Opening Statement



Friday 14 June 2019

Teacher Free Speech Summer 2019 News y Views!

for many ofHEY hO! kEEP ChECKing BAcK! LaTeR AdDITIoNs WiLL bE AddED In LaRgE TYpe SeT! mY Acronym Guide IS @ hErE! MuCh, mUch morE to coMe ..... REadeRs gUiDe 2 TeaCHer fREE sPEech NeWs Y vIeWs @ HERE!  LiVe tWEEts @ davidchiarelli 


OH CANADA

The Year of Living Stupidly: Ontario Premier Doug Ford [DoFo] wraps up his first year in office with a whopping five month break. No wonder he's laying low. He's tanked in the polls. Angry, widespread protests continue to erupt across the province. The reviews are in, few of them very good. Little surprise, that in Ontario, our supposedly "populist" premier is popular no more @ TStar @ TStar @ Alj 

Cuts Hurt People: Ontario's Ford PC's have been firing up a huge trash can party across the province! In year one alone, to ostensibly "balance the budget", most everything thats made our province a great people place in which to live, has been put to the torch. Here's a list of the cuts to health, education, the environment, social services, research, justice, municipalities, the legislature, arts, culture and tourism. On and on it goes. Premier Doug Ford's pals must be laughing so hard they'll piss their pants @ NO

Ontario Influencers: DoFo hates special interest groups! Yep! Unless they happen to be right wing or big business lobbyists. Nowadaze, they've got steady access to the Premier's office, and form his inner circle. Seems that's bad only for lefties and social activists. Check out Dougie's new, improved, highly rigged system @ Globe

Meet Dean French: Many suspect he's the ... ahem ... "brains" behind the Ford Wrecking Ball. From behind the scenes in the premiers office, he's been directing the smash and grab for Ontario's Neo Conster government @  TL

Last Laugh: Ford's now tanked in the polls, making outgoing Premier Kathleen Wynne look like "Ms Popularity Plus"! He might also be trashing Andrew Scheer's Federal Conservatives odds for a fall election win in Canada's most vote rich province. @ TStar

DoFo Reboot: It's so bad that Conservative strategists are racing to reboot the floundering Ford government, less he take the right wing party, federally and provincially, down the toilet too! Do or die time @ TVO

"Oligarchical Rigging 101" or "Beware of Doug": Get this -Ford's PC's could still get easily re-elected in 2022! As for Andrea Horwath and the opposition NDP? Our wishy washy leftish alternative continues to flounder! The leaderless corporate Neo Liberals? They're in total disarray. Sigh! Alas! A provincial prospectus TStar and @ TStar



Hey! It's Andy + His Pal Doug! Rob 2!

"Engaging Ford" or "You Can Run But You Can't Hide": Ford cuts and runs! He suspends the Ontario legislature, until after the Federal election, perhaps to get out of Scheer's way. But Engage Canada, on behalf of the Canada's unionized workforce starts taking him to task during the Toronto Raptor's NBA playoff's @ CTV 

BFF: DoFo + Scheer: Radical Christian extremists from the Campaign Life Coalition got Premier Doug Ford to promise to defund and block access to abortion while scrapping sex ed, for their support in the Ontario 2018 provincial election. Now they are turning their guns on CPC leader Andrew Scheer in this fall's Canadian Federal election @ MacLeans

"Mini-Me" or "Connect The Dots": Think Ford's Ontario PC's are a complete horror show? Just imagine what the Scheer Conservatives could do to create havoc across Canada! Check out Engage Canada's ad and website @ ScheerWeakness

Canuck Right Wing Watch: Rebel Media, Canada's far right mouthpiece has long been long echoing their hate mongering, anti-muslim and pro Big Oil counterparts in the US. Think Trump North! They do so with the help of foreign dollars! And the tentacles run deep! They're very busy funding coverage of Ford crony and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. So to Neo Conster Andrew Scheer. Also his updated brownshirts; Canada's so called Yellow Vest "protesters". Sadly, while Engage Canada gets instantly labelled a big bad lobby group, with Rebel Media most Canadians ignore the obvious. Inside Rebel Media @ NP @ PP @ Walrus

Who Controls the Canadian Media? The Liberals blame the Conservatives, whom blame the Liberals. Of course, with oligarchical rigging, neither party really are in control, but back and forth the argument goes. Social media is harder to control. Still, best to always read between the lines! @ WP

Twitter Bots are responsible for the trending #TrudeauMustGo hashtag, a blunt, embarrassing, and quite obvious,Tory battering ram. Watch! Now that the SNC Lavalin Scandal seems to be losing steam, Andrew Scheer's Conservatives will just keep tossing shit, until something else sticks. Let's face it, all our main Canadian political parties are little more than corporate tools, screwing around with your head. Don't be fooled about their intent @ WP



SNC Lavalin Again: Canada's ethics commissioner Mario Dion rules that Prime Minister Trudeau did, in fact, violate the Conflict of Interest Act, when he tried to pressure former Attorney General Jodie Wilson-Raybould to bend the law, on behalf of his corrupt SNC Lavalin corporate buddies @ CBC 

Of course, CPC Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer acts outraged! But Scheer and SNC Lavalin's conservative party stooges would readily do exactly the same thing themselves, for their corporate masters, given the electoral chance this fall. Meanwhile, the distant, untried third party NDP also jockey for position. 

