Posts by Catherine Hayday
-
In the Blog
Sometimes stats don’t lie
Pie charts used for good – From AndrewSullivan.com: … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Intervening in offensiveness
Queen’s University is starting an “intergroup dialogue program” – with student facilitators who will intervene when they hear other students making homophobic, racist or sexist comments or using homophobic, racist or sexist words. “The Kingston university has hired student facilitators to step in when they overhear homophobic slurs, remarks bashing women or racially tinged insults, along with an array of other language that could be deemed offensive. … A sampling of some behaviour that could warrant attention from … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
I.O.U.
Restructure! – I.O.U. one post on “HOWTO Encourage Women in Linux”. And you shall have it shortly. Actually I’m shooting for as shortly as tomorrow (bonus Thursday geekery!). But I just got home (it’s 11:12pm) and while all I want in life right now is to put on my jammies, I can’t let a Wired Wednesday go by having posted nothing (even if I’ll be right back here tomorrow). So, until tomorrow: * Guitar Hero onna … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Free as in freedom
Before I get to commenting on the Women in Linux HOWTO, I think it is ten past overdue o’clock that I get up a post on free software, open-source, closed-source, and maybe just a teensy bit on why people hate Microsoft. This could go on and on and on: the arguments and positions are complex. Each one of these subheadings could easily be a whole post, or book (and they are). I’ve been warned that … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Gmail gizmadgets
Right, so a couple of weeks ago, I was all “colour-coding zomg ftw!”. But colour-coding is just step one of organizational bliss. Step two are filters. Filters much like the one that made this sweet cup of coffee I’m sipping right now (alright, I use a bodum, but still). Same as last time, I’m going to do a quick runthrough of how I use filters. Gmail writes comprehensive helpdocs, I’m just adding … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Vote!
We interrupt our regular programming to deliver your Shameless reminder to vote, plus a fresh votin’ video off of the YouTubes. As my recently-transplanted-Canadian-friend-now-living-in-the-States-and-able-to-vote said: Please go vote tomorrow. It doesn’t take much of your time and your employer is required to let you have the time needed to go vote. It’s very very simple. You can find where your voting location is on your computer or even on your phone so there’s no excuse about not … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Made Up
Earlier this year, my friend Veronica wrote eloquently on her struggle To Wear or Not To Wear make-up (“The makeup junkie speaks”). I loved it, and thought y’all might enjoy it too. V writes about her new-found (and conflicted) addiction to make-up: fear of having to “put her face on”; what make-up means to her gender presentation; and the looming threat of the make-up police. Read her full post here. What about you? What are … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
The Women of Parkour
I think Parkour is awesome. I loved watching it at the beginning of Casino Royale, thought Jump London and Jump Britain were great, and I’m looking forward to simu-playing it in Mirror’s Edge. Maybe one of these days I’ll try running up a wall. Until then, I’ll be inspired by these women of parkour who talk plainly about what it’s like to be a woman in this sport – like the logistics of … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Mortgage Crisis Backgrounder
Being ignorant drives me crazy, so it stung when the world pitched into an economic crisis and I didn’t have the foggiest idea why. Not a very empowering feeling. Then I found these: two episodes of This American Life detailing, in plain language, exactly what the hell was going on (and the all important “why”). You can stream both episodes, for free, from the pages below. Part I: The Giant Pool of Money Part … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Cue The Girl from Ipanema
I haven’t forgotten about Gmail filters, but I feel I should be slightly more alert when I write about them. As my brain feels quite a bit like jello at the moment, it seems possible, nay, likely, that I’d describe a filter that dumps all your mail in the trash. Teeheehee, whoops. And so, the elevator music equivalent of Wired Wednesday – compilation day, a Gizmodo edition! NYC tests digital bus ads that change depending … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Requisition me a beat
This week’s Wired Wednesday is in response to a request (oh yeah, we totally roll that way). The request was, and I quote: “do a productivity one. Like the desktop thing… little organizational things like that”. I probably shouldn’t reward Captain Vague with doing what he asked for, but I’m a softie for requests. So here goes… Gmail: It’s all about the colour-coding baby I am an independent consultant. A business of one. I’m … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
What’s on your desktop?
Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a meme. From Webworker, some What’s on Your Desktop? for your Wednesday. I used to be one of those people with icons covering my entire MacBook desktop, all glaring evidence of a failure to properly organize my files. These days, I try to take a desktop organizational moment every other week. Still, I’ve wondered what the things lingering on my desktop we all about. Why were they there? What might … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Activist Burnout
While I was making brunch yesterday, I was lucky enough to catch a documentary on activism burnout that aired on CBC’s The Sunday Edition: Our documentary in Hour Two this morning describes what happens when political activists have had too much. Too much marching, too much anger, too many grueling hours of organizational meetings. Some flame out and hit rock bottom. The life of an activist is hardly stress- free. Producer Frank Faulk wanted to find … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
The Cone
I love Come As You Are. For my money they’re one of the best sex shops out there. (Also a nod to Good For Her of course – in part because of their fabulous name.) It’s at the Come As You Are website (sometimes abstinence-only posters just make you want to shop for sex toys) that I came across this: “Whassat” you say? Well, I’m glad you asked. That, friends, is The Cone. … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
-
In the Blog
-
In the Blog
Google Chrome (‘n’Comics)
This is a two-fer post – Wired Wednesdays plus some Comics are for Everybody action. Because… Google has a browser. It’s a Beta version, and it’s only available for Windows for now. But still - Google has a browser. At home I mostly use a Mac, so (besides my undying allegiance to Firefox) I can’t actually play with Chrome. Until Google releases a Mac version. Cough cough coughity cough Google. (Oh, and also a Linux … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
A splash of green
I really should change the radio station on my alarm, because waking up to the news just makes me start my day angry. Half-awake, I drift in and out of how the Green Party is (once again) not being included in the leaders’ debates. Why? Because the Conservatives, Bloc and NDP threw “if she’s there I’m not going” hissy fits. Elizabeth May fronts a party that received nearly 5% of the votes in the last election, when … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Math is fun!
Or it would be if I was doing it on a Curta Mechanical Calculator. (Damned newfangled electronic calculators have no personality.) Summary description of the Curta from Dark Roasted Blend: * Entirely mechanical, no electricity or batteries involved. * Designed by Curt Herzstark in 1938 and perfected inside a concentration camp. * Considered to be the most efficient portable calculator (until electronic calculators came in the 70s) * Simply a thing of beauty, stunning piece of engineering art. Click the link … READ MORE
-
In the Blog
Sex Spam Goes GGG
Before I hit “delete all spam messages now”, I usually quickly scan the folder for any real emails. Today I noticed something. When did sex spam become so much more… egalitarian? A sample of actual subject lines: * “Give your lady the very best” * “Give her the best loving every night” * “Your lady deserves only the best” * “Only for your lover” * “Making her come” * “How to take time for relationships” Sort of … READ MORE
