After witnessing various incomprehensible scenes last Friday (May 1st), some member of the “Parents United Against Austerity” committee would like to get into contact with people whose children were teargassed, in order to collect statements about what happened. Please contact us at comite.parents.unis@gmail.com Please forward widely Après avoir assisté à des scènes
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Sketchy Thoughts: The History and Present Reality of Workers Struggles in the South of China
Where/Lieu: 5323 rue Brébeuf (Montréal)When/Quand: 6:30pm Friday May 8th/Vendredi le 8 mai **français ci-dessous** A new wave of labour strikes has been developing in the south of China since the beginning of 2015. Workers at Yuyuan, a Taiwan shoe factory which produces international brands like Nike, Adidas, and PUMA, are
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 16: Nepal crumbles, Mayweather rumbles, Prentice stumbles
The provincial election is mercifully into its dying days, and the PCs are finally awakening to the fact that they just might actually lose this thing. Jim Prentice has failed miserably to get the public excited about him or his party, as all of the attention has gone to the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A potpourri for Sunday.
Babel-on-the-Bay has resisted the urge to do an occasional potpourri of comments. We usually try to stick to one (related at least) topic at a time. If we did a potpourri, it would probably look like this: Ignorance is bliss: In a letter to the editor of the Toronto Star
Continue readingIn This Corner: Election roulette: picking winners in the impossible election
There is only one thing I can say with absolute certainty about the provincial election of 2015. Jim Prentice has made a terrible, terrible mistake. After that, all bets are off. Even if Prentice wins Tuesday’s election (and I think they will; more on that later), Prentice is a loser.
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: The Baseload Mistake
One of the hangups some of my friends have about converting the electrical grid to renewable energy, has been the difficulty in storing electricity generated for use when energy input is reduced. Tesla Energy should help with that logistical problem. Energy storage no longer an excuse. Did Tesla just spur
Continue readingLeft Over: Your Big Five Bank Account Needs a Condom…..
New bank fees target kids’ accounts and allow ‘double-dipping,’ say customers RBC says new fees ‘cost of doing business’ By Rosa Marchitelli, CBC News Posted: Apr 29, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Apr 29, 2015 9:51 AM ET Want a better deal and money directed where you
Continue readingBlevkog: Careful words
Note the careful words, words that are worthy of a former Prime Ministerial spokesweasel: “I deeply regret the ordeal this has been for my family,” he said. “There’s been no way to shield or protect them.” The ordeal, of course, is Dean Del Maestro’s trial on charges of intentionally mis-representing
Continue readingBlevkog: One would think…
One would think that the question “How many jobs will be created by the federal budget?” when asked of the bloody finance minister who had just delivered the thing would get a better worded response than “dunno“. If jobs were the teeniest tiniest concern for this government, one would think that
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Canada’s Oily Media
There are opportunities to support journalism in Canada that doesn’t take millions from the oil industry and the oil-soaked Conservative government. Had you heard that the Conservative Party communicated with Enbridge, in secret, through Mike Duffy? If you don’t watch independent journalism online, you might miss important news like that.
Continue readingSketchy Thoughts: Eurocentrism and the Communist Movement
Robert Biel’s Eurocentrism and the Communist Movement traces the history of Eurocentric — and anti-Eurocentric — currents in the Marxist-Leninist tradition, arguing that this distortion was key to the development and spread of revisionism, and ultimately to the failures of the communist project, in the 20th century. A work of
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 15: Oilers clean house, Notley cleans up
The Edmonton Oilers, the widely-despised local hockey squadron, continue to make a lot of news for a team that missed the playoffs. After lucking into the No. 1 draft pick, on Friday the Oilers named former Boston Bruin GM Peter Chiarelli as their major domo of hockey operations. With Bob
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: 2020 Solar Power for 100% of Saskatchewan Homes Possible
This letter appeared in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on Saturday. In response to Kurt Soucy’s letter about the cost of powering the entire provincial grid with Photovoltaic (PV) solar power, I’d like to voice my support for his idea. It’s also possible to power every Saskatchewan household with concentrated solar
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Saskatoon Riding the Coattails of History
Acknowledging that an important feature in Saskatoon was constructed by the government, then bragging that construction of a future valued feature (a wind turbine) was avoided by the government instead of an opportunity seized upon, is a repugnant attitude. People like Sandra are not leaving a better world for our
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Goodbye Bill Blair: You failed us.
Toronto has not lost a police chief. It has gained freedom. It has left an era of bad policing behind. It has new opportunities for better policing. It has new opportunities for discouraging crime, fewer gangs, fewer guns, easing of trouble spots and better relations between the police and the
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 14: Oilers get lucky; Hillary hits the road.
The “big story” this week is one that may have long-term implications. Of course, I’m talking about the Edmonton Oilers literally defying the odds and winning the no. 1 NHL draft pick for 2015. This is a big deal because the kid who will be the no. 1 pick, Connor
Continue readingTaylorOwen.com: Why governments must embrace the new global digital reality
The essay below was in the Globe and Mail on April 10th. On Jan. 28, 2011, in the middle of a popular uprising, the president of Egypt turned off the Internet. This striking display of state power is well known. Less well known is how the Internet was turned back
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Where Abstinence Sex-Ed Goes Wrong
She's being completely condescending. "You can look up anything on the internet" Then refers him to site on abstinence education! — Alice Dreger (@AliceDreger) April 15, 2015 "You'll find a good girl. If you find one that says 'no,' that's the one you want." HE ACTUALLY JUST SAID THAT. —
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Opposed to Coalition?
Yesterday’s news: .@davidcommon Odd report by @ElliottLouise about @JustinTrudeau & @ThomasMulcair #coalition didn't mention @ElizabethMay & @CanadianGreens. — Saskboy K. (@saskboy) April 15, 2015 Today’s news: Most Canadians are opposed to a coalition government. Presently the only party with the word “coalition” in its founding documents is the Conservative Party
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