Creekside: Steve reaches out to Youtube world

March 12, 2010 by Alison  

As PMO spokesthingey Dimitri Soudas pitches it somewhat awkwardly on YouTube : Ask Your Questions to Prime Minister Harper Submit your questions for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in his response to the Speech from the Throne and the recent budget. The Prime Minister will answer a selection of your top-voted questions in an exclusive YouTube interview next Tuesday March 16, 2010 at 7 p.m. ET. It must have seemed like a pretty good idea at the time when they were kicking it around the PMO – avoiding reporters while controlling the message, getting down with the new social media,... Click Here

unrepentant old hippie: We’re waiting

March 11, 2010 by jj  

Time’s almost up, Gibbs.  Where’s the jersey?: White House press secretary Robert Gibbs again disappointed the press corps Thursday by showing up for the daily briefing in a suit and tie instead of the Canadian jersey he promised he would wear if Canada bested the U.S. in the Olympic gold medal men’s hockey game. Gibbs defended his apparel, saying he will likely make good on his wager with his Canadian counterpart at Friday’s briefing. “Likely”!? “Don’t worry. We won’t disappoint,” Gibbs said. “The jersey is in the White House.” Is... Click Here

unrepentant old hippie: We’re waiting

March 11, 2010 by jj  

Time’s almost up, Gibbs.  Where’s the jersey?: White House press secretary Robert Gibbs again disappointed the press corps Thursday by showing up for the daily briefing in a suit and tie instead of the Canadian jersey he promised he would wear if Canada bested the U.S. in the Olympic gold medal men’s hockey game. Gibbs defended his apparel, saying he will likely make good on his wager with his Canadian counterpart at Friday’s briefing. “Likely”!? “Don’t worry. We won’t disappoint,” Gibbs said. “The jersey is in the White House.” Is... Click Here

unrepentant old hippie: “Help Wanted” fail

March 11, 2010 by jj  

I think everybody’s worked at this place or someplace similar at some point.  I know I have. (More at HuffPo) Read More From unrepentant old hippie Click Here →

unrepentant old hippie: Liberty: ur doin it wrong

March 11, 2010 by jj  

I thought it was supposed to be “Innocent til proven Guilty”, not the other way around. How do you like that post-9/11 new normal security blanket now, kids? Read More From unrepentant old hippie Click Here →

Creekside: Security theatre of the absurd

March 11, 2010 by Alison  

Given that the Cons blocked the Military Police Complaints Commission from receiving documents on the Afghan detainees : “Canada’s former top military police officer, retired navy captain Steve Moore, advised he had documents that he wanted to turn over to the inquiry, however Mr. Moore and his lawyer had to sign a pledge preventing them from passing the documents to the inquiry.” and redacted the docs they did allow : “This is what the Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group sergeant wrote in June 2006 about the Afghan detainee... Click Here

unrepentant old hippie: Two comments that say it all

March 11, 2010 by jj  

Following the legalization of equal marriage in Washington DC last week, the Washington Post ran an article on the first weddings, accompanied by a joyous little photo of the very first couple to tie the knot under the “new rules”: …and some were anything but pleased: But wait — what’s this?: Out with the old, in with the new:  I’ve seen the future, and it’s good. Read More From unrepentant old hippie Click Here →

Broadsides: A Few Good Men

March 11, 2010 by Antonia Zerbisias  

From ActionAid: It just gets worse and worse for the women in Haiti. But, fortunately, some men are stepping up. Incidentally, Michael Petrou of Maclean’s reports that Canadian donations to Haiti relief are not freely flowing. In fact, they’re not even dribbling to that disaster zone. Boldface is mine. “CIDA officials are in close contact with the Government of Haiti and our humanitarian and development partners to determine the optimal use of these resources as… Read More From Broadsides Click Here →

unrepentant old hippie: A successful procedure

March 11, 2010 by jj  

If US health care reform is passed, as it looks like it probably will be, its first surgical procedure will be the excision of a persistently putrescent hemorrhoid that’s been lodged immovably in the sphincter of America: Hate radio host Rush Limbaugh has been one of health care reform’s most vociferous opponents, warning that “[h]uman beings will die earlier than normal” under the “freedom killing” and “life threatening” plan, and calling for it to be “aborted.” Yesterday, Limbaugh put his money where his mouth is, saying that if health care passes and all his fears are... Click Here

Politics'n'Poetry: More Nuke News

March 10, 2010 by politicsnpoetry  

Not a lot of people liking President O’s greenwashing of nukes.  This most excellent article in the Guardian dispels the myth that nukes are green. The argument that nuclear is “carbon-free” conveniently omits the entire process of mining uranium, which produces greenhouse gases, along with other pollutants. In Virginia, where a study [...] Read More From Politics'n'Poetry Click Here →

