June 29, 2009
Twitter and the future of democracy
Sure, the web is rife with nonsense. But real political dialogue thrives too In my more idealistic moments, I always imagine I’ll stumble upon raging intellectual debate on the subway. But based on the conversations I’ve overheard lately, here’s what I can tell you about the public mood in Canada: saving GM is both the best and worst thing we’ve ever done; Lady Gaga “sucks”; and, at least... [More >>]
June 26, 2009
Two Poems by Asher Ghaffar
Alchemy of Traces There’s a tyrant of a ghost who visited my apartment on Dufferin Street, strangled me with a towel. “I was born before the gold rush, before the flood, before once upon a time. I want to be known in harrowing grief.” In a nightmare, my herm- aphrodite muse whispered, “To lose a finger is to grow a hand, a new sensorial world. Allow the book to die inside the... [More >>]
June 24, 2009
The American Nightmare of Kelly Reichardt’s ‘Wendy and Lucy’
How global recession, Hurricane Katrina, and social breakdown can strand one lonely woman—and her little dog, too Michelle Williams as Wendy in Kelly Reichardt's 'Wendy and Lucy.' Courtesy Oscilloscope Laboratories. In cinematic terms, the Great Depression is arguably best represented by Mervyn LeRoy’s 1932 classic I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang. Wrongfully convicted of robbery,... [More >>]
June 18, 2009
Dear CBC: Review more books
Professional book reviewing is dead in this country. The CBC could revive it. The CBC could be a force for CanLit. Why isn't it? Illustration by Dushan Milic If Clive Owen were a Canadian author, maybe the CBC would finally review books. Katrina Onstad, a film columnist for CBC.ca, begins a recent review: “The International opens with a long, extended close-up of Clive Owen’s face, following... [More >>]
June 16, 2009
Quebec duo ATSA turn terrorism into art
Québécois artists Pierre Allard and Annie Roy celebrate 10 years of artistic shock and awe "ATTACK #6" (2003). Photo by Martin Savoie. Socially Acceptable Acts of Terrorism: that last word seems to just hang in the air. These days, not many organizations would choose to use the “T” word. But when Montreal’s public art duo ATSA (the group’s French acronym) first hit the streets... [More >>]
June 12, 2009
B.C. libraries introducing homegrown e-books — for free
Publishers, libraries co-operating to get locally published e-books into the public’s hands If the Association of Book Publishers of B.C. gets its way, the province’s libraries will be making a major acquisition this summer without gaining any weight. The association’s Best of B.C. Books Online project plans to purchase electronic rights to a collection of some 1,000 non-fiction titles... [More >>]
June 8, 2009
Meet Ralph Nader’s secret (Canadian) weapon: Toby Heaps
How Canada’s Rollerblading, CEO-hugging, cartel-busting activist-entrepreneur became Ralph Nader’s presidential campaign manager (and why he did it when there was zero chance of winning) Toby Heaps demonstrates his style in Toronto. Photo by Steve Payne Junue Millan is getting agitated. It’s a hot day in May 2008, and Millan, an organizer on Ralph Nader’s quixotic presidential campaign,... [More >>]
June 4, 2009
Welcome to the no-growth economy
York University economist Peter Victor says it’s time to shrink the economy, not grow it York University economist Peter Victor: "We're in serious trouble right now." Photo by Molly Crealock How can we escape our current economic mess while simultaneously avoiding the looming triple threats of peak oil, climate change, and species extinction? York University ecological economist... [More >>]
June 2, 2009
Postcard from Tokyo: Rise of the (vending) machines
Japanese vending machines, at your service any time. Creative Commons photo by David Ooms. In North America, we barely notice vending machines. They dispense soft drinks, water, sometimes coffee (or laundry soap in laundromats). In Japan, however, vending machines have been elevated to a fine art. To an outsider, these machines, called jidoohanbaiki, are ubiquitous — incredibly, there is one vending... [More >>]
