Dion Needs a Speech Writer

I promise, sometime soon, (after I hand in two 20-page papers) I will have a more eloquent, intelligent comments on Canadian politics. In the meantime, when I read this e-brief in my inbox, I actually laughed outloud so much that my boyfriend in the other room actually got upfrom watching his favourite show to see what I was laughing about!


Why in the world would you use the same words, TWICE in the same brief, when this same word was used against you (mocking, really)in an attack-ad aired all over the TV?? Why? Businesses are smart enough to realize that they should change their wording/discourse if it is used against them. Case in point: After Supersize Me came out, McDonald's changed its size names from 'Supersize' to Large.

While most people getting this e-Brief are Liberal supporters, I sign up for the NDP and Lib e-mailings. Afterall, in intelligent debate and discussion you gotta know where you're opponent is coming from and their arguments. If the Liberals are plummeting in the polls, you would think you would try to use words that wouldn't make you think of the Conservatives?

Four assignments due next week, done two, almost done the third, and then to start the fourth. Tim Horton's coupons and Red Bull donations are now being accepted :-)

Hope everyone else has a great weekend!

Lies From the Weather Network

It was a beautiful day outside. So between classes I read outside, instead of in the library. I wasn't even outside for more than two hours and I'm burnt! my arms are a nice shade of red and my V-neck shirt has given me a not-so-hot red tan line! Weather Network said UV index was at 0 (zero)!! Lies, I tell you.....(well my red arms, neckline, and upper chest area tell you....

Me Thinks Wikipedia Doesn't Like Harper

As of today 12:20pm

UPDATE: That didn't take long, it's fixed now :-)

Dis is Unfair!!! Hydro Conservation = Increase Rates

Use less pay more? Yup, that's how it is in Ontario. I wonder if Dion would argue if this is fair.

The subsidiary of Toronto Hydro Corp. said yesterday it has filed an application with the provincial regulator to increase electricity distribution rates by 6.3 per cent as of May 1.

The hike is needed to cover a $10.4 million loss in revenues associated with conservation programs that began in 2005, including last year's summer challenge, which offered hydro customers a 10 per cent credit on their fall bill if they cut electricity use by 10 per cent over two months, according to the utility.


Source: Toronto Star

Hat Tip: Michieville

"The Liberal party is not a democratic organization."

I know I poke fun at the Liberals a lot, but this is just too funny! It's an internal email (scandal in the making) from Michael Mulligan, a guy who was asked to seek nomination for a riding in BC. It seems however BC co-chair is trying to get a female in there:

[...]
Mr. Young made telephone calls to other members of the executive informing them of his approach to fixing the nomination process to ensure the appointment of the candidate he is interested in.

Mr. Young is apparently concerned about Ms. Park Shannon's ability to win in a fairly conducted nomination race. This is not surprising given her total absence of work in the riding.

Ms. Park Shannon has spent virtually no time with the executive or membership in the riding. Her name does not appear on the most recent membership list being used by the local riding association. She didn't even attend the delegate selection meeting held last week to take up an invitation extended by Russ Lazaruk to those interested in seeking the nomination to address the meeting.

Ms. Park Shannon's approach is perhaps not surprising. Having agreed to a accept a back room appointment to bypass the local riding association, and the need to stand for election at a nomination meeting, what reason would she have to make any local effort at all.

The arrogant approach of Mr. Young and the sense of entitlement displayed by Ms. Park Shannon represent the very worst qualities of the Liberal party. They both demonstrate a complete disrespect for the democratic process.

When I put this to Mr. Young he retorted that "The Liberal party is not a democratic organization."
[...]

Read the whole email at Kerplonka

Joseph Lavoie is Canada's Next Great Prime Minister

Go over to Joseph Lavoie's website and wish him congratulations. He won CBC's Canada's Next Great Prime Minister!!! Congratulations!

Support Our Troops....Not Kick the Crap Out of Them.....

This just disgusts me. I really have no other words to describe what I feel about this. I'm more speechless that it actually happened.

OTTAWA - A Canadian soldier awarded a medal of valour for braving enemy fire in Afghanistan is angry after he says was jumped from behind and taunted by four men who beat him up in an Ontario bar this weekend.

Master Cpl. Collin Fitzgerald, who was recognized for heroic actions in Afghanistan by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean on Feb. 19, had his foot broken in three places and needed 10 stitches to close a cut above his right eye.

The 27-year-old soldier also suffered a broken nose and two black eyes in the attack, which occurred early Saturday in Morrisburg, Ont., about one hour south of Ottawa. The soldier was well known in the small town.

