Richie Assaly
@rdassaly.bsky.social
📤 2887
📥 507
📝 758
Writes about music, books and politics.
https://linktr.ee/richieassaly
pinned post!
Here's my profile on Madeleine Thien, whose first novel in nearly a decade arrives next week. We spoke about Hannah Arendt, visiting Palestine, the limits of autofiction and much more.
www.thestar.com/entertainmen...
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Madeleine Thien is the quiet conscience of Canadian literature. Nine years after winning the country’s top book prize, she returns with a stirring new novel
In “The Book of Records,” the outspoken author moves between centuries and perspectives – past and imagined futures – in a prismatic attempt to unearth the very root of thinking.
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/madeleine-thien-is-the-quiet-conscience-of-canadian-literature-nine-years-after-winning-the-country/article_355dc58b-a2fa-45a7-a613-de2f6648e346.html
8 months ago
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Better late than never! My top albums and books of 2025 And of course a playlist of my top songs:
tidal.com/playlist/ac8...
2 days ago
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Better late than never! My top albums and books of 2025 And of course a playlist of my top songs:
tidal.com/playlist/ac8...
2 days ago
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So many greats from The Wire are gone: • Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Clay Davis) • James Ransone (Ziggy Sobotka) • Michael K. Williams (Omar) • Lance Reddick (Cedric Daniels) • Robert F. Chew (Prop Joe) • Reggie E. Cash (Norman Wilson)
3 days ago
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We lost a lot of legends in 2025: Ozzy, Brian Wilson, Sly Stone, D'Angelo, Roberta Flack, David Lynch, Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton, Frank Gehry... Here are 13 mini-obits for
@thestar.com
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Remembering 13 celebrities we lost this year, from Ozzy Osbourne to Diane Keaton
From Ozzy Osbourne to Diane Keaton, we pay tribute to some of the luminaries who left us in 2025.
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/13-celebrities-we-lost/article_c5b5087c-f860-4b3e-9294-1c38f467255f.html
3 days ago
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Joined CBC’s Just Talking podcast yesterday to chat about fun pop culture trends!
www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
5 days ago
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The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate reports that Israel has killed *706* relatives of journalists since 2023. The report described the killings as “a deliberate effort to turn journalism into an existential threat.”
www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/li...
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Israel systematically targets families of Palestinian journalists: Report
https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-systematically-targets-families-palestinian-journalists-report
6 days ago
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Powerful piece from Tareq Baconi
www.972mag.com/gaza-genocid...
7 days ago
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reposted by
Richie Assaly
josh o'kane
10 days ago
shoutout to
@rdassaly.bsky.social
at
@thegrindto.bsky.social
for first reporting this out last week
www.thegrindmag.ca/york-univers...
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York University Censored Exhibition at Goldfarb Gallery then Fired the Curator
Artist Amy Ching-Yan Lam says York demanded changes to her exhibition critiquing university repression of pro-Palestine protest. Then the admin fired the curator, a decision dozens of faculty members…
https://www.thegrindmag.ca/york-university-censored-exhibition-at-goldfarb-gallery-then-fired-the-curator/
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Wrote about
@backxwash.bsky.social
, Cold Specks, Friendship and Navy Blue for
@thestar.com
’s roundup of best 2025 albums.
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On the list of 2025’s 10 best albums, rock and hip-hop rule
Our contributors choose their favourites of the year, including Dijon, Geese and Haim.
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/on-the-list-of-2025s-10-best-albums-rock-and-hip-hop-rule/article_e98fde47-d516-40bd-bfb9-b3595e9adf53.html
11 days ago
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More excited for the Pluribus finale than Christmas
12 days ago
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Richie Assaly
Bruno Maçães
14 days ago
I wrote a personal essay on what it has meant for me witnessing events in Gaza since October 2023. I would be grateful if you help spread it. These were painful, disturbing conclusions to reach. But inescapable…
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Israeli attack kills at least six Palestinians attending wedding party at school-turned-shelter in Gaza City.
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Israel bombs Gaza wedding as mediators hold ceasefire talks in US
Israeli attack kills at least six Palestinians attending wedding party at school-turned-shelter in Gaza City.
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2025/12/19/us-to-host-qatari-turkish-and-egyptian-officials-for-gaza-ceasefire-talks
13 days ago
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Richie Assaly
The Walrus
14 days ago
The bravery of the student press is fuelled by more than just the optimism and passion of youth. Award-winning student journalist Domonique Tolliver believes she and her peers possess a unique superpower: having a perspective firmly rooted in the future.
thewalrus.ca/when-it-matters-...
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Google's AI program thinks David Suzuki is dead
14 days ago
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Richie Assaly
You can only pick one:
15 days ago
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You can only pick one:
15 days ago
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Richie Assaly
Tom Beedham
15 days ago
In 2025, Toronto saw the rise of a mega-stadium, new smaller venues opened, landlords did landlord things, monopoly money moved around, beloved haunts closed and spaces rebranded. My round up for
@thegrindto.bsky.social
:
www.thegrindmag.ca/how-torontos...
