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Quarter life crisis, see page 7 McMASTER UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER / THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

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Speaker resigns

VOLUME 80, NO. 2

Missing something?: The walk to Chester New Hall is missing a McMaster icon as construction on the Arts Quad continues

Cites poisoning work place JEFF GREEN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

“We clearly had a situation where the assembly’s rights are being impinged… as I started to become more of a problem for the board, they started to become more of a problem for me.”

Those words came from a July 7 interview when former MSU Speaker, Norman Kearney, who sat down with the Silhouette to talk about his resignation, the events leading up to it, and the aftermath.

Kearney cited the “poisoning” work environment as the primary reason for his departure, and issued an update to his resignation on July 8. The document sent outlined Kearney’s interpretation of the MSU bylaws in reference to the approval of $375,000 expenditure for the renovation of Quarters.

Kearney described an email sent to the Student Representative Assembly (SRA) members from MSU VP Finance Andrew Caterine that described the demolition that had already been done in Quarters, prior to an approval of expenditure by the SRA. He outlined that while the Executive Board can approve up to $6,000, anything above that would have to go to the SRA, which had yet to meet.

In describing the issue, Kearney said, “The issue was a circumvention of the assembly’s rights…. whether this was done as a malicious act or an act of complete incompetence, I’m not sure.”

Prior to the SRA meeting in which the $375,000 Quarters renovation was approved, Kearney resigned. Recalling the events leading up to his interpretation, and ultimately his resignation, Kearney recalled, • PLEASE SEE KEARNEY, P3

le milk

Senior Andy Editor Grace Evans reviews the graphic novel, French Milk.

Andy P12

BAHRAM DIDEBAN / MANAGING EDITOR

McMaster expects deficit in 2010 Finance Committee Chair more optimistic than President George after the release of the University’s 2009/10 consolidated budget Sam Colbert Silhouette Staff

“I am very concerned about the financial health of the University,” said McMaster President and Vice-Chancellor Peter George in a memorandum to the University’s Board of Governors.

The note appeared at the head of the McMaster University 2009/10 Consolidated Budget, which was approved by the Board in June. According to the report, McMaster will spend $830 million on capital, research and operational activities in the upcoming fiscal year. It is in the Operating Budget, which makes up $484.5 of these expenditures, that a $26.9 million deficit is

expected.

Although this amount will be spent strictly on “onetime expenditures,” and roughly half of the University’s remaining appropriations – reserves set aside for situations such as this – will cover the deficit, McMaster’s financial problems are only beginning. “[The 2009/10 budget] does not fully address the significant short-term and longterm financial challenges that the University is facing,” added George in the memo. The financial situation “will require significant cost cutting in 2010/11.

“These challenges amount to a minimum of $50 million in new annual costs that the University will have to fund in the next few years. This will be a major challenge and will cause a great deal of tension and stress to our community.”

The 2009/10 period is the final year included in current financial planning, which was initiated in June of 2007. In all models that extend beyond 2010, McMaster predicts an increasing

deficit with each fiscal year. The report names a number of spending pressures that will contribute to future struggles, including salary and benefit costs, maintenance of infrastructure, the continuation of sufficient academic resources and inflationary costs.

The report also cites the recent recession as a contributing factor in the University’s financial troubles. McMaster’s investments reserved for pensions and postretirement benefits have suffered,

causing a deficit in their area of the budget. To fill this widening gap in future years, money will be drawn from revenue intended for operating costs. The pension deficit will be an estimated $8 million to $10 million in 2009/10.

The poor market conditions have also decreased the return on endowments left to the University, causing further decreases in resources.

• PLEASE SEE BUDGET, P3

BAHRAM DIDEBAN / MANAGING EDITOR

Be the Change Within Your Union

It was after observing all these new students on campus that I began to wonder if they truly knew the opportunities available at the institution they were going to It’s odd being in the attend, but more importantly Student Centre from 9-5 I was wondering to myself nearly every day in the sumif they had any idea of the mer, especially since I never extra curricular opportunireally had that experience ties provided to them by the during my lengthy undergraduate career. You begin to McMaster Students Union. notice how deserted, but alive We always seem to measure the success of our university campus becomes during the summer, but all that is chang- careers in terms of grades and course completion. I have ing now and I’ve especially QRWLFHG D ORW RI LQFRPLQJ ¿UVW begun to realize that an imyear students (normally with portant, if not critical, part of their parents trundling behind our university careers are the experiences we gain outside at nominal distance) either WKH FRQ¿QHV RI D OHFWXUH KDOO roaming campus with a map pressed nearly against their I can’t stress enough noses, or students participatthe importance of trying to LQJ LQ VRPH RI WKH ¿UVW \HDU get a job with the MSU or a orientation and transition volunteer position with one programs provided by the of our services. It’s not even university. about the money when you work for the MSU, although

A Message From The SRA House Leader it helps. Working or volunteering for the students’ union introduces you to a whole host of new people and experience you might not gain from just going to classes.

The money helps too if you get a paid position, but volunteering can lead to a management position with one of our student services. Not only are the experiences life changing, but by volunteering and participating with our services, you get to see your money at play. The MSU runs our services off of student fees collected each year, see how your money is being spent and participate in the system!

Take care Mac and I’ll see you all come September!

Andrew Richardson MSU VP Administration vpadmin@msu.mcmaster.ca

The SRA isn’t inept, impotent, and irrelevant! Alliteration rocks.

Come to our blog: http://php. orbiscommunications.com/ srablog/ Until the next Sil, Casey Park SRA House Leader

Fun Fact!

If you’re 19, you may consume alcohol in your room or in a licenced establishment, but anywhere else you will ZMKMQ^M I ÅVM WN

However! If you are caught streaking on campus, you can be charged under “Engage in Prohibited Activity” which carries a Provincial ÅVM WN WVTa

A lesser evil? Sweet!

FM 93.3

THE SILHOUETTE • 3

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

Budget sets sights for the red Kearney to run for SRA in the fall • CON’T FROM P1 “[VP Finance] Andrew Caterine once told me to my face that my interpretation was irrelevant, when I was explaining to him my understanding of the rules and the misconduct that they had performed.”

In the interview he described, “When you are telling the speaker – who is the officer of the rules [and] who’s supposed to uphold, defend and interpret them – that his interpretation is irrelevant than I think you have a supreme disrespect for the whole rule of law.”

In interview, he described the poisoning environment led him to “the point where I couldn’t let this go without being made public.” He went on to say, “The situation is, you have tens of thousands of student taxpayer dollars being spent without any authority by a board of directors, and worse than that, not being held accountable by the assembly that’s there to enforce the rules. They rubber stamped this, and they didn’t really have the choice… The hands of the assembly were tied and that sets a very dangerous precedent where the decision making power is taken away from the elected representatives who by the rules are allocated that responsibility.”

While this year’s assembly and board are relatively

new, the Silhouette asked what differed from this year to the last, in which he was also Speaker.

