December 23, 2015

LOL

The hubris.....the hubris...

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May 13, 2015

I don't like Harper slapping the CBC.

And picking and choosing which broadcaster's debates he attends is slimy. However, I don't think it means much. 5 debates are better than 3, and I can't blame Mulcair for wanting to a) raise his media exposure that has never rightly be granted to him, and b) a few more opportunities for him to make fools of Trudeau and Harper.

He will be the Dreadnaught in the debates.

Edit to add; Trudeau supporting all of Harper's draconian police state laws, keystone, China-Fippa, etc, are far more an indictment of an opportunist. Nowadays, a vote for the NDP is like voting for Pierre's or Lester's Liberals, that's the new reality.

March 24, 2013

Now it's jazz,

"Now it’s jazz, the place is roaring, all beautiful girls in there, one mad brunette at the bar drunk with her boys – one strange chick I remember from somewhere, wearing a simple skirt with pockets, her hands in there, short haircut, slouched, talking to everybody – Up and down the stairs they come the bartenders are the regular brand of Jack, and the heavenly drummer who looks up in the sky with blue eyes, with a beard, is wailing beercaps of bottles and jamming on the cash register and everything is going to the beat — it’s the beat generation, it’s beat. It’s the beat to keep, it’s the beat of the heart, it’s being beat and down in the world and like old-time lowdown and like in ancient civilizations the slave boat- men rowing galleys to a beat and servants spinning pottery to a beat."

February 23, 2013

We need more exposés of this shit,

because until it filters through the white middle class bubble, its not going to change. And what those in the bubble have to realize is that its no longer just some poor inner-city kid who never had a future anyway, its their lily-white precious sons and increasingly daughters that are in the cross hairs of this machine.

Our society is becoming a society of no-second chances, with an ever widening net of what constitutes criminal behaviour. Every misstep we say or commit is logged to be used against us. Vast numbers of people are becoming unemployable, unable to travel, afraid to speak up publicly or lodge complaints, are denied loans and mortgages, and are unable to even help themselves acquire the skills to lead 'productive' lives.

January 30, 2013

People recognize that changes need to be made,

but they think that its others who must do the sacrificing. Its pure arrogance and selfishness. Perfect examples are the tea partier on Medicare, or the corporate world who don't pay taxes but insist on public austerity.

Even 35 years ago, people went apoplectic at the audacity of Jimmy Carter suggesting that maybe we put a sweater on and turn the thermostat down a few degrees. Soon after they choose a Don Draper type of president who sold them reassurances like Lucky Strikes: Every thing's OK, despite being toxic. Delusional.

Many interpret hardship as not being able to go on vacation or buy a new car. Never mind that they have 2 cars in the driveway. Sometimes I think about my grandparents, who like millions of others came to the new world in the late 1800's - 1950. They worked their asses off each day plowing fields with a horse, and when the old horse finally died, they were consoled by the fact that at least they got to eat it.

Dirt poor immigrants that suffered repressive governments, fear of being 'disappeared' in the middle of the night, religious persecution, famines, wars came to the new world with a sense of community, and an understanding that through shared sacrifice and working together (gasp! socialism) everyone benefited. Those were the common heroes that advanced civil rights, created labour unions and fought Robber Barons and tycoons, demanded that advances in productivity were shared among all. We've forgotten all of that.

By contrast we're too spoiled and stupefied by relative comfort, hype and gadgetry. Unfortunately I agree that nothing is going to change until something drastic happens, and yes, this time it's probably too late.

November 11, 2012

It takes decades and generations

to build the kind of high quality manufacturing infrastructure that the US (and Canada ) have/had. It takes decades and generations to create a skilled working class with good paying jobs and humane labor standards. Yet it takes only the swipe of a pen to sell it all off for a quick buck, lining the pockets of a few.

And once its gone, it is assumed that it is too impractical or expensive to rebuild it all.

November 9, 2012

Occupy's message is more relevent now than ever.

Lets hope that the 'fiscal cliff' doesn't produce a grand bargain that hurts the most vulnerable, or keeps wasting money on a bloated military, and subsidizing big business.

Climate change was right up in everyone's face last week with hurricane Sandy; might be good time to kill the Keystone pipeline for good, and examine public infrastructure, and investment into alternative energy sources too.

Marijuana got legalized in 2 states, maybe its time to examine the costly war on drugs. Soon it'll be cabinet shuffling time, so its a perfect opportunity to get rid of the incompetent Eric Holder. Maybe its time to give homeland security a bit of a haircut too (The police have enough urban-tanks).

Its also a good time to protect and ensure a free and public internet, so that citizen journalists can continue to capture '47% moments' and continue to do the job that the mainstream media doesn't.

Now that Obama is reelected, and some progressive Dems will reinforce congress, now is the time to push for promises to be kept, and bold initiatives to be introduced towards the future sustainability of people, not corporate interests.

November 9, 2012

Lets hear it for citizen journalism!

Fact is: if not for this employee taking the risks of filming and releasing this amateur clip, the election might have gone differently.

The other fact is that the MSM is incapable and unwilling to investigate or expose anything anymore, in lieu of spewing massaged press releases for 'access', and towing the corporate line for big bucks.

The 47% tape, and coverage of the Arab spring, OWS, police brutality etc further prove that we need citizen journalists, and a free and public internet, more now than ever.

September 30, 2012

Profiles of (marginal) Canadians: Eddie Shack!

When I was a little kid, my favorite hockey player was Eddie Shack (#23). Its not because he was all that great, in fact by the time I became a fan of his, he was already the Joe Shlabotnik of Hockey. The first time I met Eddie was when I was in grade 1, and he came to our school to promote reading. Shack was basically illiterate. He was an apprentice meat cutter who tried out for the OHA on lark, thinking that he didn't have a chance, and would just go back to becoming a butcher. Instead, he won 4 cups with the leafs, and became a fan favorite.

Clear the track, here comes Shack! by the Secrets

Takes out the glass and starts a fight


Picks a fight with the St. Louis Blues and then chickens out


Becomes a spokesperson for just about everything because of his fun character



*just in the mood for some random nostalgia today!