Collected Data
RIP Adam West 1928-2017
Brian Lowry for Variety;
Adam West — an actor defined and also constrained by his role in the 1960s series “Batman” — died Friday night in Los Angeles. He was 88. A rep said that he died after a short battle with leukemia.
West became known to a new generation of TV fans through his recurring voice role on Fox’s “Family Guy” as Mayor Adam West, the horribly corrupt, inept and vain leader of Quahog, Rhode Island. West was a regular on the show from 2000 through its most recent season. West in recent years did a wide range of voice-over work, on such shows as Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken” and Disney Channel’s “Jake and the Neverland Pirates.”
But it was his role as the Caped Crusader in the 1966-68 ABC series “Batman” that defined West’s career.
Adam West, TV’s ‘Batman,’ Dies at 88
"All of us in our own virtual neighborhoods of our own making, liking opinions that tell us we’re right instead of engaging with viewpoints that make us question our assumptions."
Facebook has magnified all of these trends: not only is content content, regardless of source, but it also tries to give us more of what we (literally) like, or click on, or comment on (in this case I am talking about the News Feed, not the Trending News section). If you like publications and stories that are more liberal in nature, you’ll get more liberal stories and publications in your feed; it’s the same thing with conservative stories and publications, or sports, or music, or whatever topics “drives engagement”, to use the parlance.
The result is that if you are a conservative, say, you are living in a cornucopia of conservative thought unimaginable to those students launching a new college newspaper against the odds in 1969. There are no obstacles to publishing, and Facebook actually tries its darnedest to bring you more of what you like in the name of engagement.
THE REAL PROBLEM WITH FACEBOOK AND THE NEWS
"This is a pivotal transaction that will create one of Canada’s leading integrated media and content companies, with the scale and media assets to succeed in the new regulatory environment"
The transaction will give Corus ownership of all of Shaw Media’s brands, including specialty channels like Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, Slice and History Canada. It also includes Global Television’s national conventional service with stations in various Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Okanagan, Edmonton and Calgary, among others.
Corus and Shaw’s combined portfolio will include 45 specialty television channels, 39 radio stations, digital assets, the content studio Nelvana and 15 conventional television stations.
Barbara Williams , executive VP of broadcasting and president at Shaw Media, will move to Corus “in a senior leadership capacity” pending the deal closing. Her specific role is as yet unclear, but a release notes she will play an “integral role shaping the new Corus.”
The rest of the executive team for the combined company will be announced when the deal is finalized, according to the release.
Corus Entertainment to acquire Shaw Media
Corus Entertainment is buying Shaw Media in $2.65B deal (CBC)
"Many people assumed that the law would prevent Google from collecting data on his daughter for advertising purposes. But the truth is more complicated."
"Lots of talk about the environment, understandably, but not a lot of talk about the economy right now"
Wall is the lone dissenting voice among the Canadian delegation. He's also the most powerful voice for the Canadian oil industry. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has representatives in Paris, but it is not a part of the delegation or at the main conference centre.
Wall is hesitant to bring in a carbon tax in his province, worrying about the economic impact it might have. There is a suggestion that introducing new carbon policies in Canada could help the oil industry gain public and political support to build new pipelines, but Wall says there is no guarantee.
"It would be frustrating if you're in the energy industry and think we get it, we have to pay a carbon tax, we need to do more by the environment," said Wall. "Now we can't even move our product, because we can't seem to build national support for a pipeline. So, I think that's a concern."
Brad Wall is dissenting voice in Canada's COP21 delegation
Let’s not forget his comments on refugees.
Mr Wall likes to talk about jobs. Well, guess what Brad, it’s the job of our elected officials to show leadership and help guide people through difficult times. You are not being paid to stand around saying stupid shit. Lead or get out of the way.
"I am committed to leading an open, honest government that is accountable to Canadians"
Thank you for having faith in me. Thank you for putting your trust in our team.
We will not let you down.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s open letter to Canadians
Actions speak louder than words, Mr Trudeau.
"Canadians are moving toward mobile technology."
"More than they wanted anyone else to win, they wanted Harper to lose. They'd even vote Liberal if that's what it took."
So Harper could ladle pork like a Liberal. Better, in fact. Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin reduced the national debt by $90 billion and left a budgetary surplus of $14 billion. Harper's six deficits added $150 billion to the national debt.
Not his fault, you say? Perhaps so, although Harper certainly made the red ink deeper by cutting the GST and adding $14 billion a year to the deficit. Add on all the tax cuts for hockey moms and firefighters and parents and, well, Harper even contrived to double the budget for prisons at a time when crime was falling.
