Hello, Dorkoids!
Hoiky Toiky!
This Thursday Me and Doinklberry(AKA Hairy Hannah) are going to be whipping up a thrashing frenzy and laying it down in solid form for you to listen to in the very near future. Two tunes.
If you haven’t noticed; Our inhumane catastrophe is stewing our stink down to the good old U.S.of A‑wipes starting on May 23rd. Check the SHOW listings on this very website! This time around we’re blazing our path through the interior of the States . Yes, you’re correct this has caused many tears in other parts of the country. Many, many tears of desperate longing and need. haha..F‑off!
Now, I will proudly announce that we’ll be heading down to South America in September or October of this year! Brazil and Argentina for sure and we’re working out the rest right now. Somebody told Jord that nobody knows how to fight in Brazil and now it’s his chance to go pick on people in the streets! haha.. We’re on our way, South America!! We’re on our way!!!!
My Pops is back at my place for a couple weeks here. He’s even succesfully using his couch diaper! Wow, I’m amazed!
On a more serious note I will leave off with my dismay at the fact that more than 200 people were killed in fighting in Somalia in the last couple of days bringing the death toll to 1500 in less than a month. My friend was on the phone back to Mogadishu getting terrified reports of the fighting close to her mothers house. Having your Mom in the middle of such a battle is such an unimaginable idea to me. 320,000 people have fled Mogadishu in the last week and tens of thousands of people are trapped in their homes. For your knowledge and future reference the Ethiopian invasion is supported by, you guessed it, The good old, peace loving, U.S.A. As an example of the disappointment and cynism many people of Somalia feel right now I’ll tell you that when I asked my friend what she hopes happens in the country she sadly replied “I don’t know, all the good people are dead.” Meaning that the professors, students, and community leaders have all been slowly eliminated in the last 15 years. Of course she knows, and I know, that many good people are still there struggling amid the current conflict.
And finally I’ll send you on a couple voyages to some websites supporting the people of Darfur. This Sunday, April 29th there are Walks for Darfur all over the world. Click under “events” to see what’s going on in your city!
Or of special interest to Edmontonians check out this amazing website:
O.K. I’m off to watch Rod Stewart… I’m not kidding. I got free tickets to see the imbecile and for some reason I’m actually going.
-toddman
G7 brings Ward Churchill to Winnipeg this weekend
This one’s for all the locals: given you are reading this, you may well have heard of Ward Churchill. Churchill is one of the most outspoken Native American activists and scholars in North America, and a leading analyst of indigenous issues.
Ward Churchill will speak at the newly established Rudolph Rocker Cultural Centre (located on the 3rd floor of 91 Albert Street) on Saturday April 28th at 7 PM on the topic of colonialism at home and abroad in a lecture entitled Colonialism: Past, Present and Future. Admission is by donation, and a question period will follow his talk.
Churchill earned international infamy in 2005 when Fox “News” personality and far-right mouthpiece Bill O’Reilley launched a smear campaign against him that resulted in Churchill’s life being threatened, his home vandalized and his career as Professor of Ethnic Studies and Coordinator of American Indian Studies at the University of Colorado jeopardized.
In the subsequent climate of political correctness, the University of Winnipeg Student Association, in collaboration with the University of Winnipeg Aboriginal Student Council, revoked their invitation for Churchill to speak (without explanation) on campus in 2005.
Apparently, neither academic freedom nor excellence are on the agenda for the U of W, despite the fact that there has been a mass international mobilization of academics to Churchill’s defense against the myriad smears and allegations against him in this character-assassination campaign, a partial list of whom appears at the end of this post.
Thankfully, independent and clear-headed factions within each University — the University of Manitoba History Department, and CKUW 95.9 FM at the University of Winnipeg — along with G7 Welcoming Committee Records, refuse to succumb to the destabilization campaign that’s been leveled against Ward, instead favouring free public discourse of the nature one would expect to reign supreme in a democratic society.
