whoa - stelmach rookie card? That's super rare. I'll play ya nearest-the-wall against my grant devine jailbreak special edition... (courtesy of vue weekly out of edmonton)
Good Mornin' to y'all.
Here's what went down on the March 13th edition of the soapbox derby:
1. now - nomeansno
2. out of time - jason collett*
3. vince goes home - the neighbourhood council*
4. what is it? - the consummates
5. healing of the nations - roots tonic meets bill laswell
6. 7 nation army - the dynamics*
7. theme olympique/absolument - spreepark*
8. from the cell doot to the gallows - william elliot whitmore
9. no disappointment in heaven - dock boggs
10. georgie buck - dink roberts
11. not high - greg brown
12. crash into the sun - jim white*
13. mia - 40 thieves*
14. evil ways - black mountain*
15. 7/4 (shoreline) - broken social scene (for melanie and bruce the puppy)
16. brown dirt - jj cale (for some dude that didn't give his name)
17. dounia - toumast/ishumar*
18. electric boogie remix - ursula 1000 vs. fort know five*
19. do this my way - blackalicious
20. microphenia - divine styler
21. countdown - dj vadim feat. rashan ahmad*
22. ethical considerations - soviet sound factory*
23. carimbaeo - nacao zumbi*
24. information contraband - money mark
As I said in my last post, and Mark said in his, the recent provincial election left me feeling shocked and, to say the least, somewhat out-of-sorts. But i figure you can only dwell on how much something sucks for so long before you have to find some more productive way to express your frustration (which, by the way, is one of the main reasons i do radio). I've decided the best response in this case is to do whatever i can to foster a democratic environment in what appears otherwise to be a democratic vacuum.
Here is the open letter to my new MLA that I read at the beginning of the show, and that I am mailing today. I urge you do do something similar, if you are so inclined...
Honourable Lindsey Blackett,
Conservative MLA, Calgary - North West
Dear Mr Blackett;
My name is Greg Chernoff. I live in Ranchlands, and I'm writing you in your new capacity as my elected representative in Edmonton. I didn't vote for you, but you represent my riding in the legislature anyway, and I want you to know that I intend to hold you accountable to myself, and to the thousands of other constituents that either voted for someone else, or didn't vote at all.
In fact, province-wide, the vast majority of votes were disappointingly not cast for anyone. The democratic deficit carried the day, and the only real winner in the election was apathy. Your party got over 50% of votes cast, but only 20% of all possible votes. Why do you think so many voters "elected" not to bother? And what does the low turnout say about your party's mandate to govern?
I voted. I believe that voting is the bare minimum contribution one should make to the democratic process. Those that don't care much about politics should at least vote, and consider it an "easy way out" of a bigger responsibility. But personally, I exercise my democratic rights every day. I vote by riding my bicycle or skateboard, or by taking public transit to work, by keeping a pesticide-free lawn and garden, by recycling despite our city's best efforts to discourage me, by making consumer choices that reflect my values, by working in my professional and volunteer life towards the type of change and the type of community that I feel would make the world a better place. I also vote by freely expressing my opinions whenever I get a chance.
Democracy doesn't stop at the ballot box. Albertans could have taken the "easy way out" by voting on March 3rd, but they didn't. Now I'm promising to do all I can to make sure Albertans take part in the democratic process. Too bad for them, now it'll have to be the hard way.
Your party ran on the slogan "change that works for Albertans". Personally, I'm not convinced that a regime that has been in power for almost four decades can be the party of revolution, but I feel pretty strongly that we need one in this province. If you are going to create change that works for me, you'd better start working for change. Right Now.
I'll be watching....
Sincerely,
Greg Chernoff
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