Canuckflack

• Is George Foreman a design genius? Otherwise, he’s just a thief. Remember the Meat Toaster! (Armagideon Time)
• Los Angeles is awash with illegal billboards - and not small ones. (LA Weekly)
• You know what would make a cool business card? Something that looked like the card from an old-school library card catalog.
• How “historical sociologists” work, by Charles Tilly via MR.

The political economy of taco trucks, as explained by Jonathan Gold: personal skill, quality products not overburdened by design or packaging, effective location scouting, and feature-rich marketing.

“…I love mini-malls. I love swap meets. I love tamale carts. I love itinerant fruit vendors. I love old Guatemalan women with hampers full of corn on the cob and squirt-bottle mayonnaise. I love the pickups that roam the Eastside, with loads of mangoes or bushels of fresh green chickpeas.I love the guys who lop off the tops of coconuts with rusted machetes.

I love entry-level capitalism at its most chaotic, where the barriers to doing business are on the wispy side of minimal, where a family with a dream and a catering license can support itself selling delicious barbecued cabeza from a truck window, where two dozen oddball eating places can be launched for less money than it would take to open a single outlet of Burger King.

There are plenty of cities in America where freedom is best expressed as the right to choose between Wendy’s, McDonald’s and Carl’s Jr., but Los Angeles is not one of those places. I think that’s why I live here…” (LA Weekly)

Technorati Tags: Taquero, taco truck, Mexican food, fast food, community development, economic growth

As my son said to me: “well, you could play tag there.”

Today, millions of Italians are encouraging their government to perform a little act of self-love. It’s V2 day.

You have to understand, Italian politics is a giant mess. Governed by a parliament split into countless regional, ideological and personal political parties, Italy has been subjected to minority government after minority government.

Not that the ruling politicians have changed. If you bother to look up past presidents and prime ministers, you’ll see the same names popping up again and again - powerful politicians, financiers and oligarchs. Some have been cleared of conspiracy and corruption charges, others had the evidence disappear or claimed immunity as sitting legislators.

At the moment, Silvio Berlusconi is getting ready to become prime minister - for the THIRD time. There are some that argue, with some merit, that Berlusconi’s personal chokehold on print and television media in Italy plays a significant part in his abilities as a political phoenix.

Italians, understandably, are getting a little tired of their predicament. In fact, two million Italians hit the streets on September 8, 2007 to protest corruption and incompetence on the part of their government.

It was all part of a campaign of insubordination and protest organized around the “v sign” - the upturned fingers that really get the message across that an Italian would like you to vaffancuolo - perform intercourse on yourself.

Leading the charge is Beppe Grillo, a comedian, satirist and, now, political activist. Imagine Robin Williams, but with a lot more impact on the electorate. His foul but catchy anthem,

The New Yorker ran a lengthy interview with Beppe in February, which offered up an insightful examination of the political, economic and social currents that have prompted this sort of popular reaction.

Beppe has followed up on last September’s activity with V2 Day, being celebrated today, on April 25 (threw that in for you late readers on the feeds). From his blog:

…On 25 April we are liberated from nazi-fascism. 63 years later we can liberate ourselves from the fascism of information. It’s more difficult than it was then. It’s no longer rifle against rifle, hand grenade against armoured tank. The battle is between consciences that have gone to sleep and the freedom of thought, between those who no longer want to fly and those who cannot renounce the sky.

On 25 April we can change the country. We have the duty to do it for our children and for our conscience. The liberty of information cannot offer discounts. Three referenda for freedom of information in a free state: abolition of Mussolini’s Order of Journalists, elimination of a billion euro a year public financing of publishing, abolition of the Gasparri law and the duopoly Parties-Mediaset (shortly to be Mediaset-Mediaset).

In 400 Italian cities signatures will be collected. In tens of foreign cities there will be information about the control of the media in Italy. Music, bicycles, festivals and signs of peace. A new Renaissance. After so much shit, for Italy it is a duty…

Check out the flickr pool. Check out the PSAs, protest videos and citizen journalism reports on YouTube.

image courtesy of Stop.Media.Mafia

Technorati Tags: V2 day, Italia, Italy, Beppe Grillo, corruption, government, protest

Unfortunately, Danny Noonan did not win the Caddy Scholarship, but a Calgary man is in trouble after he tried to use a newfangled tool to get rid of some pesky gophers on his property.

