Every year during Gay Pride Week I get to watch hundreds of gay couples walk up and down Church Street shyly holding hands. The only place and the only time most of them dare to do that. Which makes it both a moving sight....and a very sad one. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that now we're asking straight people to take part in some same-sex hand holding.
You don't have to fight to change the world. Promote love and equality by the simple act of holding hands. Which annoys me because you DO have to fight to change the world. And leaves me thinking that this has to be the sweetest but dumbest idea since Call in Gay Day. Except that this time straight people could get hurt. So I would just like to suggest that if any straights do decide to take part in this event they should take the following precautions: (1) Before going out make sure you write your blood type with a magic marker on each arm. (2) Wear t-shirts with something really clear like "Don't Kill Me I'm Straight." (3) Don't forget to look over your shoulder so you can see the brick coming for the back of your lover's friend's head.
(4) Learn some karate like I did....or carry a baseball bat in your pocket. Because while I hold hands, or hug, or kiss Sébastien whenever I damn well feel like it, I'm prepared to fight for that "privilege." Every day of the year. And with all the homophobes still out there they may have to fight as well. Oh sure I know, I know. It's an ugly world. But that's the world WE are forced to live in. And asking straight people to hold hands won't change ANYTHING.
On the other hand when it comes to fighting hate on the internet I sure love this video...
Because it's the attitude that counts. I'm sure the people behind this dubious project have their hearts in the right place. And I'd love to live in a world where everyone can hold hands. But first you've got to deal with the REAL problem...the bullying and the bigotry.
And never stop fighting... --------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was so great to be able to chillout by the lake today, and concentrate on the important things in life. Like throwing the stick for the hound. Especially after reading this story. The study by Desjardins Financial Security, found that one-third of the 1,062 people surveyed are experiencing anxiety, losing sleep, suffering from headaches, muscle aches and other physical tension — symptoms that often precede more serious problems...
"They're stressed, anxious, worried about their jobs," the release stated. "They're losing sleep, and they're losing confidence in the economy. Many Canadian employees are showing these and other signs of mental distress.
I'd like to say gosh I hadn't noticed. But of course I have. You can see the worry all around you. You can feel it in in the air. Even the wild and crazy blogosphere seems strangely muted. Serious stuff is out. Cute stuff is in. Is that a reflection of anxious times, is it escapism, or is it just BURNOUT ?
But who can blame us eh? Two weeks ago all we had to worry about was the recession and the Harper government....and who would kill us first. Now we've got to seriously consider whether the Aporkalypse will kill us even sooner. So it's no wonder all that stress is adding up. Making us gloomy.
But here's the thing eh? The recession and the Aporkalypse may or may not kill us, but depression will DEFINITELY steal our lives. Which is why I'm so glad I have an old hound to remind me it's glorious Spring. And put everything into perspective...
I keep hearing that the Americans are coming to help save us .....and Afghanistan. But I didn't realize this is what they meant by SAVE.
"The special forces guys - they hunt men basically. We do the same things as Christians, we hunt people for Jesus. We do, we hunt them down...." Now look I don't mind soldiers praying for victory in Afghanistan. We've tried everything else and it hasn't worked. And besides all religion is nonsense as far as I'm concerned. But don't they know what happens to Afghan converts? And how dare they try to convert the atheists.
“They don’t trust you because they think you are unreliable and might break, since you don’t have God to rely on,” Specialist Hall said of those who proselytize in the military. “The message is, ‘It’s a Christian nation, and you need to recognize that.’ ”
Hmmm...you know two things come to mind. If soldiers need to rely on "God" to fight....they should join the Salvation Army. And if the Americans are coming to SAVE us....and Afghanistan. May the Mad Monkey God help us all .....
As if we needed any more evidence that the Mad Mullah-o-cracy in Iran is a barbaric and brutish regime. Here's their latest young victim. You know what shocks me the most about these medieval bastards is not just how backward they are...but how cruel they are as well. The execution, which happened on Friday, caught everyone by surprise. Not only had there been no formal notification 48 hours before the hanging, as required under Iranian law, but, just a fortnight earlier, Ms Darabi had actually been granted a two-month stay of execution by the head of the judiciary. The day before their daughter would end up being walked to the gallows, her parents had even visited her in jail where she had excitedly informed them there was to be an appeal so new evidence could be heard. Twenty-four hours later, she was dead. But then why should I be surprised by anything that happens in a country with this record? Iran leads the world in executing juvenile offenders, according to human rights groups, accounting for two-thirds of such deaths in the past four years. The hanging of Ms Darabi was the second known execution of a juvenile offender this year and lawyers in Tehran estimate that at least 130 more are waiting on death row. A country that hangs gay kids.
For the crime of being gay. And oppresses and kills women for being women. Delara Darabi left these paintings behind.
To mark her short life. And I like this one the best.
Because although I don't know what poor Delara intended.
I like to think it's those cruel child murderers screaming in agony. As they burn in the fires of JUSTICE...
I have been trying very hard to avoid the Carrie Prejean story for all kinds of reasons.
