This NYT story talks about the tepid movie box office take this summer and addresses the following no-brainer question: Too many Hollywood movies are simply not good enough.

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Federal Labour Minister Joe Fontana offered to host a coffee klatch if that's what it takes to get the CBC talks restarted. A few pro-CBC-sounding Liberal MPs predicted the lockout would be an issue at the federal caucus meeting today.

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Here's a piece I did for CTV.ca on the political summer of 2005. It primarily asks who had the worst one. I don't know if you can say anyone had a great one. :)

First, speculate as to why I might grant such a designation to the veteran U.S. broadcaster.

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Here's a few stories from Tuesday's Globe and Mail on the CBC lockout:

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My employer, CTV News Online, plays a role in this Globe and Mail story about the popularity of video on news websites.

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The Toronto Star's Antonia Zerbisias rounds up some of the issues surrounding the CBC lockout.

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Teenage girls in the African country of Swaziland no longer have to carry around large woolen tassles as a symbol of their chastity.

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Burma's citizens have television news to call their own -- even if it does come from Norway.

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Toronto Star columnist Joe Fiorito, a former CBCer whose wife still works there, offers some wise insights into the issues behind the lockout.

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Globe and Mail TV critic John Doyle has unkind words for CBC's management.

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When I got on the Scarborough shuttle bus last night, my question to the driver was: "Would you still give me a lift if I'd just been blasted by a skunk?"

He laughed and said "sure!"

But I wasn't kidding.

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This Toronto Star story talks about how some CBC employees are worrying the lockout could stretch into months. The two sides haven't talked since Aug. 14.

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Writing in the NYT magazine, Peter Maas explores the notion that a real oil shortage is a real possibility.

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The Toronto Star's Linda Diebel says a kind word or two about the masked garbage bandits.

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Hunter S. Thompson's friends and family say goodbye (video available at the CTV.ca story).

Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, is telling a newspaper he wants to make sure his anti-terror investigators aren't being affected by criticism they blew an innocent man's head off.

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An okay look by The Globe and Mail at the issues behind the CBC lockout.

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Since there is so much vitriol directed at CBC's Promo Girl -- to the extent some people seem to think a total collapse of the CBC is worth it to get rid of her, or that her absence is the most salient benefit of the walkout -- allow me to add my voice to the mix.

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An NYT take on the CBC lockout by writer Ian Austen, who I believe is a Canuckistani (saw the link first at John Gushue's blog).

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Saw this at locked-out CBC journalist John Gushue's blog: A podcasting blog called CBC Unplugged is almost upon us.

You'll be able to visit the blog to download them manually or get them delivered via an RSS feed (there's instructions on the blog).

You can also find links to other CBC lockout blogs and related info.

The podcasts will be available starting next week.

The Toronto Star's Antonia Zerbisias writes about CTVNews's efforts to capitalize on the CBC lockout.

Disclosure: I work for CTV News Online.

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Journalist Michael Wolff argues in a Vanity Fair article that the NYT and Time had a duty to expose key Dubya aide Karl Rove last year over his machinations on the Valerie Plame file -- you know, back before the election.

Wolff debates the issue with investigative journo Murray Waas on Democracy Now!

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This Knight-Ridder article says the new Taliban is smaller and can't hold territory, but is financially supported by al Qaeda and other rogue entities -- which explains why it can afford anti-aircraft missiles.

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Cindy Sheenan, the mother of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, has temporarily left her vigil outside of Dubya's ranch in Texas to tend to her ill mother.

Salon's Joe Conason lists some of the ways the U.S. right has been attacking her.

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This BBC story looks at how the growing middle class in China may be forcing the country's rulers to loosen controls on the mass media just a bit.

But don't get carried away and think it's a relatively free society: China reportedly has more journalists in jail than any other country.

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A CP story talks about the high cost of benefits and the positives and negatives of contract work -- but to get the whole picture, you had to read yesterday's story too.

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Not that I expect people to turn to this blog for weather news, but Environment Canada says there's a nasty thunderstorm cell moving across the northern part of the Greater Toronto Area that could spawn tornadoes.

Actually, most of southern Ontario is under a watch or warning right now.

Mom-meeee!! :)

Update:

The worst is over. Here's a CTV.ca story on the storm.

From Dan, the bartender at Southside Louie's: "Guantanamo all-inclusive."

Not bad, although I might go with "Crusader George and the Infidels" (which the aforesaid bartender dismissed as "not clever.")

While the handle sounds a bit 1950-ish, that's not entirely inappropriate.

Strangely enough, I can't find a U.S. punk band named "The Enemy Combatants" or "War President."

What's the deal? Are there no teenaged, snot-nosed, politically-minded Red State punks willing to take a musical stand? What is happening to America's youth? :)

I didn't bother searching on "Long-Term Struggle Against Extremism" because it just didn't have a ring to it.

This Canadian Press story looks at how contracting out positions is being increasingly embraced by businesses -- but how it may be merely moving certain costs onto society.

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David Radler, former president of Hollinger International and longtime sidekick of Lord Black of Crossharbour, was indicted today in the United States.

In his report tonight, CTV colleague David Akin asks whether the number-two guy is being charged first to tighten the noose around the number-one target.

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