[Kat's Meow]

In the absence of news, you guys get feisty.

I won't pick a fight but I won't roll over either. But yes, we are due for news given how long it's been quiet.

 

[casita]

"what is known is that despite the confusion created by the OPP's statements, the investigation continues."
https://twitter.com/MetroManTO/status/458378978894438400

 

[smalltown]

Some humour: apologies if already posted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUY6lDja-DE

 

[newearthling]

Could Fraud Nayshun be the start of a legitimate tea party movement in Canada?

Here is the Canadian tea party on FB: https://www.facebook.com/teapartycanada

A Globe article from 2 years ago. The young should join the Tea Party

(Alert: it's Margaret Wente citing Niall Ferguson.)

But I think Fraud Nayshun is closer to what NYC boy was talking about: a lumpenproletariat tea party movement.

Here demagogues and fascists of various stripes find some area of the mass base in time of struggle and social breakdown, when the ranks of the Lumpenproletariat are enormously swelled by ruined and declassed elements from all layers of a society in decay.

The Tea Party movement is an American political movement that is primarily known for advocating a reduction in the U.S. national debt and federal budget deficit by reducing U.S. government spending and taxes.[1][2] The movement has been called partly conservative,[3] partly libertarian,[4] and partly populist.[5] It has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009.

Are we a society in decline?
Are the Fraud Nayshunials the ancestors of the Idiotocracy? (lol is that an 'elitist' thing to say?
How can we heal the divide?

Here's what 22 minutes had to say about the Canadian tea party movement 4 years ago:
[video=youtube;RrahVon6UV8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrahVon6UV8[/video]

 

[newearthling]

Here is an interesting article on idiotocracy, apathy and corruption.

Defining Idiotocracy and Solutions to Apathy and Corruption: Hernando de Soto on the Economic Crisis
Richard Basas | on November 24th, 2011

An Idiotocracy can be defined as a structure, group of managers or culture within an institution that actively works to undermine and slowly destroy and corrupt an institution from within. The defining feature of an Idiotocracy is that the group or culture creates a lose-lose situation for themselves and the institution in which they operate. Often such institutions are not fixated on strong ideals or beliefs, as that would create a strong opposition to counterbalance a strong position, but is defined by a lack of position or ideal or ethic. This lack of focus in the institution promotes a culture of apathy, thus promoting apathetic, uninterested and unmotivated actors to dominate the institution. The core group undermining the institution requires the culture of apathy to be able to push through lose-lose policies and fuel a lack of research and debate into their activities.

 

[hper]

What follows is purely anecdotal, and ought be taken as such, but as it seemed interesting and germane, thought it might be worthwhile fodder.

So, up at the in-laws, north of Barrie, for Easter. After the meal, the conversation over beverages continues. Brother-in-law asks, "What the heck is up with your mayor?" BinL , being from Collingwood and environs, so what does he know, right? You go through the usual explanations, as one does, but he comes back with this dismissive, hand-wavey, "You don't get it."

"What don't we get?"

Well, turns out he/they are friends with a senior OPP guy up there. With the caution that "He's a by the book. Won't reveal stuff, yada, yada-type cop" this particular service member has said they've been trying to nail the Fords for ages. Ages! Not just the TPS, or the OPP. For bad shit. A lot of it related to the laundering of money, but other, undisclosed, 'worse'. "Much worse". And every attempt to do so comes up against a protective social membrane that will not be broken. This is constituted by a nexus of capital, authority, politics and crime.

Apparently, the OPP has had these guys on radar for longer than Ford has been Mayor. And the Ford-ian utterance that 'People bigger than me' (or whatever it was) is seriously grounded in apparent investigative fact. And there is a serious amount of frustration at the stymey-ing of relevant, productive leads that comes from 'somewhere'. A mysterious 'above'. The 'Mobbed-Up' interjection offered was met by a slow,noncommittal, nod by BinL.

