Martha Stewart exposed!

Did you know that Jerry Garcia's comic book collection was worth $30,370? These facts and more are available for your voyeuristic pleasure at The Smoking Gun (www.thesmokinggun.com). Twice a week, this site showcases a new legal document that's been dug up using the Freedom of Information Act; the current featured document is the inventory of the Dead man's estate, item by item.

Previous contents run the gamut from morbid (JonBenet Ramsey's autopsy report) to hilarious (a witness's statement after Martha Stewart attempted to mow him down with her Suburban). Admittedly, these documents smack more of Geraldo than 60 Minutes, but there must be some value to finding out that Howard Stern still has the contractual right to use the word "douche" and that the f-word is alive and well in Martha Stewart's vocabulary.

--Catherine Leconte

August 7, 1997
The young and the misled

CHOM will air Howard Stern's morning show starting September 2, but if you haven't heard the shock jock in action--or if you've been totally unplugged from pop culture and have no idea who he is--it's time to see what the buzz is about.

The Stern Page (members.global2000.net/~djbrian/howard.html) has MP3 sound files, as well as news about Stern's radio presence on the continent. Then there's the Interactive King of All Media Newsletter (www.koam.com), an information-dense clearing house of information and links to other sites. If the fawning adoration begins to wear thin, visit the American Family Association of Michigan's Howard Stern Information and Action page (www.afa.net/stern) and find out how he's corrupting "the young and those who are easily misled."

--Emru Townsend




July 31, 1997
Catfights online

Blair magazine's (www.blairmag.com) fourth publication is dubbed "The Black Issue." Inspired by the horror flick The Craft, the issue of this gay zine is smothered with grim graphics, goth icons and a whack of humour. The features include a contest ("Lesbian or German lady?"), a gushing story on the current Blair idol Lamar Latrelle (the très gay actor in Revenge of the Nerds), a what-if essay debating which horror-film bad girl ("Carrie vs. Angel") would win the mother of all catfights and a piece called "Menthol cigarettes: the new heroin!"

While the humour is hit and miss, there is some damn funny stuff here. Check out their back issues for the "Gay or eurotrash" contest and "Sissy: the lost issue of Sassy magazine."

--Catherine Leconte



July 24, 1997
Happy happy joy joy

"Have a nice day!" Yeah, sure. Open the newspaper, turn on the radio or TV, and what do you learn about? Floods, murders, accidents and (ugh) politics. It's almost enough to make you want to check straight into the cemetery to get it over with.

But believe it or not, good things happen all the time. Children are rescued from certain death, honest strangers return lost wallets and Canadians get an all-cartoon channel. The media's obsession with deviance means good news isn't worth reporting.

The Positive Press (www.positivepress.com), under the auspices of the Athens Institute in Virginia, believes otherwise. "We seek to demonstrate that there is a great demand for positive news," reads their Positive Point of View page, and they do this with a daily dose of positive news, positive sayings and, interestingly, a historical perspective. Just think: only 200 years ago, most of us would have been dead before we hit 40. So what are you complaining about?

--Emru Townsend



July 17, 1997
"Here speeching American"

This being tourist season, it's not unusual to get an earful of malapropisms. In celebration (and mockery) of this phenomenon, Lost in the Translation (http://hearsay.simplenet.com/translation/index.htm) has erected a virtual shrine to butchered English.

Categories include Classic Confusion, Advertising (KFC's slogan, when introduced in China, read "Eat your fingers off!"), and Food. The Hong Kong Films category--a must for avid Fant-Asia goers--is replete with teeth-gnashing subtitles such as "Fatty, you with your thick face hurt my instep."

The entire site is almost enough to make you want to start up an Office de la langue anglaise, except for the fact that it's so damn funny. Even if you've seen some these before, you'll discover new ones. "Take my advice, or I'll spank you without pants."

--Catherine Leconte



July 10, 1997
Kill me softly

With all the kerfuffle surrounding Jack "Dr. Death" Kevorkian and the recent Supreme Court decision in our southern neighbour's backyard, the euthanasia debate has reared its head once again. However, few write about cases beyond the ones in the United States and Canada, and even less about other religious and cultural views. In fact, the debate is far more complex than the exclusively legal perspective provided by North American media.

The Index and Glossary of the Scottish Voluntary Euthanasia Society (www.euthanasia.org/a_z.html) provides the Internet's most comprehensive and unbiased glossary on the topic, covering cases and history around the world. It misses only one thing, however: an interesting essay on the language used in the debate, which can be found at www.iaetf.org/fctwww.htm. While the thrust is anti-euthanasia, the principles are worth considering.

