Core Services Review: Rob Ford is a hazard to Toronto's public health / #TOpoli

I'm sorry, I had to give my head a shake.

Fluoridation?

Look, we've all seen the passage in Dr. Strangelove where General Ripper talks about what an insidious Communist plot it is, but the thing is, that's not just satire. Fluoridation of our drinking water has been a touchstone for conspiracy-minded whackjobs since the 1950s, but now Mayor Stupid wants to get rid of it under the guise of the "Core Services Review."

Kate's royal ass cheek: #sunmedia triumphs again, @davidakin makes sure we all know about it

Sad, isn't it. When this is what occupies our imaginations and dominates public discourse, is it any wonder that so many people don't bother to take the responsibilities of citizenship seriously? Look at the energy it's consuming, for Chrissakes.  (Yeah, I know. Mea culpa. Now piss off.)

Friday night

If the last Friday-night music post was something that aged well over four or five years, well ... give this a spin.

Garrett Styles - The Blue PR machine spins up again | #policeculture

From teh Tumblr.

Lives on the line.

Sudden tragedy.

A sobering reminder.

Heroes in blue.

Gave his life in the performance of his duty.

Officers coming from all over to pay tribute to a fallen comrade.

It’s a mythology with a lot of miles on it. You can practically write this shit in your sleep.

Just one question: even if we allow for the sake of argument that this mindless fetishizing of men in uniform is a good thing, how come we don’t see this kind of blanket, wall-to-wall, 24/7 coverage whenever a Canadian soldier gets killed in Afghanistan?

Yeah, I know. I’m an insensitive bastard.

Related posts:

• Now watch as a couple of Star reporters get the evidence ...
• That whole 'deserve' thing
• Police chief furious at publication of dying cop's SOS call; wants apology - Winnipeg Free Press »

Evaluating Mammoliti, redux | #PrideTO #TOpoli

But let's at least give the guy a chance to speak for himself.

Yo, Georgie? You want to tell us what you think your video proves?

Related posts:

• On second thought, Rob, stay at the cottage | #PrideTO
• How to hold them accountable: let them embarrass themselves | #policeaccountability
• 'Respect for Taxpayers' is a load of crap

On second thought, Rob, stay at the cottage | #PrideTO

The whole idea of Mammoliti at the Dyke March just seems ... wrong.

The capacity for critical thought - how do we build it?

Just as we wind down the first half of 2011 in preparation for Canada Day, three disparate blog posts are jumping out at me:

• At Sixth Estate, Government of Canada Issues Statement Opposing the Alphabet
• At Politics and its Discontents, Sun News Network – Full of Sound And Fury, Signifying Nothing
• At Porcupine Blog, The Hegemony of Authoritarian Ideology and the Vancouver Hockey Riot