Toronto Council, uh...members...

...look into stiffening regulations...

• TORONTO • Hogtown’s licensing AND STANDARDS (my emphasis) committee got a front row seat for a pole dance Thursday.

That’s when the dance, set to an opera-techno music mix started, complete with pylons marking off a safety area around the portable, pole-dancing stage.

“I think overall the presentation was A GRACIOUS APPEAL (AGAIN, my emphasis) to the committee,” Licensing Chairman Councillor Cesar Palacio said.

Well, Cesar... I sure hope you stuffed a few bills into somebody's g-string.

Just something else to think about, Toronto... while you're writing out that whopping municipal tax cheque.

THE POWER OF THE PRESS

Given the sleight of hand we've all seen the mainstream media deploy in recent days, one has to wonder what the term "professional journalist" really means. I had always thought... naively as it turns out... the word "professional" referred to a higher standard... someone who had served an apprenticeship and was capable of performing at peak proficiency. Well... silly me. 

The Trayvon Martin shooting is a case in point. Apparently pumping up the emotional quotient of the story trumps any & all facts. 

Let me explain. The accused shooter, George Zimmerman, is constantly referred to as a "white hispanic"... which, I'm assuming refers to mixed race parentage. Using this sort of classification... one would have to refer to President Obama as a "black caucasian." The only possible use of this term is to exacerbate racial tension. In addition, much of the reportage has centered on Mr Zimmerman carrying a licensed, legal firearm... the implication being that he's one of those crazy, right-wing gun nuts. Turns out, Zimmerman is actually a registered Democrat, but hey... let's not get too wrapped up in details. 

In stark contrast, Trayvon, an (albeit thrice suspended) high-school senior, was only armed with bag of candy and a can of soda. But ask yourself... was it really that black & white? Evidence & eyewitness testimony... glossed over by the majority of news outlets, suggest otherwise. 

Most significantly, Trayvon is less the Cosby kid than is being portrayed. The thing I find most objectionable, apart from the superficiality of the coverage is the use of pictures to reinforce the media's initial premise that this was a one-sided hate crime. 

Witness how the two parties are being portrayed... George Zimmerman by a booking photo from 2005 and Trayvon Martin as a smiling tween from a photo of similar vintage. In the photos above, you get a better idea of who both of these men are today. Heck, don't take my word for it... get it straight from the Tweeter's mouth... Go on, click on the Twitpic... I dare you. Oh, yeah... one more thing. Ask yourself which picture the almighty Globe & Mail uses in their most recent article, which incredibly, is citing photographic evidence to make their point. Go to the big picture at the top of the post to find out.

UPDATE: From Cosby Kid to Tupac ...second Trayvon twitter feed found...   

"Plzz shoot da #mf dat lied 2 u!"

 LAST WORD:   Speaking of victims...

No Tommy, you dumb bunny...

...there's this thing called "majority government"...Anybody else getting tired of the media highlighting the same old nonsensical, partisan rhetoric?

Today's papers are full of "pronouncements" by the Opposition parties predicting utter chaos & disaster as a result of the upcoming Conservative budget.

The fact is, not having read a single word of this document, these idiots are, as per usual, doing nothing useful... instead merely screaming blindly into the hyper-partisan wind.

And why do they do it?

I guess because it works.

Wake up, sheeple. Demand more from your elected representatives... AND the media.

The ongoing pussification of Al Sharpton

Who says there's never a "community organiser" around when you really need one?

• Meet Mikhail Muhammad & friends •

"We're here to make them do their job," organizer Mikhail Muhammad said on Monday. "We will support Trayvon's family, but we are military."

"According to the street people's law, (George Zimmerman) has been charged with murder -- according to street law, according to God's law."

Turns out Mr Muhammad was a little hazy on whose law he was referring to.

Muhammad said the U.S. Constitution grants people the right to make a citizen's arrest, although he also said, a short time later, that he "doesn't obey the white man's law, I don't follow the American law."

Which raises the suddenly awkward question of what happens to Mr Zimmerman after his "citizens military arrest."

Well, Mikhail... best wishes on your latest campaign to straighten out all those misperceptions North American society may have about threats & violence in the black community.

**********

UPDATE: Airbrushing the Politburo...

...remember how the MSM always used that picture of a 13 year-old Omar Khadr?

"Suspended THREE times for drugs, truancy and graffiti and 'caught carrying a burglary tool'."

And, hey... maybe Twitter is useful for something after all...

Among many Tweets, the Wagist claims, is a message from his cousin implying that Trayvon attacked a bus driver.

'Yu ain't tell me yu swung on a bus driver,' a user Tweeted to Travyon's alleged account five days before he was killed.

Click on before/after pictures for more.

Wait a minute... I seem to remember...

...what happened the last time the Dippers were yankin' on the levers of political power...Two words, campers... RAE DAYS.

Your CBC in action... "We don' need..."

"...no steenkin' witness..."

