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Edmonton RCMP bust Julia Child pornography ring

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Over 20,000 images of horrific Julia Child sex acts discovered in raid

By Gary Lim

EDMONTON — Edmonton Mounties made a massive breakthrough yesterday after a yearlong sting operation culminated in the arrest of several distributors within a known Julia Child pornography ring.

Among the arrests, an Edmonton man, Jeffery Daniels, 46, was placed into police custody after an anonymous tip resulted in the confiscation of three 1TB hard drives, each containing thousands of images and video files depicting Julia Child sex acts.

The three seized drives — which stored films including “The Art of Fine French Fucking” and “Le Cordon Blow Me”, as well as hundreds of sexually explicit images depicting the women dressed up as 1970s television chef Julia Child — will serve as evidence when Daniels stands trial in front of the Crown to be held in May. Constable of the Edmonton RCMP Claire Atwal calls the bust a victory for the rights of Julia Child fans everywhere.

“People who find enjoyment in the viewing of Julia Child pornography are often involved in online groups where members exchange pornographic images of the Peabody Award-winning author with one another. Shutting down one of these distribution hubs goes a long way toward ending the suffering of women aged 18–94 whose lifestyle involves dressing up as the award winning cordon bleu chef everyday.”

This bust follows March 14’s gut-wrenching discovery of dozens of Julia Child impersonators and impressionists locked in a barn cellar in Ft. McMurray. The women had reportedly been locked down there for weeks and were forced by their captors to act out all 76 episodes of The French Chef; some were forced to prepare upwards of three duck confit daily.

South Korea decimated by invading Northern forces, imagines Jong Un

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jong un

Jong Un stands tall on crumpled enemy forces; actually a pile of legos

By Gary Lim

PYONGYANG — Several waves of Taepodong-3 missiles launched from silos at the Tonghae satellite launching site annihilated major South Korean military and civilian targets late last Sunday, as imagined by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Gripping a cardboard tube with the words Tapodog[sic]-3 scrawled along the side in blue ballpoint pen, the supreme leader repeatedly blew up the cities of Sejong and Munsan, utterly devastating the enormous metropolises as indicated by Jong-Un’s cries of “Kapow!” and “Kabloosh!”
The missile’s payloads of chemical and biowarfare agents, indicated in lime green marker, proved effective in limiting the southern nation’s response capability. In the meantime, North Korean forces rallied at the border ready for full blown invasion, as Jong mUn emptied out a plastic Ziploc baggie filled with toy soldiers onto his desk.

The two-and-a-half inch tall battalion of over four dozen of the same injection-molded plastic army men quickly overtook the entire nation, seizing key strategic points of the desk lamp, stapler and pencil sharpener.

The unrelenting march of North Korean forces only paused momentarily when, after running around the room three times, the out-of-breath supreme leader of North Korea paused to eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwich left out for him by minister of the People’s Armed Forces, Kim Kyok sik.

The South Korean army appeared to be turning the tide, recapturing the capital city of Seoul and erecting blockades made from lego blocks and Popsicle sticks, hoping to delay their defeat.

That hope was dashed when Jong Un himself made an impressive appearance on the battlefield, represented by an action figure of Optimus Prime from popular children’s television franchise Transformers. Jong Un heroically destroyed the barricades by firing his arm-mounted laser blaster and flying into the fortress head first several times.
Victory for the forces of the supreme leader were nearly assured when stealth jets of the treacherous West, which Jong Un had carefully folded out of heavy paper stock, appeared off the horizon, hoping to catch the courageous North Korean forces off-guard.

But it was the Americans who were caught unaware, neglecting to take into account Jong Un’s invisible forcefield that stops all guns. Their underhanded sneak attack resulting in the crumpling of the entire fleet into a large ball.