“Last year I had dealt with a lot of these experiences too but the difference between that board and this board was that board understood that the rules were the rules and they were very creative… they tried to find any way they could around them or any loop holes they could find to exploit them but at the end of the day when the speaker made a ruling.. they respected that.”

Kearney had a lot to say about the current board, and the “culture” that exists within the SRA, but also wanted to silence some rumors about the former Speaker running for President.

“No, I’m not running for president, that’s a rumour… I’ve flirted with the idea and I’m sure I’d put my heart into it but I have a lot of other things that I want to do with my life right now and a lot of other ways that I can give back to McMaster and it doesn’t have to be in the president’s office.” He did note that a seat in Humanities would be opening up and that he would be running.

As for any advice to the incoming Speaker, whomever that may be, Kearney said, “The speaker should not try to be the watch dog, because the dog will get shot.”

• CON’T FROM P1 The President’s Advisory Committee on the Impact of the Current Economic Situation (PACICES) has been meeting since early this calendar year. They, along with the Finance Committee, are working to maximize revenue and significantly reduce costs over the next few years.

“There are a number of ways one could tackle that problem,” said Roger Couldrey, Chair of McMaster’s Finance Committee and member of the Board of Governors. “McMaster has a terrific history of innovation and may well find some innovative ways to tackle that, whether they be revenue growth, expense reduction, reallocation, whatever. But there will be a number of components [to the solution].”

McMaster has developed and implemented strategies to increase revenue in the shortterm, including the expansion of graduate and international enrolment. The University will also freeze the salaries of all senior administration, from the President to Deans.

The Consolidated Budget places particular stress on the importance of funding from the provincial government.

McMaster expects $378 million in operating revenue in 2009/10, close to $200 million of which will come from Ontario grants.

Suggestions that increased assistance from

BAHRAM DIDEBAN / MANAGING EDITOR

the province may be required appeared throughout the report.

George wrote that the pension deficit would pose a problem “barring further provincial government intervention.”

The report also referred to the possibility that Ontario would expand its current funding plan to support undergraduate growth. It said that, without the expansion, “universities will be faced with a reduction in per-student funding, which will present a significant compromise to their commitment to quality.”

Couldrey explained that provincial funding does not increase over time in the same way that a university’s expenditures do.

The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities grants set amounts, while the costs of a university inflate through the

year.

He also added that the nature of provincial funding makes financial planning difficult.

“A lot more of the grants are targeted and a lot more of the funding comes late in the year.

And, as you well know, Ontario is a province that is under fiscal pressure right now. So there are a number of factors that play on the provincial funding of the University budget that are very hard for the University to forecast.”

Current provincial funding is outlined in the document Reaching Higher, Plan for Postsecondary Education.

In order to keep up with the increasing expenses of Ontario universities, a Reaching High 2 plan is now in the works.

4 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

EDITORIAL

editor’s extension 22052 letters: thesil@thesil.ca

McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

Letter:

The Silhouette

I’d rather pay the city than McMaster University

TheSil.ca

Editorial Board Executive Editor Jeff Green

Managing Editor Bahram Dideban Senior News Editor Selma Al-Samarrai Assistant News Editor Lily Panamsky Features Editor Paige Faber Opinions Editor Peter Goffin Sports Editor Brian Decker Insideout Editor Lindsay Jolivet Assistant Insideout Phyllis Tsang Photo Editor Will van Engen Staff Photographer Terry Shan Multimedia Editor Ava Dideban Production Editor Katherine Marsden Web Editor Jason Lamb Health Editor Sarah Levitt Ad Manager Sandro Giordano

Silhouette Staff Sam Colbert

Contact Us

Volume 80 2009-10 • McMaster University Student Centre, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4 • Fax: (905) 529–3208 E–Mail: editor@thesil.ca Newsroom (905) 525-9140, extension 27117 Advertising (905) 525-9140, extension 27557 • 5,000 circulation • Published by the McMaster Students Union

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The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address, and telephone number for verification only. We reserve the right to edit, condense, or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions expressed in The Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers, university officals, or Ricter Web Printing Ltd. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette board of publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community, and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding The Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn:The Silhouette Board of Publications. The board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.

JUSTIN KOROLYK

Throwing stones As much as I want to write an editorial on Michael Jackson’s life and legacy, I feel that it’s best to address the more McMaster related news concerning Mr. Kearney’s resignation and the so called “Quarters renovation debacle.” For those who want more on Jackson, YouTube “Michael Jackson Ghost? During CNN” and try and tell me how that isn’t the late King of Pop.

As for the former Speaker’s resignation, there’s probably only one word to describe the situation: messy.

It seems to have been mixed up in some kind of incoherent blend of rumors, legality and interpretation. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Norman for the better part of an hour, and I found someone more frustrated with the system than someone frustrated with the output. Keep in mind, this is my interpretation of his interpretation, and I don’t know the whole story of what happened, and I feel as I write this I sound like a 14 year-old girl gossiping.

It seems as if Norman feels that in his former role of Speaker, he felt that his hands were tied. I asked him why he left and suggested that if he really felt the way he did, couldn’t he do more from the inside than throwing stones from the outside? His response was mixed, he wasn’t sure if he miscalculated, but stands by his decision and is looking forward to a seat possibly in Humanities in the fall. Kind of counter-intuitive if you ask me, but that’s why I’m here and he’s there, I suppose.

This is why I find it a mess. It was a jump, but in my mind, a miscalculated one at that. Take Elizabeth May. She can throw stones at the government all she wants, but what change will a runner up from the Maritimes really achieve. You can publish a book about why the government is dysfunctional, but who will read it?

• Jeff Green

The human psyche is very strange, and fascinating.

Sometimes we make decisions that are uneconomical because we deem them to be moral, or law-abiding. Sometimes we make decisions that are uneconomical because we throw morality out the window and instead choose immediate gratification.

But lets cut through it all, this isn’t about psyches; rather, the ridiculousness of parking on McMaster campus. To park on campus, one must pay $5 an hour, up to $20 per day. Recently a friend of mine had to pay $40 because he left his car on a lot overnight, on the weekend.

On the other side of the coin, when I had my car in Hamilton for three weeks, I refused to park on campus, and instead parked on the street.

Unfortunately I was caught by the parking attendants of Hamilton and was given a ticket. For $19.

Since I left my car on the street for a couple days, you would assume that I would rack up the tickets. This was not the

case. I essentially had gotten a $19 ticket in exchange for parking my car on the street for 3 days.

More than that, I decided to be very rebellious and not pay my ticket until about a month later, when I had more coin in the bank. Turns out, the City of Hamilton only wanted $22 from me.

So here’s the comparison. I spent three days parked on a city street, got a ticket, paid it a month later, and only spent $22. My friend lawfully parked his car in the McMaster lot, didn’t pick it up for about 12 hours, including an overnight stint, on the weekend, and had to pay $40.

