The Strand

Critics knock McGuinty's money motive

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Premier Dalton McGuinty sees international students as the lynchpin for Ontario's economic recovery, but students and administrators beg to differ.

News analysis: the Tory budget

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Two weeks ago, in the Throne Speech delivered by Governor General Michaelle Jean on March 3 and in the Federal Budget released the following day, Canadians were presented with an optimistic vision of the future. The Conservatives have announced that tax credits and fresh funding for Canadian research grants will keep Canadian business internationally competitive, new tax cuts and tariff eliminations will spur fresh economic growth and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's talented stewardship of the economy will bring the deficit from its current and unprecedented level of $56 billion down to $1.8 billion by 2015.

In other news

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Bangkok, Thailand
The Thai prime minister has been subject to two fecal attacks over the past five weeks. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has received harsh criticism before but never in the manner that he has been experiencing recently. Khamphong Samart, 56, has been arrested for throwing bags of animal feces and the prime minister's house. Samart is charged with defacing public property and causing public embarrassment to others. Political tension in Thailand has been building for several weeks as supporters of the recently ousted Prime Minsiter Thaksin Shinawatra demand that Prime Minsiter Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and call new elections.

Losing sight of what is "good"

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

This past weekend was the annual Health and Human Rights conference at UofT. Our institution was host to an interdisciplinary group of University students, professors, and professionals. There were four panel discussions, all pertaining to the main topic of the conference, "An Exploration of Foreign Aid Effectiveness." There was also an NGO fair and a benefit dinner where students could network and learn more about the goings on of the humanitarian movement.

Secession blues: A CFS story

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

At its annual general meeting last November, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) made the secession process for its member unions more difficult.

Why Avatar should have won

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

I would like to preface this article by saying this first and foremost: I thought The Hurt Locker was an incredible movie. I did, I really did. It was well written, tense, and exciting. It "blew me away," so to speak. But Avatar was something special. Avatar changed the game. Let me explain.

Embracing complexity: are we any closer to understanding the world than the Sumerians were?

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The whores of Sumer:

At the temple of the Goddess Inanna, the sacred duty of the priestesses was to give themselves up to Sumerians in order to ensure the fertility of their lands. The High Priestess played her part in this charade when, every New Year, she would legitimize the King's claim to power by selecting him as her Dumuzid, the shepherd-boy chosen by the Goddess to consummate with and rule the lands.

Our Olympic spirit

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

First, a confession: I screamed myself hoarse when Sidney Crosby scored that goal. You remember that goal? That instant legend shot past Ryan Miller that put us over the record for gold medals won at a winter games? I basked in the afterglow of that goal with the rest of the country for at least two days.

Selling the budget

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

There isn't much to say about the 2010 budget, indeed, the 2010 budget was designed so that there wouldn't much to say about it. There's nothing in the budget that makes a good sound bite for the Opposition, and there won't be an election over the budget either. On the other hand, there's nothing for the government to brag about to Canadians. Eliminating tariffs on manufacturing imports is a good idea, but even the president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association couldn't work up any enthusiasm about it.

Suffering from the graaduation blues?

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Spring is in the air, and I'm thinking about ... graduation? Really, it's right around the corner, I promise. In fact, right now I'm replaying my ceremonious walk across the lawn of Kings College circle, and my brief moments on the Con Hall stage.

The fantasy of student unity

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Like many politically-minded students, I've been following the UTSU election closely. I've taken the time to responsibly research the candidates' platforms, while also mining the increasingly vicious, yet hilarious comments section of the Varsity's website, and watching Antonin Mongeau's now infamous (not really) "Tobygate" film; a video that purports to show the Ryerson Students' Union acting President, Toby Whitfield, tearing down UofT club posters to replace them with signs promoting the incumbent slate, Stronger Together.

Some farmers suffer from droughts - World of Warcraft farmers make it rain

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

MONTREAL (CUP) - Gold farming is a type of digital labour. Put simply, in massively multi-player online role-playing games like World of Warcraft, players will pay real-world currency for characters, weapons, and gold coins, or to reach higher levels. Professional gamers, or "gold farmers," will spend time attaining these digital goods and then sell them to the gamers willing to pay.

Food activism: say yes to tofu

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The curse of Generation Y is not that we have to pick up the burdens of our predecessors. It is that we are forced to care too much. Some may argue that our emotional investment is just the responsibility of living in a global economy. However, there has got to be something out of hand when we come to second-guess ourselves at every aisle in the grocery store. What are the implications of picking up an organic apple shipped from California over the one that costs a little less, is covered with pesticide, but grown locally? Should we support Ontario farmers over-industrialized agricultural schemes? Or, should we support a sustainable-energy conscious farm, which produces organic food, but depends heavily on unpaid "volunteers" (free labour) who must face the challenge of earning a decent cost of living? And, what does all this have to do with art?

"If you listen, you can hear it. The city, it sings." sings

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Until I learned to skate, I used to spend wistful afternoons sitting on a bench in Nathan Phillips Square, watching strangers etch their trajectories out on the ice, lost in their thoughts, holding hands, pushing their friends, looking uncomfortably at their watches. I would try to figure out which skaters were trying to pretend that they were not looking at their closest friend with the sidelong glances of unrequited love, which business man had recently gotten the promotion he had been hoping for, who really wanted to be there and who was just along for the ride.

