Today I noticed a friend had posted a link to “Vote No” on The Muse’s levi referendum. It had sparked quite a bit of discussion on the issue. This was my two cents:

Unfortunately The Muse has no control over their rates to their consumers when they need to cope with inflation.

In order to remain a free publication for the student body The Muse needs to collect fees from the students and from advertisers (and semi-new by-laws prevent their biggest advertisers, like Molson, from advertising).

The Muse has been collecting a small $2 levi fee from students dating well back beyond the time when I started working there (2002). A lot has changed since then.

I remember the revenue from levi fees during my time was barely enough to scrape by. I can only imagine the financial struggle they have now.

If you do not like The Muse, don’t read it. But don’t actively seek to financially dissolve the only student paper over $2 per semester.

If you want to kick a fuss over fees for a service you do not use (I am speaking generally here) then kick a fuss over the mandatory $40 Field House Rec Fee. Most students don’t use it.

But most students do read The Muse, at least occasionally.

I think it would do you good to see the conditions many of these volunteer writers are working in. Drop into The Muse office on the second floor of the UC and check out their outdated computer systems and decrepit furniture. I know I wouldn’t find it very motivating. A few dollars could go a long way.

I also find “an increased budget will improve the quality of the writing” troubling. The students that do actually get paid at The Muse have to live and breath that paper day in and day out to keep it flowing on the stands. They have no time for other jobs and I know first hand how the workload can affect academics.

Their small honorariums have to go to pay for a meager cost of living. This is especially hard since in the past couple of years the cost of living in St. John’s has essentially matched the cost of living in a big city like Toronto.

On the flip side, these have become troubling times for print newspapers because of the internet’s overwhelming efficiency and speed in spreading news.

Many other publications are changing their business models to cope with the changing information world. I would like to see what initiatives The Muse has taken on in an effort to adapt.

If they do get the additional levi, I hope they have plans to do something creative and new as well.

Local News, Politics Referendum, The Muse

Everyone talks about how much they dislike Stephen Harper but few people take the initiative to do anything about it.

Someone created a Facebook Page for this onion ring and their social experiment is to determine if this onion ring can conjure up more supporters than Stephen Harper

I am proud to say that an onion ring has more fans on Facebook than Stephen Harper does. As I write this there are 30,136 people who are fans of Stephen Harper. There are 73,600 fans of this onion.

Politics, Wacky Facebook, onion, Stephen Harper

Is it just me, or is it silly that an election for an office of power for the next four years was determined by a coin flip?

I know it’s legislation and it’s only fair that the rules laid out be followed, but it seems like this particular rule was drafted under the impression it was an impossible scenario.

I know nothing about the mayoral candidate from Paradise, except that one is a 19 year old student and they other is a seasoned municipal politician, but I don’t think what happened in that municipality was fair to either candidate or very democratic.

For anyone unfamiliar with this case the mayor was literally chosen at random after a recount resulted in a tie. In Newfoundland that is how we resolve electoral recounts.

Costly as they are, I think that legislation needs to be upgraded to allow additional recounts or a tie-breaking election. If there were any discrepancies from one count to a second, coundn’t it also be possible that the recount was inaccurate?

Could you imagine if a hockey playoff match tie was determined by a coin flip? I suspect people would lose interest in hockey.

Local News, Politics, Rants Elections, Paradise

The Scope recently released this great article to help people figure out what ward they are in and who is running in their ward.

From The Scope: What ward am I in?

Local News, Politics Elections, St. John's

Anyone can get emotional when they talk about politics, but when you are a public figure you have to be especially careful not to say anything nsensitive, offensive, and unfounded.

Glenn Beck joined the crew of those who have crossed the line a couple weeks ago when he announced Obama as a “racist” who has “a deep-seated hatred for white people.”

Wow.

That’s not what I found impressive about this situation. Word on the street is that many of Fox News’ major advertisers like Geico Insurance, Walmart, Best Buy and more are pulling their ads from The Glenn Beck Program.

Other ads which have run during that slot in error have sent PR departments scrambling to announce those ads were a mistake and never meant to be aired with that show.

The Consumist is asking if these companies pulling these ads affects your perception of them. Personally I feel that any companies that make business decision based less on projected revenues and more on principles are ones that have shown their human side making them a favorable place to do business, even if thier motive was only ever to appear as such. I think one can’t help but have their perception altered by such a story.

From The Huffington Post: Walmart, CVS, Best Buy, GMAC Among 8 Major Companies To Pull Ads From Glenn Beck Show
From Reuters: Fox News’ “Glenn Beck” loses advertisers

Politics Fox News, Glenn Beck, Obama

The decision-makers at Tim Horton’s have decided to establish their popular donut organization as a homophobic one.

According to online sources, Tim Horton’s is co-sponsoring a rally on Rhode Island for the National Organization for Marriage. The NOM is an organization that is fighting for the preservation of traditional marriages.

It’s especially notable because it is a direct violation of their own policies:

Tim Hortons does not sponsor individuals, those representing religious groups, political affiliates, book endorsements or traveling sports teams. Tim Hortons does not provide cash donations.

Is this a strategic move or an accident for Tim Horton’s? Either way I hope the message spreads the this donut shop supports anti-gay rallies on marriage.

UPDATE: Tim Horton’s has pulled funding for this event. It was the result of a franchisee ower violating their policy.

From Truth Wins Out: Doughnut Chain Tim Hortons Violates Its Own Policy, Sponsors NOM Antigay Fund-Raiser

Politics, Rants Tim Horton's

Normally I am a pretty blind follower of Danny Williams. I generally feel that when he says something or defends a governmental move I believe him. But I am capable of thinking for myself.

In an interview with Randy Simms on his Open Line show, Danny Williams is challenged about the effects of oil revenue for generations to come. He is asked about what is being done to keep Newfoundland and Labrador in the black for the future beyond this era of rich oil on the Grand Banks.

Rather than give a reasonable answer to a reasonable question, he deflects, calls Randy Simms a pessimist for questioning his work, and hangs up the phone.

Additional information: Williams slams radio host for ‘crap’

Local News, Politics Danny Williams, Newfoundland & Labrador

The minority Conservative government in Nova Scotia has been toppled.

Darrell Dexter has led his team of New Democrats to a historic win landing his party a solid majority government. His party earned 31 seats of a possible 52.

Loraine Micheal, the leader of the NDP for Newfoundland and Labrador is happy to see the NDP come into power and says she looks forward to collaborating with the Nova Scotia NDPs. She says “the NDP ideals of social justice, equality, and economic progress are ideas that resonate with the average Atlantic Canadian.”

What does this mean for voter support for Conservatives on the federal level?

From CBC: N.S. voters elect 1st NDP government
Fom CBC: Michael tips hat to Dexter on NDP win in N.S.

Politics Elections

Business, Local News, Politics AbitibiBowater

Local News, Politics Ed Byrne