Needless to say, my friend has no intentions on parking on campus anymore and would much rather park 20 meters away on King Street, and get a ticket. Plus, he feels more at peace paying the city a bit of money over McMaster who already gouges us for $6000 a year.

Rohan Nair

to burritos.

to a slow down in burrito consumption by yours truly.

to the best saturday ever. to physiotherapist #1. to MJ specials for the last two weeks.

to my ankle. to physiotherapist #2. to crutching across campus.

to 35 floors.

to joan rivers. bitch.

to the summer.

to oprah - where were you?

to my home made burgers. my butter busting behemoth burgers can take your patties to school any day, any time.

to the summer in rehab. i said no no no. to the hard drive crash.

THE SILHOUETTE • 5

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

OPINIONS

production office: extension 27117

Was Jackson’s prescription necessary? You think you’ve got it bad?

Peter Goffin

OPINIONS EDITOR

Tarunpreet Dhaliwal OPINION

Three days before his death, legendary pop artist Michael Jackson was videotaped actively rehearsing in LA for his upcoming wave of concerts in London, England. But destiny took the path that no one had ever imagined.

A member of the 70s famed group, Jackson 5, passed away at the age of 50-reportedly due to prescription drug overuse.

Prescription drug abuse is said to occur when drugs such as sedatives, painkillers, and stimulants are not taken as they ought to be. It is possible in many ways--taking a relative or a friend’s prescription drug without a physician’s consultation, taking stimulants to increase body alertness and energy, or just for recreational purposes. In fact, a 2006 survey on National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that 6% of the teenagers aged 12 to 17 took prescription drugs in the last month for recreational use.

Canadians rank amongst the leading prescription drug consumers. A report released by IMS Health indicated a whopping 453 million prescriptions filled in by the pharmacist, which averages up to 14 prescriptions per

Canadian citizen, up by 7% from the previous year. The numbers are quite alarming, and the problem is not just Canadian—it is global.

Drug abuse increases proportionately with the introduction of new medicines.

The cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor quickly became the bestselling drug in US pharmaceutical history due to its evident benefit, hence prone to drug abuse. The deaths of two famous celebrities, Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith prove that drug overuse can be deadly. Ethically speaking, abusing prescription drugs is no better than consuming illegal street narcotics.

It is also very difficult for the doctor, at times, to tell whether the patient is really suffering from the disease he is prescribing the drugs for—the patient does not help and hence the true picture is not put forth.

Doctor shopping is another hurdle as some drug abusers keep the physicians in dark as to what drugs they are already taking, prescribed by another physician. Switching health-care givers is another phenomenon that facilitates drug abuse. The doctors are no longer able to track their patients that could lead to incorrect drug intake.

But some critics have been courageous enough to pinpoint this issue at the highest order of care-givers—the doctors themselves. As Dr Deepak Chopra, an endocrinologist and a close friend of MJ, was reportedly quoted calling some doctors, especially the ones tending to Hollywood celebrities as “legalized drug-pushers” can strengthen the argument that the patient wholly is not to blame.

Some doctors, he said, are willing to enable addiction that made Michael Jackson one of its victims.

The death of Heath Ledger caused by drug overdose was also a result of doctor’s negligence.

A universal drugtracking system only accessible to the pharmacies can help the pharmacists in tracking what drugs their customers have been taking in the past. The doctors can play their part by taking thorough histories of their patients and following them up.

Last but not the least, the patients themselves need to take the utmost responsibility in the way they take their medication. The appropriate measures to tackle drug abuse ought to be taken immediately. The world mourning on the sudden demise of MJ is testimony to the fact that nobody wants to lose revolutionaries.

Indecent holiday exposure Goce Dimitrioski OPINION The Fourth of July is a time when fireworks litter the sky south of the border. Unfortunately, the sparks that I saw flying on that fateful day were figurative rather than literal. It all began when returning home from a local store. Just as I began to enter into my home through the back door, I glanced briefly at our patio and heard voices chattering away next-door. Closer inspection

revealed grown adults sitting topless in an inflatable, plastic kiddy pool.

This was obscene because my young cousins are currently visiting from Europe and the nature of the conversation next-door was explicitly sexual.

I decided to sit outside in hopes that these individuals would retreat inside or at least put some clothes on. This did occur; however, they decided to return outdoors once I headed back inside. Clearly, they had no shame

as these activities continued on, becoming progressively more sexual as the day passed.

These people were not embarrassed.Worst of all, neither was my neighbour, who is also a mother, as she encouraged such activity in her own backyard in broad daylight. This incident led me to question her judgment as well as the character of her friends.

I reflected on this for quite a while because of its • PLEASE SEE DECAY, 6

In a prime example of the adage “when it rains it pours,” temperatures were beginning to peak in the low thirties just as 24,000 of the city of Toronto’s municipal workers walked out in strike. This means that garbage collection has been suspended, water and sewer lines are going un-maintained, and public pools, daycares, summer camps and community centres have closed.

The citizenry of Toronto has been hung up without municipal services, left to its own devices to move waste, occupy its children and cool off. And after sweating it out for two weeks, some citizens are more concerned than others, some concerned citizens are more vocal than others, and some vocal citizens are more embittered than others.The small business owners of Toronto, for instance.

A group purporting to represent those small business owners has launched a radio ad campaign urging Mayor David Miller and the municipal government to force the striking union back to work. Central to the ad is the implication that the city’s workers are overstepping their boundaries, as they already have benefits that most other Canadians “can only dream of.”

And it is worth wondering why small business owners would want to engage themselves in a labour dispute that does not involve them. Is it because the striking union will drive them out of business?

Unlikely. The union of organized city workers has little to do with small businesses. Maybe they are worried that a precedent may be set and that their own workers will strike for better pay and benefits. Possibly. But the focus of the radio ad is on the municipal union and the claim that they already have too much, not that unions are bad in general.

Maybe the concern is that any concessions made to government employees will result in raised taxes at the expense of business owners. And if that is the motivation, it actually reveals these small business owners to be of the same mind as the strikers, and certainly not in a position to criticize them. Underneath all the labour rights rhetoric, the striking union wants exactly what the small business owners want, exactly what everyone wants: financial security. Both groups have the exact same motivation.

They are trying to get as much as they can for their own wellbeing.

For the city’s workers, this means striking. For the small business owners it means lobbying to keep taxes as low as possible, even when those taxes would directly benefit other people.

And given that they are just as financially self-interested as the municipal workers of Toronto, it is highly hypocritical for business owners to step in at this point, to call out the union for being greedy, and to run interference trying to sway the city’s mind.

It may seem selfish, at a time when many Canadians are losing their jobs, to strike for slight improvements in job security and sick day compensation, as the municipal workers are. But what these critical small business owners fail to realize, or choose to ignore, is that they themselves operate under this exact same brand of selfishness. Every time any addendum to the minimum wage or civic tax law is proposed there is a hue and cry from every small business owner in the country. As selfish as it may be to refuse work at a time when many people are losing jobs, it is at least as callous to shoot down a union trying to secure their own employment at a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet.

