(no subject)
Apr. 3rd, 2005 07:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blodeueddSo many things have been happening recently. In the news, that is. Not that it really affects me, but
The Charest government has cut a lot of money for scholarships and even though Quebec already has the lowest tuition fees in the country (less than half of what one pays in any other province, I believe), the students are Not Amused. I can see their point, but the fact is that by keeping tuition so low, universities lack teachers and resources, a fact of life which the students are also bitching about. Come on, we're already paying the highest provincial taxes in the nation, should we really be asked to pay more? Of course you're going to be in debt if you have no savings, decide to move to another city to study and not work during the school year. However, there are people who manage to repay their debt quickly enough, so why can't everyone else?
One thing I'm grateful for is that you still have to pay to go to university in Quebec. Free post-secondary education is a nice idea in theory, but look at what's happened in Germany: people spend up to ten years changing majors, dropping out and starting over, and the state has to pay. Obviously, that happens here, but when the money is coming out of your own pocket (or will have to be repaid someday), you think it over more carefully. Still, thank god it's nothing like many schools in the U.S. and
It's rather strange to see news footage of thousands of people crying silently outside St. Peter's; I can't imagine that the death of anyone I don't know personally could touch me to that point, unless I were reading a book about it or seeing a movie about it. I cried the day the U.S. declared war on Iraq because I felt so strongly and so deeply that it was a horrible, horrible thing, but I've never cried upon hearing of the death of someone famous.
Still, the man did influence people and events around the world. Here's hoping the next one up on the throne continues with the bridge-building between faiths but has a more open view regarding other things, such as homosexuality and contraception. And here's a hint about contraception: Catholics the world over are already using it! Besides, how else do you expect to stop the spread of AIDS?
Well, I went and did it. I bought a set of scrapbooking scissors to make eight types of fanciful borders. Which means -- I need to buy a scrapbook. After the move, of course, once I get set up in my sewing room/office. Then, let the games begin! :D
Today I helped my brother take down the car shelter while my father watched from the window. He hurt his wrist, you see, tripping over a tree branch he hadn't realised was still attached to the tree. And because the tree happens to be a pine tree I brought home as a sapling when I was in grade six, he claims it was my fault. Whatever! We had an easier time that other years because during the night, the strong winds brought the shelter to its knees, tipping it half over. The strain caused the supports on one side to bend, one to the point of breaking the metal, once my brother had fiddled with it, trying to loosen the screw holding two pipes together. So the shelter was already mostly on the ground, which eliminated the usual worry of pieces falling on someone's head as we try to coordinate efforts to safely take the thing apart.
The Charest government has cut a lot of money for scholarships and even though Quebec already has the lowest tuition fees in the country (less than half of what one pays in any other province, I believe), the students are Not Amused. I can see their point, but the fact is that by keeping tuition so low, universities lack teachers and resources, a fact of life which the students are also bitching about. Come on, we're already paying the highest provincial taxes in the nation, should we really be asked to pay more? Of course you're going to be in debt if you have no savings, decide to move to another city to study and not work during the school year. However, there are people who manage to repay their debt quickly enough, so why can't everyone else?
One thing I'm grateful for is that you still have to pay to go to university in Quebec. Free post-secondary education is a nice idea in theory, but look at what's happened in Germany: people spend up to ten years changing majors, dropping out and starting over, and the state has to pay. Obviously, that happens here, but when the money is coming out of your own pocket (or will have to be repaid someday), you think it over more carefully. Still, thank god it's nothing like many schools in the U.S. and
It's rather strange to see news footage of thousands of people crying silently outside St. Peter's; I can't imagine that the death of anyone I don't know personally could touch me to that point, unless I were reading a book about it or seeing a movie about it. I cried the day the U.S. declared war on Iraq because I felt so strongly and so deeply that it was a horrible, horrible thing, but I've never cried upon hearing of the death of someone famous.
Still, the man did influence people and events around the world. Here's hoping the next one up on the throne continues with the bridge-building between faiths but has a more open view regarding other things, such as homosexuality and contraception. And here's a hint about contraception: Catholics the world over are already using it! Besides, how else do you expect to stop the spread of AIDS?
Well, I went and did it. I bought a set of scrapbooking scissors to make eight types of fanciful borders. Which means -- I need to buy a scrapbook. After the move, of course, once I get set up in my sewing room/office. Then, let the games begin! :D
Today I helped my brother take down the car shelter while my father watched from the window. He hurt his wrist, you see, tripping over a tree branch he hadn't realised was still attached to the tree. And because the tree happens to be a pine tree I brought home as a sapling when I was in grade six, he claims it was my fault. Whatever! We had an easier time that other years because during the night, the strong winds brought the shelter to its knees, tipping it half over. The strain caused the supports on one side to bend, one to the point of breaking the metal, once my brother had fiddled with it, trying to loosen the screw holding two pipes together. So the shelter was already mostly on the ground, which eliminated the usual worry of pieces falling on someone's head as we try to coordinate efforts to safely take the thing apart.