Happy Hour

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

This week's pub choice is all thanks to Johnny Depp. Well, not just Johnny. In fact, if I'm going to name names, I can thank everyone from Anne Hathaway to Tim Burton to Helena Bonham-Carter.

One word changes two lives

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company's Talk, written by Michal Nathanson, had a nine-day run at the St. Lawrence center, in Toronto's theatre district. Nathanson's Talk was a finalist for the Governor General's Award in Drama.

Vic drama ends on a high note

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Our own Victoria College Drama Society ended their 2009-2010 season with a production of the 1968 Musical, Hair.

Playing with numbers

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

You may have heard of the popular people-ranking theory which says that the most perfect of individuals are rated "10" (out of 10), and the scale declines from there. Your rating affects who you can date, because according to popular culture, you can't jump more than 2 points. In other words, a "7" can get a "9" at best, and a "10" can't stoop any lower than an "8." You get the (rather arbitrary) idea. But how can a "10" go for a "5"? That's the question that She's Out Of My League seeks to answer.

Head over Heels for the World of Comedy Film Fest

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

In its 7th annual production, the World of Comedy Film Festival 2010 took place in downtown Toronto during the first weekend of March, showcasing a variety of short comedy films from within Canada and across the globe. Just as the festival's producer said on opening night, the talent and quality of the film submissions continues to grow, which is demonstrated through the realization that some submissions not chosen this year could have easily been winners in previous years.

Le Divan du Monde: Canada's other Francophones

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The 13th annual Cinéfranco, a film festival specializing in the best of recent French cinema, starts March 26 at the AMC. This year's opening film is Le Divan du Monde (Everybody's Couch), a film that was written, directed and edited by Toronto resident Dominic Desjardins. It is the first time in twenty five years that a Canadian non-Québécois film has headlined the festival. Fitting, as the film is essentially about being a part of the French minority in Anglophone Canada. In the film, Zoé (Mélanie Leblanc) has just broken up with her English speaking boyfriend and is hitchhiking back home to PEI from Vancouver. She has little money, and so she plans to depend on the kindness of strangers, most of whom are fellow Francophones. Alex (Antoine Gratton) is the first person to let her sleep on his couch. He ends up heading East with her, under the pretence of keeping her safe.

Frightened Rabbit let go of what they know

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Frightened Rabbit has spent the last seven years growing quietly in both numerical and musical terms. What started as a one-man-band in 2003 has expanded into a full-fledged five-piece rock outfit with the release of their third full-length album entitled, The Winter of Mixed Drinks. Often self-described as "noisy," the new album continues the Frightened Rabbit tradition of pounding rock songs, infused with an element of Scottish folk music. A constant underlying bagpipe-esque drone, heavily accented vocals and a certain raw quality all appeal to the origins of the group.

Golden talent at Canadian Music Week

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Will Currie and the Country French
With seriously upbeat, piano-driven pop riffs and familiar indie-rock vocals, Will Currie and the Country French have clearly got a good thing going. The band's clever combination of old-school piano pop with a solid indie-rock vibe suggests that a rise from obscurity is imminent. The Waterloo band signed to Sloan's Murderecords in 2008 and are currently preparing for the release of their second album. On lead vocals and keys, Will Currie churned out one catchy melody after another with an old-school sound reminiscent of The Bicycles and vocals that smack of a more sophisticated Ben Folds. The six-piece band looked right at home on a tiny stage at the Gladstone, injecting their pop-driven energy into a subdued Wednesday night crowd with ease and abandon. -Annie Bender

Rocking with The Runaways

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Drugs, sex, and rock and roll: that pretty much sums up The Runaways, a film based on the 70s-era all-girl rock band of the same name. Dakota Fanning stars as Cherie Currie, the lead singer that tore the world apart while titillating a generation of boys. One might ask: "Really, innocent little Fanning?" And the response? "Damn, she was hot!" Dakota was fearless in delivering the true story of Currie, from sweet and innocent to raw and hot, strutting around stage in sexy lingerie, and even sharing a steamy romance with Kristen Stewart.

Swedish metal: Alive and well

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

There have been numerous times in my life when I wish I owned a camera, and most of them were while I was at a concerts. I remember watching in awe as countless of my favourite bands graced the stage and captivated the crowd to the fullest. And then I'd always think to myself, "I wish I could see this from a better angle."

Underwhelmed in Wonderland

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Tim Burton's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass was rather disappointable. Now, I am sure all of you are wondering what that means, disappointable, surely nonsense? It is in fact a nonce word, one that I invented, and to be more precise a portmanteau, a combination of two words: disappointing and enjoyable.

Lesser-known slates lose in UTSU election

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Student politics at the University of Toronto Student Union have been dominated by the orange Change slate and the green Stronger Together slate, but little attention - if any - is ever paid to their lesser-known rivals. Because we here at Stranded believe in giving all the news, we're giving our readers all the information regarding the obscure, yellow-themed Evolve slate.

Bands

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Conquest, Roman style

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Professor Lolcat speaks out on UTSU elections

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Deere Teh STrand: Im sorree ive neglekted u. Iv been busy doin stuff (reade: nappin) n a whoale lot of othar stuffz. But u has been faythfull 2 me in my tiemz of plyte. U got my msg out 2 teh wurld. U were lieke dat hooman romen messngaer god...teh one with the shooz dat had wingz.

The modern mullet

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Even as i write this my customary disdain is overwhelmed by a growing disgust. This churning in my stomach is to be anticipated when dealing with such repulsive subject matter.

Vicoodles

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT