#ottawa poet

[laikacore]

the sun is back at the angle

where it blinds me in the afternoon

glinting off my friend's bedroom window

it reminds me

that i'm lucky to be here,

in a home not just of brick and drywall

but of people who share their bread with me

of people who don't love me, but don't mind me

who accept me.

across the street i have a friend,

downstairs and down the block, too

and here and here and here.

and where i would be

had i not done all that i've done

i don't want to know.

i think of those i love

now and then, here and lost

as the sun blinds me in the afternoon

in my glittering bedroom.

home and again by laika wallace

[manwalksintobar]

Where Is Michael Dennis? // Stephen Brockwell

You are not in a field looking for the coin fallen from your pocket in the grass.

You are not on a Trent basketball court sinking three-point poems.

You are not in a borrowed Chevy driving a package to its destination.

You are not in your Bank Street loft apartment, cigarette in one hand, Blue in the other.

You are not at Invisible Cinema making darkness visible.

You are not in the basement of the Royal Oak coaching us in the poetry of hockey.

You are not hanging a canvas, making beautiful colours ready for our eyes.

You are not in your kitchen at the small blue table rolling and listening.

You are not at the Avant-Garde Bar starting your best engine.

You are not on the houseboat on the river insisting on uncomfortable truth.

I have lost you like a pair of glasses. I can't see the grief in human faces.

[allysonthepoet]

I'm Not Like Other Cinderellas

I am terrified to see myself from their perspective, to put myself into shoes that don't fit, but to never have the guts to so much as cut off a toe to suffer the forced future of a fairy tale ending.

Somehow I know I'll always feel a failure of femininity, a suspicious spinster cursed with the gift of never settling.

I have noticed how much easier it is for them to try and break someone when the glass armor that protects their insides is opaque, their ignorance of the "enemy" they are attacking carries their stones so much further as they lead the like-minded masses into a pointless battle

Yet as much as my mind remains unchanged, no matter how much they pull at the thread to unravel the fibers of my very being

my input never seemed to matter.

[beviebamm]

(canadian society makes me mad)

I've spent my life looking for help Can't take a step, speeding down alps Searching for the words to explain my needs It all flies by and they work me like a steed I've never had an environment tailored to me I know the help exists, its just not free Let's celebrate our healthcare "unlike the States" But not much available without inheriting estates Gotta choose to feed my baby or see the dentist Can't afford therapy so uncomfortably I exist About half a month's rent to check for ADHD During a housing crisis with overpriced availability Some will disappoint the doctors once again Because they can't take their prescriptions It came between them or internet for work Barely paid enough to live, forget perks Kicked while down, then belittled Leaders too busy getting fiddled How are we not in a state emergency in a nation that claims strong, glorious, and free Count the homeless, hungry, waterless, and desperate What kinda precedent is here set? Organs tossed away from queer men What outdated knowledge of STI trends. Loblaws straight robbery, you too Sobeys Rather install security than price fairly

[witch-riot]

[flolitmag]

flo. is open for submissions until november 30!!

flo. is open for submissions for our third issue! we’re entering our second year of publication and we want you to be a part of it.

we are seeking work by writers residing in/having a connection to the Ottawa-Gatineau region that engages with notions of loss, anger, and resilience.

check our website (link in bio) for our submissions guidelines.

flo. pays a modest honorarium for all accepted works.

[through-rosey-glasses]

PWHL Teams and Which Taylor Swift Era They are in

My sister and I were talking about how Minnesota Frost is clearly in their Tortured Poets Department Era, and that inspired the rest of this post. This is just a fun little thing I did, please don't take it too seriously or personally.

(Also for swifties, I used the old versions of album covers as it refers to that era. Red TV is totally different than Red ya know.)

Minnesota Frost:

Currently in their The Tortured Poets Department Era. Basically messy despite being on top of the world. The album came out after the raging success of Taylor Swift in her Era's tour and winning her fourth album of the year at the grammy's. This new album brings out snappy lines targeted at fans and revelations at how Taylor Swift didn't live up to the ideal many fans had of her. In Minnesota we had the recent firing of the favored general manager and drafting of a controversial player. You can't convince me that Ken Klee wasn't blasting But Daddy I Love Him, as he made all his messy decisions.

Boston Fleet:

Speak Now was a Taylor Swift era filled with spite and determination. The whole album was written by Taylor Swift alone, partially because her ex and some critics accusing her of not being a proficient writer on her own. After losing the Walter Cup, the Boston Fleet have the confidence that they can make it far and the determination to be better. (I also think spite comes naturally to Boston, not like they need a motivation or something.) This era is very youthful but honest, and I think that energy would be great to see in Boston next season. Someone blast better than revenge.