Of course, the main motivation of the small business owners of Toronto may truly be one of principle as the ad suggests it is. Maybe small business owners really are bothered by the fact that city workers already have benefits that other Canadians “can only dream of.” That’s a valid complaint and certainly, in theory, one that is egalitarianly fair, even noble. I would point out, however, that Canada’s business owners have a long documented history of enjoying tax breaks that most other Canadians can only dream of. I would also suggest that small business owners should be allowed each and every one of the benefits enjoyed by municipal workers as soon as they are as needed by the public as those workers. As soon as a city full of people panics the moment small business owners cease work, those business owners can have • PLEASE SEE MUNICIPAL, 6

6 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

Municipal workers Decay of society’s values or deserve the raise, holiday fun? you would ask for the same • CONT’D FROM P5 whatever they want.

Until we can find a way for a city to function without them, municipal workers are going to have to be justly compensated for what they do. And therein lies the biggest problem with the small business owners’ radio campaign. By running these ads, the message that the small businesses owners’ association is sending is one of “We can’t live without them, but they don’t deserve their compensation.”

This message does not work.

We can’t have it both ways. We can’t say that city workers do not deserve their benefits if we also lapse into a furor when they stop working. Their services are clearly valuable. If we can’t survive without clean streets, garbage collection, community services and basic municipal functions, we are going to have to treat these workers as though they are worth something.

Is the striking union completely innocent? Should it be totally absolved of all criticism?

Certainly not. It is inconvenient, unpleasant even, that there is a strike on and that unions,

particularly municipal unions, tend to strike so often. The strike does disrupt the workings of the city, and it does come at an inopportune time. I, the citizen, may not be enraptured over the suspension of municipal services.

I may not fully support the union or believe that all of their demands are rightful or justified.

But it is not my place to demand that this or any other union go back to work. It is not my place to denigrate an entire class of worker and question their deservedness of employment benefits. It is not my place to oppose their legal right to strike.

Striking unions may seem selfish to some of us, we may not always be on side with them, but one day you or I will likely want or need an assurance of financial security. One day you or I may want or need to have laws or operating procedure changed to improve our lot in life. And that is all that the striking city workers are after. I cannot fault them for wanting something that any of us would naturally demand. If they are greedy, then so am I. So are we all.

• CONT’D FROM P5 abnormality.As I delve deeper into the issue of social nudity, I realized that it is becoming commonplace, though not to such an extreme extent. The latest fashion trends are more and more revealing.

One example is low-rise jeans, which are migrating further down the hips and revealing butt crack.

This fashion fetish is everywhere: bookstores, grocery stores, lecture halls, libraries and even the zoo. The rise of the visible backside is part of raunch culture

– a phenomenon of extreme sexual liberty.

The odds are that you, the reader, have also had to view someone’s backside as they take a seat or bend over. This may have irked you, made you laugh, or even attracted you. Whatever the case may be, there is both a time and a place for everything.

Excessive exposure of your body in public (excluding designated nude resorts, beaches, etc.) is unacceptable in polite society

because it reveals what others may not want to see.

These hedonistic acts and dress are typical of the selfish individualism of our time, a time in which desire undermines reason with such potency. True, not all succumb to such temptations and trends. However, that does not mean that those with greater selfcontrol should sit idly by without stating their displeasure. Societal decay is everyone’s problem; voice your disapproval!

THE SILHOUETTE • 7

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

InsideOut

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Queer Family Party reclaimed spirit of Pride Week

PHYLLIS TSANG / ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR

Phyllis Tsang ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR

(TORONTO)- The first Queer Family Pride Party took place on a Tuesday evening during Pride Toronto’s weeklong celebration.

The party, an all ages, family and community event was held at The 519, a central hub for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community on Church Street. Posters of cartoon characters with an overarching rainbow as a backdrop were posted at the side of the building, directing visitors to the park at the back of the building.

Laughter was heard from afar. What met the eyes first was a splash pad full of cheerful children. Some of them were filled with excitement while others screamed in awe when pop jet fountains shot out water and splashed on the ground. Most parents were at the side watching their love ones, with the exception of a few who could not care less about getting wet and joined the children in the splash zone.

‘It’s like a Sunday school playground,” a middleaged woman who was not a queer parent herself said with

a smile, “it feels like that.’

On the other side of the park, families were sitting on the grass and enjoying some live music by a Canadian indie band, Random Order.

Aside from entertainment, the party also provided information about queer parenting. Stationed volunteers and information tables were there to help you with your questions.

In 2000, the Child and Family Services Act allowed any two people to jointly apply to adopt an unrelated child. Along with other new methods and strategies like co-parenting, where two or more people choose to parent together outside of romantic or sexual ties, and insemination, a procedure which involves the introduction of semen into the reproductive tract of a female for impregnation, opportunities have opened up for LGBT couples in becoming parents.

“There are a lot of resources in Toronto for queer parents,” Sara, a mother of two said, “We also get a lot of support from others, like the queer parenting group we go on Saturdays.”

Sara and her partner, Juana has been together for eight years. They have two girls, a four year old and a one

and a half year old.

“We had both of them,” Juana clarified, “we didn’t adopt them.”

For gay couples, while insemination is not an option, the more traditional way of adoption is still a good way to go.

Scott and his friend, Gavin were babysitting an adopted child for their gay friends.

“The process for adoption took a bit of time,” Scott said while holding the child in his arms, “but I think that’s the same as everyone else. Gay couples have to wait the same amount of time while they [adoption agencies] look at your family, resources and income.”

“I am really pound of them,” Scott added.

Without hordes of speculators and folks fueled with chemicals, alcohol, or a combination thereof, this inaugural event draw us back to the spirit of Pride Week by brining attention to this rising demographics and their issues in a form of celebration. Though the curtains of the first Queer Family Pride Party have dropped, it is set for a return. For more information about Pride Toronto and queer parenting, visit The 519 website at www.The519.org.

Quarter life crisis and your mental health Innocent Karikoga THE SILHOUETTE

AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

The most common definitions, descriptions, and explanations of midlife and quarter-life crisis are age bound; which makes the phrases very difficult to understand as people grow at almost the same rate physically, but quite instantaneous and different for mental growth. It is sad, but true, that some people can take responsibility of five lives (including theirs) at the age of twenty-eight yet some will still be struggling at the age of forty to take personal. The earlier would already be at a higher level of independency and accountability whilst the later

will still be struggling to reach at least the middle level, despite the age difference. Not trying to be philosophical, but we don’t have to confuse mid-age and midlife.

Life expectancies in most parts of the world are below the middle ages of forty. If this is the case, then an appreciable number of these people do not reach the level of midlife crisis (according to their general definition), of which they do because of the responsibility they take during the course of their lives. Therefore, rather, midlife and quarter-life crisis are measured by the responsibility you want to take, currently taking or avoiding taking, age is just a

number.

Although Francis De Sales once said, “Do not look forward to the changes of life in fear; rather look with full hope,” the crisis one is likely to face in the future must never be overlooked.

