Jack Layton: 1950-2011 Man of the People Has a State Funeral.

Today was the funeral of a good Canadian man, politician, father, husband and activist, related to a long line of activists I learned today.

There are pieces of me in at least three countries now. This weekend I chose to stay in Canada instead of heading home, hoping to attend the funeral of Jack Layton.

I did not know Mr. Layton but along with Canadians and people who have lived in Canada I was saddened by his death.

Life is so beautiful and yet can be so very cruel.

To so soon after running his brilliant and destined for the Canadian history books political campaign that took the political left from obscurity and the New Democratic Party not only to its highest federal achievement but to Her Majesty’s Official Opposition only to be struck for a SECOND time with cancer?!? *shaking head* Cancer is a scourge! Is once not enough? It was so incredibly unfair that he did not get to live long enough to enjoy his success. It had been so shocking to see what a frail looking figment of himself he had become, when on July 25th he announced his second case of an unknown cancer. You just knew from looking at him that he was in the fight of his life but I never guessed he would be dead a month later.

It was appropriate that Jack Layton be given a state funeral. Politics can be so discouraging at times. Jack Layton’s was not. His passion was for everyday people. People who fight for the PEOPLE of a country should have state funerals. Thank you Prime Minster Harper for doing that. It was the right thing to do.

Jack, your Olivia is heartbroken. At your funeral she stood strong and dignified but I could see she was trying so hard not to fall down in grief for the man she loved. It was written all over her face. I will be saying a prayer for your soul mate tonight.

When I heard that approximately 6,000 people had already paid their respects at Toronto City Hall in one day while your coffin lay in state, I soon realized that it was unlikely I would get one of the 600 seats available to the public at your funeral.

I ended up watching your funeral online where most in my generation live their lives.

There are some deaths that seem impossible to believe. For me this is one. I am not sure why? Maybe it is the unfairness of it all. We cannot find a rat bastard like Gaddafi but a good man like Jack Layton has to die just when given the opportunity to do good?!?

Jack Layton’s 2011 political triumph while being decent and civil, always fighting for the people, made me care about Canadian politics. It was made clear in my December 2008 blog the sort of Canadian House of Commons behavior that I hoped would change. I realize that the Canadian Prime Minister has a majority government and can pretty much do as he likes but I also believe that Prime Minister Harper truly wants the Conservatives to replace the Liberals as the natural governing party of Canada. That will never happen if he does much of what many of his detractors fear is his actual boogeyman agenda. He will have to govern closer to the centre where most Canadians live, the Canadian centre which is politically left of my new home in America.

That said, I really wanted to see Jack Layton as Leader of the Official Opposition and Stephen Harper as Prime Minister both function in the House of Commons with their differing visions for Canadians, no centre party to make things easier for either of them but just the Canadian left and right. Why? Good question given that I am normally not a fan of the people only having two parties to choose from. I think because Jack Layton’s ability to set aside divisions and engage in politics that respected all made me hope that problems would be solved and things would get done. His getting it done for citizens against intransigence could have helped the debt ceiling nonsense in the US.

I suspect that not many will agree with me, but then no one believed me when I said Jack Layton would become Leader of The Official Opposition, but I actually believed that it was possible for Jack Layton to win the general election at some point in the future. I still believe he could have. I know this, Canadian politics was about to be shaken up for the good of people and I think the people would have liked it very much.

I think Mr. Layton’s death touched so many for a few reasons: their deep respect for the man; the incredible unfairness of the timing of his death and the great loss they felt over what his passion could have accomplished fighting for the PEOPLE. Corporate plutocrats take care of themselves just fine but there never seem to be enough fighters for the people. Jack was one!

Until such time as we have true political parties of the people, likely created, funded and run online, which take no money from corporations, people like Jack Layton who put PEOPLE on the agenda are desperately needed in every society.

Mr. Layton, your were my kind of human and Ed Broadbent, another decent man and the granddaddy of the political left in Canada was right… Jack Layton was the man!

Salut Jack!

Sage Spencer

Next Blogum: September 2011

Japan will win the Women’s World Cup and I am disloyally happy.

