Attended the Anti-Hate protest opposing a Canada First rally this morning at the north end of Queen's Park. Missed the one at Christie Pits last month (I was out of town) and really wanted to make this one.

A thorough and thoughtful assessment in The British Columbia Review of my latest book, "On Canadian Democracy," which has become more relevant by the day since it was published last June. thebcreview.ca/2024/12/20/2...

I have to admit, Poilievre is correct about this. Bill C-2 has major privacy issues, and if this pushes the Carney government to correct them, then good on Poilievre. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

We need to push back against Doug Ford at every opportunity. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Coming soon to the Royal Ontario Museum - SHARKS!

Some good news for a change!

Good news for Toronto cyclists

Bill Blair is out of Cabinet. Good riddance.

Toronto police have made an arrest in the case of a man assaulting an e-bike rider this week. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

We beat the before and we can do it again! (Disclaimer, I am a huge War of 1812 nerd). www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Voted in the Ontario advance polls after a slight delay. Confused the East York Civic Centre with the East York Community Centre.

I just signed a petition: Investigate X and Elon Musk for election interference. Sign here: leadnow.ca/campaigns/el...

Attended the book launch this evening of Ronald Deibert's history of the Citizen Lab, "Chasing Shadows" about his work to protect journalists and activists against cyber espionage. Good to know there are people like him fighting for all of us.

Just got my Doug Ford $200 bribe cheque. Already donated it to Cycle Toronto and Ontario NDP.

Attended @colingeddes.bsky.social talk this Saturday along with my brother, @donaldfsimmons.bsky.social at the Robert Charles Lee Library at Robarts Library (U of T). Colin waxed lyrical on his history of collecting Hong Kong movie memorabilia.

My first movie of 2025 was at the Revue Cinema tonight - GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE, the first of a trilogy of Gamera movies from the 1990s and some of the best kaiju films ever made.

Spent my Xmas holidays catching up on some unread Brian Stableford at the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy at the Toronto Public Library. It's a shame so much of his work is out of print.

A Charlie Brown's Christmas at Hugh's Room this afternoon performed by Kyle Sullivan (drums), Teri Parker (piano) and Chris Kettlewell (Bass Cello), along with several other Xmas carols set to a jazz beat. A great afternoon.

Just say my first doc at Hot Docs Ted Rogers cinema since it reopened. Support documentary film making.

Write for Rights event for Amnesty International Canada at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto this afternoon. Most cursive writing I do all year.

Just finished Kent Roach's "Canadian Policing: Why & How it Must Change" (Picked it up at Word the on Street this year). A compelling read on the many problems with Cdn policing (often from its paramilitary origins) and ways to move forward, if our politicians have the courage to do so.

Met my Ontario MPP Peter Tabuns (NDP) at a pop-up office this weekend. Asked about the possibility of Liberal/NDP coordinating to keep PCs from winning seats by vote splitting. He replied talked about this with Liberal friend, but feel Liberal votes more likely to go to PCs.

Picked up a Toronto Landmarks 2025 Calendar ay the @spacing.bsky.social Store 10th anniversary event. Really need to go there more often.

After our success in helping a progressive candidate win the seat (Progress Toronto did not endorse any candidate, just made sure Furey's background was better known), the right has taken notice and is talking about forming their own group to promote candidates.

I am confident that Furey wants to be the new voice of the right in Toronto, and just saw the council seat as a springboard for his mayoral campaign.

Over the last few weeks, I volunteered for Progress Toronto several times, distributing flyers about the right-wing background of Ward 15 candidate Anthony Furey (everything we cited that he said was backed up by news articles publicly available).

Popular Front is a grassroots podcast on conflict around the world, often in areas under-reported by the regular media. It is operated by independent reporter Jake Hanrahan. I recommend it highly for people who want to hear the stories of people directly involved in these conflicts.

The Local is a Toronto independent online news channel, covering politics, social issues and health in the city. They just posted a review of Olivia Chow's first 100 days in office. Give them a look.

Day of culture for me. First, the 2023 World Press Photo exhibition at 181 Bay St. and then Cities in Flux at the AGO. Bought a year's pass to the AGO (only $5 more expensive than a single admission) so will make a habit of dropping in once a month over the winter when I have put my bike away.