Opening Statement



Thursday 18 April 2019

Your Reader Guide 2 Teacher Free Speech News y Views!


Under the influence! 

Above the ignorance! 

Welcome to the straight goods! 

Think of Teacher Free Speech as Oh Cannabis' alter ego. Both have a grass root activist focus on social justice. Civil Liberty. The counter culture. The good fight against rigged government. And corporate rule. Both are rooted in the here and now. 

More specifically, Teacher Free Speech News and Views has a wider political, social and economic focus. Hopefully providing more general and comprehensive insight into our life and times. 

Oh Cannabis covers much the same ground. But the activist thrust is much more specific here; the fight to legalize cannabis. And an end to the new, legal reefer madness nightmare of Prohibition 2.0. Still, the underlying issues are the same!

Be in the know! Read together, they're scope is more holistic. More complete. Hopefully, the underlying themes can make much more sense.

I know. This is getting pretty high falootin'! Soooooo ..... 




HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL FIND:

EDUCATION BEAT: I use to cover the teacher movement here on my site, in a lot more detail, as a union steward, before I retired. Still do somewhat. But as an older, everyday citizen. With wife, family and grandchildren. None of us growing any younger. My grey power educational focus here is now on educating ourselves and others in our care. To be more inclusive. Empowering. Caring. And to celebrate our diversity

OH CANADA: [Verses "Oh Cannabis" .... comprehend?!] You'll find Toronto, Ontario, and Canadian news links and commentary, in that order, on the pressing issues of the day ...

IN THE NEWS: Includes political, social and economic news links from south of our border. And around the world. From a Canadian POV. Something a little different perhaps, for my international readers ...

KULTURE KULT INK: Think "Culture" with a capital K. Society. Arts and entertainment. Links that are just for fun. Or that really don't fit in anywhere else ....

COMMENTS: Please feel free! Any and all constructive criticism and/or points of view are welcome! Use the link. 

ENJOY!

David C

LINKS

My Blog Site Acronym Guide is @ HERE!

Teacher Free Speech News + Views Archive: You'll find my blogs organized by month, season or year in the handy directory, top left of your screen!



COMMENTS

Tuesday 16 April 2019

Come 2 Dankmasta P's Nugswap!


Psssst! Wanna swap buds in Toronto?!? Come to Dankmasta P's "Nugswap"! It's  from 5-8pm, on the third Saturday of each month, at the venerable downtown Vapor Central Lounge. [LINK!]

There's no cash involved, except for the $5 club entrance fee. Everyone's very friendly, laid back and discreet. Just local cannabis enthusiasts. And lots of home growers. Out to swap, trade or "Gift" each other, with the following:

-Flower
-Cuts + Clones
-Seeds
-Edibles + Extracts

Here's how it works:



Upon arrival, fill out a card. Include a nickname. List the Gifts you've brought. And the Gifts you're looking for. Post it on the bulletin board. 

Next, grab a name tag. Check out the other cards. Decide who you'd like to share with. Then swap wares. 

Of course, you can fire up the volcano's! The dab rigs! Vape away!

No cash means no hassles. Just gift what you got. Get gifts back.

Very gifty! Dankmasta P's Nugswap's are very potent and mind expanding too! Sample a whole whack of different cannabis strains! Try them in bud, edible and/ or in extract form. Learn more about growing your own weed. See what you like for yourself; the low cost/ no cost way. 

Collect a very kool bag of goodies! Maybe win a prize in the draw. 

Get stoned AF. Then safely ride the subway home!

Think alternatives: Ontario's uptight, overpriced, licensed, pot shops? 

Tell Doug Ford to go stick it, the Nugswap way! 

Much to my delight, this shesh, I scored:



Rick Simpson Oil -Very smooth. Clean! A lil' dab will do ya! For aches! Pains! Whatever ails! A classic, home made, medical cannabis high!

CBN Capsule's: A clear, natural extract that helps relax and put you to sleep.

Buds: A dank, indica Rude Boy Kush caught my fancy! Plus there was lotsa fun Grape and Purple Kush. Really, with so many homegrown strains, I always find something trez kool. I even scored a few grams of real Jamaican ganja. Very old school! Hard pressed into a brick! Irie!



Cuttings, Seeds, Clones: Great starter strains! Endless varieties! Take your pick! 