I finally know why people WATCH sports. As I sit here about to watch the FIFA Women’s 2011 World Cup Final both on my TV and online, I realize that people watch because they cannot play and they would love to be playing in the actual game they are watching. I would love to be playing in the FIFA Women’s 2011 World Cup Final game. As noted in my England's Lost Goal At The World Cup! blog, I played soccer for a couple of decades. I would even by happy to be reffing it…which I am surprised to say as that would be some stress level, at least for me.

The sun will rise brightly in Japan tomorrow. It must be about 3am in Japan right now but those who stay up to watch will be rewarded and then unable to sleep as Japanese women bring home the World Cup and a gift to a country that has had a very bad year after the earthquake and tsunami.

We have a very strong team but when things look like we are dominating do not get complacent, as the sun comes up every day in a disciplined fashion. It will come down to the Japanese goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori, number 21.

I know it is disloyal but I will still be smiling ear to ear after what will be a hard fought possession soccer game!

Enjoy the Game!

Sage Spencer

Next Blogum: August 2011

The launch of Huffington Post Canada as is may make 1.5 million people angry!

Dear Ms Huffington:

Congratulations on launching your first international edition. I think that Canada and the UK are logical and smart next choices.

I am a big fan or yours Ms Huffington and I am concerned that whoever is advising you may be misunderstanding your international audience. May I give you some unsolicited advice?

I realize that any launch will have bugs and launch day will bring headaches but whoever told you that hijacking 1.5 million Canadians and giving them the book banning lady in the same day was the way to go may not be giving you the best advice.

Ms Reisman I realize that you banned anti-Semitic trash but banning books when you have as much power over the sale of books that you have is abuse of power to many people. That makes people who value freedom over censorship very nervous.

I apologize Ms Huffington, as I understand that Ms Reisman is a friend but I think you will find that giving her editorial control may make people nervous.

I think one of the following three options might please your international readers better than redirection:

1. Distinct .com, .ca and .uk editions (no hijacking)
2. Separate tabs at huffpo.com or
3. Just geolocating for advertising on HuffPo.com.

I know this should be a day of only celebration but I think you may find that you have 1.5 million people angry at you.

You may want to get the tech department coding...quickly.

Sincerely,

Sage Spencer

Next Blogum: June 2011

The Assassination of Osama bin Laden

I never thought I would blog about Osama bin Laden but then again I think I had given up hope of anyone actually finding the man. Once you have been able to hide out for ten years why not twenty or thirty?

I cannot say that I am surprised he was hiding in plain sight; I actually believed he would be. It has been said that it is the best place to hide, so why wouldn’t terrorist Osama join the ranks of the criminals hiding next door? Whether the Pakistanis knew he was there, I would LOVE to know. Given how much money we have given to Pakistan, finding out he was living in a house next door to the military certainly justifies our asking for answers. That said, Pakistan may feel justified in not answering given that we invaded their sovereignty to get the man.

I believe that the most likely scenario is that some did know but how many and how powerful is the question. I leave open the very real possibility that none but his trusted compatriots knew; after all, how often do we find marijuana grow ops and meth labs in seemingly unsuspected suburban homes? While some of the alleged behaviour at his compound should have seemed suspicious, the fact is that we could not find the man for TEN YEARS so maybe we should not be so quick to assume complicity on the part of the Pakistanis.

I cannot celebrate his death. Maybe is it my Christian upbringing or maybe it is just who I am, I don’t know? It is not hard to understand why The President made the choice he did or why so many people, particularly New Yorkers, might be happy to hear the news. I understand that he committed evil acts and I am glad he is no longer free to commit evil but murder is wrong. I cannot agree with The President ordering him killed. I suspect most will disagree with me.

If The President had ordered Osama bin Laden captured and if not possible then killed, I could live with that but ordering a man killed without trial is immoral and unjust.

Maybe I just believe in Karma too much and fear the equal and opposite reaction to our choice to assassinate a man because we could?!?

