Off The Grid Productions

01/22/2025

Joe Newberry & April Verch at Rankin on Feb. 28. See story in this week's Eganville Leader. Tickets for these Masters of Tradition are available at www.offthegridproductions.ca.

01/22/2025

NEWBERRY & VERCH featured in the Jan. 23rd Pembroke Observer. We're excited about our first 2025 concert on Fri. Feb. 28 in Rankin. Tickets and details at www.offthegridproductions.ca or phone Lynne at 613-628-5897.

01/20/2025

Not looking. Not posting. See you in a week, then will decide.

The musician Michael Stipe, who made his name as the frontman of REM, has urged fans to partake in a boycott of Instagram, Facebook and all other Meta platforms. He claims that the policies enacted by the platforms have prompted a rise in far right sentiments in America and across the globe.

In a post on Instagram, Stipe commented, “I’ll be logged off for the week. Please consider doing the same so corporations like Meta can imagine there might be consequences for helping advance the far right in America and world wide.”

He then added, ”Are we too addicted we can’t log off even for one week?” While rhetorical, statistics suggest that many people are, indeed, too addicted to join him. A study by California State University suggested that around 10% of Americans are addicted to social media.

In Stipe’s view, this has led to a very problematic situation. He signed off his message by concluding, “It’s so gross. I’m really happy to step away for a week as some form of protest—and then I’ll come back and decide what to do from there.”

He has vowed to log out of all the platforms owned by Meta, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Recent studies have shown that more than 77% of Internet users, which correlates to roughly 3.59 billion people worldwide, are active on at least one Meta platform.
Earlier this month, it was announced by Meta that they would be scrapping their independent fact checker operation in favour of a community notes model. Mark Zuckerberg said that the move would take Meta ”back to our roots around free expression”.

However, experts have also argued that this will make fake news harder to discern and expose users to more extreme political messaging. This type of content was blamed for being behind what Keir Stramer later branded as ”far right riots” in the UK last summer.

Presently, any potential mass boycott remains muted, with Stipe among the first public figures to raise the point.

01/18/2025

ENCORE 2024! - TERRA SPENCER

01/17/2025

This one's a no brainer. Where should we levy the first tariff retaliation?
200% TARIFF ON ALL TESLA PRODUCTS
Contact Finance Minister [email protected]
Tell him that Charlie sent you.

01/16/2025

01/13/2025

Join us on Monday, January 20th for Tom Adamchick's presentation about the American Chestnut Tree. Details on poster - hope to see you there.

01/11/2025

Ottawa Valley Food Coop has one more day to shop this month. Go to https://ottawavalleyfood.localfoodmarketplace.com/ to order.

01/10/2025

Four more days to order Local Food and Products this month! - https://mailchi.mp/2f478705853a/httpswwwfacebookcomottawavalleyfoodcoop-5400871

01/08/2025

01/07/2025

Mr. Trudeau’s decision to resign comes as Donald Trump is making an unprecedented level of threat against our country. This is when our nation needs to show that we can stand up to the American bully. Unfortunately, Liberal infighting is making this very difficult. The decision by his Finance Minister to blow the party up on the day of a budget, followed by the open revolt of his caucus, has put him in a political dead end.

There are so many issues facing our country, and we need to be reassuring Canadians that Ottawa has their back. However, what they see is a dysfunctional parliament where Mr. Poilievre blocks every effort to find solutions while Mr. Trudeau becomes increasingly disconnected from the realities of Canadians. This is a defining moment in our political history.

I thank Mr. Trudeau for his service to our country, but he has done the right thing in stepping down.

01/07/2025

My Algonquin Heart~ Happy New Year 2025!
My fav 2024 Algonquin pics!

01/07/2025

Just perusing through some of Mary Frances’ Australian photos and found this doozy… in 22 years, I’ve not seen this much lift in my husband’s step! Seems the Australian air hit the right spot! Go daddy go!

01/07/2025

Performance art theatre

01/07/2025

Terra Spencer will be visiting here in Eganville on April. Congratulations to both artists
www.offthegridproductions.ca

01/07/2025

So I'm standing in the grocery store parking lot and it's freaking cold.
A very classy old woman sees me and walks the entire distance across the lot.
"You give that man s**t," she says.
Then walks away.
That's Canada.
The criminal might buy off p**n stars.
He will never force Canada to bend.

01/07/2025

April Verch and Joe Newberry are coming to Rankin. Get your tickets at www.offthegridproductions.ca