Too busy to blog....but not too busy to steal....

The Orangeburg Massacre

Sen. Barack Obama is clearly a bad bowler. The networks rolled the video clip of his gutter ball endlessly across our TV screens. It was an Internet favorite. The media served it, and the public ate it up. MSNBC's Chris Matthews, the host of Hardball, hammed it up when interviewing Obama on the campus of West Chester University in Pennsylvania:

Matthews: One of the perks, senator, of being president of the United States is that you have your own bowling alley. Are you ready to bowl from day one?

Obama: Obviously, I am not.

But in fact, it was not too long ago when African-Americans were not allowed in some bowling alleys. In Orangeburg, S.C., three young African-American men were killed for protesting against that town’s segregated bowling alley.

It was Feb. 8, 1968, months before the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. It was more than two years before the massacre of students at Kent State University in Ohio. Students at South Carolina State University were protesting for access to the town's only bowling alley.

Cleveland Sellers, a student at the time at that historically black college, was also a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and an organizer of the protests. In a recent interview, he said about that night 40 years ago:

"It was a cold night ... this was the fourth day of activities around the effort to desegregate the bowling alley. ... The students had built a bonfire to keep themselves warm and build morale. They were trying to work out some strategy. What should they do next? Should they go back to the bowling alley, where they had been arrested on Tuesday night? Should they go to the City Hall? Should they go to the state Capitol? And they thought that they were in an area that was pretty safe and secure, and they never expected the police to open fire."

Sellers is now director of the African-American studies program at the University of South Carolina. His memory is vivid: "The darkness turned to light as the police opened fire, nine highway patrolmen and one local police officer firing rifles and shotguns and pistols. It was a shock to many of the students that there was no bullhorns, no whistles, no anything that indicated that this kind of extremely lethal action would be taken on these students."

Survivor Robert Lee Davis recalled the event in an oral history project conducted by Jack Bass, who was a reporter at the time and now is a professor at the College of Charleston: "It was a barrage of shots ... maybe six or seven seconds. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom! Students was hollering, yelling and running. ... I got up to run, and I took one step, and that's all I could remember. I took that one step. I got hit in the back ... this was when I got paralyzed. Students was trampling over me, because they was afraid."

Sellers put the largely unreported and forgotten Orangeburg Massacre in context: "It's ironic that here we are 40 years later, and the issue of poverty and the issue of war are still issues that are pertinent all around America again. And I think that it just says that in 1968, with the assassination of Dr. King and with the decline in the civil rights movement during that period, that a number of issues were left unachieved."

There have been advances in the 40 years since the Orangeburg Massacre. Now, rather than protesting for access to a bowling alley, an African-American man is a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, his bowling flubs merely the object of ridicule. But the three young African-American men murdered that night in Orangeburg — Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton and Henry Smith — are not with us to share in the progress. They are hardly remembered at all.

The media this week recognize the one-year anniversary of the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, in which a lone, disturbed gunman killed 30 students and faculty members. It is an important date on which to reflect.

The Orangeburg Massacre deserves a place in our national consciousness as well. We need media that provide historical context, that offer more than a one-year perspective on our society. Instead, the mainstream media keep throwing gutter balls.

By Amy Goodman - the host of Democracy Now!, a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on 650 stations in North America. article stolen from rabble.ca

My Lack of Blogging, American Idol, and Ultragrrrl...

Well, I haven't been writing too much lately, and totally dropped the ball on this one, but I just noticed that Ultragrrrl recently blogged about my latest favourite American Idol contestant. Oh my god, I can't believe I just admitted to watching American Idol - but it's the first time since season one, I swear. Anyhow, my favourite contestant right now is Jason Castro (you just have to hear this guy TALK and you will love him), and as usual, ultragrrrl sums up exactly why:

Jason Castro is unlike any boy i have ever loved. His hair hasnt been washed in ages, but not in the same way that boys i typically like dont wash their hair -- which is just let that shit get so greasy that it's gonna get processed and turned into a fossil fuel. He's got those dumb dreadlocks. They're so fucking horrible... BUT OH MY GOD, DO I LOVE HIM.