Again, and let's be clear, this was a post-prandial discussion with people who have nothing to do with the politics of the city, the Fords, none of it. But they seemed surprised at how stupid we were about 'what's really going on'. And, yeah, anonymous anecdotals from some cop who's a friend of a one-degree family separation. But, delivered in such a matter-of-fact, 'why don't you get this' kind of way made me think The Joker is in command.

Don't want to pretend to know anything. But this all kind of left us jaw-dropped.

As you were.

 

[anne]

Aside from the head count - propbably off by many hundreds - the most poorly done item relates to the money. Doug Jr said that they are going to claim that the "launch" was a fundraising event. Provided that expenses (a) are for a fundraising event [a dubious claim here, but what else is new?] and (b) are not priced below market value (eg, as they would be if one rented a $5,000 hall for $1,000), the expenses are not counted as a "contribution" and there is no limit on the expenses that can be incurred. So, if one accepts the claim that the launch, despite its name, was a fundraising event, the Fords could put unlimited amounts of their own money into it as long as they paid market value. It is, to say the least, superficial to claim that 'there is serious money behind the campaign', which leaves the impression that there are serious contributions, without noting that the 'serious money' could have come entirely from (and from other available signs, probably did come entirely from) the Fords.

I see others have done their homework. You can't read an article about Ford these days without some commenter calling out a lie, or pointing to a shady connection. In http://www.torontolife.com/informer...six-things-learned-rob-fords-campaign-launch/ someone a few comments down says:
EastCoastLaw istoronto • an hour ago "Jordan Paolucci, a criminal defense lawyer from Etobicoke, was one of the people waiting for his chance to buy. “It’s a moment in history,†he said, adding that he hoped to pass the figurine on to his kids.
JORDAN PAOLUCCI IS THE SCUM BAG LAWYER WHO WAS CAUGHT LURING YOUNG BOYS INTO DOING PORNOGRAPHY!
http://www.torontosun.com/2013...
Some of his most ardent supporters are criminals too; well played Mr Kuperferman.

ha ha. There is no excuse to be ignorant of the facts now that virtually every story includes people who are determined to keep the worst up front where all can see.

 

[newearthling]

Huh, well hper if your BinL's cop friend is to be believed, all of our UT speculation was on the mark!
So if Ford is never going to get charged, he must be defeated on election day.
But we need to come up with another scheme to run those guys outta town!
The Boycott Deco campaign is a good start, but there needs to be more.

I also now know what prandial means.

 

[anne]

What follows is purely anecdotal, and ought be taken as such, but as it seemed interesting and germane, thought it might be worthwhile fodder.

So, up at the in-laws, north of Barrie, for Easter. After the meal, the conversation over beverages continues. Brother-in-law asks, "What the heck is up with your mayor?" BinL , being from Collingwood and environs, so what does he know, right? You go through the usual explanations, as one does, but he comes back with this dismissive, hand-wavey, "You don't get it."

"What don't we get?"

Well, turns out he/they are friends with a senior OPP guy up there. With the caution that "He's a by the book. Won't reveal stuff, yada, yada-type cop" this particular service member has said they've been trying to nail the Fords for ages. Ages! Not just the TPS, or the OPP. For bad shit. A lot of it related to the laundering of money, but other, undisclosed, 'worse'. "Much worse". And every attempt to do so comes up against a protective social membrane that will not be broken. This is constituted by a nexus of capital, authority, politics and crime.

Apparently, the OPP has had these guys on radar for longer than Ford has been Mayor. And the Ford-ian utterance that 'People bigger than me' (or whatever it was) is seriously grounded in apparent investigative fact. And there is a serious amount of frustration at the stymey-ing of relevant, productive leads that comes from 'somewhere'. A mysterious 'above'. The 'Mobbed-Up' interjection offered was met by a slow,noncommittal, nod by BinL.

Again, and let's be clear, this was a post-prandial discussion with people who have nothing to do with the politics of the city, the Fords, none of it. But they seemed surprised at how stupid we were about 'what's really going on'. And, yeah, anonymous anecdotals from some cop who's a friend of a one-degree family separation. But, delivered in such a matter-of-fact, 'why don't you get this' kind of way made me think The Joker is in command.

