April 29, 2007
Sarah Polley, paranoia and festivals galore
This Magazine’s May Film Club Newsletter is now up here. May highlights include Sarah Polley’s directorial debut with Away From Her, based on an Alice Munro short story and starring Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie. Civic Duty also opens next month. It’s about a man who becomes paranoid about terrorism after watching too much — gasp! — cable news. May will be a busy... [More >>]
April 28, 2007
Friday Saturday Links: lifetime supplies, Spadina bus, public radio idol
Apologies for the lateness of this week’s Friday links. Sometimes 24-hours in a day just aren’t enough. So without further ado. We’ve always been curious what a lifetime supply of carrots looked like and thanks to a UK documentary we know. Nick Watts, a British documentary maker, compiled basic statistics and tried to represent them physically. We’re kinda worried about the... [More >>]
April 26, 2007
Google with care
This week I received an e-mail from a This contributor kindly asking me to remove something incriminating from his contributor’s bio on the website. He pointed me to an article that outlines the plight of Vancouver psychotherapist Andrew Feldmar, who was barred from ever again entering the United States because he discussed his use of LSD in an academic article that was easily found via search... [More >>]
April 25, 2007
Gay newspaper to stay in Ottawa city buildings
I thought I’d post a quick update, because I mentioned this a few weeks ago. Happily, the City of Ottawa has come to its senses, and remembered that it has no authority to censor community newspapers. Hooray for small victories. You can read about it here. [More >>]
April 24, 2007
NMA nomination news
The 2007 National Magazine Awards nominees were announced today, and This was recognized with two nominations: Zoe Cormier’s Playing Dirty in the Science, Technology and the Environment category and Evelyn Lau’s poem Quayside in the Poetry category! As well, Blog This’s own John Degen was nominated in the Service: Lifestyle category for his Cottage Life article The Holy Grape. Congratulations,... [More >>]
April 23, 2007
The Canwest Museum of Human Rights?
Philip Gourevitch, in his essential We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families, describes the ridiculousness of reading a newspaper article on Rwandan atrocities while waiting in line at the Holocaust Memorial in Washington. During a speech at the museum’s opening ceremonies, Bill Clinton called it “an investment in a secure future against whatever insanity... [More >>]
April 20, 2007
Happy Earth Day, what Stephen is reading and a salute to the student journalists of Virginia Tech
Some of us here at This think that everyday is Earth Day, the rest of us try to act a little more green around April 22nd. There are events all over the country, and if you can’t make it, there are tons of things you can do at home or at work. Cities everywhere are in love with Richard Florida’s “Creative Class” friendly ideas. Vancouver is no exception. But with rising costs... [More >>]
April 19, 2007
A Little Matter of Consent
Well, it looks like the federal justice committee has just cleared the way for the passage of Bill C-22, which will raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16. The Conservatives are calling it the “age of protection,” and are falling all over themselves, claiming to be protecting children from exploitation. I’ve made my opinions on this issue known in Capital Xtra, and for a short... [More >>]
April 18, 2007
joy sighting in hogtown
I hope everyone read R.M. Vaughn’s hilarious piece in the weekend Globe about how you all hate Toronto only because our shiny surfaces reflect back your own inadequacies. It warmed my heart. Brilliant writer, Vaughn. You should go buy his books. If it makes it easier, think of him as a Maritime author like that other Torontonian David Adams Richards. Anyhoo, one of my least favorite Toronto slights... [More >>]
April 17, 2007
prime green
(image courtesy Citizens Bank of Canada) At my office today, I stumbled upon the press conference launching Citizens Bank of Canada’s new Green Mortgage product. They have partnered with the Conservation Council of Ontario (who are co-tenants of mine at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto) and Green$aver to create a mortgage that combines a competitive lending rate with enviro-feel-goodness. Take... [More >>]
