Oscars

Saturday February 23, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 23, 2019

Jody Wilson-Raybould has Trudeau in checkmate

“Is Jody Wilson-Raybould going to burn my government to the ground?”

February 15, 2019

It’s the question Justin Trudeau must surely be asking as his former attorney general and justice minister prepares to “speak her truth” this week at the justice committee on the question of SNC-Lavalin.

If the dribs and drabs of information appearing on the front pages of The Globe and Mail over recent weeks turns out to be accurate foreshadowing, Trudeau might not be able to surviveWilson-Raybould’s truth, let alone handle it.

As “did not direct” Wilson-Raybould has morphed into a “vigorous debate” on the question, and then to an admission of “pressure” from the Clerk of the Privy Council, but of the “lawful advocacy” kind, not the ‘do as you’re told’ vintage, Team Trudeau has, to date, succeeded only in lighting itself on fire when it comes to SNC-Lavalin. Now it’s time to see if Wilson-Raybould rocks up to committee with the final keg of kerosene.

If you’re Trudeau, it’s hard to envision an appearance in which Wilson-Raybould doesn’t burn everything—Trudeau included—to the ground.  There has been some serious red-on-red action on the nation’s front pages in the past few days, and only one side can survive.

Animated!

Wilson-Raybould and the forces aligned with her have been putting out a narrative of undue pressure on the non-partisan attorney general over the criminal prosecution of SNC, a Liberal-loving Quebec behemoth. And they’re making a compelling case.

Despite the independent director of public prosecutions saying ‘no’ to SNC on Sept. 4 of last year, Trudeau, his office, and the clerk—we now know, after initial denials—continued to revisit the issue with Wilson-Raybould and her office until Dec. 19, i.e. a few short weeks before she was shifted out of the attorney general role. It turns out ‘no means no’ meant nothing in Trudeaupia, at least when it came to SNC. (Source: Macleans) 

 

Saturday February 25, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 25, 2017

Why Donald Trump won’t be watching the Oscars

Notorious prime-time TV and celebrity gossip fan President Trump will not be watching the 2017 Oscars, his press secretary Sean Spicer has indicated.

“Hollywood is known for being rather far to the left in its opinions,” Spicer said during a press conference. “I have to be honest with you. I think the president will be hosting the Governors Ball that night.

“Mrs Trump looks forward to putting on a phenomenal event, and the first lady has put a lot of time into this event that’s going to occur welcoming our governors to the capital.

“I feel like that is where the president and first lady are going to be focused on Sunday night and so we will go from there.”

We can’t rule out him sneaking a peak at the ceremony then, and I like to imagine him sneaking away from glad-handing at the D.C. event to watch a little of the ABC transmission – Melania catching him and being like “Damnit Donald, I spent hours on this party!”

In recent years Trump has described the Oscars as “bullshit” and “terrible” and famously was highly critical of Meryl Streep and her speech at this year’s Golden Globes.

Trump’s presidency is likely to hang heavy over this year’s ceremony and host Jimmy Kimmel knows it. (Source: Independent) 

 

Tuesday March 1 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday March 1 2016 Clergy victims doubt "Spotlight" Oscar win will bring change Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3470096/Clergy-victims-doubt-Spotlight-Oscar-win-bring-change.html#ixzz41b1yngVL Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook Victims of clergy sexual abuse are reveling in the Oscar won by ÒSpotlightÓ Ñ the story of The Boston GlobeÕs investigation into the scandal Ñ but say they donÕt hold out much hope that the elevated status from the filmÕs Best Picture award will prompt changes at the highest levels of the Roman Catholic church. ÒSpotlight,Ó starring Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo, covers the GlobeÕs work to uncover how dozens of priests in the Archdiocese of Boston had molested and raped children for decades while church higher-ups covered it up and shuffled abusive priests from parish to parish. The film was released in November to accolades from victims who said it gave them a sense of validation after years of struggling in silence. Even Boston Cardinal Sean OÕMalley Ñ appointed to replace Cardinal Bernard Law after he resigned in disgrace Ñ called ÒSpotlightÓ a Òvery powerful and important film.Ó But victims say they have little hope that the filmÕs new status as an Oscar winner will lead to some of the things theyÕve called for over the years, including complete transparency by the church and the criminal prosecution of church leaders who knew about the abuse but didnÕt report the perpetrators to police. ÒI donÕt think the Vatican or the archdiocese will necessarily do more,Ó said Robert Costello, 54, who was sexually abused by a Boston priest from the late 1960s through 1976. ÒI think what (the film) is going to do is educate the general public as to what their response or lack of response has been,Ó said Costello, who agreed to a civil settlement with the archdiocese. The Globe series was followed by revelations of sex

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday March 1 2016

Clergy victims doubt “Spotlight” Oscar win will bring change

Victims of clergy sexual abuse are reveling in the Oscar won by “Spotlight” — the story of The Boston Globe’s investigation into the scandal — but say they don’t hold out much hope that the elevated status from the film’s Best Picture award will prompt changes at the highest levels of the Roman Catholic church.

