by Sean Orr | 54-40 or Fight: Leaks show U.S. swayed Canada on copyright bill. I like that. Sways. It’s much less violent sounding than “hegemony”. Picture Canada just sort of gently rocking back and forth, like a frightened child in the shadow of a falling giant.
But maybe there’s hope: Don Cherry’s Sports Grill in Maple Ridge gutted by ‘suspicious’ fire. OK, that’s just plain mean, but I just spent a whole bunch of time in Niagara Falls so you can probably understand (photos coming soon).
Classy: NPA looks to attack Vision Vancouver by proxy and uses “the spirit of Jack Layton” to do so. Wow. Just fucking wow. Perhaps people will finally understand once and for all that City Caucus is an obsequious smokescreen for a pathetic, desperate carcass of a nepotistic NPA.
And I can say this because: Laws of defamation suspended for the blogosphere. “In other words, the blogosphere is a kind of Wild West saloon in which different rules apply, and ordinary law is suspended”. Can I just be the first to say yeeehaaaaaw! (ed. note: oh hell no)
A gaffe on Ghadaffi: Conservative minister misspeaks over extension of Libya mission. “Canada will obviously be there in theatre to support the Libyan people. The end is in sight. We’re not there yet, but let’s take it one day at a time.” Spoken like a true…recovering alcoholic?
And speaking of alcoholics, the Straight asks, Can social media stop Gordon Campbell from getting Order of B.C.? Maybe let’s just try and work on getting more than half the fucking population to vote. Besides, dude went to the Bilderberg conference. There is no way he is not getting it.
Immoral Combinations. We built this city on the exact opposite of rock and roll.
Broader arts initiatives may have mitigated risk of riot, says group. If only there had been just a couple more orcas in the City we would have been okay.
Speaking of our culture (or lack thereof), people are apparently going to shell out 15 bucks to hear me speak at them. Just call me the Orrator. Orr don’t.
Anti-hipsters promote hipster event: “It’s a great celebration of independent music in Vancouver. Although I’d like to see some local hip hop acts like Jay Kin be on the bill as well. Perhaps next year.”
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Interesting link to the defamation case, but I’d be careful about accepting the interpretation of the blogger (and plaintiff in the case) that “ordinary law is suspended” in the blogosphere.
If you read the full decision, you’ll see that the judge was actually using as precedent a case from talk radio (where Raif Mair was cleared of defamation by the Supreme Court). The ruling repeats the idea that all comments should be judged in the context which they are said, with the long-established standard of whether “an ordinary right-thinking member of society” would have a lowered opinion of the plaintiff after hearing the statement.
The judge made two main comments that are specific to “blogosphere” and this case. First, the judge suggests that most “right-thinking” citizens would not take the hyperbolic vitriole of a blogger — the kind who would describe someone with opposing views on the war in Afghanistan or the treatment of Omar Khadr as “one of the Taliban’s more vocal supporters” — seriously.
I have to agree with that opinion. The weight of an insult is not in its words, but in the person hurling them. And when a lightweight person starts throwing around heavyweight insults, it is really only their own reputation that suffers.
Second, the judge points out that the comment would normally be read as part of a conversation in the comment threads, where anyone who is insulted has the opportunity to put the record straight. That also isn’t really creating new law for blogs, since even newspapers can mitigate defamatory comments by publishing a rebuttal.