Wednesday 26 May 2010

Only Wednesday

Long weekends are supposed to make the following week feel shorter, right? My week didn't get that memo.

Tomorrow I'm going to my formal event! My hair is sorted. I'll try to get a picture.

Things I'm thinking about:

1. Pay Meeee $75 to scout Facebook for you The Ottawa Sun reported that the Canadian government has hired people to hang out on Facebook for them to reply to what they're saying*. Funny, any of those social media are still blocked in my government workplace. Bad idea? I think so.

2. Canada Excellence Research Chairs So I love invigorating the research community in Canada, and I think "innovative" is something we should go for... but NO women at all in the Canada Excellence Research Chair Program? That I'm a little less jazzed about. You can tell me the usual stuff about women not wanting to uproot themselves to move for a new job, or a lack of female talent to choose from, but I will still give you a displeased look and say something to the effect of "Academia is a boys' club that they used to make this program come together quickly". I think this will come up again.

3. I disagree with Stephen Harper - Reason of the Day Stephen Harper, I don't care if my right to my own body isn't threatened, I don't like you opening up the abortion issue at all, especially not in a way that will help you with direct mail fundraising campaigns and galvanizing people who wish you would take away my right. I wish more people were more pissed off about this. Thank you Bono, I know partisanship shouldn't get in the way of actually helping people, and that's not what I want either. I want my government to help the most women it can. Can't that be the point? (As usual, I disagree with Margaret Wente)



*In fact, a group called "The Social Media Group".

2 comments:

Loud said...

I heard about the Canada Excellence Research Chairs on the radio maybe a week or two ago. Not really hanging out in top research circles I wouldn't know what to do with it, but I agree with you that I don't find any of the excuses very satisfying.

The government's double standard on abortion is a really unfortunate trade of life and livelihood abroad for votes at home. Kinda disgusting. As for Margaret Wente, I'm beginning to suspect that she is just an unusually eloquent internet troll given too tall a soapbox. Probably best to ignore her.

Captcha: "biles". Hilarious!

Milan said...

Nice new banner photo!

Also, I agree that Margaret Wente is rarely correct. She and Rex Murphy are the most dubious frequent G&M contributors.