My new favorite website has to be Book Covers, a pseudo-weblog by Fwis (which I gather is some kind of design firm, but I can’t seem to find any real information about them anywhere) where they post interesting book covers and have users comment on the design, typography, and anything else that the cover may evoke. There’s some good discussion on some of the covers, but what’s even better is that the site allows you to see a bunch of covers together, giving the reader a brilliant visual reference and context behind emerging design trends and book marketing techniques.

That being said, I’ve always had a fundamental problem with the saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Though I can see the underlying social comment the idiom is trying to make, if this were true, websites such as Book Covers (or even Rebecky’s cover gallery, Osprey Design’s Foreword, and Readerville’s Coveted Covers forum) would have no reason to exist. Book cover design is a nuanced (and apparently well-paying) art form because many of our choices in our everyday lives are based on snap judgements (Blink, anyone?), and I don’t think that that is necessarily a bad thing. While a poor cover design won’t make me want to read a well-recommended book (like Salinger’s Nine Stories, for example) any less, but a captivating cover will make me want to pick up books that don’t make the best-seller list but can be equally as well-written. (A great title also helps.)

Cover design is obviously something publishers take very seriously nowadays, but I must commend Penguin UK for upping the bar on cover design through their Great Ideas series. First of all, the series itself, packing seminal works by influential authors into small and easy-to-read paperback volumes, is a work of genius. But more importantly, Penguin solicited David Pearson, Phil Baines, Catherine Dixon, and Alistair Hall to come up with a visual aesthetic for the series that has shattered the limitations of typography and has revolutionized the domain of simple-but-visually-striking cover design.

If the Great Ideas series is any indication of things to come, cover design is only beginning to enter it’s Golden Age. I, for one, embrace this rejuvenation of the celebration of typography and the visual aesthetic, as it means a better reading experience for all consumers of the printed word. And in the meantime, hop on over to Book Covers and submit your favorite book cover design so that we can all share in the glory of good design.

My riding of Etobicoke North has been decidedly Liberal-leaning (at least on the federal stage) for almost 20 years. Our current Member of Parliament, Roy Cullen, has done an admirable job representing us nationally, and is almost certain to once again win this riding after ballots are counted tomorrow. The problem, however, is that no one can be really sure if Roy Cullen is truly representative of all people in the riding: Etobicoke North has the lower voter turnout in all of Canada.

During the last election, Etobicoke North — which has a total population of 112,410 and of which 70% are classified as visible minorities — had a voter turnout of about 30%, less than half of the national average. In an area where violent crime (the area of Rexdale that falls within the riding’s boundaries has been one of the hardest-hit regions in the country when it comes to gun violence) and immigration (approximately 62,565 legal immigrants reside in the riding) are primary concerns, it is clear that the candidate that is able to capitalize on such urban issues will be able to easily win the riding.

For the past ten years, that candidate has been Roy Cullen. Active with the Rexdale Community Health Centre and the Etobicoke Social Development Council, Roy Cullen has also been instrumental in brining over $1 million federal dollars into the riding for crime prevention programs. In the past, candidates from other political parties only addressed riding-specific issues nominally. This year, things have changed.

Amanjit Khroad, Conservative candidate for Etobicoke North, displays enthusiasm and energy that is sure to drive out the dismally low youth vote in the riding, and his Punjabi descent will be influential in the northern region of Etobicoke North, where a strong Punjabi community exerts considerable influence. Ali Naqvi, an immigration lawyer and consultant running as NDP candidate for the riding, has already gathered the endorsement of the Muslim Canadian Congress, and has several years of political experience behind him, particularly important in a riding with a large percentage of Muslim immigrants.

In the end, Roy Cullen may still ride the wave of support he has through his incumbency to another win, but it won’t be so easy this time. Whoever does win, it is clear that the person representing Etobicoke North has a mandate to increase government awareness of the pressing issues of crime and immigration that are central to our riding.

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Canada is desperate for a change, but if change means electing a Harper government, many Canadians would rather accept another four years of stagnancy. Because of this fact, many voters are looking at voting strategically in this election: not voting for a party because they espouse their beliefs, but instead voting for a party in order to keep another party out. I argue that this is extremely bad for Canada.

