July 2012
52 posts
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Carry On, Bluestockings: Case in point: there is a... →
Case in point: there is a website called Fat, Ugly Or Slutty that catalogs insults, harassment and verbal abuse from male gamers to females on Xbox Live. Reading through just one page of the site made me ill. The big brother in me wanted to go pound the crap out of the thirteen year olds who…
I can’t believe we still have to deal with this. What is this, 1950?
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“One of the great revelations of this political season has been the pettiness and...”
– Pathetic Plutocrats - NYTimes.com
Paul Krugman, folks. Did I mention that he’s a Nobel laureate? Stinking elitist.
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How to legally bring a gun to the Republican... →
Cold, dead hands.
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emma .m. woolley: Misandry 101 →
sodisarmingdarling:
Misandry explained. Because people (including myself) tend to scream MISANDRY ISN’T A THING without ever explaining why. So here we go.
misandry: the hatred or dislike of men and boys.
Technically, misandry is a thing. There are people who hate men and boys. (To my knowledge, there haven’t…
Misandry is not a thing. My admiration for Emma, on the other hand, is.
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“… no one has ever accused our mayor of being insightful. And his...”
– The solution to gun violence in Toronto?
Another insightful observation from Ed Keenan.
But it prompts another observation: who says we have to waste time and energy talking about what a moron the mayor is? A growing number of councillors have shown that they’re quite capable of leaving him...
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“Inside the containers – where lumpers sometimes spend several hours at a time –...”
– ‘They shout at you and harass you’ – how workers toil at Walmart’s US suppliers | Business | guardian.co.uk
What you’re supporting when you shop at Walmart.
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There Is No Low Republicans Will Not Stoop To |... →
I put this on FB, but it needs a wider audience.
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“Yes, women have a responsibility to themselves to be cautious but these women...”
– Women always have to be alert to the threat of sexual assault - thestar.com
Stfu Hypocrites: Hello assholes, meet my friend... →
johnwatsonswindmachine:
I’m going to tell you something really fucking earthshattering: James Holmes didn’t kill people because he’s crazy. He did it because he’s a horrible human being. Why do I say that, you say?
Well, first off, I’m not an ableist sack of shit, so that helps…
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“His last column for The Nation was a delicious takedown of all the dark players...”
– Alexander Cockburn and the Radical Power of the Word | The Nation
Related posts:
Alexander Cockburn, 1941-2012
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“in societies where the elites do not suffer from the consequences of their...”
– Oilcrash.com: Why Societies Collapse
From a Q&A with Jared Diamond. Not as if there are implications for Canada in any of this, or anything to do with tar-sands exploitation, or austerity, or class warfare or anything.
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Chris Hedges: Harper is “venal”, U.S. politics is...
via straight.com And for good measure, a word from Chris Hedges. Related posts: Chris Hedges: No Act of Rebellion Is Wasted | #classwarfare #OWS Chris Hedges schools Kevin O’Leary | #OccupyWallStreet Chris Hedges on #OccupyWallStreet | #classwarfare Chris Hedges: Zero Point of Systemic Collapse | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters
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Alexander Cockburn, 1941-2012
Alexander Cockburn,longtime Nation columnist, radical journalist, unwavering voice of dissent,RIP, 1941-2012.— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@KatrinaNation) July 21, 2012 Some years ago, I lent a collection of his essays to a friend, and never saw it again. I’ve just ordered a used copy from an online distributor, in particular for the piece about “Hell-Spawn.” I’ll share...
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When thoughtful people engage with Sun readers |...
Instructive, isn’t it. In one short exchange, the toxic Sun effect is on display in all its glory. Just watch the way “suckitupwuzz” and “mymanrob” argue:
no critical thought
no analysis
namecalling
reflexive dependence on tired, simplistic, discredited cliches
mindless regurgitation of talking points
implicit homophobia
reduction of...
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One U.S. pastor's explanation for the Colorado...
When students are taught they are no different from animals, they act like it.— Rick Warren (@RickWarren) July 20, 2012 Got that, kids? Apparently evolution is to blame. (Source. H/t Sabina Becker) Related posts: Far-right wackjobs: they’re not just tedious - they’re a genuine threat | via AlterNet | #uspoli Yes, please - let’s have more American-style politics up here...
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Kenney blasted for linking Toronto gun violence to... →
The dog whistles continue.
“The new right-wing attack on unions is not about creating shared prosperity or...”
– Unions, Equality and Democracy
From the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
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Mayor Rob Ford calls into Friendly Fire on...
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Video: @TOMayorFord dodges questions about voting...
I don’t normally enjoy pile-ons, but in this case, how can I not?
The really awful part is, there are people who think this is just fine.
I know I go on about generosity of spirit, and building collaborative relationships, but at the risk of restating the obvious, this guy is in over his head. He doesn’t have the wherewithal to realize it, and he’s simply not capable of...
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@AugustJPollak on the asshole tax | #uspoli →
Some thoughts about America, health care, and a uniquely American strain of stupidity, ignorance and immaturity.
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On Ralph Lean, fundraising, and civic engagement |...
It’s not exactly a revelation to note that political campaigns cost money. Lawn signs, bumper stickers, phone calls, communication strategy, polling, consultants, and the ground game — they all add up. Naturally, you need a team of dedicated volunteers as well — and working on campaigns is a wonderful way of involving yourself in the civic life of your community — but the...
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“Iceland was the only European country that dared to default on the bankers. In...”
