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This week there are several events in support of Iraq War resisters in Canada. In Toronto, there are two on the same night! In the west end, Jon Brooks will be performing at Lula Lounge. Our long-time supporter Antonia Zerbisias will say a few words, if her broken wrist permits. And war resister Jeremy Hinzman will introduce and emcee. Admission is a suggested donation of $20: details here . In the east end, Mr. Rick and the Biscuits will perform at the "Support - Don't Deport" benefit jam, to benefit war resisters Phil McDowell and Jamine Aponte. Details here. The music will be great, the cause even better. Join us for one or both. If you're not in Toronto or can't attend, please consider donating through ChipIn .

At 6:00 tonight, Parliament will vote on this motion submitted by the Bloc Québécois. That this House condemn the government’s decision to unilaterally prolong the Canadian mission in Afghanistan to 2014, thus reneging on two promises made to the population – in the House on May 10, 2006 and reiterated in the Throne Speech of 2007 – to submit any military deployment to a Parliamentary vote, and the promise made January 6, 2010 to make the Afghanistan mission strictly a civilian mission after 2011, with no military presence other than the personnel required to protect the embassy. If you agree, make your voice heard. The virtual march on Ottawa has been a great success. Members of Parliament have been swamped with phone calls. Ten thousand postcards have been delivered; tens of thousands of signatures on petitions are being faxed to MPs offices right now. Please take a moment to make one last call to your MP and the party leaders and demand they bring the troops home. Prime Minister Ste...

You remember I had a brief but unpleasant run-in with a Toronto cop: here . I filed a complaint, and when I went in for the interview , I was told I had three options: informal resolution, withdrawal and formal complaint. The detective took great pains to explain to me - several times - that "withdrawal" didn't actually mean withdrawal, that it's an incorrect term for that option. She specifically told me - several times - that a withdrawn complaint is an "accountability mechanism", because the complaint will stay on the officer's record for two years. The department can thus see if this was an isolated incident or if there is a pattern of similar behaviour. The detective was clearly steering me in the direction of withdrawal. She said the first option, informal resolution, required a face-to-face meeting with the officer and was a route seldom taken. The third option, formal complaint, was a long, involved process involving an investigation and usually ...

George Galloway, on the close of his 12-city, ban-busting tour of Canada. He'll be back!

Canadian Press: The mother of a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan picketed outside Liberal MP Bob Rae’s Toronto office on Saturday to urge the federal Conservative government to bring the troops home next year. Josie Forcadilla is upset about the extension of a Canadian military presence in Afghanistan until 2014. The government announced this month that a contingent of troops will remain to train Afghan troops after the combat mission ends in July 2011. “Whether the mission is combat or non-combat, the soldiers will still be at risk,” she said, noting some of the 153 Canadian soldiers who have died in support of the Afghan mission were trainers. Forcadilla, 54, was among roughly a dozen people protesting outside Rae’s constituency office Saturday afternoon. The Opposition Liberals have supported the idea of Canadian soldiers remaining in Afghanistan, provided it’s a non-combat role. The group meant to bring Rae an anti-war petition with 10,000 signatures, but found his office closed. Vo...

We always spend the last night of our US Thanksgiving trip at the home of my brother and sister-in-law in central New Jersey (near the city of New Brunswick, for those who know the state). We stay up late talking and drinking wine with some combination of friends - who happen to be siblings, nieces, nephews, and their respective partners - then wake up early to hit the road. The drive takes us through a part of New Jersey to Pennsylvania, through the Delaware Water Gap , up through the Poconos to New York State, then straight up through New York, emerging at the New York State Thruway at Syracuse. We usually stop for a late breakfast near Scranton. (You may know the name from "The Office". It is indeed a real town in Pennsylvania.) But on this trip, we got horribly lost after leaving my brother's home - trying to correct a simple wrong turn just got worse and worse, and we wasted nearly two hours of drive-time. Because of this, we didn't want to take an hour for break...

We had such a great trip. Tala especially had the time of her life. She loves the car - no, that's not quite it, she's obsessed with the car. This is the only dog I've ever seen who loves to leave the dog park, because it means more car time! This trip included two trips of more than 10 hours each, plus several shorter drives. Tala heaven. She still barks furiously at every passing car on the highway, but on longer trips, she'll give up and lie down for long stretches of time, before popping up and resuming her game. We have some sedatives - only the second time we've ever used them for her - but even with the drugs, the first hour or three is solid barking. We've done extensive training to try and correct this, but after working for weeks to see a microscopically small improvement on training trips - only to see that gain wiped out in the first 30 seconds of normal car travel - we gave up. Hey, no one's perfect, not even Tala. In addition to her mega car ...

