September 28, 2007
Dallaire’s desperate dispatch
This Magazine’s October Film Club Newsletter is now up here. The much-anticipated Shake Hands with the Devil opens today. It recounts Romeo Dallaire’s fruitless struggle to secure more UN troops to help stop the Rwandan genocide. On a much lighter note, the 8th annual Darryl’s Hard Liquor & Porn Film Festival hits Toronto’s Bloor Cinema on Saturday, October 13. The fully... [More >>]
September 28, 2007
Why are so few Canadian left-wing blogs popular?
If you’ve ever been interested in reading Canadian political blogs but have no idea where to start, Paulitics compiled a list last month of some of the most popular political blogs in the country. It’s not even close to an authoritative or scientific ranking, but it does give a sense of some of the better-read online writing on politics. What I don’t get is why so many on the list... [More >>]
September 28, 2007
Deadly misperceptions
According to a Reuters report, Mozambique’s Catholic archbishop Francisco Chimoio has proclaimed that some condoms imported in Europe were deliberately exposed to HIV in order to kill Africans. Given the history of colonialism between Africa and Europe, suspicion may be understandable, but the religious leader’s assertion is patently absurd, as HIV is known to be unable to live outside... [More >>]
September 21, 2007
Bush kills Nelson Mandela (sort of), NFB film library in danger, farms of the future
George W. Bush has made a lot of gaffes in his time as president but this one is mind-bogglingly bad. At a Thursday press conference W. blurted out this classic line… “I heard somebody say, Where’s Mandela?’ Well, Mandela’s dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas,” So in one fell swoop he had a dead dictator killing a very alive hero and former world... [More >>]
September 20, 2007
Solidarity or death?
Acts of murder against trade unionists around the world increased 25 percent from 2005 to 2006. According to a survey on human-rights violations just published by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), 144 trade unionists were murdered for defending workers’ rights in 2006, while more than 800 suffered beatings or torture. “Colombia is the deadliest country in the world for... [More >>]
September 17, 2007
Media meltdown?
The CRTC’s “Diversity of Voices” hearings kick off this week to review Canada’s current media cross-ownership regulations. They arrive in the wake of CTVglobemedia and Rogers divvying up CHUM, while CanWest Global (along with Goldman Sachs) took over Alliance Atlantis. The Tyee has a thoughtful analysis by mass communications prof Marc Edge, titled Big Media’s Big Showdown.... [More >>]
September 15, 2007
Weekend links: Lost socks? make toys!, damn young’uns and the online journalism awards
An ingenious solution to a common modern clothing problem, the missing sock. Make a toy dog! When you’re done, donate them to kids who’ll give them a home. You don’t even have to spay or neuter them. Ah the eternal battle of young vs. old captured on video. Atlantic Monthly writer Michael Hirschorn thinks there’s too much quirkiness out there. I for one can’t get enough... [More >>]
September 12, 2007
Pixels and protests
UK-based LabourStart has been threatened by an employer targeted by online protests by the activist group, which supports labour struggles internationally. According to a release by LabourStart, members of the UNISON public-service workers union who work in homes for the aged have been told by their employer, the nonprofit Fremantle, about impending pay cuts of up to 30 percent in this way: “accept... [More >>]
September 7, 2007
Weekend links: Bears!, William Gibson, Futbol
The above items have absolutely nothing in common except for the fact I find them entertaining. Author William Gibson’s new book has been getting pretty good press, but the folks at Boing Boing calls this Washington Post interview one of the best they’ve read. We have to admit that we’re not big soccer fans but we can get behind the Homeless World Cup. Teams made up of homeless and... [More >>]
September 5, 2007
U.S. Senate uses questionable results to denounce global warming
This entry from the U.S. Senate blog reads like an “I told you so” from climate change skeptics, when really there’s nothing endorsing rejection of global warming in it. [More >>]
