Reverend Adam Kreek prays for the soul of Nathan Kotylak using the Word of Sport

Brother Kreek prays for an anarchist's Olympic future.

Sport teaches values. Sport teaches soft skills. Sport teaches life skills. Sport dons responsibility to athletes at a young age... a lesson that Kotylak is learning right now.

Sport is a story of hope.

Hallelujah.

Read more here and here.

Marcus Gee smacks down Toronto's Homophobic community

Good for you Marcus, I didn't think you had it in you.

Mayor Rob Ford’s unofficial boycott of Pride Week is having a disturbing and predictable effect. It is emboldening the city’s haters. Since he announced he would be skipping the Pride parade to go to the cottage, they have been scurrying into the open like insects from an upturned rock, cheering the mayor for staying away from the “disgusting” spectacle on Yonge Street and jeering leaders of the gay community for urging him to attend.

Read more here.

Leonardo Da Vinci Painting to Be Unveiled

A lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci has been discovered in a private American collection and will be unveiled publicly for the first time by the National Gallery in London later this year, according to people close to the institution.

"Salvator Mundi"—a depiction of Christ with his right hand raised in blessing —has been authenticated by experts as the Leonardo painting that disappeared after being owned by Charles I and Charles II of England, according to these people. The last time an important Leonardo was discovered was a century ago.

Read more here.

Microsoft admits your cloud data open to government snooping

“Can Microsoft guarantee that EU-stored data, held in EU based datacenters, will not leave the European Economic Area under any circumstances — even under a request by the Patriot Act?”

Frazer explained that, as Microsoft is a U.S.-headquartered company, it has to comply with local laws (the United States, as well as any other location where one of its subsidiary companies is based).

Though he said that “customers would be informed wherever possible”, he could not provide a guarantee that they would be informed — if a gagging order, injunction or U.S. National Security Letter permits it.

He said: “Microsoft cannot provide those guarantees. Neither can any other company“.

Read more here.

Mayor Ford unfit for public office...oh and Happy Canada Day Robbie

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he is skipping this year’s Pride parade to spend the holiday weekend with family in cottage country, but Canada Day celebrations could be another matter.

A spokesman for the mayor’s office says he has yet to decide if he will stay in the city on Friday to celebrate the national holiday, despite the mayor’s earlier statements that he will spend the day with family.

Why Your Grace?

“As long as I can remember, since I was a little boy we always used to go up north to our cottage and I am carrying on the tradition that my father had,”

Awww...but you're mayor now, a grown up's job.

Read more here.

Martin Knelman uses Montreal icon Mordecai Richler to whine on about Toronto

More Toronto is So Wonderful naval gazing:

Let Toronto trump Montreal as culture capital

Ok, sure...

It’s true Richler never cheered for the Maple Leafs, remaining ever loyal to his beloved Canadiens. While throngs of Montreal’s English-speaking elite took a one-way trip down the 401 and became happy exiles in a city they once considered beneath them, Richler hunkered down on Sherbrooke Street West, refusing to be scared off by zealous Quebec nationalists.

Officially, he took swipes at Toronto, viewing it as lacking the charm and European style of Montreal. But I believe that in his latter years, Toronto became Richler’s secret haven, the city of which he grew increasingly fond, even if he would never admit it.

Oh fuck you

Read more here.

Business group: the little people have no right to know just how incredibly greedy company CEOs are

Here’s one financial figure some big U.S. companies would rather keep secret: how much more their chief executive makes than the typical worker.

Now a group backed by 81 major companies — including McDonald’s, Lowe’s, General Dynamics, American Airlines, IBM and General Mills — is lobbying against new rules that would force disclosure of that comparison.

The lobbying effort began more than a year ago. It involved some of the biggest names in corporate America and meetings with members of both parties on the House Financial Services Committee and Senate banking committee.

The companies and their Republican allies in Congress call comparisons between the chief and everyone else in the company “useless.”

Read more here.

Pictures of Ayn Rand help Peter Kuitenbrouwer with his printed Toronto jerk off

Seems Mr Kuitenbrouwer has been just waiting to find a way to fit that Grinch in a Dress Ayn Rand into a piece...

Visiting the city-owned station Tuesday morning, to catch a train to Montreal, I was saddened to notice that the clock has stopped telling time again, with the west face reading 9:10 and the east face reading 9:17. This, at 11 a.m.

This indignity is symbolic. A famed clock hangs in the sky above Manhattan in Ayn Rand’s novel, Atlas Shrugged. The clock stops working and people shrug and ask, “Who is John Galt?” a catch-all reference to the civilizations’ fundamental powerlessness to halt a steady decline.

Total nonsense but we expect nothing less from the Toronto National Post.

Btw, Ayn Rand was a horrible little person, admired only by those who admire greed and selfish self interest.

Like the Ford Nation.

Read more here.

World in mortal danger if China ever masters Photoshop

Until then we can all laugh at a superbly inept propagandist.

On the afternoon of June 27, our reader interviewed the Huili County Government publicity department director Zhang Yongzhi. According to Zhang, several county leaders went out to inspect the road. An accompanying worker took some photos for the record. But when it came to posting onto the website, the worker decided that "the background of the original photo did not look very good" so a decision was made to crop the leaders onto a different background. The Huili County Government has removed all relevant information and reprimanded the worker who handled the photo. The Huili County Government issued an apology at the Tianya Forum and the Sina.com Weibo.

Read more here.

Child killer and Volkswagon ad icon calls down the wrath of the Force

I've always questioned those that use Darth Vader as a symbol to admire.

Toronto councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong pushes non Pinko priority: New York does it, why can't we? WAAAAAAA

Denzil Minnan-Wong introduces the idea of standard taxi colours.

Had such an idea been put forward by the previous Pinko city hall, the right wingers would have been all over themselves denouncing it as a blow against the free market and pure Communism.

But as it's their idea now, it a good idea because...um because....because New York does it!

“I want to look at the idea of having a purpose-built taxi for the City of Toronto,” he said. “I think we always need to look at innovation. I think we can up our game.”

Ah innovation, tell me more.

“We could piggyback on New York City, there’s a possibility there..."

Oh

Read more here.

Canadian gaspumps may be ripping off customers

No shit.

Canadians already paying steep gas prices can add one more cost to their bill: forking over money for fuel they didn't receive.

Government data obtained by CBC News shows that six per cent of all gas pumps tested over the past 2½ years failed to dispense the right amount of fuel. In about two-thirds of the faulty tests, customers bore the brunt of the error.

The loss adds up to an average of a couple of dollars for every 50 tankfuls, the Automobile Protection Association estimates, but the total loss across Canada is in the millions.

Give them some sympathy, it's hard to fix your equipment when you're on the phone to all the other stations in the city price fixing.

Priorities people, priorities.

Read more here.

Bell Canada fined $10M for being a f*cking liar

Bell Canada has agreed to pay a penalty of $10 million for making misleading advertising claims, the federal Competition Bureau announced Tuesday.

Bell has also agreed to stop making the claims.

The penalty is the maximum amount allowed under the Competition Act.

The Bureau found that Bell had, since December 2007, charged more than advertised for many of its services, including home phone, internet, satellite TV and wireless.

Additional fees, such as those related to TouchTone, modem rental and digital television services, were hidden from consumers in fine-print disclaimers and were mandatory, on top of the advertised prices.

Best bullshit:

In a release, Bell said it "fundamentally disagrees" with the Bureau's findings.

"Bell's advertising has always complied with all applicable laws and been comparable with common advertising practice past and present in the communications marketplace and other industries in Canada," it said.

"However, Bell has decided to immediately resolve the issue and move forward by paying an administrative amount of $10 million."

Translation: we're as pure as the driven snow...oh ok, we're just as corrupt as every other Canadian telecommunication company but no worse...honestly...now here's your ten million, our lawyers are busily looking for new loopholes. We don't have time for this shit.

Is the stolen money going back into the pockets of consumers? Pffft of course not, this is Canada, the money will be kept in the Family.

Read more here.

Toronto police officer avoids jail in Taser case..what a shock

Officer acts like some thug in a 3rd world satire, and gets...wait for it...

A Toronto police officer has avoided jail time for threatening a handcuffed suspect with a Taser.

A Toronto police officer received a conditional discharge and was ordered to perform community service after he threatened to taser a robbery suspect. (CBC)
Christopher Hominuk received a conditional discharge and was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.

Hominuk pleaded guilty to one count of threatening bodily harm in February 2011.

In May 2010, the 38-year-old officer was captured by his cruiser's on board camera hitting a burglary suspect, pressing a taser into the man's groin and threatening to shock him.

Moments later he is seen threatening to shock a second suspect, this time pressing the taser into the suspect's neck.