Montreal Victoire:

A personal favorite of mine, the Red Era of Taylor Swift had it all. Heartbreak, style, chaos, parties, love. This era was also risky and complex, Taylor Swift blended country and pop, bringing critical acclaim and a wider fanbase. Montreal has had a fun, but chaotic summer. Their draft picks are a fair mix of old and new. (With that wild Kessel pick) Their name and logo got rave reviews. People see the the good foundation the team has and are waiting in anticipation for what's to come.

Toronto Sceptres:

Reputation is a come back era, and Toronto has something to prove. Following a devastating injury to a star player, the team wasn't the same during the playoffs. This season they are going to have to show that they are still that team. Reputation is a fan favorite album and I have found Toronto to have the strongest fanbase. (They sell out most often and have the largest social media presence.) The team knows they are good and they have the support, they just need to rebuild.

Ottawa Charge:

Folklore is an era of surprising change. During Covid and following the cut short run of Lover, Folklore was an unannounced reinvention of Taylor Swift. It wasn't an intentional change, but one forced by the way of the world. Ottawa needs to find its grove and step into its own again. I haven't heard much from Ottawa on anything really, and I hope its because they got some cool alt indie surprise on its way.

New York Sirens:

Listen I am not only picking 1989 because it has a cool New York aesthetic. This is the era of leaning in and giving it your all. When Red didn't win album of the year, Taylor Swift decided to move to New York and reinvent herself. New York was last in ranking last season, but got first in draft. They have been working off season with insane draft picks and that somehow it worked out trade with Boston. New York has the star power, the New York city life, and the rebranding to help turn them into something new.

[victusinveritas]

Happy 84th birthday to esteemed Canadian novelist and poet Margaret Atwood! She is pictured here attempting to burn an 'unburnable' copy of her novel "The Handmaid's Tale" with a flamethrower. A single unburnable copy was created last year to raise awareness about increasing censorship; her dystopian science fiction novel, which centers around one woman's quest for freedom in a totalitarian theocracy where women's rights are completely suppressed, has been the subject of numerous censorship challenges since its publication in 1985. The unburnable copy was auctioned off after Atwood's flamethrowing attempt, raising $130,00 for PEN America, a literary and free expression advocacy organization. As Atwood famously asserted in her poem "Spelling": "A word after a word after a word is power."

Born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1939, Atwood is the author of 15 books of poetry and numerous novels, including Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, The Edible Woman, and Oryx and Crake. She won the Booker Prize -- which honors the best original novel published that year -- for "The Blind Assassin" in 2000 and has been shortlisted several additional times. She has also won two Governor General's Award, Canada's highest literary honor. This year, the American Academy of Arts and Letters elected Atwood as a Foreign Honorary Member of the Academy.

Atwood’s classic dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale” is available at https://www.amightygirl.com/the-handmaid-s-tale

There is also a t-shirt featuring the iconic artwork from the novel’s first edition for teens and adults at https://www.amightygirl.com/the-handmaid-s-tale-t-shirt

To introduce kids to the power of their own words, we recommend the 'IlluStory Create Your Own Book Kit' for ages 5 to 10 (https://www.amightygirl.com/make-your-own-book-kit) and the creative writing guides "Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly" for ages 8 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/writing-magic) and "Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book?" for ages 13 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/dear-ally)

And for books for tweens and teens about girls living in real-life oppressive societies with little respect for freedom of expression, visit our blog post "The Fragility of Freedom: Mighty Girl Books About Life Under Authoritarianism" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=32426

[innervoiceartblog]

Canadian poet and novelist Margaret Atwood (1939) is best known for her searing explorations of feminism, sexuality, and politics in books like The Handmaid’s Tale (1986), a dystopian novel that takes place in a United States, which has become a fundamentalist theocracy where women are forced to have children. She started writing the book on a battered, rented typewriter while on a fellowship in West Berlin. The book became an international best-seller. Atwood’s daughter was nine when it was published; by the time she was in high school, The Handmaid’s Tale was required reading. Atwood once said, “Men often ask me, ‘Why are your female characters so paranoid?’ It’s not paranoia. It’s recognition of their situation.”

