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You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read, since I first came here, the rough common boy whose poor heart you wounded even then. You have been in every prospect I have ever seen since - on the river, on the sails of ships, on the marshes, in the clouds, in the light, in the darkness, in the wind, in the woods, in the sea, in the streets. You have been the embodiment of every graceful fancy that my mind has ever become acquainted with. The stones of which the strongest London buildings are made, are not more real, or more impossible to be displaced by your hands, than your presence and influence have been to me, there and everywhere, and will be. Estella, to the last hour of my life, you cannot choose but to remain part of my character, part of the little good, part of the evil. Great Expectations , Charles Dickens, 1860-61 This must be one of the most beautiful passages ever written in the English language.

Here are some expressions I dislike. "Man love," "man purse," "man hug," "man date" - and this weekend I became aware of the most bizarre phrase of them all: "man tears". I'd like to rid our language of this collective homophobia, but these constructions only seem to be growing and spreading. Some heterosexual men, fearing that any display of affection might compromise how others perceive their sexual orientation, now label any action regarding other men with the prefix man . Because if they say man , they're not gay! They can hug their friend without needing a cootie shot. Apparently the world has advanced to the point where male friends, both heterosexuals, can have a nice dinner together. Yes, men have decided that it's all right to do something other than crack open a beer and eat fast food together. As long as when you go out to dinner, you let it be known that it's a man date . Because if you just go out to dinner

A little humour in honour of wmtc day. But is that supposed to be Sri Lanka? I question whether most USians could find that island nation on a map, despite the evildoers. I guess this adds to our growing collection of world maps. You'll all remember this one from 2004. Thanks to Mike from Veterans for Peace for sending.

It's wmtc day! Allan and I moved to Canada four years ago today. I looked up what I wrote last year at this time, and not much has changed. When I think back to August 30, 2005 - driving through western New York State in the world's fullest minivan, Buster between us, Cody in a cave of boxes - it feels like a lifetime ago. And yet these three years have flown by, as time seems to move alarmingly fast, the older I get. Not a day goes by that I am not happy and grateful that we left the US for Canada. Canada has turned out to be exactly what I thought it was: not a perfect world, just a better place. And now, it is my home. Next up: citizenship! We've got the forms ready to fill out. More on that as it happens. This is all still true. Leaving the US for Canada was one of the best things we will ever do with our lives. Not much has changed on the citizenship front, either. We applied in November 2008; in March 2009 we received notification from CIC that our application has b

If you click on the wmtc category "activism in sports," you'll find a disproportionate number of stories by Dave Zirin. Zirin, author of A People's History of Sports in the United States , and now sports editor of The Nation , writes a beat of which I am frankly envious. He co-authored this very good story with Sherry Wolf, author of Sexuality and Socialism . Caster Semenya and the Idiocy of Sex Testing By Dave Zirin & Sherry Wolf World-class South African athlete Caster Semenya, age 18, won the 800 meters in the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships on August 19. But her victory was all the more remarkable in that she was forced to run amid a controversy that reveals the twisted way international track and field views gender. The sports world has been buzzing for some time over the rumor that Semenya may be a man, or more specifically, not "entirely female." According to the newspaper The Age, her "physique and powe

In late 1995, I heard Morris Dees speak in New York City. Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center , a civil rights and social justice organization that has its roots in the early days of the US civil rights movement. Dees was speaking about the rise of right-wing extremism in the US. The SPLC had been sounding the alarm for years about the rise of dangerous militia groups, and now, at last, the public was listening. Dees described his reaction, earlier that year, when he heard about the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City: "Where's Tim McVeigh?" Immediately after that bombing, which killed 168 people and injured almost 700 more, US media pundits declared the incident carried all the hallmarks of Middle East terrorism. Of course once the white, homegrown McVeigh was produced as a suspect, that talk was quietly dropped and forgotten. And after September 11, 2001, Oklahoma City was itself forgotten. While US wingnuts raise the spectre of a soc

A while back, I blogged about the Christianization of the United States military, where evangelical soldiers are "hunting people for Jesus" . Their hunting ground is Afghanistan. This is easily dismissed as aberration, until you realize that Donald Rumsfeld felt much the same way . Much has been written about evangelicals in the US Army, most notably by Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family . His story "Jesus killed Mohammed: The crusade for a Christian military" is eye-opening - and scary. I thought of that Harper's story when James sent me this first-person account of anti-Semitism in that same institution. During my second year at the West Point, my Squad Leader for summer training expressed disapproval on numerous occasions with my being Jewish, and, during one mission, he grabbed my MRE (a military meal) as we sat down for lunch and handed me another. He ordered me to eat the pork chop and I reminded him that I refrain from pork for religious reasons. He t

