Our Crumbling Democracy
Several months ago, the Prime Minister of Canada and his staff implemented a "list system" used during "press conferences" on Parliament Hill. The list is officiated by the PM's press secretary who compiles a list of reporters who want to ask questions before the conference, then decides which of the reporters get to ask questions once the conference starts.
This, of course, kills the spontaneity of the press conference - which is precisely the intended effect.
The PM has excessive control over who asks what and when. The flow of information from the government to the public (which even under previous administration's was spun beyond belief) has been reduced to a trickle.
The press, in attempts to take a stand against this action, has largely boycotted "the list". But, as the Hill Times is reporting, Canwest (one of the largest media conglomerates in the country) recently boycotted the boycott. In an interview the Hill Times, Canwest's Ottawa bureau chief explained,
"We're not doing this to be rogue... But there didn't, and doesn't seem to be a resolution close at hand or in the works. We were willing to give it until the G8 [meetings in St. Petersburg, Russia], and then until the Washington visit, and now we're [21] days away from the House sitting, and no closer to a solution. Our readers deserve to have some accountability from the government, and as much as it is distasteful for us, I don't know how else we will get our questions answered."
And when Canwest did get its questions answered, it wasn't in the public forum setting of a press conference. The PM phoned reporters back in private to respond to their questions. The move obviously makes it impossible for other reporters to ask followups, one of the signatures of a press conference. In responding to how Canwest reacted to the private phone calls, the bureau chief said,
"I don't think that would be ideal for CanWest, or that it would be the preferred system for anyone. Anybody who watches 24-hour news channels deserves to hear the Prime Minister be responsible in public, and picking up the phone and calling a reporter is not the same. But at least we got a question and an answer."
The part of the whole story that I find most disturbing? The "AT LEAST" in the last line of the quotation... as though Canadians don't have a right to have questions and answers from their government, as though it's a privilege.
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Several months ago, the Prime Minister of Canada and his staff implemented a "list system" used during "press conferences" on Parliament Hill. The list is officiated by the PM's press secretary who compiles a list of reporters who want to ask questions before the conference, then decides which of the reporters get to ask questions once the conference starts.
This, of course, kills the spontaneity of the press conference - which is precisely the intended effect.
The PM has excessive control over who asks what and when. The flow of information from the government to the public (which even under previous administration's was spun beyond belief) has been reduced to a trickle.
The press, in attempts to take a stand against this action, has largely boycotted "the list". But, as the Hill Times is reporting, Canwest (one of the largest media conglomerates in the country) recently boycotted the boycott. In an interview the Hill Times, Canwest's Ottawa bureau chief explained,
"We're not doing this to be rogue... But there didn't, and doesn't seem to be a resolution close at hand or in the works. We were willing to give it until the G8 [meetings in St. Petersburg, Russia], and then until the Washington visit, and now we're [21] days away from the House sitting, and no closer to a solution. Our readers deserve to have some accountability from the government, and as much as it is distasteful for us, I don't know how else we will get our questions answered."
And when Canwest did get its questions answered, it wasn't in the public forum setting of a press conference. The PM phoned reporters back in private to respond to their questions. The move obviously makes it impossible for other reporters to ask followups, one of the signatures of a press conference. In responding to how Canwest reacted to the private phone calls, the bureau chief said,
"I don't think that would be ideal for CanWest, or that it would be the preferred system for anyone. Anybody who watches 24-hour news channels deserves to hear the Prime Minister be responsible in public, and picking up the phone and calling a reporter is not the same. But at least we got a question and an answer."
The part of the whole story that I find most disturbing? The "AT LEAST" in the last line of the quotation... as though Canadians don't have a right to have questions and answers from their government, as though it's a privilege.
A Capital Idea?
An editorial in this week's Hill Times proposes street name changes for the downtown core of the 613. The idea is for the Canadian capital to pay better homage to the federation's provinces and territories. Personally I'm not a fan of street name changes - not because of the costs associated but more because of how it tinkers with history. But it is sort of an interesting idea - whether it is particularly feasible or not.
The Hill Times,
August 21st, 2006
By Andrew Cardozo
... What must be also reviewed is the matter of reflecting the country–the big picture of what a national capital is supposed to be. Do Canadians who come here feel a good sense that this is their capital, and does it reflect them, their lives and the major events that define our nation? For foreigners, when they visit the capital, do they get a sense of the country and how this place pulls it all together?...
