October 2011
64 posts
2 tags
Some of the unkind things that Rob Ford and...
davidtopping:
Rob Ford and Giorgio Mammoliti used to really, really hate each other. They’re best friends now, or, to put it less kindly, a little more than a year into a marriage of political convenience. In 2002, Ford called Mammoliti a ”Gino-boy” and a “scammer,” comments that were widely reported then, and have been widely reported since, but their history goes further—and is nastier, and...
6 tags
More on the #Occupy movement and the failure of...
Should we confine the expression of our opposition to the channels that are made available to us by the same media institutions that overwhelmingly support the Conservatives? And if so, why? So we can avoid causing any inconvenience?
The obvious rebuttal is that I’m free to join another political party in the meantime and concentrate my efforts there. But what if there aren’t any...
8 tags
Slavoj Zizek on why the traditional media and...
Once you have reduced the Tahrir Square protests to a call for Western-style democracy, as Applebaum does, of course it becomes ridiculous to compare the Wall Street protests with the events in Egypt: how can protesters in the West demand what they already have? What she blocks from view is the possibility of a general discontent with the global capitalist system which takes on different forms...
1 tag
“Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days — but...”
– Hunter S. Thompson
(via bakedasasnake)
1 tag
“We may feel, in the face of the ruthless corporate destruction of our nation,...”
– Chris Hedges, “No Act of Rebellion is Wasted” (via mylifeasafeminista)
5 tags
Wall Street Firms Spy on Protesters in Tax-Funded...
via alternet.org “Wall Street’s audacity to corrupt knows no bounds and the cooptation of government by the 1 per cent knows no limits. How else to explain $150 million of taxpayer money going to equip a government facility in lower Manhattan where Wall Street firms, serially charged with corruption, get to sit alongside the New York Police Department and spy on law abiding...
Leave him alone, you BASTARDS!
via TweetDeck
Breaking the Barrier - YouTube
via youtube.com Via Bernie Hatefield Productions. Spotted by my partner Laura, who has more class, taste and savoir-faire in her pinky finger than I have in my entire body. I almost fell off my chair laughing.
Internet Service Providers’ Claims of Expensive...
via stopthecap.com Could someone tell me again just what the CRTC does? In my naivete, I thought they were there to stand up for us …
7 tags
Rob Ford accused of verbally attacking 911...
Several police sources tell CBC News that Ford asked for police assistance but became agitated as he waited, and called back to ask when officers would arrive.
Sources say Ford turned on the dispatcher, yelling: “You … bitches! Don’t you f—king know? I’m Rob f—king Ford, the mayor of this city!”
via cbc.ca
Not that this should come as any great shock, but nothing reveals more...
“Well, next time I hear about how vets fight to protect our rights, I’ll remember...”
– David Waldman
Context: Occupy Oakland: Iraq war veteran in critical condition after police clashes
(via cameronr)
7 tags
Harper Conservatives: stupid on crime, redux | via...
Stepping out of a cold, windy Toronto Wednesday night and into the Church of the Redeemer on Bloor street, I’m a little shocked as the warmth of the standing room only crowd hits me. Hundreds of people are here to listen to a panel discussion on Bill C-10, a crime bill being introduced by the Canadian government. The panellists sitting on the stage look small and unobtrusive in comparison...
8 tags
Video: Rick Mercer buries one in the back of the...
via youtube.com
For Jamie Hubley, and almost 300 more kids who take their own lives because of bullying.
From Mercer: “It’s no good to tell them ‘it gets better.’ We have to make it better NOW.”
Related posts:
Update: Queer couple kicked out of Ontario Tim Hortons
Family Values? Depends on your notion of family
Jamie Hubley: Again, this is where we...
Update: Queer couple kicked out of Ontario Tim... →
Oh, well then. Apparently it wasn’t the manager’s intention to offend the couple.
5 tags
Family Values? Depends on your notion of family |... →
If anyone’s interested, the church’s web site and contact info are here.
Related posts:
Jamie Hubley: Again, this is where we juxtapose
gay-couple-assaulted | Addicting Info
Ontario PC Leader Hudak stands by ‘homophobic’ flyer
A dog whistle from Hudak | #onpoli #homophobia
6 tags
7 tags
Video: Toronto Zombie Walk, October 22, 2011
Zombie fest: Mindless, flesh-eating armies of the Undead take over Canada’s econo — er, Trinity Bellwoods Park. Yeah, that’s it.
With genuine zombie soundtrack.
Related posts:
Video: Occupy Toronto, Day One | #OccupyTO #OWS
Video: Mass meeting to stop Rob Ford’s cuts, Dufferin Grove, Sept. 10 2011 | #TOpoli
Video: Toronto says goodbye to Jack Layton
Video:...
4 tags
“The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the...”
– “Capitalist hero” Adam Smith, in his seminal “The Wealth of Nations” (via fuckyourcapitalistbullshit)
5 tags
Harper Conservatives: stupid on crime | via...