....then goes on to say:

Watching his performance, i swear there were heart shapes flying from my eyes straight to the tv. i want to lay on some grass field with him as he hands me little flowers. I want to trade in my black clothes and wear nothing but flowery bullshit and get rid of my JPG perfume and buy a ton of patchoulie oil.

I want to go back to college and get a bachelor's degree just so I can meet someone like Jason Castro and hang out in his dorm room as he plays me his shitty music and make me listen to his Seal covers.

etc. etc.

As for the other contestants, I love the blonde girl Brooke as well, as well as the Australian guy, and cute David Archuletta.

Alan McGee Blogs About Metric

For some reason I had forgotten about Alan McGee who I wrote about here last April. I just got around to catching up on his blog earlier today. Back in January he wrote a great article about the Canadian band Metric and I was reminded that not only do I love Metric, but also Alan McGee, who is always so enthusiastic about the bands he loves, and who always has such great taste in music. He predicts that 2008 will be Metric's year. In other music news, there are some really great shows coming up in Toronto this spring, in addition to the Verve and Thunderheist, who I blogged about yesterday. Tokyo Police Club are finally playing a normal show here at the Opera House in early May. Their last show was at the open air Nathan Phillips Square on a frigid late-January night. I would have gone, but I was moving. Another band I might be interested in checking out is the Kills, who are at the Opera House on May 6.

The Verve Reunion Show in Toronto May 1st

One of my 1990's cult heroes, Richard Ashcroft, and his band the Verve have reunited and will be playing a show in Toronto this May. The Verve were responsible for the amazing 1997 album Urban Hymns, one of my favourite albums ever, and broke up prematurely due to conflicts between Ashcroft and other band members. After their breakup Ashcroft recorded Alone with Everybody in 2000, another fantastic album. The Verve will be playing at the Ricoh Colliseum in Toronto on May 1st and I am really going to try to make it to that show.

In other concert going news, I just bought tickets to see a new local band called Thunderheist. I was actually eavesdropping on the girl singer from the band on my way home one night, checked out her band on myspace, and really liked them. They are playing Lee's Palace on April 11.

Another Fire on Queen Street West!!!

A six alarm fire tore through several buildings at Queen and Bathurst early yesterday morning. Most notably missing from the streetscape are Duke's Cycle shop (they had been at that location for over ninety years) and Suspect Video (I can only imagine how many rare movies have been lost). I haven't yet walked or streetcar-ed past the scene since the street has been closed to traffic for the past two days, and it's just too freaken cold to walk too much in this god awful weather! Thanks to blogTO for the picture above!

Some more anti-Conservative ranting....

Interesting Heather Mallick article on rabble this week about the anniversary of the Morgentaler decision. Here are a couple of paragraphs that stood out in my mind, highlighting the usual insidious way in which Conservative MPs try to impose their narrow morality on Canadians (see also their rejection of anti-handgun laws proposed after recent shootings in Toronto):

If you ever yearn for the mucky sensation of sticky fingers crawling down your spine, go to Hansard and read MPs discussing Alberta Tory Ken Epp’s proposed Unborn Victims of Crime Act, due for a House vote in March. The private member's (what an appropriate name) bill means murderers should get a lower prison sentence for killing a regular woman than for killing a pregnant woman. Read them say how nice it is when a pregnant lady lets you feel her belly: "I think we've all experienced that," Epp says.
They call the extra murder "fetal homicide" and it's a cowardly way of introducing the concept that fetuses are people. By extension, there would then exist an elaborate grading system for the value of women's bodies, fetus-containing women being the most valued, old women the least.
This kind of thing is subterranean in Canada but very public in the United States. It's odd because the re-criminalization of abortion seems as retrograde as steam-driven typewriters. In a world where we now debate robotic surgery and human cloning, the war against abortion, and not even RU-486 abortion, uses ancient weapons.
Nevertheless, this week you'll be hearing a lot from the Orwellian Anti-Sex League (Senior Division) about sluttish teenage girls and evil abortion clinics and how disgusting people are who don't follow their pinched hateful rules about sex before marriage or during marriage or ever.