... the street names? C'mon. Wellington, O'Connor, Slater? Who were these folks? Some have been governors general, but Slater? And who is Bank anyways? And Bronson? Here's an idea for a national project, borrowed from Washington D.C., where many of the streets leading to the centre bear the names of the American states. It really gives you a feeling of the whole country being present in the centre. Why not have all the street names leading to Parliament Hill named after the provinces? Call it a provincialization of the capital. First, Wellington Street (the main boulevard in front of the Parliament Buildings) could be renamed something like Confederation Boulevard...
... There are an even 10 streets that lead to Wellington Street, starting with Sussex Drive, and, on a map, going clockwise over to Bronson. The historic Sussex Drive could become Prince Edward Island Drive, which is appropriate given the role of the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 that led to Confederation. Okay, Bronson doesn't actually connect to Wellington now, but that could be fixed with a road cut through the mountain to connect the two, symbolic in more way than one. Without being tacky, there may be an imaginative way to have a monument at the head of each such street with some kind of relation to the province. There are variations on this theme. For the north-south streets, like Bank, the name change does not have to cover the entire length, but could go only as far as the Queensway. Also, instead of using the provinces' names (since a couple are long), streets could be named after their capital cities, e.g. Charlottetown Drive. The territories could be named in the east-west streets Queen, Albert and Slater. Otherwise the territories could go on the three bridges from Gatineau that lead into the downtown.
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An editorial in this week's Hill Times proposes street name changes for the downtown core of the 613. The idea is for the Canadian capital to pay better homage to the federation's provinces and territories. Personally I'm not a fan of street name changes - not because of the costs associated but more because of how it tinkers with history. But it is sort of an interesting idea - whether it is particularly feasible or not.
The Hill Times,
August 21st, 2006
By Andrew Cardozo
... What must be also reviewed is the matter of reflecting the country–the big picture of what a national capital is supposed to be. Do Canadians who come here feel a good sense that this is their capital, and does it reflect them, their lives and the major events that define our nation? For foreigners, when they visit the capital, do they get a sense of the country and how this place pulls it all together?...
... the street names? C'mon. Wellington, O'Connor, Slater? Who were these folks? Some have been governors general, but Slater? And who is Bank anyways? And Bronson? Here's an idea for a national project, borrowed from Washington D.C., where many of the streets leading to the centre bear the names of the American states. It really gives you a feeling of the whole country being present in the centre. Why not have all the street names leading to Parliament Hill named after the provinces? Call it a provincialization of the capital. First, Wellington Street (the main boulevard in front of the Parliament Buildings) could be renamed something like Confederation Boulevard...
... There are an even 10 streets that lead to Wellington Street, starting with Sussex Drive, and, on a map, going clockwise over to Bronson. The historic Sussex Drive could become Prince Edward Island Drive, which is appropriate given the role of the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 that led to Confederation. Okay, Bronson doesn't actually connect to Wellington now, but that could be fixed with a road cut through the mountain to connect the two, symbolic in more way than one. Without being tacky, there may be an imaginative way to have a monument at the head of each such street with some kind of relation to the province. There are variations on this theme. For the north-south streets, like Bank, the name change does not have to cover the entire length, but could go only as far as the Queensway. Also, instead of using the provinces' names (since a couple are long), streets could be named after their capital cities, e.g. Charlottetown Drive. The territories could be named in the east-west streets Queen, Albert and Slater. Otherwise the territories could go on the three bridges from Gatineau that lead into the downtown.
Is My Building Going Condo?
How do you know?
There's construction happening on the first floor. Walls are being knocked down and, from what I can peek through cracks, single units are being converted into much larger suites.
Furthermore, the building owners went to the Regie de Logement (housing authority) earlier in the year to have each individual unit assigned its own lot number. The sort of thing you do when you're getting ready to sell units off to individual owners.
So why are they still denying anything is up when asked?
Obviously they're worried about the tenants who rent freaking out... but I mean, how long can they keep up the charade?
I'm incensed. Not that it affects me, since I plan on moving in the next year, but... it just ain't right.