The incidents may never have come to light, court was told, had it not been for Hominuk's supervisor, who happened to review the camera's contents by chance days later and launched an investigation.

Best bullshit:

Hominuk's lawyers maintained the officer was a victim of hypoglycemia and that the diabetic reaction was responsible for the officer's behaviour...Justice Hugh Fraser noted Hominuk was over-tired, and had missed a meal that day causing his blood sugar to drop.

Stunning it its brazenness, no?

Read more here.

Insurance Corporation of British Columbia: Cold Hearted Bastards of the Day

The rigid enforcing of laws without looking at reality is not the sign of a high intellect.

A young B.C. driver is facing steep insurance penalties from the provincially owned insurance corporation for an accident he had nothing to do with.

"They seem not to care at all. They just shrug it off," said 19-year-old Kevin Braun. "I spent hours on the phone with them just to hear the same thing: they can't do anything."

"For a company that you have no choice but to use, they should have better customer service."

Braun works in a restaurant in Victoria. In March, he loaned his 1996 pickup truck — the first vehicle he's owned — to his boss, Steve Madden, who then caused an accident. Braun's vehicle was written off by ICBC.

Both Braun and Madden have vehicle insurance with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). Madden said he asked ICBC to apply the claim to his policy, so Braun won't face higher premiums and a black mark on his driving record, but ICBC refused.

"I've admitted guilt since day one," said Madden. "I don't want a new driver to be paying for my mistake. They say, 'Well it stays on his record either way.'"

Read more here.

Pinkie's Song

Tory council leader Alan Melton: Idiot of the Day

Nothing must stand in the way of business. Nothing.

Archaeologists have condemned a Tory council leader's threat to dismantle all archaeological controls on development, saying that the regulations are necessary to protect the UK's unique national heritage.

Alan Melton, leader of Fenland District Council, dismissed opponents of development as "bunny huggers" in a speech last week. Archaeologists fear his views reflect a national threat to all heritage protection as a result of the government's determination to simplify the planning process to encourage development.

Read more here.

Rochester Police drop charges against woman who videotaped them after they are embarrassed on an international scale

In the old days, this woman would still be behind bars. This is what the Net is for.

The District Attorney’s Office today agreed to dismissal of the criminal charge against Emily Good, who was arrested in May while videotaping police making a traffic stop.

The video of Good’s arrest has gone viral, attracting nationwide news coverage, including a live interview with Good on CNN. Though the criminal charge against Good was a lone misdemeanor count, her arrest became the centerpiece of a community debate over the police response.

Read more here.

Peter Worthington: Championing Toronto's Homophobic community

It's good to know that that oppressed group, Toronto's Homophobic community, have found a voice.

Yet another of Toronto's media who

a) are delighted by Mayor Ford snub
b) seem not to understand the dangerous message the Mayor is sending some of his more unfeeling supporters.
c) do understand it and endorse it

Why should Mayor Rob Ford attend Toronto’s Pride Parade if he doesn’t want to? He never attended as a councillor, so why be hypocritical and attend as mayor?

He signed the proclamation declaring Pride Week, and has done nothing overt to alienate Toronto’s homosexual community, so why criticize him for opting to spend time at the family cottage at Huntsville?

It’s probably true that Ford has no particular affection towards the annual Pride Parade, just as it’s fair to say that most of Toronto’s gay community probably didn’t want him elected as mayor.

Ford attending the parade means absolutely nothing — and maybe would be evidence of phony pandering if he did attend. He’s a different cat than Mel Lastman who, when he was mayor, pretended to be a good sport and made an ass of himself mugging and posturing.

The silver lining of all this is that people like Mr. Worthington have put their vile hatred in writing for the world to see, delighting other thugs readers everywhere and preserving it for prosperity.

Read more here.

Toronto council speaker Frances Nunziata booed

Toronto council speaker Frances Nunziata was greeted with boos at the flag-raising ceremony for Toronto's Pride Week as protesters demanded to know why Mayor Rob Ford was not present.

Nunziata was acting as Ford's representative at the noon ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square on Monday, in which she proclaimed Pride Week festivities were officially underway.

But she was drowned out by a handful of protesters at the ceremony who booed as she tried to read the proclamation.

"Where's the mayor?," they yelled. Some were carrying signs with slogans like "you can't hide from us 4eva," and "respect LGBTQ taxpayers."

Protesters brought signs directed at Mayor Ford during Monday's flag-raising ceremony. (CBC)

Well I'm sure she will say something diplomatic to smooth things over....

Nunziata responded by saying those who didn't want to hear her speak "have the right to leave."

Oh...

Well at least Toronto's Homophobic community are getting a kick out of all the fag bashing:

FrankRogers
2011/06/28
at 1:11 AM ET
Every time I see another oddball protest put on by these people I am reminded of why a lot of people don't like them.

Well done Mayor Ford, you've given your fag hating friends years of ammunition.

And if making life in Toronto that much more difficult for those you don't like or agree with is your aim, you succeeded in rainbow flying colours.

Read more here.

The US Supreme Court chooses corporations over citizens yet again

The Supreme Court has tossed out an Arizona law that provides extra taxpayer-funded support for office seekers who have been outspent by privately funded opponents or by independent political groups.

A conservative 5-4 majority of justices on Monday said the law violated free speech, concluding the state was impermissibly trying to "level the playing field" through a public finance system.

Arizona lawmakers had argued there was a compelling state interest in equalizing resources among competing candidates and interest groups.

Read more here.

Massive blow to her bigotry causes Kathryn Jean Lopez to babble incoherently

Kathryn Jean Lopez, a writer for the National Review and thundering homophobe, has had a massive blow to her bigotry when New York State passed marriage equality.

She reacts thusly:

Do not be so quick to dismiss the North Korea comparison, Mike. We are witnessing tyranny today that is fostered by a false sense of freedom, a tyranny that faux tolerance ferments.

She thinks allowing marriage equality is a North Korea style exercise in tyranny (she is quoting a Catholic (natch) Archbishop Timothy Dolan “Last time I consulted an atlas, it is clear we are living in New York, in the United States of America — not in China or North Korea.”).

She would be amusing if not for the fact that her and her's are quite willing to use the law to impose their oppression, while being totally blind to the fact.

Read more here.

New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie: A Thug unfit for public office

A Thug unfit for public office. Conservatives must just *love* him.

The Transportation Security Administration: Keeping us safe from cancer stricken 95 year olds

Yeah I know Marcus Gee, it's a War and she was an obvious threat.

The Transportation Security Administration stood by its security officers Sunday after a Florida woman complained that her cancer-stricken, 95-year-old mother was patted down and forced to remove her adult diaper while going through security.

Reports of the incident took hold in social media, with scores of comments on the topic and reposts appearing hourly on Twitter Sunday afternoon.

The TSA released a statement Sunday defending its agents' actions at the Northwest Florida Regional Airport.

"While every person and item must be screened before entering the secure boarding area, TSA works with passengers to resolve security alarms in a respectful and sensitive manner," the federal agency said. "We have reviewed the circumstances involving this screening and determined that our officers acted professionally and according to proper procedure."

Hey if nothing else, it helps keep the more cowardly among us* happy.

* read here 'the ruling class and much of the media'

Read more here.

Michele Bachmann enters Presidencial race in bid to make Sarah Palin seem less crazy

Nasty and petty as our local conservatives try to be, they can't even begin to compete with this level of crazy.

Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann is set to be the latest Republican to formally announce a bid for the US presidency in 2012.

Ms Bachmann, 55, a favourite of the economically conservative Tea Party movement, is to declare on Monday in the US state of Iowa - her birthplace.

A poll of party members there shows her virtually tied with frontrunner Mitt Romney, with 22% of the support.

The US is swinging like a bell culturally at the moment, so after Obama could come an equally wide swing to the Right.

Enter the Crazy Lady.

Read more here.

Far out man part II

Coldplay commits crime against Humanity: a new song

Wake me when it's over.

To The Globe and Mail: The G20 wasn't a war you flaming idiots

Marcus 'How the Fuck do I call myself a journalist with a straight face' Gee is at it again:

At the G20, Toronto was lost in the fog of war

I can almost predict whenever the G and M prints some backwards thinking conservative dribble, it will have originated from the feverous mind of Mr. Gee. What a total dope.

Generals call it the fog of war. In intense military conflicts, disorder and bewilderment often reign. Commanders lose touch with their troops. Orders go astray. The shape of the battle suddenly changes, making mincemeat of the best laid plans.

So it was on June 26 and 27, 2010, when police confronted radical protesters on the streets of Toronto. “The G20 summit was an event unprecedented in Toronto in terms of the size and scope of its security demands and policing requirements,” says a report ordered by Police Chief Bill Blair. “It was also the first time that many TPS officers had experienced widespread criminality and mass public disorder.”