If we assume that life has four stages, which we will organize into quarters, we will have first quarter (quarter), second quarter (mid), third quarter, and last quarter. From birth to mid-puberty (in most cases) there’s not much of personal crisis you’ll face as a child. If one strongly argues that it is there, then we might as well call it the pre- life crisis.

• PLEASE SEE QUARTER, P8

8 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

Hamilton poised Stuck in a quarter life crisis to receive Light Rail Transit But can it repair a city’s reputation on transit?

Derek Taylor MACGREEN COORDINATOR Prior to the 1990’s, public transportation in Hamilton has been looked upon as a reliable method of transportation for the people of Hamilton. However since the early 1990’s, the city of Hamilton has not only witnessed a tremendous influx of new citizens, but as of January 1, 2001 also expanded it’s borders to amalgamate with surrounding areas, such as Stoney Creek and Ancaster, to form the new city of Hamilton.

Although these were both welcome changes to the City of Hamilton, public transportation in Hamilton has suffered greatly because of the changes. However, a genuine effort was given to deal with the increase in riders, as well as the significantly increased coverage area. The city limits of Hamilton were not only expanded by the amalgamation in 2001, but are constantly being pushed by urban sprawl. With a plethora of factors spreading the Hamilton public transit system thinner than ever, it quickly became noticeable that busses were becoming exceedingly crowded and that bus lines did not expand far enough away from the city core, to meet the needs of many Hamiltonians.

The need to improve has not gone unnoticed by the city or the province, as the city was on the receiving end of a three million dollar grant to investigate light rail transit (LRT) by 2010.

In other efforts in revolutionize Ontario public transit systems, the provincial government has offered 300million dollars to complete two light rail lines in Hamilton by approximately 2020. The public transportation development team for the city of Hamilton has looked for extensive input from the Hamilton community when developing plans for the proposed LRT system and have came to several potential plans for the LRT system. The primary plan for the LRT system is to have two routes across Hamilton, Route A spanning from Eastgate Square to McMaster University and Route B, which is still to be determined, will run from a station located in the north end of Hamilton and will carry passengers to a station on the escarpment. It has been suggested that along with the implementation of an LRT system, both Main Street and King Street will be converted from one-way streets to twoway streets, allowing for an LRT system to be placed on either

street.

Currently, it has been determined that an LRT system would be best positioned on King Street, because of the positive economic ramifications it could have to the downtown core. Although an LRT system is currently the most well known solution to Hamilton’s transit woes, there are also many supporters in the Hamilton community who support a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system. A BRT system would run along the same routes as an LRT system, but would not rely on tracks placed in the road.

Although building costs of a BRT system would be significantly less than an LRT system, there are many downfalls that act as a counterweight to the reduced costs. A BRT system would have a significantly smaller passenger capacity when compared to a LRT system, as well as not being able to reach speeds similar to a LRT system. When determining whether a LRT system or a BRT system would be best for the future of Hamilton, there are a number of considerations that must be taken. The primary goal of a public transit upgrade in Hamilton is to move people from their vehicles and into public transportation, whether it is bus or train.

Do to the over exertion of the current public transit systems in Hamilton, public transit has developed a poor reputation in Hamilton, albeit a not always warranted reputation. The reputation that has been bestowed to Hamilton public transit often consists of complaints of unreliable stop times, the vehicles being excessively over-crowded and quite often lacking a certain level of cleanliness. Although these common complaints may only be occasionally found to be true on certain bus routes, the entire Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) bus system has become plagued with a negative reputation.

Since the primary goal of the public transit improvements is to move Hamiltonians from their cars into public transport, it will be necessary to move away from a bus system, due to the negative reputation bus systems in Hamilton have received.

Selecting a LRT system for Hamilton will help to remove the undeserved stereotype of public transit in Hamilton, by ensuring ample space for riders, less time in transit due to the increased speed and will offer a sleek and stylish option for public transport in Hamilton.

AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

• CON’T FROM P7 When one tries to break away from the parent’s control and take personal responsibility but still heavily depends on the same parents, there’s a quarter-life crisis. When you finally break free and start taking full responsibility and accountability for yourself, and instead of looking up to some people, people start to look up to you; those will be the basis of midlife crisis. The other two quarters have their properties and are just as essential, but for the sake of our focus they are not as significant.

Most people start making their decisions and choices (dreams) probably at mid-puberty.

This is when they try to break away from their parents’ control and try to think, make choices and decisions independently.

Relationships, career choices and path, and priorities are among examples of such. They now face the opportunity of making their own life choices; with their own interest- they try to become fully responsible of their lives. The dark side of the chosen coin is usually left unrevealed by some, and is left to fate; thus making the situation dangerous. A coin with one clear side and the other one blank is just as good as uselessany effort made on the clear side will be neutralized by the blank side. In Chinese, the ideogram for crisis is made up of two parts, one represents opportunity and the other one represents danger.

In this particular case, we have opportunity and danger at the same time, which implies that there is crisis. This is the birth of quarter-life crisis and, optimism, skepticism, and confusion are inevitable, it’s murky. In most cases quarter-life crisis will move through high school, to postsecondary and until people start making commitments to careers, general relationships and family.

Life after high school is really a pain in the eardrum for most people if they do not know what they want in their lives and how to get it. However, it is not surprising that some try to avoid this crisis and enter the next level (as some people do) with hope of things to become simple as they move up the ladder (that’s cheating!). They are likely to meet problems than challenges.

Never enter the circus if you can’t ride two horses at once. Only those who understood, faced, and defeated the quarter-life crisis can

face the prospect of midlife crisis.

An ounce of precaution is better than a pound of cure.

If one finally attains full independency, that will be the beginning of full responsibility – the two are always agonistic to each other. If this level does not welcome some with courtesy, most of them are likely to make pre-mature mistakes and regrettable decisions that will make them wish if they were not born yet as they perambulate through the era. Midlife is the turning point of full responsibility and you have to take it because if someone else takes it for you, you might always feel used or treated unfairly. That is why you must study for yourself if you really want to understand something, if someone does this for you they will explain only their opinions and understanding to you. The decisions you make as you assume full responsibility gives you the opportunity of shaping your life the way you have always wanted. Consequently, just like in the game of chess where a single and simple mistake can turn your whole game upside down threatening a check-mate, you cannot afford to make any miscalculations in this period especially, that smells dangerous.

Again we have opportunity and danger existing together in one situation, there’s crisis – midlife crisis.

A typical dilemma is experienced mostly after university/ college graduation or straight from high school when it comes to job opportunities.

It’s not that there are no jobs, but the jobs being looked for are not there. This definitely puts your financial stability in question and therefore your independence. This environment of being almost independent is not comfortable to my knowledge, and the fight to defeat quarter-life crisis has to continue if complete independence is in sight. However, the fight is not as easy and some people are likely to get discouraged, demoralized, or the scariest of all, begin hallucinating. Losing this battle is not an option, which is why some keep on fighting to protect their hopes from submission.

