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September 29, 2006
Citizen Activism Really Works!
What a week! Starting with pigskins and ending with pigs. Here's an interesting story of citizen activists in Alabama who worked with the Sierra Club to reel in a polluting hog factory. Believe it or not, the husband and wife team aka environmental activists, spent two years collecting water samples and keeping up an "odor log" as evidence against the company. It really goes to show you that patience truly works when trying to make change.
Posted by Jason at 5:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 27, 2006
Memo to Media: Do Your Job!
This morning, sports fans were greeted with the news that Dallas Cowboy receiver, Terrell Owens had attempted suicide. Apparently, Owens arrived at Baylor Medical Center suffering from an adverse reaction to painkillers; a problem he has reportedly had before.
Okay, this is what we know for sure:
1) Owens has a documented allergic reaction to painkillers.
2) He arrived at the hospital pretty sick.
3) He had a bottle of painkillers that are now empty.
Here are the "facts" that have turned this story into a story about a suicide attempt:
1) Some unknown source claims she knows how many pills Owens ingested since Sept. 18th.
2) This same source says she saw him ingest two pills.
3) A worker in the hospital claims Owens said that he had only ingested 5 pills previously, which somehow means Owen ingested the rest before arriving at the hospital.
4) The same worker or the friend (news sources 'report' both) are reported to have pryed pills from Owens fingers.
5) A hospital workers claims Owens replied, "Yes." when asked if he was trying to harm himself.
First of all the range of "facts" about this story are amazing. We got a guy with a history of allergic reactions to pain medication, who probably doesn't know where he is, answering "yes" to every question asked of him. We've got some unidentified person claiming she knows what's going on ( I wouldn't be surprised if Owens' pills are now making the rounds on the black market), amazingly no one has asked the simple question, "Terrell, did you try to kill yourself?"; and we've got every newspaper in America either reporting Owens attempted suicide or reporting that others have reported Owens' attempted suicide.
Come on now! The facts just aren't there, why are newspapers reporting as if they were? These are pretty serious accusations. It is irresponsible to just toss them around. The media really needs to do its job!
Posted by Jason at 9:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 19, 2006
Vindication for Arar
INNOCENT
The commission report is out...Maher Arar is an innocent man.
I honestly believe that this is one of the most important stories in Canadian history. This story has as much to do with Canadian sovereignty as it does justice. Maher Arar is Canadian. He was tortured by Syrians and victimized by the RCMP. Do not for a second believe that this could not have happened to you. Clearly, our security, our sovereignty as Canadians is subject to the political whims and zealotry of our U.S neighbours. The question is...what are we going to do about it?
If you are a Canadian and you care about this country, take the time to read how an innocent Canadian was done wrong by those who where supposed to protect him.
If you're Canadian and you care about this country, do not let Stephen Harper brush this story aside. This is not the time for politics. The lives of every Canadian depend on swift and decisive leadership to ensure that this never happens again.
Posted by Jason at 9:37 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 7, 2006
September 11th: Preparing for Realignment
As we all know, the fifth anniversary of the September 11th attacks will be observed next week. Television programming will centre around the event, most likely ranging from coverage of memorials, to personal stories of sadness and survival to new "What really happened" exposés. I have this strange feeling that the day will leave me feeling a little dirty as the media "tastefully" grabs eyeballs off a wave of sadness and rememberance.
In any case, what really concerns me are two articles published in today's Globe and Mail - both found on the front page. The first is entitled, "Bush admits to secret prisons"; the second is entitled, "Ads reflect military's changing character." Without going into the details, Bush finally admits to holding suspected terrorists in "black sites" despite denying the existence of such sites. The Canadian Forces story describes how the Canadian Forces have been developing new recruitment ads that play with images of terrorism to appeal more effectively to the young male demographic. I'll let you read the details but here are two quotes that connect the stories.
From the Bush article:
The surprise admission by Mr. Bush [about the "black sites"] was part of a series of announcements yesterday timed for maximum political effect just days before the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
From the Canadian Forces ad article:
The ad would also be of benefit to the general public, [the Canadian Forces] states because it would "realign" public perception of the Forces to reflect its current deployments.
Realign? Really? And there lies the power of the media. Both Bush and the Canadian Forces pr department want us to belief that their actions are justified. More importantly, they want us to forget. Forget that a young former Canadian Olympian died this week as a result of friendly fire. Forget that his death wasn't the first nor will it be the last. Forget that young men who join the military are disproportionally represented by the underclass. Forget that Osama Bin Laden has yet to be captured. Forget that Canadians can be sent to Syria or Gitmo Bay, tortured and have no legal recourse. And forget that the war in Iraq was justified by lies and deemed illegal. Forget it all...that was so five years ago.
On September 11th, Bush, the Canadian Forces and the media want you to sit back, relax and prepare for realignment.
Posted by Jason at 9:26 AM | Comments (3)
September 1, 2006
Heads Up: Black Coffee Documentary
Wow! Who says summer television isn't engaging. TVO replayed the three-part documentary this past week, Black Coffee. Here's a blurb from the site:
BLACK COFFEE is a three-hour documentary series that traces the unique and volatile history of coffee. From its discovery on an ancient Ethiopian hillside to its role as a contemporary elixir, coffee has dominated and molded the economies, politics and social structures of entire countries. Coffee’s history is rife with controversy and paradox. It has been banned as an instigator of revolution, yet lies at the heart of the democratic tradition in Costa Rica.
Not sure if TVO will run it again (check The View From Here) but I'm sure you can find it in your local video store. This documentary will make you pause the next time you order a latte.
Posted by Jason at 2:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack