Carolime Time

Oh those 905ers. You’ve heard of them, you might know a few, you might have actually been one at some point…and they’re talked about far more than you notice. The term 905er has planted itself firmly in Toronto’s slang and in-the-cool jargon, especially in the  downtown core. But what exactly is a 905er and why is the term not exactly an acceptable one, and therefore not one to be associated with?

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Some months back, my journalist friends and I noticed a trend with “internships.”

It was at the height of recession fear-mongering. Media agencies were dealing with their own financial reaction to the economy alongside the shift from traditional journalism to the web, desperately scrounging for revenue through new sources. So everyone was getting laid off. Everyone! I got laid off, of course, early on. I watched as friends started emailing back and forth seeking work. And I watched as the journalism job options dwindled, or rather, the job hunter market grew very saturated with journalists. The competition was a bit too fierce and intimidating for myself and others I knew who’d only been out of j-school for a year or so. I was lucky to have a little bit of experience from my communications position and my student days as a keener with the extracurricular work. However, I was no match for the journalists with 10, 15 years of experience getting laid off from their leading roles at major magazines and websites. Read the rest of this entry »

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I have been heatedly reading all the things said by our silly Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney, from his Twitter updates to his public statements. Though I am usually not impassioned by politics, I feel he is a threat to one of Canada’s major selling points, and one of the only reasons I was brought to this country—DIVERSITY. Oh, and freedom of speech. I officially have a vendetta against Jason Kenney, and put him at number 1 on my list of people that make me cringe and gag. Number 2 is Katy Perry. Their names even share a similar ring. Read the rest of this entry »

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As some of you may’ve heard, I was interviewed by Dan Delmar Friday night on CJAD radio, in Montreal. I love the guy, we go way back to j-school days at Concordia University, studying journalism. I mean, we are very different from each other in many ways but I think ultimately we share a strong friendship. Read the rest of this entry »

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I have been in Winnipeg for the past few days, and finally had the chance to watch a movie from the Aboriginal Film Festival that opened here on the 19th of this month. With the booming native population in Canada, and Manitoba in particular, I thought this would be the ideal environment in which to catch a film pertaining to this huge, complex community.

I saw “Older Than America, “ a film based on true events surrounding the controversial residential school system for which North American governments and churches were once notorious. Set in a reserve town in Minnesota, the community is a mix of natives and settler Americans. The storyline surrounds the dreams and nightmares of the main character, Rain, who is witnessing her mother’s painful residential school experiences. She is also seeing spirits, whom she mistakes for ghosts at first. Having lived through a residential school upbringing and later being placed in a mental asylum, the mother cannot offer any answers to Rain. She comes head to head with her Aunt Apple for her involvement in committing her mother, and the lingering presence of Apple’s priest-friend in the shadows. The film offers uninhibited finger-pointing at the Catholic Church for its involvement in covering up residential school abuse and crimes. Rain must face and conquer the secrets of her mother’s past. She must seek out the meaning to her dreams and encounters, and eventually faces the same doom as her mother.  “Older Than America” promises stirring, dark images of abuse and overt racism. At the same time, it is not overdramatic and unrealistic. The film embraces the subtle nuances of native culture and spirituality, from impromptu community social circles in someone’s front yard, to forgiveness circles and sweat lodges.

This is a really important film for Canadians and Americans to watch. The fact that history books were teaching me indigenous peoples are savages, at least ten years ago, is reason enough. Canada and the US, in addition, have only grudgingly adhered to Indigenous Rights (in the most basic form) as evidenced by a “No” vote during proceedings for the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Human Rights last year. There is little notice or attention given to the indigenous experience. The term ‘residential schools’ is not clear to many North Americans today. We are very well-educated on major genocides everwhere else, of course, but I think it’s just as important that we become educated on a situation and community that is so close to home. It could spur a lot of necessary discource on why native people make up such a large number of homeless people on our streets. The fact that suicide is in abundance on reserves, with one quote stating tonight that Amnesty International believes the Native American suicide rate to be 6 times the national average, should be looked at more critically. I hear people scoff at native drug abuse, poverty, and laziness, without much understanding of the native struggles and oppression. When one Indian immigrant to Canada tried to remind me of this, I asked, how would you feel if your daughter was taken away from you to learn a different language and religion, and abhor all things you taught her?

