Al Jazeer releases video footage of Israel’s invasion of Gaza
With Western media shut out and shutting up, or towing Israel’s line, this video footage is crucial in the info wars. Via Boing Boing.
Israel’s info wars
Two prominant popular culture, politics and technologies magazines have been etching into the concrete-like blanket of one-sided reporting on Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza by corporate media the world over (with the exception of The Guardian which has been true to its form in presenting the facts of this asymmetrical aggression against Palestinian civilians). The two magazines are Adbusters from Canada and Wired from the US. The timing of this invasion is said to have been long-planned for the liminal moment when US presidents where in transition, when the Western…read more
Long battles versus short fights
My 2009 Happy New Year blurb.
Paper writing and Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer rants about Stephen Harper’s hypocrisy. What could be better?
Bond ubiquity and the compliance of the “alternative press”
On November 19th I began writing a review of the brilliant documentary No More Smoke Signals (pictured) for Art Threat. We had just had a fabulous screening of the film, with the director present, at Cinema Politica here in Montreal, and I was (and continue to be) frustrated at the compliance of so-called “alternative” arts and culture publications in the 24-7 promotion of mainstream cinema crapola. The Bond film was everywhere, and actually, a peruse through our neighbourhood magazine shop yesterday has revealed that this Bond BS is STILL permeating…read more
Framing Harper
Well I came up with a doozy of an idea recently. The plan: launch a national contest for artists to submit portraits of Stephen Harper that show his “committment” to the arts. This is in the wake of massive cuts to the arts by Harper and his Conservatives and most recently his axing of the National Portrait Gallery. So Rob and Michael and myself are making it happen over at Art Threat. We’ve announced the contest and put together a jury that includes Sheila Copps, the former Minsiters of Heritage!…read more
Gimme Some docs
Whew!! Writing from extremely cold cold cold Winnipeg where snow is on the ground and chill is in the bones. I’m here for the Gimme Some Truth documentary project – a film festival and conference happening in the city between November 6th and 9th. Myself and Tom Waugh were asked to come and speak about Challenge for Change as we approach the final editing stages of our book on the same subject. It’s been nice to see some of the people from the IMAA conference I attended in Kelowna last…read more
First snow
I always love the first snowfall – I get a bit giggly and giddy like I used to when my mom would let me miss school on account of a “snow day.” That was back in BC where the white cold stuff was a bit of an anomoly. But on this chilly October night in Ottawa, it’s not that surprising. Still, I couldn’t resist taking a crummy photo with this phone I’m presently blogging with…22 centimeters of snow after 3 hours on a Greyhound, 3 hours of a graduate seminar,…read more
Shout out
Just a quick shout out to all of you who apparently are kind of regularly reading this here blog and also to the handful of you who have sent me kind words. It’s nice to know that when you are speaking to the vast and indiscernable void that is cyberspace, that there are actually some real humans at the other end listening and even communicating back. Thanks! Some updates: I’ve finished my textbook chapter with Ira Wagman for the next edition of the undergraduate communication studies textbook Mediascapes. Our chapter…read more
A country in need of electoral reform
The image above is taken from the CBC – it’s a map showing Canada’s electoral colours. Under a system of proportional representation, this map would look A LOT different. The Harperites would have less, the NDP more, and Greens would even have a handful of seats. Imagine that! I’ve decided recently to get more involved in electoral reform in Canada in whatever capacity I can. I’m going to start by supporting Fair Vote Canada here and there, beginning with posting this press release received yesterday afternoon: Election analysis determines that,…read more