62 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  1. I’m going to open the tips with not so much of a tip as a personal request to SDA regulars: Even if you never watch the CBC news, *please* watch the first five minutes of tonight’s National. Just to get an idea.

  2. “(British) broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has ruled that comments by the presenters of Top Gear, at the expense of ‘lazy, feckless’ Mexicans, were ‘justified by the context.'”
    Presenter Richard Hammond had said –
    “‘Why would you want a Mexican car? ‘Cos cars reflect national characteristics, don’t they? So German cars are very well-built and ruthlessly efficient, Italian cars are a bit flamboyant and quick. Mexican cars are just going to be a lazy, feckless, flatulent oaf with a moustache, leaning against a fence, asleep, looking at a cactus, with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.’
    “May went on to describe Mexican nosh as ‘like sick with cheese on it’, while Clarkson suggested the Mexican embassy wouldn’t complain because the ambassador would be slumped asleep in the chair with the remote control.”
    (…)
    “The watchdog noted that Top Gear is ‘well-known for its irreverent style and sometimes outspoken humour’ and that it ‘frequently uses national stereotypes as a comedic trope and that there were few, if any, nationalities that had not at some point been the subject of the presenters’ mockery’.
    Given the audience’s likely familiarity with the presenters’ ‘mocking, playground-style humour’, Ofcom suggested the majority of viewers ‘would therefore be likely to have understood that the comments were being made for comic effect.'”
    h/t

  5. Via Alberta Aardvark, here’s Liberal MP Alexandra Mendes in the HOC:

    “We do not need stealth airplanes. Canada is a peaceful country. We certainly do not need those kinds of planes.“

  8. May’s promise to the CBC is so out-to-lunch,words fail me! Talk about elitism!
    Of ALL the problems this Country has,the Green Witch of the East figures throwing a few hundred million to the Canadian Amateur Broadcasting Corporation is one of the first orders of business.
    Lizzie,you are going to get SUCH a sh**kicking at the polls when you run out here.

  10. EBD — I looked at the opener on the National. I wish I had not. It reminds me of all those phony scandals that I am so sick of hearing about.

  11. I watched the first minute of the National, that’s about all I could tolerate. The CBC is going ballistic with this nonsense. I’m starting to wonder if Harper should speak out about the CBC unofficial campaign machine.
    I had lunch with a recent immigrant today, and out of the blue he started talking about CBC bias. He didn’t even know who Harper was, but said that the CBC sure likes Ignatieff and is always attacking that “other guy” (Harper). He said that he can’t believe that this is allowed in Canada, that he recognized it immediately for what it was because back home it was the same nonsense with government propaganda, etc. The CBC may think these tactics are helping, but they aren’t. All they are doing is preaching to their leftist choir while losing tonnes of undecided voters. People without very good grasp of English are even picking up on the CBCs criminality.
    Civil servants attempting to usurp free and fair elections is called corruption.
    Conservative
    Bashing
    Campaign

  12. Lytton Strachey lives…
    Selected excerpts from Andrew Roberts’ WSJ review of “Great Soul”, a biography of Mahatma Gandhi:
    “Although Gandhi’s nonviolence made him an icon to the American civil-rights movement, Mr. Lelyveld shows how ­implacably racist he was toward the blacks of South Africa. ‘We were then marched off to a prison intended for Kaffirs,’ Gandhi complained during one of his campaigns for the rights of ­Indians settled there. ‘We could understand not being classed with whites, but to be placed on the same level as the ­Natives seemed too much to put up with. Kaffirs are as a rule uncivilized—the convicts even more so. They are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals.'”
    Erm, moving on…
    “…as Mr. Lelyveld makes abundantly clear, Gandhi’s organ probably only rarely became aroused with his naked young ladies, because the love of his life was a German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder, Hermann Kallenbach, for whom Gandhi left his wife in 1908. ‘Your portrait (the only one) stands on my mantelpiece in my bedroom,’ he wrote to Kallenbach. ‘The mantelpiece is opposite to the bed.’ For some ­reason, cotton wool and Vaseline were ‘a constant reminder’ of Kallenbach, which Mr. Lelyveld believes might ­relate to the enemas Gandhi gave ­himself, although there could be other, less generous, explanations.”
    Mr. ‘Inalienable rights of all mankind‘:
    “Gandhi was willing to stand up for the Untouchables, just not at the ­crucial moment when they were ­demanding the right to pray in temples in 1924-25. He was worried about alienating high-caste Hindus. ‘Would you teach the Gospel to a cow?’ he asked a visiting missionary in 1936. ‘Well, some of the Untouchables are worse than cows in their understanding…”

  13. General Sir Charles Napier the guy who said:
    “You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; [then] beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”
    If the English speaking peoples were still made of the same stuff as in Napier’s day, we wouldn’t have an Afghan problem or a Middle East problem or a terrorist problem….

  14. “Conservative Bashing Campaign” is apt, madmax; the CBC is *literally* campaigning on behalf of the Liberals.
    Appalling. Milewski, Mansbridge, and the producers at the CBC are frauds.
    Words fail.

