Michael Jackson is dead

By John Intini - Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 6:06 PM - 6 Comments

City and law enforcement sources have told the L.A. Times that pop singer Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at a hospital in a deep coma. Jackson, 50, had 13 number one hits during his solo career, is survived by three children.

L.A. Times

Harper inches ahead of Ignatieff for first time in months

By John Intini - Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 9:34 AM - 10 Comments

After lagging behind the Ignatieff-led Liberals for months, the Conservatives have regained the lead, according to the latest EKOS/CBC tracking poll. Nationally, the governing Tories now command 34.8 per cent support—a two per cent jump since last week. Meanwhile, the Liberals fell to 32.6 per cent, a 1.1 per cent drop during the same period.  It was “not a good week at all for the Liberals,” says EKOS president Frank Graves, who notes that the drop could represent a “short term political setback.” Still, the numbers have to be discouraging for Liberal party strategists, who were just starting to get used to being out in front. Meanwhile, the NDP is down 2 per cent, and currently sits at 14.3 per cent – its lowest standing in over a month – and the Bloc Quebecois is up slightly with 9 per cent.

CBC

Did you hear the one about Obama?

By John Intini - Monday, June 22, 2009 at 4:10 PM - 96 Comments

Soon after Barack Obama’s victory last November, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel stopped by Legends, a barbershop in L.A. He was there for a trim but also to test out, “on behalf of the comedy community,” what type of jokes about the new President the almost all-black staff and clientele considered offensive. Cracks about Obama being a bad dancer are fine, they said. So are jabs at his big ears. But, Kimmel was told, Mrs. O’s “butt” is off-limits.

The skit was a joke (a pretty good one, actually), but it illustrated a real concern among some comedians and late-night scribes heading into the Obama era. Sure, comics would be able to count on Vice-President Joe Biden to regularly stuff his foot in his mouth, but Obama, unlike most of the commanders-in-chief who preceded him, wasn’t a walking punchline. Most of the late-night hosts have publicly complained about how little the President gives them to work with. Comedian Chris Rock compared Obama to the untouchable Brad Pitt. “Ooh, you’re young and virile and you’ve got a beautiful wife and kids,” Rock told CNN. “You know, what do you say?”

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British Vogue retouching photos to make models fatter

By John Intini - Monday, June 15, 2009 at 6:53 PM - 0 Comments

Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue, is being hailed for criticizing the fashion industry’s “size-zero” obsession. In a “strongly worded” letter that was leaked to the media, Shulman blasts prominent fashion houses for forcing magazines to hire models with “jutting bones and no breasts or hips” by supplying “minuscule” garments for photo shoots. So dire is the situation, Shulman writes, that Vogue is now frequently “retouching” photographs to make models look larger. The influential editor’s intervention has been hailed as a turning point in debate over model size in Britain since the death of three models from complications relating to malnutrition, and the decision by prominent fashion shows to ban size-zero models.

London Times

Iran: A nation in chaos

By John Intini - Monday, June 15, 2009 at 6:23 PM - 0 Comments

On Monday, a pro-government militia fired into a crowd protesting the results of Iran’s election, killing one man and wounding several others. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad descended on Tehran’s Freedom Square to denounce Ahmadinejad’s victory in Friday’s election over reformist leader Mir Hossein Mousavi. Earlier in the day, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered a review of the disputed election results. U.S. officials have said they are “deeply troubled” by the appearance of voting irregularities, as well as the government’s reaction to the protests. Meanwhile, Mousavi isn’t holding out hope the review of the elections will bear fruit. “I have appealed to the Guardian Council but I’m not very optimistic about their judgment,” he reportedly told supporters at a rally in Tehran. “Many of its members during the election were not impartial and supported the government candidate.”

The London Times — in pictures
AP
AFP
Reuters
BBC Video

Ahmadinejad's re-election sparks tension in Tehran

By John Intini - Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 10:14 AM - 0 Comments

Having earned 62.6 per cent of the vote, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of Iran’s hotly contested Presidential election on Saturday morning. But Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmadinejad’s political rival, has claimed there were voting ‘irregularities’ and that, in fact, he had won by a “large margin.” Mousavi, who had promised to move Iran away from Ahmadinejad’s hard-line policies, posted a message on his website on Saturday, telling his supporters not to back down to a “governance of lie and dictatorship.” Thousands responded by taking to the streets of Tehran to protest the results.