Fitzgerald said Monday he'd only been in the bar about 20 minutes when he was struck from behind.

"I don't even remember getting hit. I went and sat down at one of the tables, and next thing I knew I woke up and a hole in my head and I couldn't walk on my foot," he said, adding witnesses told him one of the men said `what kind of f--king hero are you now' as they were being pulled off of him.

[...]

Fitzgerald's mother, Arlene Fitzgerald, said the attack has left her shaken and upset.

"He came home in one piece from Afghanistan, and he gets beaten up like this in his own home town," she said. "He just came back from hell."

This is Not Inspiring....

TORONTO — Ontario's universities have neither a sufficient number of qualified faculty members nor enough room for what's expected to be an influx of thousands more graduate students this fall, says a pre-budget analysis to be released Monday.

The study by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, which speaks for the province's professors and lecturers, applauds the provincial government's strategy of expanding graduate enrolment, but finds shortfalls in both its planning and funding.

"The government's wish to expand graduate enrolment significantly this fall is not compatible with the complexities involved," the analysis says.

"Consequently, it is risking the quality of graduate education."

CTV

A Kick in the Pants From Carleton

So I've been accepted for my "back up" grad school plans: an MA in Sociology.

I was accepted to Western within two weeks of my application being submitted and was offered $16,500

Today I was accepted to Carleton (Sociology, not Public Administration)...with a funding offer of.....*drum roll* $2000....nope not missing a zero....I was offered more for my undergraduate!

What a kick in the pants....

See, I'm from London, so I could live at home and save a lot of this, while Ottawa is pretty expensive to live (compared to me living in Peterborough the past four years).

Either way, this is my 'back up' plans. I'm really hoping to do a Master's degree in public policy/public administration at Carleton or Queen's. Just waiting for these offers to (hopefully) come in (with funding too). *fingers crossed*

In other news, my summer job hunt isn't going as well as I had hoped. I had applied to be an intern for the Fraser Institute in education policy. Even though I have a few years of experience with surveys and interviews, and after taking a Sociology of Education course that examined theory, (understanding why certain members of society don't go on to post-secondary for example) I still wasn't considered for an interview. I'm disappointed, but I have another job lined up.

I applied for the Ontario-Quebec student exchange and had my language assessment last week. This would be an excellent experience and I am looking forward to using my French, I keep feeling like I'm losing it because I don't get a chance to use it in Peterborough or London.

The suspense is killing me, but luckily I'm drowning in other school work to fret (too long) about it.

Trent University Students Are So Backwards...

So each year we have a referendum for groups who want to receive a levy (AKA money) from students.

These were the questions, ones in bold did not pass:

• Do you support changing the current Trent University Emergency First Response Team (TUEFRT) levy fees to a single non-refundable fee and increasing that by $1.75 for a total fee of $5.25?
• Do you support the creation of a $2.00 refundable levy fee, indexed annually to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the new Journal of Undergraduate Studies being launched at Trent?
• Do you support an increase of $2.00 to the Trent Women’s Centre’s $2.75 non-refundable levy fee for a total fee of $4.75, and that the fee be changed to be indexed annually to the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
• Do you support the creation of a $1.50 non-refundable levy fee to support organic rooftop and field vegetable gardens at Trent?
• Do you support an increase of $0.60 to the Seasoned Spoon Cafe’s refundable levy fee of $2.15 for a total fee of $2.75?
• Do you support an increase of $1.00 to the Arthur Newspaper’s non-refundable levy from $9.50 to $10.50 and that the fee be changed to be indexed annually to the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
• Do you support an increase of $0.50 to the Trent International Students’ Association’s non-refundable levy fee of $1.50 for a total fee of $2.00?
• Do you support the creation of a $2.00 non-refundable student levy for Sustainable Trent?
• Do you support a $3.00 increase to the Trent Radio non-refundable levy fee from $15.00 to $18.00, to be indexed annually to the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
• Do you support the creation of a $0.50 refundable levy fee for the Trent Business Students Association?
• Do you support $0.50 increase in the World University Service of Canada’s non-refundable levy fee from $3.21 to $3.71?

The "NON-refundable" roof top garden ($1.50) and Sustainable Trent ($2)levies passed but the Trent Business students who have attempted for a levy since 2004, REFUNDABLE ($0.50) STILL did not pass. I really don't understand my fellow colleagues....How many weeks until I graduate and get out of this school????

The Evolution of Beauty

Something every pre-pubescent boy and girl should see.



I applaud Dove for being the leaders in this campaign for real beauty. I am actually more inclined to purchase Dove products, even though I already used them to begin with. Bravo!