So plan to attend Dankmasta P's next Nugswap! Partake in the festivities! 

A splendid time is guaranteed for all! 



LINKS:

Twitter Updatesdavidchiarelli

The Nugswap Co-op ExplainedHERE!

Teachers In The WeedpatchHERE!

My Nugswap Bud ReviewTHERE!



COMMENTS:

Wednesday 10 April 2019

Let's Rally 4 Education!

My AcrOnyM GuiDe IS @ hErE!

It's the April 6th Rally for EducationQueen's Park Toronto is packed! 170 buses line the curb outside the provincial legislature. While tens of thousands of protesters pack the front lawns! Teachers! Educators! Parents! And students!



Welcome to the first in a long series of huge protests! Think back to the Harris Years. The late 1990's. Once again, the Ontario teacher and educational worker unions are united in a Common Front.  AEFO, CUPE, ETFO, OECTA, and OSSTF are rallying together. The good fight is back on! The grand kick off is today!

Sadly, the Ford Conservative government has declared war on public education in our province. Thrown even more fuel on the fire by threatening the teachers not to stand in his way. Or else. 

It's official! A huge, Ford PC, school wrecking ball is coming Ontario's way -starting with $851 million in education cuts! A so called austerity measure. Really, a textbook case for creating a crisis in our schools. 

Watch out! We'll see class sizes soar. Support services cut. Special education programs slashed. Our school's left to crumble. As for teacher, and educational worker jobs? Gone! Gone! Gone!

Next will come private school vouchers. B-grade, US style charter schools. So Premier Doug Ford can pay off the high cost of his "For the People" election promises. Like cheap "buck a beer" swill. Penny savings at the gas pump. Tail gate parties at sporting events. New license plates. 



How about Ontario's students? In our publicly funded schools?

They get the leftovers?!? Pretty slim pickings!

Sigh! Alas! No more bread and circus shows!

Ford's rich buddies must be laughing! Ontario is "open for business" again! Sure! With lot's of big, fat tax cuts to line their greedy pockets. Paid for on the back's of our province's struggling students, teachers and once world class schools!  

Regretfully, I've been here to protest at Queen's Park many, many times before. Although I'm retired now, I can quite clearly recall the NDP social contract in 1993. The so called PC "Common Sense Revolution" in the late 90's. The province wide protest strike of fall 97. The "Great Tory Demise" of 2003. The fight against the OLP's Bill 115 and MOU's in 2012-13. With a rerun in 2015. 

Here we go again! Belly up stage front, I sadly watch and listen.  




Ontario Students Say No!

Quite fittingly, the fresh faced student organizers of #studentssayno, including Natalie Moore, Rayne Fisher-Quann, take the lead. Beginning the rally on a strong student first note! 

Various passionate Autism coalition and CSF speakers take their turn, in-between the speeches that follow. Very broad based. Committed to the good fight ahead!

ETFO's Sam Hammond speaks! A seasoned union fighter, Sam knows the battle drill! Also, in the wings; OECTA's outgoing General Secretary Marshall Jarvis. Methinks I even saw OSSTF past president Earl Manners back stage. All 3 -veterans of the struggle! 


The other, current presidents of Ontario's 3 teacher unions, of course, speak. AEFO's Remi Sabourin. OECTA's Liz Stuart. OSSTF's Harvey Bischof. However, the real barn burner of a resistance speech comes courtesy of Ontario CUPE labour President Fred Hahn, another warrior chief, especially during the Wynne years! 




CUPE Ontario's Fred Hahn Rocks The Rally!

Also from the labour front, representing our education support workers and administrative staff, is the CFL's Hassan Yussuff. Next up is OTF's Chris Buckley. The word is to get ready for an upcoming, province wide, General Strike in the days ahead! 

Queen's Park explodes with thunderous cries of "No ifs! No buts! No education cuts!". and "Hey ho! Hey ho! Doug Ford's gotta go!"

The fight against Doug Ford's education cuts is on! In no uncertain terms!

All in all, a very well organized rally! With meeting tents set up. Toilets. A kid's area. Plenty of marshals. Protest cheer leaders. And the prerequisite posters, leaflets, and signs. All ready on very, short notice. 

It augers well! Everything is up and running today. Looking good! 