--Emru Townsend



July 3, 1997
Montreal's dark side

Alternative Montreal (http://www.infobahnos.com/~travis/alt.mtl.html) starts out with the all-too-common "Warning: this site contains some adult links." But don't dismiss it as yet another electronic shrine to the monkey-spankers. Travis Geko (a.k.a alternative lounge lézard and local man of mystery--his words) has amassed an amazingly comprehensive list of hot links about Montreal.

But before you joyfully log on in search of Accès Montréal addresses and public pool hours, you should know that this is not your father's Oldsmobile. This site has an unmistakable dark side. Loaded with hotlinks, it highlights local underground culture from Grrl Talk & Sexuality to fetish links, plus the less provocative--albeit informative--clubs-bars-cafés. While you can find links to sites which are downright offensive to even the most jaded surfer, there's plenty there for every sensibility. And as a bonus, your browser won't ever get stalled by any large animated Microsoft ad banners.

--Catherine Leconte



June 26, 1997
Africa revisited

The images of Africa that most North Americans have is one of poverty, despair and strife. In the last decade, we usually see Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Rwanda and the Congo in the news because of various atrocities.

While these are serious problems, there is more to Africa than the starving kids and vicious warlords we often see on TV. One of the best ways to learn more is to visit Africa Online's News & Information section (www.africaonline.com/AfricaOnline/covernews.html), which features links to assorted periodicals from and about Africa, including daily newspapers from most African nations - both peaceful oases and problem areas alike. Ever wonder why this stuff isn't on the evening news? --Emru Townsend



June 19, 1997
A joy to be Scrolled

It seemed to Theo Diamatis that most e-zines to be found on the Net are hackneyed electronic rehashes of either print or TV media outlets (with the possible exception of Hotwired and, of course, the Mirror's own Web site!). So with the support of Behaviour, his Montreal-based new media employer, Diamatis created Scroll, which he calls the first Web magazine that is "100 per cent tailored for this new medium."

Be forewarned that the graphics-laden Scroll (www.behaviour.com/scroll) will try your patience with the progress bar. But once it's up, it seems fair to say that you've never seen a website a beautiful as this. Scroll's eclectic content includes everything from a Peter Greenaway interview to a photo exhibit of historic Montreal, with some funky downloadable claymation somewhere in between. --Emru Townsend



June 12, 1997
Virtual job hunting

Whether you're looking at Canada, Quebec or just Montreal, the latest employment statistics don't bode well for young folks these days. If you're tired of pounding the pavement or thumbing through the classifieds, the Internet might be of help.

The Banque Nationale and the Quebec government (among others) sponsor IDclic (idclic.collegebdeb.qc.ca), a site devoted to career information within Quebec for those aged 15-23. If you're looking for a job and not a career, try the Employment Centre (cvcprod.ca/west/empcentr.html), where people can post free ads seeking or offering jobs. Finally, if you're frustrated enough to move elsewhere, there's the CareerMosaic J.O.B.S. Database (www.careermosaic.com/cm/usenet.html). --Emru Townsend



June 5, 1997
Tiananmen remembered

It was only eight years ago that a protest in Beijing's Tiananmen Square became a bloodbath as Chinese troops opened fire on hundreds of unarmed civilians. Even more appalling (if such a thing is possible) is the mere slap on the wrist given the Chinese government by the Western nations. Always willing to please a good trading partner, world leaders have seen fit to conveniently forget the events of June 4, 1989.

Lin Wei, Liu Yuan, Wang Baoqing, Cheng Gongxian and Yao Ming-Hui are five people determined to make sure the world does not forget. Their 1989 Democracy Movement page (www.cnd.org:8003/June4th/) contains a collection of news reports, songs, poems and photographs relating to the tragedy, in English and Chinese. --Emru Townsend



May 29, 1997
Political pie-in-the-face

Election day is now less than one week away. We've been polled, patronized, begged and scolded by all the candidates. The same issues of unity, employment and leadership are being trotted out yet again.

If you're looking for a break from it all, pay a visit to the Canadian Political Satire page at 128.100.66.4/hostovsky/election97. Mixed in with the sound clips from Chrétien's speeches and links to more serious sites, one can chat with the Virtual Prime Minister or read the reviews of a fictitious "Liar, Liar," starring Sheila Copps and Tony Valeri.

When you're done, pay a visit to Splat the Politician at www.southam.com/nmc/pie/piepick.html. Haven't you always wanted to smoosh a pie in their faces? --Emru Townsend



May 22, 1997
Lanier in Montreal

The Multimedia and Info-highways International Market (MIM) is coming to town and with Bell as one of the main sponsors, one might be tempted to write it off as yet another suit-people conference. But MIM's program paints a slightly different picture. Topics include education, music and culture, with an emphasis on the survival of French in the predominantly English digital world. Speakers include musician Youssou N'Dour, Secretary-General Jean-Louis Roy of the Agence de la Francophonie and cyberspace guru/musician Jaron Lanier, who coined the term "virtual reality."

