h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

First of all, I'd like to ap`ologise for ty`pogra`phical odities involving a`postro`phes and the letter `p': I s`pilled a wee glass of bourbon on my keyboard last night.


But, I'd like a reality check. You know I blab on about multiculturalism in Canada, blah, blah, blah. I'd just like you to com`pare your ex`perience with your ~Parliament with this `particular exam`ple of the situation here. . .


My old `parents live in one of Edmonton's bedroom communities, the one known as 'Sure White ~Park' although it's actual name is Sherwood ~Park.

Here are the demogra`phics of the Federal Riding of Edmonton-Sherwood ~Park:

'About 13 per cent of those in the riding are immigrants. Eighty-five per cent of residents listed English as their mother tongue in the 2006 census, while just under two per cent listed French. It's a riding of home owners, who outnumber renters 81 to 19 per cent.

Retail trade, the service sector, manufacturing and construction are the major employers. The average family income is $101,216 and unemployment is 4.1 per cent.'

For the record, the average family income, after taxes, in Canada is about $75,000. And Canada's unem`ployment rate just dro`p`ped to about 8%. So, Sure White P~ark is white, over-em`ployed, and rich, com`pared to the rest of the country.


Now.

Here's the M~P for the riding: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Uppal



So, here's the reality check: In Britain, can you think of a very u`pp`er class, very rich, very white riding which has elect a very obviously orthodox Sikh man as their M~P?

I'm hop`ing that you have such a riding there, but I don't know whether it's true.



I wanted to show you a video of him in a three way debate with MP~s from other `parties, but I couldn't find the one I watched earlier today. In case you're wondering, Mr. Uppal has a Canadian accent, not a ~Punjabi one.



Oh, and, just for fun (this is real, by the way): http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockeynightincanada/punjabi/

No I can't. This will give you some idea of our situation. The Tories appear to have two ethnic minority MPs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4530293.stm

This is the website of one

http://www.shaileshvara.com/


And the other,

http://www.shaileshvara.com/

Note the embarassing style of website MPs seem to use. Rubbish Your saw my link to the Michael Gove one the other day...

But neither of them are Sikh obviously. You say 'upper class' that's probably what we'd call middle class or more likely nouveau riche/middle class aspirational. The Shires which can be a bit more upper class..ie old wealth, I could never imagine electing a Sikh..but you know we can sometimes be eccentric in our upper classes..so maybe?

The representation of ethnic minorities in our parliament is pathetic. 15 out of 650. The number of women isn't that great either for 50% of population. It's still basically an old boys club..and I believe there are a record number of old Etonians in the present government's front benches.

*cough* sorry, the other should be

http://www.adamafriyie.org/

I wondered about that. What were the chances of two M~P's of colour with the same name.

The web `pages look similar to the ones they `pick over here. We haven't done well with electing women and minorities, either (although I have a woman re`presentative at `both the federal and the `provincial level and one of them followed a Muslim Ugandan refugee of South Asian ancestory and the other followed a Sikh senior citizen.

In 2004 we had 22 'Visible Minority' M~Ps according to this site http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/english/issue.asp?param=174&art=1190 Which is below what we should have, but it sounds like a little better than you do (considering we only have 300 and something seats in the House).

We had 68 women elected in 2008 (the election before the current one): http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/prb0562-e.htm#a2


I don't have the imp`ression that women or 'visible minority' candidates would have any trouble with the voters here: it just seems to be a `problem with the `party brass and with recruiting them.

Of course, that recruiting question could be a `problem for Mr. Uppal (my `parent's M~P): he was `parachuted into the riding by the national `party leadershi`p in `place of the local riding associations choice of candidate and he almost lost the election to that candidate running as an inde`pendent. They're facing off again at the beginning of May.

I just realised that first link I gave you referred to May 2005. Apparently we nearly doubled the number to 27 at the last election in 2010. Though I note the Lib Dems have none.