Mainly because I can't believe that anyone would care what a Miss USA has to say about ANYTHING....let alone gay marriage.
But also because having the gay airhead Perez Hilton call somebody else a dumb bitch is a bit too much. And hearing him described as a "gay activist" is practically KILLING me. Then of course there's the fact that for obvious reasons, I couldn't give a damn about her breast implants.
But now that Ms Prejean has joined the wingnuts at the National Organization for Marriage I can't ignore her any longer.
When asked about her thoughts on civil unions or gay adoption or general rights for gay couples, it was obvious Prejean didn't have any, even saying at one point "I will get back to you on that one." The most she could offer beyond the "promoting marriage" boilerplate was "I think that people that are homosexual should have some rights, you know, hospital rights, and things like that." So when she appeared on the Pat Robertson show, and sounded like the reincarnation of Saint Anita Bryant of the Homophobes...
And Robertson's co-host tried to console the bimbo bigot by saying:
"God never calls you for anything he doesn't equip you for..."
I got to say PUHLEAZE. And oh REALLY?
Just like Perez Hilton would....
OMG. As if being gay wasn't hard enough. What have I done to deserve this? Perez Hilton as a gay activist. Boobies for Jesus. And a bigot in a bikini...
And what a relief it was to get away from all that depressing Piggy Flu stuff.
At least that's what I thought it would be....
Until the horrifying moment....just as that boring introductory video was running.... when the CBC breathlessly interrupted its coverage to bring us this dramatic newser...
Gawd.One moment it was a Paean to Iggy, the next moment it was the Piggy Aporkalypse !!
It wasn't anything we urgently needed know.
Alberta's top public health doctor, Andre Corriveau, said the fact the flu has been transmitted from humans to pigs is no reason to raise alarms about the severity of this flu outbreak.
"From a human health perspective, it's just an anecdote. We were already dealing with this issue in our population."
But it sure put a dent....or an oink....in the Coronation. Because going from the dreamy Liberal video, to the stark horror of the Alberta Aporkalypse, and back to the end of the video in about five minutes was a rather SHOCKING experience. And I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Canadians didn't even hear what Iggy had to say when the video ended....because they were too busy putting on oven mitts to throw their pork chops into the garbage.
And golly what a COINCIDENCE . A piggy newser timed to begin at the EXACT time Iggy was due to start speaking. You don't think Gerry Ritz or the porker Harper had their trotters on that one do you?
Although maybe it backfired, because it turns out less than half of Canadians are worried about getting sick.
Which I guess means they believe that the media has been pumping up the story, and the threat is receding.
While the others are more pessimistic...
Golly. Now I'm confused. But I must say one thing...let's give the CBC its due. Who knew Iggy's Coronation could be such a memorable experience?
It's too soon to let our guard down. Complacency can still be fatal. Millions of people could still die. But it looks as if the new influenza virus isn't the killer of 1918. And more good news if you can call it that. It also looks like many people in Mexico might have died because they didn't receive proper medical attention in time. Or self medicated themselves.
There may well be other factors to explain why patients like Mrs. Gutiérrez, whose medical records show a desperate, belated scramble by doctors to keep her alive, are dying in Mexico at a higher rate than flu patients elsewhere. Mexicans may have been hit by a different, deadlier strain, or the flu may have infected more people who had other health problems, researchers speculate.
But one important factor may be the eclectic approach to health care in Mexico, where large numbers of people self-prescribe antibiotics, take only homeopathic medicine, or seek out mysterious vitamin injections. For many, only when all else fails do they go to a doctor, who may or may not be well prepared.
And the danger is that the same thing could happen in other parts of the world. As the outbreak spreads, and so does panic. And people try to get their hands on anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu. Because along with a drug called Relenza it's the main weapon in our arsenal to fight a pandemic. Misusing one or the other could cause resistance to spread. And a new study suggests that if a pandemic breaks out we will need both of them. What they learned was that the best possible way to stop a pandemic from spreading was for every country to have stockpiles of two different antiviral drugs to treat flu: A primary stockpile and a secondary one. The first wave of cases should be treated with the secondary drug until it runs out, then the next wave should be treated with the primary drug. This knocks out the first wave of virus, and then just as it begins to evolve resistance hits it with a new drug. Apparently in scenarios where public health officials respond like this, using what's called "sequential drug multitherapy" or SMC, the spread of the virus is reduced significantly. "Monotherapy," or the treatment with just one drug, created a lot of drug-resistant flu strains and did not significantly impair the spread of the epidemic.
And since many countries don't even have enough of ONE drug, you can imagine what could happen. Today was a good day. But the battle is far from over....
I realize that for most people poetry is something they force you to read in school. But for me this is something special. "It is a great day for women writers," said Duffy, who described the laureateship as "tending the flame" of poetry. "It highlights the way that women writers have changed the landscape of literature in this country … though I think guys will be pleased as well."
And I sure am.
Not just because Carol Ann Duffy is a woman and a lesbian....and was born in the roughest slum in Glasgow. Or because I find some of her poems sharp, funny, and brilliant. Or because she would have been appointed Britain's poet laureate long ago...if the Bush/Pope poodle Tony Blair hadn't fretted and fussed about how she would play in "Middle England."
