Isidore Havis is a lucky man. He’s especially lucky that he lives in the Montreal burbs, not in Toronto. 71-year old Havis is in a Montreal hospital with a possible broken bone received when Quebec police decided to take him down with rubber bullets. 18-year old Sammy Yatim lies in
Continue readingDefending Public Healthcare: Patent transfer recommendations remains secret
The provincial Ombudsman has followed up on his damning report on the privatized, non-ambulance patient transfer industry. The Mike Harris Progressive Conservative government privatized the patient transfer industry at the turn of the century, moving the work over from Emergency Medical Services (ambulance services). Two years ago, however,
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The Amazing Big Telecom! Able to flip-flop in a single newspaper!
It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s Big Telecom flip-flopping on Canadian policy! In response to Telus taking the government to court to fight rules that would help independent cell phone companies access crucial resources, telecom expert Michael Geist has come out with a new piece revealing the big telecom
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Define "Democratic Reform"
You knew when Harper appointed Pierre Pepperpot to his cabinet as minister for democratic reform, something remarkably undemocratic was bound to follow. And so it has. Pipsqueak Pollivre has struck, opining that the very provinces that forged our confederation need not approve of the most undemocratic government in Canada’s history’s
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: "Ah yeah, sure I know. It’s a free country. You know you…
“Ah yeah, sure I know. It’s a free country. You know you got the right. But I got a badge, what do you got?” That line from West Side Story sums up the attitude of many – if not most – cops, especially in Toronto. They are confident that their
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Tool used by the NSA collects nearly every piece of information about Internet users
When whistleblower Edward Snowden claimed he could access anyone’s online information with no prior authorization through the U.S. NSA’s mass spying program, U.S. officials were quick to claim this was an outright lie. With this morning’s latest NSA leak, you decide who is telling the truth. Article by Glenn Greenwald
Continue readingDemocratic Voting Canada: CPC would win election on less votes than Liberals
According to an IRV poll from Forum Research for the National Post, the Liberals have a 4 point lead on the Conservatives but would actually lose the election: July 2013 national voting intention Party Vote FPP FPP Gain (Majority: 155 seats of 308) LPC 35% 120 39% +11% CPC 31%
Continue readingEarthgauge Radio: Arctic expedition radio doc airs on CBC Ottawa
Download: soiarctic2013-cbc-final.mp3 I was fortunate to participate on the Students on Ice 2013 Arctic Expedition this year, which was a tremendous experience. We traveled up the west coast of Greenland by ship and across the Davis Strait to the Eastern Canadian Arctic. I produced a short audio documentary based on
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: Whenever you are sad, watch the closing credits in Something About Mary
That’s what I do. My God, I love this movie.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Great Lakes saved from nuke waste contamination
The Great Lakes have been saved from nuke waste contamination after Swedish company Studsvik canceled its plan to ship radioactive waste across the Lakes, says Emma Lui, the Council of Canadians’ water campaigner. The post Great Lakes saved from nuke waste contamination appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Poverty the biggest barrier to good health for Canadians: Report
Poverty is making Canadians sick, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), “the national voice of Canadian physicians.” The post Poverty the biggest barrier to good health for Canadians: Report appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: July 31:Now, it gets dirty…
A communications specialist, so-called, is commonly a spin doctor – a person who lies for whoever will pay for it. There’s a beautiful example of it on p, 1 of today’s TandT. “Shale gas foes claim victory” That wasn’t written by one of the TandT’s hack editors. Think of it.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Guardian Praises BC’s Carbon Tax Initiative. Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch, or, Christy Clark’s Giant Methane Fart
According to The Guardian, British Columbia’s 5-year old experiment with carbon taxes has been a great success and stands as an example of to governments everywhere. In 2008, British Columbia implemented a carbon tax, with the revenue returned to citizens through lowered income taxes. A new peer-reviewed study examines the
Continue readingBlunt Objects Blog: Super Thursday – The Day of the Liberal’s Reckoning
Tomorrow is the day that five by-elections – those are again Windsor-Tecumseh, London West, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Scarborough-Guildwood, and Ottawa South – will be held. So far we’ve seen polling that is pretty much doom and gloom for the Liberals in pretty much ever riding, as well as super-low turnout numbers for
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Sammy Yatim: One More Word
While I can’t promise this will be my last post on Sammy Yatim, I do want to direct you to Rosie DiManno’s column and a few comments from The Star’s readers that remind us of the real nature of this tragedy. Writes DiManno: I am sickened by the content of
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Norm Farrell with Ian Jessop on CKDA
Tuesday, July 30, I was interviewed live by Ian Jessop on his afternoon program on CKDA1070. We talked about BCiMC for almost 30 minutes after 1:00 pm. You can listen online or by podcast HERE. I’ll be on Ian Jessop again in the future. Perhaps the next update will look
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Ice Crisis at the Poles: Ice, Ice, Baby
What continent is this, anyway? And why does it matter? The arctic ice cap will be fully melting in the next few summers, likely. There is a lake on top of the ice at the North Pole. Santa is getting worried. “On August 26, 2012, the Arctic sea ice extent
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Those Critical Five Seconds in the Life and Death of Sammy Yatim
Stills taken from security camera video of the Sammy Yatim execution, published by National Post, may be the most important evidence of all. They reveal, according to the paper, that the young man was felled by the very first round of nine shots fired by the Toronto police gunman. Yatim
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: By-election predictions
Here. Given how wrong polls are nowadays, you’d be a fool to make definitive predictions anymore. That’s why Eric Grenier, no fool, can now be seen applying qualifiers to every observation he makes. That’s what I find most interesting about his analysis, too: not the predictions, per se. The conditional
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