Thursday, 28 July 2011

The People's Filibuster

Still watching The People's Filibuster*, as Niles styled it.

There are over 300 on the list. About 30 have spoken (they kindly moved people with children and disabled people forward). Score: in favour of service cuts 0; ^NOT in favour 30.

I just calculated that at max speed -- with no questions from councillors -- the earliest I could go on is after 1 a.m. Which is unlikely even if there is a bunch of no-shows.

And I can't imagine Fordzilla going without dinner.

What to do? Stay up? Have a nap? And when to get there?

Advice welcome.

*#peoplesfilibuster is a nice hashtag, yes?

UPDATE: FatFuckFord has just announced dinner break from 6 to 6:45.

UPDATE 2: This is moving faster now. Up to deputant #56. Maybe I should get my butt down there. But then I'd have to give up the Intertoobz and Twitter, having no cell phone, let alone smartphone.

UPDATE 3: Back. Decompressing. More tomorrow.
Publié par fern hill à 5:04:00 pm
Libellés : , , ,

13 comments:

Barb Miller said...

I'm staying for the duration damn it Janet #People's Fillibuster

28 July 2011 at 17:17
ck said...

If you possibly can, try to tough it out. At the very least, you'll have first hand knowledge on what your fellow citizens said and what they're thinking and how they're voting. You'll know for sure how dishonest the media coverage would be at the very least, when they spin in favour of Mayor Boss Hogg.

Yes, I'm sure Mayor Boss Hogg and Donut Dougy can't go without their ribs and Timmy Horton's donuts, now.

People's filibuster, good one, Niles!

It makes me almost wish I lived in Toronto, almost, being the operative word here.

If my father wasn't so sick and in need to have all of his specialists with whom relationships are long since established, I would've moved my parents back to Montreal to be near me.

28 July 2011 at 19:41
Toe said...

You GO Fern! Kim Fry spoke tonight, saw on FB, I think AZ feed.

28 July 2011 at 21:45
Toe said...

Live Cast here - http://www.cp24.com/live/

28 July 2011 at 21:51
The Pedgehog said...

Hey, so, there's clearly at least 24 hours worth of policy stuff to take Ford to task on, as evidenced by the council meeting - can we please stop making fun of his weight? Being fat is not a moral failing, folks. In fact, calling him things like "Fat Fuck" and "Blob Ford" not only alienates your fat progressive allies (*waves* hi! I exist!), it makes you almost as much of a bigot as Ford himself.

29 July 2011 at 09:40
fern hill said...

Hi, Pedgehog: I got into this on Twitter yesterday with Luna who took me to task for the same thing. I had remarked that rightwingnutjobs commented on the appearance of deputants when they had nothing to say about the content of the deputants' remarks. She said that we lefties were also guilty albeit less so. I admitted guilt on that score, but added (in my defense) that Fords are public people, not ordinary citizens doing their civic duty.

I mean, 'Fat Fuck Ford' rolls off the keyboard so nicely, doesn't it?

But, yeah, you're right. I'll try to restrain myself.

But, no, you're not right. Unless by 'almost' you mean 'within light-years'.

29 July 2011 at 09:50
The Pedgehog said...

Yes they are public people, but that does not justify fatphobia any more than Sarah Palin being a public person justifies the misogyny so often hurled her way. Being a politician means your views are up for critique, not the way you look.

When I was a kid the obvious choice (since my name is Peggy) was Piggy. I'm sure that rolled nicely off the tongue as easily as Fat Fuck Ford rolls off the keyboard, but it doesn't make it hurt any less or make it any more deserved.

When you criticize the mayor for being fat, you a) make yourself look shallow b ) make the progressive movement seem as if we have nothing else to criticize him for, which we do, and c) make me (and other fat people) feel like shit - regardless of political leanings.

All that said, I do appreciate your effort to restrain yourself going forward.

29 July 2011 at 10:51
deBeauxOs said...

fern hill, this is why I no longuer follow The Pedgehog on Twitter.

If I wanted to be hectored by supercilious self-referential hyperbole, I'd follow SUZANNE.

29 July 2011 at 12:24
fern hill said...

Yeah, I thought one scolding was sufficient.

And I'm still restraining myself from saying anything about the phrase 'going forward'.

29 July 2011 at 12:41
Luna said...

And when I mentioned it, I'd forgotten that you were one of the people who used the term. :D

29 July 2011 at 13:58
fern hill said...

Would that have stopped you? ;)

Maybe it's just my great age (not claiming wisdom), but most language issues don't exercise me much anymore. I've got ethnic markers on me that made me (not so much anymore) the target of stupid slurs, but it never bothered me much and now I think I'd just laugh.

But still, I stick by my point of public figures being open to more criticism than ordinary folks. I mean Dalton McGuinty looks dweeby. His fault? Nope. But his dweeby looks mirror his dweeby personality.

Ditto for Hudork, who looks and acts like a dork.

And the Ford Bros look and act like every fatboy bully you've ever met on the playground.

29 July 2011 at 14:12
The Pedgehog said...

Sorry, probably the second comment was over the top. You did apologize and I certainly don't want to hector anybody.

deBeauxOs, I am not certain where I was being hyperbolic. Please call me out if you feel comfortable doing it, because if I know the specific instances of when I act like an asshole it's easier for me to correct it. Cheers.

And to everyone - we are on the same side. There is no reason we can't engage civilly/snark-free with each other. I am here in good faith. I'm sorry if I offended and I hope we can move on in a good way from here.

29 July 2011 at 15:40
Anonymous said...

fern - I'm evul like you - just can't get the vision of Rob Ford = the Chris Farley character in "Tommy Boy" out of my mind.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114694/

k'in

29 July 2011 at 17:53

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