NEW DOCUMENTATION OF Canadian diplomats’ hospitality expenditures has recently surfaced and made its way into the hands of a few savvy members of The Canadian Press. According to the documentation, Canadian diplomats in Kabul alone have consumed over $20,000 in alcoholic beverages since 2007. The illegality of alcohol consumption in Afghanistan aside, that’s one heck of a bar bill to rack up. Was it wrong of our diplomats to break local law and force taxpayers to shell out for their sauce, or is a little alcohol something we can spare for stressed-out Canadian International Development Agency workers and other officials?
TAKING A BREAK from superstardom and motherhood this summer, Céline Dion has turned her attention to crushing a small comedy website beneath her mighty fists of fame and riches. Apparently unimpressed with the extensive collection of unflattering photos of the Canadian star that were featured on the website Ridiculouspicturesofcelinedion.tumblr.com, lawyers working in defence of Dion’s good name demanded that the blog be shut down or face legal action. Is it unfair that the legal team was able to bully the blog operator into abandoning the site, or did the website simply get what was coming to it?
Calgary Folk Fest says forget hydration
AS A PART of a zealous new green initiative, organizers of the Calgary Folk Festival have decided to ban bottled water at the event this summer. Sick of rummaging through recycling in order to diminish the dirt produced by the festival, the leader of the event’s green initiative, Leor Rotchild, hopes that his will be a landmark decision in regard to summer music festivals across the country. Is it irresponsible of organizers to risk patrons’ health by refusing to offer or allow water at the event, or should fans simply be satisfied with Rotchild’s endeavour to “supply fantastic music” instead?
A B.C. RESIDENT commuting to work July 23 became more than a mere motorist when he identified an emergency and risked his own safety to save a woman who had suffered a heart attack at the wheel of her car. Once the man realized the woman at the helm of the small car was unconscious and endangering drivers around her, he manoeuvred his van in such a way that allowed him to hook the woman’s car to his trailer hitch and bring it safely to a stop. Would you risk your car, let alone your life, to help someone you thought was in danger, or were the man’s actions too risky for you to attempt?