Somebody should fess up.
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How do you know?
There's construction happening on the first floor. Walls are being knocked down and, from what I can peek through cracks, single units are being converted into much larger suites.
Furthermore, the building owners went to the Regie de Logement (housing authority) earlier in the year to have each individual unit assigned its own lot number. The sort of thing you do when you're getting ready to sell units off to individual owners.
So why are they still denying anything is up when asked?
Obviously they're worried about the tenants who rent freaking out... but I mean, how long can they keep up the charade?
I'm incensed. Not that it affects me, since I plan on moving in the next year, but... it just ain't right.
Somebody should fess up.
Missing Miss Match
There was a sassy and short-lived drama two years ago called Miss Match. It starred Alicia Silverstone. Don't remember what network it was on, but it ran on Friday nights. A tough slot for any show. It didn't generate much buzz. Got yanked quick.
But it was good. Luckily W Network (Women's TV) is running it in syndication Monday through Fridays at 5 pm. But there were only like, maybe 16 episodes or something. So there are only so many times you can watch repeats, you know?
It's a real pisser. The smart shows so rarely make it.
(My rant for the day)
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There was a sassy and short-lived drama two years ago called Miss Match. It starred Alicia Silverstone. Don't remember what network it was on, but it ran on Friday nights. A tough slot for any show. It didn't generate much buzz. Got yanked quick.
But it was good. Luckily W Network (Women's TV) is running it in syndication Monday through Fridays at 5 pm. But there were only like, maybe 16 episodes or something. So there are only so many times you can watch repeats, you know?
It's a real pisser. The smart shows so rarely make it.
(My rant for the day)
Hardcore Legal Superstar?
Remember Joseph Briante, the flamboyant Fasken associate who resigned in the spring after being told he was too "friendly" for the firm?
Well here's the latest...
http://www.hardcoresuperstar.ca/index.htm
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Remember Joseph Briante, the flamboyant Fasken associate who resigned in the spring after being told he was too "friendly" for the firm?
Well here's the latest...
http://www.hardcoresuperstar.ca/index.htm
Getting it Right
One of the hardest parts of being a journalist is getting it right. Sounds simple, perhaps, but when you are in the business of publishing or broadcasting news, the facts are your most prized commodities. The facts are key, but not always straightforward. Even small mistakes, like misspelling a name or getting a date wrong, can have widespread effect on the public.
Case in point:
The Montreal Gazette last Sunday made a mistake. A mistake that could happen in any newsroom anytime. The wrong set of lottery numbers found their way onto a page. Then the page got printed. The papers were delivered. And the rest...? I'll leave the details up to the CBC...
Just imagine! Paper's mistake had man believing he won lotto
Last Updated Sun, 20 Aug 2006 23:12:08 EDT
CBC News
Elation turned to despair for a Quebec man last weekend when a mistake in a Montreal newspaper led him to believe he had a winning ticket in last weekend's $43.2-million Lotto 6-49 jackpot.
Ulysee Maillot, 62, said he thought his numbers had come up after he read the Montreal Gazette last Sunday.
But the paper printed the wrong numbers by mistake.
Now he and his lawyer are demanding compensation from the Gazette.
"I felt sick," Maillot said.
"I never said a word. I was weak, I was sweaty, I was so upset," he told a local TV station.
His lawyer, Christopher Dimakos, said: "We are seeking something to at least allow him to be compensated for what he went through due to the circumstances."
Earlier this week, the Gazette reported it inadvertently repeated the numbers from the previous draw.
In the end, a Quebecer — not Maillot — and three Ontarians shared in the big win, the second-largest lottery jackpot in Canadian history.
***
And for other fine examples of media boo boos, see www.regrettheerror.com.
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One of the hardest parts of being a journalist is getting it right. Sounds simple, perhaps, but when you are in the business of publishing or broadcasting news, the facts are your most prized commodities. The facts are key, but not always straightforward. Even small mistakes, like misspelling a name or getting a date wrong, can have widespread effect on the public.
Case in point:
The Montreal Gazette last Sunday made a mistake. A mistake that could happen in any newsroom anytime. The wrong set of lottery numbers found their way onto a page. Then the page got printed. The papers were delivered. And the rest...? I'll leave the details up to the CBC...