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How Toronto’s Concert Venue Landscape Changed in 2025
From the closing of the Dakota Tavern and the Velvet Underground to the launch of Rogers Stadium, the city’s live music scene underwent major changes last year.
https://www.thegrindmag.ca/how-torontos-concert-venue-landscape-changed-in-2025/
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Some drama at York University's Goldfarb Gallery. An artist says the administration censored her recent exhibit, which featured pro-Palestine content. Later, the gallery's curator was abruptly fired. Now, dozens of faculty are pushing back. For
@thegrindto.bsky.social
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York University Censored Exhibition at Goldfarb Gallery then Fired the Curator
Artist Amy Ching-Yan Lam says York demanded changes to her exhibition critiquing university repression of pro-Palestine protest. Then the admin fired the curator, a decision dozens of faculty members…
https://www.thegrindmag.ca/york-university-censored-exhibition-at-goldfarb-gallery-then-fired-the-curator/
16 days ago
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reposted by
Richie Assaly
Courtney Theriault
17 days ago
Premier Danielle Smith musing about new immigration reforms, such as preventing newcomers from accessing social programs like public health care or bringing their children over until they've been taxpayers for as many as 10 years.
calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...
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Bell: Danielle Smith speaks out on immigration — the Alberta premier is not holding back
Premier Smith wants a made-in-Alberta immigration focusing on people who can get a job and benefits based for those who work and pay taxes
https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/bell-danielle-smith-speaks-out-immigration
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reposted by
Richie Assaly
Kevin Nimmock
17 days ago
BREAKING: Skate Canada is boycotting Alberta over the province's ban on Trans women competing in women's sports.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
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Skate Canada to stop holding national, international events in Alberta | CBC News
Skate Canada says it will no longer host major events in Alberta following a review of the province's legislation on the participation of transgender athletes in women's sport.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/skate-canada-events-alberta-transgender-9.7018092
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Richie Assaly
Eric Wickham
18 days ago
Oh no, the once-elite airport lounge is now just another crowded space.
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Ten years and barely a dozen of the 94 TRC calls to action have been fulfilled. I spoke a bit about this with Billy-Ray Belcourt in the summer.
www.thegrindmag.ca/billy-ray-be...
add a skeleton here at some point
18 days ago
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Richie Assaly
onion person
18 days ago
insane move to imply that a murderer is your own supporter
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TIL that Leo Tolstoy was ripped
18 days ago
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I SCREAMED during *that* moment in the latest Pluribus episode. Exceptional television every week
19 days ago
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Darwin the IKEA Monkey is 5’4”??
www.thestar.com/news/gta/dar...
23 days ago
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Name me some place prettier than Liberty Village in December. I’ll wait!
24 days ago
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For
@thegrindto.bsky.social
, spoke to one of the co-creators of 'Big Gay Musical,' a hilarious Toronto production that uses an all-queer cast to reimagines classic Broadway characters and show tunes.
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Toronto’s ‘Big Gay Musical’ Is a Queer Romp Through Broadway Classics
Co-created by CJ Wiley and Lauren Beatty, the upcoming production features reimagined characters and songs from the history of musical theatre.
https://www.thegrindmag.ca/preview-torontos-big-gay-musical-is-a-queer-romp-through-broadway-classics/
24 days ago
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Depressing stuff!
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Why Does A.I. Write Like … That?
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/magazine/chatbot-writing-style.html
25 days ago
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Richie Assaly
kate bush’s husband
25 days ago
Daniel Day Lewis came out of Instagram retirement to show support for Paul Dano. King shit.
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jon christian
25 days ago
Pretty infuriating: King Gizzard quit Spotify over ethical concerns -- and now Spotify is letting AI knockoffs of its music (with all the lyrics copied verbatim) proliferate on its platform
futurism.com/future-socie...
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King Gizzard Pulled Their Music From Spotify in Protest, and Now Spotify Is Hosting AI Knockoffs of Their Songs
An impersonator appears to be using generative AI to poorly clone rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's iconic sound on Spotify.
https://futurism.com/future-society/king-gizzard-spotify-ai-knockoff
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Sunday Scaries
26 days ago
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A 70-year-old woman and her son were hunted down and killed by an Israeli quadcopter drone for crossing the unmarked “yellow line” in Gaza City. They were “left to bleed to death” as the drone hovered overhead, preventing anyone from reaching them.
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Israeli drone chases and kills elderly woman in Gaza as attacks continue
At least seven Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks as military pushes deeper beyond truce demarcation line.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/6/israeli-drone-chases-and-kills-elderly-woman-in-gaza-as-attacks-continue?taid=69349975f0642e000121ffe1&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
27 days ago
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Thousands of leaked photos show new evidence of mass torture and murder under Syria’s Assad regime. Important story from
@ghadaa.bsky.social
and
@shree-paradkar.bsky.social
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Thousands of leaked photos show new evidence of mass torture and murder under Syria’s Assad regime
There are over 10,200 bodies in the chilling trove of images. For Canadian families of the disappeared, the grim records offer a chance of closure.