Yesterday was the first full day of hearings at the federal Justice Committee on Bill C-10, the Conservative government’s omnibus crime bill. This Globe and Mail report describes the tone of the proceedings as uncomfortable. Based on the comments I saw on Twitter from people who attended, that’s an understatement.
One expert after another is warning the federal government that its...
15 tags
Revisiting #FordNation: some hard truths | #TOpoli...
Two thoughtful and well-written pieces on the subject of our beleaguered Chief Magistrate today: one from my friend Cityslikr and another from Trish Hennessy at the compellingly named Framed in Canada. (The latter’s going on the blogroll on the strength of this one piece. Where have you been, Ms. Hennessy?)
Shockingly, it seems that some of the folks who voted for Rob Ford are, um, having...
5 tags
12 tags
Jamie Hubley: Again, this is where we juxtapose |...
Heather Mallick talks about Jamie Hubley and the nasty impulses most of us manage to overcome:
The Ottawa schoolboy died Saturday of human cruelty, profoundly depressed after years of being bullied for being gay. He killed himself. I’m astonished to read that he was being hounded even in Grade 7 — students tried to stuff batteries down his throat on the school bus after he chose figure skating...
8 tags
@mtaibbi puts Rush Limbaugh and #OccupyWallStreet...
Got a flurry of emails yesterday after the inimitable Rush Limbaugh lumped me and Dylan Ratigan in with the behind-the-scenes power structure. Apparently Rush got hold of Breitbart’s story about the email list and decided to run with it:
Journalists have been advising the protesters – emails have been found. Dylan Ratigan of MSNBC and some guy named Matt Taibbi… Dylan Ratigan and Matt Taibbi...
6 tags
From @NYTimesKrugman: The Whiners of Wall Street |...
As the Occupy Wall Street movement continues to grow, the response from the movement’s targets has gradually changed: contemptuous dismissal has been replaced by whining. (A reader of my blog suggests that we start calling our ruling class the “kvetchocracy.”) The modern lords of finance look at the protesters and ask, Don’t they understand what we’ve done for the U.S. economy? The answer is:...
12 tags
Monday evening at St. James Park in Toronto |...
No analysis or or argument this time, just observation. Too soon to say how long this will last or whether it’s got real staying power. Not as if I’m there day and night, but with every visit I’m struck by the relaxed and nurturing atmosphere. People are working together, caring for one another, and there’s no sense of hierarchy or externally imposed authority —...
“I’m sorry, Occupy Wall Street doesn’t need a manifesto. The message is as clear...”
– — Rachel Maddow
(via janf)
6 tags
Reset the System: How to raise your voice →
resetthesystem:
Those who are well-served (or who believe they are well-served) by the current broken political, social and economic system are particularly threatened by the civil unease and unrest manifesting around the world in response to the global economic crisis and its perpetrators. Their anxiety is…
6 tags
Video: Occupy Toronto, Day One | #OccupyTO #OWS
Those who persist in demanding to have the Occupy movement’s goals spelled out for them are wilfully missing the point.
Related posts:
Setting up for #OccupyTO | #OccupyBaySt #OccupyWallStreet #ows
How mainstream media fails Occupy Wall Street
More from Chris Hedges on #OccupyWallStreet: Why the Elites Are in Trouble
Chris Hedges schools Kevin O’Leary | #OccupyWallStreet
...
8 tags
Setting up for #OccupyTO | #OccupyBaySt...
Thanks, @OpenFileTO. and just to keep hope alive … Related posts: More from Chris Hedges on #OccupyWallStreet: Why the Elites Are in Trouble Chris Hedges schools Kevin O’Leary | #OccupyWallStreet Beyond Kevin O’Leary: the Occupy movement and journalism’s latest FAIL @NaomiAKlein speaks at #OccupyWallStreet Some Republican nobody on the #OccupyWallStreet action...
10 tags
More from Chris Hedges on #OccupyWallStreet: Why...
Published on Monday, October 10, 2011 by TruthDig.com
Why the Elites Are in Trouble
by Chris Hedges
Ketchup, a petite 22-year-old from Chicago with wavy red hair and glasses with bright red frames, arrived in Zuccotti Park in New York on Sept. 17. She had a tent, a rolling suitcase, 40 dollars’ worth of food, the graphic version of Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” and a...
6 tags
From the Star: Land transfer tax will put Toronto...
via thestar.com
Well, looky here: the land transfer tax is going to put Toronto finances in the black. Who knew?
Just in case it isn’t blindingly obvious: from now on, whenever someone tells you to “do the math,” it doesn’t mean “do the #FordMath.”
On a related note, go check out John Lorinc’s sobering, thoughtful and comprehensive piece at the Walrus....
9 tags
Via Daily Kos: But what do they want? |...
via dailykos.com
From Tom Tomorrow.
I’ve mentioned that I love this guy, haven’t I?
