Kent of the North

Is this QUATCHI, SUMI, or MIGA

2009-07-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

There are advantages to being a reporter, that is for sure. Take yesterday for example. There was a press conference for the Olympic Games here in Iqaluit yesterday, featuring the perverse pleasure of every Furry's dream, the mascots for the 2010 Games.

So, I got to hang out with stuffed people..... beats clicking a time clock to be sure.

The other advantage, I brought The Boy, who loves all things Olympic. He had three of the mascot McDonalds glasses from the last Olympics, and we don't even have a McDonalds.

The final advantage... when another reporter sees your kid in action, they click a photo for you for later.... like this one. Thanks Inflatable Elvis, you're not dead, just retired.

They brought in some day camp kids for the event, but when they mascots came out, The Boy was the only child there.... so when they looked a little lost, he just offered a hug. He's a good Boy.

YES WE CAN

2009-07-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Try it yourself here.

BREAKING NEWS: Special Guest

2009-07-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

Joining us on the program tonight, the one and only Jim Bell, Editor of Nunatsiaq News.

The esteemed Editor is joining us on our program to discuss this, his editorial calling for Prime Minister to honour his commitment to elect Senators, and that he wants the PM to start with the Nunavut seat, recently vacated by Senator Willie Adams.

Should be interesting, at least to see one of my ink-stained colleagues face the bright lights of my job ;)

EDITED TO ADD: Technical opportunities prevent us from having this on tonight. We will try again tomorrow.

Blast Away

2009-07-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

I was reading over at Reflections (since that is the name of the biggest pink triangle bar in Halifax, in honour of Ferry Tales, I'm only going to call Megan's blog Reflections from now on, so that Ferry Tales knows that the straights love her too), and got moved on over to this interesting bit of blogishness:

The Man Who Hates The Inuvik Drum Like It Was The Devil

It is a fun read, maybe not for you, but for me to be sure. See, I used to work for the parent corp of the Inuvik Drum, and Mr Halifax tends to call these people out by name (he follows this blog, so I'll call him Mister ;)). It is inside baseball, but I'm on the inside. When he names a name, I usually have an idea who he is talking about

There is a blog on PEI that is taking the same sort of tactic with the local media, the now infamous NJN Network. There are huge differences, like:

-- Mr Halifax doesn't seem to fear women. NJN continues to trash the work of a local journalist based on her red raincoat and high heels. As I have said before, if I run into NJN Network on vacation, I'll go put on my red raincoat and high heels, to make a point.

-- Mr Halifax doesn't seem to have been threatened by the local paper. NJN has been threatened with legal action from The Guardian.

-- Mr Halifax comes up with meaner fake names for the reporters involved.

-- Mr Halifax manages to get responses from thin-skinned editorial types, while NJN Network gets letters from lawyers. Maybe it is a NWT vs PEI type of thing?

Mr Halifax is not NJN Network. Mr Halifax is mean, but not really offensive or particularly deluded. I link to Halifax, I don't link to NJN (in my sidebar at least).

Aside from pointing and shouting "Hey, over there, look at those awesome car wrecks", there is a point here, the rise of the semi-pro media critic. I bet there is one for every paper in Canada at this point. I could even point to a certain employer rating site that has some pretty one sided comments about my employer.

Journalists are like any other profession, we get the good and the bad and the indifferent. I watch Howard Kurtz every Sunday. If you are writing a media criticism blog and don't know who Howard is, you need a new hobby.

These blogs are at least as legitimate as a letter to the editor, and have the advantage of not having the comments put through a filter.

However; when you are reading them, be sure to give them the weight you would to a letter to the editor. Consider the source, consider the point of view, ignore the inflammatory language, and take it for what is worth, the opinion of a single individual, as noble and flawed as the rest of us.

For the semi-pro media critics, I only have one bit of advice. Drop the fake names for yourselves, the papers and the reporters. If you want to trash someone, at least make it clear. The cute pseudonyms are tiring.

As for my former colleagues at NNSL, I have some simple advice.

HARDEN THE FUCK UP.

There is no need to respond to these blogs, and thinly veiled attacks from proxies aren't worth the hassle. Do what the Guardian did, ignore it until it is libel. Then get a lawyer.