This sort of experience is actually shared with those who have faced physical and  emotional abuse, as well as identity loss and transgenerational trauma that has carried on among indigenous communities today. During her Q & A following the film, lead actor and director Georgina Lightening referred to it as 500 years of genocide that has left a lasting effect. “Older than America” is an ideal introduction to the compleixities of the indigenous struggle, as well as the actual culture, though each differs according to community and tribe.

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While reading a Forbes article (via CBC) on attention span and 10 things that erode our attentive abilities, I found myself bombarded by advertisements that would not even let me read the whole article!

Talk about oxymorons!:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/15/short-attention-span-forbeslife-cx_avd_1015health_slide_4.html?thisSpeed=15000

It’s only been in the past few weeks that I’ve really come face to face with these methods of pop ups..they’re ads that are difficult to close and taunt you like a schoolyard bully waving his fist in your face.. seriously, these lingering ads have GOT to go cause I would rather go to an independent news site, I’d probably be safer there anyway!

I’m going to go try reading that article again once more..

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As one of my web entrepreneur friends put it, in terms of whether the public can weed through the garbage online and figure out where the truth lies,

“Generally speaking there is a 80 to 20 ratio on the Internet. 20% are intelligent and the 80% are computer illiterate. Thus they are idiots and will fall for any traps.”

It’s like today’s news media. How many people do I see feeding into every bit of the news, never researching their sources, never knowing how much spin there is in everything they’re digesting into their bloodstream?

One time, my aunt called me up, all gung-ho about putting her daughter into acting and modeling. Apparently, my cute and eager cousin was approached by a solicitor at a fair and told she should join their school and talent agency. The price would be upwards of $2000.00.

Seeing as I have a lot of performing experience, my aunt wanted my advice on whether the school is good or not, and whether her daughter was too young. Now, I’ve known fraud. When I was young, in pre-Google times, I researched fraud agencies myself, painstakingly following forums and links till I got to the core of a topic–only to discover I’d been approached by a fraudulent agency.

It’s much easier these days. I simply typed in the name of the performing arts school my aunt mentioned (I can’t remember it right now). The first link was the website of the company itself. The average web-user will click on this site and get buried in the content of the site, its testimonials, and registration page. I simply looked below the first link and came upon threads and comments revealing the company for all it was worth. I promptly called my aunt and told her that this was the case.

The thing is, not everyone will take the time or consider looking further in this manner.

Similarly, we read countless blogs on a topic, and think that because it’s written in blog-style and from a real, live person…that we’re not being tricked.

BLOGS ARE MARKETING TOOLS!!

i just had to say that out loud. it’s pounding in my head. where is quality writing?

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Due to a lack of time and perhaps valuable inspiration, I am posting this essay I wrote last year that I found while crying poverty…tee hee

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Four years ago, in 2003, one could enter Concordia University’s pub, Reggie’s, and be greeted by a barrage of cigarette smoke, wafts of beer-laced breath, and colourful political banter. With eyes ablaze, accents in tow, and historical references galore, students would engage in debate over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The exaggerated hand movements and raised voices were not confined to youthful idealism, but would continue into the dark cafes and greasy diners, where vegans, artists, and refugees still gather to analyze government conspiracies and plot intricate performances garnered toward the attention of the public. An evening out on the town could consist solely of people watching, and eavesdropping, in this case. The passion bred in these actors is not written from fiction or for the entertainment of the public.

Perhaps it’s Quebec’s history of activism that breeds such fervent political and social awareness. The Quiet Revolution, language issue disputes, and student riots on tuition freeze are just a handful of the movements performed by citizens in maintaining self-rule and the freedom of thought, with many of the demonstrations conducted during these times leaving their mark simply due to their theatrics. This mentality of bringing change to ones environment seems to rub off even on the newcomers to Montreal, and those in transit.

