Rose's Place

A while back, I posted a poem written by Drew Dillinger. It begins:it's 3:23 in the morningand I'm awakebecause my great great grandchildrenwon't let me sleepmy great great grandchildrenask me in dreamswhat did you do while the planet was plundered?what did you do when the earth was unraveling? Words have power. And these are powerful words.I am not the only one who think so. Recently a congresswoman quoted the poem during Congressional hearings on climate change legislation. DellingerPoem_Congress from drew dellinger on Vimeo.Red Jenny Home … [Read more...]

Enjoy! … [Read more...]

‘Iraqi militias have deployed an unprecedented form of torture against homosexuals by using a very strong glue that will close their anus.’ According to her, the new substance ‘is known as the American hum, which is an Iranian-manufactured glue that if applied to the skin, sticks to it and can only be removed by surgery. After they glue the anuses of homosexuals, they give them a drink that causes diarrhea. Since the anus is closed, the diarrhea causes death. Videos of this form of torture are being distributed on mobile cellphones in Iraq.’ … … [Read more...]

One of the fundamental human requirements is shelter. How do homeless people survive? Where do they sleep? On friends and family's couches and floors (if they are lucky), at shelters, in churches, in parks, on sidewalk grates, in abandoned buildings, in doorways, under bridges, in cars, or wherever else they can. And of course, they sleep in tents. The burgeoning tent cities in the U.S. have finally made the national awareness. Interestingly, it seems as though the media is only interested in the newly homeless, those middle class folks who lost their homes because of the economic collapse. In … [Read more...]

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Last week I got together with a childhood friend to catch up on each other’s lives. Inevitably, as we always do, we compared our childhood memories from the several years we spent together in competitive gymnastics, back in the days when we could be found in the gym up to five times a week for around 18-25 hours of practice. My friend, who was always much more supple than I could ever hope to be, is now a fantastic yoga instructor and massage therapist. Her years in gymnastics have given her some valuable insight into the different kinds of pain the body should and shouldn’t endure, … [Read more...]

After having directed all of my brain energy into my end-of-term papers, I feel like I should have something to say about something here, but I seem to have lost track of all those random things I said I would write about, at some abstract future point and never bothered noting. First of all, though, general thanks to the Creative Revolution types for the existence of the Canadian F-Word blog awards, and particular thanks to Mr. matttbastard for nominating me even if I never say much at all, let alone anything of relevance. There be lots of good readings over there, anyway. The one thing I do recall … [Read more...]

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This is an interesting article, especially for me, with my interest in indigenous precolumbian agriculture in the Americas.Three thousand eight hundred years ago, long before U.S. plains rippled with vast rows of corn, Native Americans planted farms with hardy "pioneer" crops, according to new evidence of the first farming in eastern North America.Because the area appears to have been well stocked with wild food sources, the discovery may rewrite some beliefs about what led people to start farming on the continent, scientists say.Rather than turning to farming as a matter of survival, the so-called … [Read more...]

The first time I saw a Heidi Taillefer painting was in Montreal. The Yves Laroche Gallery had her work in its front show room and I couldn't take my eyes off it. Her detail, design and mechanical subject took my breath away. Ms. Taillefer muses in her blog: Maybe art is soul, and to say it has no purpose in the world would be like saying the physical body has no purpose if the spirit exists. Art seems to carry us along the drama of life, providing meaning to our existence as it acts as the channel through which the soul can pass into this dimension, a dimension we can perceive and understand. We … [Read more...]

"Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, whose critical writings on the ambiguities of sexual identity in fiction helped create the discipline known as queer studies, died on Sunday in Manhattan. She was 58." … [Read more...]

Thanks to MS for the introduction to Antony & the Johnsons. This video is just a beautiful celebration. From the website:Antony asked his friends the Wachowski Brothers to work with him on a video for his new single "Epilepsy is Dancing". They in turn invited painters Tino Rodriguez and Virgo Paraiso to create costumes and a mystical environment and choreographer Sean Dorsey and his dancers to bring the dream sequence to life. Antony's artistic partner Johanna Constantine stars as herself in the role of "Deer Monster". The video was lit and shot by the up-and-coming directors of photography, … [Read more...]

Gosh! Lilith Attack was nominated for The Candian F-Word Blog Awards, Best Feminist Blog - Oh! Canada! English! Thank you!!! … [Read more...]

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I just got this e-mail! Yay Antigone Magazine: Just in case you didn’t know, you’ve been nominated for Best Feminist Blog – Oh! Canada! English in the 2009 Canadian F-word Awards! First round voting is April 11 – 14 (extended!). One vote per IP addy, please. What does being nominated for an F-word Award mean, besides glamour, prestige, and a pretty badge to display on your blog? In the big scheme of things, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! More acutely though, it means that someone who is aware of the awards likes your blog enough to nominate it in our anti-sexist snark festival. … [Read more...]

***We are recruiting a diverse group of students from all walks of life at UBC*** The Centre for Teaching and Academic Growth at UBC announces a new project: TAG LIVING LAB — Walking the talk for educational equity Be a part of: -Improving educational equity at UBC -Finding solutions to challenging classroom situations -Creating awareness about real student experiences Participants in the Living Lab Troupe will: -commit 3 hours per week, September-March, plus 3-5 performances -engage in a collaborative process with a diverse group of students to devise interactive theatre sketches … [Read more...]

P’n'P scored a nomination in F Words 2009 You can catch see all the nominations at  A Creative Revolution Vote early; vote often! … [Read more...]

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haha! I wanna be a janitor. By Matt BorsRed Jenny Home … [Read more...]

Two ultra-Orthodox Jewish newspapers have altered a photo of Israel's new cabinet, removing two female ministers. Via BBC News … [Read more...]