MIM takes place to May 23 at the Convention Centre. For info call 486-6817 or email mim@artech.org. Web site: cite.artech.org/mim. --Emru Townsend



May 15, 1997
FAIR not fair?

FAIR stands for Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, a media watchdog group that tries to live up to its name. According to its press, FAIR believes that "independent, aggressive and critical media are essential to an informed democracy." What that translates into is a group that looks at what's going on in news and TV and uncovers the contradictions in what's being said, as well as what's not being said.

When you apply FAIR's methods to FAIR itself, one finds a distinct left-leaning bias: if FAIR really lived up to its name, it would be pointing out the half-truths in left-wing media as well. The group also concentrates mainly on American media, though not always on American events.

However, that doesn't diminish the service they are providing: a means of looking behind the veils of omission and duplicity. FAIR's message is simple: look past the surface. Visit FAIR at www.igc.apc.org/fair, or jump right into their article archives at www.igc.apc.org/fair/index. --Emru Townsend



May 8, 1997
Virtual flood of support

Time and again, cyberspace has come through for the victims of disasters--both real and man-made--around the world. When earthquakes (and riots) hit Los Angeles years ago, informal virtual help-lines on the Internet were set up within minutes. When Kobe was rocked by earthquakes in 1995, "I'm okay" e-mail messages from friends were supplemented by a Web site devoted to regular updates, a bulletin board for messages, and the names of the dead.

Now it's Manitoba's turn. If you're concerned about loved ones or want to find some way to help, CBC-Radio Manitoba has a home page with twice-daily flood updates, emergency forecasts and a map of the flood area. Point your browser to http://www.radio.cbc.ca/radio/regional/Manitoba/news/flood97/index.html --Emru Townsend



April 24, 1997
Aficionado indeed

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Or is it? The tobacco lords are trying to block the new Tobacco Act in the courts. Meanwhile, as cigarette companies trumpet freedom of expression and Montrealers anticipate the loss of their festivals, cigar bars are all the rage.

The Tobacco Internet Resources Page (http://www.tobacco.org/Resources/tobsites.html) cuts through the smoky haze and provides an interesting mix of facts, statistics and occasional humour about the most popular legal drug. Find out about pesticide use in tobacco crops; look at the trends in cigarette use by gender, race, age and education; read about the history of tobacco use in France, dating back to 1560; then round off the whole experience with Kipling's The Betrothed, in which he makes the choice between Maggie and his beloved cigar.----Emru Townsend



April 17, 1997

No aliens here

Between enumeration ads and the enumerators themselves, we are constantly reminded that a federal election looms ahead. Pretty soon politicians will be bombarding us with their versions of the facts, swaying us to vote this way or that. The best part (for some of us, anyway) is when they start accusing each other of shady dealings, covert operations and other shenanigans.

But what if there are other agendas--hidden agendas--beyond the obvious ones? What if they're all in the same bed together? Jeff Koftinoff has compiled postings from Usenet groups, print media and the Web to create the Canadian Conspiracy Pages (www.turnercom.com/jdk/canal.html). Among the more believable conspiracies: Lucien Bouchard, the "transnational bankers' man," was parachuted in to lead the PQ as part of a larger plan to annex Canada to the U.S. Koftinoff's perspective on the big picture, while farfetched at times, will make you ask, "What's really going on?"--Emru Townsend



April 10, 1997

Technology's freedom fighters

Everyone jokes about Microsoft as the evil empire, with Bill Gates as Darth Vader. But some people don't think it's funny. Consider: Microsoft is all over the computing world, in software, hardware, the Internet, games and even special effects and animation (through our very own Softimage). This, according to some, is just the warm-up for Gates's ultimate goal of world domination.

Mitch Stone is one of many who thinks that we must fight Gatesian hegemony while we can, and presents his arguments on the Boycott Microsoft site (www.vcnet.com/bms/), complete with articles, references and quotes. If you think that he's just a touch paranoid, you might want to check out Microsoft's own site (www.microsoft.com) and read their news briefs - they might scare you more. Emru Townsend



April 3, 1997

Cult catalogue now online

If the last week has proven anything, it's that cults can seriously cramp your style. The Observer, a UK paper, has obviously realized this for some time; although their definition of "cult" may be a bit broader than most, their Web site examines why people join cults and provides handy links to many other cult-related sites.

The site contains a fairly extensive list of the major cults--from Aum Shinrikyo to Zoroastrians--along with their tenets, histories and the reasons why you should or shouldn't join. The site is fairly objective, neither for or against cults in and of themselves; they give you the information and let you make up your own mind. Emru Townsend [http://www.guardian.co.uk/cults/]

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