Welcome to my website!
This is perhaps a long time in coming. Too long, for some, who have complained, bitterly, about why they couldn’t get my columns or thoughts whenever they wanted to. I had promised myself, that, eventually, if I had to succumb to the forces pushing against more traditional forms of print, radio and television media, that I would do so with something interesting; something compelling.
So, here it is, my website. Here, you will find my thoughts on almost everything from osmosis to Obama; guns to global warming; abortion to Antarctica; dunces to drug treatment, well, you get the point. But I am loathe to tell you that this is the way we should all be getting our “news”. So much of the impetus for doing this website/blog is just as much to present my thoughts for those that want them, but also to refute the incredible lies which pass for “truth” or “news” in the blogosphere, that often never receive a well-earned rebuttal (and in some cases a well-deserved beating). This is true, in particular, when it comes to local politics, but holds true for provincial and national issues, too.
Morely Safer, whose monumental contributions to real journalism may never be adequately measured, best qualified what passes as news on the internet, when he said earlier this year:
“The blogosphere is no alternative to real journalism, crammed as it is with the ravings and manipulations of every nut with a keyboard. Good journalism is structured and structure means responsibility,” he said. He added later, “…I would trust citizen journalism as much as I would trust citizen surgery.”
And he’s absolutely correct. There are others who spent years more than I have in the media and while they are off selling their bias, they resent me when I catch them and call them on it. Meanwhile, to make their existence that much more meaningful, at least to them, they launch a website full of bile and spin: Sadly, this often passes for legitimate commentary, or, worst yet, news.
I was blessed to grow up in a time when real, hard-nosed journalism existed in this province, and across the country. I read Mordecai Richler, Allan Fotheringham, Les Bewley, Bruce Hutchison and then John Pifer and a young fellow named Vaughn Palmer; listened to Jack Webster, Pat Burns, Ed Murphy, then David Berner, George Garrett and of course, Rafe Mair; watched Tony Parsons and Harvey Kirk, and I marveled at stories by John Daly and Harvey Oberfeld.
Today, that still young fellow Vaughn is, appropriately, the standard in this province and Rex Murphy and George Jonas have picked up old Mordecai’s national torch. Sadly, the best reporter in B.C history, Oberfeld, is retired (but still writes a terrific blog!) and, thankfully, you can still watch Daly work his magic on Global BC.
While I fell in to this business out of an abiding love for writing, my preference has always been radio. But I admire those who seek the truth, even if they arrive at different conclusions from my own. For example, I maintain that Christopher Hitchens is the finest English language writer in the world today, even though his willful omission of faith in his anti-God arguments, drives me absolutely stark raving mad. More to the point: The remainder of Hitch’s opinions are spot on, and, often, stellar.
The lesson to all of us in this dying craft is that you cannot mishandle the duty, moreover, obligation, to be, as Safer states, “structured”–meaning responsible.
Hence, this website is dedicated to those who understand that the media has been hijacked by the lazy and the bubble-headed; and that we desperately need to, once again, hear, read and see the truth, rather than what some politically correct puppeteer demands.
We all deserve better.
Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy reading and feel free to respond anytime! Your thoughts (and even biting criticisms!) are most welcome. Nothing comes without robust discussion. And you’ll find that all right here.
Great look on the new site Alex,and I’m quite honoured to be on your blogroll…. Nice to finally have an easy place to read you, day or night!
Congratulations.
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Very kind of you to make on announcement on your blog. I, too, am very pleased to read your cogent and informative thoughts. Even though I think much more of Dianne Watts than you do! LOL! I wish you well.
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Alex Tsakumis is on the internet. Stop the presses! Oh wait, that already happened when he left 24 hours. Congrats on the new site!
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Easy, tiger…
Thx Warren!!!
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Welcome to the blogosphere Alex.
Although I don’t always agree with you, you can bet I will be reading your posts regularly and remarking sometimes.
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And I have read many of your pithy comments Gary. Thx for your commitment to stopping by. It’ll be because of readers like you that we’ll have fun and maybe learn a thing or three from one another! Cheers!
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Was over at Laila Yulie blog where she announced about your new blog.
Have read some of your comments,welcome to blogsphere, there is a definite need and requirement for people of your stature here.
Best of luck.
PS Are you related to Danny Devito ?
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Merci beaucoup Henri! Content de te rencontrer. J’espére te revoir bientot!
(…and, no, I’m am not related to Mr. DeVito.
)
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Hi AGT I have to make a small confession, Ive kept the french names but lost the french tongue along the way many years ago.Why you ask ?
