Briarpatch articles from December 2006

Briarpatch archives from December 2006

Farewell and best wishes.(The Business End of the 'Patch)
December 1, 2006... After four years steering the ship as Briarpatch's Publisher, Chelsea Looysen (who recently got hitched and became Chelsea Sweeney) is moving on to a new job. She'll be staying involved on the Briarpatch Board, however, where her experience and...

Introductions are in order.(The Business End of the 'Patch)
December 1, 2006... After what must have been the least conventional hiring process ever, we are very pleased indeed to welcome Nikko Snyder aboard as Briarpatch's new Publisher. A veritable maven of the small magazine circuit, Nikko has spent the last six years...

Don't leave Briarpatch behind!(The Business End of the 'Patch)
December 1, 2006... Planning a move? Don't forget to give us your new address to avoid missing an issue of Briarpatch. Just email or call it in to publisher@briarpatchmagazine.com or (306) 525-2949.

Boycott the mall ...(The Business End of the 'Patch)
December 1, 2006... ... and give the gift of Briarpatch this holiday season! Do all your holiday gift giving from the comfort of your own home--just send in the form on page 23 and take advantage of the best savings of the year. The first gift subscription you give...

Thoughts on fair travel?(The Business End of the 'Patch)
December 1, 2006... Did our November 2006 issue on the politics of tourism change your travel plans this winter? Let us know what you thought--we'll be printing a number of your responses in the next issue.

Holiday wishlist.(The Business End of the 'Patch)
December 1, 2006... One family's clutter can be a small magazine's treasure. Here's a sampling of the sugarplums that are dancing through the heads of Briarpatch staff this holiday season--please contact us if you'd consider donating any of the following: --...

How the song ends.(The Business End of the 'Patch)(Correction notice)
December 1, 2006... The last few lines of the song "The Gringo Trail;' which appeared in our last issue, were inadvertently omitted, to the great shagrin of the writer/editor/designer. We reproduce them here for all your campfire sing-along needs: And...

On navigating the challenges of true independence.(Editorial)
December 1, 2006... When your intention is to challenge the status quo and provoke debate and discussion, you're likely to ruffle some feathers now and then--and not always those of the people you set out to unsettle. In a recent issue of Briarpatch we ran an...

Postal worker faces disciplinary action after refusing to deliver homophobic pamphlet.
December 1, 2006... A letter carrier in Vancouver who refused to deliver a homophobic pamphlet for Canada Post in late October may be facing termination. The conflict within Canada Post began on October 26 when the letter carrier refused to process a pamphlet,...

Ralph's last laugh: inter-provincial trade deal ties the hands of government.
December 1, 2006... Canada's most ideologically right-wing provincial governments have joined forces in an agreement that erodes their own powers--and now they are trying to sell other provinces on the deal. Ellen Gould argues that the rest of Canada would be...

Intellectual property and the AIDS pandemic: when will Canada come through on its antiretroviral drug commitment to Africa?
December 1, 2006... The HIV/AIDS pandemic is driven not only by the spread of the disease among vulnerable and marginalized populations, but also by the unwillingness of transnational drug companies to allow the widespread use of generic antiretroviral treatment...

Making a living, not a killing: historian Hobo folk singer Utah Philipps speaks with Briarpatch.(Interview)
December 1, 2006... The Golden Voice of the Great Southwest, Utah Phillips is the embodiment of folk music. A Korean War vet fighting for peace as a political activist, Utah was destined to make himself heard. In 1969, blacklisting and poverty pushed him into the...

Inside the jacket: understanding the Canadian Autoworkers' break with the NDP.
December 1, 2006... Perhaps no other event in the history of the Canadian Autoworkers has evoked more of a reaction than when, in December 2005, CAW National President Buzz Hargrove presented then-Prime Minister Paul Martin with a CAW jacket to wear during his...

Taking Responsibility, Taking Direction: White Anti-Racism in Canada.(Book review)
December 1, 2006... Taking Responsibility, Taking Direction: White Anti-Racism in Canada By Sheila Wilmot Arbeiter Ring, 2005 Canada's history of racism is certainly ugly, and perhaps its most troubling aspect is that it is ongoing. Shelia Wilmot's Taking...

Blinded by ideology: why is Harper pulling the plug on Vancouver's Safe Injection Site?(Parting Shots)(Stephen Harper)
December 1, 2006... Earlier this year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was faced with the decision r of whether to extend the exemption from Canada's drug laws (the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) for Vancouver's Safe Injection Site (InSite). InSite has been...

The tools and vassals of rich men.(QUOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND)
December 1, 2006... "There is no such thing in America as an independent press, unless it is in the country towns. "You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to writes his honest opinions, and if you did you know beforehand that it would...

The function of the press.(QUOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND)(Excerpt)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... "It will make a sensation, didn't you see the reporters scribbling like mad while he was speaking? [...] "Not a line will appear in tomorrow's papers... Not a word that he uttered will see print. You have forgotten the editors. They draw...

The opposite of censorship.(QUOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND)
December 1, 2006... "All over the world, autocratic-minded rulers [...] have learned that de facto control of the political content of television is perhaps the most important lever of power in our day. They have learned that it does not matter politically if 15...