Veteran Toronto libel lawyer Julian Porter fears the Internet and human rights tribunals are making his craft unworkable.

Saw this at J-Source: the Torontoist reported Monday that Toronto Life has or is about to shut down at least three of its blogs (update: It's four).

Noted one commenter: "clearly a smart decision. online media is sooo 20th century. print is where things are headed." :)

Wrote D.B. Scott at the Canadian Magazines blog:

It's usually useful to follow the money; in this case, apparently, the web division of St. Joseph Media has been ordered to slash budgets in the face of declining ad revenues -- think GM and Ford, for instance. So even the small amount paid to freelancers Chatto, Preville and Bell has been red-pencilled, as has most budget for original online content. The implications for St. Joe's online strategy is anyone's guess, but will they be considered players if they are not playing?

From CBC.ca:

The Los Angeles Times will cut 250 jobs, including 150 in its editorial departments, the paper's editor has announced.

Alejandro Escevedo at the Mod Club on Monday. Here's a q-and-a from Now:

The Austin singer/songwriter named artist of the decade by No Depression magazine comes blazing back with the aggressively rockin’ Real Animal (Back Porch/Virgin) disc, an amped-up salute to his glam-rock and punk roots that he’ll be showcasing at the Mod Club Monday (July 7). $18.50. 416-870-8000, myspace.com/alejandroescovedo.

Taj Mahal, Sarah Harmer, Corb Lund, Connie Kaldor, Loudon Wainwright III, Joel Plaskett, Harry Manx, Great Lake Swimmers, Foggy Hogtown Boys and the Creaking String Quartet, to name a few.

If you do go and hear a great act that hasn't gotten any acclaim but deserves some, please leave a comment when you get back.

Have fun and happy listening!

From AP via CTV.ca:

A new study suggests Canada ranks second to last among G8 countries when it comes to addressing global warming.

Only the United States scores lower on the Group of Eight Climate Scorecard, released Thursday by the World Wildlife Fund.

The study also found that none of the eight countries are making improvements large enough to prevent drastic temperature increases.

The World Wildlife Fund say none of the G8 countries are even half-way to meeting ideal emissions targets.

It says Britain has done the most to reach emissions targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol, with France and Germany close behind. Following in order are Italy, Japan, Russia, Canada and the United States.

Here's the WWF news release and some related links:

• 2008 G8 Climate Scorecards
  
• WWF G8 Position Paper
  
• Ranking Summary

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80's Harbourfront show Wednesday night is an early pick to be my top show of the summer.

From the BBC (posted July 1):

The man wanted over the killing of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya is hiding in western Europe, Russia's chief investigator has said.

Ms Politkovskaya, a prominent Kremlin critic, was shot dead outside her home in the capital on 7 October 2006.

Thirty-four-year-old Chechnya resident Rustam Makhmudov is believed to have fired the fatal shot.

Last month, three men - who all come from Chechnya - were charged over Ms Politkovskaya's murder.

Dzhabrail and Ibragim Makhmudov - brothers of Mr Makhmudov - and Sergey Khadzhikurbanov are expected to go on trial soon.

From the July 2 BBC:

Hundreds of journalists have protested outside the residence of Sri Lanka's president, demanding an end to a wave of attacks on the media.

The demonstrators called on Mahinda Rajapaksa's government to end what they said was a "culture of impunity".

At least 12 journalists have been killed in Sri Lanka since August 2005.

Campaigners for press freedom say Sri Lanka is fast becoming one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work in the world.

Wednesday's protest comes two days after a reporter and a British diplomat were attacked in the capital, Colombo.

Read Russell Smith's column in the Globe and Mail on "crapspeak."

However, one of the wellsprings of that effort is this June 14 rant by Lucy Kellaway in the BBC magazine: Are you going forward? Then stop now.

That begat this June 16 follow-up: 50 office-speak phrases you love to hate.

John Macfarlane, who stepped down in February as the editorial helmsman of of Toronto Life, will be doing some work over the next six months for The Walrus, the award-winning but financially challenged magazine. He will be ...   more »