Day of Action

On November 5th, students from all over Canada gathered in different locations to show that we are sick of paying ever rising fees to get an education, and that we are going to fight back. As over 6000 students marched through the streets of downtown Toronto, many onlookers saw a sea of students holding signs and shouting, showing that the price of tuition fees is a problem and that it is affecting a very large number of people. We passed many construction workers who cheered for us and raised their fists in solidarity. We sat on the road at the corner of University and College, blocking traffic, and then continued on to Queen's Park where a rally took place. A lovely group was giving out a free vegan lunch, consisting of squash soup and pita chips. It is inspiring to be part of such a large enthusiastic group, and I feel it was important to show people that university is not easy for students today, that we are willing to fight back, and are not few in numbers. University students are the professionals of tommorrow, getting a university education is expected of us if we want to be successful, yet the government does not value us. Unfortunately it has become more difficult for people to find a job if they do not have a university degree or college diploma, and education has become increasingly less accessible as tuition fees have been rising well above the rate of inflation. So it has become a no-win situation for people who don't come from wealthy families. I am extremely blessed that I am able to attend university and am able to budget and pay the fees without getting a loan, but education should be a right, not a blessing, and students shouldn't have to be drowning in debt by the time they graduate.

New president, new hope

OBAMA got elected! This was definately a very exciting moment for me as I sat on the floor of a crowded theatre with friends, staring up at the huge screen showing different news reports and shows that were covering the election, and all of the sudden his face came up on the screen and he had won. It was incredible, this was one of the first elections I have seen where I wasn't dissapointed with the results. This shouldn't be a historic moment, but it is, and it shouldn't be such a big deal for a person of colour to be the president of the USA, but it is. And without even considering the barriers he is breaking down, this still is an amazing victory to get a progressive democrat that is willing to talk about oppression of women, the gay community, people of colour, etc. McCain's speech was very gracious, and I appreciated that he found the strength to speak of Obama positively, and acknowledged the importance that Obamas victory has for African Americans. Both Barack and Michelle seem like incredible people, and I sincerely hope that they are able to bring about as much change as they aspire to.

Alternative Media

I was just reading my textbook for Environmental Politics and I came across this quote that I thought I would share, by Zapatista spokesperson Subcomandante Marcos.

We have a choice. We can have a cynical attitude in the face of media, and say that nothing can be done about the dollar power that creates itself in images, words, digital communication, and computer systems that invade not just with an invasion of power, but with a way of seeing the world, how they think the world should look. We can say, well, 'that's the way it is' and do nothing. Or we can simply assume incredulity: we can say that any communication by the media monopolies is a total lie. We can ignore them and go about our lives. But there is a third option that is not conformity, nor skepticism, nor distrust: that is to construct a different way, to show the world what is really happening, to have a critical world-view and to become interested in the truth of what happens to the people who inhabit every corner of the world.

(Subcomandante Marcos 1997)

This quote seems true to any type of large scale corruption, either we can ignore the corruption and go on supporting the source of the corruption without question, we can avoid the situation and have nothing to do with it, or we can create our own alternative. (Really, the only way to get anything to change is to do it yourself, not alone but with a group of others who are also affected by the situation). Just because a news source is 'alternative' does not mean that it should go unquestioned, it is important to look critically at EVERYTHING.

I came across this photo of t-shirts of his face. (photo credit: Wade [www.travelersphotographs.com]) That's great and all to be showing support of the Zapatista movement, I'm just hoping this image won't go the same path that (cli)che Guevara's did. It's bad enough to see all these huge corporations that have no connection to their producers cashing in on the 'green movement' by selling t-shirts that have silly messages about recylcing or hugging trees, or just throw around the word green in some trendy way. Somehow this makes people feel better about the clothes they are buying. Honestly, if you don't know what your talking about and don't actually care enough to make changes in your life, then don't walk around wearing messages that you care nothing about. Any shirt sold by the GAP, Roots, American Eagle, etc. that tries to convey some message about a social movement is one of the best examples of hipocrisy I can think of. I will be rolling in my grave if my face ever lives on to be printed on t-shirts made by sweatshop labour.

Ontario Apples

Apples are in season and delicious, so pick up some local apples today! They always tast best in the fall since they are super fresh. They aren't very expensive either, so I've been eating them every day. Pictured above are Macintosh and Cortland apples. Heres a salad that is nice as a light meal. Ingredients: lettuce, carrots, red and yellow peppers, apple chunks, and herbed tofu (fried in olive oil). All of the ingredients can be bought locally right now. I'm pretty excited to make apple crisp too, its pretty much the ultimate autumn dessert.