Just imagine! Paper's mistake had man believing he won lotto
Last Updated Sun, 20 Aug 2006 23:12:08 EDT
CBC News
Elation turned to despair for a Quebec man last weekend when a mistake in a Montreal newspaper led him to believe he had a winning ticket in last weekend's $43.2-million Lotto 6-49 jackpot.
Ulysee Maillot, 62, said he thought his numbers had come up after he read the Montreal Gazette last Sunday.
But the paper printed the wrong numbers by mistake.
Now he and his lawyer are demanding compensation from the Gazette.
"I felt sick," Maillot said.
"I never said a word. I was weak, I was sweaty, I was so upset," he told a local TV station.
His lawyer, Christopher Dimakos, said: "We are seeking something to at least allow him to be compensated for what he went through due to the circumstances."
Earlier this week, the Gazette reported it inadvertently repeated the numbers from the previous draw.
In the end, a Quebecer — not Maillot — and three Ontarians shared in the big win, the second-largest lottery jackpot in Canadian history.
***
And for other fine examples of media boo boos, see www.regrettheerror.com.
Around the World in 42 Days
Feel like being transported to Spain? Morrocco? India? Russia? And all from the comforts of your computer screen?
Take a trip with my favourite tour guide, Ruth, on a fabulous 6-week odyssey.
http://ruth.vox.com
P.S.: Thanks to guest blogger lil' D for that stimulating posting.
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Feel like being transported to Spain? Morrocco? India? Russia? And all from the comforts of your computer screen?
Take a trip with my favourite tour guide, Ruth, on a fabulous 6-week odyssey.
http://ruth.vox.com
P.S.: Thanks to guest blogger lil' D for that stimulating posting.
Ideas, Back to School Fliers and Ivan Illich
posted by guest blogger L'il D (aka Dara)
Last week on CBC's Ideas, which featured a redux of Ideas over the years, there was a clip from a conversation between CBC producer and writer David Cayley and the late Ivan Illich (not to be confused with Tolstoy's high court judge). I was transfixed, ear to the radio, listening to this brilliant and eccentric man ruminate on God, the industrialization of education, and other topics worthy of Ideas. Here's an excerpt from his December 9, 2002 obituary (he died on December 2, 2002) in the Guardian:
As back to school fliers crowd the August newspapers, maybe now's as good a time as any to touch on one of Illich's most known works, Deschooling Society (1971), where he argues that institutionalized education only serves to institutionalize society:
In all, Illich cautions us to look beyond what we take for granted, and then define as necessary, in order to be able to freely analyse what we really want/desire/enjoy. Hmm...
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posted by guest blogger L'il D (aka Dara)
Last week on CBC's Ideas, which featured a redux of Ideas over the years, there was a clip from a conversation between CBC producer and writer David Cayley and the late Ivan Illich (not to be confused with Tolstoy's high court judge). I was transfixed, ear to the radio, listening to this brilliant and eccentric man ruminate on God, the industrialization of education, and other topics worthy of Ideas. Here's an excerpt from his December 9, 2002 obituary (he died on December 2, 2002) in the Guardian:
Ivan Illich
A polymath and polemicist, his greatest contribution was as an archaeologist of ideas, rather than an ideologue
Ivan Illich, who has died of cancer aged 76, was one of the world's great thinkers, a polymath whose output covered vast terrains. He worked in 10 languages; he was a jet-age ascetic with few
possessions; he explored Asia and South America on foot; and his obligations to his many collaborators led to a constant criss-crossing of the globe in the last two decades.
Best known for his polemical writings against western institutions from the 1970s, which were easily caricatured by the right and were, equally, disdained by the left for their attacks on the welfare state, in the last 20 years of his life he became an officially forgotten, troublesome
figure (like Noam Chomsky today in mainstream America).
This position obscures the true importance of his contribution. His critique of modernity was founded on a deep understanding of the birth of institutions in the 13th century, a critical period in church history which enlightened all of his work, whether about gender, reading or materiality. He was far more significant as an archaeologist of ideas, someone who helped us to see the present in a truer and richer perspective, than as an ideologue.