In retribution for the attack, the 700 ft tall robotic Kim Jong-Un took hold of both American and South Korean Presidents Barack Obama and Park GeunHye, who were suddenly on the battlefield. Both were made to swear fealty to North Korea, which they hastily agreed to.
The war was over, the mantle of victory squarely on the shoulders of Jong Un, when all of a sudden aliens appeared, intent on stealing North Korea’s bountiful resourc— The intense scene came to an end when a knocking and voice from other side of his bedroom door informed him of his daily military strategy meeting.

A visibly annoyed Jong Un hastily brushed the action figures into a grocery bag and stuffed them under his bed. He then left to meet with top generals and discuss the logistics of the latest long-range missile tests.

Syrian president hopes that the country’s rebelliousness is just a phase

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President assures nation he knows what it’s like to be young; who the man is

By Gary Lim

ALEPPO — In a brief peace between mor tar str ikes on the nation’s largest city, Syrian president Bashir al-Assad made a televised statement last week expressed that he had hoped that the people of Syria would’ve grown out of this phase by this age.

He also expressed remorse for allowing the Syrian people to have fallen into a bad crowd of western European countries, calling it one of his great failures as a president for life. He also said that he knew the civilian population had been experimenting with democracy, and he had found the voting papers, but added that he was not mad at them for it, only disappointed.

Wistfully holding a well-worn photo of the crowds at his inauguration parade in 2000, al-Assad continued, “Look at how we used to be. Why, I remember I’d barely be one foot in and my network of informants and secret police would come rushing to door, to tell me all about what you’d done that day.You know, King Abdullah had a similar problem with the Saudis, it was like they saw the Egyptian protests on TV and suddenly it was cool and hip to demand representation in the government. But eventually they got tired of the political reform act (as well as of the beatings) and things went back to normal. I just want things to go back to normal.”

The Peak’s Syrian sister paper, The Phiek, was able to contract Moaz al-Khatib, president of the National Coalition for Opposition Forces, arranging a meeting at the local bazaar’s food court in front of the Hot Topic.

Clad in heavy eye makeup and talking over a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, alKhativ spoke of the injustices perpetrated by the Syrian government. “Al-assad has no idea what it’s like to be a Syrian citizen. Like, did you know he imposed a curfew under martial law last week? A curfew? It’s like he doesn’t know that nothing even happens in this stupid city until 10:00. Ugh.”

When asked if al-Assads remorseful broadcast had changed opinions within the rebellion. He said, “This is so like him, he’s freakin’ bipolar man. One minute he’s playing up the warm and caring dictator bit, and the next minute he’s flooding the ghettos with sarin gas. I swear, once we get our independence, we are so moving out into our own country. He just doesn’t get it. ”

At press time, when he thought no one was looking, al-Khatib pulled out his wallet to look at the same heavily worn photograph, and smiled fondly.

Sedin twins conjoined

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sedin twins

Canucks hope to offset weak win record using with horrific science

By Gary Lim
Photos by Mark Burnham

VANCOUVER — The world of hockey may never be the same again after last week, during Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Stars, when Henrik and Daniel Sedin made an unannounced return after a suspicious nine-game absence.

The twins, who according to the official statement have been seeking “treatment for chronic back pain resulting from an old hockey injury,” reappeared last Sunday with a clean bill of health to the surprise of fans everywhere. Surprise that soon turned into confusion and then outright terror, as Daniel and Henrik turned out to be anything but Daniel and Henrik, now stepping out onto the ice as Danrik, the league’s first conjoined player.

Following a dominant 5–2 victory against the Stars, team owner Francesco Aquilini and Danrik spoke to the reporters that hadn’t immediately fled Roger’s arena in shrieking abject terror.

“The Canucks have always been a great team, but it’s becoming steadily apparently that greatness isn’t enough. We need to be bold. Plus the fact that it gets us an extra man on the ice without breaking any formal NHL rules doesn’t hurt either,” said Aquilini.

Indeed the 2013 rule book, though thorough enough include a subsection on positions available to a teenwolf (Centre, Right Winger), lacks any by-laws or stipulations differentiating conjoined teammates as separate players. Sources indicate that Dallas team owner Tom Gaglardi is attempting to get the win stricken under section 133.1, regarding the maximum amount of ice time givable to any “abomination, horror, or crime against God” in a regulation game.