– Iceland Continues Economic Rejuvenation by Purging Financial Parasites | American Free Press
(h/t Cliff at Rusty Idols)
WatchRecital in Trinity Bellwoods …
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Via the indispensible Andrea Houston.
Related...
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Idiot Tracker: Threats against climate scientists:...
Glenn Tamblyn at Skeptical Science flags the University of East Anglia’s release of threats and hate mail sent to Phil Jones. PDF here, examples below:
1. “Subject: Kill yourself scum Fuck you for your lies and deceit. You deserve to die. And if you don’t take your own life, I fucking hope somebody does it for you.”
2. “Your children and family will know because we know where you...
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“It is no longer acceptable that disruptive groups like Kulanu and B’nai Brith...”
– Pride needs to get creative
(H/t Andrea Houston)
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Mayor Rob Ford silently votes against every...
via thestar.com Once again … really, Rob. Time to try something else? We get that you don’t believe in using public resources to advance the public good, but that’s part of the job. Related posts: Video: Doug Holyday’s approach to children living downtown | #TOpoli Some quick thoughts about #OneCity | #TOpoli #transit Yo, Rob. Isn’t it time to think...
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Video: Doug Holyday's approach to children living...
Apparently our stalwart Deputy Mayor doesn’t think cities are good places to raise children. And he doesn’t think condo developers should have to make sure that a percentage of units in their new buildings have at least three bedrooms so they’re sutable for families. He thinks it should be left to the market. I wonder if anyone’s ever explained the concept of...
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Some quick thoughts about #OneCity | #TOpoli...
Juggling live-blogging, tweeting, and this, so nothing profound, but a couple of things:
1. I wouldn’t assume that “the mayor is back in charge of transit” just yet. Just because OneCity didn’t fly doesn’t mean that he’s suddenly got anything more than shouting “subways subways subways” until our ears bleed.
2. Whatever OneCity is or was, at...
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“The Liberals, bless their souls, have revealed nothing whatever about how they...”
– LORINC: Shelley Carroll’s case for patience on transit plan « Spacing Toronto
John Lorinc on the province’s, er, “prudent” approach to public transit and how to fund, plan, and build it.
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John Green's tumblr: I AM PISSED OFF →
fishingboatproceeds:
I am pissed off because Laci Green, one of the most promising young content creators on YouTube, has been forced off the Internet by death threats—apparently driven by her casual use of the word “tranny” in a video she made more than three years ago. (She apologized and even took down the…
“He makes these ridiculous statements, these empty promises, these vacuous policy...”
– Adam Vaughan, doing what he does best.
Rob Ford’s allies not sold on his tax freeze proposal - thestar.com
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#cARTographyTO and Astral Media: subverting the...
Via The Grid and Torontoist, news of an inspired and inspiring guerrilla action over the weekend.
Dozens of sidewalk-blocking, ad-filled eyesores, laughably known as “info pillars,” were repurposed and turned into art installations, social and political statements, and focus points for satire.
It’s hard not to sympathize with cARTography Toronto. Public space and public...
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Misogyny, sexism and violence in popular culture:...
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Right away, I’ll make it clear: I’m not a gamer.
Stephanie got things rolling by calling out some loser for setting up an online device aimed at Anita Sarkeesian — a woman he disagreed with. His response to the disagreement and her inexplicable failure to engage in conversation with him: punch her in the face. Virtually. Ha ha. So clever. So...
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she was disarming: Man disagrees with woman, makes... →
sodisarmingdarling:
This is a thing that happened.
Helen Lewis wrote an article on the New Statesman yesterday on the online harassment experienced by Anita Sarkeesian, which I’ve been following for a while. To recap:
American blogger Anita Sarkeesian, who launched a Kickstarter programme to raise $6,000 to…
Emma’s argument is well worth the read, but the part that resonated...
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“… we are living in an illusion of democracy, where basic rights can be...”
– The Real News’ Paul Jay on the second anniversary of the G20.
Related posts:
My trip to jail for reading 1984 on the metro (First-Hand Account)
Black out, speak out
Let’s stop fetishizing “The Market” | #cdnpoli #TOpoli #classwarfare #austerity
Suspicious behaviour?
Don Drummond’s...
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“Sorry the entire world can’t all be done in stark Eurotrash Swiss type. Sorry...”
– McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: Monologue: I’m Comic Sans, Asshole.
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“If unions and their members received even one-tenth as much publicity for their...”
– Let’s Give the Labour Movement Its Due | Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
(H/t Erika Shaker.)
Related posts:
And of course, Brother Hazel is referred to as a “union boss … ”
Let’s stop fetishizing “The Market” | #cdnpoli #TOpoli #classwarfare #austerity
Why...
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“And of course, Brother Hazel is referred to as a “union boss,” that oxymoronic...”
– Dawg’s Blawg (Blog)
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Cops in USA to drive around in pornoscannerwagons,... →
Now what could possibly go wrong?
(What a word: pornoscannerwagons. I want to say it in an effete German accent.)
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One of the drawbacks of Twitter ...
I thought this needed an image. The one drawback of Twitter: when I play with trolls, I can’t use my Alan-Rickman-as-Hans-Gruber voice. #TOpoli #cdnpoli #onpoli— Sol Chrom (@sol_chrom) July 2, 2012 Related posts: You think I’m an asshole … If I resist a proposal that wants to remove … A Sunday afternoon in Toronto | #TOpoli #PrideTO #choice
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