As back to school fliers crowd the August newspapers, maybe now's as good a time as any to touch on one of Illich's most known works, Deschooling Society (1971), where he argues that institutionalized education only serves to institutionalize society:
Universal education through schooling is not feasible. It would be no moreHis vision is of a world where we choose a "life of action" over a "life of consumption":
feasible if it were attempted by means of alternative institutions built on the
style of present schools. Neither new attitudes of teachers toward their pupils
nor the proliferation of educational hardware or software (in classroom or
bedroom), nor finally the attempt to expand the pedagogue's responsibility until
it engulfs his pupils' lifetimes will deliver universal education. The current
search for new educational funnels must be reversed into the search for their
institutional inverse: educational webs which heighten the opportunity for each
one to transform each moment of his living into one of learning, sharing, and
caring. We hope to contribute concepts needed by those who conduct such
counterfoil research on education--and also to those who seek alternatives to
other established service industries.
I believe that a desirable future depends on our deliberately choosing a
life of action over a life of consumption, on our engendering a life style which
will enable us to be spontaneous, independent, yet related to each other, rather
than maintaining a life style which only allows us to make and unmake, produce
and consume-a style of life which is merely a way station on the road to the
depletion and pollution of the environment. The future depends more upon our
choice of institutions which support a life of action than on our developing new
ideologies and technologies. We need a set of criteria which will permit us to
recognize those institutions which support personal growth rather than
addiction, as well as the will to invest our techno-logical resources
preferentially in such institutions of growth.The choice is between two
radically opposed institutional types, both of which are exemplified in certain
existing institutions, although one type so characterizes the contemporary
period. as to almost define it. This dominant type I would propose to call the
manipulative institution. The other type also exists, but only precariously. The
institutions which fit it are humbler and less noticeable; yet I take them as
models for a more desirable future. I call them "convivial" and suggest placing
them at the left of an institutional spectrum, both to show that there are
institutions which fall between the extremes and to illustrate how historical
institutions can change color as they shift from facilitating activity to
organizing production.
In all, Illich cautions us to look beyond what we take for granted, and then define as necessary, in order to be able to freely analyse what we really want/desire/enjoy. Hmm...
The Sociology of Craigslist
The recent ads for the movie Accepted, some jerk off summer flick about a dude who creates his own slacker college when none of the others accept him, got me thinking about a course/thesis/independent study I'd love to create.
The Sociology of Craig's List would be a multidisciplinary examination of Craig's List postings from the perspectives of sociologists, linguists, historians and literary scholars. It would take into account regional trends in social and political behaviour to establish links between posts and their points of origin. It would analyze the words and themes used to convey ideas, and would delve into the sordid history of the rant starting with soapboxes. Esentially, it would underscore how Craigslist.org has become the cultural zeitgeist of communication and exchange for (mostly) young adults of the early 21st C.
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The recent ads for the movie Accepted, some jerk off summer flick about a dude who creates his own slacker college when none of the others accept him, got me thinking about a course/thesis/independent study I'd love to create.
The Sociology of Craig's List would be a multidisciplinary examination of Craig's List postings from the perspectives of sociologists, linguists, historians and literary scholars. It would take into account regional trends in social and political behaviour to establish links between posts and their points of origin. It would analyze the words and themes used to convey ideas, and would delve into the sordid history of the rant starting with soapboxes. Esentially, it would underscore how Craigslist.org has become the cultural zeitgeist of communication and exchange for (mostly) young adults of the early 21st C.
80s Movies
(There is no purpose to this exercise, just for the record)
The movies that kinda suck but that I have yet never bored of:
Working Girl
The Cutting Edge
Baby Boom
When Harry Met Sally
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Rain Man
St. Elmo's Fire
Stand By Me
Say Anything
And the list of movies that suck that I have grown bored of, but probably will love again with a bit of a break...
The Big Chill
Adventures in Babysitting
Sixteen Candles
Pretty in Pink
The Breakfast Club
Can't Buy Me Love
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Dirty Dancing
Mannequin
Lucas
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(There is no purpose to this exercise, just for the record)
The movies that kinda suck but that I have yet never bored of:
Working Girl
The Cutting Edge
Baby Boom
When Harry Met Sally
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Rain Man
St. Elmo's Fire
Stand By Me
Say Anything
And the list of movies that suck that I have grown bored of, but probably will love again with a bit of a break...