“…the Rodenator — which pumps propane and oxygen into a rodent hole and then ignites the mixture to create an underground shock wave or concussion that instantly kills gophers and collapses the tunnel system …” (Edmonton Journal)

Unfortunately, Calgary is under a fire ban after a particularly dry patch. The result?

“… The fire spread more than a kilometre through Springbank Heights and a neighbouring community and threatened a number of homes, although none were damaged. But a number of sheds, barns, vehicles and trailers that were in the path of the fire were lost …” (Calgary Sun)

That image is actually from the very funny Tiger Woods American Express commercial, but original clips from Caddyshack are also available.

Technorati Tags: Rodenator, gophers, Danny Noonan, Bill Murray, Caddyshack, Bushwood, Calgary fire

Well, I’ve finished work on it. A handy little guide for exploring the world of social media and building support for social media in a large organization.

I think the advice in this 23 page guide to secretly implementing social media in organizations could be equally useful for any government employee looking to try out new technologies - I’m pretty certain on that point, since I’m a government employee in real life.

You can find the guide at this link, and please feel free to share it with your friends, colleagues and bosses.

Here’s an excerpt, from the introduction:

How do you do it? How do you bring a spirit of innovation and experimentation to the communications shop of a large organization?

I’ve worked in a large organization – the government – for the last ten years. You can find bright, creative and resourceful people around every corner, in every department.

During the course of their careers, many of these people have thought of a move that could improve their work or their environment.

From experience, we all know that small changes in process or presentation are easily won. After all, it’s just another line on an approval sheet, or a tweak on the website.

Large organizations can also be convinced to launch a large-scale overhaul of their systems – whether it’s a supply chain, assembly process or online order system.

But it’s a real pain to get them to rethink their relationship with humans outside the security fence. After all, our customer service reps seem to be doing a good job, right? That sales force really does have a handle on the needs of the community, doesn’t it?

In speaking to hundreds of workers and managers for large organizations (government and private sector), I’ve been asked the same questions, over and over:

• How do you convince your boss to even experiment with social media?
• Doesn’t it mean a lot of extra work?
• Isn’t this sort of stuff blocked by our organizational policies?

This Secret Underground Guide to Social Media for Organizations is meant to help you answer some of those questions.

Technorati Tags: guide to social media, instruction, dummies guide, introduction, organizations, government

I’ve come to a conclusion: a third place cannot really be created. In fact, every “home away from home” I’ve visited has some dirt in the corners, cracks in the parquet, suds in the bucket …

One thing it does not have is wi-fi.

If you set out to make a “third place,” to create an environment, you (and your interior designer) will end up with a representation of your ideal third place. Or the sort of environment you imagine your prototype user personas would consider a third place. The visual cues are there:

• not only are the magazines from the current month, their spines haven’t been broken
• scented candles are evident and emitting
• wind chimes inside the building
• chalk signs with amusing sayings in even script
• no sign at all of fresh bait

A true third place really becomes part of your life, and actively engages with your life. It’s not the sort of place that helps you write a book - it’s the sort of place that becomes a book.

In the case of a riverside pub and store in Garrison, New York, the book was called “Little Chapel on the River.”

That would be Guinan’s Pub. It certainly appears to be just such a third place, despite its well-worn looks. The flickr pool shows how small, cozy and Hudsony it is.

And a recent profile in the New York Times described the environment for us:

“…Nostalgia can be cheap. We’re not all soulless now, and we weren’t all noble then. The barista at Starbucks might have a heart of gold and the old-timer running the local bar might be a jerk. But in ways that are far more true than not, Guinan’s came to stand for cherished values — family ties, friendship, community, authenticity, localism — seen as being in steady decline. That’s why everyone and his dog who ever had a beer there, ever made it across the river from West Point, ever sat in the morning with a cup of coffee and a boiled egg enjoying the Hudson, every member of the Guinan’s universe who could make it, was there to say goodbye.

…“I’m not sure exactly how, but we became a comfort zone for people,” he said, “a place that reminds people of a place they went to when they were young, something that makes them think good thoughts. People need a place like this, but the reward you get for the kindness you provide is worth much more than whatever you give out. It blows me away to be a part of it.” (NY Times)

Why a profile? Because, after fifty years, the Guinan family is moving out and closing up shop.

We’re seeing a stream of similar stories in 2008 as local bookstores and record shops close up, driven out of neighbourhoods by gentrification and rising rents, and driven out of business by far greater choice available online.