I do agree with President Obama’s decision not to the release the post mortem photos of bin Laden. That was the morally right thing to do and right thing for other reasons as well. I have to admit that upon first hearing I did fear that this choice would lead to the Osama is alive conspiracy theorists making the President Obama birthers look sane. After some reflection, I have decided that the two situations are very different and that there really is no good reason to release them. Terrorist guy is dead and will not be reincarnated, at least not genetically.

Mr. President, I do not know you but I think I understand why you made the decisions you made. I thank you for making the finding of Osama bin Laden a priority. I thank you for the relief that it has brought to the victims of 9/11. The team of Navy Seals did their job honorably and were obviously crackerjack. We will just have to agree to disagree on the kill order.

Yes, Osama bin Laden committed acts of evil but perhaps the moral goal in the face of evil is not to perpetuate it. What do we become when we respond to evil by assassinating it unarmed and without a trial? What consequences do we create for ourselves?

My fear is that by our choice we have added to the darkness in this world and not the light. That is my fear. But I do understand why so many are so very happy.

Next Blogum: June 2011

Sage Spencer

Sending the police to fight Jamie Oliver, the big bad scary vegetable peddler!?!

On the second season of 'Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution' airing Tuesday nights at 8PM ET on ABC, Jamie Oliver is having an even harder time than he did first time around in Huntington, West Virginia. Apparently the school system in the fattest city in America is more open to change than the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest public school system in the United States.

So far the only toe in the door he has gotten is at West Adams Preparatory School who WANT him there but can only get him in the door to teach cooking classes because the school operates in partnership with the LAUDS. The Los Angeles Unified School District has forbid him from even entering the school cafeteria. If he violates the terms, West Adams Preparatory School risks loosing its funding.

Clearly the Los Angeles Unified School District fears bad publicity but just how bad is the food being fed to children in the Los Angeles Unified School District if they are THAT afraid of Jamie Oliver?

If you need to send the police to keep kids from a guy wanting to feed them vegetables, what the hell are you feeding children in Los Angeles?

Next Blogum: May 2011

Sage Spencer

Jewelz & Foolz 2011: The Day After International Women’s Day.

Hope you were kind to women yesterday? This being the day after International Women’s Day and the third annual naming of Jewelz & Foolz.

So, what are you ask?

Both are groups of men. The former, Jewelz , are men who I would like to share a glass of wine, a beer or a cocktail with today, pick their brains, get to know their hearts and maybe flirt with them, just for one day, on the day after International Women’s Day.

Then there are Foolz, not the harmless kind, but instead men who’s judgment at the present time makes them not good for womankind.

And yes, for the majority of people, sociopaths excluded, Foolz can become Jewelz and vice versa.

In this third annual offering of my Jewelz and Foolz column, I offer 31 Jewelz and 20 Foolz for your consideration (in no particular order) .

 

 

Jamie Oliver

For shining a light on the unhealthy food fed to children in the American school system. We cannot expect to grow healthy brains and bodies went the fuel is junk.

Every adult in society has moral duty to look out for children.  Kudos to Jamie for doing just that!

 

Paul Rieckhoff & Pat Stogran

 

 

 

 

For tirelessly working for American and Canadian soldiers by telling their truths and fighting for Veterans, Veterans’ Rights, and Injured Veterans.

 

James Parrish

For welcoming three badly abused boys, Terrel, TreShawn and Michael into your heart and your home and for showing them that a real parent and a real man loves his children.

 

Julian Assange

For creating an online site for whistleblowers and for forcing us to think about secrecy and power.  It should not be a revolutionary concept that citizens have the right to know what their government is doing.  Sadly it seems that WikiLeaks has forced us to realize that it presently is.  While some things should be kept secret, too many presently are.  For me, WikiLeaks is a message, a message that we should not be criminalizing whistleblowing and that we should be re-examining what we keep secret.  Once we have, we need to start again from a place of transparency about what we keep secret.

 

Vankatesh Mannar

For co-developing salt that has been fortified with both iron and iodine. By addressing nutritional deficiencies, this double fortified salt will better the health of at least a billion people.

