just emailed you, but i'll put a link here, too. thanks for hosting! http://infamousqbert.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/my-...

well duh. everyone knows your national anthem is sung to the tune of "Oh Tannenbaum". >:)

oh canada, oh canada!
your mounties are so sexy
oh canada, oh canada!
your lemmings are nice too!
My recent post Working himself into a lather

that doesn't discount the fact that most people changed their names because they were pressured to do so, either by the officials at immigration, or by social needs. and there were goof ups. the reason so many familes of Indian descent have biblical surnames (Abraham, Isaac, etc) is because of the cultural tradition of putting the family name first. the immigration officials didn't know enough about eastern cultures to catch this and put the father's first name as the whole family's surname.

the article you linked to discusses the possibility that it was the officials on the emigration end of the equation who may have screwed up, as well. either way, it wasn't a clear cut "no one to blame but the person themselves" kind of situation.
My recent post Working himself into a lather

and, from what i've seen, white adults/teenagers with odd names (like the zappa children) are given the benefit of "gosh, your parents were crazy!", rather than being assumed to "deserve" the odd name and then being constantly denigrated for it.
My recent post Working himself into a lather

even those who grew up very privileged and basically had everything handed to them are indoctrinated with "BOOTSTRAPS!" from a very early age. we're told that making it for yourself and not depending on anyone's handouts is the only way to be a "real american". so, the idea that maybe she didn't do it all alone, that maybe she was handed some things along the way, is just anathema.

thanks for this. reposted on facebook. vive la feminism!!

thanks for writing this. i couldn't agree more. i've tried to make a point of seeking out women writers, simply to counteract (with my one lonely self) a little of this issue. it's one of the reasons i've gotten into reading more YA lit, as that world has a much higher percentage of women authors than the lit world in general.

to add to that, if you do believe it, whether you have good reason or not, and still want to help, you can always take that change you would have given and donate it directly to your local homeless shelter or addiction program. i just often wonder how many people who claim this out bother with that alternative.

i do wonder if he would be in trouble for growing that many flowers. i'm sure not, but what is the difference, from the municipal viewpoint, between a thousand rose bushes and a thousand tomato bushes?

renee, if you haven't heard this, you should. it's the best song aboooooooot canada EVER.

ETA: ummm...maybe i should consider leaving the link. >_<
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QgSuVJ7Jpg