A protest, also known discreetly as a demonstration, is defined by Wikipedia.com as a “relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favour though more often opposed.”[i] The Wikipedia.com definition comes in handy solely because it is contributed to by those around the world who agree with its meaning, and protests have proven useful internationally. Rallies remain a means of expression and influence, for it is people and numbers that attempt roles as persuaders and changers of their environment. It involves direct action rather than promised action in the form of elected representatives and often-inconclusive legislation.

Montreal activists take demonstrations to all time creative highs, employing inexhaustible methods of performance and entertainment from all venues of art, technology, and traditional political maneuvers used in creating a bustle. There is no such thing as bad publicity is a common chant that rings through private meetings in activists’ living rooms. In the practices of German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, the suspension of disbelief is abhorred. It requires the surrender of the critical self to the entertained self, and forces the idea that something fictional is the truth. Surrendering to the suspension of disbelief opposes Brecht’s plan for the audience to defamiliarize themselves from the issue and look at it from a critical point of view[ii].

In the activist core, there is a distance between the victim and the sympathizer. The sympathizer is the activist. Though it is common for the person holding out flyers and marching with a poster to be directly affected by an issue, one aspect of Montreal’s political activism style is the tendency to defend an issue from a distance, and take on the role of saviour. This is due to the fact that the city hosts such diverse ethnic communities with roots and family in places with less autonomy. It is also aided by a large post-secondary student community that is mostly composed of youth from a more privileged upbringing.

In Brecht’s Epic Theatre, it is important to detach oneself as the actor from the topic. By retelling a true story in the form of a witness account, the audience is reminded that the performance is one created to educate and not to entertain[iii]. The clever thing about demonstrations and protests is that there is not as much necessity for the actors to break the tempting fourth wall. It is already understood by the public and viewers that the accounts they are witnessing, whether accompanied by theatrics or not, is in fact someone’s truth and opinion. The guerrilla aspect of taking the public unawares in an open setting allows for no opportunity to delve into suspended disbelief. Like Brecht’s use of alienation effects such as screens stating captions, performers in a street demonstration will hold up posters of propaganda and hand out flyers. The audience does not have to pay for a ticket to the show, and they do not sit in a theatre watching a stage. Real, live, unconventionally ready actors assail their viewers with ideas.

There are numerous similarities in the mannerisms of modern day Montreal activism and the methods utilized in Brechtian theatre. The alienation effect and breaking of the fourth wall are key in Brecht theatre and demonstrations[iv]. It allows for the audience to confront themselves with the truth of the matter. The techniques can backfire, though, when the public is exposed to advertised dramatics from an activist.

In 2005, for instance, Montreal writer and activist Yves Engler decided to call attention to the Canadian government’s involvement in the coup of Aristide, Haitian president, and training of Haitian police. At the Montreal Conference on Haiti, he approached the Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew with red paint, shouting “Pettigrew lies, Haitians die.” This hit national airwaves, while the basic link between the violent conduct of Haitian police and the RCMP was related back to Canada[v]. This sort of civil disobedience could lead to police intervention, but Engler later released two books and continued to write for the alternative press, along with the Globe and Mail.

This makes one wonder, is the message being set across to the public? True, it did reach national attention, and it did create a moment of confusion in a government setting on the contentious issue. But the question remains, will the public connect the dots? Pettigrew was not involved in a reenactment, and was not taking part in this exposé by choice. In this case, the theatric elements of the stage took precedence over the message behind it. It makes one cover their mouth with muffled laughter, but does it really create a stir to action? Pictures were taken of Pettigrew getting splashed with fake blood, but not enough was said about the reasoning behind it. The use of an object, here, is also uncommon from typical protests. The bare minimum is kept to in protests, with exceptions regarding posters and self-adornment. Messages are relayed via sound and visuals. This splashing of a prop, a fake blood, brings in a sort of dishonesty. It tarnishes the reputation of activism in that demonstrations typically speak the truth, and an unnecessary substance is being brought on the scene.

