test blog #10

Do not read stories about abused animals at work. Jasmine has come far, but she still has many fears. Around people she almost always walks with her head and tail down. She won't let anyone approach her from behind, and she spends most of the day in her pen, sitting quietly, the open door yawning before her. Stirling works with her endlessly. "I feel like what I do for her is so little compared with what she does for me," she says, welling up. . . . . "I used to think any dog could be rehabbed if you gave it food, exercise and love," she says, "but I know now it's not totally true. Jasmine's happy, but she'll never be like other dogs." That was our Buster . My older post about this is here .

As I mentioned , I'm finally reading Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine . It's an excellent and important book, and my glacial reading pace is in no way attributable to Klein's writing, which is always lively and very accessible. I'm learning a lot, especially about events that happened during my lifetime but of which I was only dimly aware, or aware of only through mainstream reports. I'm finding it enormously depressing. I'm sure it isn't Klein's intentions to make her readers feel there is no hope of the majority of the world's peoples achieving real economic justice. But reading this book is making me feel hopeless and helpless. Learning how the most successful people's movements of our lifetimes were hijacked by the hypercapitalist freemarketeers is just crushing. I especially felt this when reading about South Africa. Divestment from the apartheid regime in South Africa was the burning issue on US college (university) campuses when I was...

Check out Chris Jordan Photographic Arts . From "Running the Numbers - An American Self-Portrait": Running the Numbers looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. My hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone, such as we find daily in articles and books. Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with and make meaning of 3.6 million SUV sales in one year, for example, or 2.3 million Americans in prison, or 32,000 breast augmentation surgeries in the U.S. every month. This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Employing themes such as t...

This week, when Johanna Sigurdardottir is sworn in as Prime Minister of Iceland, she will become the world's first openly gay national leader . According to this Independent (UK) story, Sigurdardottir has been one of the top politicians in small, "calmly progressive" Iceland for a long time. She is also a former flight attendant. Nice! Thanks to James for sending.

From letters to the Midland Mirror : Sadly, this month, mercy is not reflected in the policies of our government. For three weeks in December and January, the people of Gaza were pounded by Israeli air strikes and a ground invasion. Over 1,200 people were killed and thousands injured. Canada justifies this attack as Israeli self-defence. Time was when Canada took on the cause of the underdog. Time was when Canada stood with the nations of the world to advance human rights and a decent standard of living for all. And then there's the case of the war resisters. This month, four young men and one woman who sought sanctuary in Canada rather than serve with U.S. forces in Iraq have been ordered back to their country, where they face possible jail time. A majority of MPs in the Commons last June voted that they should be allowed to stay. The present administration continues to deport them. Why? Finally, to Guantanamo, where a young Canadian has been detained without trial for six-and-a-h...

Many progressive Canadians are contrasting with rueful irony the spectacle of a Democrat in the White House with a mandate for change while a Conservative runs the Canadian Parliament with his Liberal house slaves. It's easy to contrast the two, but the irony doesn't hold up when you remember that US Democrats, in Canadian terms, are Conservatives . Some might be Liberals, but they'd be Ignatieff Liberals. That is, de facto Conservatives. A few individual Democrats would be comfortable in the NDP, but they have no power or influence within their party. So in general I find these comparisons convenient rhetoric, but misinformed. However, there is one direct comparison that works right now: gender pay equity. Equal pay for women, and what women can do about it if they are the targets of discrimination. Under the disastrous Conservative economic statement of last November, women would have no longer been able to file pay equity complaints with the Canadian Human Rights Commiss...

Another Redsock guest post - L It's Tala Day! Tala has been the most entertaining member of our family for two years. Here are some pictures, chronological for the most part. The first photo is the one that started it all. About a year after we lost Buster, we decided we were ready to adopt another dog. At work, we would each look at dogs for adoption on Petfinder and email pictures to each other. But because we knew we were moving, we decided to hold off for a few months. ... But Laura kept looking. One day she emailed me a link; subject line: "Where is Churchville, New York?" I took one look and replied: "I don't know, but that's where we're going!" Here are the pictures that stole our hearts. Churchville turned out to be near Rochester, in Western New York - and we were going to be passing by on our US Thanksgiving road trip. We brought her a Maple Leaf bandana as a present. [ L Update: these pics were taken at Husky Savers , the amazing Husky Re...

