Recent developments in my world:

I was contacted by a producer at CBC Radio to see if I had any ideas for segments, three to five minutes of newsworthy, human interest stuff. I did not. But I told him I would work on it.

AND

I am applying to law school.

News In Brief

French Re-Affirm Anti-War Stance; Surrender to Iraq

In a strong demonstration of its anti-war stance, France declared its unconditional surrender to Iraq late yesterday afternoon. This after a week of meetings between President Chirac and his military advisers.
"We will not be dragged into a war against an enemy that poses no immediate threat to our sovereignty. To this end, we have tenured Iraq our complete surrender."
Caught off guard, Iraq has been scrambling to find willing officials to oversee the conditions of surrender. Chirac has volunteered to stay on and head a shadow government.
"I am certain that the transition will be a smooth one. The people of France have spoken."
Chirac has turned down repeated offers from NATO to send in defence forces.
"We will not allow NATO to impose its will on France,” the president said.


English Major Shocked Degree Won't Equal a Job

English major Daniel Saroha was shocked today when he learned that his English degree will not translate immediately into a career.
"We were all at this meeting called The Future and You for Faculty of Arts students, and I was pretty hyped. The poster said they would tell us how to secure the future we wanted. But then this guy got up there and basically told us that our degrees wouldn't be enough. And I thought, well then why am I getting one?"
Other students expressed similar surprise.
"I was going to do a double major--English and Philosophy," said third-year Cathy Little, "but now I'm not so sure. I'm feeling a little cheated. What's the point of university if it isn't preparing you for a job?"
Marshall Dornan, President of the Student Writer's Society, said the sentiment was shared by many in the Arts faculty.
"Philosophy, History, even Modern Languages - all the students in those departments are feeling a little misled. They came to university with high hopes, and those hopes are being crushed."


Poor People Blamed for Low Score in World Rankings

Vancouver slipped ten spots in the United Nations World City Rankings released last week. Previously a perennial top-five, the city has dropped steadily in recent years.
"Everyone knows about the poverty in the East Side, especially the downtown core," Shaughnessy resident Kathleen Wither said yesterday. "The United Nations knows about it and judged us accordingly."
Kerrisdale resident Martin Fung thinks the heroin situation might have swayed the judges.
"Vancouver is still a beautiful city - anyone who has been to Point Gray or Coal Harbour knows this. But when the news is all about the heroin and HIV epidemic, it’s easy to overlook the beauty. And that word, epidemic, it's such a red flag. I don't think any city with an epidemic will be voted number one."
East Vancouver residents have pledged to "kick it up a notch" before next year's rankings. Mount Pleasant is Beautiful President Gordon Pasche is confident Vancouver can make a comeback.
"We've had a couple of bad years, and certainly the condition of the lower East side has been a concern. If we could we'd go down there and paint over everything, plant some flowers, maybe put up a few more murals. But we can only change our own neighbourhoods, and I'm confident that this year's flower campaign will make a difference."