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Continue readingWarren Kinsella: In Sunday’s Sun: 130 seats
In politics, body language is important. In particular, the body language of Messrs. Harper, Mulcair and Trudeau. One of them does not seem worried; the other two look like they are taking nothing for granted. Some pollsters, naturally, tell a somewhat different tale. If you believe successive polls — and
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression warns against communications surveillance
The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion warns that the widespread use of surveillance technologies to monitor peoples’ communications violates the human rights to privacy and freedom of expression. He also argues that here is no way to ensure freedom of expression without respect of privacy in
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Olivia Chow–Gonna Run For T.O. Mayor?
I just got a robo-call from Olivia in her role as MP asking me to tune-in to a live call later this week re public transit. Since much of the country doesn’t have and doesn’t give a crap about public transit, I am assuming it will have something to do
Continue readingThe Sixth Estate: Mass Surveillance: Shamrock, Prism, and Supercomputers
As I kind of expected, when I suggested on Friday that we could now foresee an age where mass surveillance by governments was so cheap and easy that it would be effectively impossible to prevent, the main objection was that while it might be easy to collect essentially unlimited information,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Wheels of G20 Justice Move Very Slowly
Although I have written countless posts about the abrogation of charter rights and myriad instances of police brutality that occured in Toronto during the infamous G20 weekend in 2010, the story never seems to be over. This past week saw one officer acquitted in the assault of Dorian Barton; Glenn
Continue readingRecreating Eden: Saturday Photo: Japense Maples and Russian Olives
The air right now is heavy with the smell of Russian olives. Not olives, but certainly a native of the Russians steppes, these hardy trees are considered a nuisance in many places where they’ve been introduced. But here, the winters are so severe that they don’t run wild, and lend
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: June 8: Words, words, words….
Us human types are forever using words we don’t understand – and, worse, we speak them to other people who don’t understand them either, but whose misunderstanding is a different one from hours.. And so we get into hopeless shouting messages so meaningless that one of us could be speaking
Continue readingThings Are Good: Band of the Month: Human Bodies
This week, I will be featuring two bands as a small highlight of the 1000 plus talented bands from all over the globe performing in Toronto’s upcoming NXNE music festival that runs June 10-16. The first of two bands is Human Bodies. Patient, lush, and explosive all rolled into a
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Crowdsourcing and Criminal Justice
Crowdsourcing and the criminal justice system have obvious but usually overlooked links. To a degree that is because crowdsourcing has been seamlessly integrated into police investigation for so long that it is invisible. But for the practicing lawyer modern crowdsourcing techniques allow for insights and legal precedents rapidly and inexpensively;
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Jillian Berman reports on research showing that the predictable effect of decreased unionization is a transfer of wealth from workers to shareholders: The jump in corporate profit over the past few decades can be explained largely by a decline in union membership over
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Follow The Money
Deep Throat advised Woodward and Bernstein to “follow the money” — because that trail would lead them back to the White House and the plumbers who committed the Watergate burglary. Greg Weston has done that — and the trail leads back to the PMO. Tom Walkom writes in today’s Toronto
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Cheques and Balances
I guess they really are the key to maintaining both fiscal and democratic health. But to ensure such a salutary state, people need to get their ‘narratives’ straight. Perhaps they need some outside assistance? Recommend this Post
Continue readingwmtc: read matt taibbi on bradley manning court martial
While I’m not writing, I hope you will read this excellent article by Matt Taibbi on mainstream media coverage of the Bradley Manning court martial. I cannot understand why good writers like Taibbi continue to refer to the “Bradley Manning trial”. A trial is, in theory, an impartial hearing, where
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Stuff Than Makes You Think – The Double Slit Experiment
Wave-particle duality is just one on a huge list of phenomena that we cannot intuitively understand. 1veritasium does a nice job of walking us through the steps and sharing the science behind the experiment. Filed under: Science Tagged: Double Slit Experiment, Science
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Welcoming in a new LPC Communications Director
Via Twitter comes this tweet from Mylene Dupere: “Very enthusiastic to join @JustinTrudeau’s team as Director of Communications next Monday” Who is Mylene Dupere? Her Twitter account only mentions she is a “public relations specialist”. Her LinkedIn page says she is (was) the Manager, Media Services at PWGSC (Public Works
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Rock & Roll & Tinnitus
A couple of years ago I began to experience a persistent dizziness, as though I were walking down a floating pier that rocked up and down with the waves. I visited my doctor, and he sent me to a specialist, and he told me to lay off the salt. I
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