Really, go to NJNNetwork, look under the PEI section, and click the link that says The Guardian. If Mr Halifax is getting under your collective skins this badly, imagine what it would be like with a determined soapboxer like that on your ass.

I'll keep reading, but then again, I like the sound of sirens ;0

You know what I miss

2009-06-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

caribou fajitas at the Kamotiq. RIP Kamotiq.

Follow-up

2009-06-18T06:56:00.001-07:00

The well connected PEI businessman who I accused of using "slave labour" to get the lowest bid for food at the BIG ASS COUNTRY ROCK OUT THAT HAPPENS AT THE SAME TIME AS A FORMER BEATLE IN HALIFAX (I bet that wouldn't fit on the poster) has "clarified" his position.

This here blog thing is always ready to provide another point of view, provided I don't disagree with it ;) Here is what he had to say in the local paper:

Everyone serving food are paid employees, our staff,” he said. “That’s always been the case. We always pay our staff. That’s been the case for 28 years.”
Murphy said the volunteer work being done is associated with Oak Acres Children’s Foundation, the charity selected to be the recipient of the profits brought in through sales at the beverage tent.
The Oak Acres camp near Murray River is a registered charity which operates six camping sessions per summer for children who are selected to attend by the province’s guidance counsellors.
Approximately 480 children are able to enjoy the camp each year at no cost.
Murphy added that all the volunteers recruited will be working in the beverage tent on behalf of the charity.
“That’s the only volunteer element with the festival,” Murphy said. “That message didn’t get out for some reason.”

The entire story is here.

Misinterpreted the ad.... funny, when David Letterman had a joke "misinterpreted" last week, he pointed out that is his responsability, you should be able to know what it means when you hear it. Same thing goes with an ad.

Here is what the paper said:

When the ad appeared in The Guardian, it made no mention of the charity nor explained the reasons behind the request for volunteers. The ad resulted in a number of critical comments, including the P.E.I. Federation of Labour which questioned using free labour for a private business.

The businessman in question has a long history of supporting charitable causes. I actually do believe him when he says that was his intent all along. HIs employee saying on local CBC that

"We're in business to make money," Wright told CBC News. "We put our best foot forward to try and get this contract."

"We're providing food for the bands and the acts, so … they may get to rub elbows with Reba McEntire or some of the other acts."

makes me wonder if I am being too generous, but, I have learned doing this job over time that often, things aren't as evil as you may think. Many alleged cover-ups and the like are the fabrication of active imaginations. I just don't know in this case. I do know that the guy has donated a shitload of cash to charities over time. That buys you a little slack, as previously explained in this here blog as the Chris Bosh rule.
The entire damn thing is still crooked, but the "slave labour" is not what I thought.

However, for his spokespeople to say that people volunteering in the booze tent have a chance to meet a celebrity is complete bullshit. Yeah, Reba hangs out in the beer tent.... sure.....

Links, and why they are here

2009-06-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

I have removed the "tags" section from the sidebar because it was going on for too long and I rarely use the same tag twice, making it huge. Plus, there is a trick going on here.

I watched a documentary about Google, and learned that one of the major factors in Google's secret formula for ranking websites is links. The more links you have out there to your stuff, the higher it is ranked on Google.

So, linking to a site is just like voting for it.

That is why the links section of this blog is getting so damn long, there are lots of things I would love to vote for. Here is a selection of the few things I have linked to in the past week or so:

24b/6: One bored Australian with a cutting sense of humour and a desire to turn mundane things into his own personal attack on the world.

Crying While Eating: Just what it bills, people crying while eating, and explaining what they are crying about and what they are eating.

Encyclopedia Dramatica: These guys a razor sharp and vicious, so I'll use their own description, out of fear "The mission of the Encyclopedia Dramatica is to "spread the lulz". In other words, we exist to provide a place to catalog episodes of parody, humor and satire located on the internet, along with all associated language, individuals and media."

One Post Wonder:: Blogs that only lasted one post.

If you blog, and find something you think is deserving of recognition, for goodness sake, LINK to it. It is a vote on Google, and you can actively support whatever you want to support. In my case, it is Jesus VS Nazis, maybe you like other stuff..... just support what you appreciate.

Is it a stage, a temporary stage, or a bunch of fences?

