Cat Scratch Fever

Don't if there's an actual medical term for what the woman in this video suffers from (YouTube), but Christie Callan-Jones just made a documentary about the phenomenon called Cat Ladies. (official website)

Stupid, Even For Hollywood

So, some idiots are planning to make a Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie without the cast and characters of the TV show and probably without Joss Whedon. (Dark Horizons)

What you need to know:

1.) Hollywood people are apparently far, far more stupid and arrogant than any of us thought. This is the mother of all insane ideas. This is like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Shitty Movie crossed with Catwoman bad. It's worse than a hundred farting Jar Jar Binkses. It's Thunderbirds meets Ishtar. It's the apocalypse.

2.) No way will this happen, because BTVS was an insanely popular TV show whose throngs of internet-saavy fans are as passionate as Trekkies and they will actively work to murder this slouching beast in its cradle. There's even a chance some unhinged Tara fan will hunt down and stake these morons in the heart, for real. (Note: murder is wrong. Probably even in this instance.)

So, you Buffy fans can relax. Well, probably.

Mob Rule 1, Civil Rights 0

California's Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8, the controversial, democracy-endorsed constitutional amendment barring gay marriage. And by "democracy-endorsed" I mean a whopping 52 per cent! Of people who voted! Which is like 40 per cent of the population! So that's at least a couple thousand people in a state of 30 million!

(UPDATE: Actual research has determined that 6,322,732 Californians voted in a way that is consistent with being a homophobic coward and snivelling bigot, while 5,796,637 voted for tolerance and, by extension, sunshine, rainbows, love and goodness. Also, the state has over 38 million residents and, um, actually, had a record-breaking near-80 per cent voter turn-out in November 2008. Not 40 per cent. Cough.)

So anyway, this sucks if you're gay and Californian. Or if you don't think the masses should get a vote on the very personal choice of who is allowed to marry whom.

Full story in the LA Times, here.

Divorce and adultery remain legal, of course, so the married "family values" bigots pushing this discrimination are free to bang their congregations/secretaries/interns. And hey, since we're all angry anyway, here's a link to a news story on one random hypocrite homophobe's messy personal life. (The Stranger) I'm going to go out on a limb here and say a lot of the most agitated opponents to same-sex marriage have serious personal issues that they're dealing with by parading their prejudices around in public. Psychiatry, people! It can help!

Meanwhile, gay marriage is legal in Saskatchewan. And, since 2005, in all of Canada. No thanks to the well-documented opposition of one odious political /minority government (New York Times). So if you're gay and in California, move here! Our booming economy needs workers and we even provide free universal health care to Canadian citizens (and we love recovering Americans!). As for winter, well, uh, maybe it's better you not ask about that.

Ethics 101

Received word the other day that a new website has been launched in Montreal to promote ethical business practices in areas like the environment, labour relations and sustainability. It relies on case studies drawn from around the world. So far, 75 or so have been compiled. The goal is to add more as other examples of businesses behaving in an ethical manner are uncovered--assuming such entities actually exist (ethipedia)

Rosie's alternate top six

1. Meet the Regina Pats' latest fall guy. (Leader-Post)

2. Mr. T. At Wrigley Field. Singing. Hide the children. (Total Pro Sports)

3. Access Communications explains why CTV's Save Local TV campaign is full of it. (CJME)

4. The Regina Chamber of Commerce is pressuring for a nuclear reactor the same way a spoiled brat is screaming for a pony for Christmas (CJME). In lieu of a big long post about how the Regina Chamber of Commerce is made up of people with no business sense at all, I introduce you to our latest Type-O-Wiener winner's blog (SaskBoy).

5. About a week ago, the U.S. government made a big splash about arresting guys who were going to launch terrorism acts against Jews in the New York area. Turns out that not only the whole plot was bunk, but the main informant made his statements so the FBI could pay for his health insurance. (NY Daily News via Crooks and Liars)

6. Iggy doesn't like the EI program that the Liberals created, and Stephen Harper thinks people who lose their jobs are whiny sucky-babies. Prepare for another Thanksgiving election. (Globe and Mail)

Six In The Morning

1 CITY HALL LOVES THOSE CONDOS More condo conversion approvals. I like condos too, and there are lots of situations where condo conversions are fine. (Case in point--the Warehouse District's Brownstown's overhaul a few years back. Lovely!) But come on, this looks out of control. Where are the rental units in the city centre? Come to think of it, where are the new condo developments in the city centre? Do elected officials make decisions for this city or do property developers? I guess the answer to that is obvious, isn't it? (Leader-Post)

2 NOM NOM NOM The Governor General cuts out and eats a raw seal heart. How can you have the guts to eat a raw seal heart but not have the stomach to allow our democratically elected parliament choose its prime minister according to the wishes of the majority of its members (see: last fall's coalition debacle)? (Toronto Star)

3 BIG DAY FOR GAY MARRIAGE Speaking of democracy, the legality of California's Proposition 8--the democratically-passed constitutional amendment barring gay marriage in the state--will be ruled on by the California Supreme Court today. (LA Times)

4 I CAN HAZ ELECTION? Count Iggyula says he can "foresee" one in the "near future". Perhaps he's using his vampire powers? Seriously, dude looks like Dracula. (Globe And Mail)

5 MIND THOSE MISSILES North Korea is sure doing its best to freak everybody out/piss everybody off. (The Guardian)

6 NOW THAT'S LOYALTY Little slow on this one, so apologies. Last Friday Regina MLA Sandra Morin endorsed NDP leadership candidate Dwain Lingenfelter--after the Waterhengate scandal tainted his campaign (but he was cleared! wail supporters). (Leader-Post)