Strategic voting may have some merits, but in general, it is being done by those that are uninformed and unaware of the repercussions of their actions. For example, while the Conservatives have little-to-no chance of winning the riding of Trinity-Spadina this election, I have heard of many NDP supporters that will be voting for Liberal incumbent Tony Ianno instead of NDP candidate Olivia Chow just “too keep those Tories out.” As I write this, I am laughing at the ridiculousness of that action. If the Conservatives have no chance in this riding, a strategic vote for the Liberals instead of a sincere vote for the NDP is less strategic and more stupid; an NDP balance of power would probably be much better than a larger Liberal opposition.

Until Canada does change the electoral system to something closer to proportional representation, such ridiculous strategic voting will still occur, but I bemoan the fact that many who practice this strategy are unaware of their actions. Paul Martin’s claim that “a vote for the NDP is a vote for the Conservatives” is not only wrong, but highly pretentious. It’s no wonder why so many people want him out of power.

For a better view on the ridiculousness of strategic voting, see the following editorials from Now and Eye:
How about everyone just votes for the candidate they like?
Strategic voting is a Liberal scam
A Conservative minority may be our best hope

Jack Layton’s decision to launch his election campaign at the University of Toronto was not insignificant. In fact, it was a testament to the New Democratic Party’s vision of making sure that young people play an important role in shaping the future of our country.

Earlier this year, the NDP rewrote the liberal budget to cancel corporate tax cuts and instead invest in Canada’s human and natural resources, including an increase in funding for environmental conservation, foreign aid, affordable housing, and an additional $1.5 billion for post-secondary education and training. Recognizing the need for an even greater investment in pressing social issues, Layton and his team have launched a platform that will push for increased human rights and civil liberties, more effective global humanitarian efforts, electoral reform, a rejuvenated health care system, and a revitalization of community services that impact our daily lives.

At the core of the NDP’s platform, however, is the realization that the future of Canada is dependent on the success of its youth; from child care reform to tuition fee reduction, the New Democrats are laying the framework for the prosperity of the country through its young people. Included in this vision is a commitment to long-term and stable education funding for provinces, an overhaul of the Canada Student Loans program, and a national student grant system: all resonant to today’s Canadian students who graduate with an average debt of $20,000.

Perhaps more importantly, the NDP is committed to involving youth in the electoral and governing process itself. Olivia Chow, NDP candidate for Trinity-Spadina (a riding which includes a large part of the University of Toronto campus), at a meeting with U of T students on January 12, 2006 at Sidney Smith Hall, was clear in her assertion that “young people are important stakeholders in our country.” Addressing a group of interested students, she made her mandate unmistakable: “yours is a voice that must be heard at all levels of government.”

Chow’s message is resonating within the campus community. Jeff Sweeting, co-chair of the U of T NDP, claims that they are receiving “a fantastic response from students on campus, who are tired of shouldering such staggering tuition fees.” He goes on to add that “the more you put into students, the more you will get out of them. [The NDP’s vision of] ensuring accessible and affordable tuition fees is the bedrock of that investment.”

Olivia Chow, Jack Layton and the NDP know that reinvesting the $4 billion cut out of post-secondary education transfers by the Liberal government — an important tenet of the NDP platform which Layton announced at Hart House in November — and also empowering youth to get involved with the country’s decision making process, are important steps in ensuring the success of Canada. As Layton himself said it, “a good education allows a person — allows you — to build a future. And a good education for everyone allows our country to grow and prosper.” A vote for the NDP is a vote for the continued importance of the average Canadian and for the young people in our country, which in turn is a vote for the continued and increased prosperity of Canada as a whole.

With a federal election less than three weeks away, Dose ran a feature yesterday where they asked youth what they want from their country. This got me thinking of what I truly want, myself, from Canada. Hopefully, they are all acheivable (not immediately, but soon) with the help of elected officials and concerned citizens across the country:

1. Affordable and world-class post-secondary education for every Canadian.
2. Equal access to high-quality health care for every Canadian.
3. A social environment in which youth — through education, recreation, employment, and civic engagement — do not see violent crime as a viable option for dispute resolution, economic betterment, or social belonging.
4. A culture where creativity and the arts are not only supported, but encouraged and celebrated.
5. Affordable housing and employment assistance (including training and education) services for all those Canadians in economic hardship.
6. A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and more environment-friendly industry guidelines and government policies.
7. Opportunities for the training and certification of skilled immigrant professionals.
8. More opportunity for young people to get involved in the civic and political process, and transparency at all levels of government.
9. A commitment to making a difference in the global community through a dedication to the struggle for human rights, pluralism, peace, and civil society.