen Harper that isn't already common knowledge. Maybe he would've gotten more mileage from his deadpan expression and abject denial combo if he was wearing one of his trademark sweaters and snuggling a kitten.

Harris-Decima president Bruce Anderson says the poll also “shows that women in particular are drifting from the Liberal column for the NDP and the Greens.”

With our environment and economy hanging in the balance the stakes are sky high this time around. In the words of Green Party leader Elizabeth May, “Vote with what you believe in, vote with your heart. And demand better of your politicians, because you don't deserve what you've got.”

I'm not going to be watching the Biden-Palin debate tonight as the Canadian leadership debate's on at the same time. However, if you have a vote in the American election, here's yet another reason not to vote for the McCain-Palin combo—Palin's support for the practice of shooting wolves from a low flying plane. Hell, that's not even hunting! It's barbaric cruelty.

Have a look at the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund video for more details: