On Marc Emery + Ontario's Pot Dispensary Raids!

Post Script: Owner Richard Standon's reopened the Peterborough Cannabis Culture dispensary on Tuesday, September 27th. It was raided and closed again on the 29th. There is currently a warrant out for Richard. Two of the employees are remanded on charges until Monday. More details @ Examiner My follow up blog @ Here!

Richard Standon y Marc Emery outside Peterborough Police HQ's!

“Plant the Seeds of freedom. Overgrow the government!” 

[Marc Emery 09-18-16]

Marijuana activist spirits soared high outside downtown police headquarters in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada Saturday! Not even a torrential rainstorm could dampen the enthusiastic crowd of Cannabis Culture [CC] dispensary supporters expressing their anger and dismay over Thursday’s raid on the newly opened Peterborough pot shop. Leading the charge? Busted CC dispensary store owner Richard Standon along with CC’s infamous Canuck marijuana activist Marc Emery!

Standon, now out on bail, announced plans to reopen the Peterborough outlet again in a few days. The crowd cheered wildly outside the ominously silent police station, despite the hard falling rain quickly turning our protest stomping grounds into a giant puddle. Emery then lead us out of the torrential downpour into the raided George St dispensary, it’s shelves stripped bare, for an candid, impromptu Q+A on his response to the thunderous rash of police pot dispensary raids now sweeping our province.

It was high times again -a new millennium pot protest love-in revival, led by Marc Emery; Canada’s most high profile and controversial marijuana activist, or as CNN has nicknamed him; our “Prince of Pot”! The Peterborough CC shop was once more packed to the rafters, but this time with eager, angry, pissed off activists! And simply concerned medical and recreational marijuana customers of all ages and stripes! Each keenly expressing their deep, heartfelt frustration over the ill effects of the Trudeau government’s badly flawed legalization process in Canada!

Our fears soon went up in smoke as Marc spoke passionately for over 2 hours, expanding on CC’s mission statement, inspiring the faithful with an action cry for the “power of activism and peaceful civil disobedience to advance Cannabis law reform and demonstrate what legalization should look like”.

In Solidarity with Peterborough CC's Richard Standon!

So. What was said? What is to be done?!?

First the basics! Marc spoke from a soundly progressive business point of view, explaining that Cannabis Culture takes great pride in paying it's workers a decent living wage. CC hires locally to create jobs within the community. They also cover any legal expenses resulting from the dispensary raids to protect those in their employ. Considering that CC plans to open 200 more dispensaries across Canada by next year that certainly seems a good standard to set! Perhaps an interesting business proposition too, for anyone who's so inclined. Indeed as Marc stressed, now's the time to get in on the ground floor of CC’s indie marijuana craft dispensary movement by starting one up following his model.

Note well dear reader: Regretfully, last week's Peterborough CC dispensary raid is but the latest dazed and confused episode of our own unique brand of Ontario Reefer Madness, as we await the Federal government legislation to legalize marijuana across Canada in 2017. Mayor John Tory’s Wild West show has simply spread further outside Toronto into Ontario’s “Wild East”. Peterborough City Hall has also decided to order its constabulary [“Me too! Me too!?”] to try to nip the cities first, new budding CC marijuana dispensary, since Trudeau announced legalization in the spring!

Marc was quick to emphasize that it is City Hall and not the police whom decide to lay charges! It’s the same in Peterborough as in “Toronto the Good”, or rather the “Bad”, especially considering all the senseless marijuana turmoil and grief that’s ensued. As Marc points out, municipal police don’t make local political decisions nor do they set the regulations. Moreover, with marijuana dispensaries, there aren’t any municipal regulations in place, period, to enforce. That's a result of the legal vacuum existing at the provincial and federal level of government in Canada.

In the absence of any clear leadership from Trudeau in Ottawa or Ontario’s Wynne government, the tragedy we now face across the province is truly deep and profound!

Also pretty crazy!

                                  

Marc notes that owner Richard Stanton, now out on bail, can’t even enter his own shop! That only 2 ounces of weed were seized and no cash! That local restaurants and businesses in the depressed downtown area had stood to benefit from the heavy new influx of overwhelmingly peaceful, everyday customers filing into CC’s new shop. 

Marc Emery squarely places blame for what happens next at the foot of Prime Minister Trudeau for refusing to decriminalize pot while we await the Federal Liberal government’s new legal marijuana laws. Good, decent, everyday citizens imbibing medical and recreational weed, along with our counties enthusiastic crop of budding, craft boutique dispensary owners are still unnecessarily being busted and getting criminal records as we wait. Even with legalization pending in 2017, there aren't any assurances that the befuckling legal nightmare will be over anytime soon. Far from it!

As Marc warns, “Legalization will be a legal mess.” Most regretfully, our federal legalization committee consists of a dog’s breakfast of unlikely, former, anti-pot heads including former Reefer Madness “Health” Queen Ann McLennan. Also former Toronto Police Chief Bill “G-20” Blair, among others of their ilk. 

Some early indicators of the legal problems ahead can be found within the misguided and highly controversial scientific, medical and legal half truths and faulty premises in Trudeau’s “Towards Legalization” discussion paper being used to framework the process. [LINK] Not to mention Ontario Premier Wynne’s highly discriminatory and oppressive Bill 45, seriously limiting our future rights to buy and enjoy our weed freely without unnecessary hassle. [LINK]

According to Marc, we face a very serious dilemma! Are we really free citizens living in democracy? Then why are we being manipulated and dictated to about what we can "legally" put into our own bodies? And why is the government, along with the Big Pharma industries and other such con men, treating us like big, bad criminals? Like little children? Telling us alcohol is okay, but marijuana is not?!?

Prohibition? It’s good for the police budget! Or perhaps, as Marc claims for their “inferior egos”. Seems when it comes to pot everybody benefits except for the very most vulnerable citizens whom our elected government are supposed to be here to serve, the police to protect!

According to Marc, parents, teachers, priests, police and politicians are still guilty of working together to suppress the real truth about marijuana’s medical, and naturopathic benefits! They need to be stopped from spreading their ugly reefer madness lies now! Taken to task! As Canadian citizen's we need to clearly and forcefully tell them that this is NOT OK!

Tragically, Ontarian's are remaining especially quiet while our new marijuana laws are being set! Perhaps with the faint, misguided hope that our "leaders" are somehow actually looking out for us?!? As if! We proceed at our own peril!