The election is well over, but I guess I can still talk about it

Boohoo we have a conservative government and that sucks but for now I guess we just need to get over it and take action on issues we care about rather than waiting for the government to maybe possibly someday sort of do something about it. Sure, if everyone that didn't want the conservatives to win voted liberal than we wouldn't have a conservative government right now, and I know that that's what Dion wanted us to do, but I'M SORRY A REAL DEMOCRACY DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. I was hopeful that the Liberals might get in and it seemed like a good option, but only because it was the only realistic alternative we had to a conservative government. The thing is, I have never been a fan or supporter of the Liberal party, ever. Liberals dominated politics in Canada for years and we still had our share of problems and human suffering then, so I don't see why all of the sudden the liberal party seems like the golden arches to political heaven and that somehow everyone that isn't right of center should settle for something less than what they believe in. Wake up, the liberal party is not left wing and does not share the same concerns or represent the veiws of all political parties that aren't PC.

I voted for the party that I felt would help achieve better quality of life for ALL Canadians. And that party has severl seats in Parliament, has helped prevent Harper from achieving a majority government, and will have a say on issues being passed through parliament and will therefore have an effect on Canadian politics and society.

I would like to thank Stephen Harper for making that idiodic comment about artists, you all know which one I'm talking about. You were able to turn an entire community of culturally aware Canadians against you. Good job, you really helped out my cause. But for all the artists that turned your backs against Harper, I salute you for taking a stance on this issue, but why do politics only matter to you now that you are faced with an issue that directly affects you? Conservative governments exploit thousands of marginalized people and let them suffer, and somehow this never mattered until you became one of them. However, I think Harper is a complete moron for treating the arts like they don't matter. Art is truly one of the forces that has the power to inspire and move people, and I find it incredibly depressing that children will have less access to arts programs at school. Offering rebates to families that enrole their children in extra-curricular art activities does not address this issue, as it tends to generally be children who are already artisitically enclined who will want to sign up for classes. They may not have time to pursue the arts outside of school if they already are involved in other activities, and their parents may not be able to drive them to these activities. Art should be accessible to ALL children in schools, regardless of their talent and ability, so they can learn to think differently and see the world outside of the narrow frame that other disciplines present it in. This will help students achieve a much more well rounded sphere of thinking and skills, and will help give them the tools to move on in the arts. The death of art will bring the death of creativity and culture, and make for a pretty boring world of concrete and business. Lets not turn our children into economic zombies just because our prime minister is one.

Disposable pens in regards to birth certificates

We live in a world where companies try to make more and more items disposable so that we will keep on consuming. It is quite rediculous that when something breaks (i.e. a TV or printer), most people would rather buy a new one than get it repaired because it is cheaper to do so. While this finacially may make sense, in terms of resource consumption, it is definately a very wasteful and short sighted way to deal with products that aren't made to last. The decision to buy a new item rather than get the old one repaired is a decision to buy into this wasteful system and support it. By employing one of our many talented repairwomen or men, you woud be making a statement against disposable culture, and would be supporting a more sustainable future. If enough people started doing this, corporations would realize that people don't want cheaply made products that do not last, and that we aren't just going to keep buying new items without questioning if this is really necessary.

A simple plastic pen might not seem like a big deal compared to much larger items, but if you look in your drawer or pencil holder, you will likely find many pens, which will not last long and eventually have to be disposed of somehow and you will buy some new pens to replace them. Of course this makes sense, since eventually you are going to use up all the ink in the pen, but is it really necessary to buy an entire pen when it is only the ink that needs to be replaced? Considering that a large majority of people own these writing utensils, given the enormous popluation on our planet, that equals a LOT of plastic, not only sitting in landfills for thousands of years without biodegrading, but also using oil to create the plastic, and polluting the air in the process of manufacturing. So why does everyone have so many disposal pens? Why don't we all just buy one refillable pen and do away with the whole cyclical buying and disposing process? Well, I suppose than one reason might be that the pen is not very large in size and can easily be lost. Given my collection of free pens that I have acquired since I started university, and that I still have now, this doesn't seem to be too much of an issue for me.

I also own several calligraphy pens which I refill with a small cartridge that only uses a minimal amount of plastic (4 or 5 cartridge refills would equal the amount of plastic used to make one disposable pen). I also have a wooden pen that I refill with nontoxic ink that is packaged in very slim brass refills. I used this pen to take notes in every single lecture I had in university for one year without having to refill it once. Of my refillable pens, so far I haven't lost any of them, and if I did none of them were so expensive that it would be much of a loss (except of course for the calligraphy pen I inherited from my Grandfather).

My wooden pen (Goodkind Woody) I believe cost me $3 - $4 (and came filled with ink), and it only costs $2.50 for two refills. Considering how long each refill lasts before you have to replace it, this proves to be very economical and cost efficient, so buying cheap disposable pens really isn't saving you any money.

On a somewhat related note, I have often found it remarkable how people frequently lose things and it seems nearly impossible to keep anything for your entire life, yet (most) people, regardless of their age, still have their birth certificate. This document is so important that people somehow manage it keep it safe and keep track of it their entire lives. It really is quite amazing. I am suprised that I own something that I have had since I was born, and haven't lost it yet.