That last sentence is worded badly, let me fix it for you..

“It was also the first time that many TPS officers had evoked widespread criminality and mass public disorder.”

There, now it reflects the truth.

Read more here.

Seagull steals GoPro camera

Seagull stole my video camera in Cannes France. I found it on the castle wall, where I had to climb.

Read more here.

International bully China releases another 'dissident'

Gee, I guess China needs something from the rest of the world, and is buffing up its image.

A thug in a dress is still a thug.

Prominent Chinese dissident Hu Jia has been released from prison and reunited with his family, his wife says.

Mr Hu, 37, served a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for "inciting subversion". His term had been set to end on Sunday.

There is a heavy police presence outside Mr Hu's Beijing home and he now appears to be under some form of house arrest, a BBC correspondent says.

Mr Hu's release coincidentally follows that of artist Ai Weiwei last week.

Read more here.

CNN: Idiots of the Day

The movie Network was more prophetic then we knew...

This might be the most mind-bogglingly idiotic thing I have ever seen on cable news, and I say that having seen a lot of idiotic things on cable news. CNN has now upped the ante several degrees by devoting a segment about the economy not to unemployment, not to our nation’s financial institutions, but to the question of what if f**king psychics had all the answers?

Read more here.

NY Senator Greg Ball made sure the bigots had an out

Gee I wish I had my own religion so I could be openly crappy to people I didn't like either, and still be socially respectable.

Perhaps the International Brotherhood against Mimes. I would never rent an apartment to a mime couple, although they are very quiet.

O Canada

When do our leaders become so corrupt that the contract between them and the citizens is broken?

The contempt the police are showing for this man is obvious, do they then deserve respect?

World, this is the place Stephen Harper is making of Canada.

The lawyer for a man suing the Toronto Police Service says his client was "terrified" when he was arrested, strip-searched and led naked past a female officer a few days prior to last year's G20 Summit.

In an interview on CBC News Network on Friday, lawyer Murray Klippenstein said his client, Sean Salvati, 33, was held without access to a lawyer for 11 hours before being released.

A police security video, posted by the Toronto Star after it was obtained by Salvati's lawyer through freedom of information requests, shows a completely naked Salvati being led by three male officers out of an interrogation room and past a female officer

Read more here.

New York State votes to outrage the bigots

New York State chooses marriage equality while our bigoted little Mayor Ford throws a very public tandrum.

What a strange world we live in.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the state's marriage equality bill hours after it passed the Republican-controlled Senate on Friday night, making it the sixth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage.

Cuomo signed the bill into law after the legislature cleared the way to legalize same-sex marriage with a 33-to-29 vote, the first time a state Senate with a Republican majority has approved such a bill.

The new law, which will allow same-sex couples in New York to marry within 30 days, drew a sharp rebuke from opponents, who spent millions to try to defeat the measure.



I hope Jeffrey Goldberg is kidding, cause if not he comes across as at best clueless.

The New York Times: Idiots of the Day

It's moments like this that make the Internet worth while.

Hollywood's first big budget feature promoting masturbation: Captain America

That's some big time self lovin':

"Heroes are made in America"

his name is CAPTAIN AMERICA… I would hope the sensetive people around the world could handle knowing that this character, is loudly patriotic. yes, DEAL WITH IT….

Yawn. Notice they have to go back to WWII for a conflict they can remotely feel good about.

Barbara Kay: Come on Canadian politicians, have the courage to be as small and petty as Rob Ford

More of those sick of actually having to treat everyone equally come out of the woodwork.

Nice choice of photo there National Post, keep it classy...

Pride doesn’t need public money, any more than strip shows do. Millions of tolerant, non-homophobic Canadians find nothing to celebrate in lewd self-promotion. Rob Ford is one of them, I assume. He would do everyone a favour if he never marched in another Pride parade again. I bet there are hundreds of other politicians in Canada who secretly wished they had the nerve to follow suit.

Mayor Ford's action has allowed some such as Ms. Kay to come scurrying from under the rocks they've been hiding under for years, unable to be as publicly nasty as they are in their hearts....until now.

And Toronto's Homophobic community are out in numbers in the comment section, enjoying their day of sanctioned hatred to full measure.

They haven't had it this good since the "Roll up the Paddy Wagon and Arrest Everyone in the Bar" days....ah memories.

Read more here.

Councillor John Parker pushes non Pinko priority: Death to all Bikelanes

More conservative navel gazing, this time it's the "Car is King" mentality some in Toronto's city hall have.

Heaven forbid that some might want to save money and get healthy. My word, that just reeks of Communism.

In response to a motion put forward by Councillor John Parker, the Public Works Committee has voted 4-2 to remove the Jarvis bike lanes. The committee does not, however, have the authority to make this decision on its own, and the item will thus go to a full council vote in mid July. Given Council's track record, however, it's probably not a good idea to hold one's breath that the lanes will remain in place.

Mayor Ford and Co. are sizing up to be some of the most ideological driven ninnies in recent history.

Read more here.

G20/G8 police played at rats and moles

Our current leaders really despise opposition, do they not?

A bit late although, some of Canadian voters decided Stephen Possible War Criminal Harper was just AOK as PM.

Newly released G8/G20 summit documents reveal the RCMP and various Ontario police forces spent several months infiltrating anti-war, anti-globalization and anarchist groups with the use of undercover officers ahead of last June's summits in Huntsville and Toronto.

The reports by the Joint Intelligence Group formed by the RCMP-led ISU (Integrated Security Unit) show that various police services contributed at least 12 undercover officers to take part in covert surveillance of potential "criminal extremists" in a bid to "detect … and disrupt" any threats.

Read more here.

Toronto's Homophobic community elated by Rob Ford's Pride snub

Nothing puts a little jump in the step of a homophobe than a little government sanctioned fag bashing.

Read the comments to this story and see!

Good for Ford. I wouldn't go either. Not on my life.

Rob Ford has every right to attend his families events at his families cottage. It is unfortunate that fringe groups dispute this.

Etc etc....

Members of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's family, including his mother, on Thursday publicly defended his decision not to attend the city's Gay Pride Parade.

When asked Wednesday whether he would attend the July 3 parade, Ford said he would continue his family's tradition of being at the cottage in Huntsville during the July 1 long weekend.

A CBC.ca story about Ford's decision triggered more than 600 comments. Many defended Ford's decision, but others said it was a snub to Toronto's gay community.

Read more here.

Police at G20 were fine, except for Interpretation of law, Communication, Organization, and the arrest of hundreds

Other than that all was peachy.

One billion dollars just doesn't get good help these days. It did buy peace of mind for conservatives content in the knowledge they got to beat up on their fellow citizens.

Toronto police were overwhelmed and underprepared at times for protests that occurred during last year's G20 summit, according to an internal report.

The report reviews the actions of Toronto police during the June 26-27, 2010, summit at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in downtown Toronto and the preparations leading up to it.

Read more here.

Rochester Police: Idiots of the Day

On May 12th, A Rochester woman was arrested for taping a traffic stop in front of her 19th Ward Home. She was standing in front of her house with a hand held recording device when the arrest happened. Officer Mario Masic, Rochester Police Department, executed the illegal arrest.

Ai Weiwei released

The news isn't all bad in the fight against backwards thinking governments:

The Chinese legal authorities released the dissident artist Ai Weiwei on Wednesday after a three-month detention, apparently ending a prosecution that had become a focal point of criticism of China’s eroding human rights record.

“I’m released, I’m home, I’m fine,” Mr. Ai said in English after being reached on his cellphone shortly before 12:30 a.m. Thursday. “In legal terms, I’m — how do you say? — on bail. So I cannot give any interviews. But I’m fine.”

Read more here.

Mayor Ford succeeds in bringing Toronto's homophobes to full flower

We are ruled by the petty. As long as they can make life just a little unpleasant for those they don't agree with, then it's Mission Accomplished.

Mayor Ford's decision to not march in this year's Pride is a carefully crafted message to us all, a message Ford Nation has received loud clear, as these comments on CBC show:

dennismckeown: Good for him.

HOMARE: I think he clearly made the right decision.

two_cents: Good for you man! I too wouldn't wanna be in that infested environment downtown either.

anamcara2: Why should they be disapointed?
A choice is a choice is a choice. Even the mayor of TO gets to chose. A long standing family tradition should take precedance over a parade.

VR in Oshawa: "coded homophobic language"?? Really?

Wanting to stay away from an event that one finds unappealing and offensive due to it's very public display of very private sexual preferences means one is homophobic??

Get a dictionary

Etc etc, pages and pages of uninformed nonsense from Ford supporters.

