Hi.
Here's a video I made about the Conservative candidate in the Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar and how she's trying to avoid speaking to voters and meeting with citizen groups during the election campaign. I made this video while working on the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting project.
Please take a few minutes to watch this video, and if you're on Facebook, please link to it to help spread the word.
Thanks!
I gave up watching the video about two minutes in. I cannot understand the decision to use white lettering across images that themselves contained a significant amount of white... the text is almost impossible to read. Having grown up listening to CBC Radio (it was always the default station at home and in the car) I am probably part of the most sympathetic demographic you could have -- and if I am not willing to play it to the end trying to decipher what the text is, how likely is it that someone not already sympathetic to "the cause" is going to make the effort? I suspect one would have to play it several times to actually "catch" all the written content. Not going to happen.
1. It's not a video.
2. It doesn't need two threads.
3. There is no number three.
I gave up watching the video about two minutes in. I cannot understand the decision to use white lettering across images that themselves contained a significant amount of white... the text is almost impossible to read. Having grown up listening to CBC Radio (it was always the default station at home and in the car) I am probably part of the most sympathetic demographic you could have -- and if I am not willing to play it to the end trying to decipher what the text is, how likely is it that someone not already sympathetic to "the cause" is going to make the effort? I suspect one would have to play it several times to actually "catch" all the written content. Not going to happen.
Yeah, it's my first attempt at making a video. I had to learn how to use the program (windows media maker) by watching crappy youtube videos... Let me tell you, I'm never using windows media maker ever again! It's a terrible program.
Also, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting is a non-partisan group, and were were doing this campaign for them. As such, I couldn't change text color to blue, red, orange or green. That really restricted me in changing the font color. Black wouldn't have been any better than white, for the same reason - it wouldn't show up over dark images.
What I needed was a way to put a black outline around the white text, to let it show up clearer. However, I couldn't find a way to do that with the crappy media program.
I didn't mean to rain all over your parade, just giving my immediate impressions. Good luck with your campaign.
I totally understand your comments. The #1 complaint is that there's white text over white background image, making the text difficult to read. I spent 2 hours trying to find out if the program was capable of doing the black outline around white text (something the gimp image editor was able to do 8-10 years ago!) without any luck.
The Kelly Block encounter happens starting around 2:30 (when the song ends) so you probably missed all of that.
Thanks for your comments.
I agree with Bagkitty. The white text over the photos made it difficult to read.
That said, bravo on getting to actually interact with Block (as so few of her constituents have been able to do). She was clearly trying to get out of the encounter by saying absolutely nothing of substance, and trying to fob you off on her campaign office. The campaign office will be expert at giving constituents who want to ask her tough questions the runaround. I suspect the gentleman who interrupted at the end was one of her campaign staff extracting her.
I find completely baffling that in a riding where the Tories won so narrowly, she's imitating campaigns where the incumbents win easily. If she hacks off more than a couple of people per poll, she's out. Is she sticking to the course dictated to her by Tory HQ, come hell or high water?
Edit the 3 minute intro to about 30 seconds and clean up the text and it will be watched. I persevered and the interview was a hoot.
Last week a friend told me how she wrote a snarky email to Kelly Block after the latter refused to attend an all-candidates meeting. Dave isn't alone in having trouble meeting with the honourable member from Saskatoon Rosetown-Biggar.
FYI:
This just went out to 15 local media outlets (including all of the small town papers and small town radio stations in the riding)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Block refuses to discuss policy during election campaign
Saskatoon (April 18, 2011) – Kelly Block, the MP for Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, is refusing to talk policy with voters in her riding during the election.
When asked last week by a constituent where she stands on the issue of CBC funding, Block said:
“You know, I don’t actually think this is the time or place to do this.”
Her constituents wondered: “Where would be? Could we have a meeting with you next week sometime?”
Block replied: “No, not during the campaign. Absolutely not.”
This Kim Campbell-like exchange, which took place at the Stephen Harper rally in Saskatoon last week, is captured on a video which has been posted to YouTube.
Local voters Dave Lyons-Morgan and Amy Kirk have been trying to meet Ms. Block since before the election was called to present to her the names of voters in her riding who have signed a petition calling for adequate funding for the CBC.
“We want to know where Ms. Block stands on the issue of CBC funding. CBC is extremely important to us and many other voters in the riding. It’s an issue that is entirely appropriate to debate, especially during an election,” said Dave.
The I LOVE CBC petition was launched by Friends of Canadian Broadcasting after a senior Conservative MP mused that “maybe it’s time we should get out of the broadcasting business”. Interest in the petition was fueled when Immigration Minister Jason Kenney subsequently said “the CBC lies all the time”.
Hostility toward the CBC has been a longstanding characteristic on the part of the Harper government , which has cut CBC funding in each of the past three years.
-30-
For information:
Dave Lyons-Morgan,
Friends of Canadian Broadcasting volunteer
Yes, the MP for Blackstrap has a similar reputation, although I have to say she does attend all candidates meetings (at least she has in the past). The fact is, these people have nothing to gain by speaking and it is possible they might lose something.
Yellich doesn't even send canvassers around to drop off propaganda, or at least nothing has been dropped off at my place over the last three elections.
I'm confident Nettie will be the winner in Rosetown/Biggar...the sign count for block is pretty low and insignificamt compared to other years...ndp signs are usually destroyed by conservative vandals just like in the rest of canada.
Typical tho that she won't answer questions ..because as we all know your not voting for the person in your riding your voting for the cheat fraud control freak Harper.
I don't know about the CBC ...they seem to wear to many tory colors now as they are all sucking up to keep their preciuos government jobs...then there is the "duffy factor" where conservatives reward there biggest brown nosers with senate appointments....don't they know they are making themselves irevulent by constanatly apeing global and ctv and now sun media...just another mouthpiece of the conservatives.
If the Kons do retain power we can kiss CBC goodbye and I don'tthink they are going to get to much support anymore..I personally think they have to be dismantled and then rebuilt into something relevent...other than conservative mouth piece.
At this rate ..next years video contribution might be "Time to de-nut the cbc"...make them part of his-tory...but I'm giving them a chance ,something they refuse to do with the NDP.
Anyways enjoy some of my videos: windows live movie maker in windows 7 seems to be pretty good.
terra1st:
This is not intended as sidetracking.... please check this story out: Blogger films run-in with Lethbridge Tory [sic]
The MSM owes us something... they ought to compile all these news stories about candidates refusing to attend forums and the like and devote a feature article or documentary to it. They ought to point how how this contempt for the electorate takes place outside of the House, not just in it.
Yellich doesn't even send canvassers around to drop off propaganda, or at least nothing has been dropped off at my place over the last three elections.
Well, she may have you down as a definite "no" 
I work in this ridding.. It has different feeling this time. I think that we have it this time. Their are more signs in more place for NDP.
I work in this ridding.. It has different feeling this time. I think that we have it this time. Their are more signs in more place for NDP.
I'm out in the rural area...looking good for Nettie out here.
Back to the CBC ..just watch ..after the election and way after the fact when the report about candidate arrogance will be meaningless the cbc will report it...but god help any ndp candidate that does the same thing it will be reported instantly and pasted on the msm tube like it's the end of the world..That stuff has got to be stopped then, CBC has to be put in it's place ,dismantled and rebuilt . I sure hope the young people are watching how the media are suckin the old folk with biased reporting and selective non reporting.
There was a thread where someone said they aren't watching the CBC anymore because of stuff like that , but I'm telling you ..now is the time to watch them slither and learn from their tactics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0eQgUpkJ1Q