New York Times

A sad, desperate city puckers up

By John Intini - Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 1:20 PM - 1 Comment

As the auto industry continues its painful collapse, Oshawa, Ont., has become pretty desperate these days for a little good news. So in April, urged on by councillor Robert Lutczyk, the city endorsed a plan—peculiar even by municipal government standards—aimed at winning a contest hosted by KISS. The rock legends had called on fans to determine, via online voting, the route Gene Simmons and the boys would take on tour this fall. At the time, Oshawa was ranked 143rd as a potential stop. Suddenly, getting the city on the band’s map was a top priority. As part of the effort to get out the vote, Oshawa declared the week of April 27 “KISS in Oshawa Week.” This culminated in an event at a local mall where shoppers voted, pulled on KISS T-shirts, and had their faces painted like it was 1976 while, in many cases, their kids watched in horror. “No matter where you go, from the grocery store to the train station, [the contest] is the talk of the town,” says Lutczyk. “I’ve never seen so much excitement and energy around city hall in my life.” Even those tight with the big guy (that’s God, not Gene) are in on the action. For two weeks in May, Oshawa’s Simcoe Street United Church showed its support on its lawn sign in big block letters: CHURCH MEMBERS HAVE VOTED. BRING KISS TO OSHAWA.

Several weeks and more than 12,000 votes later, Oshawa has vaulted into first place. In fact, at last check, Canadian cities, including Winnipeg, Sault Ste. Marie and Peterborough, make up the entire top 10 list. “KISS has always done well in the non-hipster centres,” says Alan Cross, host of The Ongoing History of New Music, a nationally syndicated radio show. “The smaller centres, the blue-collar concentrations, don’t have the choice,” he says. “So when an internationally renowned band, be it Nickelback, the Tragically Hip or KISS, comes through town it’s a huge deal.” For some of the smaller cities in contention for KISS, this is that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So with the possibility of seeing the famous tongue-wagging in person just a click or two away, it’s no surprise people are lunging at the chance. Still, nowhere in North America has the KISS army mobilized as strategically and with as much vigour as it has in Oshawa. “This is the headquarters,” laughs Lutczyk. “Oshawa Rock City.”

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Canada to inject $10.5 billion in GM

By John Intini - Monday, June 1, 2009 at 10:19 PM - 1 Comment

Following General Motor’s appearance this morning in bankruptcy court and Barack Obama’s speech, in which he laid out his government’s restructuring plan for the automaker, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that the Feds and Ontario would be contributing a total of $10.5 billion in exchange for a 11.7 per cent stake in the revamped GM. Though Harper described the move as “regrettable,” he said that not being part of the restructuring process was “too risky in the current fiscal climate.”

CBC

The genius of Justin Timberlake

By John Intini - Friday, May 8, 2009 at 10:20 AM - 10 Comments

Justin Timberlake was a global brand when he showed up on Saturday Night Live in December 2006 with a cheap suit, cheesy beard and a strategically placed cardboard box. But in two minutes and 37 seconds, the pop star reached a whole other level. In addition to an Emmy and more than 35 million downloads, the skit, a holiday music video parody, in which Timberlake advises dudes on the perfect gift to give your lady—a “d–k in a box”—was crude, but earned the former Mouseketeer a lot of cred. He also proved that night to be one of SNL’s best hosts in years by appearing in . . . no, by being the funniest part of nearly every skit. Fast-forward to November 2008: Timberlake shows up on SNL again, this time in heels and a leotard, dancing with Beyoncé to Single Ladies—another instant Web sensation. After that turn, some New York media types pleaded with Lorne Michaels, SNL’s producer, to hire the pop star full-time. Timberlake, who now has a standing invite whenever he’s in NYC, is hosting SNL on May 9. Chances are, by the time you read this, his latest skit has already gone viral.