Ok then ,if you must know, when as a very young lad growing up in Richmond, there was a a mix of cultural abundance about. There were the Japanese who were returning from internment camps, although I was to young then to understand what had occurred to them. Additionally there were , recent immigrants, from, Poland, Hungary,Norwegians,Dutch,Ukraine, Portugal,then there were the Chinese population with their beautiful gardens. With such a mix of different languages communication amongst us could and was difficult. In order to achieve a common tongue English was the natural language of choice. Other than my parents there was no one else to keep up my french language skills honed on. I think its safe to assume that likely very few in that era retained a second tongue.I almost forgot to include the English, Irish, Scots, Welsh, Punjabi’s,etc,etc, who also were in the area.
It was a very interesting era.
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Gosh, Alex … did you have to drag Morley Safer into your introductory blog? I had almost forgotten him and his comment at a Canadian gathering at which he had been honoured.
It almost makes me (a blogger) want to drag out the important story which was totally ignored by the mainstream media but which a blogger (that would be me) broke on my blog 6 months after it happened, after fully confirming with court documents that an inside tip was indeed true, that …
the man police tracked right into the BC Legislature on Dec 28, 2003,
the man police considered to be Mr Big on the West Coast,
a key figure in organized crime who had become connected to some aspect of the Legislature Raids … this significant person
had gone to trial (just a few blocks down the street from the Times Colonist newspaper bldg), been found guilty, and was sentenced to 9 years … and
not a word of it appeared in the mainstream (or any other) press. It took another 3 months (9 months in total) before Ian Mulgrew for Vancouver Sun wrote the one and only msm report: DRUG DEALER LINKED TO LEGISLATURE RAID IMPRISONED. RCMP oddly silent about key victory against cocaine ring. Vancouver Sun, P. A4, Feb. 17, 2009.
I have to tell that story whenever someone pulls Morley Safer off the shelf again, and tries using his credentials as a tool for putting down those of us who care enough about good journalism to work hard at it, whether paid or not.
I hope you’ll find, as I do, that the people who give time and thought to the comments they leave, are a tremendous asset to a blog. [Grumble: god knows what Morley would say about that.]
So [shakes head, rubs eyes] in a spirit of joyful encouragement, I add my welcome. And be nice, OK? I don’t know about you, but I’m totally discouraged by the “Me good, You bad” field of political science. Am convinced it’s a rotten trick played upon a trusting populace. Yes, Morley, I think I can prove it too, that if people are told the truth, they know perfectly well what to do next, and who to vote for.
If you’ve read this far, Alex, you’ll do just fine as a blogger. Welcome into a wonderful circle of caring citizens.
[Good one, Henri Paul ... I just got the joke! Bravo!]
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Mary, it’s because of people like you that I even thought about doing a blog. I agree with Safer in general terms. What you have done for openness and transparency in this province is unparalleled. You and Tieleman have done the people of this province a massive favour by following up on the Basi-Virk trial with such professionalism and purpose. Hats off to you! Eventually, I will have a section just for that alone. Look for it. Cheers!
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That’s so nice, Alex. Thanks.
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Nice!? My dear woman, you will shatter my image!
In all seriousness, you’ve earned it. Your coverage of the single most significant scandal in B.C. history has been exemplary. Only Tieleman, on this issue, has written with such excellence.
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Welcome to the Bloggodome Mr. T.
But it’s all slop is it?
So….
If that’s really the case, what the heckfire is Harvey O doing down here in the fever swamps mixing it up with the rest of us R.O.U.S.’s?
Ha!
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All snark aside, what Gary E said.
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Hi Ross! You’re a champ! Much appreciated feedback. I’ll look forward to exchanging ideas. Very best.
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Welcome to the surreal world of almost journalism Alex! I love your site and appreciate your insight….especially the Morely Safer quote! Too often today we take “opinion” –and not particularly well informed opinion and call it fact. (That was an opinion ….)
I have higher hopes for you and your site! Stay well my friend! Linda
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You’re a doll! Many thx. I’ll call ‘em the way I see ‘em…
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“Today, that still young fellow Vaughn is, appropriately, the standard in this province . . . ”
Hadn’t you noticed? V.P. went into semi-retirement some time ago. The one showing the most promise now is Andrew MacLeod, Tyee’s man in Victoria.
His story today tells about one the more egregious lies of the current gang.
http://thetyee.ca/News/2009/11/03/O-EconomicProjections/
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Yes, Norman, I had, thankfully. Welcome! Very glad to see you here. But I must disagree. Vaughn still does great reporting. Andrew, on the other hand, does one good piece and then the far-left bias sets in and he’ll do a stream of garbage before he gets back to the kind of exceptional reporting you note here. Other than Rafe, Will and certainly Monte Paulsen, whom I consider one of the very best reporters in the province, there is no reason to read The Tyee. An exception, too, would be Bill Tieleman when he is writing about Basi-Virk (which he does better than anyone), otherwise, as a paid political hack and cheap shot artist, he has zero credibility, Regurgitating NDP speaking notes doesn’t take much. Besides, The Tyee is way too far to the left and many of their scribblers offer up pure, mindless pap. There were two columns last year, about Christmas, for example, which were shameful. You shouldn’t need to attack or denigrate Christianity to stir your secular progressive base. Best to you, Norman. Come again.