I am Pro-Choice, as most people who know me know, but even Pro-Life women should be opposed to such legislation.

Academy Awards/Sundance Film Festival

The nominations for the Academy Awards were announced this morning, and it looks like a big year for Canadian films, and particularly women in Canadian films. Sarah Polley was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay award for her film Away from Her, a film in which she also directed Best Actress nominee Julie Christie. The adorable Ellen Page who recently starred in Bruce McDonald's The Tracey Fragments, was nominated as Best Actress for her role in Canadian born director Jason Reitman's film Juno. And finally, Viggo Mortensen was nominated for his role in Canadian director David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises.

Meanwhile, a new documentary called Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this week. This film looks into the conviction of Roman Polanski over thirty years ago for having sex with a minor. After his conviction, Polanski fled back to Europe where he has remained since. I remember reading an interesting story about this case in Vanity Fair several years ago, and this documentary also sounds really good.

Quick Post to Say that I am Still Alive!

Wow, it's been almost a month since my last post! Sorry about that - first of all, work has been very busy, second of all, the holidays were busy, and finally, after over five years in the same place, my roommate and I are moving. Ok, so we're only moving about four blocks, but still, it's a big deal!

I will write more soon! Happy New Year to everyone!!

More Karlheinz Schreiber/Brian Mulroney

Sorry, this is all I can write about these days but Rick Salutin has a good analysis of Brian Mulroney's testimony the other day which I will copy and paste here, rather than paraphrase poorly.

Aren't I adorable?

by Rick Salutin

I was skeptical about treating those huge cash payments by Karlheinz Schreiber to Brian Mulroney as the core of their fiasco. Too superficial. I wanted more range: how the Dump Joe Clark movement was financed by right-wing money from Germany; how a nexus of greed and policy operated in the Mulroney years. But after hearing the official Mulroney explanation yesterday, I'm into it. Let's talk about that cash.

What's his explanation for taking those payments? “I made a serious error in judgment ... I apologize and I accept full responsibility for it.” That isn't an explanation, it's a chastened restatement of the facts: I took cash and wish I hadn't.

But what was the error in judgment? An error isn't a random event that just happens; there's a thought process. Taking an envelope stuffed with thousand-dollar bills isn't like slipping on a banana peel. Oops. You're thinking something. What was the judgment that erred? Then you did it again. And again. What were you thinking, what did you judge? And the judgments that followed. Not putting it in the bank. Not giving a receipt. Not telling your law firm. Not declaring it on your taxes. Based on thinking ...?

As an explanation, it says way less than it claims to. He called it embarrassing to admit, but we didn't feel it was really embarrassing or he was really embarrassed because all he said was, I made a mistake and I'm a big boy and admit it. You're supposed to get credit for that in this society, all the PR geniuses will tell you it works.

Give us something that is embarrassing, like: I judged I could fool you and keep the money tax-free, but I got found out. (Just an example, class.) That would be embarrassing and take guts to admit. Saying it was a mistake, outs nothing. We got no explanation at all — only an admission of what we knew, and an expectation of applause.

Because there's been no real explanation, everything that follows from it doesn't seem to follow, it sounds shifty and inadequate. Why did he pay taxes on what he says were expenses? Why didn't he keep the records he says he made? Why won't he reveal his tax returns? Why didn't he go to the police when he got a “blackmail and extortion” note from Karlheinz. He says that's how Karlheinz works, he threatened to sue the CBC. Huh? Threatening to sue media institutions isn't illegal. Brian Mulroney definitely knows that. The more he gets into details, the more it sounds like an edifice constructed afterward to explain a set of things, not a real-time account of them.

In place of specifics, we get what journalists used to call the Mulroney blarney, which might clinically be viewed as narcissism and grandiosity. Self-pity. “I struggled to understand this unfolding catastrophe.” Self-dramatization. “Here we are again ... 10 years later.” As if “we” are all on call as backdrop for his life. Self-importance. Boris Yeltsin said to me, “Brian ...”