As Canadian activists we certainly must all help pave the way for more constructive, reasonable changes to our marijuana laws across the country, province by province, and in Ottawa! Especially in Ontario, before it’s too late! Hence Marc’s call to action!

Unlike in British Columbia, we need to get off our duffs! Sound marijuana reform can only come about by very loudly insisting and acting upon our all too often allusive rights and freedoms as truly, free Canadian citizens living in a real democracy! Fighting to change our oppressive and highly discriminatory marijuana laws provides an excellent rallying point for political activists of all stripes from across our country. Hopefully it's one that many of us, as free thinkers, can appreciate. 

To paraphrase the Bible, as Marc is apt to do, from little seeds grow great things!

Moreover, as he wrote on at least one protester's placard, we all desperately need to rally together for the good fight to, “Plant the Seeds of freedom. Overgrow the government”. 

It’s a worthy catchphrase that says it all! In his Q+A Marc outlined a very pragmatic approach to political action. Everyone needs to work together. Provide a very loud and clear barrage of phone calls and complaints to all three levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal, to tell them in no uncertain terms that we've had enough of all the BS!

Unlike in BC, Ontarian's are far too complacent. As a result the authorities here don’t even think twice before trampling roughshod over even our most basic human rights and freedoms. Are we really prepared to just allow Trudeau, Wynne and Tory’s Reefer Madness agenda to unfold as it will? Accept without reservation, their new corporate agenda for growing, buying, selling and using marijuana across Canada? In our own province? Cities?

Of course not! We shouldn’t be!
 

Marc called upon Prime Minister Trudeau to take the lead in immediately calling for a halt to the rash of marijuana busts and dispensary raids! How can we even think that moving “Towards Legalization” is going to be anything but one huge legal mess with all the dithering and ham fisted government maneuvering going on?
 

He pointed out that medical marijuana patients are still finding it especially difficult to fulfill their medical prescriptions using the discriminatory, restrictive and highly impractical mail order procedures that the government has set for its licensed producers, such as Tweed. 

We are referred to legal aid Lee Hathaway, who then explained that we can now file a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Lee explained that legal costs will be covered for any medical marijuana patient who wants to lodge a formal complaint. It’s a new legal option, only available since August 18, which very few of us were made aware of. Gee, I wonder why?!?

Our familiar activist rallying call of “No Justice! No Peace!” should never just consist of empty words. What compensation does Marc think is in order? To make up for all the unjust harassment and discrimination that has ensued under marijuana prohibition?
 

Don’t exclude the dispensaries from the legalization process! Marc insists that our craft dispensaries should be entitled to 20% of the new upcoming legal marijuana trade to compensate for all the awful police raids. 

Marijuana consumers and business operators alike, who've been charged under prohibition, are owed an official apology. Criminal records must be expunged and financial remuneration provided for any jail time served. Also 50 years of free pot in compensation for the grave injustices suffered would be nice!

Will Marc’s call to action prove successful? As he points out, at the heart of our problem is the government’s fear of "free thinkers". Marc expects to be arrested again very soon. It's happened all ready 2 dozen or so times while he’s championed the good fight over the years. As the saying goes, "Into everyone's life a little rain must fall". In Marc's case, it's been a flood! Don't be too surprised if he gets arrested again, in the very near future!

Still, this isn't really all about Marc Emery per se. Saturday afternoon’s Peterborough Love In provided an excellent opportunity for developing a protest movement out of the growing crowds gathering to meet and learn more about how to effectively fight the battle for legal pot in Ontario and across Canada. To go spread the word that legalization must first and foremost be "for the people", not big business and big government! 

It's especially interesting that many of the protesters, like in Peterborough are now from a very new and blended generation of avid political activists, medical-recreational marijuana consumers and just plain, salt of the earth, everyday citizens alike. It's hardly just a crowd of older pot heads and politicos who's caught the buzz! On Saturday, Marc left them with very excited and enabled with some do-able ways to flex their protest wings and take flight!

As Marc's Q+A drew to a 4:20 pm close many of the younger protesters sat enthralled as he reveled us over … er … munchies with his many often hilarious, absurd, real life tales of marijuana bummers, burns and rip-offs from over the years. The stories were only too familiar for an older protest generation who've long suffered the thrills, spills, and chills of marijuana prohibition. However, it's a great relief to see that there is now also finally a new budding political activist front, in Peterborough at least, mobilizing to help finally take our long Ontario fight across the finish line towards legalization!
 

Marc Emery is eager and ready to try help jump start our Ontario protest movement. He's doing so with a refreshing BC style that's both alive and kickin’! He stands in direct contrast to the lethargic activist stupor we otherwise find across our province. We shouldn't be too surprised if he is arrested again soon to try to silence him and strike fear into the new activist front. What then?

As Marc noted in wrapping up Saturday’s Q+A, he has often proved to be most effective while in jail. Last time when he was imprisoned in the US, 4 states legalized marijuana! Imagine; this time a whole country will cross the line! Of course, to do it right takes an effective, enabled activist movement. If need be, Marc is clearly quite ready, willing and able to provide us with a martyr for the cause! Moreover, his long range plans include a South American legal marijuana initiative. It will be done Che Guevera style, after he's finished lighting the legalization fires in Canada. In the meantime, Marc Emery has definitely arrived here with us in Ontario, in no uncertain terms, to help point the way!

NEWS LINKS

Peterborough police raid CC pot shop @ MyKawartha

Two charged @ JK

Richard Standen out on bail @ Peterborough

Protest planned Saturday @ Examiner


Cannabis Culture reports @ HERE!

Saturday's protest news report @ Chextv

Marc Emery video from Peterborough @ Facebook

My blog "On Cannabis Culture + Toronto's Wild West" @ HERE!

Regular Updates in my September News y Views blog @ THERE!

COMMENTS:

On Cannabis Culture Vs Toronto's Wild West!

This Friday in Toronto began with a new twist to Mayor John Tory's self inflicted "Wild West" -another confusing shootout in our cities Not-So-OK Pot Coral! Yup! Tory's B-grade western crackdown on Toronto's pot dispensaries kicked back into high gear, with some more nefarious OD knock 'em, sock' em reefer madness! The target this time? Sadly, Cannabis Culture, a new Church St. marijuana medical/ recreational indie boutique specifically catering to Toronto's LGBTQ community! 

To Wit: by 10 am Metro's finest arrived outside the shop accompanying some seemingly very suspicious and shady characters! Leading the charge were landlord's 600 Church St Limited along with their reps from Sud Group a big, well known realtor, and property management firm!