Which makes me wonder - if someone was to remake St. Elmo’s Fire, where would it be set?

Technorati Tags: third place, neighborhood bar, tavern, community, small town

Say no to strangers people, and remember that the policeman is your friend. A voyage back to 1965 provides a glimpse into the idealized life of a boy and girl in middle school - and how they navigate the multiple threats of dark back alleys, policemen that burst out of Spanish-themed bars at mid-day (7:24 in), old men in tweed proffering free puppies, and suburban moms in station wagons volunteering a free ride to the school.

Because I’m chronic that way, I noticed that the young boy had been dressed in a Fred Perry tennis shirt. Feel free to mock (me, not them. I used to drive 350 km to buy those shirts).

Remarkably absent? Any form of electronic device at all. No television, no radio, certainly no computer, PSP or wireless device. All those kids had was a playground and each other. Pathetic!

Let me introduce you to the Sex Patels, a punk/alt band from the Leeds and Bradford area. (MySpace) They play a mix of 80s punk with a distinctively bhangra influence (yes, a sitar and drums are involved). You should really listen to their rendition of “once in a lifetime” - the old Talking Heads classic. I think the heavy regional accent really adds something.

How did I get here?* The Sex Patels were a last minute mention in the Guardian’s Northerner newsletter. You see, they’re playing a gig at the Trades Club at Hebden Bridge later this week.

Looking through the venue’s list of upcoming acts, it struck me that, for all our talk of online communities and interwoven social networks, we overlook the influence and value of local artists and entertainment.

A comment on the Sex Patels’ MySpace page is telling:

“…Top gig on Saturday. The highlight for me was Bry’s foot on the monitor and shouting ‘Hello Howarth Community Centre’. It was genius…

Granted, their MySpace page has had less than 15,000 hits, but the buzz seems to be building. 3,000 miles away, I can’t quite make out the band’s connection to Chumbawumba - except to note that Chumba is playing the Trades Club TWICE in March.

*aaaahhhhh - see that? I threw in a reference to “once in a lifetime“! Clever little Colin!

Technorati Tags: Northern England, Chumbawumba, Sex Patel, union hall, local music

Just like Jackie and Ben tell us, just like Jake emphasizes and Connie practices, a business has to know its community and its market to succeed. Here are a few examples:

On the east end of Long Island, there’s a 1,000 watt radio station that’s extremely local:

“…Mr. Tria’s morning show, “The Dawn Patrol,” delivers a style of local radio that is nearly extinct on Long Island: a neighbor’s lost dog, a birth or death in the community, and news from the schools, the police and Town Hall. It is a slow-drip blend of slow-paced life that seems meant to waft into kitchens and mingle with the smell of bacon. (NYT)

A Ford dealership in a small California town has been bought out, a reaction from hq in Detroit to declining market share and a surplus of dealerships in the region. But not for a lack of trying:

“…All the while, Norwalk and southeast Los Angeles gradually became more Latino — 63% in the most recent Census data. Stutzke says he adapted, becoming among the first car dealers to advertise on Spanish-language television. Families poured into the dealership on Saturdays to watch the making of El Show de Keystone Ford. (USA Today)

Looking for some heartwarming stories of big box chains and international brands failing? Reason magazine tells us that the little guy CAN win - and has an eighty year history of beating the big guy. It’s a good read with a lot of historical context:

“…By understanding local tastes, Newbury Comics, Phoenix Coffee Co., La Flor De Broadway Café, and Kansas City’s Broadway Café demonstrated that localization, customer care, and authenticity are far more effective means of fighting larger rivals than agitating for anti-chain legislation.

Had Broadway Café owner Jon Cates initially looked at historical precedent, rather than petitioning city hall, he perhaps would have understood that David slays Goliath with encouraging frequency in the history of American business.”

Technorati Tags: community, audience, brand, retail, radio promotion

• A Google Maps guide to driving between Santa Claus, Indiana and Christmas, Florida.
• AKQA’s neon hamster wheel (which apparently isn’t sh*t)
• Frank Best’s greeting card for failed cold calls (you want to read this)
• IStudio’s Do Not Want ads.
• McKinney’s SnowGlobe Boy (staffer lived in an inflatable globe in the lobby)
• Dave mentioned the greeting from Twist Image
• Kate has built a comprehensive list of online Christmas cards (here, here, and here)

Merry Christmas to you all!