  17. After 5 minutes of CBC I switched to CTV & watched Roger Smith repeat essentially the same line. It was as if both networks had the same muse… pure coincidence no doubt.

  18. I’ve registered my complaint about CBC’s political bias with the CBC ombudsman. did you?
    If you complain in writing they have to act. If people don’t formally complain then it’s just heresay.
    The Ombudsman answers to the government not the CBC. Give them the ammunition to do their job.

  19. More Dreck from the Globe and Mail:
    “Tories accused of following Tea Partier’s script in new ad”
    But Paul from CAW auto workers voice of Reason made a great find: An Iggy ad about his mother dying of Alzheimer’s that is basically completely lifted from a Barack Obama talking about his mother dying of cancer. The even open with the same phrase…”My mother died of ….” and both show pictures of the politician with their Mothers, then cut to the politician speaking directly to the Camera. If it’s not considered plagiarism, I don’t know what is. I also wrote a commentary on it at.UT (sorry for the self promotion)

  20. jaggedbird at 10:14 PM,that poll stands at:
    Yes – 12%
    No – 24%
    CBC doesn’t deserve any tax dollars – 64%
    Whoopie!!

  22. M.Peltier at 11:28 PM, complaining to the CBC is pointless. They are well practiced at circling the wagons. The thing to do is complain to your MP. We should start one of those “stronger than American beer” parties.

  23. Ron (11:24): funny how that works, eh? My local (Edmonton) CTV suppertime news broadcast (btw, the actual “locals” – the anchor-people, who are great, have no say in it) also carried that ultimately insignificant incident as *the* campaign story of the day.
    Why, it’s almost as if the Liberals, who are trying desperately to re-seize votes in the immigrant community, are in direct communication with in-the-tank OPG “reporters” and producers, who in turn promote the Liberals’ campaign-strategy narrative in a highly-coordinated way.
    I could see the “incident “as a highly trivial sidebar – maybe – late in a three-hour broadcast, but to breathlessly intone at the top of the hour for *FIVE MINUTES* in a one-hour taxpayer-funded broadcast that this is a “scandal” is corrupt, and, in journalistic terms, utterly fraudulent. It’s sickening.
    Milewski is a fraud and a scumbag, and so is Mansbridge. They shouldn’t be on air; their coverage is corrupt and partisan to the nth degree. Why on earth does the CBC continue to receive well over *one thousand million* dollars a year out of general revenue?
    What kills me about the CBC opening report – again, *five* full minutes – is that this truly trivial little “incident” – a petty complaint by some woman who couldn’t get into a Stephen Harper campaign stop, and who happens to be from the immigrant community (*cough cough*) – was portrayed at length as THE big story of the day in this election campaign.
    I hope and assume that members of the immigrant community will be able to see through this pandering, partisan, condescending fraudulence that’s being perpetrated on behalf of a political tribe whose only real concern is getting their hands back on taxpayer funds – which only incidentally includes immigrants’ taxes.
    I am incapable of coming up with adjectives to sufficiently describe just how partisan and corrupt the CBC is. CBC’s news division really, really needs to be shut down once and for all. They’re anti-democratic, entirely dishonest about their motives and their connections to the LPC, and entirely *corrupt*. As a (massively) taxpayer-funded LPC propaganda machine, they’re a blight on the democratic process in this country.
    Gah.

  26. Dave Barry, on his attempt to take up jai alai:
    “The Basques played with a rock, but in modern jai alai the players use a ‘pelota,’ which is Spanish for ‘a ball that is even harder than a rock.’ Players use a ‘cesta,’ or curved basket, to throw the pelota against a ‘wall,’ or wall, at speeds that can exceed 180 m.p.h., and when the ball comes whizzing back, the opposing player must try, using anticipation, skill and timing, to maintain control of his sphincter. At least that was my goal.”

  27. While we are on the subject of “possible” bias at the CBC,for your perusal. My apologies if this has been already posted.

    The CBC’s voter compass has a ‘Sujeetha Moorthy’ listed as a research assistant.

    http://federal.votecompass.ca/colophon/

    The Toronto Sun ran an article that was critical of the CBC’s voter tool. One of the comments was –

    “omg..why can’t you all get the point straight! we are all born liberals! we just don’t accept it! as human , we don’t know who we really are and what we really want! ( thats what liberal is all about)!!! lossers!! and also i can say that if cbc is having a liberal point of view in everything..then toronto sun is conservative!!!”

    This poorly written and misspelled comment was submitted by ‘Sujeetha Moorthy’.

    http://www.torontosun.com/news/decision2011/2011/03/29/17798836.html?comments_page=2&id=17798836

    I’d bet my last dollar and yours too, that this is the one and same person. The commenter is a U of T student and is linked to her facebook page. I don’t do the social media thing or else I would be taking a long look at this woman’s pages there. Possibly she has said something that would be embarrassing to a certain party and their propaganda machine.
    BTW, will the CBC ever mention Pablo (WTF are people doing parking on the street) Rodriguez’s little encounter with the courts?

