The True North Strong And Free!!

I have been a loyal Liberal before I was voted and I have voted you in Millwoods for councilman.  I volunteered for the Young  Liberals since Mr. Dion.  Now as a Infrastructure Minister in  Justin Trudeau's cabinet I would please consider this approsal in Canada that I believe needs to be done now and fast in the 21st century.  That plan is having a smartphone for every smartphone for every person in Canada even 14 year old students and homeless in Canada we need to have this tool for everyone.  I also believe that these smartphones should be free, and as Infrastructure Minister you should create a free wifi network all over Canada from Coast to Coast to Coast.

Having thousands of these wifi spots even in Nunavut or Hinton and giving usernames and passwords for every person of Canada.  This will be necessary in this information age and quaternary industries will make Canada the greatest and productive economic engine to will reduce our deficit in 4 years. I Truly believe in this new brave world for Canada and I hope that you will also feel as deeply as I am.  I am excited to see your possible start in Edmonton as a pilot plan.  We hope that you will improve education and increase a lot of jobs.  Humbly awaiting you reply.

Some thoughts on the importance of historical context

Kathleen Wynne (left) with Sandra Pupatello.

And something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? — Bob Dylan, "Ballad of a Thin Man"

Early Sunday morning on Facebook, I posted a knee-jerk response to the selection of Kathleen Wynne as the Liberal Party of Ontario's new leader — and thus, the province's new Premier. Wynne won on the third ballot, edging out Sandra Pupatello. The women had been the front-runners right from the start. (Entirely coincidentally, but most serendipitously, Wynne's victory came only two days before the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada's decision declaring that women have a fundamental right to control their own bodies.)

I wrote:

Those of you who think that nothing changes, please take note. In some very important ways, the world *is* getting better and it's important we remember that. A divorced, gay, woman is now Premier of Ontario.

Woman. Gay. Divorced. 30 years ago (or less!) any *one* of those facts would have automatically disqualified her.

That's a sea change, ladies and gentleman. A fucking sea change.

There is more to it than that, of course, and finding myself living in a country in which six of its 14 First Ministers are women does not mean we have reached Utopia.

But it is significant.

So significant that it deserves not just an emphasized paragraph all of its own, but consideration at some length. The perfumes of change.

Or is the sex, sexual orientation or race of our elected leaders only a trivial distraction from the real issues facing us?

"I too was disapointed [sic] in Neil's concert... I wished I had stayed home and watched one of his old DVD's.. I personally thought he had lost his mind!! Really a song that carries on for 15 minutes with the only lyrics "You're a F*&&up?" I put my coat on and left.."

     — Commentator Mrsopinionated on a message board at the Ottawa Sun.

Trawling the web after seeing Neil Young and Crazy Horse on the last Saturday in November, I came across quite a few complaints similar to Mrsopinionated's, from people who clearly expected to encounter the folkie troubadour famous for songs like "Helpless" and "Harvest Moon".

Instead of the sensitive folk-singer, they got four old men bent over their instruments like a coven of witches torturing cats to produce an orgy of distortion and feedback, steel strings twisted to breaking in jams pushing half an hour of sonic indulgence.

"I put my coat on and left.." I can empathize, I really can.

I once was Mrsopinionated, or someone a lot like her ...

Some of you may know this story; I've dined out on it at my own expense for years. So, feel free to skip it and go straight to my review. But for those of you still reading ...

( Cut to spare your friend's page. But really, you should click the link.Collapse )

Remember this?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/…

It's so bloody cold. It looked beautiful yesterday, so sunny and warm when I touched the window glass, and then I headed out with too thin a scarf and my face was partially eaten by the sharp icy wind.

I have some friends who might want to immigrate into our fair country. Where is the best place to find immigration information for them?

Small World Music Presents
THE 10th ANNUAL SMALL WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
September 22 to October 2
Venues: Lula Lounge, Armenian Youth Centre, Yonge Dundas Square, Koerner Hall, The Great Hall, and Enwave Theatre
The tenth anniversary of Small World Music's signature annual program marks a milestone, both for the organization and for Toronto's world music community. Over the past decade, this passionate and dedicated organization has worked with thousands of people to weave the thread of world music through the fabric of the city.
As always, this year's Festival embraces the past and future of global sounds, showcasing new sounds infused with youthful energy and the spirit of cross-cultural collaboration that makes for a Brave New World of Music. As always, Toronto and Canada are proudly and diversely represented by the likes of David Buchbinder's Andalusia to Toronto, Autorickshaw, Eccodek, Njacko Backo, Boogat, Drumhand, Prince Enoki's Insect Orchestra, Lemon Bucket Orchestra, and The Tich Maredza Quartet. The festival's centrepiece Small World in the Square on Saturday, September 24 at Yonge Dundas Square. Appropriate to the occasion, this most ambitious day of programming in Small World's history will offer 10 mainstage concerts featuring sounds from all over the world -- absolutely free!!
For ticket information, artist bios and audio samples, please visit the Small World website at smallworldmusic.com.

The brothers Ford reveal the naked neocon truth

July 29 2011, OTTAWA —It sounds like a skit from a Marx Brothers movie. On the one hand, the Mayor of Canada's largest city is said to have given the finger to a six year-old girl and her mother while at the wheel of his van and while talking on his cellphone; and on the other, the Mayor's brother (and also a City Councilor) falsely claims there are more libraries than Tim Horton's coffee shops in his part of the city and tells Canada's leading novelist to butt out of municipal politics unless she gets elected to city council.

Yes it's farce, but it's also deadly serious politics, that reveals volumes about neo-conservative attitudes and the triumphalist agenda the radical right-wing. Read the full story here.