Comments (14)

By Katie Kish, February 6, 2008 4:56 pm

“Stewie, your head is so smooth. How the… how…how are you doin’ that?”

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=QHG8cjI5B-w[/youtube]

More times than I can count the topic of drugs has come up around my dining room table, either just in passing or because my brother wants to get a rise out of my stepdad. … Every time the topic comes up my stepdad (Paul) goes off about how “fucking stupid” (yeah, ministers say fucking!) pot is, how he has never tried it and so on and so forth…

My brother then tries to explain to him that it’s completely fine. And of course because Paul is like 90 (or like 65…) he tells Andrew to STFU because he is just immature and doesn’t realize the true dangers in the drug. He also goes off about how cigarettes wouldn’t be legal if they were being legalized at the same time as pot, not before. But the funny thing is – he never mentions alcohol – which is is apparently a firm believer in.

It’s not that I mean he’s an alcoholic, because by no means is he… but him and my mom have a bottle of wine with dinner, and he drinks a couple glasses of scotch. He doesn’t get drunk and stumble around the house or anything – it’s tasteful. Sort of like when Andrew or I take a few responsible tokes of a joint and go about our daily lives… or do it to just wind down from a busy day.

But pot is the bad guy! … I thought it was, right? … Last March alcohol was rated as “worse” than ecstasy on a new UK rating scale. In fact both tobacco and alcohol were put as worse than XTC, LSD and of course marijuana.

They asked a group of 29 consultant psychiatrists who specialise in addiction to rate the drugs in nine categories. Three of these related to physical harm, three to the likelihood of addiction and three to social harms such as healthcare costs. The team also extended the analysis to another group of 16 experts spanning several fields including chemistry, pharmacology, psychiatry, forensics, police and legal services.

The results?

Cocaine and heroin are the worst. Alcohol was rated at number 5, and tobacco at number 9 just after speed. Pot 11th, LSD 14th and XTC 18th. (The type of pot measured was skunk – so stronger than what people would have been smoking in the 60′s.)

The position of ecstasy near the bottom of the list was defended by Prof Nutt, who said that apart from some tragic isolated cases ecstasy is relatively safe. Despite about a third of young people having tried the drug and around half a million users every weekend, it causes fewer than 10 deaths a year. One person a day is killed by acute alcohol poisoning and thousands more from chronic use.

What the hell? So we can all go out to a bar and legally drink and smoke two drugs that kill millions upon millions of people ever single year – but we can’t pop a pill that kills less than 10 people a year?? And that is cheaper than a night of drinker?? And that doesn’t have the horrible hang over affect?? And that just makes you flat out happy?? And that doesn’t cause whiskey dick?? And that just makes sex better?? …………. What the hell. Fo shizzle.

I dont know why, but it was really hard to find a working version of this clip of Peter Griffin on ecstasy. But it’s hilarious. Just remember – just because you feel like you’re an amazing dancer on E, doesn’t mean you are…

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=J4H8ihMJhow[/youtube]

Comments (6)

By Katie Kish, January 23, 2007 12:51 pm

This time I won’t get side tracked from my actual canadian content. I’ve decided to make all my Women On Air shows fully Canadian from here on out too. Last week I played all Verve Remixed songs – so there was zero Canadian content…

Also – a little girl, like 6 years old, just came into the station and asked me how I got my boobs to be so big. I told her I only ever drank chocolate milk, and now she seems very set on only drinking chocolate milk. heh.

The Harper government is celebrating its one year anniversary. Suffice to say Harper is damn proud of all the stuff he’s achieved in the past year – while I still sit here and say he has done absolutely nothing commendable. Once he start recognizing the environment and our aboriginals THEN I’ll be happy to acknowledge that he’s actually doing something for our Country.

"I do still admit that I occasionally pinch myself to make sure I am
not dreaming," he told the crowd of people seated in front of him, many
wearing Conservative party T-shirts.

Me too Harper… me too. Sometimes I punch myself in the face really really hard trying to wake myself up.

He listed the initiatives his government has delivered over the year,
including cutting the GST and creating a universal childcare benefit.

He lauded his government’s tough stance on street racing, its
decision to beef up the Canadian military and its ability to resolve
the softwood lumber dispute with the United States.

Most importantly, he said, his government delivered what he called
"the most comprehensive anti-corruption law in Canadian history, the
Accountability Act."

The Accountability Act, a key element of Harper’s election campaign,
was created in the wake of the sponsorship scandal, with the aim of
cleaning up the way government does business.

The GST cut is horrible. I am a big fan of taxes. I don’t mind paying them one bit. People always tell me about the high taxes in Sweden as a way to attempt to convince me not to move there – but honestly, there are a reason there are taxes. They benefit those that need it. And the universal childcare was a complete joke. Single mothers are no better off.

