Sign the petition: Hands off our CBC

Only you can stop devastating Conservative cuts to our cherished public broadcaster

The Conservative government has begun a campaign against the CBC. 

Consider this pattern of behavior. 

It starts with a broken promise:

Heritage Minister James Moore recently announced upcoming cuts of up to $110 Million to the CBC.

This is completely contrary to the promises he made prior to the election. “We made a simple, specific promise to Canadians in the last election to maintain or increase funding to the CBC,” Mr. Moore said in February. It didn’t take him long to break his promise to Canadians. Last month he announced a 5% cut to CBC’s budget, this month he is announcing it’s 10%. Who knows how much further Harper’s Conservatives will go.

Click here to sign the petition!

 

Elizabeth May barred from televised debates, AGAIN!

Elizabeth May has been denied entry into the televised leaders’ debates.

Instead of speaking up to defend true democracy, other party leaders seem relieved—perhaps due to the glowing reviews Elizabeth received after her first appearance in the 2008 debates.

What kind of democracy excludes a party with the support of one million of its citizens?

What kind of democracy allows a handful of TV executives to decide that a party that only runs candidates in one province has more right to be in a national leaders’ debate than a party with candidates in every riding?

In the last election, your voices won Elizabeth her rightful place in the debates. We can’t believe that we have to ask you to rally on her behalf yet again. But we do.

Here’s what you can do:

• Vote in CBC’s poll on whether Elizabeth should be invited to the leaders’ debates
• Donate to support Elizabeth’s battle for inclusion
• Sign our petition
• Send a text message to the Chair of the Media Consortium, Mr. Troy Reeb of Global TV on his cell phone at 647-261-3752
• Email the news directors of consortium members CBC, CTV, Global, TVA
• Email party leaders Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, Michael Ignatieff and Gilles Duceppe
• Forward this message to your friends and family

With your help, Elizabeth will show Canadians why Greens belong in the House of Commons. And why there’s no debate that she belongs in the debates.
Thank you for taking part in our fight for true democracy in Canada.

Rufus Wainwright Christmas for Atheists

Corrie Crazy On CBC

A while ago I told you about the CBC visit to record a segment of Corrie Crazy. Well, tonight is the night!
Tonight is the CBC presentation of 'Corrie Crazy: Canada Loves Coronation Street'. The producers of the show visited our home a few months ago to record a segment. I hope you will tune in tonight at 8pm to CBC to watch.

Dead tired in Vienna

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Today we walked around Vienna, had a beer at a cafe and took lots of pictures. By mid-afternoon we were both exhausted. Our travelling had caught up with us. We headed back to the hotel, got some beer and stayed in and watched BBC Entertainment and rested. And as the CBC news loves to say; "There was a Canadian Connection". I watched my first ever episode of 'Casualty' and was tickled to hear a reference to the iconic Canadian CTV show "The Littlest Hobo". 

Love this post? Hate it? Leave your comment or reaction below.

Green Party Deputy Leader Georges Laraques on Battle of the Blades

Georges Laraques, Deputy Leader of Green Party of Canada teams up with Anabelle Langlois, world class pairs figure skater, in Season 2 of CBC’s Battle of the Blades (http://www.cbc.ca/battle). The show partners former NHL players with accomplished, internationally known figure skaters and challenges the duos to take the ice for a live, choreographed ice dancing routine after a week of preparation.

Show support for Deputy Leader, Georges Laraques! Tune in to watch the show, VOTE for Georges and remind your friends to do the same --remember, it's you who will have the ability to save Georges from elimination. The longer Georges is in the longer he can spread the message about the Green Party. PLUS if Georges and Anabelle win, a $100,000 donation will be made to Georges’ charity of choice – Victims of the Haiti Earthquake.

Canadians can vote in each voting period which is after every Sunday performance show from 7 pm ET to 2 am ET. The first vote is on Sunday October 3rd and there is another vote every Sunday until the final vote on Sunday November 21st. 

To VOTE for Georges and Anabelle call 1.877.844.8157. You can also send a text message from your cell phone: text 57 to 777111.

Watch Battle of the Blades on CBC TV Sunday nights at 8 pm ET LIVE.

Corrie Crazy

Update: The show has now aired and is available online here.

Tonight we had a very fun time participating in the documentary currently being filmed by the CBC. Corrie Crazy will air on CBC on December 9, 2010 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the British soap opera Coronation Street.  

SPOILER: The above icon links to the ITV Coronation Street Site.

 The CBC crew setting up. Me on the right in the black t-shirt.

My good friend "Muffin" set this all up so myself, David, Andrew and Darren had pizza, beer and watched Coronation Street in the climate controlled comfort of our living room in downtown Toronto with a great CBC crew. We talked Corrie, discussed our favourite characters and storylines and ranted about the characters we love to hate (Sally Webster).

