test blog #10

Working my way backwards, this the second of four talks I attended that I'll be reporting on. * * * * The most important internationalist event in decades In November, I heard Nikos Loudos of the Socialist Workers Party in Greece (by Skype) and Canadian activist and organizer Carolyn Egan speak about the recent general strike in Europe , and the fight against austerity at home and abroad. It was after 1:00 a.m. in Greece, but Nikos was full of energy. He reminded us, "I cannot complain, there are people who have bigger problems". In Brussels, the Eurogroup was staying up all night discussing "the Greek problem". Greece was supposed to get $30 billion in aid - "which all goes to the bankers," Nikos reminded us - but the money was still not forthcoming, because Germany, the Eurogroup, and the IMF were not able to come to terms. These problems from the other side, the ruling class, are behind the general strike of November 14, which Nikos called "the...

Apparently this is not a story from The Onion. From Reproductive Health Reality Check : There is a branch of anti-choice activists that will use pretty much anything as a medium for their message : newspaper ads, graphic signs displayed in front of schools, bus stop benches. You would think they would know well enough to leave one place untouched, though. Wire coat hangers. You would be wrong. Springdale Drycleaners of Cincinnati, Ohio, has been etching "Choose Life" ads on wire coat hangers used to hang dry-cleaning. What's worse is that this seems to be an ongoing effort. Reports of the "choose life" coat hangers already were on the internet back in March of 2011, when Joe.My.God posted a picture of the hanger then. And before that on Regretsy in 2010. So despite over two years of attention, the business continues to think this is an excellent cross-advertising campaign. In fact, the practice was losing them customers as far back as August of 2010, but still t...

Join the biggest human rights event of the year. Write a letter. Save a life. Write For Rights FAQ People you can write for. Don't: - be intimidated by the numbers of cases. - be overwhelmed, thinking you have to write 10 or 20 letters. - be cynical, thinking a letter does nothing. - be too busy. You can find 15 minutes. Do: - resolve to write one letter, or maybe two. - plan a time to write, today or tomorrow. - pick a case that resonates with you. - know that public pressure helps - that's why Amnesty has developed this program. - offer someone comfort to someone in extremely difficult circumstances. Show them that they have not been forgotten. Write a letter. Save a life.

Today, International Human Rights Day , marks ten years since Mohamed Harkat was arrested under a so-called Security Certificate. Security Certificates allow for arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonments outside the rule of law . Those people caught in the Security Certificate trap can be detained for indefinite periods of time, including years in solitary confinement (an internationally recognized form of torture), without being charged or granted access to the information used against them. They can be deported to face imprisonment, torture or death after being labelled terrorists. In other words, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms doesn't apply to them. Right now, three Canadians originally detained under Security Certificates have been released under the strictest bail conditions in Canadian history. They wear GPS tracking devices, they must ask for permission to visit family or friends outside their city of residence, they cannot use telephones or computers. They were ...

Tragic. Criminal. Completely unnecessary. The alpha female known as 832F is dead. She was murdered. Yellowstone National Park’s best-known wolf, beloved by many tourists and valued by scientists who tracked its movements, was shot and killed on Thursday outside the park’s boundaries, Wyoming wildlife officials reported. The wolf, known as 832F to researchers, was the alpha female of the park’s highly visible Lamar Canyon pack and had become so well known that some wildlife watchers referred to her as a “rock star.” The animal had been a tourist favorite for most of the past six years. The wolf was fitted with a $4,000 collar with GPS tracking technology, which is being returned, said Daniel Stahler, a project director for Yellowstone’s wolf program. Based on data from the wolf’s collar, researchers knew that her pack rarely ventured outside the park, and then only for brief periods, Dr. Stahler said. This year’s hunting season in the northern Rockies has been especially controversial ...

Something else I resumed after quitting my crappy day-job: attending events with friends, or, socializing through activism. Few things make me happier. I have four events to blog about. * * * * Last Friday night at Innis Hall, the War Resisters Support Campaign put on "Telling Our Story: A Fundraiser for U.S. War Resisters and Their Ongoing Struggle". The evening began with songs of hope and struggle sung by Common Thread Chorus . Common Thread's music is beautiful, but their orientation to the world is what's really impressive. They sing songs of peace, social justice, and struggle, and are committed to full accessibility - to breaking down barriers of participation. I recommend reading their inspiring history . * * * * Next, Canadian author Noah Richler spoke strongly and unequivocally against the dangers of the current political regime in Canada. That US war resisters must even make this fight to stay in Canada is, he said, nonsensical and shameful, as the war res...

This is my first unhappy "things i heard at the library" post. Today I saw a child being abused. It happened so fast, it was over and the parent gone before I had could clearly register what had happened. I was sitting on the edge of our lighthouse, the play space in the centre of our children's library, collecting books left inside. A child was crying. He couldn't have been more than three years old. His mother was yelling at him in a language I don't understand. She grabbed his arm roughly, jerking him backwards. His head hit the lighthouse, right next to me. Then she yanked him up by the arm, hit him once, then quickly dragged him out of the room, still screaming. When they were gone, two other children in the area started to cry. I went to my manager to tell her what I saw. We talked about it, talked about the limits of what we can do. If the woman had remained in the library, I might have been able to say something, we might have been able to intervene and le...