April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

Debra

NetRoots

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NetRootsNow that there are a number of politicians recognizing the importance of reaching out to the online activist community, I thought it would be a great thing to have them all in one place.

A politicians only aggregator.

From the NetRoots about page

NetRoots provides an opportunity for the savvy blogging public to interact with candidates to become more familiar both with the candidates and the issues.

NetRoots also provides information for the political activist to help every Canadian exercise their right to vote.

By bringing together bloggers of all stripes NetRoots strives to provide Canadians with a unique space in which bloggers, activists, politicians and others can discuss, educate, learn and ultimately vote!

If you have a link to site or a resource that would help inform voters, or activist resources for people to help those often marginalized from the voting process, or that provides polls, please send it on.

Also if you are or know of a blogging politician and would like to join, please use the form on the Contact page at the site.

Politicians from all parties and independents are all welcome.

Censorship or Propaganda?

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Eddie Vedder, lead singer of the rock band Pearl Jam, is using his powerful pipes to call out corporate censorship after an AT&T webcast of the band’s Lollapalooza performance that edited out Vedder’s anti-George Bush musings.

The improvised lyrics in question were sung to the tune of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”: “George Bush leave this world alone. George Bush find yourself another home.”

AT&T claims this was an error though the circumstances seem suspicious at best.

The first time Vedder sang “George Bush leave this world alone,” the lyrics were transmitted to users on AT&T’s Blue Room Web site. The second two anti-Bush verses were cut.

AT&T is currently using the ‘big boys did it and ran away’ defence. Putting the blame squarely on the firm they hired out editing (aka censoring) responsibilities to.

AT&T employs the firm Davie-Brown Entertainment (DBE) to edit their webcasts for profanity that is not a part of a song’s lyrics, and also for nudity, company spokesman Michael Coe said.

Coe also offered; “We have said repeatedly over and over that we will not block customers’ access to legal content. We’ve said that in front of Congress. We’ve stated it as conditions of our merger with Bell South.”

Who defines legal? This is the same argument that could be used in discussions of other censored internet situations such as that in China and Saudi Arabia. Hardly a ringing endorsement of freedom of speech or access to information.

Tim Carr, a neutrality advocate at the Save the Internet coalition, said AT&T’s censorship is an excellent example of what could go wrong when ISPs control what their users see and hear.

“The censorship of Pearl Jam gives us a clear view of what the problem is: When you allow large Internet providers to also become gatekeepers to content there’s too often a temptation to limit what people get to see,” Carr said.

Interestly, though Save the Internet feels this is an example of what could happen if net neutrality is not respected the rightwing libertarian Media Freedom Project spokesman, Derek Hunter said;
“To say that they’re censoring is ridiculous? It’s propaganda and it seems to be working.”

Pearl Jam has posted the two different versions of the webcast here

In a statement on the site Mike McCready writes;

I can only look to historical figures who are above reproach in my mind, such as Thomas Jefferson “I hope we shall crush…in it’s birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country.” I feel that corporations can still exist without worry of a few words at a rock concert and need not trample upon our constitution for the sake of profit.


I think that horse has already bolted, and not just in America.

Contribute to electoral reform

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Fair Vote Canada, Equal Voice and others have been working toward educating and advertising about the MMP system.

Few people in Ontario seem to realize there is a referendum on electoral reform this fall.
Ontarians will vote on Oct. 10th 2007, at the same time as they vote in the provincial election.
The Referendum question, posed by the Ontario Government, will be whether they want to continue with our present riding-based electoral system or want to change to a “mixed” system (called Mixed Member Proportional).
The Ontario referendum is a wonderful opportunity–and perhaps the last for many decades–to achieve reforms to our outmoded electoral system that would help more women get elected.
Canada is one of the few modern democracies still clinging to our old Westminster model of electing Members from local ridings (others are the UK and US, which have ever worse records in electing women). We stand 48th in the world in terms of the number of women in our House of Commons (just under 21 per cent), and in recent years the numbers of women, standing and being elected has started to decline.
This is why Doris Anderson, and others of us in the long fight for fair representation in politics, have concluded that we cannot hope to succeed without changing our electoral system. Out there in the ridings, local riding associations still conclude that white male professionals are the
best candidates, so we end up with party slates that are 80 per cent male even when party leaders are publicly calling for more women.
The Oct. 10 referendum could throw open the doors of the male political club. A victory in Canada’s most populous province would likely set off a domino effect. It is a last chance because efforts at electoral reform have failed or floundered recently in PEI, New Brunswick, Quebec and B.C. Not all women realize that political decision-making–particularly on issues
such as child care, home care, and choice–lies so largely in the hands of men. It is time more women were in office helping men make decisions which often effect women more.
The Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform (103 Ontarians randomly chosen by Elections Ontario) is recommending moderate change–keeping a majority of seats (90) still elected in the ridings in the old way, but a minority (39) elected by Proportional Representations. They are
calling it a Mixed Member Proportional system. Voters would get two votes–one for a local riding representative and another for their favourite party’s “list” of candidates for the PR seats.

