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UPDATE: Complaint letter about Maclean's "Too Asian"
Related to country: Canada

Update #2:

Maclean's "Too Asian" is back online. It hasn't been changed except for the article's subtitle, and copy-editing corrections. Click on this link to see a side-by-side comparison of the old and new versions:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QzfdIegkZ9yhlshSjYJ0HVGzZ82l3vEr7WcQBAp7oa8/edit?hl=en#

Or you can just read the old version here:
http://pastebin.ca/1987790


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Update #1:

"Too Asian" by Maclean's has similar undertones to "Campus Giveaway" by CTV's W5 done in 1979.

Apparently, we've regressed 31 years.

Check it out:
http://archives.cbc.ca/society/racism/topics/1433-9248/
http://www.ccnctoronto.ca/aboutUs/aboutUs-History.html


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Hi all,

I encourage you to write to Maclean's to complain about their woefully stereotypical and offensive article, "Too Asian" : http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/11/10/too-asian/

I wrote a complaint letter to the editor, which I have pasted below (warning: it's full of rage and may sound arrogant, but I was really just trying to get my point across).

Please feel free to share.

Thanks,
Anita

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This article is offensive in so many ways, and is typical of Maclean's (not surprising coming from a publication that uses the word "invasion" in the headline for one of its other articles about a pending influx of Chinese tourists (http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/09/09/hoping-for-a-chinese-in...vasion/). I'm sure you're aware that this word evokes images of yellow peril, which according to Kent A. Ono and Vincent N. Pham's Asian Americans and the Media, is a stereotypical misrepresentation of Asians and particularly Asian North Americans as threatening to “take over, invade or otherwise negatively Asianize” western nations (in this particular context, Canada) and their respective cultures and societies.

This kind of discourse typically constructs an Asian/white dialectic in which Asians are perceived as powerful and threatening, while whites are threatened and vulnerable.

Yellow peril, it seems, is a theme Maclean's enjoys perpetuating in its articles, including "Too Asian" (http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/11/10/too-asian/2/) in which you portray Asian students as taking over the university spots of white students. Mind you, these Asians are just as CANADIAN as whites, not to mention other CANADIANS of ethnic origin.

You should be ashamed of Stephanie Findlay and Nicholas Köhler -- these so-called "journalists" who have written an outrageously skewed portrait of Asian students that hardly passes as real journalism. The sources they use all support one point-of-view: "That Asian students work harder is a fact born out by hard data. They tend to be strivers, high achievers and single-minded in their approach to university" and that "an 'Asian' school has come to mean one that is so academically focused that some students feel they can no longer compete or have fun." These sweeping statements are supported by a couple of biased quotes with no representation from another point-of-view. And what "hard data" are they referring to? Ultimately, you, as editors, failed to hold Findlay and Köhler to a high journalistic standard.

If my friends (both Asian and non-Asian) and I were interviewed and quoted, this article could have provided a more nuanced portrayal of Asian students. Indeed, I -- as well as many of my fellow Asians -- do not "tend" to be an army of single-minded academic nuts who suck the fun out of our surroundings. Many of us also study subjects outside of math and science, and we are also active members of on- and off-campus life. And FYI, my parents are fully supportive of my liberal arts education and decision to become a journalist. Shocking.

Way to perpetuate stereotypes about Asians, as usual, Maclean's. You're an exemplar of shoddy journalism. If you want to learn how to write real journalism, call me up, and I can give you a lesson.

Regards,
Anita Li

P.S. To redeem the magazine, you should print an apology in your next issue, and address the issues I have listed here.

November 10, 2010 | 5:35 PM Comments  0 comments


LAWLS x 100000: Bigfoot trumps campaign promises in national poll
Related to country: Canada
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/09/24/bigfoot-trumps-campaign-promises-in-national-poll.aspx
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Bigfoot trumps campaign promises in national poll

Posted: September 24, 2008, 10:00 AM by Karen Hawthorne

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today released results of a national public opinion poll showing that by a two-to-one margin, Canadians are more likely to accept the validity of Bigfoot than they are promises on the campaign trail.