Atwood was born in Ottawa, Ontario. Her father was an entomologist and the family lived for a long time in insect-research stations in the wilderness. She was 11 before she attended a full year of school. About growing up in near isolation, Atwood said: “There were no films or theatres in the North, and the radio didn’t work very well. But there were always books. I learned to read early, was an avid reader and read everything I could get my hands on — no one ever told me I couldn’t read a book. My mother liked quietness in children, and a child who is reading is very quiet.”

One day she was walking across a football field on her way home and began writing a poem in her head and decided to write it down. She says: “After that, writing was the only thing I wanted to do. I didn’t know that this poem of mine wasn’t at all good, and if I had known, I probably wouldn’t have cared.”

Her first novel was The Edible Woman (1969), about a woman who cannot eat and feels that she is being eaten. Atwood likes to write in longhand, preferably with a Rollerball pen, and is even the co-inventor of the LongPen, a remote signing device that allows a person to write in ink anywhere in the world using a tablet and the internet. Her books include Alias Grace (1996), Oryx and Crake (2003), and The Heart Goes Last (2015).

About the writing life, Margaret Atwood says: “You most likely need a thesaurus, a rudimentary grammar book, and a grip on reality. This latter means: there’s no free lunch. Writing is work. It’s also gambling. You don’t get a pension plan. Other people can help you a bit, but ­essentially you’re on your own. ­Nobody is making you do this: you chose it, so don’t whine.”

#TheWritersAlmanac

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

'If activists are hiding books from you, the best thing you can do is seek them out and read them!'

One of the strangest developments of the culture war has been the rise of authoritarian librarians. It sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Surely librarians are there to support education and to enable the dissemination of literature and knowledge.

But this week it was reported that the library service in Calderdale Council has been hiding books by feminists such as Helen Joyce and Kathleen Stock. The Labor-run council confirmed that although these books would still be in the catalog and they could be requested, they were quote, "not visible on the library shelves." This is very odd.

Now, I've read the books in question by both Helen Joyce and Kathleen Stock, and they are rigorous, intelligent and important studies concerning one of the key issues of our time. And yet these librarians are treating them as though they are toxic, as if members of the public who happen upon them while browsing might somehow be instantly corrupted.

And yet we shouldn't really be surprised at all. The rise of Woke Librarians, however ludicrous that sounds, is a real thing. Now, I should say from the outset that I've nothing against librarians. Some of my best friends are librarians. But there is something about the profession that seems to attract the kind of paternalistic pharisee who believes that it's their job to protect others from wrongthink.

Let me give you some other examples. So a few years ago, it was reported that the former poet laureate Ted Hughes was included on a watch list created by the British Library because of a family connection with a slave owner. Turns out the connection was false and the Library issued an apology. But why was the foremost library in the UK creating this kind of watch list in the first place? Well, it was because in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, the library had commissioned what they called a "decolonizing working group" which decided that they should review the collections and draw up a list of any authors with problematic pasts. This same group also claimed that the library's main building was a monument to imperialism, because it looked a bit like a battleship. I'm not even joking.

And in 2021 the Waterloo Region District School Board in Canada identified and removed books that were considered quote, "harmful to staff and students."

At the same time, other school libraries in Canada were disposing of copies of Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale following complaints about quote, "racist, homophobic or misogynistic language and themes."

And then there was the Ottawa Carlton District School Board which removed copies of William Golding's Lord of the Flies on the grounds that the themes of the book were quote, "outdated and too focused on white male power structures." Had they even read the book? If Lord of the Flies really is a comment on white male power structures, it can hardly be said to be an advertisement.

And then of course there's the whole trigger warning phenomenon. When archivists at Homerton College in Cambridge were engaged in a project to upload their collection of children's literature to the internet, they decided to flag a number of books with trigger warnings. Books such as Little House on the Prairie, and The Water Babies, and various books by Dr Seuss. And the archivists said they wanted to make their digital collection quote, "less harmful in the context of a canonical literary heritage that is shaped by, and continues a history of, oppression."

But books by Dr Seuss aren't oppressive or harmful, even if they do contain outdated racial stereotypes. They were written a long time ago, and readers understand that. Of course, that hasn't stopped the estate of Dr Seuss from withdrawing a number of titles from sale altogether. You can't even buy them anymore.

But the most revealing aspect of this story from Cambridge is a statement that the archivists at Homerton College put out. They said it would be a quote, "dereliction of our duty as gatekeepers to allow such casual racism to go unchecked." Gatekeepers. Now I thought they were meant to be custodians not gatekeepers.

