I’ve been on the fence over whether or not a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi is the right thing to be doing to protest Russia’s new rather draconian anti-LGBT laws. I figured athletes could symbolically protest it at the Games, and that might be the best way
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Scott's DiaTribes: Paywalls will not be the print media’s Holy Grail
You may have noticed yesterday if you visited the Toronto Star that they have implemented their new paywall system. As with the Globe and Mail and others, you’re allowed a certain amount of free specific articles to view (with the Star I believe it is 10) before you’re then required
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: REAL Women of Canada, and the naked far-right truth.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: This clip from the movie Tommy Boy is almost a re-enactment of…
This clip from the movie Tommy Boy is almost a re-enactment of a typical scene from Rob Ford’s life. Here are a couple more Ford-like clips from Tommy Boy: clip1 and clip 2, and here are six ways the fictional character Tommy Callahan (played by Chris Farley) differs from the
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: If Tim Hudak goes, who do you pick as Ontario PC leader?
One of my old university political classmates (and still a friend) Michael Taube, who once worked on the staff of Stephen Harper, has a guest op-ed column in the Star this AM, saying Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Hudak needs to resign, as he hasn’t connected with the people of Ontario,
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: What LifeSiteNews’ attack on Pat Robertson says about religious freedom.
Last week, there was some curious notice given to American televangelist Pat Robertson, after he expressed support for transitioning trans people, and their access to sex reassignment surgery. Less noticed was the backlash from other far-right groups over the same comments. But it’s worth revisiting, because of what that backlash
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Do you consider folks of a different political ideology your ‘enemy’?
I ask that because apparently John Baird, Canada’s Foreign Minister, does. Mr Baird has been rightly praised for condemning Russia’s anti-gay laws and for taking on the social conservative REAL Women group for their condemnation of him doing so. His one day of praise, at least with me, is over
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: Hooray! Sun News Network (SNN), aka Scum “News" lost…
Hooray! Sun News Network (SNN), aka Scum “News” lost their hypocritical bid to force all Canadian cable TV viewers to pay for their shitty channel regardless of whether we want to watch it. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) correctly declined to award special treatment to the undeserving TV
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: George Tackach is back in Etobicoke-Lakeshore for 2015
Well, almost back: Today, I am committing all of my efforts towards building a better, stronger future for hardworking families throughout Etobicoke-Lakeshore…I believe that the people of Etobicoke-Lakeshore deserve better representation from their Member of Parliament; a representative who understands that they are accountable to those who elected them; a
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: A Battle Royale in Toronto-Centre
This certainly livens things up in the NDP nomination battle for Toronto-Centre: Linda McQuaig, well-known author and Star columnist, is announcing on Tuesday that she is vying to be the New Democratic Party candidate in the Toronto Centre byelection….She is running for the NDP nomination against Jennifer Hollett, who worked
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Very Good News About Linda McQuaig
Opening my Toronto Star this morning, I was delighted to learn that journalist and author Linda McQuaig, who has figured fairly prominently in many of my blog posts, will be seeking the NDP nomination in Toronto Centre, Bob Rae’s former riding. A perpetual thorn in the side of unfettered capitalism,
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: #imwithtim – Stay Tim stay!
I wasn’t expecting to be writing a followup post to this on Tim Hudak and leadership questions on whether he would still be here on Sept 9 or not so soon after the by-elections, but there is already some dissension in the ranks – enough to get the Toronto Sun
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Byelections fallout: Will PC’s Tim Hudak still be PC leader in September?
It was an interesting night last night. The Ontario Liberals held onto 2 of their seats – in Scarborough and in Ottawa (despite gloomy polls – more on that later), while the NDP captured Windsor in a landslide (not surprising) and London-West (by a surprisingly comfortable margin). The Progressive Conservative
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Byelection Day in Ontario – grading the pollsters polls
Interested political observers and partisans will be looking at today’s by-elections here in Ontario to see what message the voters will be sending the Ontario Liberal government of Kathleen Wynne. I’ll be interested in the results for more then one reason. We have had 2 polling companies – Forum, and
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Wait: I thought the Conservative Party supported the troops?
Remember that? That same old tired refrain has come from this party since in power – trying to hold a monopoly on patriotism. That includes such episodes as the Afghan detainees and whether Canada knowingly handed them back to the Afghan government to be tortured; all such queries were met
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Porn opt-ins, soft censorship and buttbuttinating personal responsibility
On Monday, British Prime Minster David Cameron announced that internet service providers in the U.K. would be required to filter out online porn as part of several new rules to come into effect by the end of the year. Adults will still have the ability to opt in to view porn, but filtering
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Forum polls: looking grim for OLP in the byelections
New polling done by Forum released today shows the OLP may only be winning 1 seat of the five byelections this August 1: The Progressive Conservatives are well ahead in two longtime Liberal strongholds — one in Toronto and the other former premier Dalton McGuinty’s Ottawa riding, according to a
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Don’t underestimate Jennifer Hollett in Toronto-Center
You may recognize/remember Jennifer Hollett from her MuchMusic VJ days. She has done more then that since then, including a stint as a contributor at CBC Newsworld (Connect with Mark Kelley), did some reporting with CBC Radio, and a ton of other stuff. She’s also a social media guru/geek (and
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: The Conservative-appointed lickspittles who currently control…
The Conservative-appointed lickspittles who currently control Canada’s public broadcaster, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), have refused to air a commercial by Friends of the CBC that criticizes Stephen Harper’s government for directly meddling in the supposed arms-length media organization. The overpaid, ass-kissing CBC executives don’t have a problem, however, with constantly
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: This post is a bit late, but I figure if the politicians can…
This post is a bit late, but I figure if the politicians can take the whole summer off and still get paid, I can take a bit of a break from ranting about them for free. This music video is “If You Tolerate This, Your Children Could Be Next” by
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