I'm supporting a new campaign to get a system of international Financial Transaction Taxes, called the Robin Hood Tax. The idea's pretty simple. Much of the bank to bank transactions that happen these days are in highly leveraged speculation. This isn't productive - just shuffling money around to make profits for people who can play the system - and it's in many cases actively harmful - Look at what's happened in Greece.

In the UK and many countries, this activity is hardly taxed at all compared to other business activity. So why not tax it? Let's bring in a tiny tax, varying by type of transaction, but between 0.005% and 0.5%. It might sound too small to work, but it would apply to huge volumes of transactions, and really add up.

2 benefits - it would have a dampening effect on the most harmful aspects of speculation, and it would raise mountains of cash at the same time. That's cash that could be used on Millenium Development goals, climate change, health, public services (around $400bn has been mooted as an annual international figure).

There are similar campaigns either currently running, or springing up in many countries around the world. One thing that seems to unite all these disparate groups (in the UK, there are 100 organisations involved for example) is unions. Unions have been quick to see the potential for this tool in reforming the financial system and providing funding we need so badly to repair the damage done by the financial system to the rest of us during the financial crisis, bailout and recession.

And is it really surprising? Governments all over are going to face a stark choice now - they all need much much more cash. Do they cut the public services that ordinary people rely so heavily upon, raise personal taxes, raise business taxes, or institute a Robin Hood Tax? Here's a clue: of those four options, three involve people who weren't to blame for the crisis footing the entire bill (ordinary workers and taxpayers, or the employers they rely upon for jobs), whilst those who were responsible get to keep record profits and bonuses and continue as before.

www.robinhoodtax.org

Antonia Zerbisias is a fantastic columnist with The Toronto Star. The first paragraph of this article pretty much sums it up. If you read no further, at least read that much:

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/777441--zerbisias-women-s-day-woes

Here it is, I'll save you some time:

"Monday was the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.

Not that I put much store in that sort of thing.

Not while millions of women and girls around the world are, right now, walking miles for water, scavenging for food, enduring gang rapes, having acid thrown in their faces, being killed for talking to boys, staying out of school for lack of menstrual products, bleeding to death while delivering their sixth child ... Did they know it was International Women's Day?

Oh but hey, in Canada's Parliament, our MPs sure did."

The local rock station took the opportunity to come up with all kinds of wacky factoids about men vs women on IWD. Good work idiots! I dont think they get it, no wonder the general listenership doesnt either.

Im at a loss to explain this:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

with a global partner being "Thomson Reuters" and sponsoring partner the "European Investment Bank"

somehow they actually mention the Socialist Party of America and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire yet in the same pages there is this (argh!):

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/business/

not this:

So the distraction the Conservatives have tossed out in the throne speech was a suggestion to change the words to O Canada to render it more gender neutral. The plan is to swap the line "in all our son's command" back to the original "thou dost in us command".  Now the next line will get me a spot in the Non-Canadian group hall of fame but, seriously, Oh Canada sucks. It's tinny and whiney. A lift from our first official anthem "God Save the King/Queen" now know as our "Royal anthem" . Last line in the original French? "Protect our homes and our rights" Oh yeah!!!

I was in school when they put the God line in "God keep our land,  glorious and free". If there is any line that has got to go, it's that one. I enjoyed this version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjiwBwBL4Qo

The fake Canadian moments, of which I am a fan of the originals, are brilliant. There is a DVD of them at the library and I overdosed one day, home with flu.

"Think of it, a Frenchman running and winning in York!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vezghxdXLUI&feature=related

Only one anthem for me though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtAfIjRKUak

"No saviour from on high delivers, No faith have we in prince or peer."

Now THAT is an anthem!!!!!!!!!!!

Some 1,200 members of Mexico's National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union, or Los Mineros, have been on strike since July 2007 at the Cananea mine over health and safety and other contract violations.

Grupo Mexico, the mining giant which operates Cananea, and the Mexican government have continuously tried to end the strike and crush the union.

They have threatened and jailed union leaders, illegally frozen union bank accounts and failed to investigate or prosecute assassinations of union members.

On February 11th, a federal court gave Grupo Mexico permission to fire the striking workers and terminate the labor agreement. The government has threatened to use armed force to gain control of Cananea.

The Los Mineros members at Cananea are resolved to continue occupying the mine until a fair labour agreement is reached. Los Mineros is one of the strongest and most democratic trade unions in Mexico.

Take a moment to send off your letter of protest today from the LabourStart website today by going HERE.

