I actually have comments working now. I made a small error when trying to turn them back on.
Trackbacks are working now too! …

I was on campus last night.
I made the mistake of engaging in friendly conversation with a fellow student. Luckily it was in the Phoenix and he was a graduate student. I did not realize until I was well engaged in the conversation that I could potentially be breaking the behavioural contract. I told him that I was sorry but I needed to end the conversation. Luckily for me, he was a graduate student so I was in the clear. The sum of the conversation was that the Phoenix needs to get a pinball machine.
It is really hard for me as a person to change from being friendly and approachable to what I have to be.
I know I have to do this because if I am caught by the MSU talking to a full-time undergraduate student the MSU will to go to the University to demand more charges. If I do not have something in writing to prove that I was granted permission to speak to this person, the MSU will gain another victory under the “judicial system” of McMaster University.
So I have no choice really, if I want to graduate, I have to not be me. …

“Politicians and diapers need to be changed often for the same reason” …

I turned back on comments today.
I am still getting plenty of comment spam so I have tightened up the publishing that only a few commenters can publish automatically.
Most comments will set for approval.
WARNING:
If you comment about the McMaster Students Union, be prepared for MSU Inc., to file complaints under the McMaster Student Code of Conduct. This is merely an intimation tactic to try to stop students from making the Students Union accountable to students. Your defence is simple, you commented off-campus on an off-campus site which is not visible on-campus at McMaster University. …

As my readers are all aware, I am not allowed to speak to any McMaster student without first having permission to speak to them (read more at my post here)
One of my friends emailed the following:

To Whom It May Concern,
This is to inform you that I here by allow Mr. Joseph Coleman to continue communicating with me, be it by e-mail, instant message, phone, text message, spoken language, written language, sign language, telepathy, subspace message, Da Vinci Code (or any derivative of said code), etc.
(where “etc.” stands for any form of communication not mentioned due to lack of remembering or not invented as of yet).
For any questions, comments, concerns, cake recipes, etc. feel free to contact me at <

All I can say: nice! …

I have been officially notified that I am being investigated under the Sexual Harassment Policy of McMaster University due to a complaint of sexual harassment filed against me. I cannot speak further to the complaint except to say that after the initial investigation, the University has decided to follow the informal resolution without written complaint route. I have denied all charges against me and have clearly informed the University that I did not commit the acts that are claimed I committed, which are without any proof. Let me be clear, I did not commit anything close to sexual harassment.
The McMaster Students Union President, outgoing and incoming, plus members of the incoming board have filed multiple complaints against me with the University in the hope that the University would punish me in some way under the McMaster Student Code of Conduct.
I have always been a strong supporter of anti-harassment legislation and policies. I understand that the rights of the alleged victim must be paramount. As such I accept what is occuring because I know that erroring on the side of caution by McMaster University is the right thing to do in this case.
Due to the allegation and statements by the MSU Board and full-time staff, the University has imposed what is called a “behavioral contract” on me under the Student Code of Conduct.
The idea behind a behavioral contract is to clear outline what is expected of me by University policy and to offer reassurance to the alleged victim of my alleged conduct. …

Titus Gregory, the investigative blogger who broke the CFS cypersquating story, has some really interesting investigative journalism on CCSA that involves both UofManitoba and UofWinnipeg CFSers. This is something that I know is getting plenty of talk at UMSU right now.
http://www.studentunion.ca/2006/04/takeover-what-takeover-canadian.html …

As most people that attend McMaster know, we have a paper called the Silhouette. To say that it is of low quality when compared to other student papers would be an understatement. I believe the biggest problem facing the Sil is that it is controlled by the Students Union and as way too friendly a relationship with the MSU powers that be. It will only be worse this year with one of the main campaigners for the new MSU President running the Sil this year. I have already been warned that since the MSU powers hate me for the whole Accountability, Transparency, and Democratic Reform ideas, I can expect to be targeted by the Silhouette in the next couple of issues.
Luckily for me, no one really reads the Silhouette. They print 10,000 copies a week. Most of them end up sitting in the dock of the Student Centre to never been read. Most of the one that actually get put out are not read either. Most weeks, I read the Silhouette only to be disappointed that I have to pay for it.
Now, what are my favourite student newspapers?
You will learn
I will start today by linking to the one paper I never miss: The Manitoban
Why do I read the Toban?
I have to admit it is because I attended University of Manitoba. The Toban is always worth the read. Every week the stories inform the reader of the events that are happening on campus. There is intelligence debate on a whole range of issues. …

I cannot comment at the present time as to my reasoning for this due to the reality that I am currently using the McMaster Network to access the Internet. As of 1745EDT (2145GMT), my website will not longer be able to be viewed from within the McMaster University network. …

This message is for all the people working with me to make the MSU more democratic and to make it work for students. The MSU President has turned up the heat significantly on me this week. He requested numerous investigations of potential breaches of the McMaster Student Code of Conduct.
As the MSU will continue to put a large amount of resources into shutting us down, I have to ask people to send me their non-McMaster email addresses. We must not discuss making the MSU work for students in any way that can get us in trouble under the Student Code of Conduct. One of the offenses under the Student Code of Conduct is Consprining against a Student Group.
To avoid this, all meetings must occur off-campus. All email must be sent by non-McMaster accounts to non-McMaster accounts. I have also block the forum we have from being view on campus.
Make sure that any email you send has all addresses in the BCC field to make sure the MSU cannot find out who is in the movement. As they are realizing that targetting me will not stop students from reforming the MSU, they may go after other people.
In short, be very careful. …

time: 21:28:10 | feeling: bewildered | beverage: abbey cocktail
The NUGSS site (Northern Undergraduate Student Society) has this really cool script that everytime you refresh lists a different feeling and a different drink… check it out:
http://www.nugss.com/home …

No surprise here, UMSU Council will vote tomorrow night on banning gifts to the Executive and Staff.
I expect it to be an unanimous vote in favour of the ban.
It is worded as follows:

3. GIFTS & PERKS
Under no circumstance shall any UMSU Executive or staff member accept gifts or perks in relation to their job at UMSU. This includes, but is not limited to, free meals and drinks, sponsor products, free or discounted trips and rentals, ETC.
Any person found to be in violation to the above policy shall be reprimanded by UMSU through staff and Executive discipline procedures.

Keep up the good work everyone! …

My blog is working again!
To make this post useful, I link you to : http://www.studentunion.ca
Titus, as always, is doing a good job making SU’s accountable. …