The US is warning that the next WikiLeaks release of classified State Department documents will "put countless lives in danger" . Let me get this straight. There's this country that regularly invades other countries to control their resources, wantonly kills hundreds of thousands of civilians, engages in torture and indefinite imprisonment, and throws away the lives, health and sanity of thousands of its own soldiers, while allowing its own citizens to go without decent jobs, education and health care. And there are these other people who try to show what is actually happening or has happened in a war of that country's making. And it's that second group that are putting lives in danger.

I love to see the mainstream media jumping on the local/organic food bandwagon. When you hear a story on AM drive-time radio about buying local to preserve Ontario farms, as a co-worker of mine recently reported, you know a very high level of public awareness has been breached. The Globe and Mail is running a series about food production . Many of the stories focus on corporate agriculture, food safety, subsidies, and genetically modified foods, but it also includes stories about the local eating movement, food traceability and how to at least partially extricate oneself from the global food chain. Depending on how well versed you are with this issue, it may or may not tell you anything new, but the fact that it's there is very welcome. One story emphasizes raising your own consciousness about the origins of what you eat, and making small changes - the perfect strategy for the beginner. Lesson 1: Be aware of your choices Even if you can't afford to buy local, free-range and or...

This morning we read that the US State Department is warning its allies about an impending WikiLeaks release that "could damage U.S. relations with allies around the world". Ottawa is among the "warned," but Canadians can feel secure in the knowledge that their country will not be alienated from the United States, come what may. I'm quite confident that there is nothing the US could possibly say or do that would cause Stephen Harper or Michael Ignatieff to even harshly criticize the US, let alone distance themselves from US policy in any way. When it comes to the old stereotype of Canada kissing up to the US for approval, this Conservative-Liberal coalition government does not disappoint.

If you're following the Stacy Bonds police abuse story and subsequent "investigation" (quotes necessary), don't miss this important follow-up by Dr. Dawg ( note new address !). The uniformed criminal that humiliated Stacy Bonds has a history: "Portrait of a thug" .

[ redsock guest post ] Laura recently offered her thoughts on war resister Dave Ward's declaration that he is neither coward nor hero . Laura wrote:"People who call [war resisters] cowards are idiots." Then she asked me to offer perhaps a more substantive reply. At various events, I have heard resisters mention being called cowards and why they felt the description was undeserved. Their answers often center on the fact that they have actually been in Iraq -- for years, in some cases -- and know first-hand what is going on. Having participated in dozens of house raids, having assisted in funneling innocent civilians into the US's torture chambers, having intimate knowledge of the vast carnage the US is committing and how the military is working overtime to hide the truth far from the eyes and ears of its citizens (the people who are funding the slaughter), they were in a far better position to render a verdict on the legality and morality* of the occupation. All that ...

When I posted a recent Facebook meme - listing your top 15 most important or influential authors - Allan suggested I start a regular list series. I surprised both of us by going for it. I've never wanted to do anything like this with my blog before. But it's fun! I like seeing what readers post; I like the tangential discussions that develop. I have lots of lists in mind, some thoughtful, some frivolous. I'll label the list posts, so it will be easy to join in older threads at any time. Borrowing (vaguely) from Allan's popular "Everybody Loves A Contest" series, I'll call the series "we like lists". The "15 authors" post is the first in the series. As for rules, we won't use artificial time limits like "the first 10 that come to mind" or "15 in 15 minutes". Take your time. Brief explanations - a phrase or a sentence - are welcome. Long explanations detract from list-making fun, I think - but I won't kick ...

Canadian Press: Political firebrand George Galloway took his message straight into the heart of Alberta's conservative country Tuesday evening and into the city represented in part by the man who earlier blocked his entry into Canada. The former British MP -- once a member of the Labour Party and more recently a founder of the left-wing Respect Party -- spoke to more than 750 people who braved the -28 C temperature to take in his speech at the University of Calgary. His current speaking tour of Canada replaces the one he had planned for last year when he was denied entry into the country over his alleged financial support of the Palestinian group Hamas. Ottawa considers Hamas a terrorist organization. Immigration officials later let Galloway into the country following a Federal Court ruling that was critical of the government, saying its decision to keep him out was in part politically motivated. "I'm astounded at this turnout on this bitter winter's evening. I thought...

