Someone Wanted To Sue Me Over A Song

In December, the Canadian Centre For Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR) threatened to sue me for defamation. The CCBR is a Calgary-based anti-abortion group, and they're responsible for the "Fetusmobile", a truck that drives around Calgary with giant pictures of aborted fetuses on them. The photos are pretty grisly.

Earlier in the month, I had written and recorded a song called "Choice", which makes fun of the trucks.

Listen to "Choice" on SoundCloud

 I could not believe my luck

When they asked me to drive the truck

I could not refuse

How could I ever choose?

I'm sure to split the road in half

With my blown-up photographs

I'll release all your endorphins

With great big pictures of abortions

CHORUS:

I drive the truck with the great big fetus

So when Jesus comes to meet us

He'll say "Good for you - You all chose not to choose"

I drive the truck with the great big fetus 

So when Jesus comes to greet us

He'll say, with his voice, "You folks chose the right choice"

Driving down my local haunt

The street with all the restaurants

They hate me a bunch

Because I drive by during lunch

Those graphic pictures may have shocked her

But (flippity flappity floop) her doctor

You've got questions, we've got answers

Have the kid, or get breast cancer

(CHORUS)

Great big pictures of abortions

With a coin there for proportion

Great big pictures of abortions

With a coin there for proportion

(CHORUS)

Their lawyer, John V. Carpay, sent me an e-mail stating that the following lines amounted to defamation:

Those graphic pictures may have shocked her 
But wait until we shoot her doctor

The angle was that, by saying this in a song, I'm accusing them of murdering, or wanting to murder, abortionists. Of course, I don't actually believe that the CCBR has done this or intends to. I was being hyperbolic and silly (like they are).

He ordered me to take down the song by the following Monday, and I did. I suggested changing the line to "But at least we're not gonna shoot her doctor", but Carpay said that this would imply that killing doctors is still "on the table" (his words). The current version of the song replaces the line with a synthesized George W. Bush voice saying "flippity flappity floop".

I find it amusing that an organization (and lawyer) so concerned with free speech would try to censor me, or anybody else. Especially an organization that constantly accuses abortionists of being murderers, using misinterpreted facts.

The song is satire. I am joking. I'm not even really giving a real opinion on abortion, because I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to have one. I'm just making fun of the trucks.

Get a sense of humour, Carpay. You're a magnificent douche, and my only intention is to openly mock you and the organization you represent.

And to make a music video for the song (more on that later).

----

The Canadian Centre For Bio-Ethical Reform (GRAPHIC PICTURES MAY SHOCK YOU, BUT WAIT UNTIL MMMMPPPPPHHHH):
http://www.unmaskingchoice.ca/

Calgary Pro-Choice Coalition:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Calgary-Pro-Choice-Coalition/123058731076259

John V. Carpay, Barrister and Solicitor:
http://thegauntlet.ca/author/John%20V.%20Carpay
www.johncarpay.ca

Back!

   Wow... it has been a while since I've updated. I have no real excuse, so I'll just start talking about things.

   I've been 18 years old for 10 days, and it doesn't feel much different, seeing as I didn't actually become responsible for anything more than I already was. I can go into bars, but I don't drink, and I still only have my learner's permit. So it's pretty much the same, except that I can go into more venues now to see shows.
   But it's been great to see some bar shows in the past week-and-a-half. I went to the WayneStock mini-festival at the Palomino, where I saw Pine Tarts, Fist City, and... others! I also saw Thee Oh Sees play with Fist City at the Republik, which was great.

   As for the Incredible Radiation Poisoning Man, I have made astonishingly little progress since June. Part of it was that I was employed full-time for all of July and August - that probably got me a little too used to not working on it.
   I did post some pictures of the professionally-printed IRPM comics that I got through Comixpress, but I have since given up on that service to rely on printed copies. I just make black-and-whites on the copy machines at Staples, and they're really cheap. 14 cents per sheet of 11"x17" of paper, which works out to less than a dollar per book.
   Issues 1, 2, and the birth control comic are ready-to-print, and I'll be trying to sell them at various places around Calgary. Issue 3 is coming soon - I just have to draw a cover for it - and Issue 4 is in-progress. If I just work a lot over a couple of days, I should be able to finish it. I just have to set aside some time.
   I've given copies of Issues 1 and 2 to the Zine Tree Collective (the Calgary 'zine library), and I've given several copies of "Birth Control" to the Calgary Sexual Health Centre. Go check it out, if you can. (I seriously don't know if you can or not).

   As for music, I'm thinking of releasing some cassette tapes in the near future. For those who don't know, the Calgary music scene is crazy about cassette tapes right now. There's several cottage-industry record labels in town that make cassette tapes of local bands, like Bart Records and Yew Nork. It's really great to see this format making a sort-of comeback, since I've always thought that cassettes were cool (to the incredulity of many of my peers).
   There's a company called Amtech that I think I'll be using to have the tapes made up. I think I'll make one side the IRPM songs, and the other side will be stand-alone stuff. I'll keep all 4 of you who read this posted. 