Don't want to pretend to know anything. But this all kind of left us jaw-dropped.

As you were.

Let me guess.. Huronia West detachment?

 

[basic]

And we're still waiting on the Russian Mafia story from the Star...

 

[sno man]

What follows is purely anecdotal, and ought be taken as such, but as it seemed interesting and germane, thought it might be worthwhile fodder.

So, up at the in-laws, north of Barrie, for Easter. After the meal, the conversation over beverages continues. Brother-in-law asks, "What the heck is up with your mayor?" BinL , being from Collingwood and environs, so what does he know, right? You go through the usual explanations, as one does, but he comes back with this dismissive, hand-wavey, "You don't get it."

"What don't we get?"

Well, turns out he/they are friends with a senior OPP guy up there. With the caution that "He's a by the book. Won't reveal stuff, yada, yada-type cop" this particular service member has said they've been trying to nail the Fords for ages. Ages! Not just the TPS, or the OPP. For bad shit. A lot of it related to the laundering of money, but other, undisclosed, 'worse'. "Much worse". And every attempt to do so comes up against a protective social membrane that will not be broken. This is constituted by a nexus of capital, authority, politics and crime.

Apparently, the OPP has had these guys on radar for longer than Ford has been Mayor. And the Ford-ian utterance that 'People bigger than me' (or whatever it was) is seriously grounded in apparent investigative fact. And there is a serious amount of frustration at the stymey-ing of relevant, productive leads that comes from 'somewhere'. A mysterious 'above'. The 'Mobbed-Up' interjection offered was met by a slow,noncommittal, nod by BinL.

Again, and let's be clear, this was a post-prandial discussion with people who have nothing to do with the politics of the city, the Fords, none of it. But they seemed surprised at how stupid we were about 'what's really going on'. And, yeah, anonymous anecdotals from some cop who's a friend of a one-degree family separation. But, delivered in such a matter-of-fact, 'why don't you get this' kind of way made me think The Joker is in command.

Don't want to pretend to know anything. But this all kind of left us jaw-dropped.

As you were.

Grain of salt notwithstanding, and maybe I don't know how investigations start, how far up the chain wise, but... Considering Fantino's personal interest in RoFo, how was there an investigation into RoFo, DoFo or Deco started under his watch? And/Or why was it not nipped in the bud if it was for someone else and the Fords came up? (not dissimilar to the recent OPP hand-wash, once Fantino's boy was in charge) And if it was nipped, is he suggesting there are still investigations going on without leadership's approval? (!)

/not trying to give you a hard time, I'd actually like to hope there is more investigating going on, in spite of the best efforts to the contrary...

 

[kbdid]

You know, given all this supposed "bigger than Ford himself" criminal stuff, I'd really just like it if the TPS would pop him for being profoundly intoxicated behind the wheel (before he hurts anyone) and thrown behind bars/convicted. Get him off our plates and the rest of the sordid stuff can come out in the wash....

 

[newearthling]

The fire station put their Canadian flag upside down today as a distress signal.

https://twitter.com/CityCynthia/status/458302378043645953/photo/1
Cynthia Mulligan ‏@CityCynthia 8h
Flag outside closed fire hall flying upside down, a protest against cuts. #topoli pic.twitter.com/xCx5G9j1gN

Then someone came up with this, as the Canadian flag was not the right one.

Mary Ann ‏@cinemaven
@CityCynthia wrong upside down flag but the distress is real #TOpoli pic.twitter.com/yDibf8ekzI

 

[adma]

You know, given all this supposed "bigger than Ford himself" criminal stuff, I'd really just like it if the TPS would pop him for being profoundly intoxicated behind the wheel (before he hurts anyone) and thrown behind bars/convicted. Get him off our plates and the rest of the sordid stuff can come out in the wash....

Sorta like an Al Capone "nail him on small stuff, and the big stuff will follow" approach.

 

[adma]

@CityCynthia wrong upside down flag but the distress is real #TOpoli pic.twitter.com/yDibf8ekzI

Though said upside down flag's long been joked as a pair of legs w/a fig/maple leaf....