Things that came up in my morning internetting

So.... This makes me ill:



(source)

So I googled female mathematicians, and the results made me happier. Also, Ada Lovelace:



Look at those wonderul 1830s sleeves!



And the oh-so-1840s hair!

Yeah, you can tell I'm a historian and not a mathematician...

And, on a completely different note, this makes me happy:

The most pernicious of all lies about men is that because of our makeup, lust and empathy can’t coexist within us. If you want kind and compassionate men who will respect women’s boundaries, the myth suggests, those women will have to conceal the parts of themselves that will turn men bestial and irresponsible.

[...]

Too many of us still believe that “self-respect” for a woman means chastity and modesty. If she’s wearing revealing clothing, enjoys attention, and maybe even likes sex outside of a committed monogamous relationship, we call her a “slut”—and accuse her of not respecting herself. Perhaps she does respect herself, perhaps she doesn’t. (Promiscuity is not perfectly correlated with low self-esteem, despite what a lot of pop psychologists tell you.) But in the end, it doesn’t matter. Women aren’t commodities whose value is based on their own fluctuating sense of self-worth.

And these are my thoughts this morning. It's rainy and gross outside.

70 Most Powerful American Women + we should probably include these really high-profile ladies from other countries, dudes

I just saw Forbes' new "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list. Feministe remarks approvingly that the top ten "includes four women of color and at least one lesbian." Fair enough, this is a good thing.

However, I'm a little bit concerned about Forbes' metrics for rating the power held by these women (on a world-wide scale). I've been trying to find their criteria on the website but no luck yet.

What concerns me is out of these 100 supposedly most powerful women in the world, 70 are from the US. Of the top 25, only three are not American. Of the top 50, that number is 10. And this is why I'm so confused/concerned about the metrics…

For example, while it's great that Beyonce has such a high ranking on the list (#9), is she really that much more influential on a world-wide scale than the Queen (#41)? And I find it hard to believe that Stephenie Meyer (#49) has more power globally than the Prime Minister of Australia (#58), the President of Finland (#62), the President of Ireland (#64), the President of Argentina (#68), the Queen of Jordan (#76), the President of Iceland (#80), the President of Costa Rica (#83), or the President of Liberia (#86). (I'm also concerned that Stephenie Meyer made it on the list and J.K. Rowling didn't, even though Rowling seems the more politically active of the two. Also her books are better.)

I feel like income must be a prime consideration, otherwise there would not be nearly so many people from the fashion industry (models as well as designers). In a lot of cases--and here I'm not only referring to the fashion industry, but also many of the media personalities on the list--these women have influence as tastemakers and opinion makers, and largely, I would argue, only in the US. Rachel Maddow, for example. Now that I know of her existence I watch segments of her show sometimes, and I find her clever and funny. But I hadn't heard of her until earlier this year, and I'm pretty sure her show doesn't even air in Canada (I've only ever seen it online). And what about Danica Patrick, the race car diver? Sure, she's breaking down barriers into an old boy's club and she's probably inspiring lots of little girls who are into racing, but I don't know if I would consider her powerful on a global scale. I've never even heard of most of the news anchors that appear on the list.

Big corporations and big governments objectively harness a lot of power, and the people who run them control that power. The list at least mentions most of the important female heads of state, ministers, and business executives, and although there is a definite bias towards the US there, that can be partially explained by the political power of the US. As for the others--the singers, the talk show hosts, the athletes, the models, the authors--they are legitimately powerful culturally… in the US. Some of them do have a more global reach, but seriously… who is Suze Orman? Who is this Rachel Ray person? Does it count if I only know about someone because she's Arnold Schwarzenager's wife? Does it count if I've read a couple articles from the Huffington Post? Why are there no media/culture/lifestyle personalities from other countries (except the First Lady of France)?

You know who I think is a powerful woman? Michaelle Jean, who until a few days ago was Governor General of Canada. She had the power to stop Parliament in its tracks (which she did, twice). She's shmoozed will all of the heads of state and ambassadors. She was a major force behind bringing aid to her birth land of Haiti. Once she almost caused trade disruptions between Canada and the European Union by eating a seal heart, thus showing her support for the traditional seal hunt practiced by the Inuit, and infuriating anti-seal hunt Europe. Before she was GG, Jean had a CBC show.

Why aren't there more women like her on the list?

The HST and Me!

Well, folks, it is almost upon us. In just over a week, Ontario will be subjected to the horror demon spawn that is the HST.

(That was sarcastic, by the way. I feel like I need to clarify because some people are actually talking about it in those terms.)

First, an explanation. HST stands for Harmonized Sales Tax, which basically means that the current Ontario sales taxes, the PST (Provincial Sales Tax) at 8% and the GST (Goods & Services Tax, federally controlled) at 5% will be combined. So instead of having an 8% PST and a 5% GST, most items will be sold with a 13% HST.

The issue is that while you get charged GST on just about everything, PST is a little more selective. One of the original incentives of the PST system was to encourage healthy living and to make the necessities of life more affordable. So, for example, PST is charged for junk food but not produce, and for adult clothing but not children's clothing. With the HST, some things that were formerly only taxed 5% will now be taxed 13%. This is supposed to shift the tax burden off the shoulders of corporations and onto the consumer, allowing the corporations to lower their prices.