2009-06-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

From the CBC Charlottetown comments page:

"PEI is more currupt than Mexico and Quebec put together."

That bit of inspired prose is from the comments section of this story.... but that is more of the sequel, I'll work up to it.

Last year, the Alanis Morissette concert ended up with less attendance than hoped. That company received around $400,000 from the provincial government, according to various media reports. The company changed ownership just before the show.

[Brief aside: anyone who knows me away from this here blog knows I know the person who originally held the company. That person is smart enough to not talk to a reporter about his business, which works out nice for both of us. I don't work there, I don't need to know. This entire screed is based on information found in the public prints.].

The Tourism Minister had to defend the investment, which, according to what I saw and watched, did not go so well:

From "Tourism minister grilled on losses from show" [by Teresa Wright... by the way, if I ever meet NJN Network, I'll tell him to wait a minute so I can go home and put on MY red raincoat and heels, so I could tell him to step off nice and proper].

From that story, you can find out that the Minister changed course a few times, including not releasing the original business plan, and saying that her department never asked the Liberal connected company that took over to take over.

Previously, she said she would provide the plan, and said that they asked that company to take over.

Enter "The Chair of the Island’s Tourism Advisory Council". A quick look at Open Corporations -- before it was shut down -- shows that person's connections very clearly, including financial partnerships with the promoter who took over the Alanis show.

The Chair is the same Chair whose board recommended this Cavendish Country Hoe Down. The chair's restaurants are now asking people to work for them for free at the concert.

That festival will be well backed. I have no problem with the Chair putting in a bid, if you eliminated everyone with a chance of receiving financial benefit from planning processes, those would be some empty meetings.

Thing is, if their low bid includes slave labour, shouldn't that raise a red flag?

Now we get to the point of this entire post. That $900,000 isn't for a stage. It is for a temporary stage and to upgrade facilities around the concert area. $900,000 -- matched by the promoters -- for a temporary stage, for a concert that already received $200,000 from the province. The promoters said they didn't need the $200,000.

Just a few weeks ago, this stage was being called permanent by the Tourism Minister. Now it is temporary, and almost $1 million of taxpayer dollars are going into a stage on private property.

From the original story is this nugget "No taxpayer money will be handed over until organizers prove the work has been done."

My question, what constitutes the work being done. I would have to assume that it means that a permanent stage is there.... not a fence to make sure the promoters don't get ripped off.

I know that McIntyre and McGraw are a huge deal to some folks. I also know that AC/DC, Paul McCartney, Kiss and Bon Jovi are playing the Maritimes this summer.

The promoters are predicting "tens of thousands" of people to come to Cavendish for the concert. I hope they are right. I think they are wrong.

I'll end with some things to ponder:

-- What determines success in Cavendish? 10,000 people? Tens of Thousands? Or setting up private promoters -- approved by a committee chaired by someone connected with the party in power and who stands to benefit financially -- to repeat this idea year after year?

-- What determines the work being complete on the stage? Is it temporary or permanent? Will they still get their money for a temporary stage?

-- How is it that the Tourism Minister can change her stance to suit circumstances (at least three times in this blog post alone) and not be challenged on it?

-- The explanation from the DM over at Tourism for the Alanis investment was "Our position has been going into it, and the rationale around supporting an event like a fall music festival, was to shore up the fall season." This one doesn't support that goal. What is their goal with this investment?

-- Finally, I wonder what will be the response on PEI if the Big Country Show doesn't do as well as hoped? Can we expect the personal venom I witnessed as a result of the Alanis show? Will we see the Tourism Minister go before a committee and try to put forward another changed position? Higher stakes and more money should equal more public outrage if things don't go well. My sneaking suspicion is that since it is country music, Islanders will just shut up and take it, but we will have to see. What I do know is that the fervor that surrounded the Alanis concert, if multiplied by dollars spent, would be huge.

What I learned with my small experience putting on musical events is that it is too damn risky for me to risk my future on. The Minister may be learning that lesson for herself, on the people's dime.

What I have learned as a journalist is that this entire Cavendish Festival needs to be Accesed to Information until it bleeds paper. There is a much bigger story going on.

It reeks of patronage, half-assed planning, and outright lies. What it needs is a blinding light of public interest until the truth comes out, whatever that may be.