The end result was lower taxes and higher debt. The two are not wholly unrelated.
Even so, a rising debt can still be a smaller slice of the economy if the economy grows.
That's the big picture: Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio is on a slow, downward creep, from 30 per cent to 25 per cent, which is better than our G7 partners. It's a meaningful measure of fiscal health. If Harper wants to be judged by the economy, then it could be a lot worse.
Stephen Harper's legacy: Good, bad and a dose of ugly
"Tonight we'll dispense with the formalities. I'd like to toast the future prime minister of Canada: to Justin Pierre Trudeau."
When Justin Trudeau was just four months old, then-US President Richard Nixon predicted the infant would one day follow in his father's footsteps.
At a gala dinner during a state visit to Ottawa in 1972, Mr Nixon addressed his Canadian counterpart: "Tonight we'll dispense with the formalities. I'd like to toast the future prime minister of Canada: to Justin Pierre Trudeau."
According to CBC, the elder Trudeau responded that should his son ever lead the country, "I hope he has the grace and skill of the president."
Who is Justin Trudeau, Canada's next prime minister?
"The Liberals didn't fear that the electorate was too stupid to wrap their minds around complicated topics."
Justin Trudeau's positive campaign style, his clear love for the country's diversity, the strength of Liberal candidates, and the desire to throw out Stephen Harper's Conservatives were all factors behind what happened.
But perhaps more than anything else, the Liberals' adoption of many evidence-based policies may have proven decisive.
Justin Trudeau's emphasis on evidence-based policies paved the way to Liberal victory
"Harper has asked the party to instruct the caucus to appoint an interim leader."
After nearly 10 years as prime minister, Stephen Harper is on his way out as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Stephen Harper will resign as leader of the Conservatives after party loses election
See ya Stevie.
"When it comes to science, technology and innovation, the “anyone-but-Harper” mantra holds especially true. Canada is unquestionably dumber in many ways than it was 10 years ago, and that’s a real embarrassment."
"Every party has their dipshit that they hide away in the back benches. Unfortunately, this party is almost entirely dipshits."
Honestly. If you’re okay with all this stuff and still insist on voting Conservative. Well. Thanks for nothing.
2011-2015 Harper Government Wrap-up
"They shouldn't be targeting these ads to anybody,"
Stephen Harper is defending a Conservative ad campaign targeted at Chinese and Punjabi-speaking voters in Vancouver and Toronto that claims Justin Trudeau supports the sale of marijuana to children, the expansion of safe injection sites and the establishment of neighbourhood brothels.
Conservative ads aimed at Chinese, Punjabi voters claim Trudeau backs brothels, pot sales to kids
This is just pathetic.
"Politicians, including Harper's Conservatives, love to talk about the supreme importance of accountability."
what has provoked Biguzs's anger, and determination for a reckoning, is that someone under her command apparently had the gall to tell a journalist — and thereby the Canadian public — about the PMO overriding the professionals in her department
Government sensitivity over you hearing about 'sensitive' information
"The question is, Does the system work for the benefit of most people? Does it create upward mobility, equal opportunity? Or is it rigged?"
Although we are only beginning to understand the details — mostly because the Trans-Pacific Partnership was negotiated away from the prying eyes of voters — one of the main criticisms of international trade deals like the TPP is that the main beneficiaries are large corporations, not ordinary citizens.
"Negotiators worked overtime on terms to please multinational corporations — under close consultation with those same corporations. But there was no consultation with labour or civil society groups," says a release from the Trade Justice Network, a group that opposes the deal.
Mickey Mouse protection, the TPP and why America remains unequal
It struck me that, then and now, the only way to keep our rights is to keep fighting for them.
Convinced that the free market will solve our problems, we complacently wait, repeatedly voting for the status quo, not realizing the problem is more complex and that re-creating a truly free-market capitalism for the many, not the few, will require more than a Mickey Mouse effort.
"Over time we've seen that this man cannot be trusted. He had no integrity. He's trying to stifle democracy. There's no end to what he's doing."
He used the word racism in reference to the debate over the wearing of the niqab by Muslim women taking part in the oath of citizenship.
Williams said the issue is not worthy of becoming a national issue, but the Conservatives have latched onto it in order to secure votes.
"He doesn't care if he isolates the issues of women or if he isolates the issue of minorities, and even crosses, possibly, that racism line," Williams stated.
"It doesn't matter to him. It's all about getting elected at the end of the day."
Danny Williams says Stephen Harper's tactics are borderline racist
There is nothing borderline about it.
"“It’s terrific,” Mr. Keate said, reiterating that property values will go up, not down, in a heritage conservation area, a point made in a city consultant’s report."
