Tag: Culture

Accepting Myth as Reality

I just watched Chris Hedges give a talk concerning his new book, The Death of the Liberal Class. And I know I say this much too often to remain relevant anymore, but if you’ve ever taken my advice and actually visited any of the websites I’ve cited here in the past, I assure you this is not the time to start ignoring me. Everyone must witness what was said for themselves.

In short;

We can’t talk about hope until we’ve grasped reality…

Keep in mind, I saw these series of video’s after reading Yves Engler’s piece UN vote reveals what world thinks of Canadian foreign policy this week.

We all, Canadian’s most definitely included, need to swiftly remove our heads, as abruptly as possible, from our collective hind parts and stop accepting myth (a.k.a. illusion) as reality…

Ridiculously Loved and Sorely Missed

A photograph of Freddy

I’ve been thinking about this post for near about a week. And I’ve been trying to write it for, what must be, a few of days, now. The more I think and write about how I feel, the more forced and insincere, I think, it seems. So I’m just going to write and hope I get down all I want to say…

My dearest friend, Freddy, passed away last Thursday morning, June 11th, 2009. Just as quickly as he came into my life, he was gone…

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5 Reasons For Covering Your Face

Last week I, as a “Friend of AK Press,” received a DVD, titled “Shutdown: The Rise and Fall of Direct Action to Stop the War;”

“On March 20, 2003—the day after the war started—San Francisco was brought to a grinding halt by thousands of activists who occupied the streets to oppose the war. It was a mass uprising that forced the police to declare the financial district “shut down.” The planning and outreach coordinated by Direct Action to Stop the War (DASW), filled downtown San Francisco with approximately 15,000 people clogging traffic, stopping business as usual, communicating with passersby, and creating a pandemonium that lasted for several days. But neither DASW nor the mass resistance outlasted Iraq’s occupation. […] Created by organizers involved with DASW, Shutdown combines detailed information on organizing for a mass action, critical interviews on organizing pitfalls, and the wisdom of hindsight. It is a must-see film for those engaged in the continuous struggle toward social justice.”

A thought provoking piece. What has any protest really changed? A very interesting question. One for which I haven’t a quick answer. But I’m convinced the more relevant question is what has any protest prevented?

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Je M’Appelle Jean

So I was stewing away in my own broth, not an hour ago, when I got to thinking. Why do movies released on DVD, manufactured here in Canada, dawn the film’s name in both English and French? I’ve never really understood that.

Yes I, of all people, am aware of what it’s like to be excluded. Not matter how unintentional or deliberate it might seem or is. But, better still, I fully appreciate providing both versions of the title is the law of an officially bilingual land. 

But isn’t something as recognizable as a film’s title, on many more levels than how it’s written, its “brand?”

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