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/damascus-dossier/article_68b54aae-d715-4545-bda2-b569a4811cbe.html
29 days ago
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Human rights lawyers are urging the RCMP to investigate and arrest Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni for alleged war crimes ahead of tonight's Munk Debates in Toronto. “Canada cannot become known as a safe haven for suspected war criminals," a lawyer told me. For
@thegrindto.bsky.social
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Lawyers Urge RCMP to Arrest Former Israeli Politicians Ahead of Munk Debates
International lawyers are calling on Canadian police to investigate and arrest former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel Tzipi Livni for their alleged…
https://www.thegrindmag.ca/lawyers-urge-rcmp-to-arrest-former-israeli-politicians-ahead-of-munk-debates/
about 1 month ago
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Wow, hadn't heard this Kelela cover of Joni Mitchell. Stunning
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb2W...
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Furry Sings the Blues (unplugged)
YouTube video by Kelela - Topic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb2Wpz9UkIs
about 1 month ago
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Only one Canadian album on Pitchfork’s top 50 list this year (Rochelle Jordan at #25) 🤷 There were just two last year, but Cindy Lee landed at #1
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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Richie Assaly
Craig Jenkins
about 1 month ago
ayyyy my albums list is live
www.vulture.com/article/best...
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The Best Albums of 2025
Crate-digging, dadcore, and a love letter to Puerto Rico.
https://www.vulture.com/article/best-albums-2025-new-music-releases.html
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The best indie rock album of the year was 'Caveman Wakes up' by Friendship
about 1 month ago
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people are not going to like this. good stuff!
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The 50 Best Albums of 2025
Featuring Rosalía, Dijon, Cameron Winter, Erika de Casier, Addison Rae, MIKE, and more.
https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-albums-2025/
about 1 month ago
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Something not mentioned in the reporting: Under pressure from protesters, Scotiabank's asset management subsidiary slashed its stake in Elbit Systems (Israel's largest weapons manufacturer) *by $231M* last quarter. Still sits at a whopping $83M.
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Scotiabank profit rises in fourth quarter despite trade war pressures and restructuring charge
The bank said the increase was primarily driven by higher net interest income and non-interest income.
https://www.thestar.com/business/scotiabank-profit-rises-in-fourth-quarter-despite-trade-war-pressures-and-restructuring-charge/article_109d7c1c-f9db-465f-a465-71344d487725.html
about 1 month ago
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Scariest character on television
about 1 month ago
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THE CHAIR COMPANY finale
about 1 month ago
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Richie Assaly
Alex Shephard
about 1 month ago
I wrote about Bari Weiss
newrepublic.com/article/2037...
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Bari Weiss’s Big Secret Is That She’s Boring
The “contrarian” journalist’s new vision for CBS News appears to just mean reinventing Crossfire.
https://newrepublic.com/article/203758/bari-weiss-cbs-news-strategy
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Beautiful album
about 1 month ago
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Richie Assaly
Lanrick Bennett
about 1 month ago
Umm
@rdassaly.bsky.social
we need to get the band back together. Make sure to tell everyone to bring ice skates just in case. h/t
@marjorienichol.bsky.social
@markster3000.bsky.social
@tomflood.bsky.social
#OneBigIdea
bsky.app/profile/rdas...
add a skeleton here at some point
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Finally getting rid of Spotify, gonna try out Qobuz. Shared a few words about the enshittification of the former with
@ameliaeqbal.bsky.social
for CBC News.
www.cbc.ca/news/enterta...
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As controversies pile up, is Spotify losing the streaming wars? | CBC News
The popular listening platform Spotify has dominated the streaming industry for years. But there have been recent calls to boycott the platform over controversies surrounding issues like artist compen...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/spotify-streaming-platform-controversy-2025-9.6996115
about 1 month ago
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Astonishing stuff
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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Richie Assaly
PEN Canada
about 1 month ago
Samira Mohyeddin has won the 2025 Ken Filkow Prize, which recognizes those whose work has advanced freedom of expression in Canada. Mohyeddin will receive the prize in Toronto on Friday, November 28, 2025 at the annual PEN Canada Awards Night.
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Samira Mohyeddin awarded 2025 Ken Filkow Prize - PEN Canada
The Latest
https://buff.ly/Twrbk9t
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It's not just measles. Ontario has also seen a rapid spread of syphilis, gonorrhoea, and chlamydia in recent years. This morning, frontline workers warned that provincial funding cuts are plunging Ontario's public health into crisis. For
@thegrindto.bsky.social
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Funding Cuts Plunging Public Health in Ontario into Crisis, Experts Warn
Frontline public health workers are sounding the alarm about the state of sexually transmitted infections, waterborne illnesses and measles…
https://www.thegrindmag.ca/funding-cuts-plunging-public-health-in-ontario-into-crisis-experts-warn/
about 1 month ago
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