Courage To Resist recently exposed the shameful treatment of dozens of US soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In response, the US Army charged the most outspoken soldier, Dustin Stevens, with desertion. Stevens is one of about 50 soldiers being held at the 82nd Holdover Unit awaiting charges, probably of AWOL and desertion. They live in disgusting conditions and are subject to constant abuse and arbitrary punishments - all while waiting to be actually charged and court martialed. Add this to the list of punishment that war resisters in Canada will likely receive if the Harper Government continues to deport them back to the US. From Sarah Lazare and Dahr Jamail of Courage to Resist. Echo Platoon is part of the 82nd Replacement Detachment of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Soldiers in the platoon are relegated to living quarters in a set of dimly lit concrete rooms. Pipes peep out of missing ceiling tiles and a musty smell permeates beds placed on cracked l

It was clear that I must repair to our town next day, and in the first flow of my repentance it was equally clear that I must stay at Joe's. But, when I had secured my box-place in tomorrow's coach and had been down to Mr Pocket's and back, I was not by any means convinced on the last point, and began to invent reasons and make excuses for not putting up at the Blue Boar. I should be an inconvenience at Joe's; I was not expected, and my bed would not be ready; I should be too far from Miss Havisham's, and she was exacting and mightn't like it. All the swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I should innocently take a bad half-crown of somebody else's manufacture, is reasonable enough; but that I should knowingly reckon the spurious coin of my own make, as good money! An obliging stranger, under pretence of compactly folding up my bank-notes for security's sake, abstr

One of the very few areas, perhaps the only area, where the US is more advanced than Canada is access for people with disabilities. In the US, the hard work of generations of activists with disabilities brought about the Americans with Disabilities Act, civil-rights legislation that became federal law in 1990. Now that the changes mandated by the ADA have percolated through society, equal access is no longer a dream or an idea on paper. It is overwhelmingly the norm. Although the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms specifically includes people with physical and mental disabilities, accessiblity codes are determined at a provincial and municipal level - and are often considered optional. (Obviously, the US's grossly inadequate health care non-system creates major obstacles for people with disabilites. Indeed, it even creates more people with disabilities, as treatable conditions worsen and cause permanent damage.) * * * * For people with physical disabilities, access isn't j

Today's installment of Why I Love The Internet is brought to you by tofu. Tonight we made a tofu stir-fry for dinner. Stir-frys are easy to make, but I've never learned how to make tofu very well. I usually just let it sizzle in whatever marinade we make, and it stays soft and a bit mushy. Some people hate that, but we like it enough. I was wondering what else I could throw in the marinade, so I Googled "marinated tofu". The first site that came up was this: How to Cook Tofu Like The Pros: Dry-Fry and Marinate Method . Simple instructions, but nothing I could have figured out on my own. So instead of doing anything different with the marinade, I decided to try the dry-fry method. Now we know how to make really good tofu - firm, crispy and golden. It was a big improvement! As an extra bonus, when I went to that website, I saw this great typo. Sulekha is a site for Indian people living in North America. They should hire a proofreader. By the way, it was tofu, broccoli,

I just bought this. I've been using the same backpack for 10 years, and have no good way to carry my laptop. This one is also supposed to be easier on your back, which I need. This makes no rational sense, but somehow buying this new backpack has made me more excited about starting school. My inner student might be waking up. It turns out I won't miss any actual classes while we're in New Mexico. The "core courses" for incoming students aren't starting til the following week, when we're back. The only thing I'm missing are some meet-and-greets and assemblies. I'm awful at meeting people at those things; I generally just mill around feeling uncomfortable. I'll have plenty of time to meet people in classes, if I'm so inclined. So I'm missing nothing. Yay.

When I posted the video clip of Barney Frank ripping the astroturf town hall protestor - "On what planet do you spend most of your time?" - I thought everyone had already seen it. But of course, that's never the case, and several people thanked me for the post. So in that spirit, try this. Rather than link to YouTube with all the lovely YouTubian screamers, I'll go with HuffPo: Woman Shouts 'Heil Hitler' at Jewish Man Praising Israel's Health Care System .