 

 

Theo Fleury & Tyler Perry

  -

For telling their stories of childhood male sexual abuse that will hopefully free other men to so the same, because what we repress, we express, so if even one man finds the courage the tell the truth of his childhood sexual abuse to the woman in his life, one family will live a healthier future.

 

Tyler Perry

Yes, you made this list twice…

For his genuine and heartfelt emotional expression of thanks to Oprah on her October 20, 2010 episode on behalf of all of us who have been helped by her at some point over her 25 year Oprah show career.

 

Arsham Parsi

For helping Iranian gays, who do not exist according to Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, escape Iran as he did.

A few years ago Arsham was an Iranian refugee living in Turkey.  Now he and his Iranian Queer Railroad are working to help gay refugees escape to the US, Canada and Australia.  

 

Hossein Derakhshan

For training Iranian pro-democracy activists in blogging and podcasting for the last decade.   This blogger has now been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for “propagating against the regime" and "co-operating with hostile states”.

 

Michael Moore

 

For fighting for the middle class and the working poor at a time in US history when doing just that is a really important thing to do.

 

 

Justin Beiber

 

 

 

For telling the truth about the stark reality of our healthcare system.

 

“You guys are evil,” he says with a laugh. “Canada’s the best country in the world. We go to the doctor and we don’t need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you’re broke because of medical bills. My bodyguard’s baby was premature, and now he has to pay for it. In Canada, if your baby’s premature, he stays in the hospital as long as he needs to, and then you go home.”

 

Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone & Evan Williams

 

For creating Facebook and Twitter, both of which have been instrumental in supporting the peoples of the Arab Middle East  in their revolutions to liberate themselves from authoritarian states. 

 

Jon Stewart

For making us laugh while you tell us the truth.  That is quite the gift you have.  And, in particular, for what you did for the 9/11 First Responders…yes, YOU did that.

            

 

Zach Wahl

For speaking out against a resolution attempting to end civil unions in Iowa by telling his story as the the son of two lesbians in a stirring speech before the Iowa House of Representatives.  I may have to disagree with one part of his speech, where he said that “the sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character."  Apparently having two lesbians for parents can make you a very fine man.

 

Clarence Dupnik

For telling the truth about the danger of inciting violence.  Free speech may be free but it is not free of consequences.  Anyone who still refuses to accept that should talk to the Rwandans.  

 

Daniel Hernandez

For bravely running toward gunfire, something most people would run from, and for helping save the life of his boss Gabrielle Giffords.

 

Sami Mahdi

For creating the Afghan TV show, Niqab (“The Mask”) which gives women a voice.  From what I have heard so far, I hope he is around for a long time.

 

Michael Bublé

 

For giving 15 year old Sam Hollyman his moment.

 

 

Michael Bloomberg

For speaking out eloquently against the Islamophobia surrounding the planned mosque and Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero.

 

 

 

“…should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion? That may happen in other countries, but we should never allow it to happen here. …Let us not forget that Muslims were among those murdered on 9/11 and that our Muslim neighbors grieved with us as New Yorkers and as Americans. We would betray our values – and play into our enemies' hands – if we were to treat Muslims differently than anyone else. In fact, to cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists – and we should not stand for that.”

 

Roland Lauster

For giving men hope that baldness may soon be a thing of the past with his accomplishment of growing the world’s first hair follicle using stem cells.  Maybe by the time I am old enough to love a balding man I won’t have to watch the man I love emotionally suffer from loosing his hair…though personally I find a bald head very sexy. :)

 

Luis Urzua

For doing his foreman job really well and keeping the Chilean miners alive for 69 days seven hundred meters below Mother Earth through his leadership which included rigid rules.  So many things could have gone wrong down there and the women who love those men would not have seen them again.

 

Eddie Afekafe

For reminding us during his moving speech for England's presentation as part of its bid to host the 2018 World Cup that we all have the power to change a life and that by giving people opportunities we can do just that. 

