Tag Archives: canada

Politics

Proposition 8 is bullsh*t, and Olbermann actually makes sense for once

November 14, 2008 – 9:18 pm

Feel however you want about the issue, but I personally have serious issues with proposition 8.  We’ve already raised some issues with it in a previous post, but let me do a quick recap of the situation for you.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in California a few short months ago.  Proposition 8 was a referendum designed to amend the state constitution to restrict marriage as being between a man and a woman, and therefore overturn the decision of the California Supreme Court.

This is an issue I’ve never understood, mainly because I don’t see how it affects anyone other than the people trying to get married.  I understand completely that many people have religious objections to same-sex marriage and are therefore personally opposed to it.  That’s fine, but the disconnect is how that needs to force others not to be married.

In Canada, for example, same-sex marriage is illegal.  And yet, as part of the law, no religious organization (read: church, synagogue, temple, mosque, pagan flower circle or anything else) can be forced to perform the marriage.  No one is forcing anyone to go “against” their religious beliefs.  But same-sex couples are still allowed to marry.  And yet in California, a right that was so recently granted to these couples has been abruptly taken away.

Keith Olbermann, the left-wing Bill O’Reilly, is not someone I generally pay much attention to.  I hate demagoguery of any sort an have no patience for Olbermann’s arrogant style.  But he does make a surprisingly erudite grasp of the situation and actually phrases his concerns in a way that mirror my own.  Take a look.

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Awareness Underreported News

Lest we forget

November 11, 2008 – 11:12 am

Today is Remembrance Day.  90 years ago, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the armistice was signed to end WWI.

It is a somber day for many, and one that will last for generations to come, I hope.

We here at 4080 Records tend to lean away from wars, but we, along with nearly everyone else we know, stand behind the sacrifices those brave soldiers made during WWI.  So take a moment, where ever you are, to honour them.  And don’t forget to wear your poppy proudly if you can.

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Awareness Politics

Canada Votes Tomorrow (Oct 14th)

October 13, 2008 – 6:35 pm

Well well people, Canada goes to the polls tomorrow.  The polls will be open from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm and are pretty accessible.

Here are few quick sites to entertain you.

Our own take on what you need to know.

If you missed the Canadian leaders debate, you can catch the whole thing here.

Looking for where to vote?  This site will tell you.

For those of you entirely unfamiliar with the process, the ballot should look like something similar to the image on the right.  You’ll go to the polls and present the required ID.

Once you’re in, go to the little cardboard station and mark your ballot.  Remember, you cast your vote for your local candidate, but because of Canada’s system, the party with the most seats overall (most canadidates elected) will form the government.

While I absolutely do not endorse this site by any means (i’m of the opinion you should vote your conscience after careful and deliberate education on the issues), Vote For Environment provides a riding-by-riding analysis of the likelihood of a particular candidate being elected.  It may give you an idea of who’s going to win in your neighbourhood.

No matter what, get the hell out to vote.  Not hard, and even if you are working, your employer is required by law to give you time off to vote. Here’s a direct quote:

For example, if an employee lives in an electoral district in which the hours for voting are 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and the employee’s hours of work are 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the employee’s hours of work will not allow three consecutive hours for voting. The employer might allow the employee to arrive late (at 12:30 p.m.), to leave early (at 6:30 p.m.), or provide the employee three hours off at some other point during the work day in order to allow the employee the opportunity to exercise the right to vote.

As another example, if the employee lives in an electoral district in which voting hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the employee’s hours of work are between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., the employer is not required to provide the employee time off for the purpose of voting, because the employee will already have available three and a half consecutive hours for voting (from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.).

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Music Underreported News

The Manifesto is Toronto’s dopest festival

September 21, 2008 – 5:43 am

For those of you who live in Toronto, or know anyone who does, tell them to get their asses up this morning to check out The Manifesto.  Billed as Toronto’s “Urban Arts Festival”, it is secretly a giant pile of dopeness wrapped up in a blanket of amazing hip hop.  If that’s not enough of an absurd description for you, let me just tell you that tonight (the last night of the festival, so sorry for the late word) features a free show from some of Canada’s best talent.

