Rose's Place

A slippery slope law that is a foot-in-the-door to restrict or re-criminalize abortion is scheduled for a Parliamentary vote in Canada on March 5 - the "Unborn Victims of Crime Act" (Bill C-484). If it passes - and there's a chance it might! - it will be the first ever law in Canada that recognizes fetuses as persons, by making them a separate homicide victim when a pregnant woman is murdered.Bill C-484 conflicts directly with:• our federal Criminal Code, which says a fetus does not become a person until it's born alive• our Constitution, which gives full rights and equality to women• our … [Read more...]

This is way overdue, but I've posted my notes from last Tuesday's Ethics Committee Hearing. Yeah, yeah, I know...NINE days late!Former Mulroney Chief of Staff Norman Spector presented himself to the Commons Ethics committee on February 5. I've annotated my notes and organized them into the following 5 sections:"Don't let this become Frank Magazine"What's a nice hack like you doing in a place like this?Brother, those ain't Girl Guides!Hey! You invited *me*!The return of Grumpy Old TilsonFormer Attorney General and Minister of Justice (1993-7) Allan Rock also presented himself to the Commons Ethics … [Read more...]

"And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." (Thanks, Prof. Tolkein)I hardly know where to start in my response to Lynne Cohen's article in the Citizen today, aptly titled "Some people deserve to die". I have rarely read an article I disagree with so thoroughly. So let me work my way through some of the highlights (or lowlights, if you prefer)For 13 years, I have been a true crime buff, reading some 35 books a year -- most of them American -- on a variety of terrifying factual situations, … [Read more...]

Our Big-Dumb-Parliament is poised to vote on an anti-choice private member's bill on March 5, 2008. The "Unborn Victims of Crime Act" (C-484) was first presented by Conservative MP Ken Epp (Edmonton Sherwood Park). Just where in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks did this come from? (Vancouver Sun):The sister of slain teacher Manjit Panghali is seeking support for proposed federal legislation that would make it an offence to harm or kill unborn babies during attacks on their mothers.Jasmin Bhambra wants people to sign a petition to Edmonton MP Ken Epp, who is advocating for the Unborn Victims of Crime … [Read more...]

Ok, that's a bit conceited, eh?What I meant was: I totally neglected my Schreiber and Mukasey 'live' blogging duties this week. I was very busy when the House of Commons Ethics committee reconvened this week and, before I knew it, I'd already missed an entire day's worth of Norman Spector and Allan Rock testimony. For shame.As luck would have it, CPAC is promising to re-air both its Feb 5 & 7 coverage on Sunday (12:30 PM and 2:30 PM EST). I will make an honest attempt to watch and je vais faire des notes. My apologies to the faithful readers who have come to my blog in search of those notes, … [Read more...]

Fightin' words from San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom (San Fran Chron):...just four years ago, current Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is said to have declined to have his picture taken in San Francisco with Newsom, who was then at the center of a national uproar over his decision to allow same-sex marriage in San Francisco."I gave a fundraiser, at his (Obama's) request at the Waterfront restaurant," said former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. "And he said to me, he would really appreciate it if he didn't get his photo taken with my mayor. He said he would really not like to have … [Read more...]

...and Kitty remembers why she stopped watching Meet the Press:Republican Mary Matalin, right; Democrat James Carville, left, MTP, Feb 3Mary is having a tough time these days. The former Cheney adviser and Republican 'strategist' has had a lotta bad luck, lately. Not "hey! I'm stuck in GTMO without access to a lawyer!" bad luck, but still: the woman's had better days.I think the last time I saw Mary, she was heading up the "I'm with Fred!" campaign. Yeah. Even Fred's not with Fred anymore...So what's going on in this picture? Matalin's listening to her husband, James Carville:MR. CARVILLE: … [Read more...]

I've been thinking a lot about the surreal Reagan necrophilia worship goin' on in the American GOP debates, lately. To wit: Wednesday night's debate at the Reagan library in Simi Valley, California. Here's CNN's Anderson Cooper, asking the final question of the evening:Would, and if so, why -- why would Ronald Reagan endorse you? Would Ronald Reagan endorse you? And if so, why?Governor Romney? ROMNEY: Absolutely. Ronald Reagan would look at the issues that are being debated right here and say, one, we're going to win in Iraq, and I'm not going to walk out of Iraq until we win in Iraq.Ronald Reagan … [Read more...]

It's Groundhog Day, mesdames et messieurs, and you know what that means: it's Birth Pangs' 1st birthday! Happy Birthday, sweetie dahlings. Let's all raise a glass and make a toast! 'Martini Time' courtesy of The Imaginative Universal … [Read more...]

In this article about the new movie Honeydipper, director John Sayles is quoted talking about one of the characters' motivations:It's not the club Tyrone is afraid of losing, because his wife makes more money mopping floors. It's the fear of losing the idea that he's his own boss, he's not asking to shine your shoes and he's somebody in the community.(Let me preface the following rant by saying that my problem here isn't really with Honeydipper or with Sayles -- I haven't seen the movie, or even heard all that much about it, and I don't have anything specific to hold against Sayles. But there's … [Read more...]

Good Gawd. ReWind.It and Mandos tell me that Harper is keeping the media from talking to the scientists who work at Environment Canada:Environment Canada has "muzzled" its scientists, ordering them to refer all media queries to Ottawa where communications officers will help them respond with "approved lines."The new policy, which went into force in recent weeks and sent a chill through the department research divisions, is designed to control the department's media message and ensure there are no "surprises" for Environment Minister John Baird and senior management when they open the newspaper … [Read more...]

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...]

"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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

sorry for the long absence. In the last few weeks I've been laid off and given into the forced holiday which coincided with the christmas holiday of family gatherings. (not my immediate family of course as they live in Nova Scotia) however, as part of my update I wish to proclaim my love for David Bowies album ""The Man Who sold the World" which has been my anthem since the group layoff at my previous place of employment two weeks ago. Why is it that companies see fit to lay people off two weeks before major holidays? As if the two weeks post are too much of a burden for them to bare. Well as we … [Read more...]