George Zimmerman, 28, fatally shot the black 17-year-old on Feb. 26 while on a neighbourhood watch shift in Sanford, Fla. Trayvon Martin was returning to his father's house from a convenience store with a bag of Skittles candy and a can of iced tea when the shooting took place. Martin was not armed.

There have been suggestions the killing was racially motivated.

Oh, wow... big bad racist shoots unarmed black kid holding a bag of candy. Pretty powerful imagery. All that's missing here are mounted Klansmen and a flaming crucifix.

In addition, a large component of the story here is the allegedly racist Florida police department not charging Zimmerman with murder. The chief of the department has been forced to step down. But, is it possible... just possible... that not charging Zimmerman had something to do with their investigation... or evidence?

"The Florida neighbourhood watch volunteer who killed Trayvon Martin told police that the teenager punched him to the ground and began pounding his head into the pavement, it has emerged."

Of course, you don't wanna simply take the word of the shooter... I mean, what else is he gonna say?

But how about testimony (a decidedly non-CBC account) from an eyewitness?

One man's testimony could be key for the police.

"The guy on the bottom who had a red sweater on was yelling to me: 'help, help'... I told him to stop and I was calling 911."

Trayvon Martin was in a hoodie; Zimmerman was in red.

The witness only wanted to be identified as "John," and didn't not want to be shown on camera. His statements to police were instrumental, because they backed up Zimmerman's claims, saying those screams on the 911 call are those of Zimmerman.

"When I got upstairs and looked down, the guy who was on top beating up the other guy, was the one laying in the grass, and I believe he was dead at that point," John said.

Apparently, prior to being shot, poor defenseless little Trayvon was the aggressor in this conflict.

Just another little factoid you aren't gonna see highlighted on Canada's national broadcaster.

**********

RELATED: Tried & convicted by CBC Radio

"If Trayvon Martin really did attack George Zimmerman, he did it armed with an iced tea and a bag of Skittles."

Well... not exactly....

George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch crime captain who shot dead 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, originally told police in a written statement that Martin knocked him down with a punch to the nose, repeatedly slammed his head on the ground and tried to take his gun, a police source told ABC News.

Which, not to tweak anyone's liberal sensibilities too hard... is supported by the physical evidence AND an eyewitness.

**********

LAST WORD: The 8th stage of grief

And, hey... how about that "healing" community support? Here's another story you aren't gonna see on CBC...



I guess it's just "unfortunate", because... as we all know, racism is a one-way street... even if you're Latino.

(via BCF)

Dear Barack... I'm sure the...

...Brotherhood appreciates the helping hand...

U.S. officials and lawmakers said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has determined that it was in the U.S. national interest to allow $1.3 billion in military assistance to flow. She also certified that Egypt is meeting its obligations to the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, which frees up an additional $200 million in economic aid, they said.

Separate AND not Equal...

...the new face of Canadian justice...

“When sentencing an aboriginal offender, courts must take judicial notice of such matters as the history of colonialism, displacement, and residential schools and how that history continues to translate into lower educational attainment, lower incomes, higher unemployment, higher rates of substance abuse and suicide, and, of course, higher levels of incarceration for aboriginal peoples.”

Orwell was right.

**********

RELATED: In other "cultural relativism" news...

...and yes, that'd be in Toronto...

In terms of physical punishment, the book advises that a husband may scold her, “beat by hand or stick,” withhold money from her or “pull (her) by the ears,” but should “refrain from beating her excessively.”

The store’s manager, who didn’t give his name, said the book had been sold out for some time, and the store’s owner, whom the manager identified as Shamim Ahmad, refused to comment for the story.

Well... he's a "national" something

Just ask the compasssionate, intellectual left...

“To just kind of have this drive-by smear of charities with whom the government doesn’t agree is just a dangerous, dangerous way to go,” Jim Cowan, the Liberal leader in the Senate said.

Yup... why can't we all be more like Doctor David & Mr C?

"David Suzuki has called for political leaders to be thrown in jail for ignoring the science behind climate change.

Apparently the good doctor is, yet again, confusing the government of Canada with the Junta in Myanmar.

Have your say...

Po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe...

...the over-hyped, faux dramatic world of professional journalism..."Wrong"... wrong how, Oliver?

"Talks began. The substance of several of the exchanges was relayed to the media and the suspect seems to have been 'keen' to explain his motives."

Hmmm, lemme see... serial murder... public confession... and an expeditious sentencing...

"Mr. Merah died moments later after tumbling from the bathroom window, still firing."

Yes, Oliver... "keen" is a very good word. I'm sure Mr. Merah was enthusiastic about his, uh... work. Especially the murdering children part of it.

Funny, though... not a single mention of the word "justice."

I'm thinkin' this one worked out just fine.

**********

UPDATE: They had to dust this guy...

...to cover up their unbelievable incompetence.

Just something to think about, Toronto...

...while you're writing that whopper municipal tax cheque...

"The former chief financial officer of Toronto’s embattled public housing agency could be forced to pay back nearly $60,000 for the free “executive model” vehicle he drove while allegedly pocketing a car allowance of up to $600 per month."

