[View the story “@dmrider sums it up in three tweets | #TOpoli #TObudget” on Storify] Yeah, I think that pretty well sums it up. Oh, and … @metromorning Spin, Denzil! Spin! #TOpoli — Sol Chrom (@sol_chrom) January 18, 2012 Related posts: City Council Scorecard: The night Rob Ford lost big
Continue readingRecreating Eden: Umberto Eco’s Strange New Book: The Prague Cemetery
There are no library book discussions in January–it is January, after all, and there is no telling what weather will befall us in this climate–so in addition to reading Christmas gift books, I’m getting a jump on the books for February. Last night I finished Umberto Eco’s latest novel. Called
Continue readingGeoff at Mount Allison: Norovirus Hits #NASH74: A Case Study in Crisis Communication
As many of you have heard, including from the school administration a few of us from Mount Allison went to the 74th Annual Conference of the Canadian University Press. There were many great presentations from journalists and other experts, helpful round-table discussions from those at other papers from around the
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Their Audience Is "Indeed Miniscule"
The verdict so far on Fox News North: So who does watch Sun News Network? “The vast majority of the few viewers SNN does get are way over 50, outside the demo advertisers want. So SNN draws enough on a nightly basis to fill a senior’s mall,” says Brioux He
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Passsive Investor
Daniel Veniez argues that, under Stephen Harper, Ottawa has become a “passive investor” in the provinces. Harper’s view of the Canadian Constitution is that of a Biblical fundamentalist — the words in the BNA Act are immutable. The problem is that recent governments have paid too little attention to chapter
Continue readingCity Council Scorecard: The night Rob Ford lost big « Ford For Toronto | #TOpoli
via fordfortoronto.mattelliott.ca Can’t really improve on @GraphicMatt’s work here. In his words: Council has now shown a willingness to ignore and overturn key mayoral directives. The question going forward isn’t whether Rob Ford will be a good mayor or a bad mayor, but whether Rob Ford will be relevant at
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Unaccountable Oil: Is Enbridge Already Polluting the Canadian (Political) Environment?
Enbridge oil spill.jpg If the pipeline giant Enbridge Inc. is content to cower behind a 20-something blog manager rather than acknowledge its role in the recent attack on the patriotism of Canadian environmentalists, what hope have we that the company would ever stand accountable for the accidents that will occur
Continue readingFar and Wide: Staggered Primaries Revisited?
At the Convention, Liberals voted against the proposal to hold five staggered regional primaries. Liberals also voted to allow “supporters” the right to participate in the leadership process. Given, the initial rationale for the supporter inclusion was woven within this idea of primaries, it’s fair to say the Convention provided
Continue readingWise Law Blog: 140 Law – Legal Headlines for Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Here are the leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter for Wednesday, January 18, 2012: Google Joins Online SOPA Protest Wikipedia goes dark on piracy bill protest day European Court of Human Rights: UK cannot send extremist preacher home to Jordan Law School Transparency Report Judge says Lindsay Lohan
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: When is "Foreign" Money and Influence, Not "Foreign" Money and Influence?
The Harper government has tried a new strategy in pushing through the Gateway Pipeline. Apparently, we are now under attack by “foreigners”. “Foreign” money is driving the debate. “Foreign” radicals are trying to stop progress. And yet “foreign” ownership of the Tar Sands has accelerated since they took power. Our
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Two Bright Spots For Democracy
I have to admit that on most days, I am darkly pessimistic about the efficacy of democracy. With a federal government whose members are but drones of a martinet Prime Minister, and a domestic populace that seems to be asleep, indifferent, easily manipulated, divided or defeatist the majority of time,
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: Why the Liberal Party Took a Chance on the Supporter System
The boldest and most surprising outcome of this weekend’s Liberal Renewalfest in Ottawa was the party’s decision to open its doors to all Canadians by adopting a supporter system. As a result, any voter who supports the Liberal Party will be able to vote for its next leader – no
Continue readingCanadian Dimension Feed: Not Out of the Woods
On 21 December 2011, at the opening of the “Dutch Winters” art exhibit at the Rijksmuseum located in Amsterdam’s chic Schiphol Airport, a painting was put on display that, for those following closely the International Criminal Court’s cases against six Kenyans, offered a starling omen. The ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Luis
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Police Chiefs spend tax dollars to lobby for warrantless online surveillance
SOS_100xx100.png Police lobby sends a call-out amidst lingering questions about upcoming bills January 18, 2011— The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) is scrambling to find ways to justify upcoming bills that would allow warrantless surveillance of law-abiding Canadians’ online private information, says pro-Internet group OpenMedia.ca. OpenMedia.ca today released
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Stompn’ Mudholes – Or how to beat transgendered people
The binary view of gender is a regressive patriarchal notion that needs to be abolished and the sooner the better. The gender binary hurts women and men as people are shoehorned into roles that they are not suited for and then judged as being deficient by society according to
Continue readingknitnut.net: Duncan’s business trip
I think Oboe has turned the corner! He seems a little brighter and livelier today, and he ate a little breakfast on his own. He’s still spending all his time sleeping in his cave, and he’s still breathing hard and can’t fly, but I sense that he’s stronger and happier
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