The Rascalz, K’Naan and k-os all take the stage, as well as a huge pile of local talent.  Kamau, D-Sisive, and plenty of others.  There’s a fresh foods market, a huge mural, workshops on breakdancing and graf, even tons of non-hip hop related stuff like capoeira and rumba.  

The whole day event is totally free, so get yourself down to Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto anytime between noon and 10 pm today (Sunday) and have yourself a good ol’ time.

The after party?  Good question, Steve.  The after party, at a huge club (Circa), features two of hip hop’s greatest producers/deejays.  DJ Premier AND Pete Rock.  

Man, I can’t even tell you how jazzed I am, so I better see you out there.  Check The Manifesto website for more details.

 

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Politics

Ann Coulter demonstrates her ignorance

July 15, 2008 – 5:26 am

This video is straight up hilarious.

Ann Coulter, the postergirl for shock jock tactics, shows just how much “history” she actually knows.  In this interview with Canada’s CBC, she tries to make the argument that Canada should have sent troops to Iraq the same way they sent troops to Vietnam.

The interviewer tries to set her straight.

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Featured Politics

Canada’s Foreign Minister Resigns

May 27, 2008 – 12:53 pm

Canada’s political scandals are usually pretty small scale. Our money scandals are $100 million, which is probably nothing when comparing to our giant neighbours to the south.

Still, for those of you who haven’t been following the controversy, Maxime Bernier, Canada’s foreign minister has just resigned.

The whole thing started a few weeks ago when it became public that Bernier had been dating a woman named Julie Couillard. Ms. Couillard, who has gone on a media rampage lately at how her name has been ‘dragged through the mud’, has ties to the criminal underworld.

In her past, before dating Bernier, she had dated one Hells Angel and eventually married another. One of those two men was apparently in the inner circle at the top of the Canadian organization of the Hells Angels.

Bernier had been a dumbass during this whole adventure. He took her to a secret military base in the United Arab Emirates, and generally dealt with pretty confidential matters around her. I’m usually of the opinion that private matters should stay private. If he hadn’t been taking her on these trips overseas, I don’t think I would have cared who he was dating. The issue is that he just handled the whole thing quite poorly.

Now, Bernier has stepped down entirely. He had actually let a very confidential document at Couillard’s house. This is pretty unacceptable for any position, let alone foreign minister. For a while earlier, the Conservative government had been maintaining a “it’s none of our business” approach. Now that Couillard’s set to speak to the media openly, Bernier was quick to step down. I guess this is to avoid any scandal that could arise.

I doubt this will bring down the Conservatives, but the Liberals will definitely try to capitalize on this the way the Conservatives used the sponsorship scandal. I think Canada may be heading to the polls within the next 6 months.

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Music

4080Records Presents: Shane Koyczan

March 14, 2008 – 10:47 am

Spoken word has long had a pretty strong following. In the artistic sense, it is one of the most difficult art forms to master. It takes genuine skill and lyricism to construct a poem that has the melody and power necessary to sway the crowd.

Shane Koyczan, the Canadian born poet, doesn’t exactly look like your typical artist. That alone is the motivation behind much of his work. A constant critique of society’s concept of beauty and how they decide someones worth runs through many of his poems.

I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible this man is as an artist. Reading his poems on their own (Visiting Hours) can be one of the most moving experiences you will ever have. Seriously, you could write a book on his work. Analyze it in class. Or impress a girl. Read it in the tub. Listen to his work with your boys. Anything. You won’t regret it, that’s for sure.

He won the National Poetry Slam and was apparently the first non-American to win it. Once more I’m not surprised, though it is astonishingly impressive to have managed to pull that off.

As a little sample of his work, check out Visiting Hours. I’ve posted the video below.

WPvideo 1.10

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