And this is what is known as saying the quiet part out loud. Because really all of this behavior is edging towards censorship. For librarians and archivists to apply warnings to books or to hide them from the public, it's for them to say, "we don't think these books are good for you, we don't trust you to read these books and not to pick up some bad ideas, we must protect you from their influence." In other words, they're treating the public like a parent treats a small child.

And we shouldn't stand for it. Even the application of trigger warnings is a problem in and of itself. True, the books aren't being censored, but a trigger warning buys into the false belief that words and violence are the same thing. It implies that these books are dangerous, and in the wrong hands could cause trouble.

And it's not just libraries. Increasingly we're seeing museum staff attempting to protect the public from artifacts that they're meant to display. So last November, the Wellcome Collection in London shut down its key exhibit, one which dated from the 17th century, because it perpetuated quote, "a version of medical history that is based on racist, sexist and ableist theories and language."

Now we all know that ethical standards change over time and that people from the past held different views from us. Often views that we would consider objectionable. So why don't museum curators understand this too? Why is a museum preventing us from seeing artifacts from the past, when they should be facilitating access? Why is it that so many art galleries now insist on adding little labels next to paintings by great masters to say how much they disapprove of their values, as though the writers of these little sermons would have thought any differently if they had been born hundreds of years ago?

I don't care whether you disapprove of Hogarth's attitudes towards minorities, I just want to appreciate his work without having these soft-witted puritans breathing down my neck.

What we're seeing here is ideological capture. it's the same reason why the Catholic Church created an index of forbidden books which it had kept updated for 400 years right up until 1948. it's the same reason why Mary Whitehouse wanted certain TV shows banned back in the 1960s. It's the same reason why the BBC has censored scenes of old comedy shows such as Faulty Towers on the BBC streaming service. It's the same reason why staff at publishing houses revolt when there's a new book coming out by Jordan Peterson or JK Rowling or some other problematic author. And when the authors aren't as well known as Peterson or Rowling, the staff often get their way.

And if you don't think any of this is authoritarian, what about the time when the body in charge of elementary and secondary schools in Southwestern Ontario authorized the ritualistic burning of books if they contained outdated stereotypes, in what they described as a "flame purification ceremony." Almost 5000 books, including copies of Tintin and Asterix, were removed from shelves and were destroyed or recycled because of course, only the most [rogressive people in history have ever burned books.

[ Source: The Times, via archive.today ]

It sounds preposterous, but the proliferation of activists in libraries, museums, schools, publishing houses, the arts and the media, makes complete sense when one considers that the devotees of this new woke religion have a vested interest in controlling the limits of acceptable thought. To use their own words, they are the gatekeepers.

But as adults in a civilized and liberal society, we don't need to be coddled, particularly by people whose capacity for critical thinking has been stunted by ideology. They say it's for our own good, but what tyrant in history hasn't made a similar claim?

So enough with the woke librarians. If activists are hiding books from you, the very best thing you can do is seek those books out and read them. These petty little authoritarians will do anything to control your speech and your thoughts. Don't let them get away with it.

==

We are reliably informed that it's only right-wing conservative Xians who want to ban or burn books. But it isn't true. There is a mirror image of the same Puritan authoritarianism on the woke left.

[mywifeleftme]

101: Parts Found in Sea // Seat of the Writing Man

Seat of the Writing Man Parts Found in Sea 1984, Between

Named for a headline describing an airplane that crashed into the ocean, Parts Found in Sea were a mellow post-punk/college rock band that worked the Toronto club circuit hard throughout the 1980s before fading into obscurity. Their small catalogue (two EPs, an LP, and a live album) turns up around used shops in the GTA with fair frequency, and there are a few fond remembrances online from author/activist Cory Doctorow and the wonderful ‘80s indie blog Wilfully Obscure (which I was delighted to learn is still in business).

Parts are a very vibey band—meandering tempos, no hooks to speak of, plenty of glutenous bass to sway dreamily to. They’re not quite goth though—vocalist Steve Cowal is both melancholy and a poet, but seems like he would just look confused if you told him most people start bands to get laid. As Doctorow notes, most of Parts’ songs feel less like verse/chorus/verse/chorus affairs and more like a series of movements. It’s most notable on side-closers “Satellite” and “Body Sends Us,” which have jammy structures that give modest guitarist David Currie (not the former Ottawa Symphony Orchestra conductor, which, I know, you were thinking) a chance to scratch away at his instrument in the spotlight.

In retrospect, Parts Found in Sea sound like one of those transitional bands between European post-punk and the forthcoming wave of predominantly North American post-rock bands. If they’d come along a little later, they might’ve alighted on some ideas that could’ve expanded and abstracted their sound in interesting ways—but as it is, they left behind a catalogue full of pleasant surprises for aficionados of gloomy, thoughtful ‘80s alternative.