What I will be doing in September

2009-06-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

From The Cavern Club to the roof of the studio, with stops in Shea Stadium and the Ed Sullivan show.

And it looks like they have two mics for the Lennon/McCartney sing along stuff....

Kanye West Loves Fur

2009-06-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

I ripped this off from Perez, but it is too good not to share. YOu know Pink, the singer. She was at a fashion show with Kanye West, and posted this on her blog:

"Kanye West is the person pissing me off right now. I was at Stella McCartney's Paris fashion show with the vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Paul McCartney and Kanye West. The entire time Kanye is going, 'They need more fur in this show'. He just wouldn't shut up about how he loved fur. I mean, he's saying this to me, the PETA guy and Paul McCartney! I was just so grossed out by him. I'm like, 'You're an idiot!' There are so many people who I think are a waste of skin and he's up there. I should wear him. Go on, donate yourself Kanye. People can wear your fur."

I recall a full length seal skin overcoat from the GN collection that can only be described as pimpalicious. Kanye, I bet they would lend it to you....

Pushing fur at Paul McCartney..... they could make you an honourary Citizen of Nunavut Mr West.

At least you get a few links:

You Could Be My Black Kate Moss Tonight

You Know YOu Can't Roll Without Caesar (watch this one all the way through, most creative video I've seen in a dog's age)

And who could ever forget this, look at poor Mike Meyers and how awkward he looks:

On our show, we had the National Spokesperson for PETA out of DC on for an interview. Our anchor started asking her how can people afford to eat without seal considering that you can pay $20 for orange juice in Rankin Inlet.

And once she dug in, she didn't let go. The PETA talking head got so frustrated that she said:

"If they can afford ATV's and handguns to shoot seals, then they can afford......"

Ever see someone shoot a seal with a handgun? Me neither. It was good TV

Go see a doctor immedietely, there is something wrong with your pubes

2009-05-22T12:39:00.001-07:00

In what is rapidly becomming a Friday tradition, I present you with my new favourite site of the week:

Passive Aggressive Notes

For those notes you see everywhere, like "Clean up after yourself, you mother doesn't live here". Anyone who has spent too much time in an office knows all about it.

Here is a favourite, the Rocket Pubes missive:

You want the fucking weather?

2009-05-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

I got the fucking weather right fucking here:

www.thefuckingweather.com

Funny site

PETA KILLS ANIMALS

2009-05-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

PETA adopted almost 2000 animals, killed them, and dumped them behind the Piggly Wiggly.

Healthy animals ready for adoption.

But eating a seal, or even owning a pet, is wrong....

There is no emoticon to express my anger....

I guess to save the village they had to kill the village, and these jerks are mad about a humane harvest of doomed whales? Fuck off.

.... when they aren't playing the Raptors

2009-05-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Me: When do we cheer for Dwight Howard?

The Boy: When he isn't playing against the Raptors.

Orlando big man Dwight Howard -- known to The Boy and countless others as Superman -- is too much fun to watch.... except when his team won't give him the ball.

The late Inflatable Elvis and I have been watching this Boston/Orlando series with some interest, as we have been paying attention to Orlando all season long. Inside/outside game, Superman himself, and they seem like guys worth cheering for.

Except the coaches... the body language has been way off. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy has an intense personaility and it is clear that the players have tuned him out. It got worse after Superman got suspended for a game for an uncharacteristic nasty elbow, and the team won.

Some players even commented anonymously afterwards that they are better WITHOUT Howard. Something about freeing them up for shots. Hey, MR Three Point specialist, Charles Barkley was right last night.

He said, "There are two kind of threes, the ones you shoot wide open and the ones where you have a guy hanging off you." Big Mr Howard getting doubled frees up the open man, because until they adopt different rules, it is five guys a side.

You can see the tension on the bench. I saw 13 year veteran Anthony Johnson holding his head in his hands following a run in with one of the coaches. Looked like he was crying. No one looks at the coach during timeouts. And they don't run the plays they need to.... like give the ball to the future Hall of Famer and get the hell out of the way.

So, last night, the Magic throw away a clear win against the EVIL Boston Celtics (I will never forget that classless alley-oop against the Raptors following a complete drubbing. So bad that Triano -- congrats Jay on the new coaching gig -- called a timeout to draw attention to it).

