When I interned at the Walrus some years ago, then editor Ken Alexander and designer Bruce Mau collaborated on a special issue of the magazine about optimism.
It had a very shiny cover with a very pretty rainbow on it, and was followed by a swank and expensive fundraiser at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto. Ken and Bruce had a dialogue about optimism; Eve Egoyan played the piano. It was delicate and congratulatory, and perhaps made some money for what I still think is a relatively good cause (one that is getting better and more relevant lately, if the recent feature in the magazine about the CBC is any indication).
While the G8 and G20 meetings at the end of this month will focus on global austerity measures, foreign journalists will be getting the full Muskoka experience, sipping brewskies by a newly constructed man-made lake inside the luxurious G20 Media Center in downtown Toronto at the expense of $1.9 million from Canadian taxpayers.
If, like myself, this strikes you as odd, maybe you should consider getting out there to cover the events yourself -- as an independent journalist.
Have you got rabble? Check out Not Rex's commercial spot for the rabble.ca fundraiser!