Monthly Archives: February 2009

Iggy comes to Edmonton?

Alberta, Edmonton, Links, Media, Politics

Just in case no one knew (and I mean almost no one), Michael Ignatieff is coming to Edmonton, Alberta tomorrow. And apparently he’s already sold out.

Honestly. The Edmonton Journal reported only this afternoon that Michael Ignatieff is coming to the city within 24 hours. Even George W. Bush gave more almost a month’s warning that he’s coming to Calgary. But then again, he’s not really doing much now that he’s out of office. Ignatieff on the other hand has only been in his position for two months, and has been trying to recoup ground by his lost successor.

And you know what, by any indication, Iggy’s looking for a lot of votes in this province with his recent pro-Afghanistan and pro-tar sands stances:

The Liberal leader hinted that his party may not insist that Canada honour its pledge to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by 2011.

Ignatieff said that, while the industry needs cleaning up, “National Geographic is not going to teach me any lessons about the oilsands.”

Update: Lynda Steel reports on Twitter that Ignatieff turned down a 3-minute unedited interview on Global Edmonton. So much for reaching out to the average Albertan. (h/t @AB_get_rich and @lyndasteele).

Of course Jindal won’t monitor volcanoes…

Conservatives, Creationism, Politics, Religion, Science, USA

I purposefully avoided watching Bobby Jindal’s response to President Barack Obama’s speech yesterday, and from the sounds of it, I didn’t miss much.

Everyone (sciece or progressive oriented) seems to be upset that he blasted funding volcano monitoring programs, which have the potential to save hundreds of lives.

But people, think about it. This is a governor who thinks the Earth is 6,000 years old and wants it to be law that students in Louisiana have to learn that – of course he doesn’t want to monitor volcanoes.

And not just because it’s a science thing and Christians are afraid of science (that’s an untrue stereotype – creationists just bastardize it).

He would cut money to disaster detection (including hurricane detection) because it’s already clear to him and his fellow True believers what the cause of these disasters is.

God punishing America.

So why waste tax dollars on programs that clearly don’t address the root of the problem?

Instead of waiting for shit to happen, Jindal’s way is to appease God, through continued discrimination and prayers.

Then there’s lots of money left over to continue fighting endless wars and to give to that needy 5% that Obama isn’t giving tax breaks too (families making over $250,000 per year and big business deserve a break too, right? I’m sure they’ll let that break trickle down to the rest of the country).

Nevertheless, if 2012 does have Palin fighting Jindal for the Republican nod, it may actually bring about the end of the world (for Republicans at least).

Obama speech, as seen through my Twitter

Economics, Media, Politics, USA

@thzatheist

(Chronological)

  • About to watch Obama speech. Will live-tweet. Dion should take notes.
  • CBC coverage: “It’s like a speech from the throne without the throne”
  • Creationist Bobby Jindal to rebut after, sigh
  • Why isn’t #Obama in HD?
  • 5 minutes of straight clapping for #Obama, he actually wants to say something I think
  • “Survival depends on new energy sources” need health care reform
  • Republicans aren’t standing for stimulus becoming law
  • “Because nobody messes with Joe (Biden)”
  • auto/college/small business loans from Gov’t fund
  • Banks not getting string-free bailouts gets full standing ovation #Obama “Those days are over!”
  • US Budget priorities: Energy, Health Care, Education
  • “Market based cap on carbon emission” #Obama – different page than Harper
  • “The nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it” #Obama
  • Health care reform in the US this year
  • #Obama asks every American to get at least 1 year of post-secondary.
  • By 2020 US to have highest % college graduates.
  • Eliminating “no bid contracts” in Iraq
  • No tax increases for families making less than $250K
  • Tax cuts for 95% of families by April
  • “The USA Does Not Torture”
  • Had to end with the God Bless yous/ USA

Also, check out Recovery.Gov for updates on how he moves forward with his stimulus packages.

Overall, I’d say it was a good speech.

I was almost expecting at times that he’d call for a nationalized health care or nationalizing the banks, but then I remembered I was watching the president of the US.

And they’re off…

Elections, School

The 2009 University of Alberta Students’ Union Executive elections campaigns kicked off today. Already we’re inundated with countless posters, banners and tables of eager volunteers.

I’m relatively non-partisan in this election, and while I may have leanings at this point, I could be swayed any way in any of the elections. So throughout this campaign I’ll bring the latest views, news, and just plain ol’ gossip that I come across.

And so, since the Gateway doesn’t have any coverage up yet, and the SU likely won’t get its website updated for another week, I’m going to give initial impressions off what I’ve seen/heard so far.
Continue reading →

Edmonton to lose its Pride

Edmonton, Gay rights, Links, Media, Politics

According to the Edmonton Journal, the Edmonton Pride Centre has had it’s charitable status revoked by the federal government.

The centre says they only have a month or so of money left without charitable status and then they may be forced to close.

This is a terrible loss for the city, as a centre like this provides safety and information for Edmontonians, regardless of their sexual orientation.

But apparently the federal government didn’t like their predecessor the Gay and Lesbian Community Centre of Edmonton which closed in 2004 and spawned the Pride Centre.

Todd Babiak, who wrote the article, clearly has a soft spot for the place as the article blasts right-wing non-profits that continually appear partisan, including the Catholic Archdiocese of Calgary, The CD Howe Institute and Focus on the Family. He also gives us a personal look into the facility.

He does say that, “No one is suggesting that the Roman Catholic diocese of Calgary should lose its status as a registered charity.” And here I would have to disagree with you Todd. It should lose its status, along with all other churches, mosques, synagogues, and even atheist organizations. Only groups that are truly non-partisan and reach out to better the community (as their sole goal) deserve the government endorsement of issuing tax receipts.

