I'm a published writer!!!

Hey All,
So I've been busy drafting letters to the relevant people in Ottawa about the fiasco that was the Bali Conference. Well I guess it wasn't a complete fiasco; we did sign something -- a commitment to come together again and do more talking. So frustrating!! Was it worth all the carbon emissions it took to get those politicians to Bali? Well John Baird had a lovely vacay and was spotted wandering around in his flip flops enjoying the beaches of Bali while they are still there. I guess he is gettin' while the gettin's good.

I wrote a letter to my local newspaper that was published in yesterday's paper. Here's a copy:

To the Editor,

I am embarrassed by the Conservative government’s efforts to push through a watered down plan to stem climate change. Due to pressure from the US, Canada, and Japan, a compromise was finally reached whereby nations signed onto a roadmap that omits specific emission target reductions. Outlining specific emission target reductions was a central goal of the Bali conference, so the Conservative government has succeeded in stalling the process once more. Not only is our reputation being tarnished on an international stage, Canada’s stance on the global warming issue with regard to the developing world is discompassionate. Our wealth and lifestyle is partly due to exploiting the resources and cheap labour force of the developing world. As well, as one of the worlds leading greenhouse gas emitters, we are partly to blame for this problem. Turning our back on developing nations that are already feeling the effects of global warming is inhumane. It is obvious that this government is feeling the pressure from powerful lobbyists that represent the interests of this country’s corporate citizens, namely, the very wealthy energy sector. If we want the government to take into account the interests of ordinary citizens, we will have to pressure this government. It has been shown that writing personal letters is more effective than signing form letters or writing emails. Individual political actions can and do make a difference. If this is an issue you care about, do your civic duty and write the PM, the Minister of the Environment, and our local representative MP Ron Cannan. Urge the government to commit to the specific target reductions as set out by the IPCC. No postage is necessary if the title “MP” is in the address. The parliamentary address is: House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6.

Now Stephen Harper is down in the polls. To boost his popularity and make it out like he's a government that cares about the children, he announced "tougher" regulations on toys imported from China. That Stephen really likes the word "tough". But people eat this shit up. Whatever happened to critical thinking?

the alberta government stops mumps vaccinations

So I love the chance to say "I told you so". I TOLD YOU SO. Last night I was watching the news, and for once, I felt happy. Two weeks ago, Connor and I discussed the mass vaccination program that was happening in Calgary in response to a small outbreak of the mumps. Well, it seems the Alberta government has since halted the use of mumps vaccine after 5 people suffered serious side effects following administration of the vaccine. We are so groundbreaking here at bitches and homos.

I would also like to share a link with "everyone" that will make you think twice about the health benefits of dairy products. http://www.notmilk.com/
I have been attempting to eliminate dairy products from my diet. It's tough, frick. I love cheese, I love chocolate, and how can I live without that delicious cream in my coffee? I break down sometimes, I admit. To be a conscious/consciencious consumer is burdensome at times. I can see why people want to bury their head in the sand. The information is disturbing and the problem is SOOOO BIG. Not to mention to cost of buying organic, fair trade, and environmentally friendly products.
A few tidbits of information from the site:
1. Dairy has been linked to breast cancer, Crohn's disease, cancers, autism, adhd, alzheimer's to name a few.
2. Chocolate - thousands of children are kidnapped or sold into slavery to work on cocoa plantations in West Africa.
3. The information about Monsanto will blow your hair back.
4. Milk proteins in dairy are specifically made for cows not people. The proteins found in dairy have been linked with breast cancer, among other cancers. Read why, my little brain cannot summerize or paraphrase the information.
5. I couldn't read the links that pertain to animal abuses, but, well...poor cows.
6. Milk gives you zits.
As well, this site provides many links to information about the environmental havoc reaked by the dairy, meat, and commercial fishing industry.

If mothers ruled the world...

New Web Cam

soon to come

a talky on why I can't stand steven harper... just to explain the picture.

Facebook "friends"

Why I love The Kooch

So, if you know me at all, you know that I love Dennis Kucinich. Go to this link and you'll see why I think he is the man for the job of U.S. president.

http://grist.org/feature/2007/08/01/kucinich/

He doesn't get much press, and when he does it's usually negative (if one more person mentions the UFO thing -- well do your own research, don't trust the right wing media biased news to inform your opinions).

Coming soon: A talky on why I care about American politics.

trumpin' the mumps

just some facts from the research I've done

the young adults age's 17-26 who are now at 'risk' should have received the MMR (mumps. measels and rubbella) vaccinations when they were kids if born in canada - many other countries have the same vaccination policies - if you have received 2 of these shots, one at 12 months, the other at either 18 months or at 4 to 6 years of age you will have life-long immunity, check your health records before getting vaccinated

there are many reports that say if you've only recieved one vaccination shot it will lose its effectiveness over time and future vaccinations will be needed - can anyone say $$$$$$$$$

children between the ages of 2 and 12 are most commonly infected

swelling of the testes in adult males occurs in about 10-15% of all cases, infertility is extremely rare - viral meningitis and deafness are also very rare and occur mostly in the elderly

if you have already had the mumps, and it's possible you have and thought it was cold if it was a mild case, you will usually have life-long immunity

this 'outbreak' scare all started when 6 players on the U of C hockey team got the mumps - hockey players are all gross boys who share mouth gaurds and water bottles

there are some conflicting reports on the number of cases of the mumps in calgary - one says 57 since the beggining of the year but that may be counting suspected cases, another says 33 - the number of post-secondary students with confirmed cases is 15, almost half of which are on the dino's hockey team...