Sitting back, not answering a question, because he assumes the committee chair will rule it out of order, as if the whole hearing is happening inside his head. Narrating and storytelling: “I ask you to take a minute and ask you to consider how you and your families would feel ...” Doing voices, pauses, colour commentary and rhetorical questions (“Where did they get the information? They got it from her.”) as he reads from letters and articles. And spending way more time recounting and explaining Karlheinz Schreiber's behaviour than his own, which is reduced to a “mistake.”

Karlheinz Schreiber seems like a liar. He doesn't admit it but implies it tacitly in all he says about what he does. When you ask if he lies, he smiles and says, No. That's useful. You know where he stands. It doesn't mean he never tells the truth, but you're forewarned, you must examine it. Brian Mulroney swears that “every allegation” against him is “completely false.” That he tells the truth and nothing but. You decide who's more believable.

There is also a good Linda McQuaig article about the whole affair at rabble where she makes the point that I think has been missing from most analysis: that Mulroney's behaviour is being held to a lower standard because of his "elite" status. We are expected to allow him to act poorly/dishonestly/illegally because of his "lifestyle expectations". It is complete insanity.

Saturday Night Risk Game

I don't know what makes me cooler, the fact that I spent roughly ten hours on Saturday night playing an unfinished game of Risk, or that I am publishing pictures of it now. Anyways, here you go!

matti and eric

tyler and eric

the game when we finally gave up at 5am

Happy Birthday to the Horseshoe Tavern!

This month marks the 60th anniversary of Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern, the "legendary" Queen Street West live music venue and bar. Oddly enough, the Horseshoe didn't really play a huge part in my band-obsessed/debauched teen years, or twenties, or even the recent past. Erin and I have spent many afternoons drinking cheap beer there over the years (checking out the cute boys coming in for soundcheck), and of course I have seen many bands there, but the venue didn't have the impact on me that say the Bovine, the Reverb, the Elmo, or even Club Shanghai (!) did during the 90s. My perception was that the Horseshoe had an elitist booking policy, and they seemed to be booking endless Halifax/American bands throughout the 90s and not really paying attention to the Toronto scene. I may also have held a grudge against them for their strict door policy while I was underage.

This afternoon on cbc radio, someone was talking about the Last Pogo, a 1978 concert that marked the end of the punk era for the Horseshoe. I found a little Toronto Star article written at the time by Viletones frontman Steven Leckie about the event - sorry, if you can't read this try clicking on it:

Sounds about right. And while I'm reminiscing, I'll tell a nice Steven Leckie story. Back in about 1996 (?? Erin, dates?) Steven had resurrected the Viletones, and was also collaborating and playing shows with my boyfriend of the time and his band The Millionaires. Because of this brief friendship, we were hanging around with him quite a bit for a few months there. Around the same time, the Millionaires needed to rent-to-own some equipment from Long & McQuade, and since I was the only one with a valid credit card, I was asked to arrange the financing. The only problem was that I had to provide some personal references on my application and everyone we knew in those days owed Long & McQuade money. I ended up using Steven as my reference. When John Long came downstairs to scrutinize me (anyone who has rented equipment at Long and McQuade will know what I mean) he looked at my application and started laughing. He told me that while he was growing up in Toronto in the 70s, Steven used to defend him against the local bullies, and he always had a great deal of respect for him because of that. I always thought that was a good memory of someone who was alternately known as Nazi Dog in those days. There are some good pictures of Steven and the Viletones from their website here.

Brian Mulroney, Karlheinz Schreiber, and another Government Scandal

As Rick Salutin put it in his Globe and Mail column this past Friday, "Brian Mulroney aggravates us still". About five years ago I picked up the Stevie Cameron book The Last Amigo. Never a fan of Mulroney, or the Conservative Party in general, I was interested in learning more about the relationship between Mulroney and German businessman Karlheinz Schreiber, a relationship that I presumed was rife with corruption. I found the book a really difficult read - following Schreiber's business dealings was tedious, with endless corporations, business relationships, and bank accounts.