A luxury neighbourhood of grand old homes and lush greenery is being designated as Vancouver’s first-ever heritage conservation area in an effort to halt a tide of demolitions and assuage fears that the city is being wrecked by a brash new group of home buyers who do not care about its history.
Vancouver designates First Shaughnessy a heritage area
Let me get this straight; a weathly, historically white neighbourhood, with little historical value is being saved, but Chinatown, an area of rich cultural and historical significance for the Country, not just the city, is being torn down down and rebuilt.
That pretty much sums up Vancouver for you.
"CEO Hubert Lacroix says the CBC has healthy ratings, but is crippled by a broken funding model."
"For 80 years, the government has funded the CBC. It has given it a set mandate that the CBC has to comply," she said. "For Mr. Harper to suddenly say the problems are not a result of his funding cuts boggles the mind.
"The CBC is in a funding crisis. It has all these programming responsibilities and it just can't keep doing them with the funding at the level that it's at."
CBC boss disputes Harper comment about broadcaster's low ratings
"Foreign investors would be able to challenge -- and TPP arbitrators could then review -- a decision by a government, a legislature, or a court. The usual principles of Canadian law requiring such disputes to be decided in a Canadian court do not apply."
On the other hand, a foreign company could not itself be sued and ordered to pay Canada under the TPP. The trade and investment treaties are structured one way. They give exceptionally powerful rights to foreign investors without any actionable responsibilities.
This imbalance is a political choice.
Any treaty can be written to put enforceable responsibilities on foreign investors; for example, to avoid corrupt activities or respect workers' rights. But the governments driving the treaties -- in Washington and Brussels but also Ottawa -- have not done so.
Ten ways TPP gives too much power to foreign investors
“The government had constantly denied that Canada was involved in spying or espionage,” Macadam said in one of a series of phone interviews. “I thought it was important to find out if we were.”
Rather than arouse suspicion by coming at the Canadian establishment directly, they chose to begin their investigation in the United States. “I think the fact that I was American may have helped,” Dubro admitted over the phone in a thick Bostonian accent. “Once we stumbled on [the Ramparts interview], we started throwing the CBNRC into questions with US intelligence people. And they, stupidly, would tell us more.”
When Canada Learned It Had Spies
"The greatest threat by far in the west to ideals of free expression is coming not from radical Muslims, but from the very western governments claiming to fight them."
In essence, advocating any ideas or working for any political outcomes regarded by British politicians as “extremist” will not only be a crime, but can be physically banned in advance. Basking in his election victory, Prime Minister David Cameron unleashed this Orwellian decree to explain why new Thought Police powers are needed: “For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens ‘as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone.'” It’s not enough for British subjects merely to “obey the law”; they must refrain from believing in or expressing ideas which Her Majesty’s Government dislikes.
GREATEST THREAT TO FREE SPEECH COMES NOT FROM TERRORISM, BUT FROM THOSE CLAIMING TO FIGHT IT
"When the prime minister returns from his travels, he may find that the political chickens have come home to roost."
Probably the week's most stinging blow came from Harper's home province of Alberta where, on Tuesday, in a stunning election upset, the provincial NDP won a majority, toppling a 44-year reign by the Conservatives.
Only winning an international hockey game would make Canadians more jubilant than they were on Twitter on Tuesday night. The "Orange Crush", named for the NDP colours, had rolled over tar sands country, hard hit by the tanking price of oil, right in the Harper heartland.
Canada's right-wing agenda is coming undone
"This is about trying to scare people."
In January, Canada's then foreign affairs minister, John Baird, signed a "memorandum of understanding" with Israeli authorities in Jerusalem, pledging to combat BDS.
It described the movement as "the new face of anti-Semitism."
A few days later, at the UN, Canadian Public Security Minister Steven Blaney went much further.
He conflated boycotts of Israel with anti-Semitic hate speech and violence, including the deadly attacks that had just taken place in Paris on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher supermarket.
Blaney then said the government is taking a "zero tolerance" approach to BDS.
Coming as it did from the minister responsible for federal law enforcement, the speech alarmed groups that have, to varying degrees, supported boycotts, believing them an effective tool to bring about an end to Israel's occupation and colonization of the West Bank, and its tight grip on Gaza.
Some of these groups had noted that the government changed the Criminal Code definition of hate speech last year, adding the criterion of "national origin" to race and religion.
This change could, they feared, effectively lump people who speak against Israel in with those who speak against Jews.
Micheal Vonn, a lawyer for the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, says the expanded definition is clearly "a tool to go after critics of Israel."
