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Home » Blog This » September 2007 Archives

September 28, 2007

Dallaire's desperate dispatch

Posted by annette at 04:23 PM ET | Comments (0)

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 licensed event features porn-themed shorts under four minutes.

More entries on: Film

Why are so few Canadian left-wing blogs popular?

Posted by mason at 03:15 PM ET | Comments (89)

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 lean to the right, or at least fail to identify as progressive, small-l liberal or lefty in any way. How are left-wing blogs getting it wrong? Or perhaps more aptly, how are conservative blogs finding large audiences? Is this a comment on the reach of the left in general?

Just wondering.

IMAGE: INCREDIBLY, THIS RIGHT-WING BLOG IS VERY POPULAR

More entries on: Interweb

Deadly misperceptions

Posted by shawnsyms at 08:48 AM ET | Comments (3)

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 the body long enough to survive a manufacturing and distribution process.

Condoms are not 100 percent effective, but when used properly they offer highly successful protection against HIV infection. But ideological warfare has deterred the effort to promote condom use in Africa. Some of this is external exposed: a key example would be programs supported by the U.S.-based PEPFAR program, which specifically denies funding to programs that acknowledge the value of the lives of sex-trade workers.

Other times, the problem is homegrown, such as the South African government, whose leaders—in the midst of one of the world's largest AIDS crises—have doubted the value of HIV treatments, in favour of treatment with garlic and beetroot.

Specifically in Mozambique, 16 percent of the population of 19 million are positive for HIV, with 500 new infections reported daily. There is little hope for them in terms of treatment, according to Chimoio. "I also know some companies who are manufacturing anti-retroviral drugs already infected with the virus, also in order to finish quickly the African people," he claimed.

More entries on: HIV/AIDS

September 21, 2007

Bush kills Nelson Mandela (sort of), NFB film library in danger, farms of the future

Posted by ron at 09:51 PM ET | Comments (1)

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 leader. Wow.

CP reports that the NFB archives are slowly falling apart and haven't been digitized.

Presenting, the urban farms of the future, a multi-storey building that includes rooftop gardens, incubators and more.

Finally, what do Brian Mulroney and O.J have in common. Nothing, that we know of... but Amazon seems to think otherwise.

More entries on: Weekend Links

September 20, 2007

Solidarity or death?

Posted by shawnsyms at 12:25 PM ET | Comments (0)

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 trade unionists," says ITUC general secretary Guy Ryder. There, as the report details, 78 trade unionists were assassinated—and many others faced threats, abduction or "disappearance."

The full report presents the deadly findings that ITUC uncovered in 138 countries around the world.

PHOTO CREDIT | ITUC | POLICE ATTACKING UNIONIST IN VENEZUELA

More entries on: Labour

September 17, 2007

Media meltdown?

Posted by annette at 04:15 PM ET | Comments (0)

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. He's not optimistic, pointing out that the CRTC's "broadcast only" jurisdiction limits its potential impact:

"There is only one way the CRTC can assist press freedom in Canada, and that is by disentangling it from television ownership. That may require a federal political will that is lacking these days, however. After all, Stephen Harper was personally endorsed in his 2006 bid for the prime minister's job by CanWest Publications head David Asper."

Any bets? Will the CRTC restore media diversity in Canada? Even if it rules against media cross-ownership, will it make a difference?

More entries on: Media navel-gazing

September 15, 2007

Weekend links: Lost socks? make toys!, damn young'uns and the online journalism awards

Posted by ron at 09:26 PM ET | Comments (0)

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 and would like to record a video complaining about Michael Hirschorn.

Finally, the finalists of the 2007 Online Journalism Awards are here. Think of it as the Pulitzers for the web set.

More entries on: Weekend Links

September 12, 2007

Pixels and protests

Posted by shawnsyms at 10:03 AM ET | Comments (2)

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 these terms or be sacked!"

LabourStart promoted an email protest campaign, and within hours, over 5,000 messages had been sent. By the end of the week, the org says it received a threat of libel action by Fremantle. The protest campaign continues despite the warning.

In Canada and elsewhere, email campaigns are a popular form of advocacy. For instance, the Canadian Auto Workers have a Take Action Now feature on their website where activists can lobby MPs for political change.

Electronic means of protest are on the rise in progressive movements. ACT UP Paris was recently sued by pharma giant Abbott Laboratories after it initiated a protest whereby activists around the world could use an automated tool to overload Abbott's website traffic and bring the site down. (The charges were eventually dropped after the corp received a significant amount of bad PR.)

Meanwhile, unionists in Italy have made headlines when they announced their intention to launch a strike against IBM "virtually": within the confines of the popular 3D "digital world" Second Life. IBM has been very active in the Second Life online realm, looking for ways to utilize and profit from the service. Labour activists hope to "use the master's tools to dismantle the master's house," arousing attention and support from other SL users around the world.

IMAGE CREDITS: LABOURSTART + ACT UP PARIS

More entries on: Labour

September 07, 2007

Weekend links: Bears!, William Gibson, Futbol

Posted by ron at 09:45 PM ET | Comments (1)

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 formerly homeless from all over the world get a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country. According to organizers more than 70% of participants find homes, get off drugs. We bet that all of them make new friends and gain a lot of dignity. Inspiring.

Finally, from the duo who brought you Monkey Portraits.... Bears! These are probably not Colbert-approved.

An extra link this week. Our friends over at Spacing have expanded their blog into our second-favourite city, Montreal!

More entries on: Weekend Links

September 05, 2007

U.S. Senate uses questionable results to denounce global warming

Posted by mason at 12:44 AM ET | Comments (3)

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 entries on: Planet Earth

September 02, 2007

Weekend links: Eat local challenge, shopping hurts the environment, can you name a living composer?, meet the directors of the 11th Hour

Posted by ron at 11:50 PM ET | Comments (0)

We hope you're all having a good long weekend. Let's get right to the links:

Now that Fall is just around the corner, all those tasty crops should be coming to market soon. What better time to eat local. A bunch of bloggers and foodies challenge you to eat food grown as locally as possible.

Don't be fooled by so-called green products. All that stuff you buy still has to come from somewhere, which means it has an impact of some sort. It took a study to figure this out?

The New Music Box asks a good question.... We like living authors, living film directors but what about living composers?

Finally, Treehugger interviews the directors of the 11th Hour.

More entries on: Weekend Links

Previous month: August 2007
Next month: October 2007

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