101/365

[djducats]

PEACEFUL JOURNEY 221230 || 8-10 PM e.s.t. FRIDAY || “Straight Hip-Hop, No Fluff!!” #djducats #boombap #hiphop #collegeradio #djgrusm #graffitti #ottawa #realhiphop #djing #houseofpaint #hiphopcanada #scratching #mixing #juggling #carleton #turntablism #gritty #underground #grimy #nfs #nofreshstarts #captivatethem

NOW AVAILABLE || ON DEMAND ckcufm.com || djducats.com

@ckcufm @djgrusm @djducats @nofreshstarts @set_145_inc @MikeyWizdom @brockwaybiggs @dustanddoperecordings @micseries @access44 @meeco_music @caliagentno.1 @nems_fyl @lr_blitzkrieg @cypresshill @nas @djpremier @asaprocky @joeybadass @breezevahflowin @thesoulyghost @guiltysimpson @swiggarillo @the1jaylove @ruste_muthafuckin_juxx @daddygrace @_arionmosley @djrevolution @milezgrimez @methodmanofficial @daveeast @jeffspec @birdapres @thebadseedbklyn @officialmathematik @lezeppo @independentgeorge @detales730 @theriksha @hyperbolemusic @thrustmuzik @dylancartlidgemusic @russ @dangermouseblackthought @the5wonderful @deejackson82 @teflon_m.o.p @quietazmoney @kenyatta_music @dvaliaskhryst @techimmortal @nems_fyl @illb1ll @toobusyakabusy @etomusicroc @tonebeatz @all_hail_yt @bluherfavcolor @syllmuzik @itspearlgates @teamndl @dj7l @czarface_eso @famem.o.p @blaq_poet @papoose @mastaacepics @mobbdeephavoc @raekwon @stylesp @bambambaklava @statikselekt @producedbynef @bobbyjfromrockaway @antlive_boombapking @torae @waispmusic @marcopolobeats @redmangilla

Rasco, Meeco & DJ Access - First Cut the Check Dj Ducats - Intro L.R. Blitzkrieg - Crew Love feat. Nems Cypress Hill - The Ride Nas, A$AP Rocky & DJ Premier - Wave Gods Joey Bada$$ - Head High Milc & Andy Savoie - Blue Faces Breez Evahflowin - The Idiotic feat. Big Zoo Wildchild - Breathe feat. Guilty Simpson & The Soulyghost Jay Love & Swigga - Pedigree Tone Spliff & Ruste Juxx - The Routine Born Allah - BARmitsfah feat. Arion Mosley Milez Grimez - Grimez Galore feat. DJ Revolution Dave East - Unbelievable feat. Method Man Foolish Immortals - Mad Green The Bad Seed - The Alchemist Mathematik - The Plot Detales & 9th Uno - Holie Brougham feat. LeZeppo Thrust OG - hEath feat. Hyperbole, Mindbender Supreme & the Riksha Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Because feat. Joey Bada$$, Russ & Dylan Cartlidge 2econd Cousins, 5ifth Elemnet & Dee Jackson - M.B.S. DJ Premier - Lettin’ Off Steam feat. Joey Bada$$ Tef - The Cross Soope - Dope feat. Fred da Godson, AZ & Baby Myke Gorilla Twins, Ill Bill & Nems - Adios feat. Immortal Technique & D.V. Alias Khryst TooBusy - One Day Baby feat. Ruste Juxx All Hail Y.T. x Tone Beatz - Royal Flush feat. Eto Pearl Gates & Syll - Kingz feat. Blu Napoleon da Legend - Afro-Pill Akbar - 5th Element 7L & Esoteric - Deathgrip Blaq Poet - Rap Addiction feat. Lil’ Fame & Shabeeno Papoose - Turn It Up feat. DJ Premier Masta Ace - Good Ol’ Love Raekwon - King of Kings feat. Havoc Styles P - Married to the Game feat. Teflon Action Bronson & Statik Selektah - Cliff Notes Bobby J from Rockaway - My People feat. Nef Antlive - All Around the World Wais P - Time Is Money Marco Polo & Torae - Smoke feat. Lil’ Fame Redman, Ready Roc & Melanie Rutherford - Cheerz Saigon & Statik Selektah - My Crew

[laresearchette]

Friday, August 02, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: COWBOY CARTEL (Apple TV+) JAZZ RAMSEY: A K-9 MYSTERY (W Network) 8:00pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA ARTHUR THE KING CRIMINAL BEACON 23 (Season 2)

