bleh

OMG why won't this bloody paper just write itself?

OTOH, yay for a good topic.

OTOOH, boo for a good topic that keeps sidetracking me. I've learned more about Pierre Trudeau and Japanese Canadians in the last two weeks than I have in the last twenty years of living in this country - and I grew up with Trudeau as my PM, and consider myself highly interested in multicultural issues. Unfortunately, while it's been broadening and enlightening reading, it's hardly conducive to getting on with my bloody topic.

And a propos of virtually nothing, I stumbled across an entry written by one of our speakers for my CivLib class. Fascinating woman; one of those people who makes you painfully aware of how little you've done with your own life. ( Sheema Khan )

Anyway, here's a link to her musings on the 2004 election.

Anyway. I thought it was interesting.

OK, I'm going to bed. A lot of my paper is blue, the colour of "Don't hand me in yet but I'll be ready to go at the next pass through - and hey don't forget to check for footnotes and dangling participles!" This is much better than red, my shorthand for "Yeah, um, I kinda wanna say this thing, right, and I've written it out but who knows whether it maeks sense to anybody but me, so, like, dont show anyone, 'K? Oh, and run a spelcheck, too - soon." Which is better than green, code for "Here Be Dragons - With Footnotes."

Right now my paper is roughly 2/3 red, 1/3 blue, with mercifully brief bits of green here and there.

Colour me cynical...

Conservative Closure of Status of Women Canada Offices A Step Backward
November 29, 2006
OTTAWA - The minority Conservative government's decision to close twelve regional offices of Status of Women Canada, leaving only four to serve Canadian women, is reprehensible, Liberal Status of Women Critic Maria Minna said today.

"Canadian women are still only earning 71 cents to every dollar earned by their male counterparts; more and more women are living in poverty; and we are still waiting for the government to create childcare spaces. With the closure of these regional offices, the government is taking away one of the very few remaining resources for women," said Ms. Minna.

Rest of the article: Conservative Closure of Status of Women Canada Offices A Step Backward

So, y'all will excuse me if I give a cynical little snort at this:

Status of Women Canada - Media Advisory
OTTAWA, Dec. 5 /CNW Telbec/
On December 6, 2006, the Honourable Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, will mark Canada's National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.

On this national day of remembrance, a day-long exhibit on violence against women will be presented.

December 6 marks the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l'Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal.

Details of News Release

Hey, it's OK that we cut 40% of the operating budget for Status of Women, 'cause, you know, we'll hold a day-long exhibit December 6, and maybe have some speeches or even a couple muffins or something, and that'll show we care. Really.

Can we say Move the **** along, please?

• Canada looks set to keep gay marriage law
  Wed Dec 6, 2006 2:19 PM EST31
  By Randall Palmer
  
  OTTAWA (Reuters) - Parliament prepared on Wednesday to revisit last year's decision to make gay marriage legal in Canada, but with much less fanfare and with virtual certainty that the new definition of marriage will be maintained.
  
  Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives, most of whom oppose same-sex marriage, have only a minority of seats in the House of Commons and were getting little support from members of other parties on the issue.
  
  Harper's team itself seemed to be going through the motions, arguing less about why gay marriage should be rescinded and more about his promise to let Parliament have a second look.
  
  "We made a promise to bring the issue forward and we are keeping the promise," spokeswoman Carolyn Stewart-Olsen said shortly before the start of debate on Wednesday.
  
  Link to the rest of the story.
  
  
  
• So, apparently the vote is tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon. Here's how to find out who your MP is and let them know what you think. I contacted my MP last time there was a vote, and was told that although he's a Conservative, he was going to vote for gay marriage, as a matter of equality.
  
  
  
• Here's something I didn't know: there are currently 12,438 married gay couples in Canada. That's... a lot of people.
  
  And, wow, knock me over with a feather, but it actually seems as though het marriages are still doing pretty well around here, despite the scourge of gay marriage making a mockery of the institution.
  
  Y'know, I actually respect the Conservatives for doing this. They said they would, they're keeping their promise, and maybe if they do it and hold a free vote and it gets voted down we'll finally be able to MOVE ON.
  
  
  
• Bit of cross-border trivia, that maybe our MPs should look at:
  
  The ten US states with the highest divorce rates are Nevada, Arkansas, Wyoming, Idaho, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alaska, Florida, Alabama, and West Virginia.
  
  States that have banned gay marriage? Alabama, Idaho, Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Nevada, Tennessee, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin. And I think I'm missing quite a few in there.
  
  That whole protecting the sanctity thing is working well for them, I guess.
  
  (California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, and Oklahoma had no data available, according to the thing I read)
  
  
  
• Oh and, the state with the lowest rate? Massachussetts. Yeah, that Massachussetts, the only one that legalized gay marriage. Who knew?
  
  
  
• EDIT: So... there's this sight site called Stop the ACLU, 'Beating them with their own Sickle and Hammer!. Here's one of there their articles: Massachusetts Gay Marriage Causes Problems for other States (by davef on 11-23-06 @ 4:57 pm Filed under Homosexual Agenda, News)
  ... The case I concerned about is now coming to light, and Road Island (a state which dose not recognize Gay Marriage) has to deal with it.
  
  
  Aw, poor Road Island. Over-dosing on Gay Married Massachussettians.