My Thesaurus is on Crack....

Not blogging lately because of crunch time/term papers, but I had to share this today:

CF Tribute Videos

March 2007 Update: A few times a week someone Googles "CF Tribute" and ends up on my blog. I noticed that some of my links have moved and that more videos have recently been made so I want to drop a bunch of my favourites all in one post :-) Enjoy!! Support our Troops! Pro Patria!

****

The first tribute video I saw for Canadian Soldiers was by Josey1 on Media.Putfile.com. But sadly it has became very outdated when this video was made, the number of troops fallen was 8.

Ty1000 on YouTube has updated the video keeping the same song, 3 Doors Down "Landing in London", but sadly it is still outdated, as it doesn't include Nicola or any of the other soldiers killed after May of 2006. But, this one took Josey1's video, updated it, kept the song and added how each soldier was killed:


March 2007 Update: Some of my favourites after going through a bunch on You Tube.

CF IN ACTION:

This one is less sad with more action shots of what Canadians do to the Matrix theme, but still offers the proper tribute to our fallen comrades:


This is another action one about the CF in general to a tune by Linkin Park:


Also check out this YouTube user's videos. They are often to the tune of more shouting songs (Deftones, etc....). This one is pretty good:

Check out "Fire Fight" in Afghanistan and click on this link to all six parts. Here's part 1:


CF TRIBUTES:

This one is excellent with a beautiful song called Soldier by Shawn Hlookoff:

So, If I die don't judge me Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it Cause, I will die for you

We have our reasons Rules, morals and beliefs
I won't slander your opinion I'm just searching for peace



This is an excellent one with the A Pittance of Time, including not only a tribute but also videos of our troops in action:

Here's a link to a page with a tribute video in English et en Francais aussi! It's also available on You Tube here

This one has a lot of unique photos that I haven't seen before and it's playing with Avril Lavigne's Keep Holding On:


*****
August 2006:
Something happened a few weeks ago that I want to share. I was on the train coming home with my anglophone exchange students (from Quebec to Ontario). Families had welcome signs, balloons and there were tears, hugs and laughter. They had been away from each other for 6 weeks. I also got teary eyed seeing all the emotions in the air. As the coordinator I was the last to leave the station, making sure that everyone had a ride and received all their luggage.

That's when I saw a Canadian soldier.

He was alone, in a wheelchair weeping. I had no idea why he was there. Why he was crying. I'm sure something terrible happened, and surely there was nothing I could say to him that could help. The VIA staff were attending to him, asking if he wanted a cab.

It completely broke my heart.

Support Our Troops!

We can never have any idea what they are seeing thousands of miles away.

FIFA Made a Bad Call

FIFA has ruled:

MANCHESTER, England — Soccer's legislators have ruled that no player can wear a head scarf on the field.

The International Football Association Board [a branch of FIFA] was asked at its annual meeting Saturday to adjudicate on a decision to ban an 11-year-old Muslim girl from playing in a tournament near Montreal last weekend because she was wearing a head scarf.

However, this contradicts FIFA's own actions in the past:

FIFA officials have been promoting the game in Muslim countries by saying that it is all right for female players to wear the hijab.

The FIFA website even has a 2006 article praising the Iranian women's national team, with a photo of a hijab-wearing player taking a free kick.

This is the article to which the reporter is refering.

So why is ok in a Muslim country for all women players to wear the hijab and long pants, but in a multicultural nation like Canada that has people from all backgrounds they rule that the hijab should not be worn? This is inconsistent!

I think this was the wrong call. The fact is that in soccer (football) you can't use your hands and therefore your head is very important. However, the Ontario Soccer Association permits the hijab. Also check out this post from October 2005 about this issue from the Vancouver Island Soccer Referees’ Association:

Other players however, will have equally valid needs or other reasons to wear non-compulsory equipment in a game, and the referee should consider each of these on its own merits, applying the following test in each case: is there a demonstrated need for it; and does it pose a danger to that player or other players?

Referees are not expected to be knowledgeable in religions and cultures, just sensitive to them. If a player makes a claim that a certain item is important to his or her faith or culture, and if the referee has no knowledge to confirm or deny that, it is recommended that the referee allow the item, subject to it not being dangerous.