  28. Following on from my previous entry, here is an interview with the lady:
    http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=69662
    The funniest line is the following:
    “iOTW- What do you think of General Petraeus and his assertion that inciting Islam puts our soldiers in harm’s way?
    Ann – I have an offer for General Petraeus. I’ll GIVE him one of my balls. Then I’d still have two, and he would have one. He is a politicking coward who cares only about his pension and cashing in on his rank after he retires. ”

  30. My previous entry did not (yet) get posted, so my posts are out of order. Sorry about that.

  31. This is too easy. I picked another research assistant that worked on the CBC’s voter compass. This young lady ‘Julia Varshavska’ belongs to the UTSC Young Liberals.

    http://twitter.com/UTSCLiberals?max_id=55001913019744257&page=2&twttr=true

    Tomorrow,if I have the time I will take on the daunting task to find a conservative supporter that worked on the “VOTE COMPASS”. Here is the list,once again,if anyone else wants to tackle it.

    http://federal.votecompass.ca/colophon/

  32. EBD, that’s nothing. I raise you Canada’s very own Paul Anka in his live version of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Five Feet of Fury posted the vid accompanied by demands for money and a threat to leave it up. As luck would have it my PayPal donation cleared that day and she made the evil thing go away at my request. And yet… I can’t get it out of my head; and if God is angry with you, you never will be able to either.
    “A mosquito! My libido!”

  33. EBD, that’s nothing. I raise you Canada’s very own Paul Anka in his live version of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Five Feet of Fury posted the vid accompanied by demands for money and a threat to leave it up. As luck would have it my Pay Pal donation cleared that day and she made the evil thing go away at my request. And yet… I can’t get it out of my head; and if God is angry with you, you never will be able to either.
    “A mosquito! My lib*do!”

  39. EBD
    I watched that more than once (as masochistic as that is)…
    Some thoughts:
    The stage opens with a fashionably clad headscarf model declaring..
    “It really made me feel”
    Peter Pansbridge narrates..
    ” Are you feeling shut out of this election campaign”?
    Me: Just guessing here, but the narrative may be feelings focused.
    Cut to Terry Melewski at a Parti-Quobecois Rally.
    …innocent headscarf gal has been terribly treated…
    She once again intones…”It makes me feel..”
    Cut to The Count:
    ..Background check…
    Watch the background.
    Cards are cheap…
    Cut to Greg Weston and Pansbridge…
    I will give them this, they’re pedaling hard.

  42. I voted for “CBC doesn’t deserve any tax dollars”, now at 65% of 3000+ votes. I don’t believe in “vote early, vote often”, though. Once is enough. Otherwise I might be tempted to read some of the “news” on the page.

  45. ROGERS WON’T BE CARRYING SUN NEWS NETWORK (SNN)
    Surprise! Surprise!
    Partial Rogers e-mail response to my request that they carry SNN:
    At this time, Rogers does not have plans to launch the Sun News Network. Rogers does its best to package and launch services that offer the best value to its customers.
    ” … the best value to its customers”?? What BS. Carrying SNN would be a shrewd business move on Rogers’ part, aside from supporting freedom of expression in Canada.
    They don’t seem to care. ‘Probably friends of Peggy Atwood and George Soros.

  46. – a petty complaint by some woman who couldn’t get into a Stephen Harper campaign stop, and who happens to be from the immigrant community (*cough cough*) – was portrayed at length as THE big story of the day in this election campaign.
    Posted by EBD @ 11:57pm
    I still contend that this is the same person that was the recipient of Ann Coulter’s “take a camel” comment at UWO a year or two ago. I was in attendance and witnessed the entire thing. It was obvious she was a plant, there for the whole purpose of disturbing the &h1T.
    Just another set-up.

  47. Louise: About CBC bias, “The thing to do is complain to your MP.”
    What if your MP’s Olivia Chow? 🙁

  48. Rogers will not offer Sun News!
    SDA readers posted earlier that Bell TV would not offer Sun News. I got an answer from Rogers TV yesterday and am furious:
    “We regret to inform you that we [Rogers Cable] are unable to currently confirm if we will be offering Sun News Network in the future at this time. You may keep an eye on our website for updates on this. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.”
    Unable my ass.

  49. This email from Shaw – Funny, I was going to cancel and go with Rogers, but looks like I will have to reconsider:
    “We certainly do value customer feedback. We are currently in negotiations to acquire this channel. We have not heard if or when we will be getting it but I assume we are aiming for the launch date of April 18, 2011. Check out http://www.facebook.com/shawdirectsatellite or http://www.twitter.com/shawdirect_news for updates”
    Thank you,
    Jessica
    Business Support – Social Media
    SHAW) Direct – 100% Digital Satellite TV
    Suite 100, 2400 – 32nd Avenue NE Calgary, AB T2E 9A7
    Phone: 1.888.554.7827 Fax: 1.800.872.8219

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