CRAVE TV DEAR DAVID EMMA FIELDING MYSTERIES: PAST MALICE EMMA FIELDING MYSTERIES: SIGHT UNSEEN EMMA FIELDING MYSTERIES: MORE BITTER THAN DEATH FARMING FOR LOVE (Season 2) FLAMIN’ HOT I, TONYA PANIC ROOM THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS TAROT

DISNEY + STAR CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION (Season 17, new episode) KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES STAR WARS: YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES SHORTS (Season 2)

NETFLIX CANADA E.T THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL MODERN MASTERS: SS RAJAMOULI (IN) REBEL MOON — PART ONE: DIRECTOR’S CUT REBEL MOON — PART TWO: DIRECTOR’S CUT SAVING BIKINI BOTTOM: THE SANDY CHEEKS MOVIE

2024 SUMMER OLYMPICS (CBC) 3:15am: Women’s 20km Race Walk (CBC) 3:00am: Women's 3x3 Basketball: Germany vs. Canada (CBC) 3:30am: Women's 3x3 Basketball: Australia vs. Azerbaijan (CBC) 4:00pm: Athletics (SN) 4:50am: Olympic Morning (CBC) 7:00am: Trampoline, Women's Final (CBC) 8:15am: Women's Water Polo: Australia vs. Canada (CBC) 9:30am: Morning (CBC) 11:15am: Men's Basketball: Canada vs. Spain (SN/TSN/) 12:00pm: Olympic Daytime (CBC) 1:00pm: Athletics (CBC) 2:30pm: Swimming (CBC) 3:45pm: Prime (CBC/SN/TSN3/TSN4) 7:00pm: Olympic Primetime (CBC) 12:00am: Late Primetime (CBC) 2:00am: Overnight (Saturday)

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 6:30pm: Jays vs. Yankees (SN Now) 9:30pm: Dodgers vs. A’s

CEBL BASKETBALL (TSN2) 7:00pm: East Play-In - Ottawa vs. Scarborough (TSN2) 9:30pm: West Play-In - Winnipeg vs. Calgary

CFL FOOTBALL (TSN/TSN5) 7:30pm: Alouettes vs. Ti-Cats

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS PART ONE (Cartoon Network Canada) 9:00pm: The Anti-Monitor (the Monitor's evil counterpart) is released into the DC Multiverse and begins to destroy the different Earths that compose it. The Monitor attempts to recruit heroes from across the Multiverse to fight back.

CANADA'S DRAG RACE: CANADA VS. THE WORLD (Crave 2) 9:00pm

FLAMIN’ HOT (2023) (Crave) 9:05pm: Richard Montanez, the son of a Mexican immigrant, was a janitor at Frito Lay when he came up with the idea for Flamin' Hot Cheetos. His creation, inspired by the flavors of his community, revitalizes Frito-Lay and disrupts the food industry.

CRIME BEAT: MOST WANTED (Global) 10:00pm: Police hunt for suspects, including Mohammed Abdullahi, after a man is found shot in a vehicle; crime reporter Catherine McDonald goes to Moss Park as police investigate the death of Mohamed Ahmed, brother of Canadian poet and musician Mustafa.

[theartisanalwriter]

The Last to the Party

Emily Cann talks to Ottawa poet Chuqiao Yang about her debut collection The Last to the Party, (Gooselane Editions/Icehouse Poetry, 2024) Emily Cann: The title of this collection is The Last to the Party, yet readers actually arrive at “The Party”—the poem that opens this collection—right away. The rest of the collection is divided into five sections, with the titular poem appearing in the…

[americanahighways]

REVIEW: Lynne Hanson “Just a Poet”

REVIEW: Lynne Hanson “Just a Poet” @plynnehanson @americanahighways #newmusic2024 #justapoet #americanamusic #americanahighways

Lynne Hanson – Just a Poet This Ottawa-based artist starts with the absorbing beat drive of “Outlaw Lover,” which recalls Peggy Lee’s vocal tempo in her classic live take with Benny Goodman in 1943 of “Why Don’t You Do Right.” It’s a nice smoky seductive voicing. It’s caught up comfortably in a steady evocative tone & a facilitator of a ‘40s style composition. The arrangement’s deliciously tight…

[newstfionline]

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Spring starts early as US winter was warmest on record (AP) Across much of America and especially in the normally chilly north, the country went through the winter months without, well, winter. In parka strongholds Burlington, Vermont, and Portland, Maine, the thermometer never plunged below zero. The state of Minnesota called the last three months “the lost winter,” warmer than its infamous “year without a winter” in 1877-1878. Michigan, where mosquitos were biting in February, offered disaster loans to businesses hit by a lack of snow. The Great Lakes set records for low winter ice, with Erie and Ontario “essentially ice-free.” For a wide swath of the country from Colorado to New Jersey, and Texas to the Carolinas, spring leaves are arriving three to four weeks earlier than the 1991-2020 average, according to the National Phenology Network, which tracks the timing of plants, insects and other natural signs of the seasons.

