A Righteous Act Of Civil Disobedience. The BC Teachers' Strike.

Educators in British Columbia do not provide essential service, under current government guidelines.

So why the heavy-handed and tyrannical behaviour of the BC Liberal Party, Justice Brenda Brown, and the B.C. Public School Employers' Association?

Girls and boys , can you say collusion?

Teachers were found guilty of contempt-of-court last weekend, after the union went on strike Friday, ignoring the B.C. Labour Relations Board's order to return to work when the provincial legislature passed a law extending the teachers' current contract until next June with no wage increase, and no significant changes in class sizes, funding, or special education support. Gee, can't imagine why the teachers of British Columbia wouldn't want to rush back to their overcrowded, under-funded, aging classrooms after being told to put up and shut up.

Now Justice Brown has essentially taken control of the B.C. Teachers' Federation's assets and cash for 30 days to ensure neither union funds nor third-party donations can be used to pay strikers their $50-a-day picket allowance.

Boys and girls, can you say dictatorial?

Premier Gordon Campbell said the court's ruling means all members of society have to respect the law. Like Gordo respected the laws against drinking and driving....?

If the most vocal mommies and daddies (at least those without nannies or children in the private school system) were not being inconvenienced by having to find alternative sources of daycare for their little darlings, this job action would not have ended up in court so quickly. The lock-outs at the CBC and Telus were settled through bargaining, and the teacher's of B.C. are asking for nothing more than that.

If British Columbians feel that teachers provide an essential service (as they, of course, do) then they should be fully prepared to compensate them accordingly. If teachers are to be treated as the professionals they are, if their contribution to the province is to be recognized, great! At this point in time, the reality in this province is far removed.....to many, teachers are glorified babysitters. They are frustrated and angry and have the fortitude to stand up to a ham-fisted government and its oppressive henchmen, the Court and the B.C. Public School Employers' Association.

Good on them!

Girls and boys, can you say Machiavelli ?

A Hero Died Today.

Beverly Parent, a 50 year old Surrey, British Columbia woman, died today as the result of catastrophic injuries she received while trying to save her 70 rescued cats from a house fire on Wednesday.

Beverly Parent dedicated her life to unwanted and forgotten cats. Young, old, sick, injured throwaways, runaways and ferals were loved and nursed back to health. Every cat in Beverly's care got needed medical attention, shelter, food and, most importantly, respect. Every cat had a name, every cat was loved.

Even before Beverly Parent succumbed to her injuries there were people rushing to label her a "hoarder", a "collector", a "crazy cat lady". Those are the same people who talk a lot about problems like cat overpopoulation, but do little or nothing to help. They are quick to judge others who act, but are slow to come up with better solutions. They know who they are, and they are despicable human beings.

The only people who should be judged, and judged harshly, are those responsible for 70 cats being hungry, homeless, sick, injured, and helpless in the first place. People who see cats as "disposable" pets, people who refused to spay/neuter their cats, resulting in unwanted kittens, people who let their cats roam, people who buy kittens from pet stores. Those are the people responsible for the deaths of 59 cats who could not escape the fire, even though Beverly Parent, a true hero, gave her life trying to bring them to safety.

Beverly Parent is now beyond pain. Her work here is far from done, but with any luck, her selflessness will spur others on to take up her fight for unwanted and abused cats.

Anyone who chooses to ignore the problem of homeless cats is as guilty as those who are the cause of the problem.

Rest in peace Bevely Parent, and the 59 feline souls who accompanied you.

Know-It-Alls Are Such A PITA!

First things first, I'm opinionated. I know this, I accept this, I'm all good with this. There are few issues/events/situations/beliefs about which I do not have a fully formed opinion (ask Christine and Angelina, they both would love to talk about just how dogmatic I am) but I do not impose my beliefs on everyone, nor do I generally give unsolicited advise.

There are people who make the spaces around them toxic with their behaviours. Whiners, blamers, cling-ons, drama queens, loafers, everyone knows someone in the workplace, at school, at the gym, on a sports team, at church, who makes it really difficult to be civil.

The know-it-alls get me.

Usually self-educated about a variety of topics, these people spew their knowledge regardless of whether anyone wants, needs or cares about the information being "shared". They see themselves as "helpful" when in fact obnoxious is closer to the truth. Asking the advice of a professional is one thing, having the views of an amateur presented as fact and then given, unbidden, is totally another.

I have an acquaintance who feels the need to make her opinions known in spite of the fact that she is rarely ever asked, and her behaviour is unwelcome by some and resented by others, myself included. She often finds herself "on the outside, looking in" because people prefer to avoid her, or, in some cases, dislike her so intensely that being near her is not an option. She knows that people dislike her, but does she understand why?

Of course not.

In her mind, people are "cliquish", or they are envious, or they are somehow at fault and it can't possibly be her responsibility. Of course, her brutal honesty (emphasis on the brutal), and unwanted advice, are offered "because she cares".