Was it a fluke? Has the harassment order been rescinded? Was the border guard at Lewiston just having a bad - or good - day? We don't know. We only know that we crossed the border from Canada to the US without being detained. No surrendering of keys, no armed escort into the station, no pointless waiting, no pointless questions. There was a lot of traffic at the crossing, and after waiting almost an hour to get to the booth, I was dreading another long wait inside. Plus I was quite nervous about having Tala with us during this ordeal. And then... nothing. The usual questions about reason for visit, length of stay, and such, and we were on our way. Once safely out of range, we whooped and shouted. Then I promptly started texting like mad. Thanks for all your good wishes. It's been a long day, but a good one. I have some posts percolating and free time on the way, so you might hear from me.

We're off - all three of us! Tala is joining us this year. I'm not looking forward to finding out how the border goons deal with dogs. But once we're on the other side, it will be great. This trip marks one year since our border troubles began , after I used my passport for something concerning a war resister a few months earlier. Having been detained four times in the past year, I'm wondering if there's a sunset provision on the harassment, or if it will go on as long as my friend is AWOL, or perhaps forever. Allan has now crossed twice without me, and breezed through with no problem. Nice to know I'm special.

George Galloway, currently on a cross-country speaking tour in Canada, has pledged the proceeds of his lawsuit against the Canadian government to the Canadian peace movement. He's been announcing this in local and national Canadian media all over the country, and the news has been rocketing through the anti-war movement. Galloway's generosity and strength of commitment is so energizing for all of us who work for peace. On the tour, Galloway has also been addressing the recent conference of the misnamed "Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism," more properly called The Return of McCarthyism. In an excellent post, Paul S. Graham quoted Galloway: Well, it’s all very mysterious. That’s the first point. The Canadian taxpayer paid a pretty penny for this conference, even though they were entirely locked out of it. No media were permitted in it. We have no proper record of who was there. The attendance list even has not been published despite the taxpayer ...

New York Times aficionados, past (like me) or current, will appreciate this: "Thomas Friedman: I Kinda Wanna Make Out With China" - and other classics , by Erin Judge .

The day after the Conservative-controlled Senate squashed the climate change bill, this from the Council of Canadians : Poll suggests Harper Government out of step with Canadians Thursday, November 18, 2010 With just over a week before the next major round of UN climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, results of an Environics Research poll suggest that the Canadian public has far different priorities than the government when it comes to climate change. Over 80 percent of Canadians agree that too much focus on economic growth and consumerism is a root cause of climate change. They also affirm that industrialized countries – which have historically produced the most greenhouse gas emissions – bear the most responsibility for reducing emissions. “The results indicate Canadians understand that the climate crisis requires a change in economic, social, and environmental priorities. If Canadians were deciding our climate policy we would be following a very different path,” says Andrea H...

My friend and comrade Peter alerted me (and many others) to this hideous ad. Paul Fromm, a mayoral candidate in the recent Mississauga municipal election, is known for his fascist views. A former teacher, Fromm lost his job when he refused to end his association with white supremacist groups. He has written for Stormfront, and has had a series of human rights complaints against him. Mississauga, the sixth largest city in Canada, would barely exist if it weren't for immigration. Our city is a living, breathing example of the vibrancy of multiculturalism, and proof that Canadian multiculturalism works. Therefore I have no doubt that some residents of Mississauga - perhaps some of those who lived here when it was a white, rural enclave (before it was called Mississauga) - object to our beautiful mosaic. Of course, those folks are all descendants of immigrants, too, but they conveniently forget that fact when blaming their bitter lives on their brown neighbours. Fromm received 917 vote...

Canadian readers, don't forget - today - to contact Stephen Harper, Lawrence Cannon, the party Leaders, and your MP. Tell them: Don't extend it! END IT! Phone numbers and details here.

