There has always been fierce competition for control of the public agenda. Governments, unions, NGOs and companies all want your attention so that they can sell you something – an idea, a thing, whatever.

But the problem, of course, is that it has become a lot harder to do that. Folks have become savvier consumers of information; they are a lot more skeptical about what they see and hear. Along with that, Joe and Jane Frontporch are bombarded with hundreds of thousands of words and images every single day – what American writer David Shenk calls “data smog” – so they just tune it all out. It becomes noise, to them.

So, if you have a message to communicate, how do you overcome all of that? How do you break through the noise?

Ask the Yes Men.

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Mr. Harper on “valuable tools.”

Sent in by a vigilant reader, Ben S.:

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Warren prepares to reveal his iPad prototype on-air –
from a secret location, so Brad and Tim can’t steal it.

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Okay, okay, it’s pretty cool. I want it.

But do Jobs’ executives have to exude that shiny-eyed, Moonie-like fanaticism all the time? And do any of them ever wear a jacket and tie to work?

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Speaking only for myself, I think what France is proposing is discriminatory and, if passed into law, a disgrace.

Which is why I am happy to be Canadian – and proud that Liberals, Conservatives and many other Canadians agree: we may not like it, but we won’t go that far.

Kudos to all – all – concerened.

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• New Media, No Money? I spoke to a Globe reporter about this issue yesterday – and said that, while the New Media (aggregators, Facebookians, Twitterers, blogistes) are clearly a threat to the Old Media, can they actually capitalize on it? Can they make a buck doing what they do? Personally – and I speak from personal experience – I don’t really think so. Google AdSense revenue won’t keep the New Media lights on, much less pay for someone to hire a reporter or two. Until someone figures out how to do it differently, the likes of Huffington and the Daily Kos will remain the exception, not the rule.
• The Rogue Proroger: If nothing else, it is my fervent hope that the Reform-Conservatives’ prorogation-induced (and rapid) 15-point-drop in popularity will banish, forever, the punditocracy’s claim that Harper is a Master Strategist. He’s not. He never will be. Unrelated point: the two issues that have most inflamed voters in the past couple years – and which have been preceded by an online populist uprising – both relate to democracy: the coalition stuff, and now the prorogation stuff. As I told a fellow at our Haiti fundraiser on Saturday night, I don’t understand how (on the one hand) voter participation rates continue to slump, while (on the other hand) “pure democracy” issues like coalition and prorogation spur massive interest/anger/emotion. Anyone got a theory?
• The Dangerous Streets: Fourteen people killed on Toronto streets in a month – and the tragic deaths have not been caused by guns or knives. Why is this happening? Listening to media “streeters” over the past few days, you’ll note that pedestrians are tending to blame drivers, and drivers are tending to blame pedestrians. Being both, I’d venture a guess that both are, to some extent, to blame. Both, therefore, need to (a) be more watchful and (b) obey the law. Sounds axiomatic, but – in Toronto this year, at least – maybe not.
• Women and Pay Equity: Overlooked and important. Women continue to deserve much, much better in the workplace. Politicians, of all stripes, will have their rhetoric measured against their deeds, in this regard. And they should be – there’s no standing pat on this one.

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So here’s SFH tonight at the Bovine, taken by Dan G-Man. I sucked, but the rest of the guys were pretty awesome.

Ritalin Boy, Winkie, Davey Snot, Rayman.

So, afterwards, Cam Carpenter tells me Tommy Stinson – currently of Guns’n’Roses, but formerly of the band that saved my life, the Replacements – was there. And liked us.

Sure, Cam.

And, you know what? It was true. Tommy Friggin’ Stinson was there. And, before he helped me sell SFH T-shirts for Haiti on the Queen West sidewalk, we posed for this shot, taken by his gal.

I can die, now. Tommy Stinson. Holy God.

Me and Tommy Stinson, aglow.

UPDATE: And nearly $1,000 was raised for Red Cross Haiti relief!

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…his in Ottawa on Monday, mine is tonight at the Bovine with SFH. Attend and donate!

Kinsella and Powers: a posse of pro-rogues.

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Great, great LPC event in TeeDot last night. And we need a high-quality version of this one now! It’s a hit!

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“Richard Warman is pleased to announce that he will be discontinuing his libel actions against the National Post and their employees Jonathan Kay and Kelly McParland. Mr. Warman notes that the allegations in question were retracted by the National Post and that subsequent negotiations have led to a satisfactory settlement agreement.”

A satisfactory settlement agreement: whatever will that mean for Ezra and his friends?

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