In a nutshell, Schreiber acted as a middleman in arranging major league business deals, including deals between the Canadian government and various European industrial companies, such as arms and aircraft manufacturers. In 1995 Brian Mulroney was implicated by the RCMP and the Department of Justice for wrongdoing related to one such business deal where "commissions" were paid to broker a deal between Air Canada and Airbus Industrie. Air Canada ultimately purchased $1.8 billion dollars worth of aircraft from Airbus. As you might recall, at that time Mulroney denied a relationship with Schreiber (barring a few cups of coffee here and there) and eventually settled a defamation suit with the Canadian government for over $2 million dollars. What has brought this controversy to public attention again is that it has come to light that Mulroney accepted $300,000 in payments from Schreiber shortly after leaving the Prime Minister's Office.

What I remember most about the Stevie Cameron book was the fact that Elmer Mackay, Brian Mulroney's Minister of Public Works during the 1980s and father of current Defense Minister Peter Mackay, was a close personal friend of Schreiber. Schreiber stayed at Mackay's house in Nova Scotia when he fled Europe after charges of tax evasion were brought against him there. When Schreiber was arrested in Toronto in 1999, Mackay helped him secure bail money.

I was interested in finding out if Peter Mackay (someone for whom Mulroney has been described as a mentor) had any dealings with Schreiber. A quick google search revealed that the young Mackay had worked in Germany as an office assistant for Thyssen Industries for a short period in 1992-93. Thyssen Industries is a German company that wanted to establish an arms plant in Nova Scotia, and Schreiber was being paid by Thyssen to help convince the Canadian government of the benefits of such a plan. The $300,000 in cash paid to Mulroney by Schreiber came from Thyssen, presumably as part of these lobbying efforts.

Of course Mackay is trying to distance himself from this now, claiming that he barely knew Schreiber, but it does seem a little...funny??? I'm not sure if that's the right word. At the very least, I find it funny (amusing funny) that our Defence Minister worked for a company who was lobbying his father to build an arms manufacturing plant in his home province (as Diane Francis put it in her National Post column "it was a tank factory, by the way, that the Americans would not allow to be built in their country because of arms embargos") I think it says a lot.

Anyways, I guess I could go on and on about this, or maybe I already have, but I think the outcome of the government inquiry into this scandal will be interesting. At least I hope will be interesting, and not just another bunch of lies.

Hallowe'en Part Two

Here is the second group of Hallowe'en pictures at this link

Jackie and JFK

Tyler and I went out on the town as post-gunshot JFK and Jackie. We started at the Beaver, then the Drake for the Omy Hallowe'en party, and then over to boystown for some more partying. It was a great time and fun to see so many people dressed up and lots of really elaborate costumes, especially at the Drake! Unfortunately it rained, so the crowds on Church Street had sort of dispersed by the time we got there, but we still managed to meet some new people and have a good time.

Hallowe'en Part One

Here are a couple of pictures from Saturday night's Hallowe'en preparations. The whole album is at this link...

shawna as little miss muffet corpse

chris as dr. frank-n-furter

tyler as malevolent harlequin

Tokyo Police Club - God Bless 'Em!

I have been listening to Tokyo Police Club a lot lately and I am loving them. Who would have thought four boys from Newmarket, Ontario could make such a good album? Like many great Canadian bands, Tokyo Police Club are signed to Paper Bag Records. Unfortunately, I think they have become too big to play at a venue where I would like to see them. Their last show here in Toronto was at the Virgin Festival in September. They are back on tour at the moment, and were mentioned on LA gossip site Defamer this week. Here is their most promo-ish picture:

And that's all I got today - very busy at work.