Here are some excerpts from the Noam Chomsky's excellent article on Gaza, "Exterminate all the Brutes". There's much more than this; I hope you'll take the time to read the whole piece. On Saturday December 27, the latest US-Israeli attack on helpless Palestinians was launched. The attack had been meticulously planned, for over 6 months according to the Israeli press. The planning had two components: military and propaganda. It was based on the lessons of Israel's 2006 invasion of Lebanon, which was considered to be poorly planned and badly advertised. We may, therefore, be fairly confident that most of what has been done and said was pre-planned and intended. That surely includes the timing of the assault: shortly before noon, when children were returning from school and crowds were milling in the streets of densely populated Gaza City. It took only a few minutes to kill over 225 people and wound 700, an auspicious opening to the mass slaughter of defenseles...

On the day after the Harper Government survives and the NDP-Liberal coalition is officially declared dead, what gets the most real estate on the front page of the Globe and Mail , the self-proclaimed "Canada's National Newspaper"? Harper? Ignatieff? Budget? Bzzzzt. Obama. And what is Obama doing? Walking in the cold! Yes, it's true! He walks in the cold, and he doesn't complain! And do you know why? He's from Chicago! Yes, it's true! Wait, there's more! When Obama comes to Ottawa on February 19, he will be unfazed by the cold! Because he's from Chicago! Wow! What a story! Thanks, Globe and Mail!

Daily Dose of Imagery captures a vigil in support of Tamil people terrorized and massacred by the Sri Lankan government.

War resister Cliff Cornell got a brief extension on his removal date. I knew about this, but wasn't sure if it was public until last night's Campaign meeting. Cliff has given up his fight to stay in Canada, and resigned himself to leaving next week. I can understand that. But we don't have to give up fighting for him. Please - today, tomorrow, and Monday - call and email Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and your own MP. The Right Hon. Stephen Harper 613.992.4211 pm@pm.gc.ca Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney 613.954.1064 (Ministry office) or 613.992.2235 (Parliamentary Office) minister@cic.gc.ca or Kenney.j@parl.gc.ca Please cc the opposition party critics if you email Jason Kenney, and please note the new Liberal critic: Liberal immigration critic Maurizio Bevilacqua: bevilacqua.m@parl.gc.ca NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow: chow.o@parl.gc.ca Bloc Québécois immigration critic Thierry St-Cyr: st-cyr.t@parl.gc.ca Cliff...

In case you haven't seen it, I highly recommend reading Noam Chomsky's lengthy piece on Gaza: "Exterminate all the Brutes" . When I want to read an article of this length, I generally print it. (I save the paper for lists and memos.) Reading on paper helps me focus without the temptation to click and move on. I printed this last week and finally found the time to read it today. So now I join the chorus of people saying that if you read one piece on Gaza, make it this one. Chomsky is completely reliable, impeccably informed, and gives the full just, humanitarian perspective without resorting to overheated rhetoric. I hope US readers are looking beyond CNN and the New York Times for their news on the crisis in Gaza. On this issue, it's particularly necessary. Noam Chomsky: Exterminate all the Brutes.

I wanted to do a round-up of progressive bloggers on this latest Liberal capitulation, but I don't have the time. Fortunately, Allan does. Here's another Redsock guest post to help keep us informed. Thanks to Accidental Deliberations for doing this first. - L From various progressive blogs: Disaffected Lib : Puffing himself up as perhaps no one else can, Iggy said, "We are putting this government on probation." Gee, Mike, I thought a minority government with an unruly opposition was always on probation. Was I missing something? ... Let's get this straight. The interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, our nation's Official Opposition, is content to allow Canada in the face of this fiscal emergency to wallow haplessly under the weight of Harper's visionless bailout budget. ... If you support this budget, Mikey, you're saying "okay" to everything that's in it - and that's anything but okay to me. To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak ...

Shorter Ignatieff: The budget is very bad, it's very bad, it's kind of bad, it's bad. But... it's not so bad. I'm going to live with it anyway. * * * * These goddamn Liberals. They get to act tough, showcase Ignatieff's tough-talking leadership, and then defeat the Government and have an election when they're good and ready, and when they feel Canadians are amenable to it. And we're stuck with this bullshit Government and their unfocused, grab-bag budget that does more for wealthy folks remodelling their kitchens than working people thrown out of work and barely hanging on. It's no big surprise, we knew Ignatieff wasn't really into the coalition, but it still sucks.

