Travis
le bon jack
I’ve never been particularly moved by the passing of any public figure; I’m often perplexed by any reaction at all. But the passing of Jack Layton brought me to tears.
In 1991, Jack Layton co-founded the White Ribbon Campaign to end violence against women.
Many disagreed with his politics, but few could help but admire the man for his integrity, his positive enthusiasm, and the way he genuinely cared for all people. He connected with them on a personal level. He reached out to young people who were alienated by other politicians. Across the country, even in the conservative heartland, people are gathering in memory, leaving testaments like “Jack Layton was the reason I started voting” and “He is the reason I became engaged in politics again.”
Layton showed Canada what it could be; he showed it that, in an age of cynicism, there is still room for hope. He was unwavering in his ideals and principles, and fought tirelessly to bring about his vision of an equal and just society.
Layton made tremendous successes through what seemed like sheer force of will. He led positive campaigns when other parties relied on attack ads and vitriol. He was passionate and determined without hostility or malice. Where Chretien and Harper had beaten back the Bloc by demonizing them, Layton brought the country together through his joy and optimism.
During his acceptance speech as the leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, he quoted Tommy Douglas, saying, “Dream no little dream.” He overcame the odds, time and again. And he never backed down, no matter what.
Those of us who shared his passion for social democracy saw him as the very embodiment of those virtues he extolled. He did for this country what we all longed to do. So, with his passing, I am all too aware of how sorely people like him are needed.
I can’t help but think of Joe Hill’s farewell message: “Don’t mourn; organize.”
Thanks for everything, Jack.
See also:
Jack Layton’s last letter to Canadians
Jack Layton remembered as ‘courageous’
The National: Jack Layton 1950-2011 (Video)
Six ways Jack Layton helped build Toronto
silly playlist
There are times when you simply need to don a phoney moustache and monocle, and walk around the house making bird noises (don’t judge). If you’re in the mood for taking things a little less seriously, listen to my new playlist:
“Delightfully Wacky Tunes That You May Never Have Heard (But Kudos if You Have)”
Eccentric, lesser-known songs, including an erotic ode to a four-track tape recorder, a hilarious nod to the apocalypse, and Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg singing backup for a rowdy Leonard Cohen (hardly a choir of angels).
canadians for truth
In an effort to protest the CRTC’s proposed changes to “ease the ban on false or misleading news”, I’ve set up a new website: www.canadiansfortruth.ca
It’s a collection of resources for taking action, and links to articles for staying informed.
According to a recent article from the Wire Report, the CRTC has been opposed to the changes from the beginning; however, they continue to be pressed by a parliamentary committee. I thought the following was worth noting:
“[T]he serious harm that could result from the broadcast of false news is more foreseeable and potentially more serious than the harm that could result from the publication of false statements or tales not even held out as news and distributed by means other than broadcasting,” the letter, signed by John Keogh, the CRTC’s senior legal counsel, said.
“There is a reach and immediacy to the broadcasting industry that means that news bulletins heard by large audiences may not be subject to timely, independent verification. Moreover, at least in Canada, where prohibitions on false news have long been part of the tradition of regulation, there is a high level of public trust in what is broadcast as news by the licensees regulated by the Commission.”
save canadian journalism
The CRTC has proposed to ease the ban on broadcasting false or misleading news. While I am all for free speech, these changes, if passed, would effectively put an end to journalistic accountability and integrity.
Not only does this give broadcasters agency to further misinform the public, it permits them to lie outright. The day’s top story could legally be completely fictional. The only instance where they might be held accountable is if you can prove that the story directly endangered an individual’s life, health, or safety.
These regulations would set the stage for American-style news broadcasts in which the facts would be distorted to suit the corporation that presents them, and the news would place a distant second or third to the entertainment/shock value of the program.
In the United States, the standard for broadcast journalism used to be Walter Cronkite. Now, the most-watched news network is Fox News. Fox News gains viewers by affirming their existing beliefs, then feeding into their fears with misleading information presented as truth. The proposed changes from the CRTC would make Canada’s standards even lower than those of the US.
I don’t believe that it is a coincidence that this proposal comes just as the new right-wing Sun TV News, dubbed by many as “Fox News North”, is about to launch. Investigations are underway, but no one can uncover who actually pushed for the CRTC to make this change. However, the CRTC’s new, under-qualified, vice-chair of broadcasting was appointed allegedly because of his close ties to Harper.
If you look at the current media environment in the US, I think it’s easy to agree that this sort of hate-fuelled discourse results in a culture that is fearful and angry. Regardless of your politics, false news is bad for everyone.