Dumb is the new smart. Get used to it, as these unthinking types are in the ascendancy.

Mayor Ford is testing the waters here, seeing if his divisive stance will play politically. If it does, defunding Pride is next.

Count on it. Modern conservatives don't like you, and will bend over backwards to let you know it.

Mayor Ford surprises no one by not marching in Pride

Yawn, it would have been bigger news if he'd actually do something magnanimous.

He is shaping up to be one of the most petty politicians I've ever seen, and I remember Nixon.

His supporters are cheering, way to go Robbie! Stick it to the Pinko Fags! They seem to revel in division and insult.

This is perfect for the school yard, for the Mayor's office of a major city, not so much. Their behavior does seem to indicate they have not matured socially past this stage however.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he will not be marching in this July's Pride parade because it conflicts with long-standing plans to spend that time at his family cottage.

"I'm going up north ... I'm going to be up at the cottage," said Ford on Wednesday when asked by a reporter if he would be attending the parade.

Ford told reporters on Wednesday that as much as it's been a tradition for the mayor to march in the parade, it's been a Ford family tradition to head up to the cottage in Huntsville on Canada Day.

Next step, defunding. You know folks it's another of his "long-standing" plans.

Good Lord Robbie, even Marcus Gee thinks you're a petty, childish, not quite mature enough to be Mayor kind of guy.

If you've lost Marcus, you must be pretty cold.

Read more here.

Southwest Airlines pilot tells the world no one wants to lay him

The man can't get laid, so of course it's the fag's fault. Naturally.

Read more here.

Virginia police kill 69 year old man in his own home over "illegal" prescription drugs

Americans are armed to the teeth, and it's drilled into them to defend their homes at all cost. Then the moronic police act surprised that people actually do so when they think their home is being invaded by armed thugs.

Which it was...

Guns and four bottles of prescription painkillers — three of them empty — were among the items seized after a drug raid at a Hampton home Saturday led to the homeowner's death during a shootout with police.

William A. Cooper, 69, was shot at about 10 a.m. after police — executing a search warrant seeking controlled prescription painkillers — forced entry into his home on Clifton Street in Wythe.

Police say Cooper opened fire on them in the home, and they had no choice but to shoot back. A friend of Cooper's says he thinks Cooper must have been startled by the raid and believed his home was being invaded by criminals.

The list of seized items, filed Tuesday in Hampton Circuit Court, included one empty bottle of OxyContin and three bottles of Oxycodone-acetaminophen — one containing pills and two of them empty. OxyContin and Oxycodone-acetaminophen are controlled substances that are highly sought on the black market.

They also did the Montreal thing, and wild bullets hitting neigbouring houses, luckily without injuries. But hey, they got to kill a 69 year old prescription pill pusher, so all is good...right?

Read more here.

To Harper and Co, asbestos will only be hazardous when it stops making money

I apologize to you World, but I didn't vote for the man, but legions of my soulless fellow citizens did.

Canada has stepped in to block the listing of chrysotile asbestos on an international list of hazardous chemicals.

Putting chrysotile asbestos on the Annex III list of the Rotterdam Convention would let countries where companies import it to turn it away if they don't think they can safely handle it.

Canada kept quiet throughout the sessions so far this week, relying on other countries to register their objections. Officials in Ottawa refused to answer repeated questions about whether they would oppose the listing.

But the delegate from Ukraine dropped the country's objection Wednesday, prompting the Canadian delegation to speak up in opposition.

The convention needs consensus to be able to make changes to the list. The only countries still objecting are Canada, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan and Vietnam

Nice company we're keeping there Harper, well done.

Read more here.

Mayor Ford, Nurses and uncaring convervatisim

Hey, if a conservative can't see any economic value in a thing, then fuck it.

Mayor Rob Ford has rejected the province’s offer to hire two public health nurses for Toronto at no cost to the city, drawing rebukes from both the provincial health minister and a loyal council ally.

Ford’s Monday decision marked the second time he has opposed a provincial health initiative that would not have required any city funding. In February, he was the lone dissenter in a 44-1 vote to accept provincial money for an effort to encourage residents to be screened for HIV and syphilis.

One of the nurses would have worked with new immigrants on disease prevention, said Councillor John Filion, chair of the health board. Another would have worked in a poor neighbourhood to promote health services.

FYI Mayor Ford, this and other actions you have taken do nothing to dispel the perception that modern conservatives are cold hearted bastards. Perhaps that was your goal all along?

Read more here.

Harper and Co. may release some Afghan detainee documents...after the election, how convenient

Given the thug like tone of the electorate these days*, this will make not a speck of difference. Canada has already decided this group of war mongering neanderthals are just fine as a government...

In fact among some in this circle, mistreatment of brown people will positively guarantee your invitation to all the right parties.

The Conservative government could disclose reams of declassified records Wednesday about the treatment of Afghan detainees.

Alleged abuse of prisoners — and what the federal government may have known about it — has dogged the Conservatives for years.

The government's initial refusal to disclose thousands of pages of Foreign Affairs and Defence Department reports prompted a parliamentary crisis in December 2009.

It was resolved with the formation of a committee last July consisting of two former Supreme Court justices and an ad-hoc committee of MPs.

They examined more than 40,000 documents to determine which documents could be released without endangering national security.

* comment on CBC.ca: "Another election issue no one cared about. Everyone I've spoken with about this topic gives me the same answer: WHO CARES."

Perfect conservative on human rights issues: who cares. This is the Canada made by Harper.

Granted, the commenter's tag is "swamprat"..

Read more here.

Tim Carney tells the world he's a swine

The Globe and Mail backs money over history. What a shock

More conservative corporate love from who else, Marcus Toronto isn't Soulless Enough Gee:

The fuss is overdone. The city already has several venues and events with corporate names such as the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, not to mention BMO Field and the Allstream Centre. American Express sponsors the Winterlicious restaurant festival and Glad sponsors the annual cleaning blitz called the 20-Minute Makeover. The world has failed to end.

Other cities have gone much farther. New York has added the name Barclays, a British bank, to one of its subway stations. Chicago has signed a $3.9-million (U.S.) deal with Apple to refurbish a subway station in return for naming and other rights. Chicago transit, in fact, has invited companies to bid for naming rights on just about everything from rail lines to bus routes to special events.

The Americans do it! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. We want to be as crass and tasteless as them!!!!!

Mr Gee, STFU please

Read more here.

Ark Music Factory's rapacious greed deprives world of Rebecca Black

The official video for Rebecca Black's internet hit Friday has been removed from YouTube.

A message in place of the video now reads: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Rebecca Black. Sorry about that."

A spokesman for the 13-year-old says her team asked YouTube to take the video down because of a dispute with the song's producers Ark Music Factory.

The firm started to charge $2.99 (£1.85) to watch the clip last week.

At the time Black tweeted: "Thanks for all the messages regarding the $2.99 fee added to Friday video, I have NOTHING to do with this!!

"PS...My Manager and Lawyer are on this and are going to get to the bottom of this! Stay tuned..."

Read more here.

Tony and Cherie Blair: Idiots of the Day

Tony and Cherie Blair are ruffling feathers by charging a fee for a party they are hosting for their son Leo's schoolmates, according to the Daily Mail.

The high-profile couple generated excitement in their community when they agreed to hold an end-of-term party for their 11-year-old son Leo and his peers at school.

However, fellow parents at the school are now miffed over the chintzy approach the Blairs are taking to their hosting duties.

Though the couple's fortune is estimated at £60million, the Blairs are charging each party guest £10 for a seat on the coach that will transport them from London school to the Buckinghamshire mansion that will be the site of the shindig.

Parents will also be banned from driving their kids to the estate for security reasons, so guests have little option but to pay the fee for the bus.

China offers cash rewards to rats

Fixing their fucked up system never seem to enter these repressive brut's minds.

China has offered rewards to migrant workers willing to inform on colleagues involved in recent mass riots in the south-eastern city of Zengcheng.

The Zengcheng Daily published a notice offering workers residency permits - which would give them greater access to services like education and healthcare.

The notice also offered up to 10,000 yuan ($1,500; £1,000) cash rewards.

Hundreds of workers, many from Sichuan province, rioted after a pregnant street vendor was allegedly assaulted.

The rioters targeted government buildings and set cars alight in three days of unrest.

Hundreds of security personnel were sent to restore order last Monday, and witnesses say the city is still under tight control.

Read more here.

Pierre Lacerte and other Montreal bigots prevent synagogue renovations

The "referendum" went ahead and the bigots won...

The Gate David synagogue is a small, old building that serves about 50 Hassidic families. They first drew up plans to renovate in 2004. Many revisions later, the city approved the plans in 2010. However, if it weren’t for the barrage of petitions, flyers and demonstrations, I would be hard pressed to even tell you where the synagogue is.