We also heard from NDP Opposition leader Andrea Horwath. The NDP is the only political party onstage at Saturday's event. Hmmm. OK, but given half a chance? An NDP government has turned on teachers too!

Ontario's been down this political road before. As each Ontario party plays musical chairs. Regardless of what they say, once in office, what do they do? Cut. Cut. Cut. The rigged corporate dictate; always the order of the day. 

Of course, our education community always needs to listen, pressure and lobby the politicos like everybody else does. But otherwise? Beware .... very aware!

As for me? What more can I say? Now that my classroom days are long over?

Nowadays I'm a grandparent. Especially worried about JK/ FDK for my grand daughter and all the other little ones. We also have a nephew who is autistic. Requires the educational supports now being cut.

I taught English, History and Special Ed for many years. From my own experience, I know that large class sizes are a recipe for chaos and failure. Especially without proper staffing and other supports! They are key!



I was very involved as a teacher union activist and PAC advisor, at both the local and provincial level. Also sat on the executive of my local unit for many years. Let's be frank. Teacher union solidarity has often failed in the past, when push comes to shove. 

The FWTAO cut ranks to go it alone in 1997. OECTA in 2012. OSSTF in 2015. Who divided and conquered the province's teachers best? Rae? Harris? Or Wynne? Take your pick! Though I'd say Wynne ....

Compared to all three, Doug Ford is a complete buffoon. MOE Lisa Thompson? Totally inept. Unfit. A sad joke. His PC majority? Brainless, clapping seals!

I'm going to go out on a limb here. The current fight to save our education system is completely doable. That is, unless our teacher union's do themselves in first ....

For what it's worth, I'll be monitoring the teacher protests here on my site. Provide insights from time to time, as I see fit. Hopefully help you make some sense of whatever come's next. 



Read my Teacher Free Speech blogs if you like. Or skip them if you don't. I don't work for anyone anymore. Nor do I have any educational fights to pick, except with Doug Ford PC's!

My site advocates all sorts of activist causes. Hope you will follow on the teacher free speech education front too, regardless of your other interests. Enjoy. Maybe even learn something worthwhile that you didn't know before. And most importantly, join in! Help with the good fight!

As Ontario citizens, we need to rally for public education! We are a very diverse, forward looking province. Education is our great equalizer. Creating opportunities and social stability. Providing a knowledgeable, skilled workforce. That's what truly makes us "open for business", Mr. Ford! 

We can't stand idly by. Let Ford's Conservative wrecking ball destroy our hard fought for, publicly funded school system! Enough of his bullshit!

In solidarity!

David C



COMMENTS:

Communist Girls ARE More Fun!

Communist Girls ARE More Fun!
See below ...

Communist Girls Are More Fun #1

Communist Girls Are More Fun #1

Communist Grrrls are More Fun #2

Communist Grrrls are More Fun #2

Communist Grrrls Are More Fun #3

Communist Grrrls Are More Fun #3

Communist Girls Are More Fun #4

Communist Girls Are More Fun #4

Art at the Paris Louvre: What does it mean?!?

Art at the Paris Louvre: What does it mean?!?
A careful analytical study!

Help! I Have No Arms!

Help! I Have No Arms!
Please scratch my back.

I can't find my underwear!.

I can't find my underwear!.
Have you seen them!

Weee! I can fly!

Weee! I can fly!
Look! I can crawl thru walls!

I have a headache!

I have a headache!
And a broken nose.

I have a square hole in my bum!

I have a square hole in my bum!

Here try this, it's very good!

Here try this, it's very good!
No. You have a bird face.

I have an ugly baby!

I have an ugly baby!
No I'm not!

Let's save all our money + buy pants!

Let's save all our money + buy pants!
OK but I need a new hand too!

Oh no! I got something in my eye!

Oh no! I got something in my eye!

You don't look well.

You don't look well.
No. My head hurts +I have a sore chest.

Would you like a bun?

Would you like a bun?

Chichen-Itza: Lost Maya City of Ruins!

Chichen-Itza: Lost Maya City of Ruins!
The Temple of Kukulkan!

Gotta love it!

Gotta love it!
Truly amazing!

Under Reconstruction!

Under Reconstruction!

Temples + Snakes!

Temples + Snakes!

The Snake!

The Snake!
It runs the length of the ball field!