Hopefully, any scumbags present among the curious entourage have finally met their match! Thinking quick Cannabis Culture's well know Canuck marijuana activist Marc Emery immediately broadcast the highly suspicious raid live on Pot TV [HERE!]. Toronto TV news channel CP 24 [LINK!] quickly jumped on the story then breaking it live across the city for the rest of the day. 

By high noon, the Toronto police officers had left. The situation was just too absurd. Is it a police job to enforce civil actions? In this case a very dubious eviction notice? Of course not! So why put "Metro's Finest" between such a disgraceful rock and hard place?!?

In solidarity, I quickly made my way downtown to Cannabis Culture's Church Street dispensary to find out more. Arriving at noon, the doors were back open again. Business booming. The dispensary packed with well wishers from Toronto's gay village and across our city arriving in mass to show their support!

Marc was quick to explain that Toronto police were always very polite, cordial and professional throughout the mysterious raid/ non raid. Certainly they weren't the problem. 

Highly perplexed, Marc showed me Cannabis Culture's rental agreement. It's specifically for a marijuana dispensary! 

Marc pointed out that the 600 Church St location is formerly the home of CALM, another pot dispensary who'd rented the same storefront property from the 600 Church St Limited/ Sud Group. How ironic! CALM has now advised him that they were also evicted for selling weed! So why rent to another marijuana dispensary? Then kick them too?

Get this -no refund or compensation was offered prior to or with the eviction notice! However, as we spoke, reps from the landlord/ property management firm phoned Marc hoping to make a deal. Of course, he encouraged them to go talk to Cannabis Culture's lawyers instead, to seek a way out of the highly suspicious legal mess they now find themselves in!

Cannabis Culture is certainly not in any position to abandon their new Church St outlet anytime soon. On Friday, it had only been open 8 days after a major makeover of the store front property, including some new Toronto digs upstairs for Marc, who's moved there dedicating himself round the clock to make it work. 

Unfortunately for Mayor Tory, 600 Church St Limited and the Sud Group, Cannabis Cultures believes in the "power of activism". It's clearly stated in their mission statement! The Toronto gay village dispensary initiative is certainly a refreshingly progressive, counterculture approach from a social, political and economic perspective! One that often seems missing from the good fight, as we move towards legalization next year. 

As Marc explained, Cannabis Culture wants to provide a comfortable, compassionate place within Toronto's gay village for their LGBTQ customers to meet and safely buy weed without the all too familiar harassment and bad vibes still often experienced outside their own business and lifestyle community. Indeed, Marc estimates that 90% of his male and 75% of his female clients are LGBTQ consumers. 

Perhaps 600 Church Street Limited and the Sud Group missed the subtle rainbow freshly painted across Cannabis Culture's new store front? Poised to wipe the gay smile off everybody's faces, the eviction seems highly questionable, mean spirited and exploitative at best. 

Think about it! Cannabis Culture signed a rental agreement to specifically open a marijuana dispensary. Now it turns out that another dispensary was also evicted from the same location for selling weed! What give$?!?

If neither Sud Group or Church St. Unlimited have been in close contact with the mayor's office, then Canada's big boy sellers Tweed and Tilray certainly have. There's been some pretty heavy lobbying going on! Tilray has visited the mayor's office at least three times to lobby Tory over the contentious dispensary issue. Tweed Weed at least 12 times. Oh to know what's really going on backstage in Mayor John Tory's Toronto Wild West Show! To be a fly on the wall as that ugly shit goes down at Toronto City Hall!

Currently, there aren't any municipal laws or regulations for or against Toronto dispensaries as we await legalization in 2017. Our federal and provincial court system will eventually need to try those being charged in city hall's ill advised "Whac-A- Mole"" dispensary raids somewhere long down the road. 

Cody @ Cannabis Culture: "No gangsta shit or bad vibes!" Joint Roller/ Artist -Instagram # roll_with_codyvangogh

Since weed is scheduled to be legalized in Canada next year, why create a big, legal mess now? Who is really protecting who? And why? 

Moreover, why is John Tory cavorting with these such seemingly very questionable landlord and property management types? To perhaps find a back door route to unduly bully, harass and shut out Cannabis Culture and Toronto's other boutique dispensaries from serving our medical and recreational marijuana wants and needs? Even more troubling: Why in this case, smack dab in the centre of our susceptible, often bullied gay community?

Cannabis Culture, like most of the Toronto dispensary movement are hardly some reckless fly by night hop head's trying to sell the devil's lettuce for quick gain. On the other hand, what is the mayor's real agenda? Or 600 Church St Limited? The Sud Group? Alas, Snoop Dogg's Tweed?

Toronto reefer madness vis a vis John Tory's 2016 Summer of Busts is certainly a call to activism for all our cities progressives and recreational/ medical pot consumers! Also perhaps the tip of some very nefarious bullying of Toronto's boutique dispensaries from the backrooms at Toronto City Hall!

LINKS

Here are more Toronto news reports:

Cops show up @ Sun 

Marijuana Activist faces eviction @ City

More on the landlord eviction @ Star

Canuck licensed weed producers, including Snoop Dogg's Tweed are lobbying to have our boutique dispensaries shut down @ Globe and @ Vice

MORE LINKS

Marc Emery @ Facebook and @ Twitter

Cannabis Culture @ Facebook and @ Twitter

Pot TV @ Pot TV!

MY RELATED BLOGS

Towards Legalization: the Canadian government discussion paper @ Here!


Ontario Wynne government's crackdown on pot @ On Bill 45!

Reefer Madness Canada: The Harper Era @ Bummerz!

A Visit to Bob Marley birthplace in Nine Miles Jamaica @ Hi! Hi! Hi!

Also, read my monthly Teacher Free Speech News y Views blogs! Lot's more progressive links and updates on developments in the legalization of weed in Canada can be found there! 

COMMENTS:

Teacher Free Speech Sept News y Views!

hEY hO! kEEP ChECKing BAcK! LaTeR AdDITIoNs WiLL bE AddED In LaRgE TYpe SeT! mY Acronym Guide IS @ hErE! ... 

Back 2 School! Check my extensive Teacher Free Speech Summer News y Views blog to catch up on everything while we've been off on holidaze @ Here!

TEACHER + UNION

NEWS FLASH! CONFIRM OR DENY: Re: Bill 115 -Persistent rumours are flying as media sources try to track down a copy of an OSSTF memo to it's Provincial Council: Is a one year extension of OSSTF's contract being considered?!? Will new terms be negotiated?!?  Will options be discussed at the Sept 30th meet?!? Why was ETFO left out of the loop?!? And what of OECTA ["Me Too! Me Too?"]???? Any input? Feel free to use the Comments section below this blog!