Much of the opposition has been spearheaded by Pierre Lacerte, whose blog is so replete with sarcasm, innuendos, and lies that it can almost be called hate literature. Yet, he is quoted at face value by the media and allowed to determine the tone of the
“conflict.”

Because he and his comrades come door to door at such regular intervals, I have made efforts to understand their opinions. But it’s a hard thing to listen to when such words eventually turn up in the conversations as “those ethnics,” “they are a threat,” “next thing you know it will be a mosque and Muslims,” and “reasonable accommodation has gone too far!”

Read more here.

Idiots at Samsung come up with an idea that truly stinks

Moron, meet Technology

Today’s television programs are designed to trigger your emotions and your mind through your senses of sound and sight. But what if they could trigger a few more? What if you could smell or taste the cheesy slices of pizza being eaten by your favorite characters on TV? Is it possible? Would audiences enjoy the experience? Would advertisers jump on the opportunity to reach consumers in a new way?

These questions formed the basis of a two year experiment by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, conducted in collaboration with Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Korea. In a proof of concept paper published online today by the journal Angewandte Chemie, the researchers demonstrate that it is possible to generate odor, at will, in a compact device small enough to fit on the back of your TV with potentially thousands of odors.

Read more here.

Mayor Ford and Co. still plan to f*ck with subway names

These people are vile in their pursuit of dollars. Everything is up for grabs, including history.

Conservatives really do think corporations are something to look up to, to be naming things after. A tiny mind set, but that's the kind of people that govern us now.

The selling of naming rights to city institutions will be discussed to by the council's executive committee on Monday at City Hall.

A report that will be tabled at the meeting recommends city staff identify properties where naming rights can be sold in order to raise revenues for the city.

The most contentious idea that's emerged so far is the proposed selling of naming rights to TTC stations.

Go ahead Robbie, make Toronto more cold and inpersonal than it already is. Tough, but you're making a go at it..

Read more here.

Nathan Kotylak: I'm unable to think for myself, can I have my pro athlete career back now?

Being an unthinking cog is an necessary trait in a sports fan, in a citizen not so much...

Media reports say the Maple Ridge, B.C., teen apologized for his actions after speakng to police on Saturday. He told Global B.C. what he did was "dumb" and that he "caught up in the moment."

A moment that will last a lifetime. Well done!

Let him have his future endorsements back, perhaps for some form of Xtreme Water Polo™...it'd be a riot!

Read more here.

Toronto motorists set to whine like spoiled children yet again

There CBC, I fixed your headline for you.

Toronto motorists are going to have to be patient again this weekend as a number of street festivals and thousands of screaming music fans are expected tie up roads across the city.

Get Mayor Ford on the phone...WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...get those Pinkos off the streets!!!

Quote from Mayor's office in next week (undoubtedly given by Dougie): "We've had a lot of calls from folks* this week, and frankly motorists have to come first, bar none"

Or droppings of wisdom to that effect.

Read more here.

* when a politician uses the word "folks", know he is doing something to please the lowest common dominator, like fart jokes in a big budget comedy.

Nathan Kotylak: Elite Idiot of the Day

Elite perhaps, but still a moron

A youth caught on video appearing to try to light a police car on fire in Vancouver on Wednesday night has been identified as an elite athlete who was headed to the University of Calgary on scholarship.

Nathan Kotylak, 17, was identified as one of the hundreds of people who tore a path of destruction through Vancouver's downtown streets after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins.

Water Polo Canada later announced it has suspended a high-level polo player over allegations he was involved in the riot.

Read more here.

Far out man

Moving Like Bernie

Oh you kids today

How LeBron James Broke the Golden Rule of Sports

Inside the mind of the sports fan

Stuxnet: anatomy of a computer virus

Stuxnet: Anatomy of a Computer Virus from Patrick Clair on Vimeo.

Badly photoshopped alien claiming to be Beyoncé markets new fragrance

The Globe and Mail unclear on the concept of Democracy

Marcus Cement Condos are Peachy Gee, always to be relied upon to pen some of Toronto's more reactionary and retrograde verbiage:

Ford’s opponents need to compromise or innovate

Um ok sure. What they really mean is lay down and roll over. Fucking over the poor in Toronto should be a no brainer

For a city facing a $774-million budget shortfall, and a public housing repair backlog almost as big, deciding to sell off 22 rundown houses should not have been tough. Yet city councillors thrashed it over for an afternoon, an evening and into the following morning. There were impassioned speeches. There were nuisance amendments. There was foot-dragging and filibustering.

How dare these people debate the fate of the poor. Vote, toss 'em out and move on, sheesh what is all the fuss?

Listen to the tone of this:

Mr. Ford’s opponents are so set against him that they oppose him even when he makes sense. Instead of better ideas, we get filibusters and fulmination. It won’t do.

Translation: Even if you think the Mayor is wrong, which he obviously isn't, you need to roll over and do his bidding. Isn't that the way modern Canadian democracy works?

In reality, Mr Gee and his ilk are just hoping their property values go up. He's penned loving tomes on this topic as well.

Read more here.

Entertainment industry chalks up another victory in its drive to rule the Net

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a measure today that would make illegal streaming of video over the Internet a felony offense in some cases, sending the proposed legislation to the full Senate.

The bill, S. 978, would make illegal video streaming for commercial purposes a felony punishable by as much as five years in prison if it involves 10 or more instances of streaming copyrighted works over a 180-day period. The retail value of the video must exceed $2,500, or the licenses to the material must be worth more than $5,000.

Read more here.

Science trained on 16th century church tombs

The science of the space age is being used to probe the secrets of a major set of renaissance tombs in southern England.

3D laser imaging is being used to scan the tombs so they can be virtually deconstructed and reassembled in their original guise.

It is thought two of the Howard tombs, in the parish church of St Michael the Archangel in Framlingham, Suffolk, were substantially remodelled after they were moved from Thetford Priory in Norfolk, following the monastery's dissolution in 1540.

The belief is that the salvaged tombs received a Renaissance makeover, with new simpler additions or replacements made, probably in the 1550s. Other elements seem to have been abandoned at Thetford, where they were found during excavations in the 1930s.

Read more here.

Mitt Romney: Unemployed and Idiot of the Day

Mitt Romney sat at the head of the table at a coffee shop here on Thursday, listening to a group of unemployed Floridians explain the challenges of looking for work. When they finished, he weighed in with a predicament of his own.

“I should tell my story,” Mr. Romney said. “I’m also unemployed.”

He chuckled. The eight people gathered around him, who had just finished talking about strategies of finding employment in a slow-to-recover economy, joined him in laughter.

“Are you on LinkedIn?” one of the men asked.

“I’m networking,” Mr. Romney replied. “I have my sight on a particular job.”

O hohoho, such a side splitter.

Please got back to trying the dog to the roof of the car and shut the fuck up

Read more here.

Who the f*ck cares about the 'Kissing Duo', Vancouver hockey fans are still morons

The mystery identity of the couple kissing while lying on a Vancouver street as riot police battled crowds following the Canucks' Stanley Cup loss has been revealed as Australian Scott Jones and his Canadian girlfriend Alex Thomas.

Jones's family in the Land Down Under said he has been in Canada for six months, working as a bartender and trying to break into acting and standup comedy.

Read more here.

Mayor Ford and Co. move to throw poor into the street

The sale of 22 single-family Toronto Community Housing Corp. houses is the start of a great social housing sell-off — a sea change in the way the city houses the needy, critics charge.

Allies of Mayor Rob Ford did little to quiet the speculation Wednesday, with one key member suggesting 900 other houses are next, followed by some of TCHC’s apartment blocks.

“We have to revisit our policies on all of it,” Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti told reporters. “The city is stuck with an old stock of housing that we just cannot fix up. We’ve got to make some very difficult decisions.”

About other people's lives, but hey, it's not us so WHEEEEEEEE

Read more here.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn 'claimed diplomatic immunity'

I claim I'm Lord of the Universe. Nobody listens to me either.

Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn claimed diplomatic immunity and complained about being handcuffed as he was arrested for sexual assault in New York, official documents reveal.

Read more here.

Apple comes up with a really bad idea

A newly published patent indicates that Apple is apparently tinkering with the idea of a sophisticated infrared system for the iPhone--one that could help in Cupertino's quest to become BFFs with the music and movie industries.

What's really going on here is basically a way for an iPhone to receive data about its surrounding environment. The entertainment industry could come in if, for example, a band--or more likely, its record company--doesn't want a concert to be recorded illegally. They could place infrared transmitters around the stage, which, when picked up by an iPhone camera pointed at them, could trigger a disabling of all recording on the phone.