The fact that anyone is even talking about Timberlake is remarkable. This is, after all, a guy who spent seven years with ’N Sync and dated Britney Spears, the kind of credentials that might guarantee someone a spot on the The Surreal Life. And yet, several years since his band broke up (and 14 since he and Mickey Mouse parted ways), Timberlake has positioned himself atop a respected pop culture empire that spans music, film, TV, even fashion (his latest collection earned industry nods at New York Fashion Week in February). He’s a boyfriend to beautiful women—the latest, Jessica Biel—and in crowning him America’s most stylish man, GQ credited him with single-handedly bringing back fedoras, sweater vests, three-piece suits and beards. He’s the modern-day equivalent of the Rat Pack, all rolled into one skinny-jean-wearing guy from Memphis who used to have frosted tips.

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What to do about Omar Khadr

By John Intini - Friday, April 24, 2009 at 5:57 PM - 5 Comments

The Conservative government can’t seem to decide what do about Omar Khadr, the 22-year-old Guantanamo Bay detainee. First, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said there would be an appeal of a Federal Court ruling that
said the government must ask the United States to send Khadr home. That was quickly followed by Cannon’s spokeswoman saying that a decision had not been made. Moments later, it was announced that there would be an appeal after all. By late Friday afternoon a government spokesperson announced what had already become clear to most observers: the government hasn’t yet made up its mind.

CTV

The 12 brands most likely to die before the end of next year

By John Intini - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 6:27 PM - 4 Comments

After crunching the numbers gleaned from financial reports, 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the 12 brands most likely to disappear from the commercial landscape before the end of next year. According to the authors, the future isn’t bright for the Saturn and Chrysler brands. Eddie Bauer, Gap (along with its spin-off brands) and Crocs are also on the list. As is the Avis/Budget car rental companies, gadget-maker Palm, one-time insurance giant AIG, Architectural Digest, Esquire, and at least one of the big American airlines round things out.

24/7 Wall St.

North Korea to restart its nuclear program

By John Intini - Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 10:48 AM - 6 Comments

North Korea has vowed to restart its atomic weapons program and quit disarmament talks after the United Nations condemned a recent rocket launch that North Korea insisted was designed to put a satellite into orbit, but which most observers believe was aimed at testing a long-range missile. Pyongyang described the UN Security Council’s reaction as an “unbearable insult” to its people and said it was dropping out of ‘six-party’ disarmament talks that had included China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Russia. “There is no need for the six-party talks any more,” said a statement from Pyongyang’s foreign ministry. “We will never again take part in such talks and will not be bound by any agreement reached at the talks.”

Sydney Morning Herald

Taliban murder lovers who tried to elope

By John Intini - Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 10:47 AM - 2 Comments

The Taliban in Afghanistan have murdered a young man and woman who had tried to run away to get married. The couple was tracked down and brought back to the mosque in their home village, which is under Taliban control. Taliban mullahs passed a religious decree and the two lovers were shot in front of a crowd of people.

BBC

Hostage rescued. Three captors shot dead.

By John Intini - Sunday, April 12, 2009 at 10:38 PM - 1 Comment

Afraid that a group of pirates were about to kill Capt. Richard Phillips—who had been held captive aboard a lifeboat on the Indian Ocean since Wednesday after his cargo ship was taken over off the coast of Somalia by pirates—U.S. Navy snipers fatally shot three of his captors in the head and secured his rescue on Sunday. A fourth pirate, aboard the USS Bainbridge negotiating the captain’s release at the time, is in custody. Capt. Phillips, who was said to have an AK-47 aimed at his back when the snipers took action, was not injured in the rescue.

L.A. Times

Stelmach=Chavez

By John Intini - Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 12:59 PM - 6 Comments

Post a $4.7-billion deficit and, well, it’s as clear as day—you’re socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Such was the level of discourse focused on Premier Ed Stelmach the morning after his Finance Minister, Iris Evans, dropped her budget Tuesday. Not only is this deficit the first for Alberta in 15 years, it’s larger than the province has ever seen before. “They have done so much damage to their credibility with this budget,” political scientist Faron Ellis, of Lethbridge College, told the Calgary Herald. “I can see this leading to at least some serious interest from a number of Albertans, financially backed by the Calgary oilpatch, seeking to start a new political party.”