...
Referees should treat each request on a case by case basis. If the request is made for religious or cultural reasons, the referee should show sensitivity for those beliefs. Once satisfied there is a demonstrated need for the item, the referee will inspect it or have it inspected to ensure that the item is not dangerous to that player or to other players.
...
In every case the referee should use judgment and common sense in considering any request to wear non-compulsory equipment. Is there a demonstrated need, and is it dangerous?
Examples:
§ Turbans: For many followers of the Sikh religion there is a need to wear the turban or similar head covering. The turban in itself is not dangerous, but the referee should inspect it to ensure there are no broaches or anything in or on it that may be dangerous.
§ Kara: Again, to many followers of the Sikh religion, the kara (bracelet) is of special significance, so in these cases there is a demonstrated need for it. The referee should allow the wearing of the kara provided the referee is satisfied the kara has been safely taped or padded and is not a danger to the player or other players.
§ Hijab: A female Muslim player may wish to play in a hijab (head scarf). Again this is a case of demonstrated need. The referee should do a visual check for safety. If there is any question that there may be something unsafe on or under the hijab, the referee should do a closer inspection or, if the referee is male, have a responsible female do a closer inspection.
§ Sweat pants: Some cultures and religions have strong beliefs that a woman’s legs should be kept covered in public. If a female player has this cultural or religious belief, she should be allowed to wear sweat pants or something similar, underneath her uniform shorts. Male referees should have a female check that the player is wearing shin guards.
§ Toques and gloves: In cold weather conditions, the referee may decide there is a demonstrated need for the players to wear toques, gloves, and other items to protect the players.

Banning the hijab in this Quebec tournament because of "safety" reasons is bull$#!+ in my opinion. If a ref can inspect it that there is no risk for strangulation or unsafe pins, then I see no need to ban it. I also don't like that this rule is left up to the individual refs because then it sets an inconsistent rule on something that clearly can result in all five teams forfeiting a tournament.

I think it's very interesting how this article states that the referee in question was Muslim himself:

When Asmahan entered her third game of a tournament in Laval, Que., on Sunday the referee -- who is Muslim -- pointed at her and then to the bench. She had been expelled for wearing a hijab, a Muslim head scarf.

I'm not sure if this is true because no other article that I have read has confirmed it.

Even though we live in Canada, there are also a lot of misconceptions about the hijab because many do not know why Muslim women wear them. Muslim women wear the head scarf as a sense of empowerment because they will not be judged by their hair or jewlery, but rather their personality. It's a sense of modesty and having self-respect. Muslim women only wear it in front of males that are not their direct relatives. Many Muslim women wear it, but some choose not to.

But consider the line between accomodation and racism as this article suggets:

MONTREAL -- Men banned from pre-natal classes at a Montreal community health centre so as not to offend Muslim, Sikh or Hindu women. The windows at a community gym obscured so that boys at the Orthodox synagogue across the street couldn’t see the Spandex-clad women inside. Most recently, a suggestion that it’s time to remove a large wooden crucifix from the Quebec national assembly. Is it political correctness run amok or the natural growing pains of an increasingly multicultural society?

That’s the debate in Quebec, where politicians, minority advocates and everyday residents are weighing in on what is “reasonable” accommodation of racial, ethnic and religious minorities in what is an increasingly diverse society. Mario Dumont, leader of the Action democratique du Quebec, said Quebec should quit bending over backwards to accommodate minorities and, instead, set out in law reasonable compromises to be granted to religious and ethnic groups. “We must make gestures which reinforce our national identity and protect those values which are so invaluable to us,” Dumont wrote in a letter to be sent to Quebecers.

In Canada we chose the hard way by trying to accomodate everyone (Quebecois, First Nations, immigrants who wish to keep their culture). In the US, you become American, period. While the US way is easier, I'm proud to live in Canada and even though it's the hard way, it's the right way!

Bottom line, FIFA made the wrong call in my opinion.

REVIEW: Whose War Is It?

J.L. Granatstein's new book, Whose War Is it? How Canada Can Survive in the Post-9/11 World. It supposed to be a companion to Who Killed the Canadian Military. While I haven't read Who Killed...I have read other work by Granatstein and I'm a huge fan! This was a fantastic book! I didn't want to put it down, but I had to for school commitments. It's an easy read and is very pertinent to what's going on in Canada today.

Jack talks about the lack of military equipment, the myth of peacekeeping, arctic sovereignty, a pacifist Quebec, multiculturalism, foreign policy and our national interests. He makes reference to very current events such as Harper using his plane to bring home refugees in Lebanon.

The one criticism I would offer is that I wish it was more academically sourced. I know Granatstein knows his stuff, but I'm currently working on a paper on Arctic sovereignty. While his chapter on it is solid, I just wish I had books and articles that I can consult because there was no bibliography!

Overall though, it's an absolute must read for every Canadian!