But also because, as Brecht says in my sidebar, I'd probably spend more time writing poems than blogging..... if the world wasn't so full of homophobes and other bigots. And Stephen Harper wasn't Prime Minister. Unfortunately I have no talent, so my poetic career so far amounts to bad imitations of other poets from Shakespeare to Lorca .... and two years ago even a little Duffy. Sébastien was away in the Congo, working with a relief agency. And I was at home paralysed with fear about what could happen to him in that dangerous country. "I've covered his pictures with dish rags. I don't even want to think about him. I bury his memory in blogging words that I don't even read. But at night in my naked sleep he's always THERE. Sitting on the bed the cheeky bugger. Counting the freckles on my face. I look away and pretend I can't hear him. But he tickles me and I awaken laughing. So now I know what I must do to forget him. Now I know the true meaning of despair. Love is turning me into a WANKER. And I don't care." OK OK I warned you. If I was Carol Ann I'd sue me. But after 341 years a woman is the Poet Laureate of Britain. Isn't THAT about time?
A woman and a lesbian. Isn't that GRAND? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.S. Now that you know I'm a lousy poet....did you know I'm thinking of becoming a karaoke star? And I do this song really well....
You are what you dream you are eh?
Carol Ann Duffy ROCKS. Have a great weekend everyone !!
Well in the whole history of photo-ops in Canada this one by Great Loser Leader had to be the most fake....and the most absurd. I realize it was his birthday. But as Buckdog points out, it was hardly something to celebrate. "Passions, feelings of jealousy, and possessiveness run high....Fear of betrayal may be strong this year. He's turning 50 at the peak of Canada's political pyramid with nowhere to go but down... He's got it all now. But when and how will it end -- and as what?
And who are the flunkeys who came up with that ridiculous idea ? Not the losers in the PMO?
He's in trouble in the country, especially in Quebec; in trouble with the public service, which is putting down tools with his government; and increasingly in trouble with the Conservative Party, whose fault lines are cracking under the divisive and mean-spirited management style of the Prime Minister's Office.
Because they sure made him look like an IDIOT. Although does ANYONE really think that Great Control Freak Leader would take part in a photo-op he hadn't first approved? So how DARE he carry on like that with a bunch of pink flamingos when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are suffering so much? Shame on him !!!!!
I mean how LOW can he go? Answer: very low. So much for the unholy separatist socialist coalition. But of course you don't have to be a political genius to figure out what's going on. Harper and his incompetent Con thugs in the PMO are so desperate....they've decided it's time to bring back Mr Nice Guy.
You remember him don't you ? The one AFTER Great Strategic Genius and BEFORE Mr Ugly. OMG. Where have I seen that movie before?
Which reminds me.
Great Flamingo Leader may be the worst Prime Minister in Canadian history.
But he sure makes a great DIVINE...
Happy Birthday Great PINK Leader.
Did you feed the flamingos to your kittens....or the unemployed? Nowhere to go but DOWN. Excellent.
It can't happen soon enough. ------------------------------------------------------------------ P.S. if a puffin can poop on a Dion, can a flamingo shit on a Harper ? Just wondering...
As Mexico prepares to shutdown. The big question remains a mystery. The WHO and flu experts say they do not yet know enough about the new strain to say how deadly it actually is, how far it might spread and how long any potential pandemic may last. So we still don't know why it only seems to be killing people in Mexico. Or even how many of dead in that country were really killed by the bug. Did they die because secondary infections like pneumonia couldn't be properly treated because of antibiotic resistance, which is a big problem in poor countries?
Or are there TWO strains of the virus out there? One mild one that spreads relatively easily. And another more deadly version that doesn't. The good news is that the virus' genetic structure is being closely examined so we should find out soon. The bad news is that because it doesn't seem to be a lethal threat anywhere but Mexico, people, might become complacent, not take enough precautions. And forget that even a mild pandemic virus can do a lot of damage. Even in a place like Canada. Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act in 1970 to battle radical Quebec separatists. Would Prime Minister Stephen Harper invoke its successor to combat the flu? Given that officials estimate between 10,000 and 58,000 deaths in a "mild" pandemic, provinces and municipalities would be tasked with ensuring morgues and cemeteries have enough capacity.
Because if we can help it we really don't want to go there.
Active caution, then, is what is called for. The world’s policymakers, most of whom live in the northern hemisphere, should not be fooled into thinking the new virus is going away for long, even if it declines over the next few months. Instead, as in any phoney war, they should use the time they have been granted to reinforce the world’s defences by stocking up with antiviral medicine and making vaccines.
As for the WHO's decision to protect the pork producers of the world by changing the name of the virus....from the Swine Flu virus to the Influenza A H1N1 bug, I suppose that makes sense.
It presumably is in pigs somewhere, perhaps in Mexico. The 1918 human H1N1 established itself in pigs by 1930. But, as Dr. Niman pointed out, it could be only in humans now — or even in a ferret.
So while we wait for the answers and prepare for the worst. And wash our hands a lot.
