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
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
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.
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.
coalition: a summary
Stephen Harper is an economist. As a qualified professional, he states that the economic foundations of this country are strong and more than enough to insulate us from any sort of slowdown. The recent economic update presented by Jim Flaherty even projected surpluses ahead. There was no need for any real stimulus because, according to Harper’s economic theory, the crisis that we are in is impossible. The crisis that we are currently experiencing, right now, is not actually happening, simply because Harper declares it so.
Let me start again.
Stephen Harper is a bad economist. Rather than supporting this country with the economic stimulus it needs, he has chosen to make partisan attacks and settle old grudges. He acts as a dictator, running on tactics and deception, rather than the leader of a minority government who relies on the support of Parliament. So, having again failed to receive a majority government, he devised a plan to destroy the opposition by proposing the elimination of public subsidies for political parties. While saving the government a measly $27 million dollars, this would effectively cripple the opposition parties. The Conservatives, receiving a large portion of their funds from the private sector, would be the only party financially able to run a strong campaign and otherwise support themselves. Talk about cartoonish villainy.
Consequently, as the already broken Liberals lay in the corner, about to receive the final blow, they did the only thing they could: band together with everyone else.
coalition-protest---3 by preciouskhyatt on Flickr / used with permission
The proposed coalition has sparked a great deal of controversy among Canadians, many of whom mistakenly believe it to be a “coup d’état” or somehow “unconstitutional”. The Conservatives are well aware that few Canadians understand how their own government works and have encouraged myths such as that the Prime Minister was elected directly by the people, that this is an affront to democracy, and that the country will be torn apart by separatists and fly into chaos. Stephen Harper went on television and declared as much, demonizing the Bloc and escalating this situation into a national unity crisis.
In perfect spin-journalism fashion, CTV, among others, has taken to repeating the rhetoric spouted by the Conservative propaganda machine, rather than reporting the news from an objective standpoint. It’s no wonder people are confused.
While the coalition is between the Liberals and the NDP, the Bloc is agreeing to offer support for at least 18 months, so as to create the 163 seats needed to maintain the confidence of the House. Does the Bloc’s involvement pose any sort of threat? Not likely. No allowances for the status of Quebec were made while negotiating the terms, and it is unlikely that such demands will be made. Should the Bloc suddenly go berserk, as Harper claims, the coalition would be dissolved and an election would be called. Many people forget that the Bloc Quebecois are not solely a separatist party; they are a social democratic party and receive votes for a multitude of reasons. Not only has separatism had little support as of late, the Bloc Quebecois didn’t even campaign on it in the last election.
In 2004, during the Martin government, Harper signed a similar agreement with the NDP and the Bloc, hoping to take power as a coalition. He didn’t seem very worried back then.
As for being somehow “unconstitutional”, the Canadian Constitution does not even make reference to a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is chosen when a single member of Parliament, usually the leader of the party with the most seats, has the confidence of the House. Canadians vote for nothing more than the member of Parliament in their local constituency. The members of Parliament are not changing; this is merely a shuffling of seats.
Could a coalition government be stable? Though typical in many countries such as Australia and New Zealand, federal coalition governments are uncommon in Canada; the only one to ever exist was between the Liberals and Conservatives from 1917 to 1921. As an article from the Toronto Star points out, however, a number of successful provincial coalition governments have been carried out as recently as five years ago.
A coalition government does not appear appear fraught with peril, as many believe. It may very well be the stable co-operation of political parties this country needs to effectively prepare for the economic onslaught ahead–something we will not receive from the Conservatives as long as Harper is in charge.
Regardless of whether you want to see a coalition, there is no denying that the situation does not look good for anyone.
Harper has overstepped his bounds a time too many, re-ignited flames of the separatist movement, lost the support that had been gained in Quebec, and many of his own Conservatives have turned against him. He’s demonstrated that he cares not for the welfare of the people of Canada, but rather about his own petty partisan agenda.
The Liberals have bungled their way through the process, consistently being outclassed by the NDP, until finally ousting Dion in favour of a more popular, yet noncommittal, leader.
The NDP look guilty of attempting a power-grab, stating that they would be voting against the budget, regardless of what it was.
The only one without egg on his face is perhaps Gilles Duceppe. The Bloc have now gained additional support from Quebecois who feel alienated or downright offended by Harper’s attacks.
All in all, a coalition sounds like a substantial improvement over our current dictator-style arrangement. But what is the heart of the issue that people have woefully overlooked? Well, Rick said it best, so you may as well hear it from him:
poisoned in amsterdam
That’s right, poisoned! No, there was no partying involved — this was a strictly a food poisoning. Poisoned by food! The betrayal! The unfortunate expunging of toxins! I will forever curse the name of that restaurant. After a couple of days, when I was able to venture back out, the town was very bizarre but interesting.
