All my heroes are dead

Kurt Vonnegut has finally become unstuck in time. He passed away Apr. 11, and now I can truly say that all my heroes are dead. For those of you unaware of who this literary genius was, he was one of the greatest writers of the century.

Male, Female, or Miscellaneous?

The push towards political correctness has hit another low. The central question about this latest issue hitting university campuses across country is: Which bathroom should I use? According to the March 23, 2007 issue of the National Post, “Washrooms on university campuses across Canada may be the latest frontier in the campaign to accommodate all sexualities.”

Quasi-Legal Marijuana Smoke Room Opens in Regina

It has been nearly three weeks since Dean Foster, owner of Field of Dreams in Regina, opened a safe-inhalation room—where medicinal marijuana users can toke up—in the back of his 11th Ave. store, and it has yet to be raided by police.

Is Protection of Individual Privacy Still Important?

What is more important: our right to know? or individual privacy? Can varying degrees of importance really be given to these concepts? It’s really more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants situation. Often an individual’s right to privacy is outweighed by the publics right to know. But how the importance is weighed differs from news outlet to news outlet; and from journalist to journalist. These are the types of things any reporter and editor must consider before running a story—a conflict between duty and humanity. As stated in Doing Ethics in Journalism "journalists… are human beings… more than electronic button pushers."

Why Does the Media Give Up On a Story When It Does?

Susan Moeller in Compassion Fatigue claims that the affliction is the result of how the media handle crisis coverage. They inundate us with stories of tragedies until they begin to notice the first signs that "the short attention span of the public is up" and then they can it. If there was a support group for compassion fatigue, I’d be the first up at the podium saying: "My name is Stefan Schussler, and I am fed up."

Political Satire Is Changing The Way We Look At News

Shows like the Daily Show or the Colbert Report are often said to be liberal-biased. Although they poke fun at both sides of the spectrum, it is the Bush administration that is most often the butt of their jokes, and they do it well. So well in fact, that the fake-news approach is becoming increasingly popular, and attempts are being made to duplicate it. Even Fox News, the infamous Bush propaganda machine, has created its own fake news program titled—in a lame attempt at humor—“The Half-Hour News Hour.”

Open Letter to Montie Brewer, CEO of Air Canada

I am calling for you resignation as CEO of Air Canada. The company is in a shamble and you, like your predecessors, are clearly incapable of cleaning up this horrid excuse for an airline. Air Canada is the butt of every joke (ex. Air Canada. We’re not happy unless you’re unhappy). And it’s completely understandable. Lost luggage, oversold flights, long delays, slipshod customer service: The list goes on and on.

Blogging vs. Mainstream Media

Once upon a time there was the press. And only those who could afford the printing or broadcasting costs could ever hope to play the game. Then came the internet, a world within our own, where the old adage that nothing is free no longer applies. Anyone with even the slowest computer and a dial-up connection can now become a member of the media.

In The End, We Are All Conspiracy Theorists

Everything you know, or think you know, is a lie. There are far too many untold facts that even when told they slip from the mind in a matter of minutes, causing no real effect on people. They are pushed aside or buried in a flow of information and images and car ads—a needle in a haystack.

Lower wait times in Cuba

Canadians sick of long wait times for non-emergency surgery are being offered another option. For a $200 fee, a Quebec-based company, Health Services International (HSI), will set up consultations with specialists and surgeons in Cuba—and its first client flew to Cuba last Saturday. Surgeries can be preformed as early as 15 days, according to HSI website.