April Reign: Computer Tech Barbie – Pink Meets Tech

March 10, 2010 by April Reign  

Mashable has a great article on women/Barbie and tech. Mattel has introduced Computer Tech Barbie and some are upset that she has her usual pink accessories, but for women and girls who like pink or pretty does fashion preference automatically rule out career choice? This false dichotomy — that you have to choose between being feminine and “looking the part” of a mathematician or scientist — might be part of what turns girls off from math and science in the first place. Or maybe girls don’t aim for careers in math and science because they don’t see role models. Even Ada Lovelace had... Click Here

unrepentant old hippie: Dogs in slow motion

March 10, 2010 by jj  

Catching treats.  Cool ad for Pedigree: Read More From unrepentant old hippie Click Here →

unrepentant old hippie: Seeds of fear!!!

March 10, 2010 by jj  

We cover the waterfront today, folks.  From the government-mandated spreading of seed for survival to… Survival Seeds! YES: There is something you can do to prepare for the coming Apocalypse when Obama’s Secret Gestapo gets a lock on the food supply and redirects it to all the Elites and Insiders.  Plant a Crisis Garden for the low low price of $149 USD: “WorldNetDaily cites strong evidence that some government agencies are stockpiling huge amounts of canned food”… Well, say no more.  You can just bet that state-stockpiled Spork isn’t destined for any God-fearing,... Click Here

unrepentant old hippie: Nanny state conservative alert

March 9, 2010 by jj  

Oh god.  DJ caught one of our favourite soconuts getting weird again with a new plan to punish anyone who gets laid on even a semi-regular basis. An incessant advocate of Strong Government Presence in the bedroom, this time he’s proposing a “Sterility Tax” (500%!) on contraceptives.  The logic apparently goes that imposing punitive taxation on birth control, along with “procreation incentives” (like we don’t have those already, look at your tax return), would result in the production of great multitudes of anklebiters to fuel the work force and save the faltering... Click Here

Creekside: Driving under the influence of Helena Handbasket

March 9, 2010 by Alison  

Rahim Jaffer, ex-Reform/Alliance/Con MP, anti-drug crusader, hubby to federal Con cabinet minister Helena “hell hole” Guergis :Busted for driving at nearly twice the legal speed limit, cocaine possession, flunked the breathalyzer Drunk driving and cocaine charges reduced to “careless driving”.Sentence : $500 fine. Jaffer after sentencing: “I took full responsibility for my careless driving.” That is just so Con.. Read More From Creekside Click Here →

Politics'n'Poetry: A stream of nuke news

March 9, 2010 by politicsnpoetry  

Grab a coffee or tea.  Find a snack.  Lots of linky news today so this could take a while! First up:  A Calgary nuke company, Kirrin Resources, is not going to expand its exploration for uranium in Quebec.  That’s good news for Quebec’s citizens.  Not so good for Saskatchewan though.  A few days ago, the company [...] Read More From Politics'n'Poetry Click Here →

unrepentant old hippie: More weird things to do with trees

March 9, 2010 by jj  

Yes, hmm, well after this, why not? Not bad, but I think I would have made the hat a little more Devo-like.  Ha! Read More From unrepentant old hippie Click Here →

unrepentant old hippie: Spinning wingnuts

March 9, 2010 by jj  

It’s always a bummer to discover that a sparkly golden idol is made of crude and common brass (or in this case, tinfoil), but wingnuts are spinning themselves stupid over the Palin/Yukon health care story. They quickly went into astonished damage control mode and claimed that it was a non-story because the Yukon didn’t have “socialized medicine” at the time Palin’s family was availing themselves of it — a claim that is demonstrably false.   Hospital insurance with federal cost sharing (aka “government-subsidized health insurance”) came into effect... Click Here

Broadsides: Chick flick flack

March 9, 2010 by Antonia Zerbisias  

Yeah, I watched the Oscars last night, along with a million Tweeps who were firing off the cutting comments. Even I joined in on dissing the dresses. (Was Charlize Theron wearing grape-flavoured Cinnabons on her chest?) It’s a sexist thing to do, I admit. Was I thrilled that a woman, Kathryn Bigelow, was the first in 82 years to pick up Best Director and then, bonus, also Best Picture? Meh. Not really. That’s because, as… Read More From Broadsides Click Here →

Broadsides: Not-so-Happy International Women’s Day!

March 8, 2010 by Antonia Zerbisias  

There’s been plenty of emailing, tweeting, Facebook posting, blogging and more about International Women’s Day, now marking its 100th anniversary. No question women in the west have considerably advanced from being nothing more than chattel to citizens ostensibly enjoying equal rights. (Although, the fight really never ends.) But the human race and the planet would be far better off if women everywhere had access to reproductive choices and maternal healthcare, education and land and property… Read More From Broadsides Click Here →

Next Page »