Here’s but a partial list of academics and Individuals standing in solidarity with Ward Churchill (see here for more on his defense against the witch hunt):
- Noam Chomsky, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Kathleen Cleaver, Senior Research Fellow, Emory Law School; Lecturer, African American Studies, Yale University
- Jim Craven (Blackfoot), Professor of Economics and Chair, Business Division, Clark College
- Carrie Dann (Western Shoshone), elder and activist
- Elisa Facio, Assoc. Professor of Ethnic Studies, University of Colorado-Boulder
- Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law and Practice, Princeton University
- Jennifer Harbury, attorney, author and human rights activist
- Evelyn Hu-Dehart,Director, Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America, Brown University
- Moana Jackson (Maori), attorney and professor, Auckland, New Zealand
- Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabe), activist and author
- Barbara Mann (Seneca), author and lecturer, University of Toledo
- Dr. Russell Means, Esq., Oglala Lakota Patriot, activist, author and attorney
- Glenn T. Morris (Shawnee), Professor of Political Science, University of Colorado — Denver
- Natsu Taylor Saito, Professor, Georgia State University College of Law
- David E. Stannard, Professor of American Studies, University of Hawai’i
- Haunani-Kay Trask (Kanaka Maoli), Professor, Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawai’i
- Sharon Venne (Cree), attorney and author, Edmonton, Alberta
- Robert A. Williams, Jr. (Lumbee), Professor, University of Arizona Law School
- Michael Yellow Bird (Arikara-Hidatsa), Assoc. Professor, Indigenous Nations Studies, University of Kansas
LEVAR BURTON'S READING RAINBOW
Hi shits,
if you go to the resources page and scroll down to the non-fiction book list, you will see that Jordy-Boy Floyd has taken time out from washing, fluffing and blow drying his veritable mane of gray hair to update that shizz for your perusal.
THE NEW PHONEBOOK IS HERE! THE NEW PHONEBOOK IS HERE!
No, just kidding. No new phonebook today. But rather, a DVD! That’s right ladies and germs, yesterday we received the first copies of our fundraising DVD called “Live from Occupied Territory”, which is intended to rake in some major scribble for the Middle East Children’s Alliance and the Grassy Narrows Blockade.
We did it all ourselves so don’t expect any fancy-pants high-end Hollyshit nonsense. Aside from the fund-raising aspect, it’s really just for fun and perhaps a fitting close to our era as a 3‑piece — those dark days we all now know as (hushed voice) Before Beave (BB). What it lacks in production values, it makes up for in true DIY spirit, so eat thine own shit professionals and have some fun for once for pete’s sake.
Not interested in fun? Well, you’ve still come to the right place. For all you Serious Sally’s out there this thing features two truly powerful and important documentaries about the Israeli occupation of Palestine (Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land) and Canadian theft of native land right in our own back yard (As Long As the Rivers Flow: the story of the Grassy Narrows Blockade) PLUS two audio-visual galleries about life under occupation by Jon Elmer and Jon Schledewitz that make it worth the price of admission alone.
You really can’t lose here peeps. If you don’t like the band you can still get edu’m’cated and if you’re too dumb for book learnings, you can still watch us basically clown ourselves live on stage.
Still not convinced? Ok, well, i’ve posted a trailer here for you to look at. Now are you convinced?
Anyways, if you’re interested in the DVD, go look at it and order it here.
Peace out. Die Senators.
former plappers continue to disproportionately give the gears to the corporate vulture class
Last wednesday afternoon, i poked my head in at the g7 orifice for a second, smelled the farts, and promptly removed myself to a safer haven within the confines of winnipeg’s finest café and bookstore, mondragon. Here, as i perused the books in search of a copy of Orwells’ “Homage to Catalonia”, i came across a book that i’d only heard about, but hadn’t actually taken the time to find.
Sitting in front of my fart-freckled face stood a book by Jamie Brownlee, “Ruling Canada: Corporate Cohesion and Democracy”.
“Oh Heavenly Fart!”, i heard that squeaky voice in my head exclaim! Here it is!! The MA thesis that was put out a couple of years ago by Fernwood Publishing was written by a fellow Portage la Prairian, and one i knew only too well!!
As i snuck the book under my hoodie and ran out the door (naay, jussi jokinen!!), many memories of young student jamie, a good friend my younger bro’ jeremy, started coming back to me. Seeing those guys drunk.…..JUST DRUNK!!, stinking up the ol’ house we used to live in was a very familiar sight (and smell) back in the day. Young Jamie had a bit of a surly mean streak to him when he’d indulged in the drink.…a favoured drinking characteristic chosen by many-a-Plapper. Awesome to see that generalized anger take shape into stickin’ it to the man.….in this case, the Canadian man, by taking time and care to expose and detail the unique intricacies of the Canadian economic/political elite. I’ve spent the last few late nights reading the book, and i have to say, “fuckin’ A rights! way to go!”.
Updating our “Resource” section will be a priority of mine later in the day.….right after a quick meeting at Hairy H. Hole’s place, and a thorough thumping of Big Ern’s Boys in the ASHL Division D2C hockey playoffs later in the afternoon.
Phleeeeeeeeeebp!
The Death Of Captain America.