 

Mahmoud Abbas

For pursuing new and alternative diplomatic options to gain freedom from Israeli occupation and recognition for the country of Palestine.   Freezing the building of settlements on occupied land is a small thing and Israel cannot even do that.  As such, peace talks are meaningless and a waste of Palestinian efforts.  Recognizing that the settlements are illegal is a small thing and we, the US, cannot even do that.  At the present time, President Abbas must continue to explore alternatives with every country in the world other than us and Israel.  

 

Francois Paulette

For speaking out against the effects of climate change and the poisoning of the land, air and water in his community downstream from the Alberta Oil Sands.

 

Munir Sheikh

For resigning his post as Chief Statistician of Canada because he felt that the government had said that he, Chief Statistician, felt that the quality of the data from the voluntary survey (shorter) that Prime Minister Harper’s Government had decided in June 2010 to replace the mandatory census (longer) with, would be as good as data from the mandatory census.  The integrity of the agency had been compromised in his opinion by the perception that he has sanctioned a decision he felt no statistician would.  I am not normally a fan of the British and Canadian system of MPs falling on their swords when they have done nothing wrong but this was the action of an honorable public servant.  Statistics, Sage? Really? Boring! Statistics may sound boring to many people but the actions of of honorable man never are.  On the other hand, Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement suggesting Statistics Canada was supporting the government's move to end the mandatory census should have fallen on his sword.

 

Greg Walsh

For doing the right thing, standing up to racism and pulling his team from the ice after one of his players had the N-Word directed at him and the referee allowed the player who used the racial slur to play on.  Sadly on December 17, 2010 he was punished by The Ontario Minor Hockey Association for pulling his team (Hockey Canada rules endeavour to prevent coaches from pulling teams off the ice) and suspended until April 10.  Three days later, after much received flak I am sure, the suspension was rescinded.  Yeah!  You are my hero Sir.

  

Mohamed Bouazizi

I don’t normally include the deceased in this annual column but if you were still alive Mohamed, I would love to share a drink with you (a cola instead of alcohol) and listen to whatever you had to say.  In death Sir, you may in fact be responsible for setting off a chain of events that will liberate the Arab Middle East from authoritarian governments. I certainly hope that is the case.

 

And then there were:

   

 

Sven Kramer

For being rude, arrogant, unsportsmanlike, entitled and decidedly unOlympian by responding to a reporter, after he had just won a gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics, who asked him, "If you can say your name and your country and what you just won here” with:

"Are you stupid? Hell no I'm not going to do that."

Afterwards,  in a Dutch interview, Kramer stated:

"Come on, this is ridiculous. You've just become Olympic gold medal winner. She was there when it happened and then you have to sum up your whole biography, etc. She's crazy."

This was all before he shoved a Vancouver Olympic volunteer, for which he later made amends by buying a small gift…or one of his servants did.

 

Howard Stern

For disparaging Gabourey Sidibe in a vicious attack days after the 2010 Academy Awards celebration of her nomination as Best Actress.

 

"There's the most enormous, fat black chick I've ever seen. She is enormous. Everyone's pretending she's a part of show business and she's never going to be in another movie," he said. "She should have gotten the Best Actress award because she's never going to have another shot. What movie is she gonna be in?"

"Oprah's another liar, a filthy liar.   She's telling an enormous woman the size of a planet that she's going to have a career."

Alex Knepper

 

For his ignorant comments on rape.

 

Let's get this straight: any woman who heads to an EI party as an anonymous onlooker, drinks five cups of the jungle juice, and walks back to a boy's room with him is indicating that she wants sex, OK?

and

"real rape," which occurs when a stranger "thrusts sex into a non-sexual situation," is a heinous crime and rapists should be severely punished.

 

Robert Dewar

 

For convicting Kenneth Rhodes of rape and then giving him a non jail sentence of two years (so he is free in the community to rape again) and for excusing the perpetrator’s actions and blaming the victim.

 

Tony Hayward

For attending a yacht race as oil spewed into the Gulf.

