Capitalism is a death cult.

Both Mo Farahs are global treasures. Brave, compassionate and generous. And I think Alan Watkinson and Kinsi’s mum are much better representatives of the UK spirit than the people Shabana Mahmood has been talking to.

This is shockingly cruel. That it’s the supposed Labour Party doing this adds to the hurt and dismay. All these Labour MPs should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves and should be drummed out of office with great speed.

England going the opposite way from Ontario with its reprehensible Bill 60. Don’t vote for Tories.

No money for literacy. No national literacy strategy. Lots of money for generative AI and to create a national AI strategy. Nothing for people. Just the usual transfer of wealth to corporations. It’s as if they want us all to be as bereft of imagination, creativity and compassion as they are.

“You can have your austerity fast or you can have it slow. You can have it in a strident adversarial package, in a package with dulcet tones and great hair, or in a knee-jerk nationalism that flickers like a mirage when you get too close.“ Oh Canada. Let’s get off this roundabout. Please.

“Budget 2025 is less about solving social problems than handing out corporate incentives. …There is no income-redistribution gamble, no moral lines on climate, income inequality, or the role of the state.” I know it’s what we all expected from the banker but it’s still depressing when it happens.

Ugh. This version of the LPC really highlights the power of the PMO. It’s basically the same group of people but policies on poverty, accessibility, immigration and climate change are so different. Or, perhaps, it reflects how good it is when the NDP hold the balance of power 🍊✊

I don’t usually comment on elections in other countries but there’s so much good news tonight I don’t even care that the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays. Way to be, American voters. You are giving us hope.

It’s going to be a hot Commie summer in NYC after all. But before that there’ll be a vivid Commie fall, a cool Commie winter and a green Commie spring.

Congratulations NYC!!!

All the best on the US mid-term elections to all who observe. It feels more existential than usual and your Canadian cousins are rooting for you. ♥️

My dad always gleefully called extra innings extra beers but I think even he would be less than gleeful.

Go Jays. I get the special beer mug tonight.

We brought the pumpkin in when it was still a scoreless game because we have hardly any candy left and also, baseball!

Don’t jinx it!!! Just home from the watch party at the Dome. So much fun. Plus there was free popcorn 😆 Thanks Toronto people for being so cool.

I’m still watching but without audio. I’m too tired to keep muting and unmuting 😴 — 🐦 ⚾️

My observations from the bar where I watched the game. Quite a few youngish women seemed elated. Some youngish men expressed bewilderment and asked the baseball universe, “What is happening right now?” Oldish people expressed bewilderment and asked each other, “Who ARE those guys?”

A group of goodies faced off against the Canada First racists at Queen’s Park today. On our side, music, treats and messages of welcome.

How AI is breaking the internet part nnn: This explains the awful clone sites with weird names that clutter up your search results.

Why do we all hate AI art? Here's the Oatmeal's take.

The squall has arrived and it is glorious.

It’s wonderfully heartening to be scrolling through the No Kings posts from around the US and elsewhere. The numbers, creativity, love and solidarity are bending the arc back towards justice. Love you all.

If, like me, you are wondering why your favourite chocolate biscuit suddenly conjures up visions of soylent green on toast, here’s why 😪

Headlines like this make one hope they mean reforms like racial justice, shrinking police budgets in favour of social programs, humane prison reform and responsive sentencing. But no, it is the usual Tory approach of less access to bail, more mandatory sentences and more police with more power.

Patriotic pumpkin pie by @jmollins.bsky.social

The Portland frog person is a protest genius. And this art collaboration between @quinnanya.me, @queermedieval.bsky.social, @literaturegeek.bsky.social and @ryancordell.org is sublime. Way to be, American cousins. Safe landings to you all.

Awww. We really had no idea where we were going.

This is such a loving message on another day of violence.

@pmi73.bsky.social hee hee

I want to make this into a billboard. (But would anyone see it, or believe it?)

I went yesterday. It was lovely. You can see it today at 11 or 4. The canoes start in Biidaasige Park (at Cherry and Commissioner). Here are some of my pics.

“We love your dataset.” This is a fantastic essay about how the values we ascribe to tech and our uncritical positive framing of collaboration (even with flawed machines), start to shape our views about the possibilities of art, research, education …and bananas!

I made the famous plum torte (cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/3783...). It is delicious. Thank you Maria Burro.

A petition to tell the Ontario government how you feel about the speed camera ban. (I assume that you, like me, think it’s dangerous and legislative over reach.)

While the Skills Development Fund seems to be a protocol for enhancing corporate welfare, this Maytree Research Brief shows that the design of the new Integrated Employment Services system (especially performance-based funding!) means too many actual social assistance recipients are denied support.

Here’s another one. $2 million to train 349 people for 50 hours. 70 got jobs. Again, just imagine what a literacy program could do with $2 million.

The Skills Development Fund paid an organization $6.5 million to train 720 people to work in a specific nightclub. 425 of them got jobs. Imagine if Ontario adult literacy programs were funded at this level and could report this level of achievement.

Poor Ward 11. You almost had @normsworld.bsky.social in this seat. And so it goes.

Centrism kills.

Aaah. Monday. I am enjoying the rain however.

Ai developers and advocates can’t keep using the “garbage in, garbage out” excuse indefinitely. If Wikipedia can build in safeguards against bias and harm, why would we expect less from Ai tools designed to make judgments on questions of health, life and death? If it’s garbage, throw it away.

@jmollins.bsky.social FYI. As expected of course but crazy things are happening all around us.

The US government seems to have lost all reverence for the beloved First Amendment and has fully embraced “cancel culture,” turning it from myth to reality. The Second Amendment however... I guess the pen really is mightier than the sword.

@jmollins.bsky.social FYI

Gorgeous! This is how cities get to be great. We improve spaces by taking them up… yes please!

Love this sooo much. Robert Redford certainly leaves a treasure trove of fascinating movies for us to enjoy and All the President’s Men is one of my favourites. (I always liked to imagine my dad’s work day was like this back when he was starting out before all the computers and stuff.)

On continue. Another pithy retort from the merry pranksters @everyonehateselon.bsky.social — The group has claimed responsibility for the stunt on social media, joking: “We heard Prince Andrew insisted on adding this new range to the Windsor Castle Gift Shop for Trump’s arrival.” — Bien sur!