Whats the big secreto?!?

Labour Day once again signals a new school year with many folks returning to work now that the summer holidays are over. TYRLC President John Cartwright reflects on the roots of the Toronto labour movement to provide "Good Jobs For All" @ Huffpost

Concession Bargaining: Unifor trades off defined pension benefits for future workers to secure a last minute GM deal! Ummmmm ... whatever happened to "no concession bargaining" with the Neo Libs/ Cons?!? Here we go again @ Globe

Unifor Concession Bargaining highlights that private pensions are under attack and fading fast. What to do? CPP hardly provides many Canadians with a retirement option @ Star

Congrats CUPW on your tentative contract deal. The teacher union movement has much to learn. Unifor too! Seems there was no concession bargaining, contract strips, and back stabbing. Ditto the "big secrets". Details @ What They Got?

CUPE is going to sue the Ontario government over the Hydro One sell off @ Globe

Mexican teachers show us the way in fighting the corporate education reform agenda @ TS

Neither Trump nor Clinton has yet released a comprehensive education platform for the 2016 US Election. Concerned parents, students and educators might find useful the following overview, from the various materials they have so far agreed to release @ EdWeek

For Shame: although we live in one of the world's most affluent and highly developed countries, one in five students are returning to school on an empty stomach @ Sun

Back 2 School: Save Public Education -Leave teachers alone! Duh! Why we matter @ Star

Dear Parents: Teachers are people too! Here's how we can and can't help, as your allies @ Huff!

Ontario Budget cuts hit our province's French and Music programs. More on the Fall Budget below. Story @ Globe

TCDSB: The rate of Catholic elementary female students being suspended has increased. Bullying is cited @ CP24

Our provincial classroom's are ill equipted to deal with the lingering heat wave as world temperatures soar. Our students and teachers are left to sweat it out @ CBC

Ontario teacher provincial contracts expire in a year from now on August 31, 2017! Many units are still without local contracts, as we await the next round of provincial talks @ CBC

Congrats: OECTA TECT Elementary Catholic teachers reach last minute local tentative deal with the TCDSB, OSSTF D12 secondary public with the TDSB, as the new school year begins. Still, all can hardly be well for the province's education community. Remember, there's only one year to go before they all expire! Will negotiations commence in a timely and reasonable fashion this spring?!? Don't count on it, despite the enthusiasm in this article mostly quoting MOE and school board "leaders" @ Star

Special Ed teachers get lots of labels to apply to our students, but where are the resources we need to help them reach their potential?!? More @ CBC

Ontario parents express deep concerns about special education classroom services under the province's re-revamped autism program. Flippity flop we go -is the OLP MOE all talk but no action? @ Star

Ontario Parents are feeling mislead and shortchanged over the OLP's autism funding "changes" @ CityNews

Be Aware: Autistic people might often find themselves very susceptible to police violence, as this US article reports @ Affinity

Rape victims claim Canada's universities are failing to protect them @ Vice

Education Gap: Under funding indigenous schools in Manitoba has resulted in another "lost generation" of needy students @ CBC

Parents, teachers and a suspect new "discovery based" curriculum are fingered in the search for a magic bullet to falling Math EQAO scores in Ontario. With 90% of students being graduated perhaps we are trading off quality for quantity in our schools? Too obvious! @ Post

Good News! UNESCO announces that primary school classes will be available for everybody around the world. Bad News? It won't be until 2042! 61,000,000 children around the world whom are of primary school age don't have access to school! Guess they'll have to wait while our "world Leaders" bail out the corporate welfare bankers y bums. Then rearm for the next war or two or three or ten .... against those who "don't love freedom". More under "In The News" and @ BBC

Syrian refugee families eager to be able to safely continue their education in Canada as new school years starts @ CBC

Saudi air strikes destroy school in Yeman killing 2 students, wounding others ... Let me guess! They didn't love freedom? More @ Almotamar

Faced with declining enrolment, Ontario's competing public and Catholic school boards are engaging in flashy PR campaigns to poach students @ Globe

Toronto area schools are offering controversial religious based class exemptions to accommodate some of our students from the faith community, even in our public school systems. So who's supposed to supervise these kids while they are not in sex ed, art or music class?!? And where's the $$$ for this coming from?!? @ Globe

Half of Ontario's Gr. 6 students failed to meet the province's EQAO standardized Math test! Surprised? With standards lowered so that 90% graduate, we sacrifice quality for quantity, but the politicos, pundits and a lot of parents miss the point. Alas @ Star 

Of course, the fallback position is that everybody is happy to teacher bash a bit by focusing on our teaching methods instead, as if there's a magic solution, somewhere over the rainbow ..... @ Globe

"Oh Say Can You See?" or "The Real Reason 4 Union Bashing": In the US, less unions has resulted in lower pay for everybody. That applies to both union and the "Right 2 Work 4 Less Pay" non unionized workplaces alike @ Atlantic

Cycle of Despair: Toxic parenting results in dysfunctional kids! To better understand, examine how the toxicity undermines and topples the foundations of Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" @ PC

US schools need to avoid trauma-informed discipline and sexual assault. Canadian schools too? @ Huff

Trump Effect: Stateside educators report that the Donald's racist tirades make it harder for student's in Amerika's diverse classrooms to study because they are anxious and afraid. More below under "in The News" and @ EdVotes

Students are Not Superhuman: Here's a list of 5 things student's wish teachers would stop doing, most of which seem to make very good sense to me @ Affinity

Furthermore, turns out those darn computer games our young folk love so much can actually help them learn important skills for the new millennium through repetition, reward and much more @ PopMatters

What do students wish their teacher knew? Here's some heart wrenching Gr 3 student replies @ FoS

British Columbia teachers face a "flexible" new province wide school curriculum, that though seemingly well intended, comes without guarantees of proper resources, materials, training and support to implement! Workload issues and the integration of more special needs students into the classroom also still badly need to be addressed. The MOE's advice to teachers? "Be Creative". An all too familiar story @ CBC

New Brunswick Teachers are touting a common concern -they want the downloading of "extra responsibilities" to stop so they can concentrate on their real job -teaching students! More @ CBC