Calgary Herald

Somali pirates seize American crew

By John Intini - Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 10:57 AM - 4 Comments

Somali pirates today seized an American-flagged container ship and took its 20 American crew members hostage. This is the first time Americans have been captured in a region that has been plagued by more than 50 pirate attacks on commercial ships this year. More than a dozen international naval vessels patrol the sea lanes off Somali to little affect – possibly because their methods of deterrence are so weak. A Canadian frigate stopped one suspected pirate attack last weekend by deploying a helicopter armed with a large stop sign. The pirates turned away but were left free to resume their attacks later.

New York Times

The "new global age" and its $1 trillion price tag

By John Intini - Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 6:05 PM - 0 Comments

The G20 leaders agreed today to boost stimulus measures aimed at shoring up the fragile global economy. Most notably, the leaders committed to pouring an extra $1 trillion (all figures U.S.) into the International Money Fund. The IMF will see its total budget tripled to $750 billion and will also benefit from an extra $250 billion in the form of a Special Drawing Rights allocation. Another $250 billion has been committed to finance international trade. World leaders also agreed to strengthen the global regulatory framework governing banking and investment, including the establishment of a new international accounting system, an end to tax havens, and new compensation rules aimed at stamping out rewards for failure. Although British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quick to celebrate the coming of a “new global age,” some countries’ grievances went unaddressed. Russia unsuccessfully campaigned in support of China’s suggestion that the world adopt a reserve currency other than the U.S. dollar, while France and Germany resisted U.S. efforts to push for higher government spending and tax cuts to stimulate the global economy.

Washington Post

Lost in space

By John Intini - Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 11:20 AM - 3 Comments

Chances are the last time you heard from Howard Stern (remember him?) was about four years ago. That’s when he and his bosses at Sirius were telling the world that satellite radio was “the future.” Considering all the hype around this new technology, you’d have thought they were going to unleash the second coming of the Internet.

Well, they didn’t. And so far, at least, the U.S. company’s bid to revolutionize radio hasn’t quite taken off. Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Sirius and XM merged in the U.S. last year) is saddled with about US$3 billion in debt. The collapse of the auto industry, which has been a major source of new customers, is a threat to growth. The stock is trading at about 30 cents a share—at one point recently it slipped under six cents—and last month, to stave off bankruptcy, the company accepted a US$530-million loan from Liberty Media (which runs DirecTV, the largest satellite television company in the U.S.) in exchange for a 40 per cent stake in the company. “I see a lot more obstacles than opportunities,” says Paul Verna, a senior analyst with New York City-based eMarketer. How, then, can they possibly get this spaceship on course, and perhaps even turn a profit?

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Hundreds of African migrants drown trying to reach Europe

By John Intini - Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 11:15 AM - 0 Comments

More than 200 people are feared to have drowned after an overcrowded boat sank off the coast of Libya. Approximately 20 people have been rescued, and 20 bodies recovered out of some 250 passengers. The boat is designed to carry 50. It was following a common route used by illegal African migrants hoping to reach Italy.

BBC

Access denied

By John Intini - Monday, March 30, 2009 at 3:32 PM - 15 Comments

A Federal Court judge has upheld the the Canadian Border Services Agency’s decision to bar George Galloway. The fiery British MP, who was denied entry into Canada on national security grounds earlier this month, was supposed to give a speech in Toronto Monday evening, but he’ll instead have to settle for delivering it via live video from New York City. In his ruling, Justice Luc Martineau, concluded the CBSA had not strayed from its mandate in turning Galloway back. “The admission of a foreign national to this country is a privilege determined by statute, regulation or otherwise, and not a matter of right,” Martineau wrote. “In this respect Parliament has expressly given the CBSA officers legal authority to exclusively determine whether a foreign national who seeks to enter this country is admissible.” Galloway’s supporters, however, say the ruling greases a “slippery slope” and promise to “appeal and go to the highest court if need be.”