Related posts:
Chris Hedges schools Kevin O’Leary | #OccupyWallStreet
Beyond Kevin O’Leary: the Occupy movement and journalism’s latest FAIL
@NaomiAKlein speaks at #OccupyWallStreet
Some Republican nobody on the #OccupyWallStreet action | #uspoli #classwarfare
Video:...
7 tags
A sickening new low in police brutality
Texas woman sues police department after she was arrested — and forced to listen to Rush Limbaugh BY Nina Mandell DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Sunday, October 9th 2011, 1:14 PM ...
2 tags
live boston police audio communications.
doaskid:
grrrlfoxxx:
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=6254
spread this everywhere, write down badge numbers, take pictures.
reblog, don’t just like. liking does nothing, you butts. reblogging at least is a signal boost.
This needs to be spread like wildfire.
6 tags
@NYTimesKrugman: Panic of the Plutocrats |...
It remains to be seen whether the Occupy Wall Street protests will change America’s direction. Yet the protests have already elicited a remarkably hysterical reaction from Wall Street, the super-rich in general, and politicians and pundits who reliably serve the interests of the wealthiest hundredth of a percent. via nytimes.com A succinct and eloquent explanation of why the Occupy movement is...
13 tags
Beyond Kevin O'Leary: the Occupy movement and...
Nothing’s highlighted the weaknesses of the corporate media better than their demonstrated befuddlement with this particular story. The spanking laid on Kevin O’Leary by Chris Hedges last week is a particularly egregious example. In between the condescension, name-calling and insults, O’Leary also manages to make the story about him and getting called out for his boorish...
12 tags
Video: Chris Hedges owns Kevin O'Leary (YouTube) |...
Big thanks to whoever put this on YouTube. Unlike the Yahoo link, you don’t have to deal with an autoplay / embedded commercial first.
Once again, though: it’s instructive for anyone who still thinks of the CBC as a left-wing propaganda outlet. All you need in that regard: some basic critical-thinking skills. Just look at the energy devoted to distorting, misrepresenting, and...
8 tags
Some Republican nobody on the #OccupyWallStreet...
Smart comment — he’s right.
Here’s the quote from PolitickerNY (h/t reddit blogger cos):
Long Island Republican Congressman Peter King blasted the Occupy Wall Street protesters as anti-American today on a right-wing talk show.
“The fact is these people are anarchists. They have no idea what they’re doing out there,” King told host Laura Ingraham. “They have no sense of purpose...
5 tags
The importance of the Oxford comma
Grammar nerds of the world, unite. (h/t @BinaBecker)
7 tags
Video: @NaomiAKlein talks to MSNBC about...
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Best part is the way she sidesteps the whole shallow storyline pushed by traditional media outlets, most of which seem completely befuddled because they can’t find “leaders” to articulate “demands.” Not everyone’s bought into the oversimplified, dumbed-down, easy-to-digest,...
3 tags
Posters for framing
I could be wrong, but something tells me I’m not part of the target demographic. Sent from my BlackBerry
1 tag
Video: Chris Hedges spanks Kevin O'Leary |... →
Via Yahoo, with a tip of the chapeau to Alison at Creekside. Now we can see Kevin O’Leary giving Don Cherry some competition for CBC’s Most Obnoxious Yahoo.
Related posts:
@NaomiAKlein speaks at #OccupyWallStreet
Chris Hedges schools Kevin O’Leary | #OccupyWallStreet
Chris Hedges on #OccupyWallStreet | #classwarfare
The Cult That Is Destroying America
6 tags
@NaomiAKlein speaks at #OccupyWallStreet
I was honored to be invited to speak at Occupy Wall Street on Thursday night. Since amplification is (disgracefully) banned, and everything I say will have to be repeated by hundreds of people so others can hear (a k a “the human microphone”), what I actually say at Liberty Plaza will have to be very short. With that in mind, here is the longer, uncut version of the speech. I love you. ...
12 tags
Chris Hedges schools Kevin O'Leary | #uspoli...
Big h/t to Jymn and Dr. Dawg.
Chris Hedges, who’s been cited here before, calls out Kevin O’Leary for his snide condescension, name-calling and browbeating, all the while recasting the whole notion of conservatism versus radicalism in the context of discussing the Occupy Wall Street action currently taking place in New York. Several important points about what Hedges characterizes as...
Spotted: The Actual Cover of Today’s Toronto Sun |... →
Normally I don’t go in for schadenfreude, but occasionally I’ll make an exception.
Ontario 2011: the "meh" election | #VoteON #onpoli
49.2 percent turnout.
An all-time low.
Plenty of time to get into the left and right and up and down and labels later, but if this isn’t a sign that the system isn’t working, I don’t know what is.
I don’t pretend to understand why we’re facing such alarmingly low levels of civic engagement, and in the interim I’m resolved not to descend to my usual...
8 tags
gay-couple-assaulted | Addicting Info →
Is it fair to suggest that Tim Hudak and company are OK with this? Because this is what they’re opening the door to.
(h/t Sabina Becker)