Making ethical choices is easy when it's easy. But what do we do when ethical choices demands real sacrifice? What happens when principles meet wallet, or enjoyment, or convenience? The name Whole Foods has been in the blogosphere recently, and not because bloggers are praising the store's beautiful produce and delicious prepared food. Whole Foods CEO John Mackey wrote a ridiculous Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal arguing against health care reform. He doesn't believe equal access to health care is a right, and, astoundingly, claims that if everyone ate healthfully, we wouldn't even need health care. In the face of massive outcry from WF employees ("team members"), suppliers and customers, the store backpedaled like crazy , trying to say Mackey didn't say what he very clearly said. WF is also notoriously anti-union. In concert with Starbucks, they are actively trying to handcuff the Employee Free Choice Act , the US legislation that is organized labour b

Sara Robinson holds a mirror to the slackened mouth of US democracy, and still sees a trace of fog. All through the dark years of the Bush Administration, progressives watched in horror as Constitutional protections vanished, nativist rhetoric ratcheted up, hate speech turned into intimidation and violence, and the president of the United States seized for himself powers only demanded by history's worst dictators. With each new outrage, the small handful of us who'd made ourselves experts on right-wing culture and politics would hear once again from worried readers: Is this it? Have we finally become a fascist state? Are we there yet? And every time this question got asked, people like Chip Berlet and Dave Neiwert and Fred Clarkson and yours truly would look up from our maps like a parent on a long drive, and smile a wan smile of reassurance. "Wellll...we're on a bad road, and if we don't change course, we could end up there soon enough. But there's also still

Short version: much calmer. What felt like overload a few weeks ago is suddenly very manageable. Nothing like total overload to change your perspective on your burdens! Dogs. We have a new dogwalker, and she's also house- and dog-sitting while we're in New Mexico. She has a lot of experience with dogs and good references, and seems like a good find. Fingers crossed. Flood. Renovation hasn't started on the basement. This is actually good, as every time it rains, we can check for leaks. Everything is stripped bare - paneling and drywall removed, floor down to the concrete. If everything stays dry until the reno begins, we'll be happy to stay in this house and not have to move. It's very inconvenient not having the basement, especially for Allan, who has lost his wonderful office and lair. I'm considering asking for a break on the rent, but I'm also reluctant. We've lost one-third of our living area, and I do think we deserve something off one month. Bu

A friend of mine needs to find a new place to live by October 1. She works and volunteers in Oakville, so in or near Oakville would be most convenient. The apartment must be animal friendly. This person is extremely reliable and conscientious, and would make a great tenant or housemate. Unfortunately, her current housemate has decided she doesn't want to live with pets. If you have any leads or ideas, email me and I'll put you in touch. Thanks.

A great Canadian has died. Muriel Duckworth lived to be 100 years old, and she used her time on earth well. Muriel Duckworth, a Nova Scotian peace activist best known as one of the founding members of the national peace group Voice of Women, died early Saturday at the age of 100. Duckworth fell and broke her hip while at her Quebec cottage. She passed away at a hospital in Magog, Que. Duckworth co-founded a variety of social action groups and played crucial roles in several humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam Canada, where she served on the board of directors in the 1970s. She holds numerous honourary degrees from universities across Canada, including Mount Saint Vincent University and Dalhousie University. In 1983, Duckworth was made a companion of the Order of Canada and won the Pearson Peace Medal less than a decade later. In her final days, Duckworth connected with many friends, including Marian Douglas Kerans, who wrote a biography about the activist that was published in

I saw this yesterday and ignored it. Not intentionally. I was hiding. It hits home in a very profound way. Please go here: Contempt of Court , Fernando Alves Rape Walk , Dawg's Blog And here: Action Time , Dammit Janet! And here: Crime of impunity , Broadsides Thanks to Dr Dawg, Fern and Antonia - and to all of you who get involved. I give this post the label "bigotry" for both the crime and the punishment. Both demonstrate an utter contempt for women.

From the Globe and Mail , August 13. We need fewer barriers to abortion, not more By Andre Picard In recent days, a number of private clinics in Quebec – including the legendary Morgentaler clinic – have said they will stop performing abortions. That access to abortion should be threatened, after decades of battles in the courts, is a shocking development. It is also a reminder that the battle for reproductive rights is never done because there are a cruelly endless number of ways to undermine access. Prince Edward Island still offers no abortion services at all. New Brunswick requires referrals from two doctors. Women in rural areas of the country often have to travel hundreds of kilometres for care. Some provinces cover only the cost of abortions performed in hospitals, creating a financial barrier. In the case of Quebec, the private clinics are reacting to provisions contained in Bill 34, sweeping new legislation whose scope and importance has largely been overlooked outside Quebec.