Clearly having anything to do with yachts sailing on a body of clean water when your company has maimed another body of water...is...well... dumbass...but we already know Tony Hayward and PR are... like... well... oil and water.
Apparently, Tony was spending time with his son. I do not begrudge him that. Children need to spend time with their parents, even if said parents have F - - - ed up the Gulf. I just wish he could have gone to his child’s soccer game instead of well you know…yachts and a clean body of water.

 

Glenn Beck

For holding your Rally to Restore Honor, on the National Mall on the same day as Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.

Martin Luther King believed in non violent conflict resolution and you incite hatred and violence, including even toward someone on this very Jewelz and Foolz list. 

 

Mel Gibson  

For being an abusive boyfriend.  In case you somehow missed his monstrous boyfriend behaviour, you can read about the charming details here: What Women Don't Want! 

 

Jesse James

For humiliating your wife, Sandra Bullock, who while accepting an Academy Award and speaking of her deceased mother said :

 

“To that trailblazer that allowed me to have that (pointing to you Jesse James) and this (pointing to her Academy Award) I thank you so much for this opportunity that I share with these extraordinary women…”

only to discover soon after that you were a cheating husband.

 

Dharun Ravi

For internet streaming his roommate’s gay sexual encounter without his consent and thereby outing him.  For trying to do it a second time and for twittering about it as though it was actually a joke.

His victim, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide in response.

 

Ferdinand Bardamu

For inciting violence on his blog against two women he has never even met.

This self described misogynistic blogger who has declared Feminism “a hate movement designed to disenfranchise and dehumanize men” posted the contact information and addresses for Anna Ardin and Sofia Wilens, the two complainants in the Julian Assange Swedish sex charges.

In his words:

“They are arguably evil themselves for trying to destroy a man’s life over their feeeeelings. If there’s a part of me that would feel bad for releasing the info, there’s another part of me that would feel bad for not using my power to fight this evil when I am uniquely positioned to do so.

So, guilty or not, I’m posting the info.”

Ferd: I am sorry for whatever pain in your life had led to making you a violent misogynist. Whoever hurt you had no right to.

 

Alastair Macaulay

For calling professional ballerina Jenifer Ringer fat or in his words that “she'd eaten one sugar plum too many" when reviewing “The Nutcracker".

Jennifer Ringer is far from overweight Alastair!!??!!

 

Steven Green

For not being grateful that you received life without parole instead of the death penalty for the rape and murder by setting on fire, of 14 year old Abeer Qasim Hamza after the murder of her parents and six year old sister.  You are a disgrace to the Army not to mention your fellow soldiers who ended up tortured and beheaded in retaliation for your crimes.  

 

John McCain

For saying:

"Today is a very sad day"

in response to the repeal of the 17-year-old discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.  You have previously stated that you regret voting against the creation of a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..  I hope that one day, before you die, you regret this as well.

 

RC Malherbe, Johnny Roberts, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie Grobler

For humiliating five black university domestic staff at the University of the Free State, South Africa, on a video which showed the five staff being made to kneel and forced to eat food which had apparently been urinated on by one of the students.  

What did they have to say for themselves…that the video was made to protest plans to make the university more racially mixed.

 

Joe Biden

For calling Julian Assange a “high-tech terrorist” because “he has made it more difficult for us to conduct our business with our allies and our friends.”  This is about criminalizing whistleblowers.  Anyone who seriously considers Julian a terrorist is someone we need to be afraid of and no, I do not mean the Vice-President.

 

Giles Muhame

For inciting violence against LGBT individuals.

His newspaper, Rolling Stone, in October 2010, published the names and photographs of 100 people calling for their execution as homosexuals.

 

Charlie Sheen

Dude!!!!?????!!!!

Because your carousel of porn stars and drugs will, if it hasn’t already, hurt your kids.   How long will it be until the day one of your precious daughters Googles, “mommy, what does daddy did porn stars and drugs this weekend mean?”  I think you are a drug addict and are mentally ill.   Dude, you need to stop listening to the the people who are telling you are okay.  They are enabling you; you are like so not okay.  If you are winning, I’d rather be loosing.

 

Who are presently your ?

 

Sage Spencer

Next Blogum: April 2011