Ottawa cites hate crime laws when asked about its 'zero tolerance' for Israel boycotters
I have no opinion about BDS but I don’t need to have one to know that protest is not a crime in a free and democratic country. Making boycotts and protests against governments a hate crime is Fascist level shit.
What next? Protesting the Canadian government is ‘Anti-Canadian’ hate speech?
Tories deny plan to use hate crime laws against Israel boycotters
Of course they do. Thank goodness they are so trustworthy. Oh wait…
But the response from the Tories appears to contradict the email comments by a public safety ministry spokeswoman, who cited Canada's hate crime laws when asked specifically by CBC News about the government's "zero tolerance" for Israel boycotters.
EMAIL EXCHANGE BETWEEN CBC AND PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON ON BDS PROSECUTIONS
Also read Glenn Greenwald’s take…
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS FREE SPEECH IS FOR OFFENDING MUSLIMS — NOT OPPOSING ISRAEL
"What if I disagree with the interpretation of the CSIS agent about what exactly any text I wrote is supposed to mean, how are we going to resolve this conflict?"
Without a clear definition of what “supporting terrorism in general” means, I can’t see how I can be sure to avoid violating this law by accident, whenever I express my views as a Muslim. If I am expected to not violate a law, it should be at least possible for me to understand it. If the law says that the government decides when the law was violated, then for me to make sure I don’t violate the law, I have to either check with the government about every sentence I want to write, or wait for the government to come and arrest me after I write anything, and if they don’t show up, I will know I didn’t violate the law this time!
Terrorism bill C-51 only creates more insecurity
"The term “judicial oversight”, as used by members of the Conservative Party in this debate, is truly a perversion of reality."
Sitting here today through third reading, I heard a great number of propositions from Conservative members of Parliament. I have no doubt that they believe those propositions in their speaking notes to be true, but they are consistently repeating fallacies that I would like to try to explain and deconstruct so that Canadians will understand why these repeated bromides are just not true.
The three fallacies I want to address in the time I have are the following. One notion is that information-sharing, which is part one of the bill, is designed to ensure that our security services, which are the RCMP, CSIS, Canada Border Services Agency, and CSEC, the agencies of policing and intelligence, share information with each other. That was put forward earlier today several times, and that, indeed, is something that must be done, but this bill does not do it.
The second fallacy is that there is judicial oversight in this bill, because judges are involved in one section. I want to deal with that one as well.
The other fallacy is that the terrorism and propaganda sections in the amendments to the Criminal Code in this omnibus bill would actually make it more likely that we could stop youth from being radicalized.
Elizabeth May makes impassioned speech against Bill C-51
The Conservatives are either ignorant or lying. I don’t know which is worse.
"It really does appear the Conservatives have been in power so long that they’ve truly lost touch."
Wow -- this is how Conservative MP Laurie Hawn responded to the now 140+ businesses who have raised concerns in a letter published by the National Post about reckless spying Bill C-51:"[They] should seriously reconsider their business model and their lack of commitment to the values that bind us as Canadians".
Conservative MP Laurie Hawn attacks Canadian Businesses that raised concerns about Bill C-51
"The Harper government's promises to help jobless youth, the disabled, immigrants and illiterate adults fell short last year by almost $100 million."
"The federal government's controversial new anti-terrorism bill has won the approval of the House of Commons."
The Anti-Terrorism Act, also known as Bill C-51, easily passed third reading by a margin of 183 to 96, thanks to the Conservative government's majority and the promised support of the third-party Liberals.
Bill C-51 passes in House of Commons
The 183 members of Parliament who voted for this have no respect for the rights of Canadians.
"If the problem continues, by May they will consider fining anyone who fails to follow the law."
The Tim Hortons on Highway 16 has seen an influx of customers lately, particularly in their drive-thru during the morning commute. Fed up with the congestion, drivers have begun committing dangerous traffic violations to get their coffee fix.
Tim Hortons double-double spells traffic trouble in Terrace, B.C.
"The Conservative bill really isn't a problem-solving bill. It's a pre-election, you know, 'we're trying to tinker with this and give us some money' bill."
The NFA, which had denounced Harper's Bill C-51, the so-called anti-terrorism legislation, as "a sort of creeping police state bill" teamed with a coalition of civil liberties and labour groups against the proposed law. Clare was even to make an appearance at the parliamentary hearings on the bill, alongside the spokesperson for the coalition.
…
It seemed Clare had the Harper government over a barrel. Just four days later, Clare suddenly bailed from his parliament appearance, with no explanation. And just as suddenly, Bill C-42 was back on track. Second reading resumed on Wednesday. It looks like it's a lock for passage before the election.
