1. AUSTRALIAN FOOLS REPEAL CARBON TAX Ugh. I guess politicians down under don’t listen to scientists either. No wonder Harper likes PM Tony Abbott.
2. PASSENGER PLANE SHOT DOWN IN UKRAINE Two-hundred ninety-five passengers and crew are presumed dead. Story here, updating blog here.
3. KEEP ON KILLING No ceasefire in Gaza.
4. IT’S LEGAL FOR GOVERNMENTS TO RAID EI SURPLUSES Whatevs. This is just robbing unemployed Canadians to pay for unsustainable low taxation rates.
5. FRAUD! BRIBERY! BREACH OF TRUST! Expert scandaler Mike Duffy faces 31 charges. Note to all the children reading this: “scandler” is a made-up word. It’s okay when I use it, though. I’m a professional editor!
6. MEANWHILE IN MARVEL-VILLE All kinds of changes! Thor’s a lady! Captain America’s black! And more! It all sounds mildly interesting I guess, but I think I’ll stick to indie comics.
7. IT’S GETTING SMOKY OUT THERE Ninety per cent of Saskatchewan will get smoke from Northwest Territory fires today. Yup, including Regina. Northern Saskatchewan will be hit the hardest. Here’s what you can do.
8. POWER DUMB Here’s a story about SaskPower’s so-called smart meters.
9. MUCH ADO ABOUT FLAVOURED CIGARETTES Read all about it. If anyone cares/wants to yell at me, I’m opposed to banning flavoured cigarettes. No marketing them to children? Sure. rules for packaging? Definitely–what’s happening now should not be allowed. No advertising? Okay! Penalize the crap out of people who provide tobacco to children? Go for it. But at a certain point, after all the anti-tobacco public education (which is fantastic!) and all the restrictions and regulations (which I support!), adults ought to be allowed to smoke their goddamn gross flavoured cancer-candy. There must be better solutions than outright bans.
10. STILL MORE ON THE SHOUTY, FAKE CHRISTIANS Hey look, it’s another news story that doesn’t address the fact that the Scarth Mall evangelists were saying homophobic, misogynistic and culturally bigoted things. I think the free speech angle is important to cover too, but what’s more important is that these jerks oppose same-sex marriage. Would a protest against interracial marriage be legal? It definitely would face zero tolerance. Same-sex marriage is analogous. Love is love and same-sex attraction is normal. Infinitely more normal than joining a so-called “Christian” cult and shouting at strangers to repent.
11. A PRE-EMPTIVE OBITUARY FOR MUCH MUSIC Good article in Now.
VIDEO: WEIRD AL SCHOOLS I don’t think this has been on the blog yet. That’s not right. Barb Saylor, this one is for you!