As we know any type of campaigning or public education requires money. Mark Greenan of, Blogging for democracy and also of Fair Vote Canada has blogged a proposal to encourage those that can to help financially with the campaign for MMP.

$10.10 for more democracy on 10/10

If we are going to win the campaign for better democracy in Ontario, we’re going to need the resources to counter the spin and misinformation and reach out to the 70% of Ontarians who don’t know about the referendum.

That’s why I’m calling on all my readers who are fed up with politics-as-usual to dig into their pockets and make a small donation to the Vote for MMP campaign. Like I just did, you can take a minute and donate online to the campaign right here.

You can make donations here

This campaign is near and dear to my heart not only because my former riding president believed in it so strongly and not only because Doris Anderson did, but because I believe a government should be of, by and for the people and I believe this is a good step to a stronger democracy.

cross posted at Bread and Roses

“Caffeine isn’t a drug, it’s a vitamin!”

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Coffee FirstAccording to a new study, women over 65 who drink 3 cups of coffee or more “showed less decline over time on tests of memory than women who drank one cup or less of coffee or tea per day.

The results held up even after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect memory abilities, such as age, disability, depression, education, high blood pressure, medications, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses.” ((http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070807/coffee_women_070807/20070807?hub=Health))

The study refers to “older” women, but hey why not get an early start on results!

A fig for partridges and quails,
ye dainties I know nothing of ye;
But on the highest mount in Wales
Would choose in peace to drink my coffee.
~Jonathon Swift

Hello Pussy….oops, Kitty

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Hello Kitty

Badge of shame?

Thai police officers who break police rules will be forced to wear hot pink armbands featuring “Hello Kitty,” the Japanese icon of cute, as a mark of shame, a senior officer said Monday.

“(Hello) Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It’s not something macho police officers want covering their biceps,” Pongpat said.

Looking at that armband one immediately thinks girly, wimp….oh oh I know … pick me teacher pick me!!!!!!!!! PUSSY!!!

Yep and what self respecting, hetro, macho man, cop would want any association with pussy?……….

CBC Story

BBC Story

Protecting life

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What springs to your mind when you hear this phrase?

Perhaps programs which allow people access to the essentials for living– homes, food access to health care.

Perhaps you think of the bike helmet you bought your child, or your resolve to never drive drunk or tired or otherwise occupied.

Maybe you think of the aid you send to a foster child, or women’s shelter or other hands on charity.

I wonder in your deliberations if you ever consider refusing to fund abortions for poor women.

There has been much ado amongst the “I’m alright jack” and the “woo hoo lets legislate the hoo hoo” over this;

A clause was added to the Hamilton County indigent care levy contract 10 years ago to block the money from being spent on abortions for poor people.

Recently, that change almost was reversed.

Oh dear the horror!! That women would have the choice not to bring more children they can’t afford into the world!

Of course lets not forget that as poor women they shouldn’t be having sex at all. Nope no way, no pleasure for you lady. And that “sweet precious wonderful protected life” in your womb, well don’t get too attached to having it thought of that way because as soon as it’s born it becomes “another goddamn miserable drain on society that my tax dollars have to go to support“.

Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati had sent word of the clause deletion to more than 1,000 people on its e-mail list. It has since sent a follow up e-mail on the reinstatement.

Executive Director Paula Westwood said she was pleased that the clause is back in.

“Our foremost goal is to make sure that life is protected,” she said. “It looks like the language will remain on this, and that is a good thing.”

One can only hope that Ms. Westwood will put as much effort into ensuring that the resulting children are fed and clothed and babysat while their mothers try to support them. Perhaps she can also direct them to counselling for the depression, anger and terror they feel at being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. No doubt that would not fall under Ms. Westwood’s umbrella of protecting “life”.