Music, oh sweet sweet (Canadian) music
I love CBC 3.
Bush out, Obama in – a day well wasted…
Yes folks, I spent the day at home watching live TV stream from BBC, Al Jazeera, and the CBC of President Obama’s inauguration. I am not, categorically, NOT, an Obama-cynic. Yes he’s not perfect; yes, he hired a former IDF soldier as a top-end staff position; yes, he’s soft on Israel; yes he “believes in the market”; and yes he’s exercised bellicose rhetoric to issue in the ghosts of Iran, North Korea and other “enemies of America.” But, he’s Obama. He’s a man who went through university on student loans,…read more
Chomsky and international TV on Israel’s assault on Gaza – plus a free documentary download
The internet is facilitating a tidlewave of alternative, off the mainstream map exchange of media on Israel’s attack on Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of over 1200 Palestinians (one quarter of whom are children and over one half of whom are civilians) and 13 Israelis, four killed by their fellow soldiers. Just this afternoon Svetla, a friend and myself watched a live Al Jazeera television broadcast from Tel Aviv, where the Israeli government announced it would be ceasing its deadly attack at 2AM tonight. How did we…read more
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