US Attorney Gen. Michael B. Mukasey is testified before the Sen. Judiciary Committee today. Both skdadl and I followed his testimony as closely as our c-span streaming abilities would allow. You can read our collective notes on the hearings here:Part IPart III will clean-up these notes later today, after I've rested my poor, tired fingers ;)A quick word about the hearings: Mukasey is a loathsome human bean. You don't have to read the entire testimony to be convinced--here's everything you need to know about Mukasey (where "WB" is waterboarding, "D" is Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and "M" is AG … [Read more...]
Hope and Onions: You can waterboard, but for the love of God, don’t "pick nits!"
January 30, 2008 By
Hope and Onions: ‘Steve’ or ‘CPCBashi?’
January 30, 2008 By
"I admit it, there are too many portraits, pictures and monuments. I don't find any pleasure in it, but the people demand it because of their mentality."--Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenbashi (leader of Turkmens)CBS News' Bob Simon, 60 Minutes, Jan 4, 2004:If you think Saddam Hussein was fond of himself, just visit Turkmenbashi's country. There's a poster or a statue of him in nearly every public space.When Soviet rule collapsed in 1991, Turkmenistan was left on its own, with no real government, and no national identity. Turkmenbashi filled that void. He built a nation and a culture based on him.The … [Read more...]
Hope and Onions: Celebrating 20 years: "I am mine. And that’s where it ends"
January 29, 2008 By
The word "debate" keeps coming up: debate? What debate? The "debate" over whether women have the right to self-ownership (makes me sick just to type that) ended on January 28, 1988...I am mine. And that's where it ends.---JJ, aka "Unrepentant Old Hippie," on the 20th anniversary of R. v MorgentalerI couldn't have said it better, myself. As many of you know, Monday marked the 20th anniversary of R. v. Morgentaler, a decision that left our country without a single law regulating abortion. Seriously! Not a one. This actually makes us sumpin' special, as fern hill , Kuri, Chet and others pointed … [Read more...]
Ranty McRanterson: ah music.
January 28, 2008 By
Hey all! sorry I haven't blogging my usual fem issues, but I'm going through a whole bunch of career changes. So in my spare time, I listen to music and I make music. So please check out my band Psychic Hotline at www.myspace.com/psychichotlinebandAlso! god I can't stop listening to the old blood brothers records. People always get all superior with me and tell me that they were just a trendy band... but you know what fuck them!!! cause everythign before their last record and the break up was phenomenal. And you now what?!!!!!! I love loud fucking crazy music thats melodic and heavy at the same … [Read more...]
Whileaway North: Choice
January 28, 2008 By
Today is the 20th anniversary of the Morgentaler decision -- the Supreme Court Case that legalized abortion across Canada.We Canadian pro-choicers are proud that abortion is and continues to be legal in this country, and that there's no really credible political movement to ban it. But it isn't enough.The availability of abortion continues to be a problem. If you're a woman living anywhere other than Canada's major cities, you're not going to be able to find someone in your hometown who will perform abortions. It doesn't matter if abortion is legal if you can't get one when you need one.I don't … [Read more...]
Hope and Onions: Harper won’t kiss the talking frog
January 27, 2008 By
In the Spring of 2004 (April Fools' Day!), former PM Paul Martin created the 'Office of the National Science Advisor' (ONSA). In the Spring of 2007 (again, April Fools'!), our "New" PM will officially shutter the ONSA (CBC). The first & last occupant of the position was esteemed chemist and former head of the National Research Council, Dr. Arthur Carty. Carty's original mandate, circa 2004 (in his own words):The principal element of the NSA's mandate will be to provide sound, unbiased, non-partisan advice on (science and technology) to the Prime Minister in the context of Canada's goal to … [Read more...]
Hope and Onions: Hold onto your pearls, daaaaahlink: The F-word nominations are open!
January 25, 2008 By
If you haven't visited Pale & Prole's wicked-kewl new Awards site, you really gotta go. Go now! Nominate your favourite Canadian feminist bloggers. Need somewhere to start? Checkout my blogroll--loads of good'uns there. Personally, I've been on a wild, nominatin' free-for-all! I've spent the last couple of hours (yes, hours *blush*) combing through my Blogroll to select my favourite feminazis...and those who love them. Some of you were out there bright 'n early, so if I didn't nominate you, I swear it was only 'cause someone else beat me to it ;) BTW, "Support Bro" has gotta be the bestest … [Read more...]
Whileaway North: Hide your primary colours! The girls are coming!
January 20, 2008 By
I'm sure I've ranted about this before, but you'll have to indulge me. There is nothing that sets me off quite so much as the proliferation of pinkification.Pinkification is when toy companies take something that was perfectly good and gender-neutral, and create a pink version "just for girls".We've seen it with Lego (you'll note this is the "girls" category. There is no "boys" category -- the other categories are things like "action figures" and "robotics"). We've seen it with games, like Monopoly and Jenga.And now, Fisher-Price is making pink versions of... well, see for yourself.What's most … [Read more...]