US ‘prepper’ culture diversifies amid fear of disaster and political unrest (Reuters) Thirty-year-old Brook Morgan surveyed booths at the “Survival & Prepper Show” in Colorado that were stocked with boxes of ammunition, mounds of trauma medical kits, and every type of knife imaginable. Morgan is one of a new breed of Americans getting ready to survive political upheaval and natural catastrophes, a pursuit that until recently was largely associated with far-right movements such as white nationalists since the 1980s. Researchers say the number of preppers has doubled in size to about 20 million since 2017. Much of that growth is from minorities and people considered left-of-center politically, whose sense of insecurity was heightened by Donald Trump’s 2016 election, the COVID-19 pandemic, more frequent extreme weather and the 2020 racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd.

UnitedHealth could take months to fully recover from hack (Reuters) UnitedHealth Group, the largest U.S. health insurer, is likely to need several months to make a full recovery from a cyberattack that has been one of the most disruptive hacks against America's healthcare infrastructure, security experts said. The insurer’s Change Healthcare unit processes about half the medical claims in the US and its offerings touch a third of US patient records. In short, it’s a smorgasbord for hackers. The company expects its payment platform to be operational on March 15, and its claims network three days later. Doctors face a hard choice because of the hack: stop treating patients or stop paying staff.

Foreigners trapped in violence-torn Haiti wait desperately for a way out (AP) Dozens of foreigners, including many from the United States and Canada, are stranded in Haiti, desperately trying to leave the violence-torn country where anti-government gangs are battling police and have already shut down both of the country’s international airports. They were in Haiti for reasons ranging from adoptions to missionary and humanitarian work. Now, they are locked down in hotels and homes, unable to leave by air, sea or land as Haiti remains paralyzed by the mayhem and the gangs’ demands that Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign. “We are seriously trapped,” said Richard Phillips, a 65-year-old from the Canadian capital, Ottawa, who has traveled to Haiti more than three dozen times to work on projects for the United Nations, USAID and now, a Haitian nonprofit called Papyrus.

A lonely radio nerd. A poet. Vladimir Putin’s crackdown sweeps up ordinary Russians (AP) A lonely man jailed for criticizing the government on his ham radio. A poet assaulted by police after he recited a poem objecting to Russia’s war in Ukraine. A low-profile woman committed to a psychiatric facility for condemning the invasion on social media. President Vladimir Putin’s 24 years in power are almost certain to be extended six more by this month’s presidential election. That leadership has transformed Russia. A country that tolerated some dissent is now one that ruthlessly suppresses it. Along with opposition politicians, independent journalists and human rights activists, ordinary Russians have been increasingly swept up in a crackdown reminiscent of the Soviet era.

Turkey’s Erdogan says March election will be his final, state media reports (Reuters) Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said local elections scheduled for March 31 would be his last vote, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday. Erdogan, modern Turkey’s most successful politician, has led the country for more than two decades. A winner of more than a dozen elections since 2002, Erdogan was re-elected for a five-year term during hotly contested elections in May 2023.

The Taliban once smashed TVs. Now it fosters YouTubers to promote its image. (Washington Post) The Taliban-run government is fostering a thriving community of YouTube influencers and video bloggers in Afghanistan, seeking to shape a positive narrative about the country by rewarding those who have welcome viewpoints with access to stories that can draw millions of views online. The Taliban, which smashed televisions and burned films in the 1990s during its first stint in power, is now using modern video technology in its radical campaign to remake Afghanistan. The regime grants influencers coveted broadcasting licenses that put them on an equal footing with TV networks and radio stations, and threatens to withdraw the licenses of those who break official rules. Influencers whose work is seen as benefiting the regime have been allowed to embed with government ministries and showcase their achievements. Meanwhile, videos that are critical of the Taliban have largely disappeared from platforms such as YouTube over the past two years as a result of Taliban pressure and self-censorship.

