‘Decolonizing Yoga,’ secret budgets & Snoop Lion

1. If you thought yoga was just an exercise class, you’re way off. The Manitoban student newspaper reports that a local group called Decolonizing Yoga has started up with plans to “challenge racism, patriarchy, capitalism, colonialism, ableism, heteronormativity and privilege within yoga and spirituality.” Alana Lo, who has a graduate degree in Sanskrit, told The Manitoban the economic model of yoga “is deeply troubling.” I’m guessing that means Lululemon pants will be frowned upon.

2. It’s budget day for the federal government, which may not be spending your tax dollars the way you’d like (if see one more Economic Action Plan ad…), but at least they’re obliged to show you roughly where they plan to spend it. Sadly, your student government might not be so willing. Ryerson University is one example. The Eyeopener student newspaper reports that they have been trying to get a hold of the budget of the Ryerson Students’ Union all year—and the school year is almost over. “We have a right to see it,” writes editor Lee Richardson. “While reporting on the RSU, at the same time we’re still students paying into the union,” he adds. “For a organization advocating equity and inclusivity, restricting access to how they’re spending your money is a contradiction.” He’s right. Apparently the RSU will finally allow reporter Mohamed Omar to finally see it, but he’s not allowed to have a copy, lest he share it with you or me. I’d like to say I expect better of the RSU, but I don’t. One has to ask: What are they so afraid of their members and the public seeing?

3. Despite the savings, electronic textbooks aren’t very popular in British Columbia, according to The Omega student newspaper at Thompson Rivers University. The bookstore manager there says that, after four years on offer, e-texts still make up less than one per cent of sales. At the University of British Columbia it’s 1.5 per cent. At Simon Fraser it’s 6.5 per cent. They sell better in the United States; Wired reported in 2011 that e-texts made up 11 per cent of the U.S. market.

4. People in Toronto are, for some reason, excited that Snoop Dogg’s—-sorry Snoop Lion’s—new single No Guns Allowed has Drake rapping references to that horrible Danzig St. shooting last summer when two were killed and 23 were injured. Meanwhile, L.A. Times music critic Randall Roberts is dissing Snoop’s reggae effort, offering five Reggae albums he says are more worthy.

5. Students at Oxford University want a librarian reinstated after she was fired for letting them make a Harlem Shake video in the library, reports The Independent. It’s a pretty tame version, and it only disturbed students for roughly seven minutes, so the students say the school has overreacted.