When the floor was finally opened for questioning, Danrik’s two heads voiced his feelings on the career transition in perfect unison.
“Danrik believes this to be step forward in his career. Every year, the players get younger and younger and Danrik is just another year closer to his jersey hanging in rafters. Now Danrik has a competitive advantage, is stronger and faster than rookies. Danrik is stronger and faster than everyone. The doctors told Danrik that the involuntary self-reference in third-person should go away with time.”

The numbers don’t lie; by surgically grafting of one Sedin twin to another, The Canucks have created the league’s highest scoring current player, with 1,051 career assists and 466 career points.

Retaking the floor, Aquilini closed by saying, “This is the future of hockey. Although complications were expected, namely because Henrik is center and Daniel plays left wing, we were able to make it work, once and for all proving that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” referring to Danrik’s three assisted goals and two blocked shots on net.

As of press time, there are reports from the Atlantic Division that the New Jersey Devils’ entire defensive line, consisting of Matt Corrente, Mark Fayne, Andy Greene, Mark Harrold, Adam Larsson, Bryce Salvador, Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov and Dainius Zubrus, has been surgically fused into a large chimera creature.

Stuff we HATE

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By Gary Lim and Ljudmila Petrovic

Manitoba

Manitoba is Canada’s worst province. There I said it. If Canada was a family, Manitoba would be the brother they sent away after they found it taking apart cats behind the tool shed.

Honestly, it’s like a shittier version of Saskatchewan, without Corner Gas or wheat. I mean, Prince Edward Island barely counts as a province (you can drive across it in 42 minutes) and manages to knock the socks off of Manitoba. They don’t even speak a proper language in Quebec and they keep trying to secede every other Tuesday. Still better than Manitoba.

While other respectable provinces are exporting soft wood lumber, maple syrup or lobsters, what’s Manitoba’s chief export? Regret?

I hate you so much Manitoba.
— Gary Lim

Automatic Doors
The door comes in two modes: open and closed. So you’d think that motorizing half of it would only make it more user-friendly? Well like the Stephen Hawking that’s a big fat fucking “wrong”. They open out of nowhere and scare the shit out of you, causing you scream out in a crowded coffee shop. Okay, fine, causing me scream out.

You know when you’re in a hurry and would actually benefit from some magical approach sensing doors? That’s when the door decides to open just
slowly enough that you have to come to a stop or slam face first mosquito into-windshield style.

I guess you can always take the initiative to manually open that door, but seriously? It’s an automatic door. It has one job.
— Ljudmila Petrovic

LAST WORD: Solo? Yolo!

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Why travelling on your own is great

By Amanda Mcculley
Illustrated by Eleanor Qu

“Wow, I could never do that,” the cashier at Value Village tells me as I explain that the second hand backpack was going to help me get across the country. Her incredulity reminded me of other warnings and declarations of disbelief from acquaintances.

It was like that awkward party in my hometown where a girl I had played soccer with explained that she had never been out of the province, or the time my co-worker warned me that my friend and I would be assaulted if we tried to hitchhike from Montreal to Kingston for St Patrick’s Day.

I wasn’t always the type to take off across countries by myself; when I was 18, I couldn’t even go to a concert alone. But after one too many nights home alone regretting my cowardice, and a few years of independence and experience, I’ve grown into a woman who has travelled across Canada twice, hitchhiked, and gone through the States on my own.

While my journeys earn me worried phone calls from family members and looks of disbelief from acquaintances, through happenstance I still manage to know people who have gone out of their comfort zones more than me — and have gone it alone.

Human beings are considered social creatures that see doing anything alone as scary and risky. A friend of mine from Newfoundland recently visited me during a political science conference and frankly, her experience of staying in close quarters with a gaggle of underslept, travel-weary girls seems scarier than any solo travel experience I’ve ever had.

