Is this QUATCHI, SUMI, or MIGA

There are advantages to being a reporter, that is for sure. Take yesterday for example. There was a press conference for the Olympic Games here in Iqaluit yesterday, featuring the perverse pleasure of every Furry's dream, the mascots for the 2010 Games.

So, I got to hang out with stuffed people..... beats clicking a time clock to be sure.

The other advantage, I brought The Boy, who loves all things Olympic. He had three of the mascot McDonalds glasses from the last Olympics, and we don't even have a McDonalds.

The final advantage... when another reporter sees your kid in action, they click a photo for you for later.... like this one. Thanks Inflatable Elvis, you're not dead, just retired.



They brought in some day camp kids for the event, but when they mascots came out, The Boy was the only child there.... so when they looked a little lost, he just offered a hug. He's a good Boy.

YES WE CAN

Try it yourself here.

BREAKING NEWS: Special Guest

Joining us on the program tonight, the one and only Jim Bell, Editor of Nunatsiaq News.

The esteemed Editor is joining us on our program to discuss this, his editorial calling for Prime Minister to honour his commitment to elect Senators, and that he wants the PM to start with the Nunavut seat, recently vacated by Senator Willie Adams.

Should be interesting, at least to see one of my ink-stained colleagues face the bright lights of my job ;)

EDITED TO ADD: Technical opportunities prevent us from having this on tonight. We will try again tomorrow.

Blast Away

I was reading over at Reflections (since that is the name of the biggest pink triangle bar in Halifax, in honour of Ferry Tales, I'm only going to call Megan's blog Reflections from now on, so that Ferry Tales knows that the straights love her too), and got moved on over to this interesting bit of blogishness:

The Man Who Hates The Inuvik Drum Like It Was The Devil

It is a fun read, maybe not for you, but for me to be sure. See, I used to work for the parent corp of the Inuvik Drum, and Mr Halifax tends to call these people out by name (he follows this blog, so I'll call him Mister ;)). It is inside baseball, but I'm on the inside. When he names a name, I usually have an idea who he is talking about

There is a blog on PEI that is taking the same sort of tactic with the local media, the now infamous NJN Network. There are huge differences, like:

-- Mr Halifax doesn't seem to fear women. NJN continues to trash the work of a local journalist based on her red raincoat and high heels. As I have said before, if I run into NJN Network on vacation, I'll go put on my red raincoat and high heels, to make a point.

-- Mr Halifax doesn't seem to have been threatened by the local paper. NJN has been threatened with legal action from The Guardian.

-- Mr Halifax comes up with meaner fake names for the reporters involved.

-- Mr Halifax manages to get responses from thin-skinned editorial types, while NJN Network gets letters from lawyers. Maybe it is a NWT vs PEI type of thing?

Mr Halifax is not NJN Network. Mr Halifax is mean, but not really offensive or particularly deluded. I link to Halifax, I don't link to NJN (in my sidebar at least).

Aside from pointing and shouting "Hey, over there, look at those awesome car wrecks", there is a point here, the rise of the semi-pro media critic. I bet there is one for every paper in Canada at this point. I could even point to a certain employer rating site that has some pretty one sided comments about my employer.

Journalists are like any other profession, we get the good and the bad and the indifferent. I watch Howard Kurtz every Sunday. If you are writing a media criticism blog and don't know who Howard is, you need a new hobby.

These blogs are at least as legitimate as a letter to the editor, and have the advantage of not having the comments put through a filter.

However; when you are reading them, be sure to give them the weight you would to a letter to the editor. Consider the source, consider the point of view, ignore the inflammatory language, and take it for what is worth, the opinion of a single individual, as noble and flawed as the rest of us.

For the semi-pro media critics, I only have one bit of advice. Drop the fake names for yourselves, the papers and the reporters. If you want to trash someone, at least make it clear. The cute pseudonyms are tiring.

As for my former colleagues at NNSL, I have some simple advice.

HARDEN THE FUCK UP.

There is no need to respond to these blogs, and thinly veiled attacks from proxies aren't worth the hassle. Do what the Guardian did, ignore it until it is libel. Then get a lawyer.

Really, go to NJNNetwork, look under the PEI section, and click the link that says The Guardian. If Mr Halifax is getting under your collective skins this badly, imagine what it would be like with a determined soapboxer like that on your ass.

I'll keep reading, but then again, I like the sound of sirens ;0

MOre links for you

Just one today, since Jeff Goldblum did not die yesterday, enjoy this:

JEFF GOLDBLUM IS WATCHING YOU POOP

Be sure to turn up the sound before clicking.

You know what I miss

caribou fajitas at the Kamotiq. RIP Kamotiq.

Follow-up

The well connected PEI businessman who I accused of using "slave labour" to get the lowest bid for food at the BIG ASS COUNTRY ROCK OUT THAT HAPPENS AT THE SAME TIME AS A FORMER BEATLE IN HALIFAX (I bet that wouldn't fit on the poster) has "clarified" his position.

This here blog thing is always ready to provide another point of view, provided I don't disagree with it ;) Here is what he had to say in the local paper:

Everyone serving food are paid employees, our staff,” he said. “That’s always been the case. We always pay our staff. That’s been the case for 28 years.”
Murphy said the volunteer work being done is associated with Oak Acres Children’s Foundation, the charity selected to be the recipient of the profits brought in through sales at the beverage tent.
The Oak Acres camp near Murray River is a registered charity which operates six camping sessions per summer for children who are selected to attend by the province’s guidance counsellors.
Approximately 480 children are able to enjoy the camp each year at no cost.
Murphy added that all the volunteers recruited will be working in the beverage tent on behalf of the charity.
“That’s the only volunteer element with the festival,” Murphy said. “That message didn’t get out for some reason.”

The entire story is here.

Misinterpreted the ad.... funny, when David Letterman had a joke "misinterpreted" last week, he pointed out that is his responsability, you should be able to know what it means when you hear it. Same thing goes with an ad.

Here is what the paper said:

When the ad appeared in The Guardian, it made no mention of the charity nor explained the reasons behind the request for volunteers. The ad resulted in a number of critical comments, including the P.E.I. Federation of Labour which questioned using free labour for a private business.

The businessman in question has a long history of supporting charitable causes. I actually do believe him when he says that was his intent all along. HIs employee saying on local CBC that

"We're in business to make money," Wright told CBC News. "We put our best foot forward to try and get this contract."

"We're providing food for the bands and the acts, so … they may get to rub elbows with Reba McEntire or some of the other acts."

makes me wonder if I am being too generous, but, I have learned doing this job over time that often, things aren't as evil as you may think. Many alleged cover-ups and the like are the fabrication of active imaginations. I just don't know in this case. I do know that the guy has donated a shitload of cash to charities over time. That buys you a little slack, as previously explained in this here blog as the Chris Bosh rule.
The entire damn thing is still crooked, but the "slave labour" is not what I thought.

However, for his spokespeople to say that people volunteering in the booze tent have a chance to meet a celebrity is complete bullshit. Yeah, Reba hangs out in the beer tent.... sure.....