next weekend in toronto: conference on war resisters in north america
If you're interested in the issue of war resistance and the history of war resisters in both Canada and the US, you'll want to be at the Steelworkers Hall in…
laura k
400+ dogs rescued from giant puppy mill in québec, given new chance for happy lives
The Humane Society International/Canada announced this morning that it assisted in the rescue of more than 400 dogs and puppies from a huge commercial breeding facility - that is, a…
xenophobia and racism, such an easy itch to scratch
Yesterday I purchased something from a small, independently-owned store near where I live in Mississauga. I was the only customer there; the only person working was the owner, a brown-skinned…
mandatory, warrantless internet spying coming to canada, unless we stop it
If Stephen Harper has his way, mandatory, warrantless, universal internet surveillance will be the norm in Canada. Once upon a time, I would have thought that statement was hyperbole; now…
toronto public library update with great videos
The winners of the My Library Matters to Me contest - offering a walking tour and lunch with the likes of Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje and other prominent Toronto authors…
straight goods, advertising and propaganda
In case you missed it last week, my post on advertising and propaganda is running on Straight Goods. If you haven't seen it, I hope you'll give it a read.…
back to school
My classes resume today, my third year of four, fifth term of eight. I've been dreading this for weeks, but for the past few days, the dread has been overwhelming.…
this just in: racism in the u.s. now less obvious
Landmark Civil Rights Act Made Racism Slightly Less Overt (Season 1: Ep 3 on IFC)
wrongly convicted man to be executed, please click to help
My opposition to the death penalty is absolute. I have always opposed capital punishment, but reading Helen Prejean's Dead Man Walking moved me from an opposition with certain conditional exceptions…
honeyboy edwards, 1915-2011
Honeyboy Edwards died two weeks ago, just shy of his 96th birthday. He was the last survivor of the first generation of Delta bluesmen. Born David Edwards to parents who…
9.11.11: an anti-remembrance
Ten years on. Ten years of Islamophobia, endless war, the open rationalization of torture and massacre. Ten years of surveillance, insidiously creeping police state, witch hunts, shredding of personal freedoms.…
most insane nation on earth bars entry to mentally ill canadians
This story is disturbing on so many levels! Why are health records of some Canadians being given to the US Department of Homeland Security??? Read it here: Canadians with mental…
desmogblog: open letter to oprah winfrey on so-called ethical oil and women’s rights
Unlike many of my peers, I truly do respect and in many ways admire Oprah Winfrey. She's used her massive popularity and celebrity to raise awareness of difficult issues, not…
tar sands pipeline arrests now total 1253: naomi klein among them
In case you missed it, this past Monday, September 5, Canadian author Naomi Klein became one of the more than 1,200 people to be arrested at the White House this…
it’s not about the money money money: all out september 26 at toronto city hall
Things you can to do save public services in Toronto:1. Watch this amazing video!* 2. Share the video with everyone you know.3. If you live in the GTA, come to…
war is peace, freedom is slavery, and bp is listening: more tales of corporate propaganda
You all know how I feel about advertising. Usually it's not the ads themselves that drive me nuts, but their massive proliferation: that everything in our field of vision and…
what happens to a child who is hungry?
What happens to a child who is hungry?And here's what I learned: being hungry makes me slow, stupid, and clumsy.It took me about four or five days of not being…
update on ontario mega-quarry: environmental review to go forward, battle continues
The Council of Canadians has an update on the mega-quarry that the Highland Companies (owned by a US hedge fund) tried to sneak into Ontario's Melancthon Township. You'll recall that…
kenney’s canada: paralyzed woman to lose independence if caregivers are deported
Just another story of more undeserving immigrants trying to sneak into the promised land. This one is a particularly sneaky ploy. Here's how you do it.First, emigrate to Canada, a…
impact of rising tuition (and the liberal provincial govt) on ontario families
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has released the results of a study on the impact of rising tuition fees in Ontario. The study shows that in 1990, a middle-income…