By now I hope everyone has heard about the new regulations on airport screening from the US's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Full-body scanning equipment ("naked scanners") have been installed in 68 US airports, with more on the way. If you object to increasing your daily dose of radiation, you can opt for a full-body "pat down" by guards, i.e., being sexually assaulted by strangers. As the ACLU puts it, "Giving people a choice between being virtually strip-searched in an x-ray machine or enduring an aggressive groping is really no choice at all." But don't worry, the person sticking their hands down your pants will be a trained professional. Or not. You've seen the video of the man refusing the scan at the San Diego airport and the children's book cover parody that made the rounds. (Amazingly, more than one Canadian blogger was fooled!) But the implications for freedom to travel, ...

War-resister blogger Dave Ward says he is neither coward nor hero . Obviously I don't think war resisters are cowards. And frankly, I think the people who call them cowards are idiots. I won't address that particular idiocy in this post. I'm going to ask redsock to guest-post on that topic in part two of this post. But it was interesting for me to read that DW also doesn't like being called a hero. At least once, whenever I talk to a group of people about the path that led me here, someone utters the word "hero" as if it were a compliment. . I cringe every time I hear it. Just as I'm no coward, I'm no hero, either. Deciding to shed my uniform and walk away from the military wasn't a heroic act. It was an enormously painful experience for me, and I agonized about it for - literally - months. For those months, I continued to execute my orders and support my unit. I continued to give orders that would result in the deaths of innocent civilians in...

You may recall that I had a minor incident with a Toronto police officer in late September. Along with many other people, I was prevented from crossing the street by a photo shoot, and was in danger of missing my GO bus - which would mean an additional hour of commute in between my two 12-hour weekend shifts. While I was wrangling with the condescending production assistant, a police officer completely over-reacted, charging at me, grabbing my arms and shoving me against the barricade. I filed a complaint, and today was my interview about that complaint. (As an aside, I'd like to note that I always intended to file the complaint. Hoping to stave off some anticipated cynicism, I noted that the complaint would probably do nothing - which perhaps gave an impression that I might not follow through. That was not in doubt.) Going to the interview, I was quite nervous. I've been more nervous dealing with police as I get older, maybe because I've seen more of the reality of what ...

Up for some bar hopping? From east to west, Toronto is fundraising for Iraq War resisters. On Thursday, December 2 , join us for one - or both! - of these events. Bring your friends, hear some music, have a drink and help raise much needed funds for the ongoing fight to keep Iraq War resisters in Canada. In the west end, Canadian singer-songwriter Jon Brooks performs a benefit for the War Resisters Support Campaign, with special guest, goddess of the blogosphere, Facebook and Twitter, Antonia Zerbisias . Iraq War resister Jeremy Hinzman will also speak. When: Thursday, December 2, 8 pm Where: Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas Street West, Toronto Suggested donation: $20 or pay what you can Dinner reservation guarantees seating: call 416.588.0307 On the east End, join the "Support Don't Deport Benefit Jam" in support of war resisters Phil McDowell and Jamine Aponte, featuring special musical guests Mr. Rick & the Biscuits and Darren Eedens, and comedian Robin Crossman. When: T...

On November 18, people all across Canada will call their MPs and the Party Leaders and demand: Don't Extend It. End It. The Conservative-Liberal coalition government is about to extend Canada's war in Afghanistan a full three years without so much as a Parliamentary debate. The Prime Minster says there's no need for debate. Keeping 1,000 Canadian troops in Afghanistan at a cost of $3 billion - against the will of 80% of Canadians! - needs no further discussion. Stephen Harper is expected to announce the details of the extension of the Canadian deployment this week. He needs to hear from you! Let the Prime Minister and the Party Leaders know that Canadians are against any extension of the war in Afghanistan and want the troops brought home now. On Thursday, November 18, join the virtual march on Ottawa. Phone, email, fax and write your MP and the Party leaders. Demand an end to this endless, useless war. Step 1 Just cut and paste the following e-mails into the address line: ...

Does anyone know who took this photo? I posted it here but I don't know how I obtained it. If you know you took this photograph, could you please contact me? The photographer can remain anonymous as she or he wishes, but can also give consent for the photo to be used as part of the G20 inquiry.

George Galloway's "Free Palestine Free Afghanistan Free Speech" cross-Canadian tour kicks off today in Toronto. Galloway will be appearing in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, then back to Toronto for a second date, then Hamilton, Vancouver, Calgary (that ought to be fun), Yellowknife, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ottawa. If you haven't heard Galloway speak, it's a real treat. The full schedule is here .