CBD [Cannabidiol] User's Manual: Here's everything you need to know about marijuana's medicinal effects. Is it available through your medical benefit plan for qualified patients at your workplace, as an alternative, to the many questionable synthetic meds that Big Pharma wants to stuff down your throat? Will your union negotiators look into this for your next contract talks? More @ Alternet

ACMPR 101 [Access to Cannabis for Medical Patients Regulation]: Medical marijuana patients have been provided with new legal safeguards protecting their right and ability to reasonably access, possess and test their medical marijuana. Identified patients are entitled to their drugs, regardless of whether we personally approve of marijuana or not @ Lift

What a Shocker! Not! A "scientific study" finds that alcohol makes folks aggressive while pot doesn't, as if we all ready didn't know that ... Is it any surprise that our "leaders" are happy to profit from the first, but supposedly have grave reservations about the latter, for our own protection of course. Enuff BS @ Alternet

Marijuana and Brain Power: Medical proof that smoking pot makes you a dope is suspect at best, even for young people @ DG

A new Israeli study examines how Cannabis can help Autistic children and teenagers effectively cope with stress and anxiety @ Haaretz

Much, much more on legal weed below and In The News!

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

Chiefs to Justin: Hey! No BS!

What's missing from the mainstream media coverage of William and Kate's Royal Visit? PM Justin Trudeau can put on his cool buckskin jacket and get his photo taken with the cute kiddies or in a birch bark canoe. But in fact, many of our indigenous people are boycotting the events! More @ Georgia Straight

Canadian First Nation feels silenced and betrayed with Trudeau's decision to go ahead with a gas pipeline across sacred grounds in British Columbia [BC]. They are threatening a "Standing Rock North West" @ VICE

Meet the indigenous occupiers opposing the pipeline on BC's Lelu Island @ Vice

See my blogs on the Toronto, Ontario Attawapiskat protests last spring @ INAC @ Trudeau

More links below ...

Here we go again ...

Ontario's Surprise Fall Budget by the Numbers: is there enough here to save the Wynne OLP's butt?!? More @ Post

Premier Wynne prorogues the provincial legislature with a new Throne Speech on Monday, in a desperate attempt to reverse the beleagured government's fast fading fortunes @ Star

Why aren't the Wynne OLP more "likable"? Gee, let me count the ways!!! Read the blog and add your two bits from an Ontario teacher perspective @ TVO

Brown: Gee, I'll say anything as long as enough of you vote PC!!!

Disturbing questions remain over whom is to blame for PC Pat Brown's opportune Sex Ed flip flop and dubious denials over a suspicious letter with his name on it, that blew the Scarborough-Rouge by-election story wide open. Nobody seems to consider that Brown knows how it works! To finally win an urban seat in Toronto he now needed to ditch some of his social conservative support? No matter than they helped him win the leadership race as he stoked the fires over Ontario's new sex ed curriculum. Now, he's left them hanging, while creating much angst, confusion and chaos in our schools, to further pursue his nefarious neo con agenda. More @ Post

The "Inside Poop" or "Nobody Gets Out [Politically] Alive!" Some interesting notes to be found here on the confusing trail of Tweets, Op pieces, the toilet wipe mystery letter and other Brown messes, as his position on Ontario's Sex Ed curriculum continues to er ... unload @ Ribbon

With PC enemies like Eves, Tory, Hudak and now Brown who needs friends at QP?!? Keep them coming! But alas, there's been so much PC collateral damage in our schools! And a lot of good family people whom were mislead, are now being left to hang out to dry! Learn more about PC Pat Brown's seedy sex ed tactics, who he collaborated with, and how they stirred up so much unnecessary shit for his own political gain. You can see my blogs on Ontario's New Sex Ed curriculum fight @ Part 1 and @ Part 2

PC Pat Brown -a very, very naughty boy! or Liar! Liar! Pants on Fire?

Ontario PC Leader Pat Brown has been very busy sucking and blowing on whether or not he supports the province's new Sex Ed program! During his leadership race, he certainly fanned the social conservative vote against it to win office. Ditto, during the Scarborough Rouge River by election a signed letter even went out to voters, stating his opposition again, a position he kept Twittering for daze. With the province's, nay the countries old school neo cons getting their butts kicked and dropping like flies [Hudak, Harper .... ], he's now finally decided to flip flop, blaming the letter on overzealous staff and reversing his position, which by the way, had not been official PC party position either. 

But what will his religious right wing supporters do now? Left stranded up Shitz Creek without a paddle? Where they continue experience orgasms of rage? And the key Sex Ed teachings of knowledge, understanding, inclusivity and sexual consent continue to be treated as dirty words? No, they are not 4 letter words ...,. but try to tell that to someone who's already made up their mind without even reading the curriculum guides themselves!!! Gee! Thanks a lot Pat!? 

Watch! Now he'll be off to beat on something else just to get out the con vote .... Keep them coming guys! Eves, Tory, Hudak, Brown .... with enemies like these, who on the alt prog left in Ontario needs friends in government anymore? Now if Premier Wynne could just self destruct too .... Eh? Wot?!? She is .... More @ Star

PC Brown must be well aware that Premier Wynne's popularity in the polls has hit new lows at 16%. However, the NDP's Andrea Horwath continues to be the most popular leader by far, at 34% to Brown's 26%. Moreover, 49% of Ontarians don't even know who he is or what he stands for. Watch for more flip flops and grandstanding to follow this fall. Story @ Post

Out From The Political Wilderness [Again]? Brown's PC's win handily in the Scarborough-Rouge River by-election, finally giving them a much needed seat in the urban GTA @ TVO

Boutique Pot Dispensaries -Yay or Nay? It's official. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has weighed in, "private retailers should also sell pot" @ Star

Legalization could result in a major shift in Cannabis production from British Columbia to Ontario. It's a $5,000,000,000 crop! Interesting: during Cannabis Culture [CC] marijuana activist Marc Emery's Peterboro speech [Blog], he claimed BC weed is usually best because of the poor quality of the local water used in growing the Ontario crop. Better or worse? No matter, it's looking like a huge, perhaps unfair cash windfall for our province. Crop details @ Lift

The Big Smoke: Ontario Canada's Tweed continue to lead the Big 34 pack of licensed marijuana growers in Canada with some pretty big plans to expand operations, as the legalization of recreation weed looms next year. Meanwhile, Toronto's indie dispensary owners, suffering through the cities Summer of Busts, argue that they are more like corporate monopolists than drug policy reformers. Indeed, local shop owner Marc Emery accuses their ilk of being behind the busts, getting the government to send in police to protect their corporate profits. 