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I’m not a dedicated fan of the whole Tyee but there is some good stuff not otherwise presented and MacLeod, for one, is doing original reporting. He is not rewriting another person’s talking points the way Vaughn does at times when he’s trying to keep the clients happy.
Isn’t the world of news and discussion best when the viewpoints are diverse? How boring if every writer read like either Fazil Mihlar or Murray Dobbin. Sure, the blogosphere is loaded with crap but it’s easy to avoid.
I worry less about left / right bias than about general apathy. It seems to me that we might have less detachment if the media offered well considered opinions discussing all elements of a subject instead predictable knee jerk responses or empty coverage.
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I quite agree. I’m just not that hard on Vaughn because I remember how hard he worked to get to where he is…I think what you might see as compliance to his masters might be the experience of a seasoned journalist coming to play in what he writes and how he writes it. I agree that this shameless Premier is getting a free-ride, but I think it has more to do with how much media has shifted (threats of lawsuits, lazy editors, super-aggressive “advertising” and “account” executives). The business has changed. As for right/left: Have a look at how the left press in this province manipulate the headlines and stories to suit THEIR political brethren. It’s pathetic. And don;t ask about any right wing press…it doesn’t exist. Even the Post threw a complimentary editorial to McGuinty sometime ago. I almost had to lie down for a while…
I love the way you think and your site is user friendly and full of solid information.
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The left / right meme is near useless because each individual defines the term. IMO, now we have political contests between vested interests, not liberals and conservatives.
I could be a libertarian if we started with a diverse, free and competitive economic society. But we didn’t and we’re further away today.
Thanks for comments about my site. I welcome your contributions too because all intelligent commentary is useful as we examine issues.
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Hey Alex……You’re the Best !
I’m not much into political views but the comments you make are right on the money
Congrats Buddy !
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What a surprise!….. ALEX!! congratulations on your new adventure in writing.
I was sorry to see you leave 24hrs but now i can get my alex fix here! great!
I wish you all the best in your new blog and i will visit it regularily to have a laugh or to be intellectually stimulated by your ideas and points of view, take care my friend and have a good day.
cheers: john prentice …..a fan of alex, the great!
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Hello chap,
Fine site and glad to have it. I used to enjoy your writing on my commutes, but since I moved the company out to the valley, I’ve been missing your wit.
By the way, may I point out you’ve a spelling error? It’s not Yulie, it is Yuile. The i is in the wrong spot. Yes, I’m a nit-picker.
Good now, Cheers!
Peiter.
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Peiter, thanks a million for following up. And I delighted that you’ve found me. Much appreciation for the spelling correction of the lovely Ms. Yuile’s name. Not only I missed it, so did she!!
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Actually, I did catch it right away,my dear, and emailed you via your contact page with the correction. You might care to check as it cc’d me as well.
I prefer to mention things like that discreetly… ; )
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Huh…strange, never got it. I’ll check again. Thx Laila!
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Welcome to the Blogosphere Alex! Great looking site. And I’m looking forward to you adding your perceptive insight, critiques and exposees on BC, national and even international issues. We can sure use it!
h.o.
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Well, what can I say? It’s a huge privilege to have you visit Harvey. And I am humbled my your kind words. I will do my best, kind Sir! Many thx!
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And when may we expect some thoughts to grace these new pages?
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Within the hour…
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OK – enough with the kudos….We want opinion on the latest of Smilin’ Sammy’s ‘projects’ that is, once again, apparently being funded by a shadowy man(?) from a shadowy planet….
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Agreed Ross. I think “The Goof that Keeps On Giving”…I’ll give you all the Sam story. But it’s not particularly surprising…
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HI Alex,
I am sure your content will match the setup: excellent, good luck
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Wasn’t sure where you’d gone when I wasn’t finding you in 24 hours anymore. It wasn’t until I was over at Sean Holman’s site, Public Eye, that I discovered your whereabouts.
I’ve booked marked Rebel With a Cause ‘n’ placed it right under HO’s, Keeping it Real… in my bookmarks list, but only because the bookmark’s vertical orientation precludes me from placing you two gentlemen beside each other.
Carry on…
RS
P.S. Can you name the two newspapers Holman makes reference to?
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