Stuff to Do

If you're in the mood for some spoken word, Patrick Swan will be doing a half hour set prior to Metz playing at O'Hanlon's Pub tonight. Here's some YouTube footage of Patrick doing his thing at a recent Vancouver poetry slam. If I was a betting man, I'd expect Patrick to hit the stage around 10:30 p.m. But that's just a rough guess.

Also tonight, Alex Neve, the Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada will be speaking at the university on the topic Rights Denied: Canada's Failure to Sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The talk will be held at room 119 in the university's new Research & Innovation Centre and start time is 7 p.m.

Finally, next Thursday (Sept. 17) between 7 and 8 p.m. an information night will be held at City Hall for people who are considering being candidates in the upcoming municipal election. So if you're kicking around the idea of running for mayor, city council, or the public/separate school board, here's a chance to find out what hoops you need to jump through. You're asked to RSVP your attendance to the Election Office at 751-4479 or sfriswell@regina.ca by Sept. 15. Nominations open Sept. 21 and close Sept. 30 at 4 p.m.

It Depends on who's getting screwed, I suppose ...

A couple of left-of-the-dial U.S. political blogging sites, The Washington Monthly and Crooks and Liars, are having tons of fun with the latest Republican sex scandal.

Michael Duvall, (Wikipedia) California state representative, a Republican from Orange County (suburban Los Angeles/Anaheim/Disneyland) is one of those 'family values, bible thumpers and gay bashers that are attracted to the American body politic like carrion to vultures. A couple of days ago, it turned out to be open mike night at a Sacramento television station as Duvall talked to a buddy about the joys of fornicating with two other women, neither his wife, and one of whom is an energy lobbyist (Crooks and Liars) and the fun of spanking someone.

It's not for me to say what's kinky and what's not. It's not my business to publicly, or privately, comment on what excites other people sexually. All I know, in the end, is what works for me, and what can get me into trouble. But people such as Duvall have made a political career out of publicly screeching about what is and isn't acceptable sexual conduct between consenting adults and what isn't. The fact that he's the latest in a long line of evangelical hypocrites isn't surprising, or even entertaining. (The Washington Monthly) The fact that he can be so blatant about his hypocrisy, or that his alleged horizontal jogging partner is a lobbyist for legislation he votes on (California State Assembly) , doesn't seem to register on the body politic. Now, if a Democratic member of government did that ...

Six in the Morning

1. ELECTION THROWN OUT IN AFGHANISTAN: The UN agency investigating fraud in the Afghanistan federal election has thrown out ballots from 83 polling stations. (Globe and Mail)

2. SASK GOVT GOING AFTER MURDERER'S BOOK-DEAL CASH: The provincial government will be going after money convicted murderer, Colin Thatcher, earned from a book deal. (Leader Post)

3. BRUCE POWER NUKES EMPLOYEES OVER EMAIL: Nearly 100 employees of Bruce Power have been fired for violating the company's code of conduct with regards to e-mail and internet use. (Globe and Mail)

4. PORTRAIT GALLERY GONE: After years spent trying to find a home for the National Portrait Gallery, the federal government has decided to fold it into the National Archives. (Globe and Mail)

5. GHOST HUNTER NOW ONE OF THE HUNTED: A woman fell to her death at the UofT while hunting for ghosts. (CBC)

6. TIFF LAUNCHES WITH DARWIN PIC: The Toronto Internationl Film Festival kicks off tonight with Creation, a bio-pic about Charles Darwin. Meanwhile, scientist and blogger PZ Meyers of Pharyngula fame responds to an article in the Telegraph covering the five best arguments for creationism. (Globe and Mail, Pharyngula)