If one didn’t earn a credit in quarter-life crisis, the opportunities we just mentioned will be risks. So they will have risks and danger, which will

add up to disaster. A coward dies a thousand times before actual death; life does not have a short cut, the cowards will move from quarter-life crisis to midlife disaster. Sydney Smith once said, “A great deal of talent is lost to the world for the want of little courage. Everyday sends to the graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making the first effort [of being responsible].” When marriage comes in mind, finance, level of social and personal responsibility, and commitment comes into question. When one tries to take responsibility of other lives after failing to take personal responsibility, it’s not only wrong, it’s insane.

Interestingly, midlife and quarter-life crisis have a lot in common in their nature and characteristics. Quarter-life crisis is characterized by optimism, skepticism, and confusion because of the choices you’d have to make, and midlife crisis is characterized by dilemma because of the decision you’d have to make. The main difference is the level of responsibility taken into consideration in either case.

Almost everyone can get into the quarter-life crisis, but only those with courage and determination can face the prospect of midlife crisis.

Social and personal responsibility determines your social status. It is sad but true that some boys can only grow into big boys and might never feel how it could have been to be a man.

THE SILHOUETTE • 9

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

SPORTS

Mac to be training site for national athletes

Government of Ontario steps in to support the enhanced facilities BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR

The Government of Ontario is stepping in to make McMaster the place to be for highperformance athletes in Southern Ontario.

On June 29, Minister of Health Promotion Margarett Best was on hand at the David Braley Athletic Centre to announce a $150,000 investment from the Provincial Government to give Ontario’s eligible high-performance athletes access to the university’s advanced resources.

The investment will go towards giving athletes use of top-notch facilities and equipment, sport medicine services and access to certified kinesiologists and advancement of hydrotherapy methods.

McMaster’s David Braley Athletic Centre, already one of the best training facilities in the province, will become the home facility of athletes preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and the 2015 Pan-Am Games, potentially taking place in Hamilton and Toronto.

“The Ontario government is committed to advancing high-performance sport in Ontario. We are proud to provide this funding so that athletes in the Golden

Horseshoe area can train in one of the best university facilities in the province. This will assist in preparing our athletes for competition on the world stage,” said Best.

The funding will be provided through the Quest for Gold Program, initiated to help Ontario Athletes training to represent Canada on an International Stage. Quest for Gold supported 69 percent of Olympic athletes from Ontario who participated in the 2008 Beijing Games, and supported an even greater 86 percent of Paralympic athletes from Ontario in Beijing. Over 8,000 athletes have benefited from the program, with numbers potentially increasing for the 2015 Pan-Am Games.

New Director of Athletics and Recreation at McMaster, Jeff Giles, expressed his exultation with the announcement, saying “McMaster University is in the process of developing one of the leading sports medicine and high performance centers in Canada to provide Ontario athletes with a major competitive advantage. This partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and their Quest for Gold initiative is exactly the type of program we have in mind as we continue to expand.”

Recruits to boost OUA Champs

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

The Men’s Volleyball and Rugby teams will look to continue their OUA dominance in 2009.

BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR

After stellar 2008/2009 seasons, the McMaster Men’s Rugby and Volleyball teams will be boosting their stock for the upcoming seasons. The teams, both reigning OUA Champions, have announced their recruiting classes for the approaching year, with much excitement being placed on the potential for repeats as the best in Ontario.

The 2009 rugby recruiting class has been labeled by coach Dr. Phil White as the best since 2002, with four national and three provincial team members joining the squad. White expressed his excitement, saying ““2009 rugby recruit class is the strongest since the 2002 group that included 3 players (Dan Pletch, Mike Pletch and Aaron Carpenter) who would go on to represent Canada at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Each of the six incoming players bring something different to the table, encompassing any of power, height, athleticism or skill.”

The announced players to join the squad include Tyler Ardron (Lakefield, ON), Jon Collins (Madawaska, ON), Ryan Fried (New Hamburg, ON), Jarrett Hamilton (Guelph, ON), Craig Leveridge (Stoney Creek, ON), Lawson Mann (Markham, ON), Matt Raguseo (Stouffville, ON) and Davor Stojanov (Stoney Creek, ON).

Ardron, Fried, Man and Ragueseo have served time on various national teams, while Stojanov, Leveridge and Hamilton have played on Ontario teams. Collins was born in London, England, and has been invited to play for the prestigious UK Saracens Academy team.

Mac took home its fifth rugby title in seven years in 2008, fighting out a grueling 18-10 victory over Queen’s on November 8.

The men’s volleyball team also put their mark on the OUA, winning

their second consecutive provincial championship after a dominant season.

While a number of key players have moved on to life beyond the Ivor Wynne Centre, the team will be welcoming a number of players with outstanding volleyball resumes.

Joining the team will be Tyson Alexander (Barrie, ON), Ian Cooper (Edmonton, AB), Brendan Dennis (Barrie, ON), Sean Lowe (Hamilton, ON), Kevin Stevens (Winnipeg, MB) and Russell Wilson (Calgary, AB).

Stevens arrives with the most padded resume, having been named the top high school player in Manitoba by the Winnipeg Sun and served time on the Manitoba Provincial team. Cooper and Wilson have also played at the provincial level, while Lowe will be playing close to home as a graduate of Westdale Secondary School.

McMaster Head Coach, Dave Preston said “I’m very excited about working with all of these young men over the next 4-5 years. The quality of character and talent that each of these student-athletes possess provides for a great fit with our current team and strong base for the future of the program. Each of these incoming student-athletes will contribute to the program in their own way and will continue to uphold the standards of excellence that has been laid out for them. It’s a very exciting time for McMaster volleyball and a great day to be a Marauder.”

Mac will need the recruits to step up in their rookie years, with the loss of first team All-Stars Nathan Groenveld (Welland, ON) and Petr Hrkal (Caledon, ON) to graduation after stellar 2008/2009 seasons. Hrkal and Groenveld have been part of a dominant Marauder team that has lost just three conference contests in the last two years and taken the last two OUA Championships.

THE SILHOUETTE • 11

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

INSIDE

andy

arts and entertainment

soft bananaz

new gorillaz documentary doesn’t quite rise to the occasion I’ve never been one to dismiss the relevance of a good documentary – executed well and the results can be astounding. In the realm of music, the film form can elevate a featured artist or band into mythical status.

Take for instance Woodstock. At the time, 1969, this legendary festival was just another run of the mill hippie love in- an excuse to toke with your fellow brother or sister, and maybe, just a little more. The acts? Nothing profound. Sure, The Who demolished their equipment to an uproarious crowd, and yes Hendrix churned out a now infamous version of “The Star Spangled Banner”. Yet with them aside, can you really say that Richie Havens or Country Joe were household names before and after? The fact is Woodstock’s longevity can be credited to the film and its director, Michael Wadleigh. Preserving the acts on celluloid only helped accentuate the aura of the idealistic 60’s and there by resulting in not only a beautiful document to the times but also the acts.

