red tape

as a canadian citizen i have no real need to go anywhere.

if i WANT to though, i need a passport. i used to have a passport as a kid when i moved to and from europe, but obviously that's no longer valid.

i have all the proper supporting documentation to get a passport. and i'll also have to send $85+ worth of portrats of the queen before i'll get one.

one of the documents i have to send is my birth certificate. not a photocopy, not a notarized copy, my original birth certficicate.

what this means is that i have to trust a branch of the canadian goverment that's handling potentially MILLIONS of passport applications, AND a crown coporation (ie. Canada Post) to NOT lose either my application and birth cerfificate, on the way there, or my passport and birth certificate, on the way back.

so my plan is to apply for a copy or duplicate of my birth certificate ($30+ in queen pictures). and send them THAT copy of it.

and if i get ANY questions about the process along the way, i'll send letters to my MP, MMP, and probably the local paper. it's unlikely to do anything, but at least my objections will be on record.

all this because osama got a bug up his ass about dubya.... if you ask me, george didn't drop NEAR enough bombs over there.