Topics

1

Weather / April is the cruellest month

« on: April 01, 2012, 02:25:28 PM »

Windy as all hell out here on the Prairies.  But warm enough.  Can't get over the growth in my garden.

Welcome, April!

2

Weather / Oktoberfest ist Vunderbar! Yah, yah, yah!

« on: October 01, 2011, 01:28:58 AM »

I can't believe I got to do this!

3

Weather / February: passing the time until March

« on: February 01, 2011, 01:26:44 PM »

Can't believe no one's started a February thread already!

The topic is a bastardization of a quote by Dr. J. R. Stockton, whomever the hell he may be!     

"February is merely as long as is    needed to pass the time until March."
   

Anywho, it's cold outside, baby!  -28 with a wind blowing in from the SSE which, in summer would be glorious but, in winter, is just plain nasty!  Makes it feel like -37.  Needless to say, I'm inbound today.[/font]
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4

Work, Employment, Money / SGEU Employees Harassed by Management

« on: January 26, 2011, 11:39:50 PM »

Get a load of this!

SIAST employees shocked by 'illegal' interference                                                                        E-mail by Dr. Robert McCulloch criticized by SGEU and SIAST   employees for meddling improperly with the collective bargaining   process.
Regina   (26 Jan. 2011) - Employees at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied   Science and Technology (SIAST) are expressing shock at an apparent   deliberate management effort to sabotage contract negotiations.
Talks broke down last week after SIAST president Dr. Robert McCulloch   attempted to coerce members into accepting a contract offer that was   not in their best interests. In fact, the offer contained less than   SIAST had previously put on the table during the protracted and   difficult negotiations - which have been heavily influenced from behind   the scenes by the Brad Wall government.
The SIAST president sent an e-mail to employees on Jan. 21, following the breakdown of mediation two days earlier.
The message said retroactive pay increases would be denied to SGEU   members as of Feb. 19 if they had not ratified a collective agreement by   that time.

According to my friends in the Labour movement, this is becoming the Wall Way.

5

Politics / BC NDP Leadership Race

« on: January 06, 2011, 10:13:05 PM »

So here's a bit from one of the fuckwads putting his hat in the ring for leadership of the BC NDP:

NDP leadership candidate pledges to stand up for 'older, white males'
James Keller, The Canadian Press
VANCOUVER - A candidate running to lead British Columbia's NDP is standing up for "older, white males."
Former   cabinet minister Harry Lali officially entered the race Thursday and   immediately waded into the sensitive area of gender politics, denouncing   gender quotas as discriminatory and calling on white men to join his   campaign.

Just whatchya need, eh, BC? 

6

Politics / Photo ID Idea Floating around SK

« on: December 01, 2010, 12:41:33 PM »

Hey folks, you too can participate in this poll!  Say no to the photo ID requirement at the polls!

In the Throne Speech, the Wall government announced its intention to introduce legislation "requiring voters to produce photo ID when voting in provincial elections."

Wall says, "I think there's been some irregularities." But the Chief Electoral Officer's latest report doesn't say a thing about such irregularities.

Murray Mandryk went so far as to call the proposed law, "a dopey idea... (that) accomplishes little more than soliciting quiet cheers from those who like the notion of making it a little tougher for certain social-economic groups... to vote" (Leader-Post, October 30, 2010).

How can you help defeat this unjust proposed legislation?

For starters, there is an online poll running right now on the 620 CKRM radio website. It asks: “Photo ID will now be required to vote in all levels of Saskatchewan elections. Do you approve?”

Please go to http://www.620ckrm.com and vote on this poll to show your opposition to this unjust idea. The poll can be found halfway down the left-hand side of the webpage.

Thank you for your help to protect democracy.

ETA: sidescroll

7

News / BHP Billiton

« on: August 23, 2010, 01:53:57 PM »

I'm just learning about the corporate giant, BHP Billiton, because they tried, unsuccessfully, to take over the Potash Corp of Sask.  Not a big deal, I thought at first.  It's just another corporate attack on another corporation. 

But, upon digging a little deeper, it seems that BHP Billiton is EVUL!  BHP Billiton Watch

highlights  the   disparity between BHP Billiton’s ‘Sustainable Development Policy’  and   the reality of its operations, which involve human rights abuses,    labour rights violations, relocation of communities, mistreatment of    Indigenous Peoples, destruction of sacred sites, devastating impacts  on   food and water, exacerbating climate change, use of paramilitaries,    health concerns, irresponsible tailings disposal procedures and other    questionable corporate social responsibility practices.

Just what we don't need more of in SK!

Another site, Stop the Hogs! has info about what BHP Billiton's been up to in SK.

Nasty, they are.  And into everything, it seems.  GRRR!

8

Feminist News / Good news for women in Venezuela!

« on: March 15, 2010, 01:11:09 AM »

The blog, Next Year Country, has a great docstoc of a Venezuelan newspaper with the headline, "Feminist, Socialist Revolution in Venezuela" in big, bold font!  And there are a couple of great articles inside.  One subheading is Women for Revolution and Liberation.  Another is Women at the Vanguard.  How cool is that?

There's also a direct link to the full newspaper at docstoc.  Of course, it's likely a bit of propaganda thrown in for good measure, but still, dammit!  It's so good!

Oh, let's imagine something like that happening in Canada so that our daughters' great-granddaughters and all women will one day know equality!  Someone must have imagined it for Venezuelan women...

