Rating: NNNNN
coverage that bombs
The U.S. bombing of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan may have been front-page news here at home for days, but it was only of passing interest in the U.S. The Washington Post’s single story did play it on page one, but the New York Times buried their lone piece on page 15. Neither could pass as probing or the least bit critical of the U.S. military for the tragic screw-up. Times tied a bit too close to Bush’s war machine?
our beast of burden
It’s only rock ‘n’ roll, but Mayor Mel desperately needs it. So much for the new handlers in the mayor’s office who were supposed to be crafting a more stately toad. Fresh off of Wrestlemania, Mel is pimping T.O. again. This time he’s taken to the airwaves on Q107 to plead with Mick and Keef to bring the Rolling Stones to T.O. for one last cash grab. No word on whether Mel intends to smoke copious amounts of reefer, drink whatever’s put in front of him and grope groupies backstage while Marilyn’s not looking.
public brush-off
Apparently, Ernie Eves’s by-election campaign team doesn’t want the premier answering any unfiltered questions at the one debate he’s agreed to attend so far. The Eves campaign has cited “security concerns,” otherwise known as “scared shitless to defend the Tory record,” as the reason they want to screen questions from the public.
protesting the protestors
The Canadian Jewish Congress has taken issue publicly with a non-representative Jewish group over the intimidating protests it has staged repeatedly in front of Palestine House in Mississauga. Finally a note of sanity. Pro-Palestinian groups thinking of protesting outside Jewish community centres and synagogues, please take note.
Captive of the week
When we think Earth Day, we think about nailing industrial polluters who contaminate our lakes and streams, an elusive Canuck signature on the Kyoto climate treaty and maybe planting a tree or two in our backyards. You may have noticed penned animals didn’t make the list. And yet city officials felt compelled to include two reindeer for the kiddies, courtesy of the Toronto Zoo, on the Earth Day lineup at Nathan Phillips Square. We’d love to hear the city explain what caged animals have to do with showing understanding and respect for the natural flow of all living things. Anybody?