Who's calling the shots in Canada?
"How can we be in the golden age of TV when Canada has not produced any shows with the stature of Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones?"
The Canadian Media Production Association estimates TV production volume in Canada was $2.3 billion in 2014 with more than 125,000 full-time jobs associated with the sector.
last week's announcement that more expensive dramas are to be encouraged could remove money from genre productions, such as cooking shows, children's programming and documentaries, areas where Canada already has proven excellence.
Most of those people do not make dramatic programming.
Baker argues that there is no formula for making a hit — and giving it a $2 million an hour budget is not going to solve the quality problem.
"We need quantity, just like they do elsewhere in this world, especially in the U.S. and U.K., where they have a tremendous quantity of shows so a few of them can rise to the top," he said.
This ruling feels like it was made by an accountant with no understanding of how other counties industries succeed.
You don’t buy hit shows. You buy 9 failures for every success. And that success pays for the failures.
CRTC quest for quality set to shake up Canadian production
"Television quotas are an idea that is wholly anachronistic in the age of abundance and in a world of choice"
The national broadcast regulator said Thursday it was cutting the quota for the ratio of Canadian programs that local TV stations must broadcast during the day from 55 per cent to zero. That's a recognition that stations have sometimes been broadcasting the same program episodes many times over the course of a day, or even over years, simply to satisfy the old Cancon rule.
CRTC eases Canadian-content quotas for TV
I’ll wait until smarter people review, but I have a bad feeling about this.
Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-86
R.I.P. Albert Maysles 1926-2015
In 1960, Maysles co-directed the iconic vérité entry Primary, about the Democratic primary election campaigns of Kennedy and Humphrey, and later the documentary Salesman (1968), a portrait of four Boston door-to-door Bible salesmen. Maysles was made a Guggenheim Fellow in 1965 and went on to make such films as Rolling Stones doc Gimme Shelter (1970) and Grey Gardens (1976), a portrait of a mother and daughter living in a dilapidated East Hampton mansion. Maysles Films – the director’s production company – has produced many films on art and artists, with Grey Gardens cited by many doc-makers as a huge influence.
Master documentarian Albert Maysles passes away
"She said she doesn’t know how the Canadian economy can grow, when people her age are making so little money that their lunch is a tin of tuna."
"I think it’s important to understand that Canada's a rich country – the GDP per capita keeps going up, the problem is that we’re not sharing that wealth at all equitably. In many ways, we’ve gone back to 1920s mentality," he said.
Job quality in Canada at 25-year low, says CIBC
"Business interests are aggressively asserting themselves over public service obligations of journalism."
"Pollution and climate change caused by excessive burning of fossil fuels are real threats, not the people who warn that we must take these threats seriously."
If, for any reason, someone causes another person harm or damages infrastructure or property, that person should -- and would, under current laws -- face legal consequences. But the vast majority of people calling for rational discussion about fossil fuels and climate change -- even those who engage in civil disobedience -- aren't "violent anti-petroleum extremists." They're people from all walks of life and ages who care about our country, our world, our families and friends and our future.
Let's not sacrifice freedom out of fear
R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015
Mr Nimoy;
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015
from the New York Times;
His artistic pursuits — poetry, photography and music in addition to acting — ranged far beyond the United Federation of Planets, but it was as Mr. Spock that Mr. Nimoy became a folk hero, bringing to life one of the most indelible characters of the last half century: a cerebral, unflappable, pointy-eared Vulcan with a signature salute and blessing: “Live long and prosper” (from the Vulcan “Dif-tor heh smusma”).
Leonard Nimoy, Spock of ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 83
"Get the facts from the medical and scientific community, and if you're not a doctor or scientist yourself, listen to the people who are. It's that simple."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says parents in developed countries have a responsibility to set an example for those in less-educated countries when it comes to using vaccines, and advised people to listen to scientists and doctors.
Stephen Harper tells parents to listen to scientists about vaccines
Too bad Harper can’t take his own advice when it comes to environmental issues. Hypocrite.
"One part of interactive playable content with one part of scripted television style content."
Alex Wawro reporting for Gamasutra;
"For instance, if you play the interactive episode first, certain elements of the scripted episode portion will be tailored to reflect some choices made in your interactive play through," Bruner told EW. "If you watch the show before playing, some elements in the interactive portions may be presented differently than if you played first. The interactive episodes will never release without a scripted episode, they will always come out together."
He went on to add that non-interactive versions of the scripted entertainment would be made available on streaming networks and broadcast TV some time after the release of a given "Super Show" episode.