At the same time, there is an element of celebrity to these acts. Engler’s name has been all over the news, and his pictures have been seen in Montreal papers in regards to his arrests and suspension from Concordia University. In 2005, he released two books, one titled “Playing Left Wing: From Rink Rat to Student Radical”. The other was written about Canada and Haiti. “Playing Left Wing…” does raise some eyebrows, though. It outlines Engler’s switch from star hockey player in BC to star activist in Montreal. Born around approximately 1979, Engler offers a whole lot of aged understanding for a twenty-six year old. After his conversion from jock to radical, he was involved in the Netanyahu riot that took place at Concordia in 2001. Having been thereby kicked out, did Engler switch roles from one celebrity status to another? This is not to say that Engler isn’t truly interested in world affairs, and that he is an actor without a driving force beyond rebelling against the system. In “Playing Left Wing…” he admits that “…activism has required people who are willing to dream, to discuss and to act. Those who have done this have given humanity so much.[vi]” His ability to represent his beliefs is admirable. His ideals are strong, and for some, it’s just a matter of meeting their calling. It is important, though, to recognize the status given to the performers of activism.

Students and citizens are accustomed to raising their voices and making their message known. The outcome is often successful, and sometimes dramatic. The streets and public spaces become their stage. Elaborate sets are created and structures accompanied by poster propaganda are designed for viewers and passersby. The visual appeals of these assemblies draw crowds and interest, as questions and fascination with theatric elements such as makeup and costume create an audience.

Critical Mass is an international movement that began in 1992, in San Francisco. It is a gathering of bicyclists supporting the right to freedom of public space and the denunciation of cars, pollution, and automobile collisions[vii]. In the fall of 2006, Critical Mass Montreal organized a huge bike meet die-in for Car Free Day. A die-in is when protesters pretend to be dead in order to call attention to a problem. Footage of this event portrayed young people with torn clothing, pale powdered skin, and blood streaks across their face. This time, they were protesting the dangerous results of automobiles in their space. The streets were blocked off in the busy Rene Levesque and University area of downtown Montreal for a short period of time, and the actors lay down on the road while a man on a loudspeaker stood on a pedestal. These were not trained performers, but those who gathered monthly along with Critical Mass in solidarity with the movement.

The use of the body in the case of this Critical Mass performance is resourceful. It is not a risky space, in that the police have helped block off the roads for these rights of expression. It is in the practice of performing death and calling attention to a cause with such morbidity and realism. It’s not in the same style of Brecht or documentary makers, but it has its own advantages. It’s eye-catching, and personal, in that the victim of a car accident could be any of those bodies lying on the road. Some of the performers also chose to rest with their bodies frozen mid-action, entangled in their bikes. These tableaus, which included contorted faces, were moving and curious for the average person.

In Montreal, a typical Critical Mass callout is made for the last Friday of every month to cyclists and allies to take part. The number of people involved could reach a count beyond fifty. Police usually don’t interfere with the event, but keep a close watch. They are aware that the collective isn’t aiming towards anything hugely political. Certain forms of activism and protest are to make a statement rather than to invoke a serious change. Critical Mass is conscious that they will not force the withdrawal of technological forces from society, such as traffic lights and use of automobiles. It is simply to remind people to look at themselves more closely, and their rights.

In the performing arts, an actor is taught to dissect their script and character. The super-objective of the play and the minor objectives of the individual must be noted, as should the obstacles that prevent the character from receiving what they want. In a play, there are always things that stand in the way. It is this action that keeps the audience in tune with the events that take place onstage. Similarly, an activist or protest calls for a breakdown of a problem, and lay out on how to solve it. Some demonstrations are long-term efforts at swaying political or corporate entities, while others are enacted at the point of controversy.

There are certain issues that can surely be altered by narrowing in on the public, word for word. Besides the process of handing out flyers and yelling homemade chants, there is also the notion of direct persuasion. When attempting to change a government or corporation’s stance on an issue, it may involve gathering enough troops to write letters to a local MP. A huge goal of a demonstration is to garner numbers to take part in meetings and organizing. Existing members who’ve been involved in breaking down the problem and forming a plan of action will continue in public displays of embarrassment, which is sometimes all it takes to get the ball rolling. It forces a company or ministry of the government to appease the public when they start questioning loud and shameful claims made by protestors. These are also audience-interactive techniques that offer a closer look at our surroundings beyond the surface.

