August 31, 2004
Lord Tubby of Fleece
So it’s official: Conrad Black, David Radler, and a few other associates spent the better part of the last decade helping themselves to the income of Hollinger International. A special committee of Hollinger International on Tuesday issued a report stating that “Hollinger was systematically manipulated and used by its controlling shareholders for their sole benefit, and in a manner that... [More >>]
August 30, 2004
Free Parking
Parks Canada is being completely outclassed in their labour dispute with the Public Service Alliance of Canada. What with the precious summer days of Canada nearing their end, it should be relatively easy for the Parks department to encourage resentment for union action among a public desperate to squeeze in a bit more camping, hiking and canoeing before the leaves fall and the frost sets in. “The... [More >>]
August 29, 2004
Starship Troopers?
Clive Thompson writes about the use of off-the-shelf video games for the X-box being used as combat simulation for US troops in his recent article for the New York Times Magazine: “…The Army is already preparing plans to ship out copies of Full Spectrum Warrior to soldiers, and its creators envision the game being played by troops in Iraq, where Xboxes are popular among Americans looking... [More >>]
August 29, 2004
Hoaxing Social Scene
I love a good publicity stunt. An object lesson in the art of publicity this week from Kevin Drew of Toronto’s Broken Social Scene. In an interview for the cover story of this week’s Now Magazine, Drew lays the “last.show.ever.” thing on a little thicker than usual. Turns out it was a bit of a wind-up to get a big crowd (and in truth, probably their last show for a good while)... [More >>]
August 27, 2004
England: theme park for frat boys?
Aug. 31 Update: Tony Blair is back from his holidays, and he’s declared war on yob culture. A few days ago, I came across this article, about the growing problem of binge-drinking in Britain. An excerpt: “Binge drinking — consuming alcohol in a methodical attempt to get blind drunk — is now such a widespread phenomenon in Britain that authorities are starting to get worried.” Oddly,... [More >>]
August 27, 2004
Best Website: This Magazine
I’m not above a little flagrant self-promotion. That’s what guerrilla marketing is all about, right? So nominate This Magazine’s fabulous new website as “Best Website” in Now Magazine’s Best of Toronto contest. Tell your friends too. But please don’t cheat. It says so in the rules. that’s www.thismagazine.ca, of course. By the way, the archive is going... [More >>]
August 26, 2004
Guest blog review wanted
Calling all lurkers: Does anyone out there want to read Naomi Klein’s piece “Pillaging Iraq in Pursuit of a Neocon Utopia” in the new Harper’s, and post a review/comment on it? My copy of Harper’s is stuck in Canada Post mail-forwarding limbo. Send me 300-800 words on the piece and I’ll post it. Anonymously or signed, as desired. Email apotter@trentu.ca [More >>]
August 26, 2004
Maybe we should be cheering for Harper
According to this article in the Village Voice, Bushwacking is doing wonders for the fortunes of the alternative press: “in this particularly contentious political clime, in which Dick Cheney displays his colorful vocab and Iowa senator Tom Harkin dismisses the veep as a coward, lefty rags have found President Bush to be the ultimate weapon in the subscription war.” [More >>]
August 25, 2004
Supreme Court Fallout
Update: Shut up, Ralph In today’s Globe, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein criticized the new appointments, saying that Paul Martin used the nominations to promote the federal Liberals’ left-leaning social policies. So, the Alberta government wants more provincial input in the appointment of Supreme Court judges. Unreal. What possible business is it of the government of Alberta, or any of the... [More >>]
August 25, 2004
Rhymes with chutney
American Leftie digest Utne celebrates its 20th anniversary in September/October 2004. I love lists, and the issue includes an inventory of themes and stories that they’ve covered (a few: New politics, Is psychotherapy useless? sustainable business, designer god) over the last 20 years. The list is followed by a list of 10 headlines for the next 20 years. Some tongue-in-cheek, some sadly prophetic... [More >>]