Apparently, the housing isn't the only thing that's "affordable."

Pay attention, mere mortals...

...here's how the "pros" do it...

You say to-may-toe...

...I say to-mah... er, well... bullshit...

“Liberals are committed to co-operating with this investigation,” Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae said. “We are setting the standard for openness and transparency, and we expect that all other political parties will follow suit.”

Of course, there's "openness and transparency" AND THEN there's "Liberal openness and transparency"...

Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Rae acknowledged the bounty of materials provided to Elections Canada did not include information on a Liberal robo-call in Guelph that attacked Conservative candidate Marty Burke for his stand on abortion.

Hmmm... didn't the Liberal Party also not acknowledge that they were behind this attack... in contravention of Election Canada laws?

Stand by for opposition mouthpiece Ted Betts to jump to Mr Rae's defense in three, two...

**********

RELATED: Dirty tricks... it's a Liberal thing

“Mr. Carroll remains willing to voluntarily appear and respect the invitation that was originally extended to him on March 8, 2012,” the letter said. “Ultimatums and threats without legal foundation are unnecessary, undignified and abusive.”

You know... unlike splashing someone's messy divorce all over the internet.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh

The sound of mind-boggling butchery...

"At some point the slaughter of birds and bats by taxpayer-subsidized wind turbines is going to trigger serious legal action. ... If the full force of the Migratory Bird Treaty and the Endangered Species Act were brought to bear on these unsightly killing machines, investors would turn their backs on this artificial industry in a heartbeat."

(via sda)

And Grannie... what big eyes, er, teeth...

...oh, never mind...

The per capita rate of new syphilis cases across Canada has soared almost 10-fold since 2000, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Chlamydia rates, after falling through most of the 1990s, have jumped 66% since 2000, with more than 87,000 total new cases in 2009.

The phenomenon seems particularly relevant to middle-aged and older people, who appear to be flooding to dating websites, and are generally less apt to practise safe sex, suggest some analysts.

It's a brave new world.

Coyne of the realm... a short thesis

Compare this to the inarticulate, hyper-partisan argle-bargle spewing out the piehole of your average "Honourable Member"...

"What I believe in are a set of principles having to do with the freedom of the individual, the usefulness but not infallibility of markets, and the legitimate but limited role of the state."

"So before you ask, where is conservatism going, perhaps it would be better to ask: where has it gone?"

Lucid, coherent, principled.

We, as Canadians, desperately need more of this.

(via sda)

Looks like the Poutine's about to...

...hit the fan...**********

ASK A LIBERAL LAWYER: We don' need...

...no steekin' proof...

"So yes, electoral fraud occurred. Obviously. Who did it? Seems pretty obviously a few Conservatives."

Yes, of course... I blame Stephen Harper. Somebody get a rope.

Hey, Ted... have you passed on your "insider knowledge" to Elections Canada yet?

**********

UPDATE: The plot thickens...

A fake video confession was posted on YouTube in which someone falsely claiming to be former Conservative staffer Michael Sona took the fall for the infractions to the Elections Act.

Sources who know Mr. Sona told The Globe it was not him on the video and the person making the false confession is obviously not the same Mr. Sona whose pictures adorn the Internet in the company of a number of senior Conservative ministers.

Bright lights, big city...

...don't piss off the neighbours...

-- TORONTO -- A woman murdered in her North York apartment was behaving erratically and hanging around with strangers recently, a homicide detective said. He said her “erratic behaviour” included “screaming at people, unprovoked.”

An autopsy revealed that blunt force trauma on the body of Linda Thomas, 60, “is consistent with a significant beating to various parts of her body,” Browne told The Toronto Sun.

**********

RELATED: Register this, copper!!!

-- TORONTO -- Two men are facing a total of 36 weapon and drug-related charges after sharp-eyed Toronto Police officers became suspicious of a parked vehicle.

Abdiweli Abdullahi, 23, of Toronto, faces 18 charges, including possessing pot, unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm with its serial number altered, two counts of having a gun contrary to a prohibition order, possession of ammo, carrying a concealed weapon and six counts of breaching court release orders.

Co-accused Siyadin Abdi, 27, of Toronto, was charged with possessing pot, unauthorized possession of a firearm, having a gun with an altered serial number, possessing ammunition contrary to a prohibition order and carrying a concealed weapon.

"If it only saves one life"

Liberal Party of Canada calls for "Winter Sports Registry"...

"On its website in describing skicross, Alpine Canada says, 'It's been called NASCAR on skis.'"

"And winter sport's answer to a roller derby. However you describe it, you can't claim ski cross — or skier-X, as it's also known — is boring."

"Zoricic is the second Canadian freestyle team member to die in a skiing accident this year."

As I grabbed my coffee and my laptop...

...I happened to look over at the floor of the passenger side and saw this...

"Jesus. I think the only thing missing was a bottle of chloroform and a rag."