Zine Tree Collective
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40207918440
Amtech
http://www.duplication.ca/
Bart Records
http://weirdcanada.com/tag/bart-records/
http://www.myspace.com/revolutionwinter
Yew Nork
http://yew-nork.blogspot.com/
Calgary Sexual Health Centre
http://www.calgarysexualhealth.ca/

SAVE COMRAD SOUND!

The Calgary all-ages venue Comrad Sound has been told by the city that they're no longer allowed to put on shows, under the threat of heavy fines. As I write this, I don't know the exact reason.

Comrad Sound is in a small, blue stucco building on 14th Street, just a block and a half away from 17th Avenue (the Red Mile), and right by Boyd's fish market and the former Pegasus Greek restaurant. It's a small building, about the size of a bachelor apartment (I'm bad at judging space, though), and it kicks ass.  I've been to several shows there, to see my friends and acquaintances play. I helped out with their fundraiser BBQ this past weekend, and I've sung their praises on my radio show several times.

And on a more selfish note, I was hoping to play shows there myself, and sell copies of IRPM comix in the display case, alongside the local zines and indie records.

I doubt that there was a complaint... the venue's been running since March, it's pretty soundproof, and who would wait 4 months to file a noise complaint? Did some elderly neighbor just get a cochlear implant over the weekend?

There are signs posted inside and outside the building that specifically ban the use of drugs or alcohol anywhere near Comrad Sound. Not inside, not in the parking lot, not in the alley, and not around any of the neighboring buildings. It's supposed to be a safe place for kids.

Calgary NEEDS all-ages venues. Do you know how many rock shows are in bars? The Misfits have played The Whiskey twice in the past year. I'm not a Misfits fan myself, but you have to realize how many Misfits fans must be underage kids. They could probably fill MacEwan Hall!

The New Black Centre, in Inglewood, is another all-ages venue. Last year, they were also told by the city that they couldn't have shows anymore. http://www.thenewblackcentre.com/

Comrad Sound is in Ward 8, whose alderman is currently John Mar. But in the upcoming municipal election, local concert promoter and Sled Island Festival founder Zak Pashak will be running for the position. I hope he wins.

Comrad Sound has cancelled all of its upcoming shows, except for tonight's show, which has been moved to a house on 6th Street. It had a few shows booked for the Sled Island Festival in July, and I don't know what's going to happen to those.

www.comrad.ca
Ward 8 Alderman: john.mar(at)calgary.ca
City of Calgary phone hotline: 3-1-1
Facebook: Comrad Sound

For real! Printed! Glossy paper! Shiny!

The first (and only) for-real printed copy of IRPM #1 has arrived from ComiXpress!

Time for me to start busting my ass!

If I Was Your Husband, Would You Marry Me?

IRPM - Issue 2 - #12

VANOC Cannot Stop Me From Saying These Things About the 2010 Olympics

After reading some of Cory Doctorow's posts on BoingBoing, I am surprised at how the Olympic officials for Vancouver 2010 were so committed to silencing any dissent of the Games, including censoring anti-Olympics sentiments of civilians.
http://boingboing.net/2008/09/29/olympics-reach-a-new.html
http://m.boingboing.net/2007/03/03/vancouver-olympics-w.html

http://m.boingboing.net/2010/01/08/homeless-people-relo.html
http://m.boingboing.net/2009/07/08/vancouver-olympics-t.html
http://boingboing.net/2010/02/20/olympic-bullying-dri.html
http://boingboing.net/2009/11/27/canadian-border-guar-1.html

But guess what, VANOC? I'm about to insult the Olympics! Whoo!

(stuff will be added to this throughout the day. I'm in a hurry.)

My Proclamations on the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (but not the Paralympics)

• "Own the Podium" was dumb and pointless.
• It was absurdly petty and idiotic to detain Amy Goodman at the border and then give her only 24 hours entry.
• The musical arrangement of "O Canada" used at the opening ceremony was crappy would have been completely unrecognizable without the lyrics.
• It was not surprising at all that there was a lack of snow, considering that Vancouver is known for rarely getting any major snowfall.
• Trademarking use of the words "winter", "Vancouver", and "2010" is the most idiotic thing I've ever heard of.
• You weren't fooling anyone by "mistaking" that mural for graffiti. http://boingboing.net/2009/12/11/anti-olympic-mural-c.html
• It was fun to watch the Olympic TV anchors desperately having to avoid acknowledging the drunk people on the street who would yell and swear on live TV. You are a bunch of humourless jackasses.