More than 150 years ago Thoreau commented, “Our sills are all rotten.” He was right. It is for that reason that Western, and Westernized, “modern” “civilization” is collapsing. This could be cataclysmic, of course, (as in, an ecological holocaust), or relatively peaceful, (akin to the Maya abandoning their great cities
Continue readingTag: good news
Life...A Small Spark Between Two Eternities: In The Good News Category
At her home in Hertfordshire, England, Mary Crabb displays the 1941 photo featuring her as a baby, surrounded by the Canadian soldiers who saved her life. Mary Crabb was sitting at her living room table in suburban Hertfordshire, England, staring into a laptop. “Hello,” she exclaimed with a smile and
Continue readingThings Are Good: David Byrne Launches Good News Site
David Byrne, artist extraordinaire, revealed his newest project to the world and I love it! Reasons to be Cheerful is a reaction to the bizarreness of 2017 and the craziness that 2018 has already witnessed. In an attempt to highlight the positivity in these turbulent times Reasons to be Cheerful
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Merry Christmas – A Gift For You
During most of the year, the topics and issues I deal with on this blog are often dark and depressing.Such is the way of the world. However, I’d like to share with readers a series of good news stories that show human kindness, compassion and resilience are far from dead.
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Documentary about Homophobia in Jamaica
Check out this trailer for An Abominable Crime, a documentary about the rampant (and often ignored) homophobia problem in Jamaica. The filmmakers are currently fundraising to help get this film finished, and The Pulitzer Center has offered to match all Kickstarter donations. So go check it out and offer some support
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Site Counts Homophobic Tweets
Students and researchers at the University of Alberta have created a website that counts homophobic slurs on Twitter in real time. It’s both amazingly awesome and a little depressing, but makes me pretty happy to be a U of A alumni. Check it out.
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Bad Blood Documentary
Bad Blood, a documentary film about the ban on blood donations from gay men, looks like it’s well worth checking out. Although I have to wonder… If Canadian Blood Services were to screen the documentary like they screen their blood, do you think they’d give it zero stars even if
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Sea Turtles Swim to Freedom
Sea Turtles Swim to Freedom – YouTube. Filed under: Beautiful, Fun Tagged: good news
Continue reading350 or bust: Saturday At The Movies
An amazing story of best friends, a man and a crocodile:
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Letter From A Father
Father’s Day may have already passed, but you should still read this amazing article from a father published in last Sunday’s New York Times. (On a related note, Slap-branded tissues will soon be available for purchase. Don’t read another touching letter without one!)
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Apple Adds Same-Sex Emoticons To iOS 6
Have you ever been composing a text message and wanted to insert a generic and practically microscopic representation of a gay couple only to discover that all available visual iconography was exclusively heterosexual? Well, I say straight people have had this unshared privilege for too long! It’s time for a
Continue reading350 or bust: I Am Your Hope
Sami Yusuf ‘s I am your hope, a new song for Egypt. * SamiYusufOfficial.com
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Today’s the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, a magical day where anything can happen—including a public endorsement by… Toronto Mayor Rob Ford? There can only be one explanation: A Dickensian epiphany, ghosts and all. A Merry International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia to everyone!
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Raymond May 17
Slap reader Jen writes in with a really great fundraiser idea in memory of Raymond Taavel: “I’m a displaced Haligonian in Toronto, and am organizing what I am hoping will end up being a Canada-wide initiative. I’m also an avid crossfitter, so I’ve planned a tribute workout for raymond, on
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Controversial Ex-Gay Study Retracted
Here’s another win for science! A controversial study conducted in 2001 that claimed a small minority of gay people were able to change their sexual orientation from gay to straight has been retracted by its author, admitting that the study simply did not survive the peer review process and that
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: GLBT Summer Camp Expands
Camp Fyrefly—a Canadian summer camp for GLBT youth—has announced that it is expanding this summer, admitting 50% more campers than last year. That’s pretty impressive. In fact, at this rate, the camp will exceed the population of Canada in just 33 years—and the population of Earth just 13 years later. World
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Day of Silence
Today is the Day of Silence, and to note the occasion, let me say the following:
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Trans Pride Media Style Guide
Trans Pride Canada has released a pretty thorough style guide that should assist media writers when writing about trans issues in Canada. As someone who has been on the receiving end of offended readers’ wrath for confusing terms like “gender” and “sex,” please accept my Ultra Thanks 3000™, Trans Pride
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Ben and Jerry’s Renames Flavour In Support of Equal Marriage
Ice cream maker Ben and Jerry’s has renamed a flavour of their signature frozen treat from Oh! My! Apple Pie! to Apple-y Ever After last week as a way of showing their support for same-sex marriage in the UK. Opponents of equality are now reportedly lobbying for their own flavour
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Facts Scmacts!
Slate investigates the claims that same-sex marriage will have all sorts of negative effects on society, finding that facts simply don’t support this claim. Then, again, facts aren’t exactly an occupation if the anti-gay lobby.
Continue reading