Technorati Tags: Christmas cards, advertising agency

When I’m sitting on the bus, I sometimes think about my fellow travellers. You may have noticed that. I suspect we’ve all had thoughts like these:

“Passengers filling in answers on their Sudokus, please accept they are just crosswords for the unimaginative and are not in any way more impressive just because they contain numbers.”

“Passengers should note that the bearded man’s rucksack contains the following items only: some sandwiches, a library card, and a picture of a bare ankle, and is no cause for concern.”

“Passengers are reminded, like mosts voice-over artists, I probably look nothing like you imagine, and may turn out to be somewhat of a disappointment.”

That’s the work of Emma Clarke, the voice over artist who used to record the announcements for the London Underground. She was recently fired for comments she made to a London newspaper - and not for her gently mocking spoofs, the Underground says.

“Some of the spoof announcements are very funny, but Emma is a bit silly to go round slagging off her client’s services. London Underground is sorry to have to announce that further contracts for Ms Clarke are experiencing severe delays.” (London Times)

Technorati Tags: London Underground, voice over, satire

Fifty years ago, a bunch of suits stood against basic human rights, democracy and the rule of justice.

This week, in Pakistan, it’s the suits that have stood up against false claims of democratic support, oppression and unwarranted claims to power.

I acknowledge that both situations were much more complex, but the reversal is startling.

That’s a picture of an Portugese street festival held in the Mile End neighbourhood of Montreal in August.

It was snapped by Kate Hutchinson, a Montreal photographer who’s being patient and professional while taking some great pictures at our conference this week.

And we all know how hard it is to take great pictures at an academic and professional conference. Cordura shoulder bags, glossy pamphlets and giant screens full of powerpoint presentations everywhere.

Either that of a facefull of brioche and fruit plate.

On top of that, she’s taking pictures at a conference of privacy advocates.

Understandably, the conference attendees are more interested than most in how their image and personal information is captured.

As for the picture: I absolutely love street-side bar-b-que. Especially Portuguese meat - they know how to spice it and prepare it. Just by looking at the men and how they’re tending to their skewers, you can tell that this bar-b-que did not come with a choice of dipping sauces.

Technorati Tags: Kate Hutchinson, photography, Mile End, Montreal, chorizo, Portugese 

This appears to be a record of some early public history or public opinion research. Browsing through a university library, I picked up Britain by Mass Observation, a small Penguin book that reported on the results of “man on the street interviews,” day surveys and personal diaries compiled by volunteers.

It’s an interesting read: one third about the Munich crisis, some thoughts on wrestling and local fetes, and big chunk on the bloody lambeth walk.

(Here’s a newsreel from the time, chopping up film clips of Nazis marching to have them dance the Lambeth Walk. The National Archives has more on the reel.)

The Mass Observation movement seemed a little too casual and non-too rigorous to qualify as public opinion research or market research - as we consider it today.

“…Young, confused, and vigorous, Mass-Observation sought to understand something that anthropology and sociology still took largely for granted: the everyday life of ordinary people…(New Yorker, nice long article about the “movement.)

Still, this one book is chock-a-block with direct quotes and observations from a variety of classes and generations. Some of the observations are likely more honest and frank than you would expect from a poll today.

For example, here’s a woman of 38, speaking to a pollster about horoscopes:

“I read them every Sunday, many a time it’s been true, but they don’t give you so much bad news. When it was my birthday they said I should get a surprise. I got one. It was a good ‘un, mister. No, I’m not telling you what it was, that’s my business.”

Technorati Tags: mass observation, polling, public opinion research, 1938, Munich crisis

The write/here project was a public art project conceived by Tasmanian artists Justy Phillips and James Newit. Part of the Ten Days on the Island Festival, it asked the residents of Hobart to pass along stories of their life in the capital of Tasmania.

Eye magazine tells us the artists convinced local businesses to donate their billboards for ten days - and to sponsor the new “skins” for their own billboards.

“Phillips and Newitt gathered comments from the public through one-to-one interviews, workshops, and exhibitions, and even opened a ‘story shop’ offering passers-by a dollar for their thoughts. Carefully framed questions – ‘What does Hobart mean to you?’, ‘Do you have any regrets?’, ‘What are your hopes for the future?’ – elicited responses that were honest, potent and moving. From the 1000 responses that they generated, 27 anonymous texts were selected, one for each of the billboard sites. “

That’s one there on the right.

