6 - North Shore News - Sunday, November 26, 2000 °S your future, says Elections Canada. Are you ready to vote? Federal voting day is tomorrow. . It’s now time to check the fine print on your voter information card and figure out where to cast your ballot. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 . p.m. According to Elections Canada, voters are required tc have three con- secutive hours free from jobs so that Canadians can take advantage of a constitutional right. _Those .who do not have a veter information card and are older than 18 can stilf vote tomorrow. « An unregistered voter determines “which: polling station to go to based “on a home address. The easiest way to + find out is to ask a neighbour. Local “Elections Canada offices may also be Vancouver and 981-1750 for West Vancouver. Once at the correct polling station, an unregistered voter is required to show ID with a photo, signature and current mailing address. In no time he or she will join patri- ots in the community who take turns to go behind paper screens and feel good about marking an “x” in a box. Elections Canada estimates 21 mil- ion Canadians are eligible to vote. Last federal election in 1997, more than 12 million exercised that consti- tutional right. Possibly most of us have decided by now which candidate or party will best lead Canada in the next few years. If not, make a good guess. Vote tomorrow. Look to our neighbours south of the border to know that your il id 7 contacted at 981-1775 for North | you saiel it uw : “A lot of parents say they ‘police their children’s view- ing themselves — but the majority don’t have the time or - the inclination.” Marie Whelan, whose family took part in Together Against olence activities, on the continued need for a television rat- ings system. ( Frain a Nov. 22 News story.) “Sometimes peopic go home scared, This makes i it bet- . You don’t have to be scared.” — | * Whelan’s daughter, 12-year-old Jennifer. Baynes, on why Together: Against Violence i is important. (From a Nov. 22 New: story.) Qa a Voting 1 me in will bring headlines around the world. fou will. peor to. tell your. kids, ‘Hey, I helped legalize. a.’ ~ : 7 ren, pumps miceting. (From a Now 2 72 News sory) 4, had four foster kids at the time, -, and (one neig vote counts. AUTHOR Charles Bukowski, patron saint of low-brows, drunkards and smart alecks, bemoaned on a fairly regular basis the astounding lack of originality prevalent in con- temporary urban society. Though these attacks were. generally... brought about by Bukowski’s alcoho!- fuelled “ contempt, for’ ‘upstanding citizens and other up tight a ~ straight folk, the guy definitely peint to make: Most people are either . too stupid or too lazy. to jump start a half-way original thought. Don’t take my word. for it (or, Buke’ s : either, for that matter)."All you have to. ° * | do is-eavesdro} * bar, bistro or beanery around town and, “You, cod; will be‘dumbstruck*by the * on a-conversation at any: < insulting number of inane phrases that ‘support e licence for the Galvani fal s aging black lb, ; ‘Hector. (Fron: the same ‘Non 24 4 News 00.) have worked their way into the English vernacular. I would like to offer some examples of these, such that they should be stricken from the language. In the “future, offenders will be punished by - having their tongues cut out and used as” pin cushions. Example No. 1: “24/7.” ‘Whenever Homer Simpson ‘starts using a popular ne >, phrase rather than inventing one, it’s a : Michael Becker “ News Editor « iurben newspaper and quale under Schedule 111, Parapraph 111 ofthe Eveise Tax Acts published Every door o7 the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian” fi Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238 Malling rates avaitatie on request. Entire “tne; a division of Southam Publications, a CanWest. Company, All rights reserved, rage circulation tor ~. probably a pretty good indication that . everyone else should [stop using it... ‘Honestly: inless you’re in a'coma,”. nobody ‘does: anything 24-hours-a- “day, ,.- seven- *days- a- ~week except maybe breathe Doug Foot General Manager Classified Manager 986-6222 {202) ° s-+ 4 speaking to is actually you GORA Tatas COANE - DST Sree FEES te. We rae decatnon. to Them.” day-old bin in Television Land (doesn’t’ xh do not. address them ; as “broth: er.” [t's not only incorrect and overly: familiar, it’s just plain annoying. - Example No. 4: “Go Girl!” Likewise a gender-specific cliché (most of the time, anyway), this one absolutely has be jettisoned: Even: Queen’ Latifah. - blushes when she says it. I know, I Know, it’s suppesed to represent ‘he righteous empowerment of ignominious- ly repressed women everywhere, but: | rather than saying it, just do the dishes’ and be quiet. It's easier. and far less .. bothersome for all involved. : Example No. 5: “On the Job.” Not. unlike the exclamation, .“Freeze!,”. this ., one was coined, for a cop show and. has" since been ap opriated by-every para-.; _ Military organization in the Western orld, from meter maids:to SWAT 3; , teams. Now, you can be “on the edge, “on the road,” “on the bus,” “on wel: “on a highway to - hell,” “ona rollercoaster ride,” “on the can,” “on a collision: course,” “on the:” as’ ‘opposed. to. So! way out,” Springer Show!” — but ‘sorry; : cannot be “on the job.?.It is physic: ~ and grammatically improbabl : Example No. 6::“Try, Reaching Out: lother one. swiped from:th anybody read anymore?); this one’: ~. turned up so many.times on NYPD Bi Thad to Stop es the‘damn_ a6 yes, ‘orginal, The r not. Not original, not’ funny, ‘not tional. Do yourself and. those; com 1139 -. Creative Services Director 985-2131 N27}. mlancher asin: com