Subways are wonderful. I'd be glad if Toronto had a subway system just as good as New York or London. But even if Mayor Ford's proposal proceeded we'd only have one, or maybe two, more lines — and the financing is most unstable. Toronto Council has voted for a more
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Dundernomics 101: The Cleary Factor #nlpoli
The gang at CBC shouldn’t feel sheepish. They might have been the ones who pushed it most aggressively but they weren’t the only news outlet that started talking up budget cuts and restraint based on what Premier Kathy Dunderdale told them. Here’s part of what the Premier said to CBC’s
Continue readingDropping the In & Out appeal
The Conservatives have quietly decided to drop their appeal at the Supreme Court over the In & Out affair, and they’re paying back the money they owe to Elections Canada “under protest.” It had been mentioned that nobody wants to fight a war on two fronts, and that possibly the Robocon allegations
Continue readingFor #NDPLDR, It’s Thomas Mulcair or Bust
I made a Storify story out of my most recent decision to support Thomas Mulcair for NDP leader but seem to be having some trouble embedding it to my wordpress (thanks to my lack of knowledge on many things HTML). So, here is the link. Enjoy. Filed under: Canada, Progressives
Continue readingeaves.ca: Attack of the Drones – How Surveillance May Change our Culture
I’ve been following the rise of do it yourself (DIY) drones for a few years now, ever since Chris Anderson, the editor of Wired magazine, introduced me to the topic in a podcast. And yes, I’m talking about flying drones… Like those the US Air Force uses to monitor –
Continue readingBC Liberals Need To Stretch the Truth, They Already Know We Don’t Believe Them
There is a lot of rhetoric going around in the current BCTF/BC Liberal Government battle over teachers contracts. To set a context; BC teachers have been without a contract since last January and have, since September, been working using limited job action (filling out report cards and supervising recess) but
Continue readingThe Sixth Estate: Canadians Are Owed Answers from Globe & Mail
One of the most surprising elements of the corporate media’s coverage of the robocall affair is the strange shifts that have occurred. Sun, as expected, backed the government. The Toronto Star didn’t. But the Postmedia chain has played the most important role in calling for a public inquiry. That I
Continue readingBC Liberals Need To Stretch the Truth, They Already Know We Don’t Believe Them
There is a lot of rhetoric going around in the current BCTF/BC Liberal Government battle over teachers contracts. To set a context; BC teachers have been without a contract since last January and have, since September, been working using limited job action (filling out report cards and supervising recess) but
Continue readingBene Diction Blogs On: Penguin cam
The penguins at Sea World San Deigo 24/7 for the months of March and April. Enjoy.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Video: Rafe Confronts Dix on LNG, Fracking, Enbridge
Rafe Mair pulls no punches in this, the second of a two-part interview with BC NDP Leader Adrian Dix – grilling the potential future premier of BC on Liquid Natural Gas, fracking, the proposed Enbridge pipeline and salmon farms. Will the NDP stand up to Harper over Enbridge and open
Continue readingImpolitical: Today in party leader or Prime Minister?
This is nicely done, leader or Prime Minister, Manon Cornellier asks: Il y a moins de deux semaines, le 23 février bien précisément, Postmedia News révélait qu’Élections Canada menait une enquête sur des appels frauduleux faits dans la circonscription de Guelph et que sa première piste l’avait mené jusqu’à une
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Thor Steinar store ‘Brevik’ sparks outrage in Germany
A German clothing retailer popular with far-right extremists has sparked outrage in Germany with a controversial store opening in Saxony. A new Thor Steinar store in the city of Chemnitz has opened with the name “Brevik.” This is considered by many Germans to be a direct tribute to Anders Breivik,
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Reading the NDP Tea Leaves
Any good pundit (for is that not what I aspire to become?) must dispense with caution and modesty from time to time and, in godlike fashion, attempt to predict the future. It is a virtually risk-free enterprise. If my prediction turns out wrong, no one will notice or care, because
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Taxpayers on the hook for almost $600 Billion in mortgage debt
Do you know anyone who has recently bought a house with less than 20% down? I know a few myself, young twenty somethings with decent but not great income, who’ve decided to take the dive. And why not? Qualifying for a mortgage is easy, and if you’re not good enough
Continue readingIs There Nothing The Harper-Cons Won’t Do With Phones?
Non-StopBadgeringIsThem ‘Ethical’FundraisingVille From Dammit Janet!: “It appears that the CPC has engaged in other scam practices with phones. It’s not enough that companies were paid (more on that below) to contact voters and *prank* them with harassing calls, while pretending to be the other parties. It engineered a campaign to
Continue readingBene Diction Blogs On: John Piper needs to stay out of disaster inculcation
Chaplain Mike at The Internet Monk has a marvelous rant against recent John Piper comments on the tornadoes that hit the US. This isn’t Piper’s first foray into tornado theology, or OTD – Obsessed with Tornadoes Disorders as Chaplain Mike calls his post. We expect this foolishness from Pat Robertson, but increasingly
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2012-03-07 01:15:00
CANADIAN LABOUR SUDBURY: VALE’S ANTI-UNION MOVES PROVE FATAL FOR WORKERS: The end of the 2009-10 strike at Vale in Sudbury and Port Colburgh left company management emboldened. From their point of view they had beaten the union, USW Local 6500, and could do whatever they wanted. This included refusing to
Continue readingThe World Famous Dan Shields: 4321…David Suziki Update
The great man has come forth on www.polarisinstitute.org and announced that “Canadians wanting to do something about the environment can start by drinking tap water…” How edgy, avant garde and ahead of the curve. Poser. WFDS
Continue readingAnonmitact.
Today, the speaker of the House of Commons prime facie ruled against “Anonymous”. “What!” you may be asking yourself, how is that possible? It’s possible because of Parliamentary privilege. Still don’t get it? It’s an interesting thing, that our speaker could even do this, but he can, and whether or
Continue readingWord to Peggy Wente And Comic Relief: A Cheesy Cartoon And Latest From Montreal Icons, Bowser and Blue
Keep thinking you live in a democracy, dear. What’s happened to my country? I went away for a couple of weeks and all hell broke loose. I came back to find that someone named Poutine stole the last election. At first I thought this was a typo, that they meant
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