Thanks to the Mule-induced Great Leap Forward (at least by my standards), it is time for a short pictoral re-cap.

Varanasi and the Ganges.

Bobby Orr wins the Cup after taking the pass from Sanderson (who is behind the net to the left...trust me).

Scotty Moore jams with Elvis Presley, King of Belgium (?).

French rocker/social critic/film director Bernie Bonvoisin.

I wouldn't be the first to conclude that the rise in blogging is due partly to the lame-assed nature of much of our commercial media. In this town, as I've noted before, we have a situation wherein both major newspapers and the leading local television station are owned by the same guy, Izzy Asper.

I'd suggest that this imposes a certain uniformity on what kind of news you get; I don't think the Aspers represent the right or left, as much as they represent a kind of establishment smugness. If they were a local political organization they'd be the Non Partisan Association.

I've noticed, though, that many of the small time local papers have gotten sharper and more opinionated in their editorial content. Not that long ago 'The Georgia Straight' offered only celebrity-loving bullshit, with it's cover stories almost always devoted to Hollywood 'stars' promoting their latest half-witted movies. Now you can often discern a pointed editorial position. The 'Terminal City' usually has a couple of decent pieces in every issue; the 'Vancouver Scrum' column by Ian King is particularly noteworthy. Even the 'Courier,' which used to concern itself with 'Coyote Eats Cat' fare, has turned into a fiesty (if sometimes loopy) little paper.

And the thing is, all of these little rags are free. In that respect, they have as much potential to reach people as the big papers. I'd say the main selling point of the big papers is their sports pages.

I've also noticed that as both the political left and right become obsessed with bias in media, various big-time columnists are spending an increasing amount of ink attacking each other. One of my favorite places to keep up with various internicine media brawls is here.

The media is becoming an end in itself. Its politics are watched as much as real politics. Its stars are as big as the stars they cover. It is as much the observed as it is the observer. On the whole, I'm not sure if we're becoming more or less informed as a society.


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Special thanks to Rob 'Mule' Hughes for technical assistance. Teaching is in your blood.

I renewed my membership at Videomatica recently, solely for the purpose of renting ‘The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane,’ with Jodie Foster.

What a creepy but excellent film. I’ve loved it since I was a kid, with its low-budget, ‘Canada-France co-production’ ambience, but could never find it at any of the various chain video stores around town.

I’ve essentially had it with the likes of Rogers and Blockbuster, and their predictable assortment of product. I’ve grown particularly tired of the way the staff at Blockbuster are forced by some internal code to utter a cheerful but transparently insincere ‘hi’ to every person who walks in the door.

But Videomatica has restored my faith in my town. What shall I view next? How about ‘The Wild Bunch,’ with William Holden? Or maybe Elke Sommer in ‘Zeppelin?’

The world is my oyster.