Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

September 21, 2011 Scott Tribe

Scott's DiaTribes: World Alzheimers Day

I just wanted to briefly mention that today is World Alzheimer’s Day. This is a disease that affects a lot of people, but doesn’t seem to be in the public spotlight as much as is heart disease or cancer. It is a disease in many ways worse for the family of the victim then it is for the victim, at least in it’s later stages. They don’t know any different what’s wrong with them, but the families see them and suffer from seeing a shell of the former loved family member, or because they don’t remember them anymore.

I decided to mention it because my mother is holding a […]

September 21, 2011 Jymn

Is Harper more dangerous to freedom than Perry, Palin and Bachmann put together?

Yes. He’s one sick f*ck.Tough on crime? Hell, he’s tough on freedom, choice and progress. The one thing he’s not tough on is violent crime. It’s all just one big medieval clusterhoax.

September 21, 2011 Matt Guerin

Queer-liberal: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" ends in the U.S. as YouTube Gay Soldier coming out video goes viral…

YouTube's Gay Soldier: 'Never Thought I'd Be So Comfortable' – ABC NewsYesterday marked the official end to the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy in the American armed forces. Now, finally, LGB soldiers in the U.S. army can be open about …

September 21, 2011 Farron Cousins

DeSmogBlog: Global Financial Leaders Recommend Cutting Fossil Fuel Subsidies

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Global financial institutions including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have released a new set of recommendations for G20 countries to meet their goal of providi…

September 21, 2011 Anne Cottingham

Art Threat: Althea Thauberger’s photo mural speaks of Vancouver’s darkness

Thauberger in Afghanistan (Photo: Sharon MacKay) It would be nearly impossible to accuse Vancouver artist Althea Thauberger of being weak or fearful; in fact she is quite the opposite. Not only does she happily invite controversy and criticism, but she willingly flew to Kandahar, Afghanistan as a part of the Canadian War Artist program while […]

September 21, 2011 Lindsey Pinto

OpenMedia.ca: CRTC’s New Vertical Integration Rules Include New Safeguards, but Won’t Stop the Price-Gouging

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September 21, 2011 – The CRTC’s decision on vertical integration today is nothing more than a half-measure, says citizen engagement organization OpenMedia.ca. Earlier this …

September 21, 2011 Sabina Becker

Tim Padgett, corruption apologist

Meet Leopoldo López…corrupto, violent agitator, and “popular” politician of the Venezuelan far-right. And apparently, the crushboy of a certain crap “reporter” for TIME Magazine… The Inter-American Court of Human Rights concluded this week what just about everyone in the western hemisphere already knew: leading Venezuelan opposition politician Leopoldo López was denied due process of law […]

September 21, 2011 DivaRachel

The Adventures of Diva Rachel: A francophone Ottawan in Alberta — Part 1

Ok, so I am off to the YOW for a domestic flight to Calgary.

A few thoughts:

Why is their airport code YYC ?!?!

Why does Banff National Park, paid for with my taxes, list French as "other foreign languages" on its official website?

Will…

September 21, 2011 DivaRachel

The Adventures of Diva Rachel: Call for Tea Party Tim to denouce xenophobia #1532

I received this email that has been going around faster than the Fall flu.

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Should Tim Hidak denounce these statements?

1. «Compared to the west, most Muslim countries are economically stunted. The only thin…

September 21, 2011 harpervalley

Harper Valley: Stephen Harper’s Police State

Doesn’t HE look grand? From the first throws of holding office , Steve’s done nothing but a series of playing dress-up and enacting the game….only, in real life. So he’s made Canada a police state. My what fun, for him! Bullies don’t really have any concern about the people they’re hurting, the toxic […]

September 21, 2011 Mark Francis

Oxymoronic ‘Ethical Oil’ Meets Irony

I hate promoting the severely flawed concept of ‘ethical oil’, so much so that I don’t even like using the phrase as it spreads the meme. Still, with the Keystone XL pipeline in the news these days, here’s a fact worth punting your way.The toxic, corro…

September 21, 2011 James C Morton

Morton's Musings: An informal Will

Getting a Will made is not difficult and is not very expensive. Most lawyers will prepare a Will for around $500. Considering that a will disposes of everything you own, $500 is not a great deal of money. That said, it is possible to make a lega…

September 21, 2011 Ian

Terahertz: Right-wing takeover at SFU

Staff who operate many of the student services at SFU, including Out on Campus, the Women’s Centre, and the SFSS Print Centre, have been locked out, without a contract for 10 weeks. The lock-out was initiated by a unanimous vote of the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) board of directors, who decided that they had […]

September 21, 2011 awreeves

the reeves report: Horwath downplays coalition talk; asks Toronto Council to halt TTC cuts

Anyone hoping that a recent plea from provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath to Toronto City Council to hold off on transit cuts will make a difference is kidding themselves. Or the have a lot more faith in Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s desire to listen to left-wing politicians than I do. According to Horwath as reported … Continue reading »

September 21, 2011 Lorne

Politics and its Discontents: The Voice of Integrity: Munir Sheikh

Those not seduced by the siren call of simplicity promoted by the Harper government will be pleased to learn that Munir Sheikh, the former head of Statistics Canada who resigned his post rather than give his stamp of approval to the Tory elimination of…

September 21, 2011 Junkie_Monkey

Update, finally!

So the Conservatives are finally starting to have fun with their majority. We all knew this day would come — when we would be forced to helplessly sit at the sidelines and watch while these idiots we call ‘representatives’ shove through legislation so…

September 21, 2011 James C Morton

Morton's Musings: Serial killer Clifford Olson reportedly dying of cancer

A truly appalling series of brutal crimes — almost a script for a horror movie. That said, such criminals are rare — most homicides are within the family. And murder is murder — the deceased are just as gone no matter who killed them:

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September 21, 2011 Lilian Nattel

A Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Low Tech and High Tech

Today there was construction on my street and I have a cold. The combination of noise and brain fog meant no work. Instead I listened to music and sewed in the most low tech way, with a needle and thread. I am not a great sewer but I enjoy it greatly. There is something peaceful […]

September 21, 2011 James C Morton

Morton's Musings: Judging credibility on appeal

R. v. B.A., 2011 ONCA 603 is a good example of how an appeal court can, sometimes, reverse a credibility finding. A trial judge, acting properly, must explain why a witness's evidence is accepted or rejected; the means giving reasons…

September 21, 2011 Greg Fingas

Accidental Deliberations: The cutoff point

Having asked the question on the weekend, I’ll provide my back-of-the-envelope answer as to how many votes I’d expect a candidate to need based on what we know now about the NDP leadership race (which of course figures to take a few more turns before i…