9

Provincial Elections / Tamara Harder, Regina Coronation Park Byelection

« on: February 07, 2010, 12:07:24 PM »

I am soooo happy to learn that my friend, Tamara, is seeking the NDP nomination for the upcoming byelection in Regina's Coronation Park constituency!  I've just signed up to volunteer for her campaign.

I met Tamara during Dick Proctor's last federal campaign, the one he lost to Dave Batters several years ago and I've admired Tamara's work ever since.  She's been a big part of defending and rebuilding "Canada's worst neighbourhood," Northcentral.  And, at a time when I left the NDP in disgust, she stood her ground and worked to reinstate party funding to the SK New Democratic Women.  She has served as the prez.  She'd be a fantastic MLA and I invite you all to join me in wishing her the best!  :

10

Politics / Right wing strategy in SK

« on: September 25, 2009, 10:12:27 PM »

This has me hopping mad!

The Saskatchewan Party government is moving forward with planned budget cuts and has introduced a wage mandate for negotiations with public sector unions as it grapples with a changed financial situation, Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer said Thursday.

They created the effing "changed financial situation" by budgeting a ridiculously large amount in potash revenues during an economic recession!  It's all just a ruse to attack workers.  Again!

And we have effing Link at the helm of the Opposition.  We are so Fucked!

11

Feminist News / CCODP Under Attack?

« on: August 07, 2009, 07:59:07 PM »

It's looking like the Peruvian Catholic bosses are trying to control the Canadian Catholic Organizaton of Peace and Development.  I've worked with CCODP folks and they are fantastic social justice workers.  Many are pro-choice!  This is appalling!!! :rant:

Peruvian archbishop asks Canadian bishops to cut funding of alleged pro-abortion groups, critics say it is part of long-standing defamation campaign

By Annie Thériault

The Archbishop of Piura and Tumbes, José Antonio Eguren, has written a letter formally asking his Canadian counterparts to stop the funding, through the Canadian Catholic Organization of Development & Peace,  D&P, to alleged pro-abortion groups in Peru.

According to Eguren, President of the Peruvian Conference of Bishops’ Commission on Family, Childhood and Life, “a staff of professionals” affiliated to the Commission recently led an in-depth investigation of the Canadian-supported groups in Peru and determined that three organizations – including Peru’s Economic Solidarity Network, or GRESP and the Coordinadora Nacional de Radio, or CNR – were “pro-abortion.”

12

Technology & Science / Micro$oft made a boo-boo

« on: July 23, 2009, 10:33:13 PM »

I got this via the Linux Open Source Users of Regina Saskatchewan (LOSURS) email list.  Seems M$ is being sued for violating General Public License (GPL) agreement.

13

Feminist News / WomensWorlds.ca

« on: June 17, 2009, 02:58:00 PM »

This really excites me!!! I caught it on Fbook.  Pam Kapoor is involved.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
17 June 2009, Ottawa

Today’s launch of http://www.womensworlds.ca – a trilingual website devoted to a 2011 global feminist event – signals the start of a countdown to what will likely be the largest women’s conference in Canada’s history: Women’s Worlds 2011 (WW 2011).

“Inclusions, Exclusions, and Seclusions: Living in a Globalized World” is the theme of the international and interdisciplinary gathering of and about women to be held in Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada from July 3-7, 2011.

The event will convene a diversity of minds and experiences to delve into some of the most pressing issues of our time. Outreach is underway to draw a rich cross-section of people from around the world into the conversation – from academics to activists and researchers to policy-makers.

In the lead-up to the gathering, the website will serve as a hub where people from around the world can connect and converse on issues related to globalization and women’s equality, and more. To stoke that conversation, organizers will roll out a range of interactive components and unveil content and registration information as it becomes available. Site visitors are encouraged to sign up for e-bulletins to receive up-to-the-minute information about website content and the conference.

And of course, I'll be looking for any and all opportunity to travel to Ottawa over the next few years... :

14

North Africa and the Middle East / Iraq: 128 people due for execution

« on: March 17, 2009, 02:20:41 PM »

Amnesty International UK is trying to get the execution of 128 Iraqis stopped.

Iraq's Presidential Council has ratified the death sentences of 128 people, who now face imminent execution.

The authorities are said to be planning to carry out the executions in batches of 20 per week.

No details have been made available by the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council regarding the individuals who face execution. It is not known whether any of the 128 include prisoners that have been transferred from the custody of US forces following the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the governments of the USA and Iraq which came into force on 01 January 2009.

More here.

15

Activism / The bitter taste of Del Monte's pineapples

« on: March 14, 2009, 01:21:23 PM »

We ate a damned Del Monte pineapple.  DNA Daughter loves pineapples and the Del Monte was the only one available.  Damnation!  I don't usually buy Del Monte, but...

From an email:

The bitter taste of Del Monte's pineapples

Do you like pineapples?  I do.  But next time you bite into a Del Monte pineapple you might find it tastes a lot less sweet.  For a year now, plantation workers in Costa Rica who grow pineapples for the giant fruit company have been harassed and deprived of their basic human right to join a trade union.  Many have been laid off including some who are suspected of pro-union sentiments.  Their union is asking for all of us to take a minute and tell Del Monte that it's time to respect their rights, to negotiate with the union and reinstate the dismissed workers. Please click here  to send off your message today -- and spread the word!