It was too cold in Ottawa yesterday for the traditional 21-gun salute to mark the Opening of Parliament. But that didn't stop Iraq War resisters and their supporters from bringing their message to Stephen Harper and all the returning Members of Parliament.

YES! Dean Walcott got a stay! Our goddess Alyssa Manning still undefeated in federal court! Hallefuckingluyah!

You may remember an old wmtc post about BAD RAP , or perhaps you've seen the badge on my sidebar. BAD RAP is an extraordinary animal rescue, rehabilitation and education organization focusing on the American Pit Bull Terrier, or as we call them, Bully Boys. There is a very special place in my heart for BAD RAP and the work they do. Our Buster, whose picture is my Flickr icon , was an abused and abandoned pit-mix. We found him on the street, near death. It's likely he was either trained to fight or used as a "bait dog" for other dogs to attack. Our six years with Buster were nothing less than an odyssey. I liken it to having a child with a disability: our lives revolved around him. And through Buster, I found BAD RAP. Two years ago, BAD RAP was involved in rescuing and rehabilitating the "Vick Dogs" - the survivors of the torture chamber owned and operated by NFL player Michael Vick. I've just discovered that the incredible and heroic story was a Sports ...

I don't know if any of you are Woody Allen fans, but Allan and I see each new movie of his without fail. Once out of the tabloid headlines, Woody Allen has continued to quietly make great little movies. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is no exception. It's about love and desire, passion versus stability, and the longings that drive our dissatisfaction. In other words, the human condition. For me this movie had a few extra attractions. It's set against a backdrop of Barcelona, a place I haven't been and very much want to go, high on my list right now. And there's a special nod for us polyamorous and bisexual folks, as the healthiest, most stable and productive relationship in the movie is also the least conventional. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is not a departure for Woody Allen; it's typical Woody fare. The casting, writing and direction are all perfect. I'm really amazed how he can keep creating these wonderful little movies, somehow complete...

This appeared in the Hill Times this morning , a full page ad on the back page, greeting all the returning MPs. Pdf - please click! You can see the full list of signatories here .

Here's an excellent article from the Truro (Nova Scotia) Daily News , about a Vietnam War resister, now a Canadian, and his strong support for the Iraq War resisters in Canada. We frequently hear that Vietnam War resisters were different. Supposedly, the Vietnam resisters deserved to stay in Canada, because they were conscripts, i.e., they were drafted. In reality, many of the Vietnam-era war resisters did volunteer for military service. When they saw the reality of the war, and realized it was illegal, immoral and futile, they deserted. And many of those deserters came to Canada. They were let in, and allowed to stay. LET THEM STAY Dick Cotterill didn't want to fight in the Viet Nam war so he came north, as have a handful of deserters from the war in Iraq Instead of deporting American military deserters, Canada should be welcoming them as potential immigrants, believes a former U.S. Marine, who himself deserted here during the Viet Nam war. "I have a lot of respect for th...

January 26 has finally arrived. On that awful day when the Governor General allowed Stephen Harper to suspend democracy to avoid a no-confidence vote, January 26 seemed so far away. Our hopes had been raised so high, thinking we'd have a new government, then crushed. Now here we are - minus two war resisters - on January 26. For non-Canadian readers, today is the Throne Speech , the day the Government, through the Governor General, outlines its goals and how it plans to accomplish them. Coming after the unprecedented events of last November and December, this must be the most anticipated Throne Speech in Canada in a very, very long time. Tomorrow, Harper brings his budget to Parliament. After that, we hold our breath. Either the Government will fall and the Liberals and NDP will form a coalition government, or the Government will survive. It's theoretically possible an election will be called, but no one expects that. Most insider-politics people believe the Harper Government w...

From our community meeting in Parkdale last week.

People all over Canada helped make Let Them Stay Week a tremendous success. The offices of Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney were flooded with phone calls, from both Canadians and USians. Hundreds of people wrote to their Members of Parliament. Letters denouncing the deportations and supporting war resisters appeared in newspapers from coast to coast to coast. In towns and cities all over Canada, people circulated petitions, handed out leaflets, held vigils and rallies, and gathered in public meetings to support the war resisters. In many towns, people met with their MPs to discuss the issue. The list of events on the War Resisters Support Campaign website is only a very partial listing of all the events and activities that took place. And we're not finished yet. Tomorrow, when the MPs return to Parliament, they'll be greeted by a full-page ad in the Hill Times , the newspaper they all see daily, signed by many prominent Canadians in support of allowing war resisters to stay i...