Toronto Star

Writing songs in the key of e=mc2

By John Intini - Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 1:20 PM - 0 Comments

Diane Nalini’s two worlds are about to collide. The 34-year-old, an applied physicist at the University of Guelph and professional jazz singer, is set to release Kiss Me Like That, her fourth album, featuring 13 songs about the stars and the moon. While the concept sounds like a gimmick, especially coming from an astronomy buff, it’s only fair to note that Nalini’s previous musical efforts have been well received. A review in the Montreal Gazette from a few years ago noted that Nalini has “a beguiling voice with beautiful intonation.” Another, in the Globe and Mail, praised her “bell-clear tone, meticulous enunciation, playfulness and subtle swing.” Even Bill Clinton is a fan. While studying at Oxford in 2001, Nalini met the sax-crazed former president after performing a 40-minute set at a black-tie event for about 20 that he attended. A year or two later, at a Rhodes Scholars’ reunion, Nalini approached Clinton to re-introduce herself, but was cut off before she could get her name out: “Of course I remember you, Diane,” Nalini recalls Clinton saying. “I have your album on my MP3 player.”

That kind of endorsement might have prompted some musicians to drop everything in the pursuit of fame. But Nalini, while honoured, refused to pick one side of her brain over the other. And this musical-physicist combo isn’t unheard of. Some argue that’s because physics, like music, focuses on patterns, sounds and waves. Others cite the work of Pythagoras, who found there are mathematical relationships between harmonious notes. In any case, Nalini is not alone. This summer an opera about the existence of additional dimensions, written by Harvard particle physicist Lisa Randall, will debut on a Paris stage before touring Europe. And the most famous crossover artist of late is Brian May, Queen’s legendary guitarist. In the fall of 2007 May completed his Ph.D. thesis, a paper on interplanetary dust that he started working on in 1971, three years before heading out on the road with the band. “Most musicians I know have a strong grasp of mathematics,” says Nalini, who was born in Montreal. “They have to. Keeping the beat, counting out divisions of beats, thinking about harmony. Music theory is almost dauntingly mathematical.”

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Try making a movie for adults

By John Intini - Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 8:47 PM - 6 Comments

It’s a Hollywood story befitting the times: Bonuses for executives who promote economy-destroying mortgages, more studio cash for a film director who uses bank-breaking budgets to make embarrassing flops. Zack Snyder’s comic-strip opera Watchmen, which reportedly cost $150 million and which Warner Brothers spent $50 million marketing, may, best-case-scenario, earn $115 million by the end of its run. But Snyder has little to worry about: IMDB.com has him directing five films in 2010, including the “much-anticipated” animated film Guardians of Ga’Hoole and Sucker Punch, an R-rated flick said to have a budget of $100 million and the Snyder-esque premise of ‘Alice in Wonderland with machine guns.’ Note to Zack Snyder: Read a book (without pictures).

The Hollywood Blog (NYTimes)

Suncor closes in on deal to buy Petro-Canada

By John Intini - Monday, March 23, 2009 at 1:00 AM - 1 Comment

On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Calgary-based Suncor Energy Inc., Canada’s second largest oil exploration and refining company, is close to acquiring Petro-Canada in a $15 billion deal. In what amounts to a 30 per cent premium on Petro-Canada’s share price, the takeover would create Canada’s largest energy company (EnCana Corp. currently holds that title). The Canadian government, however, must approve it since legislation prohibits any single shareholder from owning more than 20 per cent of Petro-Canada, Canada’s fourth largest refiner. The WSJ piece, citing people ‘familiar with the matter,’ claimed the government is supportive. Sources in Calgary say Petro-Can is planning to make an announcement before trading begins on Monday.

Wall Street Journal (subscription required)

Reuters

So long Chrysler?

By John Intini - Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 5:49 PM - 3 Comments

Chrysler is already at work preparing a possible shut down of its Canadian operations, reports the Canadian Press. Chrysler president Tom LaSorda said last week the company would leave Canada if it didn’t win substantial labour concessions. That was no idle threat. The company is said to be looking at “alternative locations” for its assembly plants in Brampton and Windsor, where it employs close 10,000 people. The Canadian Auto Workers came to an agreement with General Motors to cut costs (by an estimated $7 an hour) and has said it won’t offer anything more than that to Chrysler. Chrysler, however, says that doesn’t go far enough. It wants to cut wages by more than twice that. If there’s any hope of bridging the gap, it may lie in cuts to workers benefits like paid vacation time and overtime premiums.

Canadian Press