This project is a two fer for me: the two year process of collecting stories and observations appeals to the historian and faux ethnographer in me.

The simple, stark but engaging billboards help the project stand out from their urban surroundings, and make no attempt to infer value, attributes or judgements about the statements they broadcast.

As an added reflection of the community’s reaction to the billboards, many of the images preserved on the project’s website include comments from Hobart residents.

There are pictures of all 27 billboards available on the Write/Here project site.

The newest paper from Steven Levitt and Roland Fryer:

“…Rather than a terrorist organization, the 1920s Klan is best described as a social organization built through a wildly successful pyramid scheme fueled by an army of highly-incentivized sales agents selling hatred, religious intolerance, and fraternity in a time and place where there was tremendous demand.” (NBER abstract)

Hatred and Profits: Getting Under the Hood of the Ku Klux Klan is available from the SSRN or from Fryer’s own Harvard page.

Algonquin College is a local community college with some reputation for an innovative new media program. Which makes the news that college administrators have “suggested” instructors not “friend” students all the stranger.

The note I’ve pasted below is unattributed, so I’m willing to withdraw it if challenged. But if it’s true, what was the motivation? Too many college instructors found wasted at keggers?

Even more damaging - the assertion that students are not “peers.” This from a college that encourages several professional development programs and career advancement courses?

“In order to maintain a professional working relationship at the college, with all students, it has been suggested that Profs not accept Facebook friendship requests from current students. Any current Facebook friendships should be terminated. However, once students have graduated, and become peers, then Facebook friendships can be restored.”

Technorati Tags: Facebook, Algonquin College, student relations

How does an advocacy organization think MySpace stacks up against Facebook? What about making  presence on a social network pay off, in terms of fund raising, awareness building and community support?

Carie Lewis, the internet marketing manager for the Humane Society of the United States, spoke to the Wild Apricot blog about their work with social networks. Here are some excerpts:

I think it’s a little too early to tell, but so far, we’ve seen more success with fundraising on Facebook, and advocacy on MySpace. This is mostly because of the third party applications that are available on Facebook, which make it easier to participate in group fundraising. There’s something really “grassroots-y” about MySpace; it’s a little “edgier” than Facebook. Facebook is built on networks and how you’re connected to others into those networks, whether it be location, school, or workplace. It’s very clean and structured. MySpace is more of a free-for-all, and I think people like the fact that they can do whatever they want on their page. So if they want to post banners, videos, or other content, then can do so wherever they like. Our advocacy banners are very popular on MySpace, but people don’t really have any place to put them on Facebook. They can, however, feature us as a nonprofit or one of our causes that they support on their Facebook profile. We’ve also been involved on MySpace for a lot longer and therefore have gotten more exposure and opportunity to do outreach. It’s important to remember that every network is different and has a different crowd.” (Wild Apricot)

Another lesson to be learned? Social networks are not a cheap substitute for community work:

“…Outreach is the most time consuming. It was easy to get started; we created an account, filled in all the information, put up some photos, and started a conversation on the discussion board. But we need people to participate and keep the group lively. It’s no good to just talk to ourselves. So it takes the most time to recruit new people. Not just any new people – people who care about animals and animal welfare issues. Then, it takes time to keep the group fresh and interesting, as well as communicate with our group. It’s important to us that we respond to every message personally, as well as participate in discussion board and wall posts. That’s what makes social networking what it is…”

What about measuring success? Here’s a metric from a different interview:

[The Society’s anti-sealing campaign called] Sunny (the seal) had over 2,000 friends and 14,000 profile views in 3 weeks. We had about 500 new signups to our email list from MySpace. That includes the advocacy actions and the web banners. This does not include those who were already in our email system or have participated in advos in the past, so you can imagine the total # that participated is much higher.

Technorati Tags: advocacy, Humane Society, Facebook, community

Toronto to Ottawa. It’s a little hop of a flight. If you’re a big city, big plane kind of person, you fly from Ottawa to Toronto’s Pearson Airport. It’s a hub. It has hustle and bustle. Security guards with golf carts. $60 cab fare to make it from the airport to your meeting. A Cinnabon.

Me? I’m a small plane kind of person. I’ve always liked flying into Toronto City Centre Airport. It’s on an island in Toronto Harbour, only handles turboprop planes, and is only served by one airline. Yesterday, our 80 seat Bombardier regional plane had to wait to take off - behind a floatplane and a two seat Piper.