Since May 2007, the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) has been gathering in front of Chapters and Indigo bookstores in Montreal. The owners, Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz, are donors to Heseg, also known as the Lone Soldiers fund. This is a section of the Israel Defence Forces military, which has been deemed one of the main problems for Palestinians[viii]. It is not surprising that so many of the Middle Eastern discussions take place in Montreal, where the Canadian Jewish population is second only to Toronto[ix]. The Arab community is estimated around one hundred thousand people, and added to by the steady flow of French-speaking North African and international Arab students[x]. Though neither community can be grouped into opposing politics, it is these blurred lines that can spark the uprisings where the numbers are large enough to make a difference.

These demonstrations in front of such a huge chain of stores could be highly detrimental to the corporation’s revenue. Over the picketing period in front of the store, which numbers more than two hundred locations across Canada, CAIA members and supporters approached those entering the store to educate them on Israel’s wrongdoings. They would tell them not to enter the store and to not buy items from the store until the owners withdraw their funding from Heseg[xi]. This sort of aggression could be considered excessive, but it only takes place in certain circumstances. The use of the storefront as a space to get the message across is brilliant in that they manage to develop a gathering from people who are indirectly involved in the problem they are addressing. Their audience is built specifically of those who can affect the issue of the Israeli military’s funding. With a shopper’s disdain, the store would feel the heat eventually and have to change its behaviour.

A performer is not someone who takes a script, memorizes it, and rehearses for weeks on end. Nor is a performance simply a matter of inducing laughter, tears, or a brainwave of philosophical thoughts. There are those who perform to entertain, and others who perform to educate. These two facets are interchangeable, complementary, and can form a goulash with other theatrical elements. Demonstrations and protests have existed from as far back as the 16^th century, and that’s only if western historical forms of revolution are being looked at. These risky endeavours, where ones reputation, future, and self are on the line, are investments. They can lead to glory, recognition, and a name that draws immeasurable results on an Internet search engine. But they can also be a step towards change, a self-gratifying reminder that time has not gone wasted.

Activism and protests are often viewed as hippy dealings, and of no use. However, if it weren’t for the inspired and imaginative techniques used by those who took on such responsibilities, the rights we take for granted today would not be as accessible. Consistent analysis of what works on the public, and what doesn’t, has allowed for complex developments in performance methods and human relations. The ability and choice to question ones environment, to discuss the politics and human rights violations of a society, and to strike back at them, has not always been present. In fact, without the investments of activism and its commitment to the stage, there would be far less breathing room, and even less space to perform our own personal, daily acts.

http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/brecht/2758/Brecht.htm

[i] Wikipedia entry: PROTEST: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protest

[ii] Dawson, Jeffrey. Brecht. HSC Online. http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/brecht/2758/Brecht.htm

[iii] Dawson, Jeffrey. Brecht. HSC Online. http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/brecht/2758/Brecht.htm

[iv] Dawson, Jeffrey. Brecht. HSC Online. http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/brecht/2758/Brecht.htm

[v] 06/18/05. “Canada Acting Badly in Haiti, Protestor Claims”. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/06/18/pettigrew-painter050618.html

[vi] Engler, Yves. Excerpt from book, “Playing Left Wing: From Rink Rat to Radical”. Fernwood Publishing Co, 2006. Found in Rabble.ca, “In His Own Words: If we had no activism”. March 02, 2006.

[vii] Montreal Critical Mass Website. http://www.crasseux.com/criticalmass/

[viii] Eichner, Itamar. “Pro-Palestinian groups call for boycott of IDF donor”. Ynetnews.com. 05/15/07. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3400055,00.html

[ix] Statistics Canada 2001 Census http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo30b.htm

[x] Statistics Canada 2001 Census http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=462__&Geo2=PR&Code2=24&Data=Count&SearchText=montreal&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=

[xi] Fraser, Dylan. “Demonstrators throw the book at Chapters.” http://thelink.theorem.ca/view.php?aid=39197

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I’ve transferred a lot of my writing to a public blog.