Perfect for governments and law enforcement everywhere.

Read more here.

Skydive arena

Vancouver perpetuates the perception that sport fans are morons

It's just a game guys, get a life

Riot police fired tear gas, pepper spray and flash bombs in downtown Vancouver Wednesday night to try to disperse angry rioters who set cars on fire, looted stores and taunted police officers after the Canucks' 4-0 Stanley Cup final loss to the Boston Bruins.

Read more here.

Former New York Giants receiver David Tyree: Vile Homophobe of the Day

The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!

Get over it Mary

Former New York Giants receiver David Tyree's celebrated catch in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XLII was pivotal to his team's victory. Now out of football, he is trying to claim a last-minute win over another foe -- same-sex marriage.

On the same day that the New York State Assembly approved a same-sex marriage bill, Tyree warned of dire consequences if the legislation becomes law.

The bill's passage would "be the beginning of our country sliding toward ... anarchy," he said

You sir, are an idiot

Read more here.

Westmount wealthy continue to embarrass themselves on the world stage

And here you thought arrogant behavior by the rich was confined only to Toronto

City tags dog? Nothing new there, but what if the city licenses the dog’s keeper instead?

Montreal’s wealthy town-within-the-city called Westmount has found a novel way to impose on residents and outsiders alike while, to hear locals tell it, chipping away at personal liberty and neighbourliness. Since May, the town has required dog walkers to carry their own licence if they intend to have their pooch set a paw in Westmount.

Westmount has a long history of discouraging outsiders from using public services. And the small plastic card, obtained with the usual dog tags, carries an annual fee of $20 for Westmounters, $40 for everyone else. The tag must be carried by the human walker at all times, even while traversing the small enclave in canine accompaniment, at risk of a fine of $75 to $300 for a first offence.

Read more here.

Mayor Ford, or never trust a conservative with money

They're too busy stuffing it in the mattress, or into bankers

As a conspicuously frugal Etobicoke councillor, Rob Ford made a very public point about spending almost none of his office budget and paying some of his office expenses using his own personal funds. A staunch critic of councillors’ spending habits, Mr. Ford used his own website to publicize embarrassing invoices submitted by other politicians, obtained through access to information requests.

In his current position, Mr. Ford has continued his crusade to slash discretionary spending by municipal politicians, and he claims to have spent just $1,718.46 for mayor’s office expenses for the first quarter of 2011.

But a Globe and Mail investigation of the mayor’s office budget indicates clear gaps in official expense disclosure documents that raise questions about how Mr. Ford pays for routine expenditures associated with a busy 17-person operation.

Notably absent is any evidence of how – and how much – Mr. Ford pays for mayor’s office supplies, such as letterhead, and his mobile phone, which he uses frequently to communicate with Toronto residents. Even the most frugal councillors routinely expense service packages for smartphones, which are obligatory equipment for busy politicians. Such subscriptions can run to thousands of dollars a year.

Read more here.

Mayor Ford and Co. want to rename subway stations

For noble and upstanding members of the community?

Fuck no, more like the Alleged Fat Fuck Duo's real heroes...

Next stop: Spadina-McDonalds station.

“Whatever. If it brings in revenue, I honestly don’t believe anyone cares,” Councillor Doug Ford quipped Tuesday afternoon.

At a time when city staff is asking council to adopt a concrete policy regarding corporate partnerships, sponsorships and naming rights, the always outspoken brother of Mayor Rob Ford took a few minutes to promote the idea to reporters.

“As long as it’s called the right name,” he said, before tossing out the Spadina-McDonalds idea. Getting it through council “won’t be a problem,” he added, if it means getting the TTC the TLC it needs.

Speaking outside council, the mayor said, “sure,” he supported the idea.

I'd be hard pressed to come up with names Ford and Co. might deed worthy of praise..

"Genghis Khan, next stop Genghis Khan"

Umm, it just might work

If nothing else, it offers a glimpse into the tiny mental world these people occupy: “Whatever. If it brings in revenue, I honestly don’t believe anyone cares,”

That applies to just about anything in their world

And FYI Mayor Ford, why do you constantly let your less than eloquent brother babble to the press like this? I know he's your brother and all, but really, do you remember Billy Carter?

Read more here.

Depressing Fact of the Day

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" was in theatres 30 years ago at this time.

Mayor Ford pushes another non Pinko priority: bailing out a bankrupt hockey arena

Bike lanes = bad
Low income housing = bad
Bailing out out a 45 million dollar hockey arena = what's the fucking problem?

In a hockey-mad city where battles over ice time make national headlines, a new four-pad arena with blue-chip tenants that include the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies and the Hockey Hall of Fame has managed to run out of money, leaving Toronto taxpayers on the hook.

The Lakeshore Lions Arena opened its doors less than three years ago, a $43-million facility that attracted a corporate sponsorship – it’s also known as the Mastercard Centre of Hockey Excellence – and became the practice rink for both the Leafs and Marlies. It also houses the archives of the Hockey Hall of Fame and rents space to Hockey Canada and the NHL Alumni Association.

But $3.7-million in annual revenues isn’t enough to keep the lights on. Construction overruns, rising interest rates and a restaurant space that remains empty are all hurting the bottom line. The rink, built and operated by the local Lions Club, is on the brink of insolvency, and the City of Toronto, which backstopped more than $35.5-million in loans for the west-end complex, is planning a bailout.

Read more here.

Crowe's position on dicks cut short

Hollywood star Russell Crowe has apologised for criticising the ritual of circumcision on his Twitter account.

Crowe said the procedure was "barbaric and stupid" but later deleted his comments.

He later wrote: "I'm very sorry that I have said things on here that have caused distress.

"My personal beliefs aside, I realise that some will interpret this... as me mocking rituals and traditions of others. I am very sorry," he added.

He was right the first time. Guess his PR people got to him

Read more here.

Harper and Co. don't care if we all die of asbestos poisioning

Mr Harper sir, there may be some danger from abse....

Is it in the Ayn Rand?

Well, I don't think..

Is it in the Bible?

No I don't...

Well then it doesn't exist, stop worrying your pretty little head over it...lalalalala

The Canadian government rejected advice from Health Canada that asbestos be added to a global list of hazardous materials in 2006, CBC News has learned.

According to documents obtained under Access to Information, a senior Health Canada bureaucrat wrote that the agency believed that chrysotile — a form of asbestos that has been linked to cancer — should be added to a UN treaty known as the Rotterdam Convention.

"[Health Canada's] preferred position would be to list — as this is consistent with controlled use — i.e. let people know about the substance so they have the information they need, through prior informed consent, to ensure they handle and use the substance correctly," wrote Paul Glover then director general of Health Canada's safe environments program, in 2006.

Read more here.

Warren Beatty hopes for Dick Tracy II so he can bang Madonna again

Beatty, who directed and starred in the 1990 detective movie based on Chester Gould‘s long-running comic strip, said he’s been working on the sequel and wants to “get it right.” He declined to elaborate on casting priorities, the visual effects approach or any sort of timetable.

“When you’re really doing good work is when you don’t know you’re working, and when something just occurs to you, and you go, ‘Oh, of course.’” Beatty told the auditorium at the Chinese Six in Hollywood after the festival’s opening screening of “Dick Tracy.”

Read more here.

Sky network poised to Gleefully set Europe back centuries musically

And you thought the Eurovision Song Contest sounded bad now...

US hit show Glee is to be screened in the UK on Sky from this autumn, it has been confirmed.

The musical comedy will move to the satellite channel after Channel 4 walked away from rights negotiations to broadcast the show last month.

Sky had reportedly offered to pay £12m for the third series, more than double the amount Channel 4 paid for its first two seasons.

Read more here.

FOX News is rasist? I'm shocked, shocked!

Read more here.

University of Alberta Dean of medicine Philip Baker: Idiot of the Day

Ah, how some must pine for a time before Google...

Medical students at the University of Alberta are disappointed after they say their dean copied a graduation speech.

Students say a speech given by dean of medicine Philip Baker during a convocation banquet Friday night, which told personal stories about how medical science has helped his wife and children, was lifted from a talk given by surgeon Atul Gawande at Stanford University's 2010 medical school convocation.

"It was a phenomenal speech.… I was very impressed with the speech. It was very eloquently given and reflected very well on the evening," said medical student Jonathan Zaozirny, who was there for Baker's remarks.

But when students looked up parts of the speech online later in the evening, Zaozirny said, they learned the speech was not written by Baker.

Read more here.

If this were you or me, we'd not be getting out so fast

A former transit police officer convicted last year in the shooting death of an unarmed man on an Oakland, California, train platform was freed from prison early Monday morning, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

"He was released at 12:01 a.m.," said spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Johannes Mehserle was sentenced to two years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter conviction, but California law gave him one day of good conduct credit for each of the 365 days he served behind bars, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry said in a court order he signed last week.