Now that The Caps dead who will save America from The Red Skull, Crossbones, and Hydra? Oh my god, a crisis!! Watch out. Anyway, America turned it’s back on The Cap long before this moment. Too bad you can’t put your faith in S.H.I.E.L.D!
hahahah.…
"WARS NOT MAKE ONE GREAT"
It is April 8th, 2007, a day that we find the average Canadian celebrating the death-defying (re: zombie) exploits of a man who went on record rejecting not only emperor worship and idolatry but also participation in the military. Curiously, on this very day we find the same Canadians engaging in a vigorous round of collective self-worship over the 90th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge, apparently the “defining moment” in Canadian history (according to every single blathering cultural commissar on every single CBC network for the past 2 weeks), where hundreds of thousands of lives were mowed down in a geopolitical blaze of horror and tears.
Nevermind that 3 weeks ago, 99% of Canadians could not have told you where the hell Vimy Ridge was, let alone what happened there. Nevermind that. It’s not important. It tells us nothing about the world around us.
Let’s just sit back and enjoy this day of unimaginably mixed signals and keep in mind that Ryan Smyth of the New York Islanders belongs to the same evangelical church that Prime Minister Stephen “Humans Rode Dinosaurs” Harper belongs too. It is only fitting that they lose to the New Jersey DEVILS today (thereby securing a playoff berth for the Leafs).
Canadians say they want to live in an open society, but their constant obedience to flags and fairy-tales renders it nothing more than an empty platitude. I can truly say that i’ve never felt more anxious about the prospects for an open society in my entire life.
I’ve become a broken record on the value of the ideas that (Christian war-correspondent) Chris Hedges outlined in his book War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. He has since compiled two others that are equally important:
Losing Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America I feel that there are terrible times ahead for the non-believer. You may want to weigh the evidence yourself. In fact i beg you to do just that.
Have A Good Friday.
Hello, Everyone!
I hope all is going well. Thousands of thoughtful Winnipeg citizens are partcipating in memorial services on this solemn day. It is the yearly commemoration of the day Gods son was supposedly marched to the cross to die for all our sins.
This all good and fun but would it have not been more realistic and compassionate to have taken part in the Rwanda genocide memorial last night at the U of W? I would say there was roughly 30 – 40 people in attendance to acknowledge the 11 year old genocide of 800,000 real live human beings. The rwandan genocide was the horrific book end of the last century. 100 days of all out butchery. A genocide where every country on earth sat and watched from afar. A genocide that went unnoticed, unregistered, and certainly unacted upon by nearly everyone in this world.
There is not too many people from Rwanda living here in Winnipeg. This fact, to me, means the rest of us should have been more even more keen to attend the memorial to support the few citizens of Winnipeg who struggle everyday with the memories of their families being hacked to death by machetes in front of their own eyes.
I would like to extend my deepest regards to Christian Butera, Yves Vahizi, and Innocent Birasa who are here in Winnipeg doing the best they can for themselves and other victims of genocide around the world. The sadness in their eyes last night was unmistakable. I will extend those regards to all other Rwandan refugees here in Winnipeg and elsewhere as well.
On this Good Friday can I direct you, once again, to these websites regarding the worlds latest ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. In ten years please be able to say to yourself that you did something to help.
Take care. Do your best.
Rwandan Genocide Remembrance 2007
For all you Winnipeggers …
Vigil and Commemoration of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide
Members of Manitoba’s Rwandan community will be holding an evening vigil and commemoration of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide in Rwanda. The events will be held at the University of Winnipeg on April 05, 2007.
Theatre B, 4th Floor Manitoba Hall, University of Winnipeg Thursday April 5, 2007 7:00 PM — 9:00 PM The scheduled events for the evening include: survivors’ testimonies, a short video interview by General Romeo Dallaire and a key note address by Mr. David Matas on remembrance and genocide prevention. Mr. Matas is Senior Legal Council with B’nai Brith Canada. He is one of Canada’s foremost international human rights and refugee lawyers and has served on the Canadian delegation to the United Nations. The event will also pay attention to the on going genocide in Darfur and the need to see an end to these atrocities. This event is being sponsored by the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association, Menno Simons College, the Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, the African Students’ Association and the Jewish Students’ Association.
Salaam Aleikum...
Hang your head, dear world. It’s a sad one out there.
400 more people are dead in recent fighting in Somalia. The U.S. backed Ethiopian invasion of the beaten and tattered country is yet another immense, inhuman mistake by the Worlds Leading policy makers. Mogadishu is yet again a warzone facing fighting they haven’t seen the likes of for 15 years. 47,000 people have fled the capital city. Apparently, there is no solution but total war to every situation.
I always hoped to see better within my lifetime.
Listen to or watch a great interview here
-The Rod.