Wait a minute. Bigfoot has been in the headlines at lot recently, rankling the science community, as two Bigfoot enthusiasts claimed to have discovered a a 7-foot-7, 500 pound man-ape they alleged to have stumbled upon while hiking in North Georgia. National Geographic has declared that these recent claims have turned out to be nothing more than a "bold hoax." In fact, president of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, Matthew Moneymaker, told National Geographic that the news conference was a "profiteering scam."

This makes the poll results that much more funny, don't you think? The survey of 1,000 Canadian adults was conducted by Praxicus, a pollster known to have close ties with senior Conservative Party officials. The results are considered accurate to within +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The question asked: "Which is more likely to happen ... Politicians will keep their election promises or scientists will prove the existence of Bigfoot?"

58% said Bigfoot, while 27% opted for promises. 15% were undecided.

"You know Canadians are cynical about politicians' promises when twice as many of them would bet on the existence of a mythical creature like Bigfoot," CTF Acting Federal Director Adam Taylor said. "But who can blame them? Politicians always promise the moon and the stars during an election. Some even promise they can cut taxes and dramatically increase spending, all while maintaining a balanced budget."

Now he brings in the CTF message: "As we know, the only thing that can cut through the promises and ensure a balanced budget is a law in Ottawa outlawing running deficits. In a time of economic uncertainty, it is long past due to make running balanced budgets the law of the land, and should be top priority for whoever forms the government after Oct. 14."

September 24, 2008 | 9:36 PM Comments  0 comments
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Key party promises in the federal election campaign
Related to country: Canada
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Source: THE CANADIAN PRESS


OTTAWA -- Key promises in the federal election campaign, with projected costs where applicable and available:


CONSERVATIVES

-- Two-cent-a-litre cut in taxes on diesel and aviation fuel over four years. $600 million a year once fully implemented.

-- Reinstate veterans' benefits for Second World War veterans who have lived in Canada for more than 10 years; $9 million a year.

-- A near-complete withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan in 2011.

-- Allow 49 per cent foreign ownership of airlines and foreign ownership of uranium mines.

-- Maternity, parental leave benefits for entrepreneurs who pay into EI. $150 million annually, financed by EI premiums.

-- Tax credit for first-time homebuyers to claim up to $5,000 in closing costs for a rebate of up to $750. $200 million a year, fully implemented.

-- Ban kid-friendly flavours and additives from tobacco products and require cigarillos to be sold in packages of at least 20. No cost provided.

-- Increase the Senior Age Credit by $1,000, saving those in the lowest tax-paying income bracket about $150 a year. $400 million a year.

-- $85 million in tax breaks for families where one spouse forgoes full-time work to care for a disabled family member.

-- Introduce maximum life sentences for offenders as young as 14 convicted of first- or second-degree murder; maximum 14-year sentences for youths who commit violent crimes.

-- Teens over 14 who commit serious crimes would no longer have their identities protected.

-- End conditional sentencing, also known as house arrest, for 30 serious crimes, including robbery, theft, and arson.

-- $113 million over five years to crack down on environmental crime, including maximum penalties of $6 million for companies and $1 million for individuals.


GREENS

-- A Guaranteed Livable Income supplement for the poor. No cost provided.

-- A new carbon tax of $50 per tonne and new taxes on toxic chemicals.

-- Forgive 50 per cent of student loans for successful graduates. No cost provided.

-- More money and research grants for post-secondary institutions that focus on renewable energy and conservation. No cost provided.

-- Shift consumption taxes to environmentally harmful products and services and away from income and products, activities that do no harm. No cost provided.

-- Cut corporate tax by $50 for each tonne of carbon-emission reductions. No cost provided.

-- Increase GST by six per cent to finance infrastructure improvements, with expanded exemptions on food, children's clothing and books. No cost provided.


LIBERALS

-- "Green Shift" carbon tax on fossil fuels, offset by income and business tax cuts. Income tax cuts of up to 10 per cent. Cut the small business tax rate to 10 per cent from 11 per cent. Lower the corporate tax rate to 14 per cent by 2013. Overall, $90 million in lost revenue for the treasury over four years.

