This 'n' that

Read it again, Sam

It was a chance for adults and children to share a love of all things literary.

Late last week, schools, libraries and families in the Bay St. George area took part in a national attempt to break into the Guinness Book of Records for "Most Children Reading With an Adult, Multiple Locations."

This event was spearheaded by ABC Canada in celebration of Family Literacy Day. The number to beat was 78,791 - set by the U.S. in 2006.

As this is being written, it is unknown if the record was indeed broken. Regardless, the real benefit of the event was the actual number of adults and children taking the time to read together.

Hopefully this event will inspire participants and others to continue or begin a shared enjoyment in reading. Besides being an obvious way to increase the camaraderie amongst the older and younger generations, ABC Canada says there are many benefits of adults reading to children.

They say it's also a way to increase a child's vocabulary, trigger their imagination and expose them to new concepts and experiences, and helping them foster an appreciation for the written word and the structure of stories.

If a child begins to appreciate the benefits of reading, this will more likely help them to prosper and flourish throughout their young lives and even into adulthood.

White tie not optional

Speaking of flourishes, U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration and accompanying celebrations last week were quite the spectacle.

Over a million people showed up to witness his swearing-in ceremony and many attended balls that evening to celebrate the occasion.

One can only wonder if a Canadian politician could ever muster such a turnout?

Perhaps it's because Canada already has it's fair share of pomp and circumstance - besides elected politicians, we have a Governor General and a slew of lieutenant governors - to provide plenty of spectacle that we've become a bit blasé about any formalities when it comes to government.

In addition, our Parliamentary traditions (the Black Rod comes to mind) that make our system of government quite theatrical compared to our U.S. counterparts.

Even so, it was hard not to be impressed by the new American president.

While he's since buckled down to tackle more serious issues, the president looked positively striking during the several inauguration balls and parties. Could you even imagine Prime Minister Harper attending the same sort of party?

Red is the new black

And while we're talking about politicians, the federal government is back in action this week. The House of Commons re-opens and Jim Flaherty, federal finance minister, is expected to present a new budget.

The annual financial plan is expected to provide Canada with an economic stimulus package that will hopefully buffer this country from the deepening global economic recession.

But it's going to be a narrow economic path for the government, as they try to keep the economy pumping without going so far into the red that it will leave the country in a dire financial position for years to come.

As this is being written, national media outlets are citing sources that there will be a $34 billion deficit in the next budget.

And while the Liberal-NDP alliance [along with the support of the Bloc Quebecois] might have been seen as a viable alternative to the Conservative government late in 2008, the last thing Canadian taxpayers need right now is another election or drawn-out parliamentary battles.

Let's hope the current House of Commons members can work together to help Canadians stave off a long-term recession.