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Saudi Arabia Makes Landmark Annoucment
It’s the start of a new era in Saudi Arabia. Reformist King Abdullah has announced that women will be given the right to vote and to run in future municipal elections as soon as this Thursday.
They will also be given the right to be appointed to the consultative Shura Council. Right now, women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive or to leave the country unaccompanied. Activists had been campaigning over such issues for twenty years and more than welcomed the announcement.
The royal family and the conservative clerics continue to resist change and liberalization is still very gradual in the Kingdom.
Municipal elections are the only public polls in Saudi Arabia.
More than five thousand men will compete in Thursday’s municipal elections to fill half the seats in the local councils.
The next elections are due in another four years’ time.
Confabulation. So the Story Goes...
The deepest darkest secrets or the most breathtaking stories. All can be heard at Montreal's own Confabulation. Luciana Gravotta took it all in. Here is her report:
“Hi everybody. The story I'm going to share tonight is about the first and only ultimately night I've spent in Athens"
It’s called confabulation. But no one is making anything up here. These are true-life stories told by everyday people.
Confabulation is a monthly by-donation event that showcases storytellers. They’re not professionals. They’re anything from lawyers to students to grandmothers who want to share a piece of life.
This month’s theme was Hard Knocks. Times when things were learned the hard way.
The loft-style room of SHIFT space was cozy. It didn’t feel like a performance. It felt like this person was a friend telling you some crazy story over a cup of coffee.
Banned for life from her favorite book store. Sucked into an Athens Ouzo scam. These were just some of the stories told. And no details were spared.
So how did Confabulation start? Matt Goldberg explains.
“I complained vocally that this wasn't happening it Montreal. There were so many interesting people so many people with these really unique experiences and I guess I complained to the point where there was really no other answer, but to do it myself."
Confabulation’s next event will be held on October 21st and they’re looking for new storytellers.
Luciana Gravotta, CJLO News
Maus Maker Speaks at Concordia
Concordia University opened its doors this weekend, to welcome comic book artist Art Spiegelman. The event was organized by SBC Gallery of Contemporary Art and invited fans of all ages to come and listen to the iconic figure. Esther Viragh has more.
The crowd eagerly clapped for their long awaited guest. Art Spiegelman had finally arrived to give his lecture, on the history of comic books. He was also there to introduce the release of his new creation. Many, like Tracy Hurren, attended the event out of passion for the genre.
"It was great. Art’s brilliant. It was hilarious also, which was nice. He really knows how to capture an audience."
Meta Maus comes after the author’s renowned Holocaust memoir in which animals portray the characters of the story. Jewish people are mice, and the cats are Nazis. This may seem inappropriate to some. As Nick Amber explains, however, this is not the case.
"Any medium whether it’s film, whether it’s comic, whether it’s poetry, they’re all there to express all kinds of different ways of seeing the world, I suppose."
Meta Maus is scheduled for publication in October. Readers will then be able to enjoy the book and the DVD, that is included with it.
-Esther Viragh, CJLO News
Two New Records and a Death at the Oasis Montreal Marathon
The Montreal Oasis Marathon attracted twenty-four thousand runners on Sunday. This was the highest number of runners in the marathon’s history.
Unfortunately, the event also had its lows.
One participant died of a heart attack while running. The thirty-year-old man collapsed with less than two kilometres to finish. An Urgence Sante spokesperson says the weather might have played a role in the man’s death.
Forty runners needed medical attention, with twelve going to the hospital.
Luka Kipkemboi Chelimo was first to cross the finish line. The thirty-two-year-old Kenyan finished in two hours and thirteen minutes. That is two minutes faster than the old record, set back in 2007.
Wilco + Nick Lowe @ Metropolis
Sunday, September 18th, Wilco arrived at Metropolis with the redoubtable Nick Lowe to promote The Whole Love, Wilco's newest album. Wilco, an alternative band with country and rock influences and a line-up that has changed frequently over the years, have among their many accomplishments a couple of Grammys to their credit from back in 2005 for the album "A Ghost is Born," including Best Alternative Album. Most notably they collaborated on the Mermaid Avenue sessions with Billy Bragg, which was a recording of unpublished Woody Guthrie tunes; it resulted in two critically acclaimed albums. Although the making of the albums proved to be rancorous, the critics raved.
