TheVancouverManifesto is on VoterMedia.org: Media for voters, funded by voters. This is a pretty recent invention aimed at democratizing media in a few ways (put the emphasis on the right syllAbles and you'll get it). By viewing a wider range of media (i.e. instead of reading the same newspapers that are all owned by CanWest, or the shit from the "free daily" that depressed middle-aged women hand off to you at the skytrain and UBC) the voter can make a more informed decision thereby electing better leaders and better public policy.
Thursday, April 17, 2008 - Tickets are $26.00 (see our web site for ticket information)
Firehall Arts Centre - Doors open at 5:30pm for reception and silent auction
Variety music concert starts at 7:00pm
THE SHOW:Featuring MC/Host - Kevin Bergsma and 5 very talented local bands. You will be entertained with an eclectic selection of music from Folk to Cajun, Contemporary Rock, 50's/60's rock'n roll, Bluegrass and Latin. A little something for everyone while you enjoy guilt free shopping and supporting one of the many valiant organizations who help support and comfort the homeless and marginalized in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
In 2007 Guillermo Vargas (aka Habacuc) illegedly starved a dog to death in the name of art. He found a sickly dog on the streets of Managua, Nicaragua and tied it to a short leash in the corner of a gallery. Across the room was a kettle of food, left inaccessible. The dog slowly died of hunger and thirst. Vargas is going to represent Costa Rica in the Bienal Cenroamericana Honduras 2008. There is currently a petition.
You can watch the starving dog, anti-Vargas, video in Spanish (notice the title of the work is “eres lo que lees” which means “you are what you read” is spelled out in dog food). One picture in the video also shows a full gallery of people who pay no attention to the starving dog (I don’t know if that was a staged photo).
The front page of The Vancouver Sun posted a story entitled, “The cost of homelessness”. (Note that the online equivalent reads, “The high cost of homelessness”- which was published earlier on Friday, March 21, 2008- the word "high" a bit much for the front page?).
The Vancouver Sun, Saturday, March 22, 2008. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=11fdf74c-9130-41b3...
"Every homeless person costs system $55,000, an amount that could buy supported
housing for each of them…annual total of $644.3 million in health,
corrections and social services spending for all the homeless in B.C."
