January 30, 2006
Face-to-face with independence
After a full day of sessions on Saturday (most with an eye toward improving the magazine’s web presence), my official IPA convention experience came to a close. I would have posted about the day’s events, but I think it’s safe to say that little of the content from the workshops I attended would be of interest. However, one of the chief benefits of an event like this was the connections... [More >>]
January 27, 2006
The Sword and the Shield
Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! just gave her keynote address at the Independent Press Association convention, and it left many attendees in tears. The event, over lunch here in San Francisco, began with an Indy Media-produced documentary on mass media and its role in promoting war, and her address carried that theme further. It was a wide-ranging speech that touched on Iraq, media independence, East... [More >>]
January 27, 2006
IPA convention, Day 1
Hello from San Francisco, California, where Day 1 of the Independent Press Association convention ‘06 is underway. I’ll be attending a number of sessions today and tomorrow, including targetted workshops and lunchtime addresses by Amy Goodman and Greg Palast. The other part of the event, of course, is networking, and already I’ve met several people from independent publications in... [More >>]
January 27, 2006
revving the satirical engine
Anybody see the Bush press conference re: Hamas on The Daily Show last night? Oh, how we laughed. And here’s the best Harper bit I’ve seen yet (thanks to Zerb for this one). [More >>]
January 27, 2006
the shoe, apparently, fits
Prime Minister-designate Stephen Harper speaking yesterday about U.S. assertions that Canada cannot claim sovereignty over the waters of the Northwest Passage: “…it is the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the ambassador from the United States.” When, I ask, when will this embarrassing anti-Americanism from the Conservatives and the west cease so we can finally normalize... [More >>]
January 24, 2006
Yay, democracy! part 2
My last posting has been criticized for not recognizing the dire straits our democracy has entered. I weary of these politics. We live in a parliamentary democracy with a first past the post electoral system. I’d like to see one of those factors change, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon, despite Stephen Harper’s electoral reform noises. It is simply not in the interest of a potential... [More >>]
January 24, 2006
Yay, democracy
I can think of better results for yesterday’s election, but this one will do. The Liberals needed to go. Martin needed to go. I’ve said before, it would be tough for a Conservative party to NOT beat the Liberals in their current state. Prime Minister-elect Harper seems well aware of the constraints on his power, and refreshingly open to some tough parliamentary work in the coming months... [More >>]
January 23, 2006
Group Hug
Somebody in power should have been paying attention to minutiae on slow news days past. British psychologist Cliff Arnall has calculated the most depressing day of the year, and it’s January 24. Deep breath. On a more positive note, we have June 24 to look forward to. Same British psychogist theorizes it as the HAPPIEST day of the year. And by calculations, that’s the second last day of... [More >>]
January 23, 2006
One day only!
For one day only — today — I have disabled comments on Blog This, because, as Rob Hyndman points out, any reporting of election results in one district before the polls close in another district is illegal. This includes electronic reporting which, scary as it may seem, Blog This and its visitors are capable of. Since This Magazine is hardly thrilled with the idea of breaking this particular... [More >>]
January 23, 2006
Gimme a V, Gimme an O….
Things to do today: 1) vote 2) vote 3) v…. Okay, you get the picture. And in the international news section of today’s New York Times…. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/international/americas/23canada.html?th&emc=th [More >>]