Lionsgate deal primes Telltale to make episodic TV/game hybrids
I’m not convinced that this is the future. Hybrids are tough. It’s a fine line between combining and compromise.
See also;
LIONSGATE INVESTS IN LEADING GAME DEVELOPER TELLTALE GAMES
Telltale Games CEO Kevin Bruner discusses new venture The Super Show -- exclusive
"That is a sentiment grounded in deep irrationality, blind nationalism, and primitive tribalism."
I have no idea whether this 13-year-old boy was “a member of al-Qaeda,” whatever that might mean for a boy that young. But neither does the New York Times, which is why it’s incredibly irresponsible for media outlets reflexively to claim that those killed by U.S. drone strikes are terrorists.
That’s especially true since the NYT itself previously reported that the Obama administration has re-defined “militant” to mean “all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants.” In this case, Mohammed did not even qualify for that Orwellian re-definition, yet still got called a terrorist (by both the Obama administration as well as a “member of AQAP,” both of whom are, for different reasons, motivated to make that claim). Whatever else is true, extreme skepticism is required before claiming that the victims of the latest American drone strike are terrorists, but that skepticism is virtually never included.
THE U.S. MEDIA AND THE 13-YEAR-OLD YEMENI BOY BURNED TO DEATH LAST MONTH BY A U.S. DRONE
"Remember when you were a kid and you would joke about “opposite day”? Apparently that happened in this video."
If we lived in a world where Frozen was the only movie that had ever been released, the CEO of Concerned Women for America might have a point. But we don’t live in that world. We literally live in the opposite world that’s being described in that above video. Disney itself releases about 15 movies a year where a man is the hero.
Fox News Says Movies Don’t Have Enough Male Heroes; Cites ‘Frozen’ As Main Culprit
Click through and watch the video.
"When the apparent lone wolf isn’t a Muslim or other minority, he rarely finds the fear-inducing terrorist label pinned on him by the government, the media, or security experts."
At the moment, the response to the lone-wolf hullabaloo, like so much else in recent years, is inching us further down the path toward an American police state. One government response, now being re-emphasized, comes (of course!) with its own acronym: countering violent extremism, or CVE.
If You’re Afraid of ‘Lone Wolf’ Terrorism, You’re Missing the Point
"The announcement, made Wednesday afternoon, seems particularly odd because the bill includes a measure that would let the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) apply for a warrant to ignore the charter."
Asked whether the decision was a tactic so the Conservatives can't use security as a wedge issue against the Liberals in this year's election, Trudeau said that view doesn't do justice to the concerns of Canadians.
Which is true. It doesn’t do justice to the concerns of Canadians, but IT DOES do justice to the Liberal position.
Anti-terrorism bill to be supported by Liberals, Justin Trudeau says
"He now wants to turn our domestic spy agency into something that looks disturbingly like a secret police force."
"So long as a judge agrees, it's all fair game—even if it's illegal."
According to the legislation those warrants authorize the spies to "enter any place or open or obtain access to any thing," to copy or obtain any document, "to install, maintain or remove any thing," and, most importantly, "to do any other thing that is reasonably necessary to take those measures."
The proposed "disruption warrants" are good for up to 120 days, and can be renewed twice. The legislation is explicit that authorities can ignore the laws of Canada and any foreign state while operating under such a warrant.
Canada’s New Anti-Terror Bill Is Everything You Hoped It Wasn’t
This is just shameful.
"[Canadians'] freedom and their security, more often than not, go hand in hand," Harper told a crowd of supporters, continuing that "it was a jihadi terrorist that took away our freedoms," not police officers.
I don’t believe that terrorists can take away our freedoms, we can only give them away.
"Their core consumer TV and voice [home phone] businesses are in decline – and probably terminal decline"
Cogeco lost 8,465 TV customers but added 18,535 Internet subscribers, while Shaw shed 15,591 cable and satellite television customers and gained 14,048 broadband customers in the three-month period ended Nov. 30.This is a trend that has become common for cable operators as viewers increasingly turn to online streaming video options such as Netflix Inc. to supplement and, in some cases, replace traditional cable packages.
Shaw, Cogeco gain Internet customers, but see decline in TV subscribers
"It’s condos and luxury hotels, when there’s a wait list for affordable housing here.”
people like Mr. Yu say local businesses may find that high-end consumers in new developments would not shop at their herbal medicine or produce stores.
Chinatown residents seek moratorium on condo development
Chinatown in Vancouver desperately needs money. Money for social housing, addiction treatment and mental health care. It’s very sad how once again, the city is throwing away it’s history by tearing it down and burying it in a jungle of condos, nail bars and brew pubs.