I haven't really looked into the areas represented, but I expect most will be urban areas of mixed racial make-up.

To be honest I'm sick of it all. For years and years there's been talk of real change in terms of women and ethnic minority percentages. It still pretty much tokenism in the areas of state power like the executive and the judiciary.

But you don't have that historical baggage thing we have in terms of the way our institutions have evolved. We've talked about this before in terms of the context of Canada being a young country.

But yes I think voters probably have far less problem than the 'brass' that choose the candidates, as you say, for Canada as well.

(I find your eccentric keyboard effects rather charming..

I find my eccentric keyboard effects almost as lamentable as my lost bourbon.

Look! I've not used the letter before 'q'.

On the subject of old boys' clubs, take a look at this story about a bit of debate between a Premier and the leader of an Opposition ~Party in one of our provincial legislatures:


http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2011/03/30/harper-lower-churchill-.html

Here's a news story about the advances being made by our `political `parties in increasing the number of women candidates: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/realitycheck/2011/04/women-candidates-on-the-rise.html

No sur`prise that the governing right wingers have the worst record or that the socialist one is doing the best.

And then there's this on the 'ethnic' front:


'Levesque told the Quebec news website ruefrontenac.com: "Certain voters won't choose the New Democratic Party now that it's running an aboriginal candidate."'

Thankfully the leader of his `party shut him down quickly:


'Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe told reporters Friday that Lévesque had apologized.

"It’s a bad analysis," Duceppe said, speaking in French. "People don’t vote for Cree because they’re Cree or francophones because they’re francophone. Votes are individual.”'


http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/01/cv-election-bloc-apology.html

That was weird.

Somebody shows up on a message thread attached to your space to jump into a conversation between you and I to offer their testimonial about a company we've been discussing. How did they happen to stumble onto the conversation in all of the big intertubes? I smell a company sock puppet.

'..Mr. Lévesque's apology said he hoped his "unfortunate words" wouldn't hurt advances aboriginal communities have made...'

That's a bit of a barbed apology. It seems Mr. Levesque might need to make a few 'advances' too. But really it never ceases to amaze me the way politicians can sometimes come out with the most silly statements and not realise the furore they'll cause.

As for the other thing...........

interestingly, at almost the exact time that jonwhateverhisnumberis responded on that other thread with prices, an email was sent to me from the company with the same information.

I've told you what I think, and I have no intention of responding to any further posts by 'JON'

I'll visit the place next week if you want..actually I'd quite like a visit to Brick Lane again. I think I have your YouTube site address on my other hard drive. Later I'll contact you there about getting the actual address of the place...or we can work something else out if not.

See yer later.

I've told them 'no thanks'. I noticed with a bit of googling that someone else had received an identical email outline a limited time discount. The odd thing was that they received the email over a year ago.

I wouldn't ask you to make a special trip. Sure I'd be interested in your impression of the place, but I'm not going to be shipping anything off there anyway.

I guess I'll have to check my youtube account.

~Post # 11 on this forum has the address: http://tinyurl.com/3dukfb6

I just had a look at their web site. I think it might be some sort of post modern piece of art..ie the whole concept...


I'm quite tempted to go visit. A trip to Brick lane is never wasted in any case...

*Waves to JON*

And yes..so of course this convo..will be part of the thing, if I'm right.

Some art stuff can seriously mess with your head on the internet. I had to stop getting involved a while back..because I couldn't tell what was real or not.

Hi anhaga, I haven't been to Brick lane..or am that much inclined now that I know you have no intention of submitting anything.

Also haven't contacted you through Youtube as you gave me the address here.

I'm a bit nervous of contacting people because of a few problems I've had.. I plan to send you a Youtube message shortly...few days... though. Keep an eye out. I saw your snow trip films. Excellent.

I'm still checking the Visual Arts Alberta Association page every day to see if they've put up anything of mine.

Nothing yet.

I'll keep an eye out on youtube.

on a weather note: It's snowing here this morning.

. . . quite heavily.