The downtown area was all lit up and the people seemed very friendly — ladies from all over the neighbourhood came to wave hello from their glowing little apartments. I figured they must be used to a colder climate because they weren’t wearing very much. They seemed happy, regardless. Later, I decided to grab some coffee. You will not believe what I found. From what I can tell…they put oregano in everything! They even sell it by the gram for sky high prices! It seemed strange because they’re really not big on pasta. I’ve heard rumours about some kind of “red light district” and special “coffee shops.” I can safely say there’s certainly none of that going on there. Just some friendly folks who like their spices.
Further south, the city is much less touristy and has a lot more substance to it. It was nice wandering around though my trip was cut short, first by my extended stay in Berlin and then my surprise illness. All in all, I found the city did not quite agree with me and I found myself relieved to return to London. I decided to spend my last remaining days wandering around the streets of Camden. It boasts a lovely mix of alternative fashions and an incredibly active music scene. Now I have a flight to prepare for and I do not foresee any sleep in the coming couple of days.
berlin is home
It was night when I arrived in Berlin. It was cool and dreary and wonderful. I immediately had the feeling the massive city was every bit the mecca center it’s made out to be. The history of the city is tangible and real.
The concentration of artists and creativity is refreshing and spectacular. I once described to someone the sort of ideal aesthetic and atmosphere I would look for in a city. She suggested Berlin. Turns out she was correct.
It’s fashion week in Berlin and there was a big fashion/high-society event earlier in and around the Russian embassy, which I hung around to see a bit of. Didn’t you know I’m among the fashion industry’s foremost elite? Of course, I spent most of my time there past the armed guard and behind the barrier, so as to not take the spotlight away from the lesser celebrities who probably need the attention more than I do. I loathe these things, yet find the insincerity of mingling personalities mildly fascinating.
After wandering the city with a friend I’d met in Prague, we ended up being invited to a sort of bohemian dinner.. a kind of art-community hipster gathering. I would like to describe it as a sort of Warholian mix, though
that might be an exaggeration and there was no Velvet Underground (the latin jazz was nice though). The food was quite excellent. I seem to be a magnet for former New Yorkers.
Cycling around Berlin is, well, a joy. It’s very much designed for bike travel (I haven’t actually ridden a bike in…10 years?) Last night I ended up heading with a couple of roommates to a sort of giant, art-squat-turned-trendy hangout area. The energy of the city is amazing. I’m actually cutting my Amsterdam/London time short so I can spend more time here. It was cool and nice the first couple of days; now it is scorchingly hot, but I will forgive the climate because Berlin is wonderful.
I spent a day out at the concentration camp earlier. A great deal of my time here has been spent studying World War II and the Cold War. I’ve also embarked on several historical walking tours in the last few days regarding these eras (five if you include the one I did twice).
It turns out I’m not going to be able to change my flight, so I’ll be flying back at the end of the month, being taken to a family reunion, then off through Alberta, then a couple of places in Saskatchewan, then taking a very long bus ride to Montreal and probably Toronto to check out the cities and maybe talk to the University faculties about what they can offer me (I figure I’m SO important, they should have to woo me for my enrollment), THEN off to Vancouver/Victoria for similar city-seeing and University investigating. And then back to my former residence. Eventually. Travelling is very good for getting yourself excited about things and realizing how stifled you were in a small town….for instance.
The thought of leaving Europe is very strange and I
have mixed feelings. (There will be a bizarre bout of culture shock, I’m sure.) It occurred to me the other day that I am currently without a home and will not return to the Okanagan for any length of time until October. This pleases me and I enjoy the nomadic quality. Tomorrow I’m off to the Netherlands and then to London to prepare for my flight at the end of the month.
Did you know that the cost of housing in Berlin is almost comparable to that of Canada? Bizarre but true. I will return to Berlin–perhaps indefinitely.
planes, trains and automobiles
It has been requested that I send a long, boring message detailing my recent travels. So I hereby present you with a long, boring message. Please don’t hate me.
On Julie’s recommendation, I headed to San Sebastian after Barcelona. It was
a wonderful town and it felt nice to have a break from the hectic frenzy of the major cities. One thing about Spain…it’s open late. It sleeps late. It goes out late. A lot of the dining establishments don’t even open until 9pm or so. Then everyone is out wandering the streets, casually going for tapas, dinner, etc. until very, very late. It’s very lively. I think there should be one in Canada. I had a good hostel (run by someone resembling a Spanish Bruce Willis with a penchant for practical jokes). It’s sort of a beach town and I’d considered surfing, but it was far too expensive, so I spent a couple of hours doing a sort of bodysurfing instead, getting tossed around by great big waves. This was done very close to the shore, resulting in a sort of sand/rock equivalent of road rash, being repeatedly driven into the ground, but fun all the same. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to Julie, I highly recommend it.