Maybe this isn’t the best way to begin a new venture, but I figure I’ll lay my cards out from the start.

I’ve been writing blogs for years, hah, on those network sites most of the time for friends, and also on some official writing-only sites.

Now, however, I’ve ventured into this whole new territory of self-managed and terrifyingly public domains. It’s like New York City, but sharper skyscrapers.

There are a few points that have drawn me to this big bad blogging thing.

1. I am very involved in web industries (I will not specify to what extent for privacy reasons) and recognize the market potential in such a pastime, especially in light of my contact circle.

2. I write regardless of whether it’s public or private, paid or not. I will write till my eyes bleed and my hands writhe in arthritic fever, even from a box with blank walls. Those walls will be remarkable..

3. I have finally been wooed by the freedom of blogs. I cannot deal so much with corporate news. I read it, but with a grain of salt.

In all fairness, there are even corporate independents that I must not forget. I also take everything they write in their blogs with a grain of salt.

These are the multitude of writers who, when looked at closely, follow unethical practices. Hell, even from a distance, it’s obvious.

I will not name names…I really wouldn’t want to advertise them further…but they’re making a lot of money. They’re “affiliates”.

Sure, they have HUGE followings. And they have a lot of ads on their sites. However, one must ask, can they truly be trusted for what they say?

-often, popular and well-marketed blogs that are making thousands of dollars a month, will do a write up or review for a company. Are these objective, critical articles? Are these actually offering the truth, or is it just a press release that’s regurgitated on the blog of a respected writer?

-there are bloggers who have high traffic venues that may write truthful, creative, and original pieces. mingled between the lines or entries are also those blogs that will make them money–they’ve been recruited by marketing and advertising companies to produce articles on a product or service, for a price. These agencies have requested POSITIVE reviews. Seems a little self-contradicting, no? The average reader will not know which articles are sincere and which aren’t. The onus is on you to choose the right source.

-a lot of bloggers are also simply writing for the sake of keywords. Their stuff may be absolute B/S (sorry, I guess my vocabulary doesn’t go THAT far) , but they want the HITS so their ads will show impressions.

Now, what sets me apart from these people? LOL, I guess, you’re just going to have to trust my integrity. And I won’t write stuff I don’t mean.

Maybe I should tell you a bit about myself..

I am a bit of a journalist, by title..Trained, hired at times, usually self-employed and currently working as a performer. I won’t tell you what sort of performer!:-P Kidding~ anyways, the point is, I have very high expectations of journalistic ethics. I will do my best to uphold them, and if anyone catches me doing otherwise, I give you full permission to call me on it.

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when the fist hits the shove, there’s something amiss, those curbs aren’t so kind when you’re saying goodbye..can trust be resolved? i think not..

we were at dominion, and the man in front of us caused a bit of a stir. he had two identical mastercards, and he asked the lady to try both of them. he said this in a lisp accented by a tick..he was wearing a dirty previously white t-shirt with torn jeans that could not be seen below the counter. the woman shook her head and glanced at me looking for approval, but i hadn’t any. he nodded at me in apology, as she complained that she couldn’t try two cards and blah blah blah, noting the building line up and sole graveyard shift employment. i shrugged and tried to reassure him, ‘don’t worry about it,’ i threw in. i smiled coyly at the dyke couple not far behind and received a blank response. ok, fine. he paid, and walked away. so they didn’t sell cigarettes and i bought a pack of gum. in my head, i quipped up, well you shouldn’t be so cranky. if you’re not happy with your job, leave it and get a better one. or maybe you shouldn’t work the night shift.
i recallh a time at some retail clothing store, a washed out thirty-something fashion franchise manager…le chateau? stitches? sirens..she told off her coworker and i, i reprimanded her..only to be told to mind my own business.

these destructive cycles are really starting to get to me. i try to justify every penny and each one is ill-spent and worse-received.
i look for someone to blame, but each person in my midst is suffering.
i looked to blame the employee, but i could only smile weakly as i tried to understand.

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