“Spotlight,” starring Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo, covers the Globe’s work to uncover how dozens of priests in the Archdiocese of Boston had molested and raped children for decades while church higher-ups covered it up and shuffled abusive priests from parish to parish.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday February 19, 2016 Pope Francis says Trump's views on immigration 'not Christian' Pope Francis said Thursday that Donald Trump is "not Christian" if he intends to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Trump immediately fired back, saying it is disgraceful for a religious leader to question a person's faith. Trump, a leading U.S. Republican presidential candidate, has promised to build a wall along the Mexican border from Texas to California and expel 11 million people who are in the country illegally if elected president. The Pope's comments en route home from Mexico came hours after he prayed at the Mexico-U.S. border for people who died trying to reach the United States. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said. "This is not in the Gospel." Not having heard Trump's border plans independently, Francis said he'd "give him the benefit of the doubt." But he added: "I'd just say that this man is not Christian if he said it this way." Texas Senator Ted Cruz, another Republican presidential contender, has also supported building a border wall, and joked that he will make Trump pay for it. Trump, a Presbyterian, last week criticized Francis' plans to pray at the border. He said the move was ill-informed and showed Francis to be a political figure being exploited by the Mexican government. "I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. "I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. They're making a fortune, and we're losing." On Thursday, he responded to the Pope's comments during a campaign stop in Kiawah Island, S.C. "No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man's religion or faith," he said. "They are using the Pope as a pawn and they sh

February 19, 2016

The film was released in November to accolades from victims who said it gave them a sense of validation after years of struggling in silence. Even Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley — appointed to replace Cardinal Bernard Law after he resigned in disgrace — called “Spotlight” a “very powerful and important film.”

But victims say they have little hope that the film’s new status as an Oscar winner will lead to some of the things they’ve called for over the years, including complete transparency by the church and the criminal prosecution of church leaders who knew about the abuse but didn’t report the perpetrators to police.

“I don’t think the Vatican or the archdiocese will necessarily do more,” said Robert Costello, 54, who was sexually abused by a Boston priest from the late 1960s through 1976.

“I think what (the film) is going to do is educate the general public as to what their response or lack of response has been,” said Costello, who agreed to a civil settlement with the archdiocese.

The Globe series was followed by revelations of sex abuse in dioceses around the world. The series won the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2003. (Source: AP)

Published in the Western Star, Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Published in the Western Star, Corner Brook, Newfoundland

 

Monday March 3, 2015

Monday March 3, 2015Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday March 3, 2015

The definitive TV marathon binge-watching survival guide

With House Of Cards season three launching on Netflix on 27 February, legions of Frank Underwood fans around the world will be limbering up to binge-watch 13 hours of brooding political drama.

The act of thundering trough an entire season of television in a short period of time has boomed in popularity since the rise of Netflix, other streaming services and DVD box sets.

Whether it is House of Cards this weekend, True Detective next weekend or Mad Men in the run up to the final few episodes that will air in April (my own personal TV goal for the next month) there’s a fine art to binge-watching television and some important warnings to be dished out.

Start Small. If you’ve never marathoned a TV series before, it is probably best not to start with 50 years’ worth of Doctor Who or the accumulative 204 episodes of 24. At 13 episodes, a season of House Of Cards is a good place to start.

Break it up. Breaking a TV marathon up over the course of a weekend will not lose you any street cred. There is no street cred associated with this kind of nonsense anyway and I am not even sure if street cred is a thing people say anymore, so go at your own pace and stop every now and then just to rest your eyes if nothing else.

Binge-watching is stupid by its very nature but laying or sitting there doing literally nothing while you watch is plain dumb. You may leave an arse groove that would out-last the Sphinx but it is unhealthy and you will only feel uncomfortable laying around for so long.

So find something to do while you watch – ironing, dusting, tweeting about the colour of ugly dresses, something to split your focus for a while. Starring at a TV set uninterrupted will turn your eyes into squares. (Continued: International Business Tiimes)

 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Tuesday, February 26, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Ken Taylor satisfied with Affleck’s Oscar shoutout

Former Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor says he was satisfied to hear Ben Affleck thank Canada as the director accepted the best picture Oscar for the political thriller Argo on Sunday night.

Taylor watched the awards bash from the AOL offices in New York, where he took part in a live online interview with James Lipton of Inside the Actors Studio.

The diplomat had earlier suggested he was hoping Affleck would mention Canada’s role in the 1980 rescue of six U.S. embassy staffers in the Iranian capital if Argo — which dramatizes the high-risk operation — won the top prize.

Late Sunday, he acknowledged Affleck’s shoutout to Canada during a rapid-fire speech that also offered thanks to “everyone in the movie.”

“He, in a rush, accepted and tried to extend recognition to everybody in sight and so that was fine. We were comfortable with that,” Taylor said in a phone interview immediately after the AOL taping.

“I think that the nature of the Oscars is such that it’s an electric moment for those involved and they all want to say something within a set time and I think that’s it. Whatever scripted thoughts they had they put away and get caught up in the theme and the celebration.”

Flanked by co-producer George Clooney, Affleck threw kudos to his fellow nominees, especially Lincoln director Steven Spielberg and the real-life CIA agent who inspired his film. (Source: CBC News)