Whew...its almost over. Big rumour is that Neil Young will play the closing ceremony. That is probably to get people like me, to whom Neil is one of the great Lords of the Axe, to watch. Fat chance. Im going to be watching "The Pining" tonight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubbz41zQR6s

There was a rumour that Feist was coming to Hillside Inside, these things always dropped to get people to come (and they do) but she never showed. I wasnt at that one either. I was more excited when Feist breezed by me at Hillside Outside and flashed a big smile at this somewhat shlubby electrician...                ~sigh

My friend Stretch summed it up best for the Olympic closing ceremony..."maybe a hologram of Terry Fox will exchange a fist bump with a hologram of John Lennon"

Imagine!

The true legacy will play out in time.  Shiny gold medals are a great distraction from the prorogue and killing Afghan kids:

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=ce5e24b3-61f7-467d-9111-771cc90d6f1e

Went to my first third step grievence meeting - wow what a cliche that was! Since it was my first encounter with them I guess "Labour Relations" as they are called now had the presence of mind to Google me and find some stuff out, the best reveal being my life story in Our Times...thanks Derek!

Funny enough I tried the same with them as that's life these days - and I couldnt find ANYTHING. Not even a pick up hockey team list or wedding announcement, nothing! Now that was scary. The best part was when they started spouting all of the things that they read on google as if they had the goods on me - oh boy, Im really scared now - got that Chris? Tremble like an aspen. HA!

They didnt ask me about my time as a cameraman for CNN or as president of the Pez company. Now that would have been truly hilarious.  Wait until they find out what my alter ego has been up to...

2010 looks to be a big conference year.  LabourStart in July in Hamilton Ontario, Canada, LabourTech in Windsor Ontario, Canada 13-15 May.

The organizing committee has decided to link Labourtech to the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Labour Media to expand our networks and benefit from the workshops offered at both conferences.

    * Conference Schedule <a href="http://www.labourtech.ca/tiki-index.php?page=2010ConferenceSchedule">HERE</a>
    * Deadlines:
          o Conference registration:April 23
          o Hotel rooms:April 14
          o Residence rooms: April 30
    * Cost: $195 or $100 for individuals not funded by an organization or union

To register online go <a href="http://www.labourtech.ca/tiki-index.php?page=2010RegistrationForm">HERE</a>.

     That title will only mean anything to Canadians of a certain vintage. So, trying to be green and supporting our railway system can be a trying experience - two hour delay on the train on the way here (Ottawa) because freights and passenger traffic share the same rails and freight takes priority every time.  The heater is going full bore on this one, everyone is half naked (whoo hoo!) even though it is minus 5 C outside. The only other thing puzzling me is that why are there no assigned seats? I am seated in 9A but it was a free for all - everyone piled on to this car until the seats ran out then they had to trail into the next car etc etc down the line and now we are late! You'd think we'd have figured that out by now...... if you have 7 minutes watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfM_cqOLnE8

Living on stew and drinking bad whiskey dammit!  ps - he's not dead yet

(bonus the internet is free - makes up for all the little things...)

   The rails built this country in popular myth but they have been left to twist in the wind - the  fact the train is sold out should be indicative of something...I'll put money on it too that the so called "first class" car is half empty. They get to pay extra to be delayed 2 hours. This could be my whinest rambliest post ever but Ive spent the past 3 days as a union delegate so Im tired,  ever so slightly hung over and wingey. I will say one thing...the Scone Witches Rule!

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/the-scone-witch-ottawa

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm clotted cream!

..and there are other incidents mentioned in this article

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/767935--worker-plunges-to-his-death

nothing learned two months after the last scaffold incident. Another swingstage, more balcony work, another dead worker.

By all accounts this guy was wearing a harness but if it isnt attached to anything, it isnt worth a shit.

Another incident in Kitchener (closer to us, not Toronto) was a friend of a co-worker; brother electrician but not electrocuted:

http://news.therecord.com/article/671558

"There's never a dollar of all your wealth but marks the workers dead"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1251006/MARTIN-SAMUEL-Canadas-lust-glory-blame-senseless-tragedy-Nodar-Kumaritashvili.html

This was a bit harsh but it pretty much sums it up:

"...Canada wanted to Own The Podium at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. This morning they can put their maple leaf stamp on something more instantly tangible: the nondescript little box carrying the lifeless body of Nodar Kumaritashvili back to his home in Bakuriani, Georgia.

Made in Canada, it should say. Made by the perversion of the Olympic movement for national gain; made by a culture of worthless aggrandisement and pride."

I thought it was just me thinking these things and I'm (mostly) Canadian!

Oh and  our first gold on the soil winner made a stop at McDonalds as they helped bankroll him, the 74 million pounds that Samuel is talking about...the medal is getting commerative stamps and coins. NOTE: not the athlete, the medal. You have to be dead for a while or the Queen to have that honour. THE MEDAL. They must have had the presses primed and ready - but it's not a political thing, no not politics at all even though the mint and Post Office are controlled by the state

-for now....