What's missing here?!? So far nobody is focusing on the urgent need to separate the roles of Justice Minister and Attorney General on cabinet! Above all, we need to stop any such outrageous corporate rigging and political interference in our judicial system, on a go forward basis! @ CBC

Well, at least Jodie has been finally vindicated. And so she gets the last word @  CTV

More Robocalls: iMarketing Solutions, founded by the Responsive Marketing Group, is picking up where they left off in the devious department! The parent company was responsible for misleading robocalls directing Ontario voters to the wrong polling station in 2011. Now iMarketing is fielding anonymous and quite negative polling calls about environmental issues prior to the fall federal election. They are very busy collecting names and mobilizing their target voters. Plus god knows what else. Be wary! Very wary! Both companies are closely linked to suspicious, alt right groups BC Strong and Ontario Strong @ VSun 



Big Oil Lies: Little surprise! Canada's Conservatives are enthral to the oil industry, spreading their lies about pipelines and climate change, in the run up to this fall's federal election. Lotsa conspiracy theories too, about their critics or anyone standing in the way of bigger profits. Just like Canada's so called right wing "Yellow Jackets". It's so bad, even the Washington Post takes note @ WP

Oil Election: Oil sand CEO's are paying for full page newspaper ads to promote the fossil fuel industry ahead of this fall's Canadian election. Talk about big, bad "special interest" groups eh? Seems it's okay for the NeoConsters to give it a go, but everybody has a shit fit if it's some lefty environmentalist. Sigh. Alas. @ CBC

Labour Initiative: As climate protests erupt around the world, Canadian labour steps up. They'll collectively advocate for a "Green New Deal" by "bargaining for the common good". Read @ ESV

Post Media Shit Storm: This is especially frightful! One of our largest chains is now dictating that all their newspapers uniformly toe the Neo Conservative hardline across Canada, as the fall federal election approaches. Big oil issues abound. Plus the names of PCP Party Leader Andrew Scheer, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and their buddies keep suspiciously coming up too. Seig Heil @ CanadaLand

Trumpish Dumpish: Canada's BNI and it's newspaper subsidiaries, based in St. John NB, will censor any editorial cartoons unfavourable to Ford and Scheer's BFF, Donald Trump. Especially when they go viral across the US and around the world. Heads will roll! Hmmm. Hate interference  Remember Russiagate? Connect the dots! Let's hope the US foreign interests don't prevail during this fall's federal election, eh! For shame @ CBC

Tweedle Dee + Tweedle Dum: Trudeau declares a national climate emergency. Says he supports First Nation Treaty Rights. Then approves a ghastly pipeline across indigenous lands. Sure, he talks the talk, but don't be fooled. He's just a lot slicker, less divisive. But the BS is the same. They all work for the same corporate thugs @ Tyee

The Problem With Andrew Scheer: He's a huge magnet for hate groups on the far right. And like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he's a corporate tool. But worse yet, all of this is being largely ignored by the Canadian media @ Macs Nor has NDP Federal leader Jagmeet Singh, coming late to the election game, been able to gain much traction @ Macs



Remember Oka: It's the 29th anniversary of the fierce Mohawk standoff with a Canadian government hellhound on building a golf course on top of their ancient burial grounds. Our DoFo has been pretty brazen cutting back on anything and everything First Nation, from TRC to trying to dictate pot shop policy on treaty lands. Bring him on! One doubts there are going to be many tears across Ontario, if our Mohawk friends stick it to the fat fuck big time, in the daze ahead. Look back. Think forward @ ICT

Hamilton's Pride parade turned nasty and violent this year. The LGBTQ community is feeling threatened. The city doesn't seem to be doing much. The homophobic Yellow Vests laugh it up. While police go about arresting the more vocal gay activists and anarchists. The story isn't getting reported much. Surprised? More @ CBC For an alt perspective, check out The Tower @ Facebook

IN THE NEWS




Twilight Zone Time: Duh. Duh. Duh. Duh ......

Mueller Time: Seems everybody and their mother has a very strong point of view on the Mueller Report! The alleged Russian election meddling? The Donald Trump cover-up? The obstruction of justice? Even US AG William Barr's summary seems dubious at best. We can't all be right. Or wrong.

