I think I’ve found the key to my rage

I came to a startling realization the other day – I have no means of escape from reality. I used to count on films and music, but my DVD collection is mostly comprised of leftie documentaries and the bulk of the music I listen to is angry, political punk rock.
So yesterday I went on a DVD bender (fuck it, my birthday’s coming up, I deserve a treat) and what did I buy? Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism and Hotel Rwanda. Yea, those’ll help subdue my rage. Luckily I also bought The Incredibles, so Jack-Jack can make me a better person.

O.K. seriously, this isn’t funny anymore
I actually had to go to the DND website today to confirm that Canada did in fact commit soldiers to Sudan. They did, it’s here. Honestly, how is this story being overlooked? The Globe and Post both ran follow-up pieces on the donor conference in Oslo, but since they both used a Reuters wire story, they both missed the Canadian angle yet again.
This is insane. The situation in Sudan gets limited coverage at best, but when it does, it’s usually in the form of an opinion piece from an obscure academic or a columnist with a fleeting interest in the continent writing about the lack of Canadian action in the country. Now we have action and only the Toronto Star sees fit to report on it.
I know 31 soldiers doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you put it in context (you catching this, mainstream media?), it will be the fourth-largest overseas deployment for Canada, after Operation Athena in Afghanistan and UN missions in Bosnia and the Golan Heights. As of Feb. 25, 2005, Canada had 1,567 soldiers stationed abroad, the addition of 31 more to that number is pretty significant. It’s all right here.
There, see how easy that was? Context, the lost art of Canadian journalism.

Election Redux
You know what? Call the election. Call it now. Just fucking call it. The cycle has already begun, and the media spiral is just going to keep going. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Media decides an election might be called, newspapers commission polls, newspapers report on polls, politicians comment on the media-sponsored polls, newspapers report on comments, newspapers commission more polls, politicians comment and it doesn’t stop until the election.
I’m sick of all this. Columnists saying nobody really wants an election, politicians saying nobody really wants an election. . . you’re all fucking liars. The media love elections, they get to ride on campaign buses and come up with fancy graphics – it’s their bread and butter. The Conservatives want an election because they think they can win. The NDP wants an election because it thinks it can get more seats. The Bloc wants an election because they can probably sweep Quebec on the heels of the Gomery inquiry. The only people who don’t want an election are the Liberals.
Just do it. Call the damn election and get it over with. Because those of us who have to drag our sorry asses out of bed at 4 a.m. to analyze all this speculatory bullshit are tired of it all.

Border Bullshit v2.0
So the Post ran a little story today on A6 quoting Peter MacKay quoting the congressman who was quoted in the Post. You follow all that? The Post generated a controversy all on their own, and are now reporting on it. My favourite part, though, has to be the little quote buried at the end of the story from McLellan’s parliamentary secretary. “We are not going to get involved in the context of the comments from customs officers in the middle of labour negotiations.” Interesting, there are labour negotiations going on. You think maybe the leaked testimony to the Senate committee was a bargaining ploy by border guards? Way to go Post, you spun their side for them, gave them legitimacy by quoting some “cotton-pickin'” congressman and then, ooops, admitted your bias.

There, a short and sweet one for all you megalomedia fans, I have a breakfast date I gotta run to.