The show kicked off in brilliant fashion with a seven minute number called "Art Of Almost," which is also the opening track from their new album. Psychedelic keyboard sounds from multi-instrumentalists Mikael Jorgensen and Pat Sansone helped gather the crowd but it was soaring guitar from Nels Cline that was integral to the tune and the evening as he played his ass off all night long! Bassist John Stirratt was busy doing yeoman like work all night long as well as back-up vocals, and vocalist/guitarist Jeff Tweedy was stellar. The faithful had cause to be happy.
From there they segued into another tune from the new album called "I Might," a Nick Lowe cover. It took things down half a notch with a simpler, but still driving beat as the audience rocked back and forth as confidently as the band. A good night was at hand. There was a change of pace with a pair of poignant tunes from the somewhat controversial 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; they played "Ashes of American Flags" and "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", both of which show that show Jeff Tweedy’s versatility as a song-writer and vocalist. Smartly written and played tunes are the band’s trademark, and they held fast to that.
Halfway through the show, Jeff Tweedy even took the time to acknowledge the audience’s patience with all the new tunes. It was an endearing gesture from a band that displayed confidence throughout the evening, but it was unnecessary; the audience was mostly made up of devotees who were thrilled to get a first listen to the new tunes, and then sang along to old favourites as well. They had to have been happy with the response to the eight tracks they chose to showcase.
There was a six song encore at the end of it all – again, a mix of old and new tunes - and the evening wrapped up in a way that left the concert goers satisfied and happy. This is a rightly self-assured band with an extensive repertoire; they had the room in their grasp and they made sure they stayed put.
I don't want to forget 62 year old Nick Lowe. He did a great job of kicking things off. Walking onstage unceremoniously at 8 o’clock sharp with his silver mane and horn rimmed glasses, he picked up the guitar and by playing an assortment of ballads and old hits ("Cruel to be Kind," "What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding") he warmed the audience up properly and left me wanting much more.
A set list for the whole show can be found here.
-Karl Knox hosts New Media and Politics every Monday-Friday from 8-10am
News September 23rd 2011
Read by Shaun Malley
Produced by Erica Bridgeman
Stories written by Danny Aubry, Joel Balsam and Erica Bridgeman
Protesters Occupy Wall Street
Protesters have set up shop on Wall Street in downtown Manhattan. And they don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
Hundreds of people are protesting the financial sector’s monopoly over the wealth in the United States. They want a more transparent and accountable financial system.
The protest has been taking since September seventeenth.
Supporters all over the world including right here in Montreal have taken up support for this cause.
A satellite protest will take place today (Friday) from 2-5 pm in front of the Montreal Stock Exchange. Participants are encouraged to wear their "I
NDG Ramps Up Anti-Graffiti Laws
The NDG borough will now fine building owners who don`t get graffiti cleaned up on a specific deadline.
Inspectors have been assigned to provide them with a week`s warning or else they will have to pay.
Business owners of De Maisonneuve boulevard are concerned that vandals will come back once their buildings are cleaned.
The city strongly suggests that barriers should be placed on building walls in order to prevent vandalism.
A repeat offender has recently been caught vandalising someones`s property.
He will face a cleaning bill of $22 thousand from the borough.
September 21, 2011
Read by Joel Balsam
Produced by Nikita Smith
Stories by Joel Balsam
Air Canada Flight Attendants Agree to Tentative Deal
If you are a Canadian air traveler, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Air Canada flight attendants will not strike after reaching a tentative deal right before the Wednesday deadline.
The Federal Governofficially accepted.ment threatened to envoke back to work legislation if the parties couldn’t reach a deal. But the Canadian Union of Public Employees and Air Canada were able to work it out. The union represents nearly seven thousand flight attendants. They will go through a formal voting process this week before the contract is
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