Bananaz, a new music documentary featuring the musicians that make up the cartoon misfits “Gorlliaz” embodies the total opposite of what Woodstock demonstrated.

This is not so much a foray into the music itself, but rather how a band functions on and off the stage. We’re first introduced to Damon Albarn, lead singer of 90’s brit-pop quintet Blur, now functioning tunesmith and voice to this cartoon assemblage. His accomplice, Jamie Hewlett, seems to rank just as high in the hierarchal pyramid of

the group, yet one can never pinpoint his role; just a lethargically mobile individual, smoking a spliff while basking in his own self importance.

While intentions seem to be set in the right direction, the film never molds to any form of purpose, but then again, that may be the point. The film strolls through four years of the bands existence; two albums are produced laying way for inevitable tours, recordings and inner fighting. Sometimes it’s fascinating, more often tedious. One is never sure what to make of the situations as the fictional members of Gorillaz are discussed and intentionally modeled to represent specific personalities. Each character seems to stem form traits associated with Damon and Jamie. In particular, “Noodle”, the lone female character comes about from Damon’s penchant of drawing Asian girls.

The cartoon model may be cute, yet it never escapes an unintentional gimmickry that keeps this faux band from ever escaping its novelty. There are some great songs here, but no soul.

With that said, if there is one thing that is not lacking from the band, its musicianship. Damon is the real deal.

Poster boy of the 90’s British scene, his voice evokes a haunting quality that yearns while soothes. He is a man of many foreign tastes, providing a wide array of flavors to play within the band, bringing about Cuban and Iranian influences. In one poignant scene, elderly afro-cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer of Buena Vista Social Club fame is ask to provide vocals on a track for their first album. As his recording is played backed, one only needs to look into his eyes as they express an overwhelming joy to

the technical wonderment he is so naively unaware of.

Yet, scenes like the one stated above are few and far between. An eclectic handful of cameos stumble through the film and leave little lasting impression.

Danger Mouse mumbles a few words, De La Soul leaves too soon, and 60’s icon Dennis Hopper is brought in for a bewildering voice over. One wants these people to divulge a little more than just a suggestion to the band or arbitrary anecdote.

What relevance does this doc serve then? Well, a cynical view on the inner

workings of a band is one thought. Another, more intelligent outlook would be that it represents the life of any band; recording, touring and like an inside joke, obnoxious as hell. With a run time of 91 minutes, it wears more then it’s welcome. Although totally incomparable to Woodstock for the reasons of varying intentions, a little love and pleasure would have been greatly appreciated rather than watching Damon Albarn vomit in front of ones very eyes, not once, but twice. * Myles Herod

southwestern ontario is about to get loud

cutting edge music festival comes to kitchener the first weekend of august During the August 1-3 Civic Long Weekend, Kitchener will be hosting the Cutting Edge Music Festival for the first time, featuring performances by The Roots, Bedouin Soundclash, Protest the Hero, Andrew W.K., illScarlett, The Bronx, Moneen, Ten Second Epic, and Dead and Divine.

In addition to the twenty-four bands already confirmed, ten electronic/DJ acts will be entertaining crowds at a dance warehouse, including Andy C, Mix Master Mike, Lady Sovereign, and Thunderheist.

Since its inception in 2007, the CEMF has become one of the largest annual music festivals in Canada. Located at the Bingemans Camping Resort, CEMF attendees will be permitted to spend the whole weekend at the campsite with the combo purchase of a two-day concert ticket and a campground access pass.

This year’s CEMF features an assorted mixture of internationally acclaimed artists and successful bands from the Canadian indie scene.

The Grammy Award winning, eclectic hip-hop band, The Roots, are this year’s main headliner. There’s likely not a

busier band in the music business today then these guys. Circulating the festival scene this summer across North America, the group can also be found on television as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, in addition to preparing to release their ninth full-length album this October.

In 2003 they were named by Rolling Stone as one of the twenty greatest live musical acts in the world, so they should be an interesting watch for any concert-goer.

To the excited anticipation of many, Bedouin Soundclash’s involvement in this festival was only made public recently as they were announced as the surprise headliner on July 1. The Toronto-based reggae/ska indie band, who found success and mainstream exposure five years ago with regular airplay on both MuchMusic and 102.1 The Edge, are also prepping for an upcoming opening gig on No Doubt’s reunion tour.

This year marks the first time the electro/dance acts will have an upgraded venue from a tented-off area in years’ prior. The so-called dance warehouse will undoubtedly augment concert-goers’

experiences by providing a more clublike setting. British grime rapper Lady Sovereign, fresh off the release of her sophomore album Jigsaw to follow-up her breakthrough release, Public Warning (2006), will be making her CEMF debut, while Mix Master Mike, the DJ for the Beastie Boys, is returning after co-headlining last year’s event with Alexisonfire. British DJ Andy C, billed as the “world’s #1 drum and bass DJ,” will be playing an exclusive three-hour set on three decks.

Rock fans aren’t being left out though, as the CEMF has made sure to stick to its roots. Increasingly popular progressive metal band Protest the Hero will be able to satisfy the niche hardcore audience as well as shredding some incredibly well-written songs. IllScarlett, a CEMF regular, will easily entertain with their accessible blend of skapunk. Indie rock heavyweights Moneen, who have always been a “band’s band” with their first two albums, found even more critical success with the release of 2006’s The Red Tree, which made many publications’ “Best Albums of the Year” lists. Other than Brand New’s upcoming release, there is perhaps no

other album more highly anticipated for the latter half of 2006 than Moneen’s The World I Want to Leave Behind.

But any rock fan who’s anyone will be attending for Andrew W.K. Fans have been bleeding for his music for years; contractual commitments prevented a North American release of his last album, Close Calls With Brick Walls (2006), and he’s been so busy with television appearances, guest lectures, music producing, concerts of his are now few and far between. Finally, he has a new album due out in September, and he has not one, but two Canadian concerts remaining this summer!

This guy has so much passion for music and is so energetic he puts lightning to shame. Video footage of one of his 2002 concerts in Alabama possibly gives Andrew W.K. the record for the world’s largest and most vigorous circle and mosh pits. No wonder he’s got song titles such as “Music or Die”; “Party til You Puke”; “It’s Time to Party”; “Party Hard”; “Long Live the Party”; “I Love Music”; and “Big Party.”

For ticket information, visit http://www.cemf.com.

•Kevin Elliott

12 • THE SILHOUETTE

blame it on the boogie

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

andy looks at the legacy of michael jackson and the looting of his estate

“This is going to be a major headache” the Jackson family’s attorney told U.S.A Today. Between ex-wives, obsessed fans and dysfunctional kin, the only story this summer bigger than the King of Pop’s death will be the looting of his estate. Michael Jackson’s death, sudden, shocking and absurdist, exists somewhere between Shakespearian tragedy and tabloid wet-dream— as the world recalls the once infallible King of Pop who’s personal life and professional career collapsed amid paranoia, delusion and excess and then watch as those closest to the fallen pop-star viscously vying with one another to carve up his mini-empire. And everything, from his music to his home and children are up for grabs.