And those street races, we really did need to cut back on those… *eye roll* … Oh and our military, yeah, because Canada clearly needs a military… This is probably the one thing that pissed me off the most. Putting more guards at the boarder and "beefing up" the military. Honestly – we’re canada… since when has Canada ever really run into a problem that involved "lack of military". As for the soft wood lumber dispute, we’re selling our trees to the states, and then buying the products back for more than we sold them – how is that a resolution?

The Accountability Act was as much of a scam as the "war on terror" was. It was a way to make the country gain false trust in a government. I hate Harper. And all his attempts to cover up the real issues.

A
television ad urging Stephen Harper to make good on an election
commitment to boost the use of renewable fuels was rejected for
broadcast because the Prime Minister had not given his permission.

The ad features a short clip of Harper making the pledge in 2005 and
the Television Bureau of Canada, which vets TV ads on behalf of private
broadcasters, said his approval was needed before it could air – even
though the statement was made at a public campaign event.

This is my angry face… >:-(

In Toronto they’re trying to enforce helmets for sledding.

Snow’s arrival means kids are enjoying the winter pastime of
tobogganing, but some might be soured by a new mandatory helmet law
being proposed by two Toronto-area councilors.

The initiative comes on the heels of two Canadian children who were
killed earlier this month from injuries suffered while sledding.

Tobogganing accidents have killed at least seven people in Canada since 2003. All were children, except for one 18-year-old.

Well now that just takes the fun out of. Being safe isn’t fun at all. I say let the kids dent their heads.

I wasted too much time ranting about Harper… I wanted to do a larger section on Pickton, but whatever. His trial is progressing… well, I don’t even know how to describe a trial like this one.

The evidence was graphic and horrendous to say the least; talk of
severed heads in freezers and other body parts strewn about the Port
Coquitlam property.

And while hearing this is difficult and
unpleasant for anyone, it’s particularly hard for family members of the
missing women, like Ernie Crey, "Well, it’s difficult. I’m at home
alone and, you know it’s, it’s, it’s very hard and it’s all caught up
to me as you can probably tell."

Today they heard Pickton’s own words.

Robert
Pickton’s face and voice were put before jurors today as the Crown
played taped conversations with police about the remains of women found
on his pig farm.

First up after an initial police witness was
about 11 hours worth of videotape evidence. The tape was taken at the
RCMP detachment in Surrey, B.C., in February 2002.

That article also makes a really good point that I think I over looked a little too much in my last brief outline of the Pickton case:

Davies said there’s urgency to the desperate situation on the Downtown
Eastside, where most of the women were sex-trade workers.

"If
this had happened to any other group of women it would have been a
national emergency," she said. "Politicians don’t like to pay attention
to it."

Had this of been a group of university women, or say 12 year old girls, or stewardesses the entire country would know about this trial, and people would be going absolutely insane. But because these women were in a profession that others feel as though they can look down on hardly anyone has heard about the cases. I’m trying to see why that’s fair.

…Or what makes a university student any more worthy of our concern, support and emotions than someone who chooses a life of sexual endeavors. Their occupation makes them no less a woman than me or any other woman on the planet – I think they should get getting the same sort of recognition than any other group of 31 missing women would get.

This isn’t canadian news, but it’s about dinosaurs. …and i really like dinosaurs.

A new study of one of the earliest
feathered dinosaurs suggests it may have had upper and lower sets of
wings, much like the biplanes of early aviation.

Jurassic park taught me that years ago. Heh. Dinosaurs are so cool.

Comments (1)

By Katie Kish, October 26, 2006 2:32 pm

Status of Women Canada (SWC) is the federal government agency which promotes gender equality, and the full participation of women in the economic, social, cultural and political life of the country. SWC focuses its work in three areas: improving women’s economic autonomy and well-being, eliminating systemic violence against women and children, and advancing women’s human rights.

Status of Women Canada (SWC) is the federal government agency which promotes gender equality, and the full participation of women in the economic, social, cultural and political life of the country. SWC focuses its work in three areas: improving women’s economic autonomy and well-being, eliminating systemic violence against women and children, and advancing women’s human rights.

[link]SWC works to provide Canadians with strengthened and more equitable public policy by conducting gender-based analysis and promoting its application throughout the federal government. It supports research that brings the gender dimensions of policy issues into the public agenda. SWC also plays a vital role in supporting the work of women’s and other equality-seeking organizations. It promotes women’s equality in collaboration with organizations from the non-governmental, voluntary and private sectors. In promoting women’s equality globally, SWC works with other countries and international organizations.

This site is designed to provide you with access to the tools to learn about and promote women’s equality. For example, you can find information on gender-based analysis; initiatives to address SWC priorities; the Policy Research Fund; the Women’s Program that provides financial, technical and professional assistance to support priority issues for the advancement of women’s equality; International Women’s Day; the Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case; and key dates for women. You also have access to our news releases and can order from our list of publications which includes the Setting the Stage for the Next Century: The Federal Plan for Gender Equality.