Editorial in today's Toronto Star : To U.S. President Barack Obama, the invasion of Iraq was "a dumb war" and "a rash war." Despite George Bush's claim, Saddam Hussein didn't have weapons of mass destruction. And now that he is president, Obama plans to get most American troops out, as fast as he can. This recalibration of U.S. policy offers Prime Minister Stephen Harper a chance to adopt a more humane approach to the 200 or so American war resisters who have sought refuge in Canada. Now they face deportation and prison. One resister, Robin Long, already has been deported, and got a 15-month jail term. The U.S. military regards resisters as deserters because they voluntarily signed up to serve but then fled. A handful more have been ordered out of Canada, including Chris Teske, who planned to leave Friday, Cliff Cornell and Kimberly Rivera, a mother of three. Others still have their cases pending before the immigration and refugee board. But Immigration...

Joy of Sox , the excellent blog written by my partner, Allan, is a finalist in the 2009 Bloggies. We didn't even know he was nominated! These awards are quite extensive, and there are only five finalists, so he's pretty pleased. If you want to vote for Joy of Sox, or any of the Bloggies finalists, here's what you do: Click here. Scroll to the right to find the sports category. Neat horizontal scrolling! Click the circle next to Joy of Sox. Then scroll all the way to the right, type the word verification and your email address, and click "submit". You'll receive an email. Click on the link to validate, and you've voted. It's a bit of a complicated procedure, but it really goes very quickly. Thanks for voting!

Vancouver Sun : A U.S. army deserter living on Gabriola Island has abandoned his fight to stay in Canada. Cliff Cornell lost his bid to quash a deportation order in federal court in Vancouver last week, and friends says he is now packing his belongings and preparing to return to the U.S., where he could face imprisonment. Cornell is said to be too distraught to talk to the media about his ordeal. "He told me he doesn't want to do any more interviews at this point," said Steve Watters, a former draft dodger and Canadian resident since the 1960s. He is acting as a spokesman for Cornell. "He's in a more sombre mood, I guess you would say." Watters said the Arkansas man plans to turn himself in to the U.S. government. "He doesn't want to seek refugee status, he doesn't want to run, he doesn't want to hide." Cornell grew up in Mountain Home, Ark.. In 2002, after leaving high school and with few employment prospects in sight, he accepted a $5...

Please spread far and wide.

Yesterday I was thrilled to see that President Obama lifted the much-hated "global gag rule" on family-planning organizations. Originally instituted by Reagan in 1984, formerly known in the movement as the "Mexico City Decision," the gag rule has been the scourge of reproductive rights and population control from Reagan to Bush I, with a break during the Clinton years, then again for the past eight years. The law denied funds from the US Agency for International Development to any organization that even mentioned abortion. That is sometimes referred to as "organizations that provide or promote" abortion, but "promote" meant even communicating to women that abortion was an option. It was a horrible law that caused much pain and suffering throughout the world, suffering most of us never saw or knew about. Its demise is very welcome news. This was the latest of Obama's immediate steps after taking office. As you know, he signed an order to clos...

Thank every god and goddess you can think of. Kimberly Rivera and her family have been granted a stay of deportation. The stay is a little strange. When Kim first learned her deportation date, she asked for a deferral, and that request was denied by the Immigration official. Now the Federal Court may want to hear an appeal of that decision not to defer, because it did not take into account the needs of the Rivera children. While it considers whether to hear that appeal, the Riveras will be allowed to remain in Canada. However, the Court did not indicate whether it will hear Kim's appeal of the negative decisions on her Humanitarian and Compassionate application. We await further news on this. Today's decision is very welcome, especially after what happened to Cliff Cornell and Chris Teske this week. But the danger of deportation still hangs over Kim, over the Hart family, and over Dean Walcott. Thank you to everyone who has sent emails, made phone calls, and otherwise put pres...

I want to share with you something from the event we attended last week in Parkdale, a Toronto neighbourhood where many US war resisters live - Kim Rivera and her family, Dean Walcott, Ryan and Jennifer Johnson, Dale Landry, Steve Yoczik, and before he moved away, Corey Glass, and others. It's a very diverse, working-class neighbourhood, full of immigrants, many of them refugees. The event was held at a community centre; many of Kim's mom-friends from her children's school and health centre attended with their kids. The evening began with a Maya healing and prayer ceremony, conducted by a Parkdale resident in her native Spanish, with another friend translating. That set the tone of hope and peace, and also urgency. Speakers included Geraldine Sadaway, a lawyer from Parkdale Legal Community Services , whose help has been so vital to the resisters and the campaign; actor and playwright Steven Bush, a Vietnam-era resister; City Councillor Gord Perks ; a woman from Oakville who...