Perhaps it's time to actually read it ourselves? At least take a serious gander? So we can speak knowledgeably! About the most important issue in US politics today! And perhaps for a very long time to come!

What the heck did Bob really say? And what is to be done? I prefer the cheap, hard copy version of the Mueller Report. It's now available in bookstores. And even at Costco for crying out loud! Or read the online version for free! @ WP

Ignorance Not Bliss: Astonishingly, a lot of congressional lawmakers haven't even bothered to read the Mueller Report for themselves, as they finally sit to meet with him @ Politico

White Faced: Whatever else, Mueller certainly highlights a dysfunctional, chaotic White House on show for all to see. Both at home and abroad, a Great Power unhinged can be horrifying. Very dangerous. One's enemies take succour. Who knows what they'll do next. Or even if they need to, when the controls are set for self destruct. Consider carefully @  Pol



Welcome 2 The Amerikan Reich: Quite arguably, the US is now involved in a complete fascist meltdown. Few seem to even recognize it's slide into fascism, let alone admit the truth @ Eand

Politics of Distraction: Trump's been doubling down in his mad flurry of racist attacks against 4 female members of the US House of Reps. He's hell bent on using lots of all too familiar dog whistles and coded language. His goal? To distract the electorate from his failed, misguided presidency @ PBS

Getting Out The Racist Vote: Trump's sickening racist attacks could actually increase his re-election chances for next year. Sadly, his racism appeals to a lot of Americans, even though he's tearing the country apart. Whoa. How low can he go? Just watch! More @ WP @ NYT

Boomers Vs Millennials: "The Squad" Trump is so vehemently attacking are all progressive, young millennials from the Democratic controlled House of Reps. They're forward looking, diverse and representative of generational change. Certainly a lot more so than the GOP. Long term, that augers well for the party, if the Democrats can hold it together! But Der Donald is also trying to divide and conquer the party split between it's millennial and old guard "baby boomer" factions. They're all ready at odds over policy and strategy. Can the Democrats unite in time to defeat Trump in 2020? More @ Yahoo @ Atlantic



Impeach or Prosecute? The focus right now seems to be on whether President Donald Trump should be impeached or not. However, to prosecute him on criminal charges after he finishes office could be the best option. Or maybe not? More @ Politico

Dem Dems? The new, urbanized Democratic Party coalition is more diverse and representative of the US population at large than ever before. Thats reflected in the many house votes. Sadly they're often slipping by unnoticed among all Trump's jackass, diversionary grandstanding and antics. Still, are they up to the big job of toppling him in 2020? Time will tell. The clock is ticking. More @ CNN

Democratic Socialism: Presidential contender Bernie Sanders makes a strong case for Democratic Socialism in the US. Attacks Corporate Socialism. Meanwhile, moderate Democrats wring their hands. Are they up to the fight? Will it sell? By US standards, he's definitely pushing the envelope firmly into the new century! More @ Vox @ CNN 



Living Through Another Cuba? Seems not! Despite all his huffing and puffing over Venezuela, the Trumpster is no JFK. Yup. There was a failed, US sponsored, right wing coup attempt. But the dirty tricks seem as far as he's willing to go. It's being widely reported elsewhere, if not here. Both Russia and China have told him to fuck off. Not send in troops. Go the UN route instead. Work to stabilize the troubled nation. Which he won't. And so for now, armed Manifest Destiny at least, in the America's, during the Era of Trump, is kaput! More @ Pol @ TeleSur

Coup D'Etat 101: The crisis in Venezuela is very much an issue of people verses oil rights. The US just can't let that go unchallenged. Corporate profits must always come first, everyday folks be damned @ PR

Trump-o-meter Cuba: Despite the democratic elections and move to a mixed economy, Trump continues to stick it to Cuba. Even though they're not Communist China, or North Korea, or Vietnam or ... or ... Here's what he's done to roll back Obama's Cuba policies that helped bring about positive change @ PF

EDUCATION BEAT



Fake News 101: It's absolutely essential to be able to spot misinformation and disinformation online. Here are some handy tips @ CBC

Bill 115 Redux: Ontario teacher contracts expire August 31st. So many job and course cuts have already been announced. Bets are the Ford Neo Cons will unilaterally impose an austerity contract on the teachers, with lots of slashes and burns a la the Wynne Liberal's Bill 115. Yes! That was ruled illegal years later. But are AEFO, ETFO, OECTA and OSSTF up to the fight? Or will they roll over and play dead again? The unions do so at their own peril. This time, they could very well end up down for the count! Do or die time, it's shaping up as a fight to the finish @ BI




No 2 Ford: Let's Rally 4 Education!

