Census malarkey

"For the data set released Tuesday, like no other before it, affirms Prime Minister Stephen Harper's vision of Canada.": — Den Tandt, The census is making Harper's arguments for him

I am now logically a feared people will forget — and never recognized?— why Harper killed the long-form census in the first place. Notably, so he can ensure our "facts" match whatever suits him at the moment, with no recourse or data available to those who wish to challenge the view.

Oh fuck. We enter the edge of extreme disinformation, with daily newspapers, investigative journalists, replaced by corrupt data sets and Twitter.

Tuesday Book Tease

Literally.


I loathe being so predictable.

yogurt and ...

My lunch

Fruit that is good with yogurt*:

The Spear — still here

South Africa's City Press ran a painting by artist Brett Murray of Jacob Zuma, the South African president, in Lenin-esque poster style, including an artistic representation of his genitalia.
The photo ran on its website as part of an art review, not commentary, but the furor over the printing was definitely political.
The painting was said to be "evil toward black people," the known anti-apartheid satirist painter was called an "apartheid sympathizer,"
South Africa has a long history of protest art, often quite graphic (more so than the photo above), intended to engage, enrage, offend, viewers, not uncommon in a place where outrage and oppression has been felt for centuries, and many were illiterate.   
Forgetting this, the ANC, which likes to laud itself as Mandela's party, the party of the best constitutions in the world, the party of the Rainbow Nation and liberal ideologies, called on readers to shun the paper to "protect the president" against this "attack," organizing a march on the papers'  building. Where "march" means bring large stones for throwing.
All of this speaks to a vastly different notion of leaders in South Africa. Are they really accountable? (Zuma was tried for rape  in court... and acquitted.) Are they to be oddly reified?
As foil, think of how Harper responded to the painting of him lounging in the nude displayed in a Kingston public library — in a much more realistic style, I might add. Not only is the painting visible to all patrons of a library (including children, oh my!), but the notoriously controlling (my view), arrogant (my view) and protest-unfriendly Harper let one of his spokespeople joke about the image, saying the portrait should not have included a dog because “the PM is a cat person.”
How clearly does this throw Zuma's court challenge against City Press and the ANC's reaction — and their practical approach to free speech — into relief.

Journalism: Using Pinterest for more than shopping

From Pinterest

MediaBistro looks at how The Wall Street Journal is using Pinterest, ahead of the curve again as newsrooms struggle to make use of the latest social media fad.

We tried posting events to Pinterest (but that seems to have fallen by the wayside) and now some stories (notably arts one) are making it to our pages. But generally our tack — and that of most newsrooms — has been sporadic and incoherent at best. [Here's five news organizations to follow on Pinterest as foil.]

The problem in using Pinterest is not uncommon: how do we find staff interested and with time to post, how do we post stories, how do we post types of stories in a way that pulls in interested viewers and how do we ensure we do not just become noise. [Though let's be frank, most of those involved are not having anything close to that conversation, let alone debate.]

Langridge inquiry

Knowing little about such things, shall opine spuriously.

It seems the DND lawyers are attempting to squirrel the issue, making it one of solicitor-client privilege when the issue is whether Defence Minister Peter McKay sees a responsibility to reveal to the public how he, as an elected representative, made decisions wrt how he treats civil servants (i.e. military) and citizens under his control. Notably, in his elected position. For which he is accountable to Canada.

The DND lawyer is attempting to make it look as if continuing will force courts to potentially abrogate all solicitor-client privilege — making continuing therefore dangerous to society at large — while also maintaining a sideways attack on the inquiry's jurisdiction and commissioner's "power."

The tack smacks of desperation.

[The inquiry by the Military Police Complaints Commission is to look into the handling of a 2008 suicide of Cpl. Stuart Langridge at CFB Edmonton, to determine if allegations three inquiries held by the military’s National Investigation Service (NIS) were biased in favour of the military and buried the truth of how Langridge was treated immediately before his death.]

Obviously, given McKay's effective gagging of DND lawyers, and any staff who received any advice from said lawyers, there is little interest in providing information.

Who's surprised?

I wonder why the DND lawyers are even showing up at the inquiry hearings? It would be amusing if the government's overweening attitude towards Canadian citizens were not so bone-shakingly worrisome. 