As a med pot patient, I quite frankly like Tweed. Then again, some of the Toronto dispensaries are quite top notch too. However, it seems like lobbying $$$ and just knowing the right people is resulting in a lot of real bad vibes! Big Biz could even possibly win the day, once growing, distribution and sales details are worked out in the new legislation promised this spring. More @ Walrus

Health Canada advises that approved medical marijuana patients can have their "grow your own weed" tested. Same with the licensed producers. Everybody else? Pretty much NOT!!! @ GC.CA

Toronto's "Summer of Busts" continues with an ill advised raid on marijuana' activist Marc Emery's new gay village boutique dispensary, catering to our LGBTQ community. Mayor John Tory's Wild West Reefer Madness @ Blog!

Must've Smoked Too Much Pot + Forgot?!? Toronto Mayor John Tory was once kool with pot too, but not anymore @ Sun

Fighting the Good Fight: Canuck marijuana activist Marc Emery is in town!

Canuck licensed weed producers, including Snoop Dogg's Tweed are lobbying to have our Toronto boutique dispensaries shut down @ Globe and @ Vice

Toronto's Dispensary Prince of Pot, Marc Emery, reflects on the future of legal pot in Canada after this summer's policing and [lack of] regulatory shenanigans @ PotTV

Meanwhile, New Brunswick police have "bigger fish to fry" than the dispensaries in St. John @ CBC

Here are some Cannabis Tourism links for visitors to our largest Canadian cities including @ Vancouver and @ Montreal

Ann McLellan, head of Canada's pot task force speaks on the pot tax and age limits @ CBC

The CMA [Canadian Medical Association] makes some controversial statements on a legal age of 21, lowering the THC count of pot, and second hand smoke @ CBC

[Standing Rock Sioux! Term "Indian" is still common parlance the US]

Indigenous Canadians are joining in the fight against a massive pipeline in North Dakota! Hey, we came up with these borders, not them .... Same with the concern over oil buck$ rather than respecting treaty rights, protecting drinking water, the environment and the quality of life @ Vice

Canuck Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan backs away from comments he made about allowing our First Nations to call in the military when they feel their rights or communities are threatened @ Huff

Alas! 90% of Northern Ontario's Grassy Narrow First Nation residents are showing signs of mercury poisoning! Such stories often receive little or no attention @ Globe

US First Nation are succeeding in making the North Dakota pipeline a high profile environmental issue @ LA Times

Moreover, the Standing Rock North Dakota protest has now become the largest mobilization of US "Native Americans" [sic] in almost 150 years @ Telesur

Read indigenous activist Leonard Peltier's On Solidarity With Standing Rock @ BV

Trudeau: Canuck Neo Cons not feeling the love!

Trudeau 2B Assassinated?! The attack ads didn't work! Now it seems our jilted Canadian Neo Cons are quite literally gunning for Justin Trudeau as they fade to black! A lot of these sad asses have been posting their calls for the Prime Minister to be shot or otherwise killed on Facebook! Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley is getting targeted too! Officially speaking, the PC party remains silent! Mums the word?!Whoa @ Walrus

More from Facebook: NDP Notley -Ditto!

Seems some US Readers might want to move to Canada if Trump becomes president. Should you choose Toronto, and are a young professional, how much does it cost to live comfortably in our largest city? According to this report $2,700 a month [Cdn]! Breakdown @ Notable

The Broadbent Institute has prepared a paper on An Electoral System for All: Why Canada Should Adopt Proportional Representation @ IBC

CRA: No more tax cheat holidaze in the sun?! 

It's Official: CRA says it's Panama Paper audits of our Canuck tax haven cheats is now underway @ C4TF

Canada's Panama Connection: 2,000 files are now under review and 85 Canuck taxpayers are being audited @ CBC

File Search: A total of 625 Canadians are named in the Panama Papers. The CBC wants you to help search the database to let them know what else you can help find @ CBC

Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May continues to try to thwart the parties majority vote on supporting Israeli BDS [Boycott, Divestment, Sanction] by threatening to quit! So much for the democratic option ... and her acting like a federal leader, outside of running with the Lib Con pack! Details on the vote, and more @ Rabble.ca

Wither too the NDP? The Ontario party shot itself in the foot coming out the gate during last provincial election. [BLOG] The Federal party? Well, they nixed their leader and continue to flounder! Maybe they can reverse their fortunes by not trying to pander to the centre right?!? Refocus on being a labour party? Even socialism isn't such a dirty word stateside anymore with the Bernie Sanders social democratic revolution. Meanwhile, Liberal PM Justin Trudeau continues to talk to the left while governing from the right, in the process stealing much of their thunder, without actually doing much. But the NDP still doesn't seem to get the hint @ Star

Sounds Good But .... The Federal NDP caucus asserts that it's unanimous in it's support for party leader Thomas Mulcair. He reasserts that environmentalism, pacifism, feminism and socialism, are core party values. Then why did the party faithful so unceremoniously dump him last fall? This story still needs to be watched some more! And of course, actions speak louder than words @ CBC

How to fix a broken NDP? Enquiring minds need to know. An editorial @ Ribbon

IN THE NEWS

Confused and feeling manipulated over the polling and news reports of who's leading who in the frightening US presidential race unravelling south of our borders? A lot of it is simply BS! Clinton quite arguably enjoys a significant internal structural lead if we look at how a US President is elected. Best to follow the Electoral College Vote, where she is projected to win 335 to the Donald's 203 votes! It takes 270 votes to win. Follow @ CBC

15th Anniversary of 9/11 attacks on the WTC: The US discourse on world terrorism bears little resemblance to reality. State terrorism has been totally left out of the picture. Plus there are a few other glaring misconceptions being frequently bandied about @ Granma

Double Standards: Why are the US State Department and the mainstream media silent on Israel's 200 nukes? @ Activist

Human Rights Vs Denominational Rights: High ranking Mexican Catholic church leaders are strongly believed to be behind an "acerbic campaign" against homosexuality that's rocking the country. A church spokesman is now denouncing Mexico's anti discriminatory watchdog as a "Gay Dictatorship" for it's stand against gay aversion therapy @ Telesur and @ Telesur

The Trump Meltdown continues live on TV everyday ... sorta like watching the rise and fall of Adolph Hitler in real time for the 21st Century! I'm sure there will be lots and lots more news links to follow in the month ahead! In the meantime, here's "The Complete Asshole's Guide to Donald Trump" for a good overview and some more food for thought @ TFCC

