"The Conservative government has drafted guidelines that would allow it to pull financial aid for any film or television show that it deems offensive or not in the public's best interest – even if government agencies have invested in them.

The proposed changes to the Income Tax Act would allow the Heritage Minister to deny tax credits to projects deemed offensive, effectively killing the productions. Representatives from Heritage and the Department of Justice will determine which shows or films pass the test."

more at source: globeandmail.com: Tories plan to withhold funding for 'offensive' productions

Hey Stephen Harper, guess what? You just lost a whole ton of votes. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

That's it. Censor the film business rather than encouraging it. More shows will be off to the Czech Republic and the Canadian economy will suffer.

If you need more money I guess you shouldn't have cut that one per cent from the GST. *Sigh*

Let's call an election now... I know which way I'm voting.

I thought I must post on leap day. But what? How about a humorous look at a couple of hot topics mashed together by theonion.com? Sure. Here's the video:

And skipping all the B.S. Here we go:


I should have waited and watched it this way.

Want more info? Check out the list of winers at Slashfilm.

I've lived in Vancouver's Lower Mainland for the last 14 and a half years. Violent crime here is pretty much a daily part of the news. Of late there have been youths fatally stabbing other youths outside of Skytrain Stations, fatal hit and runs and targeted gang shootings, not the least of which saw six people, including two innocent bystanders, perish. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the many missing women from Vancouver's downtown east side who were murdered by convicted killer Robert Willy Pickton. One would expect me to have become quite thick skinned and jaded.

Maybe about Vancouver, but not about home.

Home for me will always be a little town on the South Shore of Nova Scotia called Bridgewater. I spent the first 23 years of my life there. My parents still live there, in the same house. Most of who I am today came from experiences I had there good and bad, but mostly good. I still miss the town and the people there after all these years. Perhaps sometimes I idealize what it was like to live there, but all in all it is a nice, slow paced and quiet little town.

Bridgewater has been in the news lately. I always follow along when I hear about things happening there and this time it was no different except today the news was national. So much so that it made our local news radio: News1130


Three weeks ago a 12 year old girl named Karissa Boudreau went missing. At first it appeared Karissa had run away after an argument with her mother, but there was no sign of her until last weekend when the remains of "a young female" were found along the banks of the LaHave River just a scant few hundred yards from the house I grew up in. Right away people speculated it was Karissa, but prayed it wasn't. I was one of them.

It was strange seeing images on the news of a place I used to play and brook I used to fish trout (unsuccessfully) on being shown as a the site of such a tragedy. There used to be an office on the spot belonging to Irving Oil who's large oil tanks were across the street and a place we used to explore when no one was looking.

This morning at a police press conference held in Chester, because Bridgewater's Police Station is too small our worst fears were confirmed, and then some:


We all knew it had to be her. It couldn't have been anyone else. No one else was missing in the small town. But, murder?

I can only recall two other murder cases from there my entire life. One was a stabbing in 1993 of a gentleman I used to serve coffee to at the Candy Centre by a guy I played ball hockey with. Yes the town is that small. The other was the shooting death and burning in a fire of a couple in Dayspring, just outside of town. The son was charged but not convicted. As far as I know that one is still open. I can't remember or find anything else on the case, it was in the 80's.



I'm hoping that the Bridgewater Police (press releases), not being overly versed in this kind of investigation are getting the help they need from the R.C.M.P. It appears they are. I feel kind of sorry for Sgt Collyer he looked overwhelmed and out of his depth fielding questions from sometimes seemingly unintelligent yet persistent press core at the news conference. I would not want to be in his shoes. People, I'm sure, are expecting a swift resolution to this case and I'm sure the town police, many of whom were members when I was growing up, are feeling the pressure. Good luck to them.

The town must be reeling from this news. I'm way out west and feeling it. I can't even begin to imagine what Karissa's friends, family and neighbors are feeling. This facebook group administered by women from Bridgewater is a great place to post your feelings and sympathies.

To Karissa's family, friends and everyone else who loved and prayed for her, we're hoping that you soon find peace in this terrible time.


Bridgewater and it's people will rally around one another and come though this. It's what small towns do, at least the one I come from.

I love you Mrs B. :)

Vanity Fair has done it again. Every once in a while they do something truly photographically impressive using Hollywood stars who happen to be the flavor of the moment.

This time they've recreated scenes from some of Alfred Hitchcock's more well known films. I'm especially impressed that Strangers on a Train, one of my faves, made the list. They've even done a rather creepy making of video and Jim Windolf does a behind the scenes report.

Here's a few notables:


Jodi Foster is very Tippi Hedren-esque as Melanie Daniels from the eerie 1963 classic, The Birds. You know there was poop involved in this shoot at some point.


Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem reprise the Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart roles in Rear Window. Thank goodness Bardem has a decent haircut after the horrendous 70's mop he wore in No Country for Old Men.


Renée Zellweger is seriously (I mean very) creepy as Kim Novak's Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton from Vertigo.


Vanouver's own Seth Rogen as Cary Grant's character Roger O. Thornhill from North by Northwest. Cary, you've put on weight and look a little dopey. Still fun though.


Emile Hirsch (left) and James McAvoy (right) as Guy Haines and Bruno Anthony from Strangers on a Train. I must watch this film again today...

To see the others and some high quality scans check out the livejournal ohnotheydidn't.

Thanks Paul. I feel badly for Toronto.

92.5% of guild vote in favor of strike's end

By CYNTHIA LITTLETON, DAVE MCNARY

"The strike is over," Patric Verrone said, dispassionately but with the hint of a smile. "Our membership has voted. Writers can go back to work."

The WGA West prexy announced the news, something the town had taken as a fait accompli, shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. Some 92.5% of the 3,775 ballots cast were in favor of ending the 100-day strike, with 3,492 members voting yes and 283 die-hards ready to tilt at the windmill of continuing the work stoppage that began Nov. 5.

The vote on lifting the strike concluded a mere three days after the WGA cinched its contract agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in the wee hours of a Saturday morning. The strike vote was held over a 48-hour frame, with members able to vote in person at the WGA Theater and at Gotham's Crowne Plaza Hotel, or via fax.
[more at variety.com]

Finally! I'm getting bored. This may be blasphemy but one can only play so much Call of Duty 4.

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