Last summer , I was dismayed - horrified, really - to discover that all the clear plastic packaging I've been throwing into the recycling bin for years is not, in fact, recyclable ( details ). I emailed with both Region of Peel Waste Management and my MPP's office, but ended up in a runaround, each office telling me someone else was responsible. Later, I wrote about a related green problem: non-recyclable plastics and organic lettuce . In short, other than buying eggs in cardboard containers, we haven't been able to cut down on buying clear plastic at all. We're not able to shop at a farmer's market, and so much of the produce we buy at Loblaws is packed in clear plastic, even if it hasn't traveled very far from farm to store. It really bothers me, and I haven't been able to do anything about it. So I was very happy when wmtc reader and friend Stephanie sent me this petition: Stop Packaging Local Fruit in Plastic . It was started by two women in Ottawa, thro...

Watch it. Stand up for this Canadian and for all the troops. Stand up for democracy! Tell Stephen Harper and his coalition partner, Michael Ignatieff: Don't extend it! End it!

In my recent update , I mentioned I did some pro-choice pamphletting. The anti-choice group that targets universities was planning a demonstration outside of Robarts, the main library at the University of Toronto, and some local activists organized a counter-demonstration. Fortunately for me, it coincided perfectly with my class schedule and I was able to join in. Anti-choicers held signs on one corner, and pro-choicers had a few people on all four corners of the intersection, which is very busy with pedestrian traffic. We were handing out buttons and this excellent pamphlet: 10 Lies that Anti-Choice Groups Are Telling You About Abortion . At one point, two fetus-lovers came to work the corner I was on, handing out pamphlets with those very lies. I thought to myself, 20 years ago, I wouldn't have been able to do this. I couldn't have shared a space with those people. Within 15 minutes, I'd be arrested for assault. Yeah, yeah, free speech, their right to their opinion, all t...

Updates, we have updates. I am better! I feel like myself again. Myself before I fell off the cliff last week - the almost-50, fibromyalgia version of myself. My brain functioning has returned to its usual suboptimal level, and my energy is back. Whew. Huge whew. The pain and tenderness level, on the other hand, is monstrous. My nerve endings must be going berserk. So that sucks, but it's much easier to live with pain than with pain plus fatigue and brain fog. Remember when I identified the single greatest challenge of my grad school experience? Well, yesterday I emailed redsock from class to announce an unexpectedly kick-ass grade. His reply: FRY TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had forgotten all about the A+ rule ! I owe myself some fries! This week I was alerted that some anti-choicers would be demonstrating outside Robarts, the main library at the University of Toronto. As it happened, I had a class right next door the same day. I drove in early and joined the counter-demo for a couple...

I could not resist this memelike thing from a Facebook friend. It's a great insight into your friends' influences and loves. "Fifteen authors": Which authors have influenced you and will always stick with you? If you're game, list the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag 15 friends, including me; I'm interested in seeing which authors you choose. My list: George Orwell John Steinbeck Charles Dickens Howard Zinn William Shakespeare S. E. Hinton E. B. White Emily Bronte Saul Bellow Toni Morrison Graham Greene William Kennedy Paul Zindel Gloria Steinem Michael Pollan Yours?

Honour the dead by working for peace .

When I posted some videos from It Gets Better , there was a brief discussion in comments about some criticisms of the whole It Gets Better project. I didn't have time or patience to respond to those complaints, but directed readers to this post by msjacks of The Bitter Buffalo . Now Impudent Strumpet has written a comprehensive and compassionate response to the critics of It Gets Better: " Building a better It Gets Better ". If you're interested in this discussion, this is highly recommended reading.

Peter Smollett, writing in the Toronto Star : The last veterans of World War I have left us and their place in the ranks has been taken by survivors of more recent wars. As the last notes of The Last Post fade away on Remembrance Day, speakers and journalists will have their say about the brave young men who “died for all of us” or “who died for freedom.” But the rhetoric comes too easily. Did the “Unknown Soldier” and all of his comrades of the Great World War really die “for all of us”? Or were they slaughtered in a brutal and criminal war. Were they heroes or tragic victims? Many can only bear the awfulness of these deaths by believing that they died for some noble cause. The tragedy of that particular war is that they didn’t. They died for an ignoble cause. They died to divvy up colonies, markets and raw materials, and to enhance the careers of politicians and generals. Perhaps as we honour the 60,000 Canadian dead of World War I we should make room for recognition of those other ...