Of course as true Corrie fans we also bitched about the:

totally

unnecessary and ridiculous

   9 month delay

from the original ITV air dates!

   DO YOU HEAR ME CBC?

 I SAY,

DO YOU HEAR ME?

 (Fred Elliot reference)

Okay, I've said my piece about that.... So, I did a Google search for "Corrie Crazy" and found this post from the Coronation Street Blog (SPOILER SITE, BE CAREFUL!)

(Side note to Coronation Street Blog: you could make it clear that you are a spoiler site... bad karma is now headed your way, and deservedly so now that I know something I didn't want to know about Fiona Brown!)

When all was said and done we had a great evening and are eagerly awaiting the airing of Corrie Crazy in December. I also strategically wore my Greenpeace Tar Sands t-shirt, which I'm hoping will make the cut and be seen by tens of people across the country.  

Editors Note: The preceding sentence make this entire post relevant to this blog.

And I'd like to end this post with a great big THANK YOU to Corrie Canuck for their dedication, non-spoilerism and filling in of the blanks when it comes to obscure Corrie references and truly heavy northern accents, yes I mean you Sophie Webster!

Corrie Canuck, your hard work is appreciated and enjoyed by hundreds, if not thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Canadian Coronation Street fans!

  Here's a couple of pictures from tonight;

 Terry & the CBC Crew. Oh, and Muffin in the foreground and of course Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II in the background (inspired by Jack and Vera).

Muffin writing on the Bhudda Board

CBC News - World - Delegates in Denmark for climate summit

CBC News - World - Delegates in Denmark for climate summit

CBC Building, Front Street, Toronto

 

Click the image to view full size.

Help support the Daye... click an ad on this site! 

Fiat CEO gives ultimatum to Chrysler

A published report on Wednesday says Chrysler may be left to fend for itself in bankruptcy court.

Sergio Marchionne, the head of Italian automaker Fiat, told the Globe and Mail that Chrysler has until the end of this month to substantially cut its labour costs as a condition of forming a partnership. Full Story

This should come as no surprise. What will come as a surprise would be to see the union actually do something sensible and advise auto workers to take a drastic pay cut and get involved in the cost savings if they want to keep their jobs. 

If you read some of the comments at the original CBC story, or any related story you will quickly see that the public is not on the side of the car companies or the unions.  The general public, like me, is sick of bail outs for these companies, which manufacture inferior products. Not to mention outrageous pay for people who, lets face it, are screwing nuts and bolts together.  No wonder no one can afford to buy a new car.  These companies think they can woo the public with their old style sales and cash-back offers, but those days are gone. People are more savvy and are keeping their money in their pockets, that is if they have any money. 

Yes, people will buy new cars again, especially in a year or two, since so many are putting it off right now. But what kind of car will they buy and from whom will they buy it?  

Take a second and give your opinion in our new poll over in the right hand column. Do you think GM or Chrysler will go under?

Convenient Flu sidelines actors band

Billy Bob Thornton's band the Boxmasters has had to cancel the remainder of its Canadian tour with Willie Nelson because one of the musicians has the flu, according to Nelson's website.

Thornton, whose prickly interview with CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi became a viral video sensation and a global media story, and his band were scheduled to perform shows with Nelson in Montreal and London, Ont.

But Nelson's website said the band had to pull out because one band member and several of the crew have the flu.

A publicist for the band later confirmed to CBC News that J.D. Andrew, a guitarist in the band, has come down with the flu.

Full Story at CBC.CA

Did I say 'actor'? Gee I hope I didn't offend you Billy Bob! (Never trust anyone with two first names). I am virtually coughing in your general direction right now, I also have the flu.

In The Nobody Cares Anymore Dept.

After so many years, so many delays and back room deals, I officially declare it: Mulroney wins! Nobody give a shit anymore. Most people have accepted that you are a crook and have gotten away with whatever secret deals you made.  I have come to this conclusion now that there has been a new addition of a widow, yes, I said widow to the story.  I also wonder why CTV news hasn't even made a mention of this story?  Hmmmmm.

Mulroney-Schreiber affair

Envelopes stuffed with cash. A secret Swiss bank account. A web of alleged deals. And a former prime minister caught in the tangle of it all.

The relationship between Brian Mulroney and German-Canadian businessman Karlheinz Schreiber dates back long before Schreiber came into the spotlight for his shady deals, here and in Germany.

But it wouldn't be until after Mulroney's nearly nine years as prime minister that allegations emerged that would eventually trigger a public inquiry.

At the heart of the issue: whether the two made a lobbying deal while Mulroney was still in office. Schreiber says they negotiated the deal two days before Mulroney left office on June 25, 1993, during a visit at the prime minister's Harrington Lake retreat in Quebec. It's a claim Mulroney has always denied.

Source: CBC.CA

CBC To Cut 800 Jobs

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. plans to cut up to 800 jobs to make up for a $171 million shortfall in 2009-10.

