"A nation, united within Canada...

... but not to be confused with First Nations, the United Nations, or the latest Richard Linklater film, 'Fast Food Nation'."

Just what in the world did Parliament vote on this evening??? The National Post says, "The federal Parliament formally recognized Quebecers as a 'nation united within Canada'."

Whew... I was worried there for a second. Honestly, I thought Ottawa had decided to waste everyone's time and energy, and devote some serious political capital to, oh, I don't know, forging a real strategy for Afghanistan... or, um, stopping the crimes against humanity in the Sudan... or maybe looking at novel ways to fix Canada's health care system... perhaps those minor issues will show up on the agenda once we get through more pressing matters, maybe sometime around 2034.

While PM SH contended that Canadians witnessed an historic night on Parliament Hill, others watched blandly as 266 MP's voted for the Prime Minister's motion, which carries about as much legal weight as a Monopoly deed to four houses on Baltic Avenue.

Fortunately, there were at least two MP's who had their O2 canisters at the ready once the votes were counted and history made. The first quote of the night, from Gilles Duceppe, the Bloc Quebequois leader:

"We're a nation within Canada now and we'll be a nation and a sovereign country in the near future."

Grrrrreeeeeaaaaatttt... sure looks like we've kiboshed the separtist movement, yessssss!!!

And the second quote of the night, from Garth Turner, the recently banished ex-Conservative MP, now sitting as an Independent:

"It's completely out of whack. What are we smoking around here?"

Apparently not enough of the good stuff, Garth. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. Can someone pass me the poutine?