Watch the key moments from the first Clinton Trump US Presidential Election Debate @ CBC

FOX News goes suicidal in the wake of Trump's first TV "Presidential" debate with Hillary Clinton @ Politicus

Trump bragged about profiting from America's housing collapse, it's tax laws and his workers in the debate. Seems it's just business, nothing personal @ Huff

Mr. Smarty Pants? Trump boats about not paying taxes, claiming he's "smart", and it would be wasted anyway. Er ... taxes pay for ummm .... well ... schools, roads, police, fire fighters, defence etc. etc. etc. @ DailyMail

Understanding Trump's "Methodology": This is truly scary but insightful: The 10 emotional abuse tactics Trump used in the debate, as explained @ Everyday Feminism 

Fat Shame: Trump has attacked former latina Ms. Universe Alicia Machado for gaining weight, calling her "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping". The good old boys must be getting quite a chuckle out of that one as he keeps it up, even after the debate. How about women voters? The story and her response @ WP

Alicia Machado: Fat shamed in sleezy Trump "presidential" jab!

On how Trump ushered the hateful Alt Right fringe into the American political mainstream to try to become president @ Economist

The Donald Uber Alles: Trump has been stoking racial fears to whip up and empower his angry white vote. Regardless of whether he wins or loses, the toxins to the body politic have been unleashed @ CBC

Machen Amerika Great?!? Some Trump supporters have been targeting Jewish Americans with Holocaust jokes and other Nazi Tweets! Not funny @ NYT

Education Vote: Reality TV Star/ Real Estate Developer and Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump's "education policies" show little understanding of education, so to speak. Vague to the point of being non-existent, they are basically a rehash of the financial big boys' Neo Lib corporate education reform agenda @ EdVotes

Fear of a Taco Nation: In the aftermath of the Donald's ill advised Mexico Campaign Stop,  Latinos for Trump's [some wags argue that should be singular ....] Marco Guttieriez warns that if the Donald doesn't do something quick there will soon be ... Oh oh! ... a "taco truck" on every corner, a soccer game in every bar, and Spanglesh in the American home!!! Hence to "Make America Great Again", it's necessary to "Make Mexico Pay" ....it really must be tuff being white in the US these daze eh? More @ Telesur

E Pluribus Unum? Read the complete text of Donald Trump's shocking and divisive "Immigration" speech @ Heavy

Trump fails the Commander-In-Chief test! God help us all, including Americans, if he's elected @ WP

A rather sad and pathetic American Wehrmacht lines up behind it's new leader as 88 retired military generals and admirals endorse Trump! Article and letter link @ Politico

The New American Left needs to create an organization and structure for the disenfranchised members of the Bernie Sander's Social Democratic Revolution. They are in danger of losing it's momentum and thrust as the old school, corrupt Democratic Party establishment consolidates under Hillary Clinton @ Huff

More "Me Too's" than the 2012 OECTA MOU?! Hillary Clinton selectively cops some of Bernie Sander's policies to try swing the progressive vote @ Vice

Justin -Don't pull a Neito here!!!

Big Bad Canuck's Beware: At the border, admitting that you've ever smoked pot can get you banned from entering the US for life @ CBC

The countdown to US election day in November is on. This year legal weed is a top issue for the first time! NORML tells us what to watch out for in the election coverage that night as the results pour in @ High Times

With 5 US states voting on legalizing recreational marijuana during this November's election, all eyes are on Colorado, which legalized it 2 years ago. Alas, the wacky "Reefer Madness" lobbyist/ crusaders are now weighing into the fray in force to defeat the referendums with some very dicey theories, science and logic @ Vice!

Much more info on the US weed vote, including the presidential candidate positions are in my Teacher Free Speech Summer News y Views blog. Maybe I'll put it all together into a special blog, but for now, see @ Here! 

Remember C-51: Canada's Tory Anti Terrorism Act? Trudeau promised changes. What do we get?  A discussion paper seeking "what do you think submissions"! Gee, I feel all warm and tingly inside all ready @ CBC

NDP MP Randall Garrison introduces a bill to repeal C-51. Remember, the NDP was the only major Canadian party to staunchly oppose the highly controversial "Anti Terrorism" act during Harper's Election Year of Fear. @ Globe 

C-51 Redux: What we know/ don't know about how Canada tracks "would be terrorists" nowadays @ Vice

History Lesson [Take From It What You Will ...]: The collapse of the Soviet Union, at the end of the Cold War, hardly ushered in an era of world peace. In Russia and the rest of the Soviet block only a few were enriched while millions more had their lives destroyed. Guess they just didn't "love freedom" enough eh? How it happened @ Telesur

Dept of Bad Deals? TPP [Trans Pacific Partnership] continues to make the news in Canada and the US. Here's a good overview of the concerns from the left with this latest "free Trade" deal @ Anonews

BTW: Here's a link to the full text of the TPP [Trans Pacific Partnership] @ TEXT

Whoa! Say it isn't true! El Salvador players claim that they were offered cash ahead of the soccer World Cup qualifier. A businessman has apparently asked them to "win, draw or avoid a heavy defeat[?!]" in the game with Canada @ CBC

Bank On It: Tired of being exploited by the First World, Latin America's left is now funding a rival to the world Bank/ IMF; the "Bank of the South" @ Telesur

One Person's Freedom Fighter is Another's Terrorist?!? The self confessed, CIA trained "masterminds" who blew up Cubana Airlines flight CU-455 mid air in 1976 killing 73 innocent people have never been prosecuted. A very disturbing follow up, from 40 years later is @ Granma

The new school year in Cuba continues with the socialist rogue states ongoing commitment to universal education, despite the still looming US Embargo. When will the US decide the Cubans "love freedom" enough to completely lift it? The human cost has been staggering. Cuban MOE details for the 2016-17 school year are @ Granma

Apple Irish Tax Cheats: Taxes pay for education, medicare and a social safety net. Turns out Apple is hardly a good corporate citizen, all advertising aside! Indeed, in Ireland they and their government cronies have gotten caught red handed in a whooper of a tax scam that's a clear violation of international law @ Financial Post

KULTURE KULT INK

Yeah, they were Prog Rock moreso than Psychedelic, except perhaps for the first few albums. Still if you grew up back in the day, chances are you were a pretty big Pink Floyd aficionado. Perhaps, like me, you still are? Or might still be? Fans have been creating some pretty kool Floyd stuff on Youtube putting their music to film footage of the earth from the international space station and the like. Pretty ..... er, far out! Check it out @ Dark Side and @ Echoes

Whoa! New Pink Floyd "Early Years 1965-72" 27 disc cd/dvd/blue ray box set will focus on the psychedelia. Big time! Tracks @ PF

Have you tried the "Are You A Hippie?" quiz? Seems I am a "Major Groovy" one. Sorta like back in my high school photo daze ... heh heh ...... er .... on the lower left column somewhere .... Janet's there too, doing our John y Yoko thing, though truth be told she's always been pretty straight. Hmmmm. I thought that was all long age and far away. Seems not! Anyway, try your luck @ High Times

A Radical Rant: It's time to retire the term "Black Market" from our pot vocabulary. Do you know how it came about? It's another loaded "reefer madness" term! More @ HighTimes

The Donald Does Japan! Or Japan Does The Donald?