Back to the Magic collapse. Howard said after the game:

"We moved the ball, we ran, got easy shots, and our coach has to recognize when he was a certain group out there and they are getting the job done and we have to leave those guys on the floor. We are going to make mistakes, but I think you have to go with what works."

To translate, that is equilavent to, in NBA terms, of Ron Artest showing up for Game Six with a table leg in his hand. Howard is a lamb, never heard him say anything bad about anybody, even when Shaq was taking shots at him for using Superman, a Shaq-Fu original.

Dwight.... we would love you in Toronto, with your good friend CB4. You can do all the goofy things you want and we'll love it. Just get your ass under the net and we'll get you the ball. Want to be just like your hero Shaq, LEAVE ORLANDO.

EDITED TO ADD: Seems like the Magic fans agree with Superman, according to the 800 of them who have filled in this poll:

Was it OK for Dwight Howard to criticize his coach Stan Van Gundy?

Yes, it was deserved (501 responses)

58.6%

No, the game plan was fine (23 responses)

2.7%

No, Dwight needs to show team unity right now (331 responses)

38.7%

The Colbert Bump

2009-05-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

The good people over at Nunatsiaq better get ready for the Colbert bump.

Faux conservative commentator Stephen Colbert name checked Nunastiaq News last night. I was damn near alseep, looked up, and sure enough, I saw the Nunatsiaq logo on the screen.

In his feature "Smokin' Pole: The Quest for Arctic Riches", he talked about this article from last week's paper:

ICC

He followed the discussion of Inuit sovereignity by looking into the camera and saying "THOSE INDIANS ARE TRYING TO STEAL OUR LAND."

Colbert takes credit for all of the success someone has after an appearance on his show, he calls it The Colbert Bump, after Ron Paul went from 1 to 3 per cent after an appearance.

Congrats, and when The Comedy Network gets around to putting it up on their site, I'll put the link here.

EDITED TO ADD: "Known locally as the cold grey lady".

Ron Artest: Pro Wrestling Villian

2009-05-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ron Artest is really getting under the skin of Kobe Bryant, and I for one say "good".

Ron needs to be careful however, he has an NBA rap sheet as long as my arm. Remember when the Pistons and Pacers fought in Detroit, and the Pacers fought with fans? Ron started it.

For brevity, I'll just quote Wikipedia. If you have read this far, you probably know the story:

The brawl began with 45.9 seconds remaining in the game, when Indiana led the game 97–82. When Piston center/forward Ben Wallace was fouled by Pacer forward Ron Artest, Wallace responded by shoving Artest in the face, which led to a physical confrontation between several players from both teams.[5] During the argument, Artest laid down on the scorer's table while putting on a headset speaking with Mark Boyle on the local radio. He also taunted Wallace which led Wallace to throw an armband at him. A spectator, John Green, then threw a cup of beer at Artest while he was lying on the table, which hit Artest in the chest.[5]

Artest responded by running into the stands and shoving the man he mistakenly believed was responsible, which triggered a violent response from nearby spectators, and involved Stephen Jackson who had also run into the stands.[5] Another melee started when Artest was confronted on the court by two fans, Alvin "A.J." Shackleford and Charlie Haddad. Artest punched Shackleford, and Jermaine O'Neal intervened by slide-punching Haddad in the jaw.[5]

So, last night, Artest runs the length of the court screaming and shouting at Bryant. Bryant did cheap shot a Rocket in Game One, but on the Kobe style, he kneed him in a pile-up. Bryant is an asshole, not an idiot.

This is the part I love. Here is what Artest had to say after the game:

"Uh, wow. I understand it's the playoffs. I remember when I used to play back home in the neighborhood there were always games like that. I remember one time, one of my friends, he was playing basketball and they were winning the game. It was so competitive, they broke off a piece of leg from a table and they threw it and it went right through his heart and he died right on the court.
"So I'm accustomed playing basketball really rough. When I came into the league, I was used to fighting on the court. That's how I grew up playing basketball. It took me a lot of years to back off and understand, that's not what the league is about.