Mehserle has been behind bars since a Los Angeles jury found him guilty on July 8, 2010.

Read more here.

Exercising my free speech, I thing Tracy Morgan is a scumbag

I think the poor baby is just reacting to being named Tracy...

Tracy Morgan's latest standup set is no laughing matter.

Kevin Rogers attended Morgan's standup show last Friday and reported on his Facebook page that Morgan let loose a viciously homophobic rant that, as far as he could tell, was a dead serious attack on gay men and women. Rogers, who is gay, wrote:

Etc etc, the usual dribble from these types

Oh wait, he upped the ante...

He said if his son that was gay he better come home and talk to him like a man and not [he mimicked a gay, high pitched voice] or he would pull out a knife and stab that little N (one word I refuse to use) to death.

Thus moving from unfunny comedian to sick fuck in the blink of an eye.

Read more here.

Mayor Gérald Tremblay and Ombudsman Raymonde Saint-Germain state the bloody obvious concerning the police

Montreal's mayor joined Quebec's ombudsman on Friday in renewing the call for an independent probe of violent police-related incidents, in the wake of a police shooting this week that killed a knife-wielding homeless man as well as a bystander on his way to work.

Ombudsman Raymonde Saint-Germain said civilians must be included in investigations involving such incidents to eliminate the appearance of bias.

Will this ever happen? Not in a million years

Read more here.

Lady Gaga's album has steep drop in sales..after people actually get a chance to hear it

After last week's strong sales debut, Lady Gaga's album "Born This Way" has seen a sharp decrease in sales.

The superstar's record sold more than a million copies in its first week, but for week two only 174,000 were sold, according to Billboard.

They'll analyze this to death, never coming to the correct conclusion: the album stinks

Read more here.

There's hope yet for the cast to get too old and fat for J.J. Abram's Star Trek II

Paramount announced yesterday that J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek sequel is no longer on the 2012 summer blockbuster list.

His work on Super 8 delayed production for the Star Trek saga, but now that that’s finished, Abrams is going to start working on the franchise film.

And despite the delay in production, all the key players from the original film will return for the sequel.

Of course they will, much like the TOS original cast, it's all they got.

And anyway, they're running out of planets to blow up.

Read more here.

Leicester unprepared yet total safe from zombie attack as they only seek brains

A worried member of the public has forced Leicester City Council to admit it is unprepared for a zombie invasion.

The authority received a Freedom of Information request which said provisions to deal with an attack, often seen in horror films, were poor.

The "concerned citizen" said the possibility of such an event was one that councils should be aware of.

Read more here.

Another scapegoat is offered up in the person of Genn Weddell when Harper and Co. are the real criminals

Should police be charged if they overstep the authority?

Absolutely

Should police be charged if their authority was extended by dubious and secret mandates from above?

Well, um

Shouldn't we be investing the people who actually authorized this clear breaking of Canadian law?

But but, we have an officer under arrest? Isn't that complete justice?

A Toronto police officer has been charged in connection to injuries sustained by Dorian Barton, who claimed his arm was broken when he was assaulted by police during last June's G20 demonstrations.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, which reopened the case last month, said there was sufficient information gathered from numerous interviews to lay charges almost a year after the incident at Queen's Park in Toronto.

Toronto Police Const. Glenn Weddell was charged Friday with assault causing bodily harm.

Read more here.

Voyager Finds Magnetic Bubbles at Solar System's Edge

Montreal police investigators begin whitewashing process

Step one: Begin slowly

Provincial police investigators said Thursday they have not yet interviewed four Montreal police officers involved in a shooting two days earlier that ended in two deaths, including a bystander who was on his way to work.

Guy Lapointe, a spokesman for Sûreté du Québec, said the four officers present during the fatal shooting would likely be interviewed sometime in the next few days.

He said it's normal to wait awhile before interviewing such witnesses.

"When you meet the major witnesses of a case, you want to be prepared, you want to know a bit of what might have happened and to be able to ask the right questions," he said.

And it gives ample time for memories to fade. Yes, makes perfect sense...

What kind of morons do you take the Canadian public for?

pssst, they just elected Harper

Ohhh...

Read more here.

Hate filled little man Rick Santorum upset about his Google standing

If you weren't such a cool hearted prick, maybe just maybe you'd not be a target.

Just sayin'

Police Const. Glenn Weddell, what's gonna shield ya now?

I pity any member of the SIU pulled over for a speeding ticket in this city.

Police Const. Glenn Weddell has been identified as the officer who allegedly slammed Dorian Barton with a riot shield and hit him with a baton during the G20, the Toronto Star has learned.

Weddell is the subject officer at the centre of a Special Investigations Unit probe, which in turn is at the heart of a public bickering match between Toronto police and the civilian agency charged with overseeing them.

Investigators have asked 11 witness officers to identify the colleague accused of beating Barton during last June’s G20 summit. Eight of them were within the immediate vicinity of Barton’s violent takedown; one of them was also the officer’s roommate during the summit, according to the SIU.

None of the officers were able to offer a positive identification, leading many critics to suggest a “blue wall of silence” was at play.

Ya think?

Read more here.

Pssst, Obama, the left in the US is turning on you

A growing chorus of left wing bloggers are echoing this tune:

Jobless claims are up again this week in the US, marking "the ninth consecutive week that claims were above 400,000," despite the constant predictions that unemployment was going to start falling. (Magically! Care of voodoo economics!)

It's a terribly grim landscape, and the only viable solution is government intervention, fast and serious, because whooooooooooooops the market is not solving this problem.

"I'm sitting this one out."—The Invisible Hand.

Problem is that we've got President Bipartisan unwilling to do what it takes (spoiler alert: national infrastructure investment), because the Republicans might whine at him for governing like a sensible person who gives a fuck about his country.

Granted, said writer Melissa McEwan was never a big fan of Obama to begin with, but still...

Read more here.

Toronto's rich to get better Internet service than the rest of us pions

Someone please, free us from Rogers.

Toronto will soon play host to some of the planet’s fastest Internet, owing to a rare network planned for developments in the east waterfront.

The “ultra-broadband network” will make new neighbourhoods in the area among the “most connected in the world,” said Waterfront Toronto CEO John Campbell at a Tuesday morning announcement.

To be available in the under-construction communities of East Bayfront and West Donlands, the network will offer residents Internet speeds of up 100 megabits per second — 20 times the Toronto average.

“You’ve got a big sandbox to play in now, whereas historically you had enough to get by,” says Joe Deklic, a vice president with Cisco Systems Canada.

Read more here.

Cat in a sweater

The auditor general to release G20 cost report, pleased in the knowledge nobody will do f*ck all about it

Thanks for waiting until after the election. Wouldn't want Canadians making informed decisions, now would we?

If current conservative thinking is anything to go by, Harper's supporters wouldn't care if it cost 20 billion, as long as one left leaning citizen is outraged, then it is worth it (sorry world, but it's true, Harper and Co, have succeeded in turning Canadian politics into a "us vs. them" mentality. Read comments from Ford/Harper supporters on any major Canadian media outlet to get the tone of their thinking. Or just hire Don Cherry to insult the Pinkos...).

The auditor general's office finally releases a final report Thursday on the costs of the controversial G8 and G20 summits hosted by Canada last summer.

Acting auditor general John Wiersema will table the office's spring 2011 report in the House of Commons at 10 a.m. ET. It includes two highly anticipated chapters on last June's meetings in Huntsville, Ont., and Toronto, including a look at millions spent on projects in Conservative cabinet minister Tony Clement's Parry Sound-Muskoka riding.

The third chapter focuses on how the Department of National Defence developed a pension plan for its reserve force.

Harper won't care how much it cost in the end. Very dime was worth it in his mind, covering Toronto with military style police helped cover his embarrassment on how bland Toronto really is.

That, and the Wall to keep those nasty peasants at bay....

Read more here.

CBC surprised Montrealers may have had enough of police violence

Listen to the tone of this, wagging their finger in disapproval...

To the media, the police in Montreal just killed an innocent bystander in their unbridled zeal to kill a homeless man, and you're surprised people are angry?

Don't be surprised if among some, the feeling is growing that police are overstepping their bounds, not just in Montreal, but across North America (G20 and Miami anyone?)

Anti-police demonstrators in Montreal marched to the site of a tragic shooting Wednesday night where two people, including an innocent bystander, were killed by officers' bullets.

Then they began smashing windows.

Members of the crowd picked up materials from a construction site and hurled them as projectiles.

