December 2004

Help Asian disaster victims: donate to relief organizations

December 30, 2004

Just a reminder to think about donating to one of the relief organizations that can help individuals and communities in disaster affected regions of South Asia. CARE Canada: 1.800.267.5232 or www.care.ca or CARE Australia http://www.careaustralia.org.au/donate_now.asp Canadian Red Cross: 1-800-418-1111 or www.redcross.ca Oxfam Canada: 1-800-466-9326 (1-800-GO-OXFAM) or www.oxfam.ca World Vision Canada: 1-800-268-5528 or www.worldvision.ca UNICEF Canada: […]

Soapbox

Contrasting comfort with catastrophe

December 29, 2004

Just before Christmas Day I read a report about a huge earthquake on the ocean floor south of Tasmania, near Antartica. I was compelled by headlines exclaiming it was the biggest earthquake ever, where other reports called it the largest in years. It was 8.2 on the Richter Scale. Three days later the earthquake responsible […]

Media

Ouch! Reviewer gets nasty with Spacey

December 29, 2004

Kevin Spacey will not take any delight from this scathing review of his “Beyond the Sea” as described by the San Francisco Chronicle. The review excerpted: “Beyond the Sea” is jaw-droppingly awful, a misbegotten and ill-conceived vanity project, in which Spacey — as writer, director and star — takes an amazing showbiz story and kills […]

Media, Soapbox

Demise of community television sticks in my craw

December 24, 2004

For those who are not aware of the CRTC policy guidelines, the community television channel (in the case of Shaw Cable’s offering in the Lower Mainland, that is channel 4) is mandated by the Canadian government (CRTC), and paid for out of cable TV subscriber fees. I am unaware of the exact dollar figure that […]

Zeitgeist

China crowns first ‘Miss Plastic Surgery’

December 18, 2004

We’re just a couple of decades away from World’s Hottest Robot. China crowns first ‘Miss Plastic Surgery’.

Media

The End’s Alternative Declaration

December 17, 2004

In reference to the statement of principles that KNDD 107.7 The End produced, their so-called Alternative Declaration. Oddly, this cannot be found on their website now. 1077 THE End’s Alternative Declaration 1077 The End first came on the air in August 1991, dedicated to playing alternative music for Seattle, and providing something different on the […]

Media, Vancouver

Radio ratings in Vancouver reveal public frustration with mediocrity

December 17, 2004

The radio ratings matter to some people, especially old radio hacks and advertisers. I’m a big radio fan, but listen to very little local radio these days. The declining audience numbers indicate that I’m not the only person switching off. Rock music oriented radio in Vancouver is predictable and tired. Year by year it seems […]

Media

Frank Magazine R.I.P.

December 17, 2004

Frank Magazine was folded this week. I don’t have any great connection to Frank Magazine, which was published in Ontario, featured Upper Canadians in the main, and had a poor grasp of BC politics and life out here in general. However, they were one of Canada’s few native jesters in print, and they will be […]

Vancouver

What kind of time do you have for your community?

December 6, 2004

Tonight I’m doing my second night patrol of my neighbourhood within a week. I can use the exercise, but the streets around my home could also use the attention. There are a committed bunch around here. The people were perhaps the biggest attraction for me when we bought into Mountain View. As much as I […]