CBC president and chief executive Hubert Lacroix announced the layoffs Wednesday in a broadcast to employees.

He said the public broadcaster also needs to sell $125 million worth of assets to make up the shortfall in operating costs.

The sale of assets depends on approval by the federal government. Lacroix did not say which assets would be sold.

The CBC is projecting 393 layoffs in its English services — including radio, TV and new media platforms — and 336 layoffs in French services. An additional 70 jobs will be lost at the corporate level.

Layoffs could start in May. The full number of layoffs could be reduced if some employees opt for retirement.Source: CBC.ca

Is CTV news insecure?

During a news conference today at Queens Park, Premier Dalton McGuinty was on the receiving end of a prank by CBC comedian Geri Hall.  This is all over the news here in Toronto, however, if you caught it on the (immature, insecure?) CTV Toronto news you wouldn't have heard the name Geri Hall.  I guess over at CTV they are so threatened by CBC that they won't even mention the name of someone who works for the CBC, like Geri Hall.

Oh yeah, NDP freakshow Peter Komros, needs to take a valium, buy himself a tie and grow up.  Get the full story over at 680news.com (Thats a Rogers company).

David Suzuki explains why he thinks a carbon tax is the way to go

A carbon tax is just one way of addressing concerns about climate change. The subject has come up in the 2008 federal election campaign, through the Liberal proposal for a carbon tax, which the party says will be "revenue neutral." Environmental scientist David Suzuki supports a carbon tax. CBCNews.ca asked him what he sees in it.

Read the full interview at CBC.CA

Allegedly unbiased TV networks bow to political pressure.

Canada's broadcast networks have denied Green party Leader Elizabeth May a chance to debate the other party leaders on television.

In a just-announced decision, network officials said that one or more of the other party leaders would refuse to participate in the debates on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 if May took part.

Please sign the petition and demand that the Green Party be included in debates. Further, please contact the networks, I've posted their contact information below:

CTV Television Network

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 9, Station 'O,' Scarborough
Ontario, Canada M4A2M9

Courier Address:

9 Channel Nine Court,
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1S4B5

Telephone: (416) 332-5000

TTY/TDD: 1-800-461-1542

CTV.ca News Team: newsonline@ctv.ca

CTV News/Newsnet: news@ctv.ca

CBC

Mail: Audience Relations, CBC, P.O. Box 500 Station A, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5W 1E6 Toll-free phone (Canada only): 1-866-306-4636 TTY/Teletypewriter (Hearing impaired only): 1-866-220-6045 http://www.cbc.ca/contact/ Global News viewercontact@globaltv.com, or call toll-free 1-877-307-1999.

Ex-serviceman risks eviction by flying Canadian flag on balcony

OTTAWA (CBC) - An ex-serviceman refuses to take down the Canadian flag on his balcony in a subsidized housing unit in Cardinal, Ont., even though the local housing authority is threatening to evict him.
Mark Murray, 53, served with the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Canadian Airborne Regiment in the 1970s and 1980s.

He lives in the Seaway Apartments, which are operated by the community housing authority in United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

He said Friday he was given the flag by his local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion last year, and he has flown it ever since.

Now he has received more encouragement not to take down the flag.

"I got a phone call here from Sean Wilson. He's the brother of Mark Wilson who was killed in action in Kandahar on Oct. 7, 2006, and he sent me a message here asking me not to take down my flag - to leave it up.

"I don't have the heart to take it down ... I can't do it now," he said.

Last Thursday, an official from the community housing department told him the flag had to come down or he would be sent an "N-5" letter, the first step in the process leading to eviction.

He was told the flag violates a rule requiring all subsidized properties to have a uniform appearance.

"I was going to negotiate with them, and ask for a flagpole in the back. But this has taken on a new meaning now, to the families, and to the troops," Murray said.

The director of community and social services, Dorothy Theobald, told CBC News Monday that her department is trying to work with Murray, but, she said, the flag can't stay.

Leonardo's Last Supper set for web posting

From CBC News:
An Italian tech firm is set to post a high-resolution scan of Leonardo da Vinci's mural The Last Supper online this weekend, about three months after an Italian man's announcement of mysterious findings within the image sparked renewed interest.
This latest posting is being spearheaded by Slavisa Pesci, the computer analyst and amateur scholar who, in July, announced that when he superimposed the famous painting — Leonardo's depiction of Jesus's last meal with his disciples — with its mirror image, he had detected what appeared to be a woman holding a child next to the figure of Jesus and the transformation of two apostles into knights.

Click the title link for the full story from CBC news.
The high-resolution scan can be viewed at Haltadefinizione.com beginning October 27, 2007 09:30 am CEST (03:30 am EST)

Americans Moving North

Here's something you won't see often.... "The most educated immigrant group comes from the U.S..." CBC has the full story on Americans moving to Canada here.