Welcome to ClashBang.com

Club Baby Seal, part 2 30 Mar 06

Oh great. I’m sitting in class and we’re watching a video on…Arctic life and environmental concerns. Wasn’t I talking about baby seals earlier?

My next article challenges activists by calling on the fact that many of them are simply rich celebrities trying to gather more attention. Why not listen to Paris Hilton talk about saving the world?

With the East Coast sealing season upon us, Canadians once again are girding up for the usual frightening sight — celebrities posing with newborn seal pups. This year it is TV’s MacGyver, Richard Dean Anderson, who dropped in for an ice-floe photo op and a call for an international boycott of Canada’s fish exports. The pictures have been sent to People magazine.

A Sea Shepherd Society ship is also slated to be back at the sealing grounds soon, sending out its pictures of the pups being dispatched by club, gaff and gun.

Media attention is one of the reasons the U.S. has had a ban on Canadian seal products since 1972 and the European Community has had a partial one since the early 1980s.

Over the past decade, Ottawa has managed quietly to ratchet up the seal-hunt quota. But recently opposition to the commercial hunt has been growing.

A global protest against the hunt will be held tomorrow. And, with tough-guy actor Sean Penn set to play longtime B.C. sealing opponent Paul Watson in a movie, the issue isn’t about to drift away.

Canada faces the same old question: Is the taxpayer-subsidized livelihood of a handful of East Coast sealers worth a global black eye and the boycott of our fish exports, including B.C. salmon?

We have to agree with the sentiments on the T-shirt that celebrity heiress Paris Hilton has been seen sporting lately. It advises: “Club sandwiches, not seals.”

The Province. “Help the Hollywood celebrities end sickening seal hunt.” The Province [Vancouver, BC] 14 Mar. 2006, final ed.: A18.

This ClashBang.com article was written by Chris Chu. Tired of privately venting his frustration in vain, Chris decided to share his discontent with the rest of the world.

Club Baby Seal, part 1

There’s a lot of talk about the annual East Coast seal culling. I will be investigating the issue through a series of media sources, historical research, and personal opinion.

The first newspaper editorial is from the Times Colonist of Victoria, BC:

Do Canadians really need another rock star telling us how to run our country? In a word, no.

This week, seal hunters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence had to put up with Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Heather, along with a media entourage, travelling to the ice floes to try to convince the federal government that the seal hunt is wrong.

Did Sir Paul suggest what the seal hunters should do for employment if they are not allowed to hunt seals? No.

Last year, we endured Bono, from the rock band U2, blathering on about how Canada and other countries should devote 0.7 per cent of the gross national income to helping the poorest nations get on their feet.

Was there a clear, workable plan of action? No.

For some strange reason, fame and fortune seems to affect the way these people think. They may know how to play a musical instrument or two, and they may know how to sing. They aren’t qualified to run countries, though. If they truly believe they are, they should run for office. Failing that, they should go back into the recording studio where they belong.

We’re not defending the seal hunt, and we’re not saying that the world’s poor should be left to starve.

We do believe, however, that decisions on helping the poor should be made by people who know what they’re talking about, and spending should be based on practical, viable plans.

And we believe that decisions on the seal hunt should be based on science and sound economic thinking, not drive-by commentary from a singer.

We’d love to hear more from Sir Paul, of course. As long as he’s singing, not whining.

Times Colonist. “Maybe we’re amazed.” Times Colonist [Victoria, BC] 04 Mar. 2006, final ed.: A14.

This ClashBang.com article was written by Chris Chu. Tired of privately venting his frustration in vain, Chris decided to share his discontent with the rest of the world.

Percy Hostage Video 28 Mar 06

In case you haven’t seen this yet:

EDIT: This works in Safari, but messes up the site in Firefox (grr)…click HERE instead.

This ClashBang.com article was written by Chris Chu. Tired of privately venting his frustration in vain, Chris decided to share his discontent with the rest of the world.

The Montréal Rock Revolution

Untalented Musicians Wanted for Untalented Beginner Band (Craigslist)

Seems like I only need a plane ticket to get there now…

This ClashBang.com article was written by Chris Chu. Tired of privately venting his frustration in vain, Chris decided to share his discontent with the rest of the world.

Mount Allison is falling apart 27 Mar 06

Seriously…this university’s old, but now it’s FALLING APART.

On Friday, in Avard Dixon, a random nut fell out of the ceiling for no reason whatsoever.

Now, in Crabtree building, the power goes out in the morning briefly.

EDIT: It turns out that the power went out everywhere else as well, so it’s not really Mount Allison’s fault.

This ClashBang.com article was written by Chris Chu. Tired of privately venting his frustration in vain, Chris decided to share his discontent with the rest of the world.