Although Jackson personally grossed over a billion dollars during his career and at one point had been one of the shrewdest investors in the music industry, there is speculation that he could have been as much as five hundred million dollars in debt. The decay of his infamous and nearly abandoned Neverland ranch has been widely reported on ever since Jackson barely avoided selling it at auction last year. His death could bring new life to his neglected and prized property, which has been loyally maintained since 2005 by a half-dozen friends and relatives eagerly awaiting Jackson’s triumphant comeback.

There is speculation that the property, Jackson’s most notorious asset (apart from his nose), might be turned into a shrine to the late pop-star. A number of his creditors have publicly fantasized about rebranding Neverland into a schlocky Hollywoodised Graceland—trading Elvis’ pink TVs and colourful Cadillacs for hidden bedrooms, rollercoasters and heavy petting zoos. Valued at about twenty million dollars, Neverland is worth far more as a sprawling 27,000 acre creepy Disneyland-cum-harem than as a private residence.

Jackson stipulated in his will that custody all three of his children, Paris, Prince Michael and Michael Jr., ought to go to either his mother or, should all else fail, Diana Ross.

However, his ex-wife, media darling and miss “don’t f*ing touch me,” Debbie Rowe previously surrendered all of her parental rights to their children in exchange for an eighty thousand dollar cash “gift.” She now claims that Jackson’s death has nullified the terms of the original agreement.

Not only is Rowe suing the Jacksons to assert her parental rights, but she has also filed a restraining order against the children’s grandfather, Joe Jackson, citing her immense

concern for their well being amid lingering allegations from both her ex-husband and his sister LaToya Jackson that he was physically and emotionally abusive to them. Surely Rowe only has Jackson’s children’s best intentions in mind.

Certainly the concerns of the woman who stood idly by in 2003 during Jackson’s trial for allegedly sexually abusing a young boy regarding her children’s well being are nothing if not earnest.

And Rowe won’t be the last skeleton in Jackson’s closest to emerge hand out and hoping for cash following the King of Pop’s sudden death. For over twenty years Jackson has been in the habit of crafting all sorts of confidentiality agreements with a wide variety of dubious characters— the most famous of which is the agreement that he reached in 1993 with the family of Jordan Chandler. For twenty two million dollars, Chandler and his family agreed to stop cooperating with police in that particular child molestation investigation. Ever since then Chandler has been legally obligated to refrain from speaking publically about his relationship with Jackson. However, just as his custody agreement with Rowe expired upon his death, that confidentiality agreement— like the dozens of other similar agreements Jackson made in the decades since then— is now void. A number of media outlets have already expressed interest in speaking to the no longer silenced Chandler about Jackson. The result will inevitably be a “scandalous” and “shocking” exclusive interview that, if nothing else, makes Chandler and his family even richer than they

milk and honey French Milk

By Lucy Knisley French Milk is a heartfelt graphic novel

by Lucy Knisley that tells the story of her and her mothers’ trip to France to live in an apartment together for one month.

The graphic novel is about 200 pages, black and white and features drawings, handwriting and photographs of the trip. I like Knisley’s drawing style, which is clean looking and simple with thick curvilinear lines, and even though she favours a simple style for the majority of the book her versatility is evident.

The book showcases Lucy’s relationship with her mother and her family, as well as her intense preoccupation with food, especially milk. A theme that I think prevailed more than the mother-daughter focus is the anxiety Lucy feels about being a young adult. Lucy turns twenty-two in Paris and nearing the end of the trip she writes: “I’m kind of anxious. I want to get back to my life, my schedule – my attempt at functional young adulthood.

I know it’s weird to be satisfied to leave Paris, but five weeks is a long time to be away from your regular scheduled life.”

The book reads like a travel log that

Knisley drew and wrote as she traveled and lived in Paris, which only works to intensify the idea that Lucy is going through a period of transition in her young life.

The only criticism I have for French Milk is that the ending is a little awkward. Lucy draws her plane ride home, catching up with a friend, her musty apartment, and finishes the book with a drawing of her boyfriend sleeping and a handwritten page of text wrapping everything up and recounting the differences between Paris and Chicago. Her boyfriend isn’t a main feature of the graphic memoir, and the wrap-up is kind of cheesy and forced, as if she needed a nostalgic, thoughtful ending to the memoir.

Overall I would recommend this graphic memoir. It is well-drawn, funny and works through some of the anxieties of being in one’s twenties.

This would make a good introductory graphic novel for those who don’t read graphic novels because it reads like a memoir travel guide. French Milk retails for $17.50 and is available for purchase in Titles bookstore or to borrow at the Hamilton Public Library.

•Grace Evans

already were.

Beyond personal associates, the troubled music industry is desperately hoping to profit off the cash cow that Jackson’s sudden death has produced. His label, Sony BMG, has in the weeks following his death been forced to divert production of new releases in an effort to cope with the sudden demand for Jackson’s music. Last week all ten of Amazon’s top selling records were Jackson’s. Many traditional music retailers, struggling to keep stocked of albums like Thriller and Bad, have been forced increase their prices— in some cases by as much as seven or eight dollars per CD. Costs would have been higher except that Sony BMG was already planning to begin heavily promoting Jackson’s lofty back catalogue in anticipation of his sold out fifty night comeback stint in London. They had planned put out a five CD set in Japan this month, and were considering similar releases in North America and Europe.

In one particularly absurd episode, upon rumour of Jackson’s death breaking out the entire worldwide HMV chain went silent, as they were forced to pull their HMV Radio from the air. The chain had been heavily broadcasting promotions for a contest where they were giving away tickets to see Jackson in London and were afraid of offending fans. It was just one more headache in the messy fallout of Jackson’s sudden death.

• Corrigan Hammond

new graphic novel follows the adventures of an american mother and daughter through the pleasures of paris.

METRIC FANTASIES After allowing a year and a half for production, which is unusual for the newwave inspired band Metric, they returned with their fourth studio album Fantasies.

Lead singer Emily Haines captures us with her mesmerizing voice once more since the band’s previous 2007 album Grow Up and Blow Away. This time, more meaningful lyrics are incorporated with the indie, electric rock sound from lead guitarist Jimmy Shaw that has carried on from their past albums. The Canadian band mixed raw, feel-good beats with soft and mellow songs. Their ten-track album is essentially a huge progression from their previous records. I found myself pressing the replay button as soon as I heard “Collect Call”, a completely easy-going melody that isn’t normal Metric but still shows they haven’t lost their original touch. It seems like they’ve worked harder than usual on this album, and it shows. Though some of the tracks sound the same, each one ends up bringing some kind of distinctive element to the table whether it’s Haines’ catchy melodies or the enchanting lyrics. Either way – you get hooked.

•Holly Hlacar