Rose's Cantina

The New York Times today published the following piece. Maybe it's time to revisit whether Gloria Steinem made a difference in the lives of women. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/fashion/in-the-womans-movement-who-will-replace-gloria-steinem.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimes&adxnnlx=1332075717-E8rJuM8N9GqSDw/dicIPEg The very last story I wrote for the Ottawa Journal , before jumping ship to become an entertainment writer for the Ottawa Citizen , was about the first female to become an Ottawa police constable. My assignment was to ride along for an afternoon with this young woman and her burly male partner. The chief cop writer, Dave McKay, was thrilled that he’d been able to land this plum assignment for me; it was rare that ride alongs were permitted and so I was, quite obviously, one privileged little girl scout – and Dave was quick to remind me of that. I was ungrateful. I wanted to write about news, not sexual politics. Even at the te...

In the 1970s, Ottawa Journal women's editor Betty Sarsfield led a protest in front of the newly-minted National Press Club of Canada in Ottawa. She and fellow women journalists picketed outside the press club because women -- still -- were not allowed to be members. They could be signed in and drink, eat, dance and play with the boys, but they couldn't be card carrying members of the club. I was shocked when Betty told me the story when I arrived on the scene in the late 70s. As a child of the Sixties, I had been hand raised on feminism ideals. I knew the feminist mantras by rote. I embraced the romance of it all. I became a true believer. Obviously, I was living in a dream world created by Mad Men. "You've come a long way, baby," the television screamed while women in bouffant hairstyles smoked their own elegant cigarettes. Women on my television were burning their bras, taking pharmaceuticals to make still their babymakers and shedding their g...

There's a story today that Laureen Harper will be conducting a free Christmas concert with the National Arts Centre orchestra. The fact that she's not a musician or has never been a conductor doesn't seem to matter. (If I'd been the main conductor, I'd be worried that if the job is this easy, I'd soon be out of a gig.) Who on Earth would want to see this crap? Now, I'm not much of an orchestra fan -- the first time I went, I told one of the musicians I knew all the songs from Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner cartoons -- and concerts of these kind always put me to sleep. But watching Laureen Harper twirl the baton would be like watching her husband playing pro hockey with the Senators. Both, I'm sure would fall on their asses. Let's face it: Prime Ministerial wives are useless appendages, with the exception of say, Mo McTeer, who actually had a professional job as a lawyer. But even McTeer was dumbed down upon taking up the key to 24 Sussex, wr...

Last night's edition of The Xpoit Factor gave the term "over the top" new meaning. Did you see it? Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger had a breakdown on national television after she threw poor Rachel Crowe to the wolves. And Rachel looked as if she was going to stroke out. Hope they've got their health insurance paid up. This show is ridiculous. It isn't about the "talent". It's about which of the judges can throw the biggest hissy fit when their mentees get the boot. They don't judge on talent; they judge on turf. L.A. (Little Ass) Reid is only on the show to beat Simon Cowell at his own game. Cowell expects everyone to do what Simon says, otherwise he starts to get the lip on. Paula Abdul still doesn't know where she is, and Nicole acts as if she's having a permanent nervous breakdown. Cuckoo! Cuckoo! And where did they get that guy Steve Jones? His plastic is starting to show! It makes me long for American Idol . At le...

There's an art to being successfully poor, and I've mastered it. Many a year, I have lived below the poverty line, putting out at least half my income for rent and utilities. Christmases have often been nail biters with presents bought just in the knick of time and feasts cobbled together on a wing and a prayer. This year will be no exception. My husband sells Japanese cars. I am an unsuccessful freelancer being chased by the government for a few hundred bucks, even though I've only made about $4,000 this year. I'm always thinking that the government spends more than it makes trying to collect back taxes from the poor, staffing phone banks with bored operators and nasty collection agents who are getting paid more in a month than I make in a quarter. We also have a few extra expenses. The car needs new bearings. The pug needs to be assessed by the vet after developing the odd habit of fainting for no good reason. There will be added household expenses once W...

Oprah Winfrey was in damage control mode yesterday. She took to the Doctor Oz Show to pimp her network and her new show, Oprah's New Chapter , in an attempt to remind viewers that she's still out there. The OWN Network has been in free fall despite Oprah's attempts to shore it up with her own five-week show, Oprah's Lifeclass as well as a flashy talk show hosted by Rosie O'Donnell. In January, Oprah's set to launch The Next Chapter which will take the superstar around the globe to interwiew stars and newsmakers in their own countries and in their own lavish homes. But Oprah's fairy dust doesn't seem to be working this time. She's chewed through at least three top executives, as well as any staff, according to insiders, who question her vision. She's added reruns of her 25th anniversary show in her old time slot competing against the anointed Doctor Oz to see if she can get any traction. And she's called on all her celebrity frien...

It's the holiday season! Just in time for the Ontario Auditor-General to throw the "Board" of the LCBO under the bus. Ooh, look at the treadmarks! The A-G says the liquor board isn't even trying to keep costs down by trying to squeeze its suppliers to reduce their prices. Instead, the Board is actually telling some suppliers they need to charge more. Why? Because it is, apparently, some sort of code. "It's a tradition," says the Board."(Fighting for better prices) is not the way we do things here at the LCBO." You just have to look at the price of medium-priced wine and spirits. Eighteen bucks for a nice bottle of vino. Thirty bucks for a mid-priced bottle of Scotch. Aren't we being punished enough by paying exhorbitant taxes? Why does the LCBO pay premium prices to suppliers when it can use its monopoly to cut us a break? According to the A-G, it's part of the LCBO's strategy to get us to drink less. So they...