Read Chris Cobb's fantastic live tweets from the Military complaints commission hearing Wednesday, May 23

c a n a d a

Source: The interweb. Cannot find the original. Let me know if you do, please.

Jobs and Journalism

Dave Parro, who was once reporter and editor for Sun-Times media and is now director of communications at Aurora University, on the eight reasons journalists should go into PR, not least being leaving a job rated the fifth worst in America.

1. You still get to tell great stories.
2. You get to shape the story. 
3. You get to be an advocate. 
4. You still get to regularly learn something new.
5. You don’t have the emotional baggage. (read: jaded.)
6. You get to be optimistic.
7. You still have constant deadlines.
8. You understand what makes a great story.

And I would add:
     9. You will have a job.  
 

... and in other important news

Image via The New York Times

“I always seem to be cast as slightly wan, ethereal, troubled intellectuals or physically ambivalent bad lovers. But I’m here to tell you I’m quite the opposite in real life. In fact I’m a fucking fantastic lover.”    — Benedict Cumberbatch

The Materialist: A plein air

Marimekko cottton sateen blanket, from SewnNatural

Was cycling over to my favourite park the other day when I realized something dire: my red picnic/park blanket was not in my "summer park" bag. It is, now, lost to me.

It was taken from me by firefighters and paramedics after I used it to help comfort a woman who had been struck by a vehicle while crossing a street. (She was in the right, the driver was a tool.) The poor woman had a badly almost-amputated foot, blood seeping from her head and, in her 60s, did not speak much English — not that my crappy mandarin helped much. The big blanket did, though, helping to ease some shock and staunch some of the blood flow until paramedics arrived.

Book Tease: Snacks

I like a big mug of tea and either Marie biscuits, berries, or rye toast with crumbled very old cheddar cheese on it. And huge amounts of water. Really, anything nibbly.

but this is while reading.

Stumbled upon this New York Times 2011 look at what famous writers liked to eat. Surprised by lack of absinthe references. Joyce Maynard's preference makes me remember my penchant for banana popsicles as a child. Wonder if they still make those ...

A different kind of cast

 

Fly fishing. Have done it, never perfected it. Enter Orvis Green Drake Outfitters who sent out a release about free fly fishing courses to be offered on May 19 at 1:30 p.m. at 89 Holland Ave.

All equipment will be provided, with lessons in class and out on the water. 

They promise it will be fun and stress free, reminding those attending to wear a hat, sunglasses, footwear suitable for the shore. [I add sunblock to the list.]

Dinner: kitchen chicken soup

 

Leftover chicken and carcass, leftover arborio rice from risotto, leftover fresh dill, sage, onions, garlic, carrots, flat leaf parsley and turmeric.
Delish.

Remember Mom

Tivioli Florist, my current favourite spot for flowers in Ottawa (I like the Richnmond Road location, with the chirping budgies) reminds everyone Mother's Day is approaching.

The operators told me Sunday they'd really appreciate it if people placed their orders earlier rather than later. Not that they don't enjoy having 500 people descend on their little, quaintly crowded shop.  I popped my head ni on Valentine's Day for flowers for my randmother, and guffawed loudly when confronted by the array of wild-eyed men in the place. They staff handled that bunch well. But still, remember and place an order early. Then you won't have to wait.

FYI: They will do a beautiful little posey for you for $15 that will make your mom — who fished through your dirty diapers for the marble you swallowed — smile. They will also have lots of tulips on hand just for the day.

.

We're checking on you

"If a public official won’t talk to us at the office, we try for a comment at his home. Make yourself available, like any other public official, and there is no need to follow you home. Hide and dodge and refuse to disclose your schedule — or communicate only to your favourite reporters or news outlets — and the ink-stained wretches will trundle over to your favourite watering hole to see if you are more inclined to talk there.

Call that snooping, if you want. We won’t lose any sleep over the characterization. It’s our job. When we show up at the cottage, you can choose to speak or not. Or call us snoops.

Jittery about intruders? Don’t give out your home number, your home address, or invite hordes over to your place for a big annual ribfest and then complain about the privacy of your home and family."

— The Toronto Star's Royson James on being a journalist and tracking down elected figures, such as Toronto Mayor Ford.