Tagged: opinions
Sam Katz & Friends vs. Gordon Warren
- by admin
A few people have asked for my opinion on the recent article published in the Winnipeg Free Press concerning local blogger Gordon Warren, who is being sued by local media group Direct Focus Marketing, as well as Sandy and Robert Shindleman, owners of Shindico,Non-Winnipeggers interested in what I'm talking about can read the Free Press article here, but here's a snippet to give you some background:
The injunction was sought by Direct Focus Marketing Communications Inc., its owner Mark Hofer and the firms’ employees – all whom were named by Warren in a recent blog post on a move at city hall to sell off and lease out civic golf courses.
Direct Focus had been hired to conduct a media campaign to promote the sale of John Blumberg golf course and a 20-year lease for four other civic course. The campaign appeared to be spearheaded by an independent community group calling itself Responsible Winnipeg, but it turned out that group was the creation of one of Mayor Sam Katz’s political advisory bodies.
In case you missed that last bit, let me spell it out for you: our mayor ran a campaign without using City of Winnipeg logos to try and further his own political agenda and someone called him on it.
Important to remember: they're not going after him for libel, they're going after him for defamation of character because what Gordon Warren is saying is true.
Anyway, onto why you're here. You asked for my opinion, here it is:
I haven't read the blog posts in question, because due to the recent ruling they're unavailable on his blog, but from what I can tell everything Warren has been doing -bringing light to a shady political campaign, criticizing our mayor and his friends, and generally being politically active online- is completely within his rights as a Canadian citizen, and should be protected under Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
But you know what really bugs me about this whole thing?
We have people publishing much more malicious, hateful and half-true stories in our local tabloid, the Winnipeg Sun, every day. I'm speaking in particular about Tom Brodbeck, who uses his articles in the Sun and his blog (which I refuse to link to) to shamelessly criticize anyone who politically opposes him and his masters. I have heard more vitriolic commentary coming from this one "journalist" than I care to remember, yet to my knowledge nobody has taken him to court on Greg Selinger (our Premier)'s behalf -which is exactly what is happening with Warren. Sam Katz isn't suing him, but all of his buddies are.
A lot of people are saying "what did Warren say that was so upsetting?" and I think we're asking the wrong questions. Instead, we should be asking ourselves "how is suing someone over talking shit about you on the internet a reflection of your character?", "are these the kinds of people that we want running our city?" and, perhaps more importantly "is this how we treat people in our society who expose their dirty little secrets?"
**Alyson Shane is a blogger chick from Winnipeg and not a journalist. FYI.
the big lebowski is the longest movie ever
- by admin
or at least it feels that way.we are watching it right now because Tyrone has never seen it and I've started watching it about four times but have never been able to finish it due to the fact that all the scenes feel very independent of one another and usually I find that kind of film had to pay attention to.
this morning I woke up with a splitting migraine and didn't go in to work and lay around in the dark with a pillow over my head for a while. Jason was over and he and Tyrone were still asleep and Ford was yelling and I'm glad it's over now. you never appreciate life and not having a migraine until after you've finished having migraine and can sit on the couch and blog and watch movies like normal.
though truth be told I'm not really watching it anymore. maybe I'll just be one of those people who never fully sits down and watches the big lebowski to the fullest of their attention.
I don't know, it's a good film and the characters are ridiculous and over the top, but it's just... too slow? I'm not sure. it all just feels really fragmented and and I don't really care about any of the characters. except john goodman's character, he always steals the show.
honestly I've been just as entertained looking at gifs from the big lebowski as I have been actually watching the big lebowski. them's just the facts.
Quebec is the only province in this country doing things right.
- by admin
someone said to me today
"it's stupid that the students in Montreal are protesting the tuition hikes because so much of their tuition is already subsidized by the government."
which made me mad.
because yeah sure a lot of schools here in Canada get hefty subsidies from the government and that's how most of us can afford to go to school without going totally bankrupt but that isn't not the point and it's starting to get to me that people see these protests as a bunch of whiny upset kids instead of concerned citizens making themselves heard.
see I think the problem is that in a lot of democratic societies people go around thinking that the only way to make there voices heard is to vote, and most of us don't even bother to do that.
and then people go and shit all over students who don't want to take something they don't agree with lying down? c'mon.
I try not to get too political here on the Blog, but if the rest of Canada got its shit together in the way that Quebeckers have we wouldn't have a majority government who constantly do sneaky shit like try to add one-liners to repeal important laws in 400+ page bills, wants to allow already dead animals to be processed for human consumption, pleaded guilty to illegal campaign spending and, oh, did you forget the robocalls?
everyone makes jokes about Canadians being super polite and nice and to some extent that's true but it concerns me that the vast majority have become wishy-washy on being involved in the democratic society of which they are a part.
or even worse, they don't care.
and then we have the gall to dismiss people who are exercising their rights under the Canadian Charter as "entitled" for not wanting to have the shell out because the older generation accepted government pensions and family allowances without wanting to pay the taxes that supported those programs.
now my generation has to work two years longer.
now my generation may not have the Canadian Pension that our parents looked forward to.
now post-secondary students are being asked the shoulder the burden of increased tuition because nobody wants to help pay to educate the people who will be shaping our country's future.
among other things.
I didn't ask for this. my generation didn't ask for this.
and it's unfair and irresponsible and selfish for the older generation to assume that we should shoulder the burden because this country is rapidly becoming a place where individualism, capitalism, greed and selfishness are touted as virtues.
what ever happened to giving a shit about other people?
what ever happened to shouldering the responsibility as a nation, together?
what ever happened to making sacrifices so our children could be more prosperous, better educated, healthier and happier than we were?
I don't know what is happening to the country that I know and love, but it scares me and I don't like that so many people out there are dismissive of their ability to take part and change the course of our nation's history.
instead of shunning the protesters in Montreal we should be applauding their efforts and taking notes. this is the only way to get anything done in a democracy, people. by making yourself heard to your government.
TL/DR: fucking rights, Montreal. the rest of Canada could learn a thing or two from you.