Ontario Teacher Negotiation Update: Trustee contract negotiations get snagged from the get-go over issues of local verses provincial bargaining. Nobody is publicly saying what the province has actually put on the table, so we still don't know the real story yet. Still, the procedural time lines mean a strike won't happen this September, when school starts. But watch it get real ugly fast @ TSun @ CBC

Autism Lies: It's official! Turns out Ontario Premier Ford blatantly lied, or rather "deliberately spread misinformation" about the devastating effect his ruthless autism program cuts would have, to quickly push them through. Surprised? Don't be @ Globe

In Bed With Ford: The TCDSB Toronto Catholic school board turns on it's own teachers to balance Ford's $32.8 million funding shortfall. The teachers will now need to pay $10 a day to park at work, a defacto salary cutback. No word yet on whether parents visiting the school must pay too. Nor the trustees or admin at the board office. For shame! @ TStar



How To Talk To Young People About Trump's racist Language: We have a social responsibility we can't ignore. If we do, his trash talk, as disgusting and highly politically charged as it may be, becomes normalized. Seems okay. Here's a helpful guide for both parents and teachers alike @ Med

School Gun Violence101: American students are caught in the crossfire over gun rights. They aren't safe at school anymore, but their cries for help are being  ignored. Remember: These are their formative years. You can bet that's going to leave a deep, lasting impression, as they come of political age. Learn what it's like from a student perspective @ PBS

How To Talk To Young People About The Mass Shootings: Good to know for parents and educators alike. Education is the most most powerful weapon we can use to change the world @ ADL



White Replacement Theory 101: There's a striking similarity to the reasons given by many alt right killers to excuse their shooting sprees. In their "manifestos" they claim that it was necessary to restore a loss of white privilege. Scary stuff! Here's how the "thinking" goes @ Guardian

Dangerous Ideas: At it's most basic, white replacement theory is even more insidious and quite widespread. It's based upon the belief that at home and abroad, only white people are fit to govern themselves. Otherwise chaos will prevail. Sadly, it's been a common, underlying if not unspoken "idea" in American politics throughout the years. With Trump, it still holds sway today @ Atlantic

"Who 2 Trust Anymore Come Hell Or High Water?!?" Not organized religion! It's all but abandoned the moral high ground. Did so long ago. We've been lied to for far too long. The sexual abuse is very well documented now, and it's legion. So Pope Francis finally sets some new rules for investigating all the Catholic cover-ups, but it's in house, not something that has to be reported to police. And the penalties remain unclear. Meanwhile, the Southern Baptists also continue to grapple with widespread and rampant history of sexual abuse like so many of the other churches. Too little! Too late! Quick! Hide the kiddies! The virgin girls and boys! Faaaaaaa! Jesus must be rolling in his grave! @ WSJ @ TGC

KULTURE KULT INK



Toronto Raptors Win! Naw! Most of the team are Yanks, not Canucks! But they've won the NBA! Defeating the Warriors 114-110, in a 6th game nail biter! A first time for the Raptors. Also the first time an ... ahem ... non US team has won! But Canada parties like crazy anyway. Cracking open the Brewski's! Firing up the joints! Of course, a lot of the NHL players are from here, and ... and ... and so @ Global

Cultural Apocalypse Now: News? Information? Sports? Business? Entertainment? Any semblance of a free, and robust Canadian media is now basically dead in the water, devoured by the huge conglomerates, who all but control the flow of information. So how to protect Canadian Content. Our "Made In Canada" cultural sovereignty? Or is it all ready too late? @ Friends




Abbey Rd Lives: On the 50th anniversary of the iconic Abbey Rd album, a baby boomer explains how the Beatles message of love never fails to inspire, especially today! The Pepper Effect @ PBS Read about my visit to Abbey Road @ Blog

50th Anniversary + Counting: Each Beatles album has been treated to a deluxe remix complete with unreleased tracks, starting with Sergeant Peppers [2017], and the White Album [2018]. Abbey Rd follows this fall! @ BB What's missing from it? @ UCR How about remixing the early albums too? Or Let It Be? Or the rooftop concert? @ Youtube



White Handmaid Tale: This dystopian TV series is basically about white women dealing with sexual slavery and reproductive rights. Very popular, poignant, and great as far as it goes! However, like most popular TV shows, it largely omits the struggle of women of colour against sexism too. If you're not a part of the solution, then it's a problem. More @ AfroP

Sexist Air-Conditioning?!? Summer is upon us! So. Do you need to wear a heavy sweater at work? Totally freeze your tootsies off every time you enter an air-conditioned building? That's because the temperature is automatically preset to the comfort levels for an average 155 lb, 5 foot 10 man wearing a suit and tie in the 1960's! Even nowadaze? Too bad! The times they are a changing, but maybe not for you! Grrrrrr. Brrrrrr @ WN





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!