Nevertheless, this is unfortunate news for the city, and here’s to hoping that something new can fill the void that this centre will leave.

You call that journalism?

Atheism, Edmonton, Links, Media, Religion, Secularism, UofA Atheists and Agnostics

Edmonton Journal FAIL

You don’t even need to know the back story of this article to realize how shotty this journalism is. All we need to do is actually read it and see what the journalist is trying to do:

Free speech at stake: group

Edmonton Transit won’t carry ads by atheist organization

An atheist group running bus ads that declare there probably isn’t a God says Edmonton Transit is blocking free speech because it doesn’t want to carry their messages.

No “atheist group” says that in the entire article anywhere.

“The request has just gone to them, but (based on) earlier discussions with them, I don’t think this would go … on our property,” [ETS business development director Pat Waisman] said.

“We did talk [to Pattison Outdoors, the company that runs advertisements in Edmonton] and they said, ‘We sell products, not personal opinion.’

“We said, ‘Yes, we continue to support you in your decision.’ “

Well that’s hearsay. Let’s actually go to Pattison to see what they said:

Brian de Ruiter, Pattison’s vice-president and general manager for the Western region, said Friday the group hasn’t asked to put up ads in Edmonton.

In principle, he doesn’t object to campaigns in which enough space is purchased — probably at least $8,000 to $15,000 worth — to make them legitimate, but said many advocacy groups try to spend a minimum amount in hopes of attracting media coverage.

This sort of controversy can swamp his office with hundreds of calls and e-mails, and isn’t worth the disruption, he said.

“For us, the first thing is, is it advocacy or is it advertising?

“Are we being taken advantage of with the goal of creating a media stunt?” [emphasis added]

So Pattison “doesn’t object” to the ads, but someone made a quick statement at ETS saying what they thought Pattison’s position was – and this constitutes a story?

I’m glad they cut my interview from this tripe.

The journalist then grabs some quotes from Justin Trottier (who heads the Freethought Association of Canada and the Atheist Bus Campaign) and councillor Ben Henderson. Both argue that it’s a free speech issue, Henderson suggests a look at all the city’s policies as he’s received complaints about the rampant “anti-abortion” (the words the Journal uses) ads in the city.

So it seems to me that all we have here is a reporter who’s trying to make a story appear out of thin air. It must be a slow news day.

Well, maybe atheist bus ads in Edmonton

Atheism, Edmonton, Humanism, Media, Religion, Secularism, UofA Atheists and Agnostics

So it wasn’t too clear to me yesterday what was going on with atheist ads in Edmonton. But I’ve figured everything out now.

Basically, the Journal reporter had heard from Pattison (who run the ads in Edmonton) that they don’t do advocacy ads for media stunts. He then called me to see if we (the UAAA) would get all angsty and protest. I told him I’d look into the issue and see what our members thought.

I guess the noncommital response didn’t warrant a story (rightly so), but I still needed to sniff around.

It turns out that Pattison’s real response is that their VP doesn’t like his company being used for media stunts. If we were to do an ad campaign in Edmonton (which is a potential now), it would have to be a real campaign. He is really opposed to the idea of running a lone cheap ad just so some group can get free media press in the local news.

So with all that sorted out, I can now difinitevely say that the “No God” ads are not banned in Edmonton, and may potentially run.

I’ve also put a vote out to the Edmonton Atheists and UAAA on which slogan they’d rather see:

  • Humanist Canada‘s “You can be good without God.”
  • Freethought Association of Canada “There is probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
  • No atheist ads

Results will be in in one weeks time, and then we’ll see what will (or won’t) be seen on Edmonton transit in the near future.

Of course the ads have been banned in Halifax, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna, so those struggles continue.

National Hockey Day, really Linda?

Edmonton, Media, NDP, Politics

Private member’s bills are rare, especially from Edmonton-Strathcona, which until recently boasted one of Canada’s laziest MPs.

But a “National Hockey Day?”

That’s what our NDP representative Linda Duncan wants to propose on Monday.

The Globe and Mail thinks she might be trying to court “the hockey-mad leader of another party…Prime Minister Stephen Harper.” And that would be interesting. A private-member NDP bill, seconded by the Conservative PM who promises to work on his cooperation skills.

Nevertheless, there still seems like bigger issues that should be put forward in parliament.

Hopefully, this is a game-winner for her and wins over the strategic hockey-mom vote in the future, otherwise it might be a sad turnover that leads to a short-handed goal for the opposition.

(h/t: @AB_get_rich)

No no god ads in Edmonton…

Alberta, Atheism, Edmonton, Religion, Secularism, UofA Atheists and Agnostics

I will update more on this later, but for now it seems the Freethought Association of Canada put feelers out to see if Edmonton’s bus advertising agency (Pattison, who also manage all billboards in the city) would allow atheist bus ads.

Pattison apparently replied (as I learned from an interview I just did with the Edmonton Journal) that they don’t run ads of this sort and tend to stick to ads that sell a product.

This is garbage however, as there are countless anti-abortion ads around the city and several church ads.

As I said, I’ll write more later (likely tomorrow), and I’m going to do some recon with my camera phone tonight and see what ads I can find. Tomorrow there should be an Edmonton Journal article on this, so we’ll have a bit more investigation and quotes to use anyways (I said that we haven’t formulated a response and that I’m going to get feedback from my members first).

We had no real plans in Edmonton to run atheist ads, but with this news I’ve already found out most of my group is riled up over the double standard.

And here I thought with the convocation issue closed that we could get a bit of a break in Edmonton. I guess atheism is in the spotlight again.

(It’s also worth noting that Calgary will be running the ads in the next few months).