This proposal was presented quickly and quietly. The deadline for public comments to the CRTC has just passed, but the proposal can still be stopped.
I’ve created the following website where you can find links for more information, and ways to easily make your voice heard: www.canadiansfortruth.ca
I urge you to contact your local MP, the CRTC, the federal party leaders, and major news organizations. I will be doing more in the coming days and would appreciate any feedback or suggestions you may have.
Thank you for reading.
Take action
Sign the Petition
Find out more
the one man clash, the bard of barking, ol’ big nose himself
In 2008, I saw Billy Bragg for the first time. He’s an inspiring fellow and a joy to see live. Here is a video.
my evening turned into a cohen brothers movie
The day had begun with an invitation to a blues jam at a downtown café, which I had promptly disregarded. …But let me skip ahead.
During an evening trip to acquire bed sheets (ideally, ones that tie the room together) I got sidetracked by a chance to see Bogart and Bacall on the big screen. Upon leaving the theatre, I took a wrong turn and ended up in some unfamiliar part of town. When I finally found my way to someplace familiar, my car started dinging at me. Overheating, it said! So I pulled over in a bus loading zone and turned off the engine for a few minutes while flipping through my car’s owner’s manual (because, really, what do I know about cars except that they somehow take me places?). My situation did not improve, so I pulled into the 7 Eleven down the street. I popped the hood and stared blankly at the enigmatic contraption, assuming only that my coolant was leaking. While contemplating calling a tow-truck, I met a strange lady in a housecoat. I knew immediately that she was either completely crazy or just plain fabulous; it turned out to be the latter as she just so happened to be a master mechanic and proceeded to handily diagnose the problem. After getting as much coolant into the system as I could, I drove diligently to the nearest garage where I left my car for the night. I started the long walk home, passing the crowds of drunken yokels until I heard the sound of a blues jam coming from an underground café. Somehow fate had delivered me precisely to the place to which I had been invited and had decided to avoid. Figuring it was far too wacky of a coincidence, I went in and stuck around for awhile. I talked to some old friends while some park bench philosopher rambled about the origin of music beginning with the rhythm of some cave man’s heartbeat. Then I went home.
darkness: the movie
This is something I made for a film class. I became enamoured with the ridiculous idea of a “blind video”, and of the story being about only the audience. This was the result.
the road to a new you!
This is the second half of a video I made as part of a Psychology Group Project.
the tangibility of analog
I bought an album through iTunes awhile ago. When seeing the same album in a record store, it felt as though I didn’t already own the album, I just somehow knew the songs. There’s something strange about buying digital music. It’s cheaper, faster, more convenient, but less satisfying. There’s a connection you can have when the music is in the form of a tangible object–a record you can hold in your hands, a sleeve you can carefully examine. It’s real; it matters.
How many people used to spend their days lying on the floor, tangled up in a headphones cable, fully immersed in their favourite tunes? Not so anymore. Now it’s all about convenience. Music is just background entertainment that you play on your iPod while you go about your day. You hardly pay attention to the music. Same goes for stereo equipment. People lusted over giant stereo speakers and pristine audio; now cheap computer speakers are fine. So it’s interesting that Apple’s iTunes store will now be selling “Digital 45s”–digital downloads designed to emulate the original vinyl record, including an A Side, a B Side and artwork. Now this is a pleasantly nostalgic offering for vinyl aficionados, but it does seem a little gimmicky. I consider it a welcome addition to the iTunes store, which had already revitalized the idea of “singles” by offering individual track downloads for 99 cents, but the fact remains that there is something lost when music is completely digital. Is it just the lack of a tangible object? A burnt CD never seems quite so satisfying as an official one. Is it the artwork then? Digital artwork never quite does the trick either. Maybe it’s just more than the sum of its parts. A physical record lives and breathes and exists to saturate your very being with glorious waves of music. It even has a smell; it holds memories. A scuffed record sleeve or jewel case has stood by you over the years. A digital download consists of ones and zeros, cold and calculated; it is there and then it is gone without a trace. There is little connection and the music becomes less important, less satisfying, less tangible. Is that really worth the convenience of digital downloads?
It’s interesting that years after vinyl was phased out, it has seen a strong renaissance. Current albums continue to see a vinyl release and vintage albums are readily available. Despite moving to new technologies, there are always those who realize what these new conveniences lack and are only too happy to sacrifice convenience for quality.
Despite all this, I like the iTunes store. I think that the cheaper price makes it easier to experiment with new music and internet distribution brings fledgling artists to a worldwide audience without the need for a traditional distributor. But I’ll always yearn for a turntable.
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