They pelted bricks and chunks of broken concrete at about a dozen commercial windows, including restaurants and coffee shops. Several of the windows shattered.

An outdoor portable toilet was overturned and tossed into the street. Buildings, streets and at least one onlooker were splattered with pink paint tossed by demonstrators.

Read more here.

Moby and the modern world

Lesson 1: never collapse in a room full of hipsters and the media. You're doomed.

Miami Beach Memorial Day Shooting May 30th 2011, cellphone video

Images of last week's fatal police shooting in Miami Beach have been released.

Here you see footage recorded on a cell phone by Narces Benoit.

The police are surrounding a car driven by Raymond Herisse. Then they started firing at the 22-year-old.

Herisse was killed, three officers and four bystanders were injured.

Benoit and his girlfriend, Ericka Davis, are accusing authorities of destroying evidence and intimidation.

They say the only reason this video is still around because they were able to hide a memory card before authorities smashed the phone that captured this incident.

They have hired a lawyer, saying they "want the right thing to be done."

Read more here.

Tim Pawlenty: I'm a wimp, but will f*ck over the poor so vote for me!

Another heartless bastard, with a smile.

Nice quick shot of the crucifix there Tim, well done!

WTF made that Woodstock ON apartment building blow up - cont

Still no news yet.

Strange, no?

Montreal police kill bystander

Police have released the name of a 36-year-old man who died after being shot by police in Montreal's downtown core.

Patrick Limoges was on his way to work at St. Luc Hospital when he was killed by a stray bullet, after police opened fire on a man they were pursuing near the corner of St-Denis and Ste-Catherine streets.

Employees at the hospital didn't want to publicly speak to media, but said the death is shocking and that they feel any one of them could have been the one killed.

Aww quit whining. The police got to kill their homeless guy, didn't they...?

And anyway, the police are investigating the police, so we should get to bottom of this in no time....

Let me save some time, shall I?

Headline in six months: "Montreal police cleared in shooting"

There, such a time saver.

Read more here.

Facebook f*cks with your privacy yet again, claims it's *sooo* sorry

Must...know...everything...about....my....friend's....lives.....

Facebook has apologised for the way it rolled-out a new system that recognises users' faces.

The social network said that it should have done more to notify members about the global launch.

Its Tag Suggestions feature scans photos and automatically picks out existing friends.

Although users have the option to switch it off, some complained that they were not explicitly asked if they wanted it activated

Read more here.

Time Lapse Sky Shows Earth Rotating Instead of Stars

Desperate animators still hope cheating will get them an Oscar

Last July we posted the amended Oscar rules that stated motion capture would no longer be eligible for the best animated feature Oscar. The rule changes pose a challenge for Steven Spielberg who may want his upcoming film The Adventures of Tintinto be considered for an animation Oscar. In an op-ed piece in last weekend’s LA Times, Steven Paul Leiva, the animation producer of Space Jam, argued that motion capture doesn’t qualify as animation and suggested the Academy should disqualify Tintin.

As much as I personally dislike the aesthetic effects of motion capture films, I feel that both the Academy and Leiva are dead wrong on the matter. However ugly and unappealing a Robert Zemeckis film or the upcoming Tintin might be, they are still animation in my book, as is Happy Feet and even James Cameron’s Avatar...

...The reason the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences changed their rules is understandable: they’re scared. They’re not ready to admit yet that in the next decade, feature film animation and live-action will become near indistinguishable. The kneejerk response is to throw up abitrary fences and proclaim, “This is animation” and “This isn’t animation.”

Darn it, how dare they try and define words that actually mean something.

Some are just fine in twisting words to suit them. These are the same people who will defend that listening to an audio book is "reading"...

Read more here.

Iori Tomita: Sick F*ck of the Day

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

If you’re a fish, Iori Tomita can see right through you. Or at least he can after he’s worked you over in his lab. A lifelong fisherman who studied ichthyology as an undergrad, the Japanese artist uses marine life he receives from fellow fishermen to create what he calls New World Transparent Specimens—sea creatures that have been transformed into DayGlo shells of their former selves. He first saw a sample of a fish that had been turned transparent at a university lecture six years ago, and since then he has used the same preservation technique to make thousands of hypercolored cadavers, which he sells at the Tokyu Hands department store.

Read more here.

Site hints at Asian roots for human genus

Early members of the genus Homo, possibly direct ancestors of people today, may have evolved in Asia and then gone to Africa, not vice versa as many scientists have assumed.

Most paleoanthropologists have favored an African origin for the potential human ancestor Homo erectus. But new evidence shows the species occupied a West Asian site called Dmanisi from 1.85 million to 1.77 million years ago, at the same time or slightly before the earliest evidence of this humanlike species in Africa, say geologist Reid Ferring of the University of North Texas in Denton and his colleagues.

Read more here.

Pearson International Airport's new logo

One of the most brilliant representations of roadkill ever made.

As a graphic artist myself, it annoys me no end someone actually was paid for this.

Republican Rep. Mike Stone upset even his daughter thinks his policies are cold hearted

In an attempt to appeal for more education funding in the state budget, Lee County Schools stepped over the line, a lawmaker said Monday.

Rep. Mike Stone, R-Lee, said school district officials had his 8-year-old daughter's third-grade class at Tramway Elementary School write letters to elected officials, including him, to protest cuts in the proposed $19.7 billion state budget.

"I was extremely disappointed, but I tried not to show that in front of my daughter," Stone said. "I don't know that at any time we should use our third-grade students as lobbyists."

Ha. Poor baby.

Read more here.

A conservative using underhanded techniques to get elected? How shocking!

Damn those Pinkos and their insistance on honesty. How annoying.

Can a campaign supporter also be a campaign supplier?

That question emerged as a potentially crucial distinction involving Mayor Rob Ford’s campaign RV, in the wake of the latest request by a Toronto citizen for a forensic review of Mr. Ford’s election expenses.

Retired teacher David DePoe told council’s three-person compliance audit committee Monday that the $1,808 the campaign paid Michael Robertson in rent for a campaign van for four months was well below fair market value, which he estimated to be over $200 a day.

Mr. DePoe said that he and his wife in 2003 paid $12,000 to rent a used recreational vehicle for a three-month journey across North America. “That’s just a little van and that was a long time ago.”

The committee dismissed Mr. DePoe’s application, with chair Douglas Colbourne stressing that the compliance audit ordered last month will review all aspects of the mayor’s campaign finances. Mr. Ford's lawyers have appealed the order.

But after the meeting adjourned, Mr. Ford’s lawyer Thomas Barlow and Stephen Chan, a senior executive with the Ford family company Deco Labels and Tags who served as the CFO for the campaign, appeared to contradict one another about whether the van was provided to Mr. Ford by a supporter or a supplier.

Read more here.

Welcome to Harper's Canada

The number of hate crimes reported to Canadian police rose 42 per cent in 2009 on top of a 35 per cent increase the previous year, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday.

Fifty-four per cent were motivated by race or ethnicity, 29 per cent by religion, and 13 per cent by sexual orientation.

The largest increase was in hate crimes motivated by religion, which increased 55 per cent, the agency said, and seven in 10 of those involved hate crimes directed against Jews, who were the target of 283 reported hate crimes.

Hate crimes against the Muslim faith increased to 36 incidents from 26 in 2008. Police reported 33 hate crimes against Catholics, three more than in 2008.

What you wanna bet white heterosexual Protestant males were left pretty well unscathed.

Read more here.

Councillor Doug Ford: Idiot of the Day

More "car drivers are God" conservative blathering from Robbie's talkative brother.

I realize to Doug and Robbie, the car is not just a mode of transportation, it's a life support system, but gee guys, lighten up...

Councillor Doug Ford says there has to be a “better way” of running charity events and marathons that infuriate motorists by shutting down Toronto’s major expressways.

Mayor Rob Ford’s top advisor made the comments a day after the annual Becel Heart and Stroke Ride for Heart cycling fundraiser sparked complaints by closing parts of the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway.

There must be a better way, said Ford, who wants a new policy for next year.

“I’m a big supporter of these charitable organizations; they do a great job,” Ford said Monday. “On the other hand, you get a few phone calls from constituents that aren’t too happy that the roads are blocked up.

Translation: the usual whiners are calling City Hall again. Their suggestions will make us look like unfeeling pricks, but because it will also anger the Pinkos, then it's full speed ahead!

Would it be nice someday to wake up and hear a right wing politician acting in the interests of all, not just their knuckle dragging supporters.

It would against every fiber of their being, but wouldn't it be nice...?

Read more here.

Weiner: I was a dick

A week after claiming a hacker had posted a lewd photo to his Twitter account, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner on Monday apologized for lying about the incident and admitted carrying on inappropriate relationships with several women he'd met online.

Read more here.