The Maritime provinces harmonized their sales taxes in 1996, and some reports state that the price of goods did go down. Currently both Ontario and British Columbia are preparing to harmonize their sales taxes, and the public is not very receptive. While Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty did consult with Ontarions before working towards harmonization, BC Premier Gordon Campbell apparently did not extend the same courtesy to his constituents.

In both provinces, the public and the media have come out strongly against HST. In BC, residents have been circulating a petition which could force the issue to referendum (it needs the signatures of at least 10% of the registered voters of every riding to do so), and a provincial cabinet minister resigned from his position and from the Liberal Party because his riding is so strongly opposed to the HST. In Ontario, Premier McGuinty "has taken to the airwaves in an 11th hour bid to sell the merits of the harmonized sales tax," as that byline goes. Basically he appeared in a 60-second spot talking about how awesome the HST would be for employers. This appeared, interestingly, on the 6 o'clock news yesterday throughout Ontario, except in Ottawa, the location of the federal government and McGuinty's own riding.

Now, I am generally not against taxation. I think of it as a good thing--it keeps our roads paved and our health care universal. However, the concept of moving the tax burden from the corporation to the consumer seems more than a little suspect to me, so I hunted up the Ontario Ministry of Revenue handy-dandy guide to tax change, which my right-wing grandfather forwarded to me almost two months ago along with an email petition to stop "the dreaded HST."

And so, without further ado, How the HST will affect Me:

Clothing and Footwear

No change except in dry cleaning service and children's footwear below size 6. Well, since I've never had anything dry-cleaned in my life and have no kids, looks good.

Food and Beverages

No change except to alcoholic beverages, which actually goes down. I considered this fortuitous until I checked out the footnote, which informs me that other taxes will be charged on alcohol to make up the discrepancy and "continue to support social responsibility." Tcha.

Home Services

Taxation goes from 5% to 13% on cleaning services, electricity and heating, internet access services, home service calls by tradespeople, and landscaping, lawn-care and private snow removal. Well, I don't use cleaning services, my heating is included in my rent, and the supers take care of repairs and snow removal. And I have a lease contract so they're not allowed to raise my rent.

So, for me, tax increase in: internet access service, electricity

Accommodation, Travel and Passenger Transportation Services

Taxation goes from 5% to 13% on hotel rooms, taxis, campsites, and domestic air, rail and bus travel originating in Ontario. Well, hotels and taxis are already ridiculously expensive so I try to avoid them as much as possible anyway. I don't camp much anymore, rarely bus, and only travel by air when absolutely necessary.

So… train travel.

Around the House

Taxation goes up on magazines purchased by subscription and home renovations. I can't renovate my apartment even if I wanted to, and my only magazine subscription is just about to expire, so I think I'm good.

Motorized Vehicles

Well, I don't have a car. But the only changes are to private resale of car and gasoline/diesel so I guess the cost of bus passes will go up.

Home Purchases

The tax is increasing on new homes over $400,000 (although if they are primary residences they are eligible for some kind of housing rebate, apparently, which covers most of the cost) and on real estate commissions.

Health Products and Services

Here we have the caveat that audiologist, chiropractor, and physiotherapist services will remain tax-free "if offered by a practitioner of the service." Honey, if you're getting chiropractic work done by someone who's not a chiropractor, you're going to have bigger issues than having to pay taxes.

Also, tax increases for massage therapy services and vitamins.

I do take vitamins.

Memberships, Entertainment and Sport Equipment

Here we have some interesting changes. The tax for admission to professional sporting events and for movie tickets is actually going down from 15% to 13%. Green fees for golf, gym membership fees, sports lessons, and tickets for live theatre (small venue) are going up (with some exceptions, such as sports lessons for kids with disabilities, and theatre for charity events). Alright. So I do attend professional sporting events (like maybe once a year) and movies. I also go to the theatre, and sometimes I pay for a gym membership.

So, theatre tickets and gym membership up, pro sporting events and movie tickets down.

Lessons and Rentals

Hockey rink and hall rental fees are going up.

Electronics

No change.

Professional and Personal Services

Tax is increasing for the services of a fitness trainer or hair stylist/barber, aesthetician services, funeral services, and legal fees. Barring exceptional circumstance (aka as long as I don't get arrested or sued), the only one of these I use is the hair stylist.

Tobacco

Tax goes up. I don't smoke, so it's all good.

Bankins and Investments

No change.

Ontario Government Services

Tax is up on hunting and fishing licences. Yeah… no.



Results

With HST, I am going to be paying more for:
internet, train travel, electricity, vitamins, theatre tickets, gym memberships, hair cuts

With HST, I am going to be paying less for:
pro sporting events, movie tickets

According to my estimates for how much I currently spend on those things, tax increases will cost me about $77 annually, and tax decreases will save me maybe $5 a year.

If prices remain the same, the HST will cost me personally (poor university student!) about $70 a year. Taking into account pension plan and employment insurance reductions, that's about one work day (7.5 hours) on Ontario minimum wage.

However, this entire system is predicated upon the assumption that shifting the tax burden will lower prices. If that's the case, since the average Ontario family is expected to pay an extra $450 a year in sales tax once the HST comes out, maybe I will get off easy?