Liberal in Name Only

In a recent budget move Gordon Campbell's Liberal goverment in B.C. apparently took a big axe to arts funding, chopping it from roughly$19.5 million a year to around $2.25 million. So, once again, arts groups are forced to mount their trusty steeds, unsheath their sabres, and ride into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell -- to borrow a phrase from Tennyson -- to protect their turf and get the government to reverse its decision. (Globe & Mail)

The Purple Is Political

Was just crossing the street for a coffee, and this dude passes me and hisses in a sarcastic and affected, slightly effeminate voice, "Loooove what you've done with your hair."

Aaack! Pwned!

Actually, if this was a genuine, cruel remark about the current state of my head intended to hurt my feelings, it's the first I've heard in a month and a half of being empurpled. I get about 10 compliments a week on my purple hair (plug: dyed/designed by Levi at Salon Snax), so this insult--assuming it was an insult--sets the praise to snark ratio at around 60 to one.

My hair even got a squeal of admiration from a pretty lady on the way back from the coffee shop. So there.

So screw you, sarcastic guy on the street. Few share your irrational prejudice and fear of purple. The forces of goodness and violet are ascendent. Your narrow-minded kind's day is done.

Six in the Morning

1. LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT US AN ELECTION: The Grits are signaling they're ready to topple Harper's government. Layton suggests he's willing to listen if Harper "reaches out." Harper's unlikely to cut any deals with folk he deems socialists. Both Layton and Harper have said "no back room deals." (That we'll hear about anyway.) And Duceppe (haven't heard much from that guy lately) says he'll only prop up the gov't if they do something sweet for Quebec. Sounds to me like all four are angling to see if they can get away with going to the polls. It's about bloody time if you ask me. (Globe and Mail)

2. INCOME GAP HUGE IN SASK: A just-released report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the income disparity between rich and poor in the province is growing. (CCPA)

3. ALMOST-SON-IN-LAW SAYS ALMOST-VICE-PREZ A BAD MOM: Levi Johnson, father of Sarah Palin's grandchild, makes some claims about the former VP candidate's behaviour, including that she wanted to adopt his kid so that people wouldn't know her 17-year old daughter was pregnant. (Globe and Mail)

4. AMAZON TRYING TO THWART GOOGLE BOOK: Fearing dramatic changes to the way intellectual property laws will work, the online retail giant, Amazon, is attempting to stop Google from digitizing books for which copyright holders can't be found. (Globe and Mail)

5. REPUBLICANS HOST ENERGY SUMMIT, NO ONE ATTENDS: No one except protesters, that is. (Desmog Blog)

6. LA PRESSE MAY STOP THE PRESSES: As part of cost cutting measures, North America's largest French-language newspaper, Montreal's La Presse, may cease publishing by December 1 and move to a new "business model" that doesn't involve a paper newspaper. (CBC)

There's A Bat On My Building

And he or she is sooo cute! S/he's perched above the door to the salon under prairie dog though, and I'm not sure how the folks at Indira are going to react. I should find a shoebox and try to save this adorable and confused little creature from terrorized hair stylists and manicurists, shouldn't I?

UPDATE: Our little bat friend is secure in a shoebox awaiting release tonight. If anyone has better advice on temporary bat-storage than "taped-shut cardboard box" feel free to post a comment.

Tech Talk

I'm not naming any names, but there are people out there who both contribute to and read this blog who will appreciate the humour in this video much better than me. (College Humour)