The Big Chill
Adventures in Babysitting
Sixteen Candles
Pretty in Pink
The Breakfast Club
Can't Buy Me Love
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Dirty Dancing
Mannequin
Lucas
In solitary.
I've long fantasized about the writer's life. No schedule. Late nights. Chardonnay in the morning and pot after pot of tea.
But it is lonely. I admit it. Most of this week has been type-type-typing. Inside. Very little sunshine. Very little human contact other than email.
One more week of this and I'm free, for three weeks at least. Can't come soon enough...
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I've long fantasized about the writer's life. No schedule. Late nights. Chardonnay in the morning and pot after pot of tea.
But it is lonely. I admit it. Most of this week has been type-type-typing. Inside. Very little sunshine. Very little human contact other than email.
One more week of this and I'm free, for three weeks at least. Can't come soon enough...
Tilapia and Turbot
I'm quite taken as of late with fish, as it is summer, and I can think of no better main course for dinner than a light fish cooked only with a drizzling of lemon juice and olive oil. But is it just me, or are tilapia and turbot - or tilapia especially - EVERYWHERE this summer?
I've ordered tilapia at trendy and less-than-trendy restos, but everybody's got it. And people at home have it too - baking in the oven or grilling it out back.
So aside from the obvious... you know, that it's delicious, what's the deal? Do fish go in fashion cycles?
And just for fun, here are pictures of both types of fish. They are very cute. Especially the little tilapia. Maybe cute enough for me to stop draping them atop beds of fluffy couscous or basmati....?
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I'm quite taken as of late with fish, as it is summer, and I can think of no better main course for dinner than a light fish cooked only with a drizzling of lemon juice and olive oil. But is it just me, or are tilapia and turbot - or tilapia especially - EVERYWHERE this summer?
I've ordered tilapia at trendy and less-than-trendy restos, but everybody's got it. And people at home have it too - baking in the oven or grilling it out back.
So aside from the obvious... you know, that it's delicious, what's the deal? Do fish go in fashion cycles?
And just for fun, here are pictures of both types of fish. They are very cute. Especially the little tilapia. Maybe cute enough for me to stop draping them atop beds of fluffy couscous or basmati....?
What did we do before Wikipedia?
But seriously, could you imagine this article ever being published in Britannica or World Book?
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But seriously, could you imagine this article ever being published in Britannica or World Book?
The Perils of Afghanistan are just Around the Corner.
Literally.
On my way home from the market this morning I was stuck in an unexpected midday traffic jam.
I lowered my window to the sound of bagpipes. Then there were officers, full ceremonial garb, tartan and beefeater hats.
The Black Watch, burying one of their own.
First thing I remembered was sitting in the House in May, watching as the members chose to extend the Afghan mission by two years. While I didn't favour the vote's outcome, the issue was, admittedly, somewhat intangible.
But now here is Afghanistan, the dangerous roads lined with minions of warlords, the sandstorms and the landmines... and they are here, in Montreal, around the corner from where I live.
It's not so intangible anymore.
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Literally.
On my way home from the market this morning I was stuck in an unexpected midday traffic jam.
I lowered my window to the sound of bagpipes. Then there were officers, full ceremonial garb, tartan and beefeater hats.
The Black Watch, burying one of their own.
First thing I remembered was sitting in the House in May, watching as the members chose to extend the Afghan mission by two years. While I didn't favour the vote's outcome, the issue was, admittedly, somewhat intangible.
But now here is Afghanistan, the dangerous roads lined with minions of warlords, the sandstorms and the landmines... and they are here, in Montreal, around the corner from where I live.
It's not so intangible anymore.
Photo Spread from Pro-Lebanon Rally in Montreal
http://www.sammcgill.com/hate.html
These photos, of course, display some marchers with sympathies that extend beyond hope for the innocent Lebanese being caught in the crossfire. These photos, which are not being widely disseminated by the mainstream press, are important to see.
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http://www.sammcgill.com/hate.html
These photos, of course, display some marchers with sympathies that extend beyond hope for the innocent Lebanese being caught in the crossfire. These photos, which are not being widely disseminated by the mainstream press, are important to see.
![[Click for official biography]](http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/justices/photo-De.jpg?1299748013-0.1-974446364)