Over the holidays, I stayed in Seattle by myself for a few days before flying back to Ontario. I was alone, yes, but I managed to befriend a very cool Aussie girl during a pub crawl — a pub crawl that wound up being just the two of us.

We ventured up to Capitol Hill, where we met a bar owner, played Connect Four at a pub, and wound up making friends with more travellers after a booze run at Target landed us back at the hostel.

I often get frustrated at my friends’ unwillingness to come travel with me, but there are tons of other people out there experiencing the exact same frustration and wanderlust.

Coordinating group travel is hard. You have to compromise, make conversation, and plan pit stops. As I get older, I’ve realized I’m not the type to be social all the time; I would rather fold laundry if my roommate’s boring friend is over, and I feel uncomfortable holding hands on first, second, and tenth dates.

My best travel experiences have happened when I’ve gone it alone; more often than not, I manage to meet other young people and we have a great time. Unlike friends from home, they don’t get upset if I want to stay in bed and nurse a hangover instead of going shopping.

Travelling alone means not worrying about splitting costs, losing track of someone, or being friendly all the time. It means exploring what you want, when you want, and not having to answer to anybody.

As for this idea that travelling alone is physically dangerous? Just don’t be an idiot.

Maybe travelling alone during blizzards or in regions of conflict is a bad idea. Things like maps, phones, and backup plans become your best friend.

Frankly, the only times I have ever actually been at risk of being assaulted in any way was amongst friends, at a bar I go to frequently right here in Vancouver. You are more likely to be assaulted by someone you know someplace that you’re familiar with than abroad.

By avoiding travel, young people (especially women) miss out on amazing experiences that are at the very least fun and at best monumental. It is a shame that individuals are scared or shamed into missing out on what they want to do when the journey can be so fulfilling.

Yes, sometimes due to logistics or personality clashes, travel happens solo. Sometimes that’s the way to go.

Win Canucks tickets from The Peak!

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Sorry, this contest is over!

Peakcast #8

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Another special edition of the Peakcast for queer awareness week. Enjoy!

Reality TV should not be a government public relations project

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Cartoon-March 25 2013-BenBuckley

State-funded border services reality show needs to go back where it came from

By Joseph Leivdal
Illustration By Ben Buckley

In a political climate where the Conservative government has implemented numerous xenophobic (often racist) immigration and refugee policies, including the mandatory detention of “suspicious” asylum seekers for up to one full year with no guarantee for refugee status, we should be highly suspicious of a government-funded reality show featuring the CBSA.

On March 13, dozens of Canadian Border Services Agency officers, accompanied by cameras from Vancouver’s Force Four Entertainment, raided a Vancouver construction site, arresting dozens of migrant workers despite the stated intention of the CBSA to detain one particular man with a lengthy criminal record. Eight remain in custody and are facing hearings and deportation.

The cameras were collecting footage for the television show Border Security: Canada’s Front Line, a production of Force Four Entertainment and National Geographic, and recorded the arrests. More disturbing is the complicity and aid of the government in the show’s production.

A document signed by public safety minister Vic Toews back in May of 2011 recommends that Toews supports filming a pilot and teaming up with Force Four. The line stating how much government funding the show received is, unsurprisingly, whited out.

Furthermore, The Globe and Mail stated that the show “received funding through the Canadian film or video production tax credit, a federal program run through Canadian Heritage, and the BC production services tax credit.”

Given the forces behind the development of this show, it is worth considering the effects it will have on the public’s recognition of the harsh realities faced by migrant workers and refugees. The show consists of the portrayal of CBSA officers on the job, often accompanied by fast-paced music and quick cuts, implying a sense of urgency.

By focusing on the actions of the CBSA, the audience is encouraged to identify with the CBSA agents, who are given air time to justify themselves with embarrassing mistakes edited out. Thus, the show positions itself on the side of an authority that is exercised in highly controversial ways, removing the original context of the controversy.

