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Strange sex on Planet Telex
Things are strange on Planet Telex and presumably have been for a while. On Sunday, CBC announced they were firing long-time host of the radio show “Q” Jian Ghomeshi. Later that day, Ghomeshi announced his intention to sue the mother corp. for a paltry $50 million. Rumours flew. Unsavoury ones, the kind the Internet loves. Then, Ghomeshi, in a move at first applauded as earnest, posted to Facebook a treatise on what we, the public, were about to hear. “About two years ago I started seeing a woman in her late 20s. Our relationship was affectionate, casual and passionate. We saw each other on and off over the period of a year and began engaging in adventurous forms of sex that included role-play, dominance and submission. We discussed our interests at length before engaging in rough sex (forms of BDSM). We talked about using safe words and regularly checked in with each other about our comfort levels. She encouraged our role-play and often was the initiator. We joked about our relations being like a mild form of Fifty Shades of Grey or a story from Lynn Coady’s Giller-Prize winning book last year.” This girl, with the help of a freelance writer, who, Ghomeshi claims are out to get him, began building a campaign that would attempt to prove he’s guilty of non-consensual sexual violence. On Sunday evening, the Toronto Star revealed that three women had accused him of “attacking” them, sexually, and without consent. In his Facebook plea, which on second reading smacks of fear and desperation, he claims to have supplied CBC with proof that his encounters with women were mutually appreciated and agree upon. And the Ceeb agreed, but ultimately chose to fire him. They let him go over what he claims is “the risk of the perception that may come from a story that could come out.” There’s an article in XOJane where the writer claims to have endured some of Ghomeshi’s advances, but as anything beyond fuel for an already biased audience, it comes up weak and not worth reading. [Source: Facebook, Washington Post]
Boko Haram sending abducted women and children to war
Extremist group Boko Haram is sending abducted girls and women into battle as front-liners against the fight against Nigeria’s military. Since Boko Haram’s activity ramped up in Nigeria in 2009, the group has taken more than 500 women and children, according to a newly released Human Rights Watch report. About 30 more were taken last week Thursday, dissolving a ceasefire reached between Boko Haram and Nigeria’s government during negotiations in Chad. More than 4,000 civilians have been killed in the area since attacks intensified in May 2013. In the report, a 19-year-old women said she was given a knife and told to kill five people captured by Boko Haram.”I was shaking with horror and couldn’t do it. The camp leader’s wife took the knife and killed him.” Talks over the release of the women and children and an end to the violence continue in Chad. [Source: BBC]
Death penalty sought for South Korean ferry captain
South Korean ferry captain Lee Joon-seok should be sentence to death for allowing the Sewol to capsize, leaving more than 300 mostly school-aged children to die in their cabins, and for allegedly abandoning the ship when it started to list, said prosecutors on Monday. Joon-seok, 68, has already been charged with homicide, but according to Reuters that did not carry enough of a penalty after it became known that the young passengers were waiting in their cabins for orders while 15 crew members reportedly escaped. Four of those accused, including Joon-seok, have also been charged with homicide. Amnesty Internation has chimed in, saying that though deplorable, the death penalty should not be sought. The Sewol capsized during a routine trip on April 16 of this year. The prosecution has rested its case, and the verdict has yet to be announced. [Source: Reuters]
Ford Nation’s strength faces test as Ontario heads to polls
It’s entertainment more than anything deeply political. You’ll smirk if Doug Ford gets elected and Ford nation continues for another term in Toronto. You’ll smirk because that thing you know about people. Yeah, humanities. It’s election time in Ontario, and it should be an interesting race. John Tory is poised to take the lead, but, as Winnipeggers should well be aware of, don’t discount second and third seat Doug Ford and Olivia Chow, respectively. Ford is close enough that his naysayers are worried. And this Toronto Star contributor says the distance between Chow and Ford is too great for recovery. “Chow might make a fine mayor, but she is not up to the job of dislodging the Fords — and healing the urban-suburban divide they so shamelessly exploited, said Martin Regg Cohn. “Now, Torontonians need not just unity but sanity and probity. Tory can deliver on all three.” This is not Spectator Tribune’s endorsement. It’s merely colour to a mayarolty that has had international buzz since Rob Ford smoked crack and admitted as such. [Source: Toronto Star]
Ottawa shooter released video illustrating his motive
The shooter who stormed Canada’s parliament after killing a solider standing guard at Ottawa’s war memorial made a video illustrating his motives, according to police. The video has not yet been released to media or the public, as police continue to analyze and investigate it for clues as to what prompted Michael Zehaf-Bibeau to carry out the attacks and what possible ties he may have to a broader network of extremists. Police have evidence suggesting the attacks that also led to his own death were politically and ideologically motivated, according to a statement made Sunday evening. And recent reports indicate the gunman had large amounts of saved-up money at his disposal from his time working in Alberta’s oil sands. [Source: BBC]
(Dis)Honourable mention: The word ‘adorkable’ meaning “socially inept or unfashionable in a charming or endearing way” will be added to the Harper-Collins English Dictionary. What do you think about that? We have thoughts. [Source: Death and Taxes]
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