After flailing about for a couple of days, trying to figure out how to reach Florence from my new, northern location, I settled on taking a bus to a nearby town and from there taking a last-minute flight to Rome. That’s right, Rome. So I got up at the crack of dawn to catch a bus (which I missed, having not realized the vast amount of land I would need to cover from my hostel all the way to the bus station), and caught the next.
Rome is hot. Very hot. I would go so far as to say unnecessarily hot. I would go into the Good Morning Vietnam monologue, but I’m sure you’ve heard it before. I spent only a couple of days in Rome, which were less positive than they could have been. This was due in large part, of course, by the resurgence of my arch nemesis: the sun. For some time, the sun and I had reached an agreement; it would shine during the day and I would operate mainly at night. This worked quite well until I started travelling and
have since been met with a feeling akin to that of an ant under a magnifying glass. My hostel was unpleasantly night-clubesque, though an interesting experience all the same. My stay essentially consisted of me wandering downtown, getting very sick from the sun/heat and finally spending several hours lugging an increasingly hefty backpack around a train station, during a rail-strike, while trying to find someone who knew what train would actually be able to take me to Florence. What I did see was quite amazing, and the history dates so far back it’s incredible to see these places still there. Unfortunately, I became bedridden before I had a chance to explore the Vatican. Rome will need to be revisited. Perhaps in the winter. With a companion.
Anyway, I did get finally get to Florence. Florence was wonderful–perhaps one of my favourite cities. It’s a gorgeous place and there’s so much art and beauty everywhere. Due to accommodation shortages, I ended up staying in a camping area near the edge of town which overlooked the center of the city. One night, I observed what is undoubtedly the most spectacular display of fireworks I’ve seen, illuminating the Florence skyline.
In Venice, I stayed in a camping area again. I did not explore any galleries, etc, save for one cathedral in the center of town. There are over 400 bridges there. I have no idea how people find their way around–the streets are very labyrinthine. The city was quite touristy, but pretty all the same. One day, it began raining very hard and I stood and watched as the water surrounding the buildings crashed and waved as though it might wash us all away.
Despite the massiveness of the city and large population, Vienna was regarded as very quiet and safe. In fact, it seemed perplexingly well-behaved. I had hoped to see an opera while visiting Vienna as standing tickets are quite cheap; however, it had just recently shut down for the summer. I did spend some time traipsing through Freud’s old study, saw where Bram Stoker wrote a fair bit of Dracula, even caught some live Rocky Horror numbers. I went out to the giant ferris wheel
(I’ve completely forgotten the name) one night with a couple of people from my hostel. The wheel itself was not entirely breathtaking, but the surrounding amusement park–both active and almost deserted–was a wonderful sight. There’s something very surreal and eerie about an abandoned amusement park. Driverless bumper cars, empty rollercoasters, ticket-takers resembling mannequins insides their neon booths. Frozen in time and full of ghosts.
By the time I reached the Old Town area of Prague and saw hordes of tourists flooding through rows of chain stores, souvenir shops and Czech hot dog stands, I realized I was very tired. After seeing so many worldclass galleries, etc in such a short space of time, one needs a break to process and digest. I have made a point of not seeing the National Gallery. I did, however, stumble upon a photo gallery by Jan Saudek which was quite superb and enjoyable and a nice surprise. Had I more time in the Czech Republic, I would make an excursion to one of the nearby towns which are less visited and likely more authentic, though I need to move on due to my recently developed deadline. Still, I enjoy Prague. My hostel is located outside of the city center, away from the high-traffic areas and it’s nice to wander around in. The restaurants are nice and inexpensive and the trams run quite regularly. The beautiful architecture lives up to its reputation as some of the most untouched in Europe.
I came upon the most amazing club in Prague. It’s designed as a sort of Mad Maxian, post-apocalyptic, industrial place. Words cannot do it justice. While I was there, I saw a band with a funk/psychedelic electric sitar rigged through a wah-wah and a rack mount, backed by an incredibly solid drum/bass duo. This was followed by a DJ/African percussion duo which was also quite good. On
the lower level, another performance area saw another group playing. The average quality of music at public performances here is very high. Anyway, if you happen to find yourself in Prague, it’s called the Cross Club. Bring clean clothes because you may soil yourself upon arriving. I’m serious. Bring clean clothes.
That’s all I’m going to bother writing about. You’ve read this far; go have a rest or something. I hope you’ve been somewhat entertained. Just be glad I’m not going to make you sit through pictures.
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