Furthermore, by following the typical framework of conflict leading to a resolution, the show establishes a narrative framework of protagonist (CBSA agent) versus antagonist (the person of suspicion), who raises a conflict that must be resolved with the use of the law, portrayed as justice. This creates a binary that misrepresents both parties.

In fact, it perpetuates xenophobic tendencies and racism by obscuring the social, political, and economic realities of the people portrayed on the show. It values entertainment over human dignity, and promotes government policies, doing the government’s dirty work for it.

In defence, Toews stated, “It is important to remember that illegal immigrants cost lawabiding Canadian taxpayerstens of millions of dollars per year, and it costs our constituents thousands of jobs”.

Far from costing taxpayers millions of dollars, migrant workers (legal and otherwise) are doing jobs that no one else wants to do, are consistently paid less, and are subjected to abusive employers and a nearly impossible visa application process.

Renata Kobek, an immigration consultant and representative of one of the workers, stated “As a matter of fact, there are Filipino nurses working as food vendors, East Indian engineers driving taxis, and doctors working as janitors.”

The activist group No One is Illegal held an emergency rally shortly after the raids, protesting this gross violation of rights and privacy. A petition has also been circulation through social media channels from the “Change” organization, calling for a cancellation of the show, and for the CBSA to cease their involvement and to end violent deportations. The petition has gathered nearly 20,000 signatures at the time of writing.

Stephen Collis, professor of english at SFU, sums it up well: “It’s hard to see this as anything other than ideology. This show presumes guilt, demonizes immigrants, and encourages xenophobia and racism. I hope all Canadians can see through this, and condemn the Conservatives actions here.” So do I.

G.I. Joes and oh hell nos

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By Gloria Mellesmoen

KBG sorority’s latest event smacks of the sexism they purport to oppose

They say all publicity is good publicity, but I have to question what the women in charge of SFU’s sorority Kappa Beta Gamma were thinking when they decided to throw an event called G.I. Joes and Army Hoes. The pub night definitely has a memorable name, but it seems like they sacrificed their dignity for a theme with a simple rhyme scheme.
First and foremost, I take issue with the choice to call women “hoes.” I do not care if rhyming is cute, applying a degrading colloquial term to women is problematic. Kappa Beta Gamma’s mission statement includes that they “are an organization dedicated to improving its members morally, socially, and intellectually.” An event with a misogynistic title is a rank failure to “improve” a female-exclusive membership.

If the women of Kappa Beta Gamma do not take themselves seriously, why should anyone else? I can say with the utmost confidence that I will never join a group that would call its membership and supporters “hoes.” A sorority should not be sanctioning the use of a word that demeans women, much less posting it about campus and associating it with SFU.
Moving beyond the poorly chosen title, the theme is also fraught with indiscretion. Their mission statement also expresses that they are “committed to bettering not only themselves but also their community,” but I cannot fathom how an event advocating drinking and an army theme does anything beside promote ignorance.

My impression was that sororities focused on philanthropy, not making a party out of serious global issues. The fact that many countries around the world are in turmoil is not something to drink to. War should not be glorified or sexualized. I highly doubt anyone who has had to fight for their country would appreciate their work being represented as a sexy costume by a bunch of drunk university students.

I have to wonder if the women of Kappa Beta Gamma were the type to skip the annual mandatory Remembrance Day assemblies in their K–12 years.

With its title in mind, Kappa Beta Gamma’s event has offensive implications for women in the military. The army has historically been seen as a place where women do not belong, so those who pursue a career in it have a hard time earning the respect they deserve.

CNN posted an article about sexual assault in the military the day before the G.I. Joes and Army Hoes event that included ex-soldier BriGette McCoy’s testimonial of how she was raped twice in one year of service. BriGette McCoy is not a hoe.

This derogatory term is often used with connotations of promiscuity which are often linked to fallacious judgments involving “asking for it” when it comes to sexual assault. Though I am sure Kappa Beta Gamma’s event organizers meant well, it is wrong to insinuate that any woman, particularly one in a profession where rape is prevalent, is a “hoe.”