"Now, I play fair and square and I lose fair and square. I put my arm on Kobe. I touch. You see your man and the ball. Just basic defense. He hits my arm down. I'm telling the ref, he hits my arm. You can't do that.' Then he did it again. I tell the refs, 'You got to control this.' Then he throws an elbow right in my neck. I told Kobe, you can do whatever you want to do. I'm not reacting. I'm going to let the refs control it.'

"What am I going to do" I'm going to continue to get hit? In Game 1, he elbowed Shane. The league says he was just trying to get up. But in Game 1, he clearly was overaggressive on Shane. My team, we're not like that. We're going to win fair and square or lose fair and square. We're not going to initiate anything.

"Kobe is great enough to take over games and lead his team. He could have done it without that.

"For me, the game was great. It was fun. The new league we're in, it was overaggressive. You have to have (guts) to hit a guy like me in the throat. I'm hoping the league looks at it.

"I knew I was going to get a technical foul. The point was to let the refs know I'm (angry), I'm tired of this guy elbowing me. I knew I went over there, no punches, no shoves to the face. Just confrontation. I backed off. That's a technical foul, I would think.
"I went over there with the intention of telling Kobe, you're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"

God Bless you Ron Artest. I'm cheering for you to win, and I hope all the table legs are secured.

EDITED TO ADD: The next time I end up in a physical confrontation with someone, I'm going to shout, "DON'T YOU KNOW I'M RON ARTEST!"

Run to the HILLS

2009-05-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

It is a FREAKIN BEAR..... and don't let that smile fool you, the baby is a bear.

Seriously, how cute is this?

Gets cuter when he gives Big Brother a kiss in an earlier photo... also note, he is wearing Rescue Pack from Go Diego Go.

Guilty pleasures

2009-04-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Aside from obsessing on Championship Manager, yet again...

Sorry Mom

It features stories about the guy they shouldn't have brought home, but did. Never have I seen the phrase "whiskey-dick" thrown around with such abandon.

Texts From Last Night

Featuring classic texts such as
(310): im at the bar and i misjudged a fart...go home or ride the night out?Never mind, the bouncer made the decision for me...be home soon

(925): Having your wife answer your cell was so lame. Maybe we can talk when you get your phone, your facebook account, and your balls back.

(301): Dude, don't freak out but the girl who stuck the hair brush in her ass is here. I can't look her in the eye!!

I have just killed your next day of productivity.... enjoy the misadventures of others.

EDITED TO INCLUDE ACTUAL WORKING LINKS

Today's plan

2009-04-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Since the Raptors aren't in the playoffs, I have some time on my hands. I could waste it playing Championship Manager 01/02 (greatest sports sim ever), or I could put my energy to a productive use.

My plan, I want to take my shovel and dig up the runway here at the airport, to keep all you swine-flu fuckers out of my town.

I'm sure the authorities, the retail sector, the tourism cabal and common sense will intervene to stop me, but whenever there is an announcement of an outbreak of any kind, my first thought is:

STOP ALL THE PLANES.

Where is Kent

2009-04-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ask my son, the Romulan.

Joseph the Romulan.

I wrote this

2009-04-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

now you read it.

http://www.winnipegfreepress2.com/publications/firstnationsvoice/march/index.php?page=10

It is for First Nation's Voice, a monthly publication of the Winnipeg Free Press, reaching 90,000 readers.

Sometimes, when an outside source asks for a story from APTN, our kind producers say, "Shit, Kent will do it, he likes that stuff. You want something from Nunavut?"

And the person asking for the story will go, "Nunavut, hells yes, we'd like something from Nunavut."

I went after PETA for their stupid Inuksuk campaign, and took a few kicks at reliable kicking target "Captain" Paul Watson.

Then I had Inflatable Elvis and Port Town Ghosts read it over for me. Elvis sharpened my sticks and PTG directed my narrative flow. Both helped a lot.

Here it is. You should totally click the link, because they have a different bio photo that they shot (oh, the glamour of being a TV personaility)I like my self-description at the end, and it ran intact...

and I share a page with former Canuck tough guy Gino Odjick... which is cool.

Re-Printed without any sort of permission at all from the kind folks at the Free Press:

War on Tradition

By Kent Driscoll
APTN National News – Iqaluit

Despite what People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals may tell you, no one in Nunavut uses a hakapik to hunt seals. The Government of Nunavut even pushed for a ban on the East Coast favorite, because it was a more useful tool in the hands of agenda pushing activists than those of hunters killing seals.