-- $70 billion over 10 years for municipal infrastructure.

-- $1.2 billion over four years to help farmers adjust to green technologies.

-- Restore the $3-billion contingency fund abandoned by the Conservatives.

-- Create $1-billion Advanced Manufacturing Prosperity Fund to help manufacturers retain and create jobs.

-- Add $350 to existing $1,200-a-year child-care allowance. Create a new supplement for the poorest families with children, worth $1,225 a year per family.

-- National daycare program with 165,000 spaces. $1.25 billion a year, fully implemented.

-- End military mission in Afghanistan in 2011.

-- Restore the Court Challenges Program and double budget to $6 million a year.

-- $50 million to upgrade Canada's food safety system.

-- $10,000 per household in refundable tax benefits for energy-saving home retrofits. $600 million.

-- More robust energy efficiency standards for building codes and home appliances.

-- $250 million over four years to curb the spread of the mountain pine beetle.

-- $250 million to modernize and "green" fishing vessels and protect fish stocks in Canadian and international waters.

-- $100 million to improve Canada's small-craft harbours.

-- $420 million over four years to help increase the number of doctors, nurses and medical technicians across Canada.

-- $900 million over four years to create a new plan for catastrophic drug coverage.

-- $500 million more a year for university-based research and a $100-million research fund for scientists, researchers and grad students.

-- A poverty plan to reduce the number of people living below the poverty line by at least 30 per cent and the number of children by at least 50 per cent.

-- Reverse the immigration measures brought in by the Conservatives and spend $800 million to help new Canadians and reduce the immigration backlog.

-- Bring back the Kelowna Accord and work with aboriginal peoples, provinces and territories to improve native health, education and housing. $2 billion.

-- Increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors by $600 a year for low-income seniors.

-- 200,000 student bursaries of up to $3,500 per year over four years, and guaranteed eligibility for $5,000 student loans, regardless of parental income.

-- Simplify the tax system for post-secondary students, providing most students about $1000 a year.

-- Restore cuts made by the Conservatives to arts and culture funding and double the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts.


NDP

-- A moratorium on expansion of Alberta's tarsands and requiring oil companies to reclaim land strip mined for petroleum production. No cost provided.

-- $8.2 billion over four years to create, protect and foster growth of "green-collar" jobs and manufacturing.

-- A "cap-and-trade" system to create incentives for big business to reduce their emissions. No cost provided.

-- Slash greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. No cost provided.

-- A price-monitoring agency to investigate price spikes and consult with provinces about regulations. No cost provided.

-- Cap credit-card interest rates at five per cent over prime.

-- Outlaw automated banking machine fees, saving consumers at least $104 per year.

-- $120 million a year in additional funding for women's groups.

-- $1 billion over five years to expand medical and nursing schools, increasing the number of student spaces by 50 per cent.

-- $125 million a year to forgive student loans for medical-school grads who spend 10 years as family physicians.

-- $100 million for skills training and job creation.

-- Comprehensive review of Canadian banking regulations. No cost provided.

-- A national daycare program, enshrined in law, with 150,000 spaces in the first year. $1.4 billion a year at first, growing to estimated $2.2 billion.

-- Home-care program for seniors. $250 million in the first year growing to $1 billion a year by Year 4.

-- Income averaging for artists and a $20,000 annual tax break on income generated by copyright and residual revenue. No cost provided.

-- Scrap Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement within six months of forming government.

September 24, 2008 | 9:34 PM Comments  0 comments


Election 2008: Sincerity, intelligence not enough for Dion
Related to country: Canada
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

This article has a pretty good analysis on Dion's leadership performance:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080918/electionblog_oliver_080920/20080921?s_name=election2008&no_ads=

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Craig's List: Sincerity, intelligence not enough for Dion
Updated Sun. Sep. 21 2008 12:33 PM ET

Craig Oliver, Chief Political Correspondent

Many Liberals believe the problem with their campaign began on Dec. 2, 2006 in Montreal. The intervention this week by the two runners-up to that leadership convention spoke volumes about the decision Liberals had made.

