1 LOCK ‘EM UP AND TO HELL WITH THEM The government’s brainless “tough on crime” jail-building nonsense doesn’t do enough to rehabilitate criminals. Since they eventually leave jail, one might think rehabilitation would be a good idea that would make us all safer. appalling!
2 DON’T LOOK HERE FOR SYMPATHY A dedicated, long-time Saskatoon environmental activist has been found guilty of not filling out the long-form census. I agree with Sandra Finley that it’s absolutely disgusting that our census collection was privatized and the gig given to Lockheed Martin — it’s just fucking sick. The Canadian arms of U.S. defence contractors shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near specific Canadians’ personal information. But to attempt to sabotage the census by refusing to fill out the long form — which is needed by businesses, academics and public policy people to plan for the future — not okay. We’re not just a collection of individuals, we’re a society and we’re all in this together. And we all have a right to a general understanding of what we look like as a society. Finlay’s personal discomfort and misplaced integrity is not bigger than all of us.
3 SPEAKING OF PRIVATIZATION AFFECTING NATIONAL SECURITY The Union Of National Defence Employees says there’s no room for privately-contracted security guards and tech support workers in the Communications Security Establishment Canada, a secretive surveillance agency.
4 STALKER ARRESTED The disturbed individual convicted of stalking a Regina woman for three decades – -this is the guy who was banished from the city — is in custody after violating the terms of his bail. He didn’t tell the police he’d changed his address.
5 TUNISIA’S PRESIDENT FIRES THE GOVERNMENT, RIOTS ENSUE Well this doesn’t sound very good.
6 BITE IT, CRTCCBSC Two Canadian radio stations will play the uncensored version of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” on repeat for an hour to protest the CRTC’sCanadian Broadcast Standards Council’s inane decision to censor the full version of the song. Three points: 1.) there are elements of an attention-grabbing stunt in this protest, and it’s maybe a little tasteless and self-serving. But then again, I fucking hate this mindless censorship so I support it. 2.) I don’t have a problem with there being a censored version of this song. When the song was new, it was the censored version that usually got played on radio and on TV shows like Video Hits (yes, I’m damned old). Since that’s been common practice, why make a fuss when some stations occasionally play the full version? 3.) One line in the song is… “Money for nothing and the chicks for free”. I didn’t realize gay men liked sleeping with women. Oh wait–maybe this word, which, yes, is a hateful slur against gays, isn’t about gays in this context? The lyrics aren’t “Money for nothing and I hate faggots”. The song is about a blue-collar schlub who uses bigoted language in an arguably kind of funny, ranty way. The CRTCCBSC clearly does not understand the content of the song. They heard one bad word and flipped. Fucking idiots.