“I think the fact that The New York Times makes more money off consumers than advertisers” – a recent phenomenon – “is definitional, and it points the way forward.”
“We’re making a club, that’s what we’re making. This mass niche called people who read. It’s a weird, kooky activity. We could have annual conventions, like the Shriners, with go-karts and clowns,” he says.
David Carr: All the views he's fit to print
"Heavy metal could be aging you prematurely"
Then I read the article…
High exposure to the toxic metal cadmium could prematurely age cells, potentially triggering a number of diseases as people age, according to a new study.
Wow. New study shows that a substance THAT CAN KILL YOU might not be good for you. Science!
Heavy metal could be aging you prematurely
"We debate at least once a month whether we should just move to Toronto."
To be sure, Vancouver is not alone. New York, London and Singapore have long been popular with foreign investors, driving up the cost of living for locals. But while those cities are global financial hubs and have many bankers with big compensation, Vancouver's economy relies more on tourism and a cyclical resources industry.
Vancouver home prices worry businesses as they seek to hire staff
When discussing Vancouver real estate, a comparison to a handful of major world cities always happens. The problem with this comparison is that places like New York and London have a vibrant cultural and historical spirit.
Vancouver is a soulless wasteland.
"The registry will help ensure that these films will be preserved for all time."
"Take a stand, loudly and proudly. Be activists. Unless you prefer a world of choke points and control by others, this is part of your job."
Powerful governments and corporations are leading the attack against these core values, usually in the guise of protecting us or giving us more convenience. But these powerful entities are also creating a host of choke points. And the result is a locking down of computing and communications: a system of control by others over what we say and do online — a betrayal of the Internet’s decentralized promise.
When Journalists Must Not Be Objective
"The United States government is teaming up with computer scientists to do something about it."
“Everything was built with performance, not security, in mind,” Dr. Shrobe said. “We left it to programmers to incorporate security into every line of code they wrote. One little mistake is all it takes for the bad guy to get in.”
Reinventing the Internet to Make It Safer
I’d say that the “one little mistake” people could make is trusting ANY government to make the internet “safer”.
Read: "On Parliament Hill, an attack on Canada itself" by Cory Doctorow
The significant thing about Canada is not the real-estate. Other countries have beautiful mountains, crystal-clear lakes, rocky shores, soaring trees, sere tundra and endless, bounteous fields of staple-crops (along with enticingly sinister subterranean stores of hydrocarbons). What distinguishes Canada from any other country -- the reason so many of us immigrants came here, rather than somewhere else -- are the values that Canada espouses, not the place where it is sited.
On Parliament Hill, an attack on Canada itself
"Mere anecdotal evidence."
Netflix and Google told the hearings that Canadian content was thriving online. However, they did not provide the information the regulator was seeking to back up that claim.The regulator said the companies' refusal to provide any supporting evidence means it cannot evaluate the strength of their arguments.
CRTC to Netflix: Since you won't co-operate, we'll ignore you
"1000 songs in your pocket."
One of the music industry's most iconic pieces of technology has gone the way of the Walkman, since Apple has quietly discontinued its iPod Classic players.
R.I.P. iPod Classic
My first iPod was a 15GB 3rd Generation. I’ve owned 5 iPods and it’s the only one I wish I still had.
"This is the first year in our history that we're not actually showing a film,"
Franey explained that this will be the first year that none of the selections will be presented on celluloid—all the films are digital."That doesn't really matter though," he said, "because what we're here for is great storytelling on the big screen and most people in the audience do not know or care whether it's shot digitally or on celluloid."
Vancouver International Film Festival reveals changes for 2014
“Most people in the audience do not know or care”??? Has this guy ever been to the festival? In an attempt to gain new audience they are turning their back the audience that built the festival.
"Entertainment One’s footprint in the Canadian production landscape increased again"
eOne has been on an investment and acquisition streak of late, recently acquiring another West Coast producer, Paperny Entertainment, home entertainment distributor Phase 4 Films, and investing in Toronto digital powerhouse Secret Location.
eOne acquires Force Four Entertainment
"The Motion Picture Editors Guild and Mark Burnett’s Island Post Productions have finalized an agreement in principle to unionize postproduction staff"
editors’ wages never were an issue in this dispute, assistants and loggers will see pay increases. Overall, the work schedule and compensation for all post staff will move to an 8-hour day and 40-hour week. Before, editors’ individual contracts had been on a day rate, regardless of hours worked or if they worked a weekday or weekend day. The tentative agreement transforms that into an 8-hour day, 5-day week. Overtime of time-and-a-half will go into effect after eight hours worked, as is standard in union shops. It goes into double time after 12 hours worked.