With Unusual Speed, Hong Kong Pushes Strict New Security Law (NYT) Under pressure from Beijing, officials in Hong Kong are scrambling to pass a long-shelved national security law that could impose life imprisonment for political crimes like treason, a move expected to further muzzle dissent in the Asian financial center. The law known as Article 23 has long been a source of public discontent in Hong Kong, a former British colony that had been promised certain freedoms when it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Now, it is expected to be enacted with unusual speed in the coming weeks. China has sought to tighten its grip over Hong Kong after massive antigovernment protests in 2019 engulfed the city, posing the greatest challenge to Beijing’s rule in years. Many protesters had taken to the streets to push back against Beijing’s encroachment over the city and its erosion of Hong Kong’s civil liberties, but Chinese officials said the demonstrations were instigated by Western forces seeking to destabilize the territory and China.

Taylor Swift gave Singapore’s economy a massive boost (Washington Post) Singapore is set to earn big money and a big reputation from hosting global pop sensation Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, analysts are calculating. Swift’s six sold-out concerts, which run from March 2 to 9, are expected to bring in an estimated $260 million to $375 million in tourism receipts, Erica Tay, Maybank director of macro research, told The Washington Post. The city-state is the latest beneficiary of “Swiftonomics,” the phenomenon named for the economic boost experienced by destinations of the record-breaking tour, which has surpassed $1 billion in global sales. Singapore’s GDP is likely to expand by 2.9 percent in the first quarter of the year—its highest in six quarters—Bloomberg News reported Friday, with economists raising predictions for annual growth from 2.3 percent to 2.5 percent.

Philippines strikes security deals as tensions rise with China at sea (Washington Post) The Philippines has been striking new defense agreements with other countries at a rapid clip, seeking to build what officials here call a “network of alliances” that could deter Chinese aggression in disputed waters. The Philippines has signed or entered discussions over new security agreements with at least 18 countries since a Chinese coast guard vessel flashed a military-grade laser at a Philippine coast guard ship in the South China Sea last year, according to the Philippine Defense Department. While the deepening Philippine alliance with the United States—which includes granting the U.S. military expanded access to Philippine military bases—has drawn much attention, Manila’s security campaign goes beyond Washington. Since 2022, the Philippines has inked new defense agreements with the European Union, India and Britain. Japan, Canada and France are looking at signing visiting-forces agreements with the Philippines, which would allow those countries to send troops to Philippine bases, according to their embassies.

At Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque, Ramadan brings uncertainty and fear (Washington Post) Just days before the start of Ramadan—the busiest and often most volatile month in Jerusalem’s Old City—the offices of al-Aqsa Mosque were bustling with preparations and uncertainty. Even in quieter years, al-Aqsa is a Ramadan tinderbox. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians come to worship at this mosque that has sat for more than a millennium on a site that both Muslims and Jews claim as sacred ground. It’s administered by Jordan, but access is controlled by Israeli security. Jews revere the site they call the Temple Mount as the location of the first and second temples and worship at the Western Wall, a remnant of the ancient complex. Muslims know it as the Noble Sanctuary, where the prophet Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven. It’s the holiest site in Judaism and third holiest in Islam. The competing claims are one of the most challenging elements of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Clashes here have been a repeated flash point for war. With Ramadan only days away, tensions around al-Aqsa are soaring. Hard-liners in the Israeli government have pushed to limit the number, age and gender of Palestinians allowed on the plateau, prompting warnings from both sides that restrictions could lead to violence.

Europe and U.S. Plan to Supply Gaza by Sea, but Aid Groups Say It’s Not Enough (NYT/Reuters) A day after President Biden announced plans for maritime aid delivery to the Gaza Strip, European leaders said Friday they would deliver aid by ship as early as the weekend. But aid groups and Gaza officials criticized shipments by air or sea as too cumbersome, urging that vastly more food and medicine be supplied by trucks. The complications of delivering aid to the hungry residents of Gaza were underlined on Friday when the authorities in Gaza said at least five Palestinians were killed and several others were wounded after they were struck by packages of humanitarian aid that were dropped from an aircraft. The United Nations has warned that five months of war and an Israeli blockade have left hundreds of thousands of Gazans on the brink of starvation, prompting a variety of proposals to speed the delivery of food and other vital needs. Israel insists on inspecting all supplies going into Gaza, and aid trucks have been allowed in through just two border crossings—one from Egypt and one from Israel—in southern Gaza. One UN official said discussing complicated aid routes to reach territory blockaded by an ally “is absurd in a dark and cynical way.”