Yeah whatever. Busybodies, know-it-alls and self-important people often find themselves alone, lonely and bitter. Too bad they often never realize that they are their own worst enemies.

I Beat Anorexia!

Okay, so obesity is a scourge, the reason for every evil in the world.

Fat, to some, is a synonym for "ugly", "stupid", "lazy", "weak-willed", and fat-bashing is not only one of the last acceptable prejudices, overweight people are encouraged to be self-haters.

Here's a message to my beanpole friends, my calorie counting, iron pumping, splenda addicted co-dwellers of the planet. I'm sick of "well-intentioned" (read pushy and unwelcomed) hints that I need to lose a few pounds. I don't, I need to lose many dozens of pounds, but getting snide remarks and backhanded compliments will not push me to diet, although it may push me to push the person speaking off the nearest cliff.

I'm fat. I'm not "heavy", "fluffy", "plump" or "stout". I'm short, wide and not likely to change anytime soon. I will never morph into a Barbie doll, I do not wish to look like a supermodel. I am reasonably fit, very strong, pretty healthy, and, horror of horrors to the slaves to low-carb regimens, learning to love the body I'm in.

I have not used or abused our local emergency department in all the years we have lived in Vancouver. I see my doctor maybe three or four times in a bad year, use very little sick time at work, and have enough energy, stamina and strength to keep up with my herd of high-needs dogs. I'm fat, but not unhealthy.

I do not smoke, drink alcohol, use illegal drugs or engage in risky behaviours. I do not cheat on my spouse or my taxes. I try hard to be a decent, responsible member of society and a good friend. If I take up a little more space than my skinny neighbours, so be it.

As long as I pay my own grocery bills and am not a drain on the public health care system, I'm asking the willowy masses with superiority complexes and the slender citizens with perfect BMIs and the overwhelming need to preach moderation to their heavier associates to get over themselves.

Better yet, go eat a chocolate bar.

Bubba And Uncle Dad Are Keeping The United States Safe From Canadians.

The Minuteman Civil Defence Corps are on watch from their cars and lawn chairs, with binoculars at the ready, in eight northern U.S. states bordering seven Canadian provinces.

The volunteer group will have observers in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York every day and night in October. Some posts will be on border watch 24/7, while others will allow for beer breaks and the occasional shotgun wedding.

Yee-Haw! The Rednecks Are Coming, The Rednecks Are Coming, Run For Your Lives!

Reportedly, this Militia-type group is concerned about the (seriously under-reported) influx of Canadians crossing over the U.S. border with bombs in their pockets, and they are prepared to sit in their pickup trucks, with Miller or Coors on ice, just waiting to pick off every illegal immigrant from the north that they see. They might also get lucky and nail the occassional deer or moose.

Just what the world needs, a bunch of inbred, trigger happy soldier-boy-wannabes with conspiracy theories jamming their little brains. Chances are they will only take out light poles and scarecrows, but the very thought that frontier-saving throwbacks have been allowed to organize is frightening.

I'm sure Dubya must be cackling with glee. His paranoia is contagious, and spreading rapidly.

Boxing: Is This Brutality A "Sport"?

Canadian women recently won a gold, a silver, and two bronze medals at the World Womens' Boxing Championships , held in Podolsk, Russia. Mary Spencer, a 20 year old from Windsor, Ontario, took gold in the 66 kg class, and was named the tournament's top boxer. Ariane Fortin of Quebec City won a silver medal in the 57 kg final. Sandra Bizier of Montreal and Katie Dunn of Windsor, Ont., both won bronze.

While I'm happy that these young women were successful doing something they love, I have a hard time celebrating an event that glorifies violence.

This was an amateur boxing tournament, and the rules are more stringent, the level of aggression less obvious, the health and safety of participants much more important to the organizers than in a professional boxing match, but this is still a "sport" that draws on humanity's most primal nature and encourages one of society's basest qualities: bloodlust.

Boxer Leavander Johnson died five days after he was seriously injured in a lightweight title fight in September. He suffered a fatal brain injury during the bout, and never regained consciousness after he slipped into a coma minutes after the referee stopped the fight. His death was the sixth in the ring in Las Vegas since 1994. In the last four months, two boxers have died and two others had severe, debilitating brain injuries.

How long can society condone one person beating another to death in the name of sport? Even those boxers who survive are much more likely to suffer long term negative effects. Conditions such as post-traumatic dementia, dementia pugilistica, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease are far more prevalent in retired boxers than the rest of the population. Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome in 1982, following which his motor functions began a slow decline. Mike Tyson can barely string together a cohesive sentence, although, in all fairness, even before he began his boxing career he was never known as a great orator.

Maybe I'm missing something, but the thought of two healthy human beings beating one another until one gives in, or dies, holds absolutely no allure for me. There is more than enough pain, suffering and bloodshed in day-to-day life, watching sanctioned matches dedicated to pain and domination seems obscene.

Rest in peace, Leavander Johnson.