‘Survivor’ Editors Win IATSE Contract With Mark Burnett Company
"Global TV advertising spend is set to reach US$236 billion in 2020"
The biggest TV ad market gains between 2010 and 2020 are tipped to come from Latin America and the Middle East and Africa where ad spend is expected to double.
TV ad revenues to near $240bn in 2020
The numbers are not interesting. Where the numbers are growing is very interesting.
"The VIFF Film and Television Forum has a new name, VIFF Industry"
This year’s forum will see more industry guests and speakers from LA., and will expand its focus from film and television to broad-based screen entertainment, in recognition of Vancouver’s growing visual effects, animation and gaming industries.VIFF Industry also wants to promote Vancouver as a production and post-production centre, by participating in trade missions, for example, and helping to facilitate international co-productions, in particular with India and China.
Vancouver film festival revamps its focus
This is unfortunate. While I’ve been very critical of VIFF’s programming for the past 10 years or so, turning into an “industry” promotional tool is not the way to make things better.
“People stayed on the job yesterday out of respect for the long relationship with the show, but respect has to go both ways,”
RIP Robert L. Drew
Drew's films pioneered a strict journalistic code that allowed no directing of subjects, no set-up shots, no on-camera narrator. The candid footage was edited into a dramatic narrative that gave the feeling of what it was like to be there as events occurred. His technique became known as cinéma vérité or direct cinema, though he liked to call it reality filmmaking.
R.I.P. Robert L. Drew, the Father of American Cinéma Vérité
Watch a clip about Drew from the excellent documentary Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment.
eOne buys Paperny Entertainment
Recognizing the increasing appetite for unscripted content internationally, eOne is now turning its focus towards expanding its unscripted & factual portfolio to balance the company's diverse multi-genre overall offering. This deal will see eOne ramp up its activity in unscripted television production across North America.
Entertainment One Acquires Factual Television Leader Paperny Entertainment
I received the company email about this last night. Looks like I now work for a large corporation.
Congratulations to David, Audrey and Cal.
"The $1,000 fee required to hire a foreign worker is perceived as "a cash grab"
speaking in Vancouver to gathered journalists, Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said the reforms should actually make the process of acquiring a work permit for foreign workers quicker."In those cases where there is a real need that Canadians can't be found to fill, the service will actually be faster than ever," said the minister."Our reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program have been broadly well-received. People want us to ensure that Canadians across the country have first crack at available jobs and that wasn't happening before the reforms."
Temporary foreign worker reforms raise ire of film, TV industry
"Bell Media is cutting 91 employees from its production staff as it makes big changes to programming."
The layoffs are part of a plan announced by parent company BCE Inc. last month to cut 120 jobs from Bell Media's Toronto workforce due to "financial pressure" in its advertising and subscription TV services.A notice sent by Bell Media's human resources department outlined some of the cuts, which included editors and producers at Much, formerly known as MuchMusic. All of the changes will be made before mid-October, the letter said.
Bell Media cuts dozens of staff at MTV, Much and M3
"Specialty TV services made $4 billion for the first time last year."
Money to these services has been rising at a rate of 7% over the past five years, according to numbers from the CRTC.
Specialty TV by the numbers
"If Google really is acting in good faith, as it claims to be, it should only be de-linking content that is very clearly not in the public interest."
If Google is trying to prove that the system is unworkable, then it’s succeeding – only the system it’s apparently operating in isn’t the system the CJEU described. It’s a straw man.
Why is Google really removing links to news articles in Europe?
Google is acting like a spoiled infant.
"The talks have been largely shrouded in secrecy. Negotiating texts are secret, so everything the public knows about TPP has come from leaked documents."
"Long hours, stolen wages, and sometimes dangerous conditions faced by workers in the reality TV industry."
while reality production companies like ITV Studios are profitable and expanding (ITV recently acquired New York production company Leftfield for $360 million), the writers and producers who create their shows continue to struggle.
NYC Council Probes ‘Sweatshop Conditions’ for Freelance Reality TV Workers
NPA’s formation comes after the latest round of mergers, acquisitions and consolidation that has seen broadcast companies such as ITV and Discovery as well as major superindies snapping up myriad production companies
In its first statement, the NPA offered the following regarding its formation: “Nonfiction content is a significant part of the programming landscape and, thus, warrants an Association dedicated to the advancement and protection of all those whose talents, hard work and commitment literally created the industry.
Unscripted prodcos form Nonfiction Producers Association
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