PETA knows this, but that didn’t stop them from using one of Nunavut’s most enduring symbols – the Inukshuk – in their propaganda this year. In one of their latest campaigns, they’ve co-opted the multi-coloured symbol of the Vancouver Games and set it to killing a seal with a hakapik.

For a group with the word “ethical” in their title, that is pretty disingenuous.

There is a vote coming up on the import of seal skins into the European Union. There is a small provision for the exemption of seal pelts that are used ceremonially, but if passed, it will serve to bludgeon Nunavut’s seal skin industry by banning the sale of pelts in the EU.

APTN National News recently interviewed Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak about the European Union’s proposed seal skin ban.

“Is this a case of them not understanding, or is this a case of your positions being so far apart that nothing can solve it?” I asked her.

Aariak answered diplomatically, pointing to further education and lobbying. “We need to really help to educate people, how we use the seals, how it helps our economy as well. We need to do that at all levels, to every country. There can never be enough information about how much sealing means to Canadians,” she said.

This is the standard line of reasoning from the Government of Nunavut: if you teach them, they will understand. But while Aariak is holding out faith in the Europeans, there is no reason to hold out faith for PETA, or the Sea Shepherd society, or the scores of other anti-sealing groups, who annually do their low rent chicken-man dance for the press.

PETA may be culturally insensitive and overwrought; the Sea Shepherd society takes first place for epic hyperbole. Earlier this year “Captain” Paul Watson – just before he took off to ram Japanese whaling ships – got into an online brawl with Terry Audla from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, over the culling of 500 whales trapped in the ice near Pond Inlet on the northeast tip of Baffin Island.

“Every man who pulled a trigger on those whales is no different than the men who slaughtered the defenseless people in the pit at My Lai, Vietnam,” Watson wrote.

Audla wrote back that he was going home to enjoy some fresh whale meat with his family.

Here in Nunavut, the Inukshuk isn’t just a logo. It is the symbol of a people who have defied the odds and survived life in the Arctic. The seal isn’t fur profit. It is a home cooked meal, a break from astronomical grocery costs, warm winter clothing, and cultural history.

“Canada’s annual war on seals”, is what PETA calls it. It should be called “animal rights activists’ annual war on Inuit tradition.”

Audla and Aariak are both opting for a diplomatic approach; one has to wonder how you go about educating with so much prejudice arrayed against you.

Kent Driscoll is the Nunavut Reporter for APTN National News, and lives in Iqaluit. He can’t hunt to save his life, but thinks seals are both tasty and warm to wear.

4 more years

2009-04-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Raptors are on a modest winning streak -- nothing like the one I saw shattered last night by the Wizards. (The Boy was watching it with me, and his question, "What's wrong with LeBron?")

Their last home game is rapidly approaching. Here is my ideal situation:

Raptors win, and as is tradition at the ACC, the post-game Player of the Game interview is done over the arena sound system.

Chris Bosh is the Player of the Game.

I would like to see Raptors fans start chanting en masse "Four more years. Four more years!" Like he was Nixon.

Simple, well known chant, that would remind CB4 that the fans in TO love him... and they bloody well should.

WAtch our show tonight

2009-04-01T13:20:00.001-07:00

Nunavut's 10th anniversary is the focus of my work tonight, and I'm happy with it. Very happy.

Last night, we had people remembering what they were doing on April 1st 1999.

Today, we have:

Tons of traditional games
Me getting my ass kicked by grade school kids at said events
O Canada in Inuktitut
Some politicians
Incredible throat singing

and so on. Big day for Nunavut, and I'm happy we did some justice to it.

Tomorrow, what about the next 10 years, huh?

and in the debrief, I say the words, "We'll fill your belly full of seal."

6 eastern in the south, 7 eastern in the North. Tune in.

Sham-what

2009-03-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

From the "Truth is stranger than fiction" file.

The guy from the Shamwow infomercials got into a fist fight with a hooker.

She lost:

Shlomi said that when he kissed Harris, she suddenly "bit his tongue and would not let go."

The moral of the story, NEVER kiss a prostitute.