Design Post #4

If you want to read an actual post, scroll down just a little bit; I wrote a quick overview of how awesome Canadian politics are these days (which sounds so boring, but trust me, it's not). 
Please read about Canada.
I love Canada.

But today . . . it's more design.

I found this example of web design online, and it reminded me a bit of my own blog design. 

CatsWhoBlog.com

This blog reminds me of my own because of the busy background design that utilizes a lot of colors, the left-justified posts, and the right-justified information. On this blog, the information are links to tutorials, a tag cloud, and advertisements; on mine, the information is my bio, YouTube links, and a hierarchy of posts.

What I like about this design is the visual interest created by the multiple colors; it is eye-catching. I think the background on this particular design is a bit busy. However, I think this design utilizes white space very well, because it simplifies the text space.

This design makes me think about my own blog, and I worried that my own background is too busy.

Why I Love Canada

I work in a shopping mall where I meet and help hundreds of Canadians every shopping season.

I grew up on Lake Erie, where on a clear day, you can see Canada like a haze in the distance.

Hockey is one of the only sports I can actually become invested in watching.

None of this explains why I'm suddenly so interested in Canadian politics. 

Be still, my beating heart

Nah, I'm into Canada because its new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (who's been in office only two weeks) has appointed his cabinet -- and it is completely gender-balanced with 15 men and 15 women. The news has me wanting to bundle up and go enjoy some maple syrup and universal healthcare for the duration of their time in office. 

When asked by reporters why he's chosen to represent men and women equally in the Canadian government, Trudeau, who is "proud to be a feminist," said nonchalantly, "Because it's 2015." 

Jody Wilson-Raybould, REPRESENT

What's even better about Trudeau's appointments is the fact that not all of the people in his cabinet are white, which means that Trudeau's Canada is getting close to gender and racial equality. He wanted to "present a Canada that looks like Canada." And I don't mean tokenism; his appointments of people of color have been smart decisions based on merit and logistics. 

For example, Jody Wilson-Raybould, the new justice minister, is a First Nations woman; as Canadian indigenous women keep disappearing, Wilson-Raybould certainly seems best suited for the job which focuses on tribal legalities. 

(I'm not gonna lie, I'm getting so pumped up here that it's hard not to say "we," counting myself as an honorary Canadian, which I'm not. Unfortunately.)

Come on, America; keep up.

While some reporters say that we shouldn't celebrate this because gender equality should be common sense, I tend to disagree. I mean, of course equal gender representation in politics should be common sense; in America, didn't we secede from Britain because they wouldn't represent us? But that doesn't mean that these steps which are happening shouldn't be celebrated, because the simple fact is that they aren't commonplace.

Even if it's trendy to be a feminist in pop culture (I'm looking at you, Certified White Feminist Taylor Swift), it's hard to find politicians who are out and proud about true gender equality.

All hail the cabinet

So I'm going to keep celebrating Justin Trudeau and his cabinet, and I'm sending mad love to my friends in the north.