One of my least favourite marketing techniques is the co-opting of language of people's movements and of higher meaning - decidedly non-capitalist, non-consumerist pursuits - to sell products. It's not a new technique by any means. If you're old enough, you know Coca-Cola taught the world to sing "in-per-fect-harmony", and liberated women "had come a long way" because they had their own cigarette now, baby. But new or old, every time I encounter it, it irritates me. The highway between Mississauga and downtown Toronto is littered with billboards, and these days one is exhorting me to "release the goodness" by buying a sugar-laden drink that is supposedly "enhanced" with "goodness". Another billboard tells me to "Join the Revolution". Since it's a telecommunications ad, I assume that means the digital revolution. But some of us dream of a better world, and seeing that language in service of a giant telecom is de

Did you catch any photos of Action Figure Stephen Harper dressed up in his helicopter suit? It may remind you of a former Resident of the White House. It reminds me of Rick Mercer. And you know how I feel about Rick. The photos are here , numbers 17, 18 and 19. Click at your own risk. Letters in today's Globe and Mail : You've got to hand it to those PR types in the PMO, eh? From Stephen Harper's cuddly blue sweater in the last election campaign to his jet-jockey outfit on your front page - all that's missing, à la George Bush, is the aircraft carrier and the banner Mission Accomplished. Jim Sinclair, North Bay, ON Wow, what a shot of our Prime Minister in flight helmet, goggles and vest (In The North, On The Hustings - front page, Aug. 20)! He's certainly ready to take on our northern invaders. All he needs now is a few shots of him riding bare-chested on a horse and he'll really be ready to take on Vladimir Putin. Arthur Krause, Toronto, ON

Perusing through Maclean's on an unrelated search, I found this: a perfect description of Stephen Harper, Jason Kenney and their Conservative party. The quote is from Daniel Veniez, a once Conservative and possibly future Liberal MP. The Conservative party and its leader are permanently angry. That's an ingrained part of who they are and what they represent. On a visceral level, they remain a protest party and have turned themselves into a protest government. They manage by negatives and are genetically incapable of inspiring hope or thinking big. They attack, assassinate character, tell lies, lower the bar on public discourse, and engage in tactical and divisive wedge politics and governance. The tone, strategy, and culture for this government are established by Harper, a cheap-shot artist and cynic of the highest order.

From Huffington Post : In a new book, former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge reveals new details on politicization under President Bush , reports US News & World Report's Paul Bedard. Among other things, Ridge admits that he was pressured to raise the terror alert to help Bush win re-election in 2004. Ridge was never invited to sit in on National Security Council meetings; was "blindsided" by the FBI in morning Oval Office meetings because the agency withheld critical information from him; found his urgings to block Michael Brown from being named head of the emergency agency blamed for the Hurricane Katrina disaster ignored; and was pushed to raise the security alert on the eve of President Bush's re-election, something he saw as politically motivated and worth resigning over. Dave Weigel, writing for the Washington Independent, notes that in the past, Ridge has denied manipulating security information for political reasons. In 2004, for example, he said,

A while back, James sent me this excellent post, written by an abortion provider in the US. Her name has been withheld because of potential violence to herself and her family. I have only one quibble with the doctor's statement. She writes, "The decision to have an abortion is an agonizing decision, that few women choose lightly." I don't agree with this, at least not the way the sentence implies. While no woman looks lightly on an unwanted pregnancy, the decision to terminate a pregnancy can be very clear cut, easily the best of the few available options. In other words, it's the pregnancy that's agonizing, not the termination. The abortion itself may be a huge relief. If you work in the reproductive rights field, or read and watch women speaking about their own abortions , that's the word you'll hear again and again: relief . I was glad to come across this post; it deserves to be shared. An excerpt: Did you know that half of the abortions done in thi

Letter in yesterday's Globe and Mail : It is no surprise the presidential election in Afghanistan is characterized by political alliances with warlords, drug lords and well known human-rights abusers (Free And Fair Elections In Afghanistan? Don’t Hold Your Breath – Aug. 18). In 2001, most Afghans wanted the re-establishment of their democratic 1964 constitution, but this was blocked by the U.S. government, which had its own plans for the country. There are more than 80 registered political parties in Afghanistan. Many, strongly committed to democracy, have formed coalitions and want to create a unified country across ethnic, linguistic and religious divisions. They have been blocked from participation in Afghan elections by the U.S. government and its ally, Hamid Karzai. It is shameful that Canadian governments have supported these policies. John W. Warnock, author, Creating a Failed State: The U.S. and Canada in Afghanistan , Regina

When I heard there were protesters parading around an Obama event carrying assault weapons , I immediately thought of a search string I recently saw in my Statcounter. why isnt obama dead yet Chilling words. I saved it, but couldn't bear to turn the words into humour as I usually do . By now I assume you've all seen the video of a town hall participant comparing - in apparent seriousness - Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler, and referring to health care reform as a "Nazi policy". Of course we all love Senator Barney Frank's reply , but there is something very dangerous and sinister going on. When a moderate centrist like Barack Obama is publicly vilified as a Nazi, we are reminded that, despite the anti-Communist rhetoric we all grew up with, the US has never been in any serious danger of revolution from the left. The danger in the US is, as it has always been, from the right. The presence of a Democrat in the White House does not mean the danger has passed. In fact, O