Trial connects Cambodians with their painful past
Cambodians have become slowly become riveted by the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Comrade Duch, who ran the horrifying Tuol Sleng prison during Khmer Rouge’s reign from 1975 to 1979.
Wed, November 25 2009 » * Big Picture Stuff, Main Page, Media » Comments Off
<em>Toronto Star</em> to contract out copy editing, pagination
From CP via ctvtoronto.ca: Management at the Toronto Star newspaper has filed formal notice of a plan to contract out newsroom production work and cut 121 jobs in a bid to save more than $4 million a year. “At a time of unprecedented business nightmares facing the Star and our industry — and despite the [...]
Wed, November 25 2009 » Main Page, Media » Comments Off
'Thousands of editors leaving Wikipedia'
From TheStar.com: A sharp drop in Wikipedians, the volunteers who write and edit the online encyclopaedia, is a disturbing and inevitable trend, the Toronto man who was once their top contributor said Monday. “Losing volunteers is a sign that things could be better at Wikipedia,” Simon Pulsifer said during a break in his full-time job [...]
Tue, November 24 2009 » Main Page, Media » Comments Off
Why the news media stumbles on telling the climate story
Toronto Star writer Tyler Hamilton apologizes on behalf of his craft. He then explains why an apology is due. From the Nov. 23 Star: The media (are) giving an equal seat at the table to a lot of non-qualified scientists,” Julio Betancourt, a senior scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey, told a group of environment [...]
Tue, November 24 2009 » * Big Picture Stuff, Main Page, Media » 2 Comments
Algorithmic Authority
Internet thinker Clay Shirky ruminates on how the Internet conveys authority.
Mon, November 23 2009 » Main Page, Media » Comments Off
Gourmet burger rankings in t-dot
The Star reviewed six cut-above burger joints in Toronto. Top of the list: Oh Boy, which opened recently on Queen W. just slightly east of Portland St. (they started working on the space more than a year ago). But old favourites like Utopia on College St. W. aren't included in the mix. I guess Dangerous Dan's really doesn't [...]
Mon, November 23 2009 » Main Page, Minutiae » Comments Off
If Hitler were a Leafs fan
The trusty old Downfall clip has been pressed into service again, this time to have Hitler ranting about the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, the value of the clip is less in its hilarity, which is modest, than how it lays out the club's long history of drafting ineptitude: (Seen first at Toronto Mike) I should [...]
Sun, November 22 2009 » Main Page, Minutiae » Comments Off
A real disaster scenario for 2012
SNL did a very funny parody of the movie trailer for 2012, incorporating everyone's plain-talkin', moose-huntin' ex-governor, Sarah Palin: (seen via Twitter) And if you want an entertaining analysis of the Palin Phenomenon, check out Matt Taibi's take at True/Slant: Sarah Palin, WWE star. There were two takes in Saturday's Globe and Mail: Rex Murphy [...]
Sun, November 22 2009 » Main Page, Minutiae » Comments Off
'To everything/Spin, spin, spin' … and attack
The Globe and Mail's Jeffrey Simpson on the Conservative government's reflex to attack its critics when under criticism. From The Globe and Mail: (published Friday, Nov. 20) Stephen Harper's Conservatives just cannot help themselves. They carry on for a while sticking to a carefully controlled message, appearing reasonable and sensible. Then, the temptation for ferocious [...]
Sun, November 22 2009 » Main Page, Media » Comments Off
Viva a free press! Now I'll be happy not to take your questions
After trumpeting the virtues of a free press at a rubber chicken dinner in Markham on Saturday night, Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not deign* to take any questions from the wretches of the fourth estate. * I fixed my original intro. See the copy-editing comment below. From The Globe and Mail: Prime Minister Stephen [...]
Sun, November 22 2009 » Main Page, Media, politics » 4 Comments