Up until a few years ago, City Centre (or just Island) Airport had a distinctively seedy feel. Under served by Air Canada, the terminal was a refit of a World War II era building. You got the feeling that the check-in staff were waiting out some sort of disciplinary action or probationary period - they had to graduate to a bigger airport. The waiting lounge had some untended plants, and when you went out to the airplane, you walked across the tarmac, even in winter.

To get to the airport, you had to cross a shipping canal by ferry - a dump of a ferry. Passengers walked onto the ferry, and stood out in the wind for the 5 minute crossing. I swear to god, one time it was me and a ride-on lawnmower making the crossing.

Once you made it to the “mainland” you were faced with not much of anything. In the 80s and 90s, the mouth end of the Harbour was dominated by industrial relics like the Canada Malting Silos and barely maintained old manufacturing buildings. The signs of gentrification and urban infill had begun, but there were giant voids in the urban skyline between high rise and condo development. The train yards dominated the landscape between the Harbour and downtown.

I used to enjoy walking from City Centre to downtown.

Well, Porter Airlines has changed all that. New terminal. New Uniforms. Happy and smily staff. A transit lounge with free Italian coffee machine and wifi.

The silos are still there - but make less impact thanks to a new air conditioned shuttle bus, a new two story ferry and a new ferry terminal (the terminal is nearly as long as the canal).

The walk out to the airplane? Covered and carpeted. Which somehow offends my Canadian sensibilities. After all, there’s a small community of post-war houses wedged onto one of these islands - people who managed to get out of their houses and commute to work by ferry every day without the help of covered walkways.

For years, Air Canada let City Centre survive on as little attention as possible, all the while running a schedule of regional flights to Ottawa and elsewhere. It was almost like arriving in Toronto by hitch-hiking: you were aware that others had arrived in far classier vehicles, and you were dumped off sort of near where you wanted to go.

And I liked it that way.

I may just have to go back to taking VIA Rail to get the same experience.

Technorati Tags: Toronto City Centre Airport, Toronto Island Airport, Porter Air

When the I-35 bridge collapsed last week, the local alternative newspaper City Pages had already printed its weekly edition. The editors, journalists and photographers turned to their existing blog to report on the disaster.

AAN.ORG interviewed Editor in Chief Kevin Hoffman. Here are some excerpts:

What advantages did the blog medium offer your staffers in developing this story?

“Alternative weeklies have historically been at a disadvantage in covering breaking news, because of the delayed publication schedule. But with the Internet, that’s changing. The blog allowed us to file stories in real time, as it was happening …

How have you publicized this blog to the community?

We haven’t really had to publicize it. We have a very web savvy audience, and a fairly high Google ranking, so it was more a matter of providing fresh content throughout the day for people to read. Links from other blogs sent traffic to us, and readers even began digging through our archives, finding new relevance in old stories about our transportation infrastructure.”

I’m loving the new energy awareness campaign from flickoff.ca (and flickoff.org). I saw the first mainstream ad (here) yesterday, and it’s edgy and engaging. Not quite as raw as the first ad, but more informative. In the new ad, a young woman* walks the viewer through the argument for energy reduction, and a few steps anyone can take. Meanwhile, the logo flashes for a brief split second - and it’s easy to misinterpret THAT logo.

The campaign is supported by several companies with strong youth ties, including Roots, Virgin Mobile and MuchMusic. The narrator* of the ad is Hannah Simone, the host of MuchNews and the New Music on Much Music.

In a cross promotion homerun, MuchMusic managed to get one of the Flick Off t-shirts (available from Roots) onto Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) during his recent appearance in Toronto to promote the new Harry Potter movie.

Predictably, the Ontario government’s $500,000 in support for the campaign drew criticism from the opposition parties:

“…It’s bad judgment. It’s offensive, it shouldn’t be done this way. There are lots of ways to educate kids without using language like this.” [said Conservative Party Leader John Tory]

NDP house leader Peter Kormos expressed similar views in a different way.

“That the taxpayer would spend flickin’ money on a campaign that is based on telling people to flick off just blows my flickin’ mind. Nobody has lost their flickin’ sense of humour … but the minister got burned flickin’ big-time.

“Parents are going to be flickin’ embarrassed … (They) have enough to deal with (besides) the Ministry of the Environment in a government that simply doesn’t give a flick about their children’s language.” (Windsor Star)