Tonight, Friday, January 23, 7:30 sharp Immigration Minister Jason Kenney will be at a Chinese New Year event at the Rogers Centre (i.e., Skydome). We will be there to greet him. Meet promptly at 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Blue Jay's Way (south end of Peter Street) and Front Street. As Minister Kenney and Stephen Harper prepare to deport five US Iraq war resisters and their families, we will be present to remind the Minister that he must implement the June 2008 motion to let them stay, and stop the deportations of our US Iraq war resisters. If you can, wear red for luck and in celebration of peace and prosperity for Chinese New Year and the Year of Ox. If you can do more, join folks at the War Resisters Support Campaign office, in the Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil Street, at 6:00 p.m. to make posters, placards and signs.

From the Vancouver Province : U.S. army deserter Chris Teske is expected to surrender to U.S. authorities at the Rossland border crossing today after losing a Federal Court appeal to stay in Canada. "I'm completely shocked that this is happening," he said from his Castlegar home at a news conference held by supporters in Vancouver yesterday. "I hope everything goes well when I cross the border tomorrow." Speakers, including B.C. MPs Bill Siksay and Libby Davies, urged the Canadian government to grant Teske and seven other known U.S. deserters refugee status to remain in Canada. Among them is Ryan Reed, 23, an infantryman who deserted and entered Canada by walking over the border near a Lyndon casino last August and has filed a refugee claim to stay in Canada, a process that typically takes a year or more. His wife and 19-month-old son joined him later in Vancouver after filing their refugee claims at the border. Reed, who said he joined the army at age 20 in Ohi...

By all reports, yesterday's national phone-in day was a huge success, fueled, no doubt, by anger at the deportations of war resisters Cliff Cornell and Chris Teske. We've heard that people in Stephen Harper's office told a caller "we're being bombarded with phone calls today" in support of Iraq war resisters. This is the kind of bombardment we can get behind. If you forgot to call or didn't have the time, it's not too late. Call today! Click here for all the contact info . Today, we are taking a different approach. Members of Parliament are in their constituency offices on Fridays: let yours know how you feel about this issue. Call, or if you have time, drop by the office. It doesn't matter what party your MP is from, or how you vote. If you believe that Canada should allow people who refuse to participate in immoral, unjust and illegal wars and occupations to come here and live here legally - if you believe Canada can be and is a refuge from mili...

In today's Toronto Star , there are six letters in support of US war resisters in Canada - and none against. Thank you to each and every one of you who wrote a letter in support. Whether or not it was published, it made a difference, because the more letters the paper receives, the greater their obligation to print some. Deporting war resisters un-Canadian Re:War resister ordered out, Jan. 8 Parliament votes to let American war resisters stay, yet Stephen Harper is expected to force more to go back to the U.S. this week and next. Even the Americans have realized the war in Iraq is wrong. Why do we still follow the Bush/Cheney lead? As an ex-American who came as a Vietnam War resister, I am appalled at what we have become. Mary T. Hynes, Toronto I protest the government's deportations of the U.S. war resisters who have sought sanctuary in Canada. These actions are against the will of Canadians for several reasons: Canada has always provided refuge for war resisters; the Canadia...

In 2002, in New York City, I joined a network of activists and volunteers called The Haven Coalition. I worked with Haven in some capacity until a few months before we moved to Canada. My work with The Haven Coalition was by far the most challenging, exciting, exhausting, and rewarding activism I have ever done. For me it was the culmination of 25 years in the pro-choice movement. What did The Haven Coalition do? We helped women who were forced to travel to New York City for second trimester abortions. At Deliberate Life , I saw a post referring to my Haven work, and my work with the War Resisters Support Campaign. Although the blogger disagrees strongly with me about second-trimester abortion, she wrote a thoughtful post, coming from a place of compassion, which I appreciate. Her post brought back a lot of memories, and it reminded me of the common threads I see in these two very different issues. I often refer to The Haven Coalition on this blog, but I thought I would use Blog For C...