What If Trump Does Get Elected?!? Don't Miss This: "The Japanese Donald Trump Commercial" ! Lotsa kulture with a kapitol "K" @ Youtube

The Lesser of 2 Evils is Still Evil: See Hillary Clinton "Meme Queen 2016" @ Youtube

Different Yet Alike?!? What do Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump have in common? Both are very adept at using the social media @ Bloomberg

Reality Fix: Should you kiss your dog on the lips?!? No! Sorry but a dog's mouth ISN'T cleaner than a humans!!!! Duh! Kissing fools @ BarkPost

Jay Z knows the score!

It's Official! Rapper Jay Z declares the War on Drugs an "epic failure" @ NYT Watch the video @ Youtube

How literature teaches us to be human @ Post

Latest Study: Gay Bashers or Homophobes are actually gay themselves! They are projecting their fear on others, and are in a state of denial @ Connections

Canuck Halluci Nation: A Tribe Called Red is taking First Nation music into our the 21st century with their tribal electric dance beat, and the "pow wow step" [PS Thanks AM!] @ PitchFork

"We Are Halluci Nation" is @ Here! Also check out Tribe Called Red's "ALie Nation" @ Youtube  More @ "Stadium Pow Wow" and @ Sisters!

Welcome to the New Musical Millennium? Wherever you are -you are here! And perhaps we don't even know it!? Maybe that's because there's nothing really new! During Beatlemania, we had "Yeah Yeah" songs ["She Loves You", "It Won't Be Long", "I'll Get You"] with a reoccurring back beat. Now it's become derigor for the hits of the day to include the "Millennial Whoop". It's a sequence of musical notes alternating between the 3rd and 5th on the major scale, typically starting on the 5th ... Yeah Yeah! Learning can be fun and help us better understand our kulture and times. Implications? A sampling @ Digital Spy

Vinyl Records Are Back!

Vinyl records have been making a comeback since 2012. Music aficionado's are increasingly returning to the warmth of a kool vinyl record in a nice big record sleeve as music downloads and streaming otherwise level the playing field. In fact they are now the only growth sector within the music industry. It's a pleasant surprise for the old school vinyl techies. They are suddenly back in high demand again to "cut' the records, an intricate part of the complex manufacturing process @ Pop Matters 

Number 1 With A Bullet: How are chart toppers determined nowadays in the digital age? Unlike in year's past, the best selling charts charts can't just be determined by counting record or cd sales nor the amount of radio airplay they receive anymore @ Pop Matters

Golden Oldie Time: Ontario's unofficial anthem "A Place to Stand" gets a 150th Canuck b'day makeover! Eh?! Naw, they don't add "...and a place to grow your own!" Check out the old and new versions @ CBC

Careful: 50 year olde Tribbles, Klingons y Wookies!

TV/ Movie "Star Trek" syndicate is now a 50 year mission @ PopMatters

Smelled Like Teen Spirit: Nirvana's iconoclastic "Nevermind" album is now 25 years old. Many consider it the "soundtrack for a generation" @ PM 

Here's 8 odes to marijuana by women, including Rita Marley, Lana Del Rey, Lil Kim, Rihanna and more! Video links inluded @ MerryJane

Is Apple losing it's mojo? The new, improved Iphone 7 doesn't have a headphone jack! Innovative? Ha! Now you need to compromise your top quality headphones with a crappy Apple adapter or buy their exclu$ive, late$t wirele$$ "Airpod" model. Easy to lose, and let's face it, earplugs have never been Apple's strong suite. Quite frankly I always give mine away or chuck them! Plus it means we lose a quite handy DIY auxillery jack too! Phooey on that! More @ Telesur

49'ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick bravely pulls a 21st Century Muhammad Ali by refusing to stand during the American National Anthem, after his earlier, verbal statements over the rash of police violence sweeping the US went totally ignored. Now everybody has taken notice, and they are mad. Ironically, at him! Well, not everybody, as the mainstream media might have us believe @ Salon 

President Obama compares Kaepernick's protest to past black American athletes whom have exercised their constitutional rights to speak out on an important social justice issues. Americans need to have the discussion on police violence and racism that he has successfully sparked to move forward. But when he was a lot nicer about it? Not happening! @ Youtube 

TIFF [Toronto International Film Festival]: Diversity and race play a leading role in this year's movies, with 400 from 83 different countries being featured @ Telesur

How to score some weed at the TIFF festival? The local Toronto dispensaries and Big 34 licensed producers provide a variety of safe, friendly options @ Yahoo!

Alas! Toronto's world renowned TIFF festival ends on a sour sexist note as scantily clad cheerleaders are used in a cheap, lame attempt to titillate theatre goers and "enhance " the event @ Exclaim

Por Que No?!? Latino's represent 1 out of 5 Americans but only are represented in 1 out of 20 Hollywood roles @ Telesur

Hollywood movies continue to feature predominantly white, straight, male actors in the key roles, providing very limited role modelling for the nation's increasingly very diverse youth @ Vice

White Ally Handbook: Admitting white privilege might seem too "politically correct" for some folks. However, there are far too many oblivious yahoo's out there, giving us more alt progressives a very bad reputation, as we move forward into an inevitably much more inclusive future. We can't compete on a level playing field without our special perks? No doubt it will take work, but here's some food for thought @ Affinity

Also check out the "Misogynoir" at the heart of white female entitlement @ Affinity

Back 2 Skule Daze ....

ETC

Why bother responding? How to block the Twitter Trolls @ Twitter

Bill 115 Compensation? Here's "The Sound of Silence" by Disturbed! This one goes out to OECTA Provincial! Plus thanks Angelo! The truth will be like a lion @ Youtube

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