So what? Their budget was cut from $13 million to $8 million. Hello real government priorities. Thanks Harper. Thanks.

SWC is home to the Women’s Program which funds organizations that monitor
and work to uphold Canada’s accountability to the principles of equality
enshrined in the Charter and in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The announcement of the SWC cut follows last week’s 11th hour restitution of
federal funding to some national women’s organizations by Minister Beverley
Oda and appears to be the latest cat-and-mouse game being played with the
values held by a majority of Canadians.

The strength and integrity of SWC is integral to efforts of organizations
working to protect women’s rights. We do work such as this because while
some crucial legal reforms have granted equality to women in Canada, the
substance of daily life for many women fails to live up to the promise that
formal structures indicate.

The gap between real-life experience and legal equality is the basis for
much of the work undertaken by SWC and the women’s groups it supports. Until
now, they were together supported at the bargain-basement cost of $24
million federal dollars a year (compared to the $15 billion announced by
Harper in June for military vehicles over the next few years).

The announced set of cuts raises serious concerns about the Harper
Government’s ability to effectively steward the social values of Canadians.
As such, we will be watching closely in the coming weeks for what other
truths are revealed regarding this government’s commitment to women’s
equality in Canada, and to the full equality of all citizens.

Signed:
Canadian Council for Muslim Women
Canadian Federation of University Womem
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
DAWN Ontario: DisAbled Women’s Network
MATCH International
Womenspace
YWCA Canada

Pfft… women don’t need equality. They really don’t deserve the money to try and ensure equality. Screw you Haper. Screw you.

Comments (4)

By Katie Kish, October 23, 2006 4:41 am

I wasn’t even aware that people are still exiled.

Legal experts on both sides of the border are scratching their heads
after a U.S. judge told a Buffalo teacher convicted of having sex with
a 15-year-old girl he could avoid a one-year jail sentence by accepting
a three-year exile to Canada.

Yes, PLEASE America. SEND US YOUR SEX PERVERTS!

I remember alon and I fighting for like…literally an entire day over Canada’s sex laws. We probably broke up over it for acouple days… we broke up over everything. I hate immature relationships. Anyway… here is the deal

In Canada, the age of consent is 14 years unless sex occurs during a
relationship of trust or dependency, such as teacher-student — in which
case it becomes criminal. In June, the Conservatives in Ottawa moved to raise the sexual age of consent by two years from 14 to 16 years.In New York state the age of consent for male-female sex is 17.

I a post for sexual assualt and consent ages if I wasn’t going to bed now.
But seriously… this EXILED to canada?! We don’t want your crap!

Comments (0)

By Katie Kish, October 20, 2006 2:48 am

Something thats really not new, the US is interfereing with politics that it should have no effect on. But now Bushy-Wushy-Poo is admiting that it is like the Vietnam war. More in war news – apparently Europe may get screwed over by backing Israel -Iran. And a bit of a round up about all the killing in Sri Lanka.

The continuing dispute of the veil business really really bothers me. I, generally speaking, don’t like religion. I think religion is destructive, dangerous and ultimately false. However I don’t believe in/think it is any right of anyone else’s in the world to put their beliefes on someone else or to stop them from practicing their own religion… especially when it is doing *no harm* to anyone. What harm does a veil do? Making women take it off underminds their religious traditions and their rights as a human being. Fuck off.

(Btw, totally unrelated, the amount of salt that is put on trail mix at the grocery stores here is so disgusting that it actually stings my lips.)

Back onto the topic of women, stereotyping may be part of the causation of lower math scores. …I’ve heard this theory a few times before, actually. And sleeping less might be making our youth fat. (There is probably a ton of correlation here with diet though really – considering not eating properly will fuck up ones sleeping patterns…)

I just thought I’d take a moment to address this headline:

Is there a flaw in internet explorer 7?

More than likely.

From Canada – the clear air act is crap. What? Harper trying to impliment yet another environmental plan that is completely ineffective?!? And the Avs are kicking Canadian ass. *woot woot* First Vancouver (oh BURN!) followed by Toronto, and then Ottawa. And talk about a sweet Vancouver game – the only guys that scored on Vancouver were Swedes. Bwa ha. (The over all current standings are pretty pathetic, with Buffalo, Minnesota and San Jose in the top 3. Boo urns. …Sorry, I really will try to limit my hockey posting this season. I just get excited.) Just one more hockey headline… I really love Forsberg, but he is such a fucking baby. Seriously. This guy has been hurt every season at least 3 times. He better not be a big a pansy in bed or i forsee some problems in our future relationship.