2008-09-27
Right Whales: On the Brink, On the Rebound
Actors condemn Harper's culture cuts
Canada's top film and television performers gathered in Toronto Wednesday to condemn the $45 million in cuts to culture funding announced by the Conservative government in August, saying the cuts will cripple the Canadian arts industry. Canadian actress Wendy Crewson kicked off the event, saying Canadian artists are "fed up" with the cuts and want to see a return to stable funding for the arts.
"Culture is critical to our identity as a country and is a huge part of our economy," Crewson said. "These policies are job killers, and artists will not stand by and allow these attacks on our industry to continue without a fight."
Stephen Harper has called the culture cuts a niche topic, saying that "ordinary Canadians" are not particularly concerned with them.
U.S. army deserter, family win stay of deportation
A U.S. army deserter and his family were granted a last-minute stay of deportation Monday by a Federal Court judge while the court decides whether to hear their appeal. Jeremy Hinzman, his wife and two children were ordered to leave Canada by Tuesday or face forcible deportation to the United States, where the soldier faces prosecution for fleeing to Canada in 2004 rather than deploying with his army unit to Iraq.
The judge's decision will allow the family to remain in Toronto while the court decides whether to review a decision by Citizenship and Immigration officials not to let the Hinzmans remain in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. They are also trying to appeal their pre-removal risk assessment.
Super Star: A "Mobile China Town" Skyscraper
Tired of the "same-old" look to China Towns everywhere? Well, this radical cyberpunk concept by MAD Architects brings to extreme the shape of a crystal star 1000 meters high, with simply mind-boggling effect:They don't say how exactly this skyscraper can be mobile, but you can almost imagine it floating from location to location, gracing lucky cities with its extreme China Town version:
This truly mad (in a good sense) bunch of architects - their studio is based in Bejing - are also responsible for the great-looking skyscrapers, currently under construction in Toronto, Canada and in Guangzhou, China
2008-09-26
Traffic Cop: Have you been sending text messages, Sir?
Motorists who send text messages while driving are "significantly more impaired" than those who drive drunk, even at the minimum legal limit for alcohol, according to a British study. The study showed that drivers' reaction times deteriorated by 35 per cent and they saw a 91 per cent decrease in steering ability.
"When texting, drivers are distracted by taking their hand off the wheel to use their phone, by trying to read small text on the phone display, and by thinking about how to write their message," said Reed.
SEE MAP of places that restrict the use of cellphones while driving
Cheney must preserve records of time in office, U.S. judge rules
Had sought to exclude VP's office from reach of Presidential Records ActA U.S. federal judge on Saturday ordered Vice-President Dick Cheney to preserve a wide range of records from his time in office.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is a setback for the Bush administration, which has been pushing for a narrow definition of materials that must be safeguarded under the Presidential Records Act.
The judge said the administration's legal position "heightens the court's concern" that some records may not be preserved.
Aliens have landed
A photographer captured this strange picture of a family of deer on a neighbour's lawn. To see the full picture and more of his pix, click on the article title.
Where did I leave those Post-It notes?
via videosift.com