The appearance of the two stars, Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae, left the beleaguered Stephane Dion suffering by comparison. There was a telling moment on Thursday when the Liberal leader was fumbling for an answer to a question about Gerry Ritz, and Ignatieff stepped in, skewering the agriculture minister and shredding his boss, the prime minister.

Likewise, the day before, Rae had jumped in when Dion was having trouble with answers to questions about the deficit and the economy.

But even the two Liberal heavyweights cannot turn this into a winning campaign. All of the polls are strikingly consistent. And if those in Quebec are correct, the Liberal party is reduced to redoubts in downtown Toronto, downtown Montreal, Atlantic Canada and a scattering of support in the West. That is no formula to win the country.

The mission of the duo is not to save Dion; it is to save the Liberal party. Holding the Conservatives to a minority would give the party the chance for a new contest for the unenviable job of rebuilding it from the ground up.

Mr. Dion can try to shift the Green Shift, but he cannot escape personal responsibility for insisting on its inclusion in the campaign. His key advisors, while supporting the policy, opposed the timing during a period of volatility and uncertainty in the energy and financial markets.

Every day now, the talk is of the team calling the attention of voters to its bench strength. Across the country, in four provinces last week, I failed to see Dion's name on any lawn signs -- his photograph was nowhere.

It is not enough to speak of Mr. Dion's sincerity and intelligence -- these are Job One in anyone's application to be prime minister. With the best efforts in the world, Mr. Dion does not possess the natural attributes of personality and character that are shared by all of the successful national leaders I have ever met. He does possess a cranky integrity, but he lacks the easy warmth, humour, and natural self-confidence of a John Diefenbaker, or a Jean Chretien, or even -- and some will be surprised -- Pierre Trudeau. Kim Campbell, who took the Conservative party over the highest cliff of its history, was at least charming and charismatic.

Dion lacks the theatricality of a stage performer that allows successful politicians to hold an audience. His efforts at rhetoric are stiff and uncomfortable, the speeches too long, slipping too easily into professorial dissertations which leave his audiences restless and fidgety in their seats.

The partisan crowds want what they have always wanted: red meat.

Any military trainer will tell you that nothing can replace the experience of real combat conditions. Harper, who has been battling through his third campaign, and I forget how many leadership races, has plenty of that.

Up against that, Liberals hope there is an unspoken animosity toward Harper, so deep underground it won't appear until election night -- when, they believe, Canadians will choose the Dion team, which is now on centre stage. The problem, however, is that the man at the centre of the centre is the wrong man.

September 22, 2008 | 3:36 PM Comments  1 comments


The Funniest SNL Sketch in a LONG TIME
Related to country: United States
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

Tina Fey is DEAD-ON in her impersonation of Sarah Palin.

Amazing :)

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Some hilarious quotes on and by Palin:

"John McCain's VP pick is the governor of Alaska, a unknown hockey mom named Sarah Palin that no one ever heard of. The only other job she had in politics was the mayor of a small town known as Wasilla, Alaska, and now she has the opportunity to be on a ticket opposite of Barack Obama, the first black man she's ever seen." –Bill Maher

"She's not bad looking. She looks like one of those women in the Van Halen videos who takes off her glasses, shakes out her hair, and then all of a sudden, she's in high heels and a bikini. All of a sudden, I am FOR drilling in Alaska." --Jimmy Kimmel

"She does know about international relations because she is right up there in Alaska, right next door to Russia." –FOX News Channel's Steve Doocy, gushing over Palin's qualifications, to which Jon Stewart quipped, "When you think about it, Alaska is also near the North Pole, so she must also be friends with Santa."

"She's old enough. She's a U.S. citizen." --John Harris, Alaska's Republican speaker of the house, when asked about Palin's qualifications for vice president

"I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." --Palin

"It's great to see another part of the country." --Palin, campaigning in Pennsylvania

"And the big guns are out. The Democrats have sent Hillary to Florida to go after Sarah Palin. So, that makes two Clintons trying to nail her now." --Jay Leno

September 14, 2008 | 12:37 PM Comments  0 comments
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