A German intellectual

tries to re-invent history and attacks Israel with a bad poem.

Israel-Iran History, Holocaust Perverted in Grass’s Poem

I read Grass' A Tin Drum many years ago. I now fear that the years haven't been kind to him. Mind you, that was before the world found out about his sympathies during the 2nd World War...

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I have had

lots of experience using C.E. and B.C.E. in the research work I used to do, and really, I'm not sure why there's such a flap.

Christians Outraged After BBC Bans Network Mentions of Christ-Centric Timestamps

Does anyone really believe that people were honouring God in some way when they used the B.C. or A.D. convention? Or that they've decided to dishonour God and Christ by changing its use? I guess they do. I didn't even think that it was used so much any more, other than in science and history. Anyway, I've come to expect almost anything from the hoi polloi, so I'm not surprised...

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'The Believer' discusses

Doubling in the Middle

Fascinating stuff, really...

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Who owns what?

A Cloud over Ownership  

"Online services set content free from the physical world's constraints—including those that have defined the very idea of possession."

But, ultimately, where does it end? If businesses are allowed to claim ownership over genetic material (they have, successfully) they ultimately everything will belong to some facet of capitalism anyway...

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See?

Here they go again:

Stanley Cup riot report says police late to react

If you read the report you'll find that most of it talks about the great job the police did and how they followed most of the recommendations from the previous report. There were some criticisms, of course. In a situation like this there would have to be, but overall it determined that they did a great job.

What does the CBC choose to use as a headline?

I used to have the utmost respect for the CBC as a news source, but I think that competing with the CNN and Foxes of the world has changed the way they report. They're still the best for entertainment and so on, but news? Read carefully and carry a grain of salt...

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Holod the presses!

Canada's economy shrinks for 1st time in 2 years: GDP declined by annualized 0.4% in 2nd quarter

You know, I hate being cynical, particularly about the CBC whose work I generally enjoy, but this headline is a weird attempt to grab notice, in my mind. 'for 1st time in 2 years'? Isn't change that gets a headline like that measured in greater numbers? Somehow the '1st time in 2 years' doesn't mean a lot...

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So much for paying any attention

to anything Christie Blatchford writes again.

Layton’s death reveals the good, the bad and the ugly online

Jack Layton wasn't a saint, but he tried publicly to do a lot more for Canada than Christie Blatchford has, and now to have it suggested that she's just whoring for web traffic, well, obviously she's fitting in with the new face of web journalism - web hits, not content. Jack Layton is getting a 15-gun salute, and the Dominion Carillonneur will be playing O Canada on the Tower bells, when his casket is taken from the House of Commons. I think a modicum of respect is owed toward a person who the country feels this strongly about, and media sniping and trashing should just take a rest for a moment.

So long, Ms. Blatchford.

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'Wishful Shrinking'

Carrie Fisher's weight loss is no joke

I'm including this only because I loved her book 'Wishful Drinking', after having recommended by Ron Rolheiser. She is a very gifted humourist and writer (as is Ron Rolheiser).

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A list of articles

that The Village Voice has run about Scientology lately...

Scientology Freakout: Commenters of the Week!

They seem to be doing quite the job of keeping things in the public eye. Good on them!
 
For more information on Scientology, visit:
The Secrets of Scientology
and www.xenu.net
 

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A step forward

Pope May Launch Internet News Portal Next Week

No longer will it take decades for news to travel by horseback and sailing ships to the remote monasteries of the isolated Irish coast...

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As usual,

the media distorts the news in order to get their soundbite...

John Jay investigator criticizes bad reporting about abuse report

"Aw, c'mom, we need to get the news item in in under 140 characters! How do you expect us to report otherwise?"

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For those who are interested

(and you know who you are...)

On this date in 1967, the first issue of

Computerworld

hit the shelves. Think about it - 1967! That's a few centuries ago in computer terms. And to think I only got involved in computers around 1980 or so. Amazing!

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It's immediate

Violence and Memory

"We glimpse mediated justice in the act of happening."

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And you wonder why the news sounds the way it does?

"The one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were." - David Brinkley

And they make no news into news...

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So it's not all just luck...

...but I certainly don't have the math to figure it out.

Cracking the Scratch Lottery Code

Even if I did, I don't think I would...

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A list of reasons...

Following this news article, comes

THIS

editorial piece. Read them in order. Then sit back and chuckle.

(I blogged about the 'Touchdown Jesus' a long time ago...)

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An interesting article

that doesn't dwell much on specifics, and looks more at the Rapture and the Tiger in equal measure.

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright: The end of the world and Tiger Woods.

Interesting...

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Mind you,

I don't know where they got their information from, and wonder what they base these ideas on.

Your Favorite Color: What It Says About You

The real problem comes in when people like more than one colour, like plaid, for instance...

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Not necessarily

mine or yours specifically...

Why your boss is incompetent

They mean in general, sort of, I think...

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I'm reading

'The Bishop's Man' right now...

Giller winner wrote out of desire to dig deeper

He's a very skilled and engaging writer with a terrific novel!

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