Million Zombie March

Yesterday was the Annual Zombie March that started out across the street from my place in Trinity Bellwoods Park. The event began with the zombies assembling in the pit of the park where they gave out prizes for best costume, best groan, best zombie walk, and scariest zombie. Unfortunately, the roommate and I found out about this event a little too late, so we didn't get a chance to dress up, and just went as spectators. The zombies began marching east from the park on Queen, then north on Markham up to Bloor Street. The funniest part was when one of the police officers there said "it's like a Star Trek Convention"!!! More full-sized pictures here: my kodak gallery zombie pictures

the Zombies assemble in the pit at Bellwoods Park

girl zombies

more zombies

scariest zombie winner with brain on plate

Project Runway Canada

I have been watching Project Runway Canada with various gay boys (who else?) for the past two weeks, and it is remarkably good. Iman is the ridiculously good looking host, and some guy named Brian (who looks like a 1970s movie cop) is the "fashion mentor".


The designers are very good. Most of them have professional design backgrounds and all have managed to really shine during the rather lame challenges. This week they had to make cocktail dresses out of umbrellas. One of the clear frontrunners is Lucian Matis, the uber-hot Transylvanian. He appears in the "My Apartment" section of eye weekly this week. A quick google search has revealed that he is turning into a bit of a local celebrity. This show is on "Slice Network" Mondays at 10pm.

Election Day...

Today is election day in Ontario. I will be voting for Rosario Marchese, the NDP candidate in my riding, who I think will win easily. I will also be voting in favour of MMP.

I was in Sudbury over the weekend for Thanksgiving and had a good time eating, shopping at Costco (giant household products!), Value Village (new fun fur bomber jacket - $20) and Walmart (miscellanious junk), and driving around lots. I tried to get some nice autumn pictures on the drive home but it was kind of difficult in a car moving at 120 kilometres an hour. This is the best one:

I finally got a new camera but I'm still learning how to use it properly.

Here is the newest love of my life: The Sarah Silverman Program

Tyler and I just watched Season One on dvd and it is hilarious. It's really dorky, crude, politically incorrect, low brow humour in a bizarre sitcom format.

I have also been keeping up with the fall tv schedule and watching Survivor (still!), America's Next Top Model, and...wait for it....Gossip Girl!!! The day after the series premier of Gossip Girl, my favourite professional computer geek and sometimes Globe and Mail Style Section commentator Jamie texted me asking "does thinking the show 'gossipgirl' is the coolest show in a decade, make me gay?" I said "yes, very, homo" and then went home and watched episode one, and have been hooked ever since. It's really no surprise considering my love of the teenage soap opera format, but this one is especially good with especially hot boy characters and especially bitchy and well-dressed girls. As Jamie said, it's like Cruel Intentions - the series.

Finally, in an attempt to save money and drink less booze, Tyler and I have taken up World of Warcraft again, and we have recruited Tyler's friend Matti to be on our team. Yes, we are all complete losers!

Vote Out Poverty

Earlier this week I attended an event called Vote Out Poverty at Massey Hall. From what I understand, Vote Out Poverty is a local initiative, but loosely connected to Make Poverty History - you have probably seen their ads with Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, and other celebrities. The event was described as "An evening of culture and politics to raise awareness of the need for a Poverty Reduction Strategy in Ontario" and featured a keynote speech by Stephen Lewis. Stephen Lewis was the leader of the Provincial NDP in the 1970s and is now the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. His speech was really interesting with topics ranging from a discussion of Canada's role in poverty reduction worldwide, and how badly we are failing in our international commitments, to local poverty issues in Toronto and Ontario. Mary Walsh from This Hour has 22 Minutes was the host for the evening and there were bands including The Hidden Cameras, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and others, as well as politicians Howard Hampton, Ken Dryden, Jack Layton, another Liberal MPP and a Conservative MPP (or candidate, I missed who she was)

Food Blog - Are You Gonna Eat That?

Ok, we might chalk this up to intense hunger, but I just found the best food blog ever - called Are you gonna eat that? Seems to be written by a girl from Calgary, but she travels a lot, so there are lots of posts about Toronto and other Canadian cities. Her photographs are fabulous and so are her descriptions of her dining experiences. And based on her reviews, if anyone wants to drop $100 for a seven course tasting menu at Susar, I'm in.