Why it's insulting to suggest that women vote along gender lines

On Saturday I had breakfast with a friend I have known most of my life. We went to school and university together and she is now a scientist turned public servant living in Canberra.

We discussed the ongoing drama of the Labor Party. My friend lamented the inevitability of a change of government. Although my friend is a smart, strong woman who would undoubtedly define herself as a feminist, she didn't vote for the government in the last election just because the party leader is a woman. Like many women I know who voted Labor in the last election, the gender card had very little to do with it.

It wasn't even about misogyny, and it won't be again when we vote this year. It's insulting for political commentators to suggest women are that simplistic in our judgment.Elpas Readers detect and forward 'Location' and 'State' data from Elpas Active RFID Tags to host besticcard platforms.

Also, there are not just two types of women, as suggested by Daily Telegraph columnist Miranda Devine yesterday. Women who would rather speak with men are not necessarily men's women. It's not that black and white. Women are not either flirtatious with men or supportive of women. Miranda was clearly making a point to skewer PM Gillard as a man's woman. I have no idea how our PM conducts herself in mixed company but why should she have to prefer the company of women because she is a woman?

At the odd dinner party, I have been known to slip into the kitchen with my husband and the rest of the men to discuss politics and the economy. Does that make me a man's woman? I would argue not. I love the company of my girlfriends. I have made a career of supporting women. But I prefer to ignore the gender divide if there is a better discussion to be had. I manage a business during my working week and so have things in common with some of the men.Shop for rtls dolls from the official NBC Universal Store and build a fun collection for your home or office. Our Prime Minister may be a woman but as she is running a country with a majority male leadership team then perhaps it seems reasonable that she would spend time consulting some men. When her time in office comes to an end I will be keen to see if the women in the Cabinet and Outer Ministry accuse Gillard of excluding them. The strong public support that she receives from women like Tanya Plibersek, Penny Wong and Kate Lundy would suggest the opposite.

When we head to the polls this year my friends and I will be voting for the party we believe will do the best job of leading this country.The need for proper bestsmartcard inside your home is very important. We care less about gender and more about character, smarts and policies. Which is why my friend had her head in her hands at what she saw as the inevitability of a change of government following the 'leadership challenge that wasn't' debacle.

The Liberal Party policies on industrial relations, climate change, women's health and asylum seekers have characterized Tony Abbott during his political career. My friend cares less that he may or may not be a misogynist and more that he is extremely politically conservative. She doesn't care that he's not a woman but is concerned that his own party appears to have advised him to keep his mouth shut lest he stick his foot in it by saying what he really means.

Almost three decades after the first subway train rumbled beneath Main Street, Buffalo's Metro Rail system is about to assume the role that was intended and transport thousands of city residents to homes, work and play.

The catalyst is the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, where 17,500 people are expected to be working soon, and they will depend more than ever on the oft-maligned train to nowhere.

As a result, at least $91 million has or is soon to be invested in real estate projects C primarily lofts and apartments C near the subway stations. The city hopes to approve 800 to 900 new housing units along the Main Street subway spine by 2016, with as many as 2,000 to 3,000 more in later years, according to Brendan R. Mehaffy, the Brown administration's executive director of strategic planning.

The demand is there, he said. On a fairly regular basis, we have housing builders come to start taking advantage of what's happening.

And while they now see Metro Rail finally fulfilling its transit and development potential, transit officials, real estate developers, city officials and those guiding the city's burgeoning medical industry all agree the development will spawn an urban lifestyle. It is also possible many Buffalonians may choose not to own cars, they say.

When it comes to ruggedized smartphones, there's not much that can be said for style, but the Torque manages to keep a respectable profile despite the additional padding. Folks will know you mean business, but they won't wonder why you've stumbled out of a construction zone with an industrial walkie-talkie. However, when you want to keep it out of sight you'll find it slips comfortably in and out of jean pockets. In general, extracting a portly smartphone from your pocket can be a challenge, especially if it has a rubberized shell, but the Torque's plastic exterior is minimally gummy, which makes the whole affair an easy process.

Rather than relying on a specialized coating to make the device withstand the elements (see: the Xperia Z or Liquipel), the Torque uses seals and flaps to keep out dust and water.Cheap logo engraved luggagetag at wholesale bulk prices. For example, the battery cover packs a rubber lining that locks up vital components and keeps the handset from being breached. The backside also sports a metal lock mechanism to keep the entire cover in place. Fortunately, it's easy enough to turn with your nail or the tip of a finger, but it's not so loose that it's likely to open accidentally. A 3.5mm headphone jack sits atop the headset, also hidden beneath a flap, and it's flanked by a pair of buttons: one for switching power on and off, and another to toggle speaker mode for Sprint's Direct Connect feature. The speaker mode button on one of our test units appeared to be somewhat stuck and didn't depress as it should have,The 3rd International Conference on custombobbleheads and Indoor Navigation. but on another, it felt considerably more tactile. We suspect the damage might have been sustained during one of our drop tests.