Posted: July 22, 2009

EMPLOYERS USE CRISIS TO DEMAND CONCESSIONS by Linda McQuaig
  Toronto's city workers find themselves blamed for economic crisis.
 

CANADA TO BUY NEW DRONE PLANES By Paul Weinberg
 USA lobbying Harper to stay in Afghanistan and maybe expand to Pakistan.
 
 

REPATRIATING POTATOES by Stephen Leahy
  Indigenous peoples strive to protect traditional crops and ways of sharing information about them.
 
 

NEW EMISSIONS LIMITS FOR SHIPS IN COASTAL WATERS from Friends of the Earth
  International Maritime Organization moves towards protections against ship pollution.

HAMMOCK TIME... is precious in Canada... That's one reason that Straight Goods keeps a biweekly schedule during the summer. Our next issue will be August 5... Watch for our bulletins. If you have subscribed or sent a donation, thank you. If not, please don't forget to SUPPORT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM IN CANADA: Subscribe - Renew - Donate ... today!

Editorial

ISH'S EDITORIAL WILL RETURN
  Ish Theilheimer's latest musical, Country Sparkin' at Sunnydale Acres, opened this week in Eganville, ON.
 
 

Science matters

HARM TO THE ENVIRONMENT IS BAD FOR THE ECONOMY by David Suzuki, with Faisal Moola
  What's good for our earth home, is good for us.
 

MeanToons
DEFINITION OF TERMS
  Another word for "backpedalling" is...

www.meantoons.com

Canadian Politics
HONOURING THE "LITTLE GUY FROM SHAWINIGAN" by Geoffrey Stevens
  Queen's reasons for giving award to Jean Chrétien may include his fortitude and good humour.
 

A TAXING QUESTION FOR ALBERTA by Gillian Steward
  Oil revenues prove an unreliable funding platform for essential services.
 
 

"THE PREMIER HAS MISLED THE VOTERS" by Bill Tieleman
  Gordon Campbell shares his views on the need for truth in budgeting.
 
 

HOW TO AVOID ABORTIONS by Elsie Hambrook
  Common ground is preventing unwanted pregnancy.
 
 

ONTARIO'S RIGHT WING NEEDS MENDING by Inside Queen's Park
  Tim Hudak, new Conservative leader, has to choose the party's direction.
 

Canadian culture

Q AND A WITH RICHARD WAGAMESE by Jeremy Klaszus
  Ojibway author has walked a long, hard road to recovery from alcoholism, homelessness.
 
 

Workplaces
CADILLAC FAIRVIEW FIRES ALL UNIONIZED EMPLOYEES from Communication, Energy and Paperworkers
  Company wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.

WORKERS CALL FOR CLEMENT'S IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION from the United Steelworkers
  Industry Minister clearly sides with company in strike: Steelworkers.

World beat
30 ISRAELI SOLDIERS PUBLISH "BREAKING THE SILENCE" by Uri Avnery
  Hard-hitting report rings true, although authors remain anonymous.
 

Consumers
FIND A SAFE, EFFECTIVE SUNSCREEN from the Environmental Working Group
  Three out of five sunscreens either don't work or contain hazardous chemicals — or both.

Media files

IF USA MEDIA WERE ANY GOOD by David Swanson
  Activist enumerates stories that major media have omitted or under-reported.
 
 

Hot headlines
FORGET SHORTER SHOWERS by Derrick Jensen
  Listen up: personal change does not equal political change.

TWO CHEERS FOR THE G8'S TWO DEGREES by Gwynne Dyer
  The world needs deeper cuts, but a two-degree limit is the best we are going to get now.
 
 

PICK OF THE WEEK

ALL FESTIVALS, ALL THE TIME Summertime is music festival time — time to hang out in the sun (or rain), watch bands, and listen to tunes. Melodytrip.com offers reports from music festivals all around the world, often with photos and videos. www.melodytrip.com

Take action!
SPP REDUX? from Council of Canadians
  Demand a say in the next North American leaders' summit, in August.

Humour
PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING from the Random House Book of Jokes and Anecdotes, edited by Joe Claro
  Timing is important, too.