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Benjamin Boles

@benjaminboles.bsky.social
1.2K followers 1.6K following 3.7K posts

I cut hair and sometimes make music. Retired music journalist. He/they Toronto on.soundcloud.com/z1Wx4

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
UncleofJamiroquai @jessefarrar.com · 1h
It seems quaint now that we do all our banking and race science there, but, nevertheless, it's true: at one time, people mostly wrote jokes on Twitter. 10 years ago, I wrote one about an old asshole and it kinda changed my life. Not his, though. www.cnn.com/2026/10/01/u...
cnn.com
The tweet that defined a decade of Trump | CNN
It’s been 10 years since Jesse Farrar accidentally defined a political era with one pithy, prescient tweet. He wishes it never happened.
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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 1h
jesus, man. is this the general terf/GC opinion now?
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Benjamin Boles @benjaminboles.bsky.social · 1h
For the past few weeks I see between four and six TTC cops inside the subway station, checking to make sure people using seniors or student passes are actually students or seniors. I asked one how many they catch an hour, and he said maybe one an hour. Enforcement costing far more than the fraud.
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A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 3h
At the leadership level anyway the two parties are "represents billionaires with openly racist beliefs" and "represents billionaires who have mostly submerged their racist and genocidal beliefs." Which is why you can't get any party leadership to sign up for transformative change the people want.
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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 30/09/2026
The National Post is using language that seems wildly irresponsible and dangerous here Citing ancient “Jewish law,” it labels Avi Lewis as a “rodef” The ultranationalist extremist who assassinated Yitzhak Rabin rationalized his killing on the same basis: www.theguardian.com/world/2020/o...
None of this applies, however, when a Jewish person presents a clear and present danger to the Jewish community. When that happens, Jewish thought is much more forceful: you must prevent the perpetrator from
causing harm.

Jewish law developed two character sketches to describe such scenarios. The first is known as a "mosar" — a Jewish person who informs to oppressive
authorities, potentially leading to the imprisonment, torture or death of community members. The second, called a "rodef," refers to a Jew who is actively pursuing another with the intent to harm or kill them. In both scenarios, the law is clear that a Jew is duty-bound to step in. Protecting the community and its members is the most important thing.It was around then that Yigal Amir, an earnest law student, made up his mind to kill the prime minister. Later he would insist he was not swayed by extremist rabbis; he had reached his own decision that Rabin - through his willingness to cede territory and to allow the creation of a Palestinian Authority, with its own armed police force - was a rodef and therefore a legitimate target. He got a weapon easily enough. With his brother, Amir was working on the creation of an anti-Palestinian militia. Nor was access difficult; on at least three occasions before the rally, Amir attended public events where Rabin was present. He was waiting for the right moment: he didn't want to shoot and miss.
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Semafor @semafor.com · 17h
Visitors to the US are on track to drop by almost two million year-on-year. “We’re the only major country in the world losing visitation,” the head of the US Travel Association said. “It’s mind-boggling.” www.semafor.com/article/09/2...
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Nash @radiodeadair.com · 10h
Never in my life have I seen such widespread and uncoordinated defiance of law enforcement in America. That's just stunning. Once regular people decide to start hindering the feds all by their lonesome, you've turned a corner.
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DGBassani @dgbassani.bsky.social · 13h
This is just absurd - just heard from a friend who also fell for this. It is clear the cellphone company seems to be largely benefiting from selling phones to their own costumers via scammers. Who buys 3-4 phones within weeks from the same company and how does that not trigger any warning?
globalnews.ca
Cell phone delivery scam continues to defraud Canadians | Globalnews.ca
B.C. resident Jeannie Moss says she owes Rogers over $4,000 after being scammed. “They had my phone number, my address, everything,” Moss told Consumer Matters.
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Hannah Harris Green @whatsitlike.me · 28/09/2026
When I set out to fact check “The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs” which argues that harm reduction may increase overdoses, I expected some cherry picking and misdirection. But not to find basic math errors and debunked right wing talking points asserted as fact in the Atlantic’s print edition.
whatsitlike.me
Atlantic's anti-harm reduction screed riddled with errors
A close read of "The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs" found errors in basic arithmetic as well as more deliberately misleading elements
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h
I for one think it’s bad that the president can just say crazy stuff all day every day and 99% of it doesn’t make the news because we’ve normalized having an insane president
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Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 18h
“cowboys” here really reminds me of a brilliant post I saw on Twitter that I’ve never stopped thinking about, which is how the manosphere brand of toxic patriarchy isn’t about MEN, it’s about BOYS. everything is a 12-year-old’s fantasy. Pete is playing G.I. Joe on a trillion-dollar budget
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JP @jpbrammer.bsky.social · 21h
I wrote about being chronically single, and about visiting a psychic to find out what's broken about me. she had some interesting things to say! johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/the-most-u...
johnpaulbrammer.substack.com
The Most Unlovable Man in New York City
On being chronically single and my visit to the love psychic
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Elizabeth Spiers @espiers.bsky.social · 18h
Spoke to a class a Columbia earlier about press freedom and anticipated having to explain what Gawker was but it did not occur to me for even two minutes that I would also have to explain who Hulk Hogan was
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
So much respect for this, and the framing. ABC, the right wing version of Progress Toronto, has used health care workers/hospitals as reason to rip them out. This puts a lie to that (and on University ambulances can bypass cars in the wide bikelanes if needed). So many lies.
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Damien Moule @damienmoule.bsky.social · 23h
The not-that-surprising skeleton key for Toronto politics.
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Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I think about this interview with the distinguished philosopher Conan O'Brien a lot. I actually think this is a healthy way to live your life! www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/a...
Is this how you want to go out, with a show that gets smaller and smaller until it’s gone?

Maybe that’s O.K. I think you have more of a problem with that than I do. [Laughs.] At this point in my career, I could go out with a grand, 21-gun salute, and climb into a rocket and the entire Supreme Court walks out and they jointly press a button, I’m shot up into the air and there’s an explosion and it’s orange and it spells, “Good night and God love.” In this culture? Two years later, it’s going to be, who’s Conan? This is going to sound grim, but eventually, all our graves go unattended.

You’re right, that does sound grim.

Sorry. Calvin Coolidge was a pretty popular president. I’ve been to his grave in Vermont. It has the presidential seal on it. Nobody was there. And by the way, I’m the only late-night host that has been to Calvin Coolidge’s grave. I think that’s what separates me from the other hosts.

I had a great conversation with Albert Brooks once. When I met him for the first time, I was kind of stammering. I said, you make movies, they live on forever. I just do these late-night shows, they get lost, they’re never seen again and who cares? And he looked at me and he said, [Albert Brooks voice] “What are you talking about? None of it matters.” None of it matters? “No, that’s the secret. In 1940, people said Clark Gable is the face of the 20th Century. Who [expletive] thinks about Clark Gable? It doesn’t matter. You’ll be forgotten. I’ll be forgotten. We’ll all be forgotten.” It’s so funny because you’d think that would depress me. I was walking on air after that.
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Alex @purplechrain.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I don’t subscribe to NatPost, but I found a link to the whole column. I don’t know who Yoni Goldstein is, but he says “Jewish law tells us how to deal with Avi Lewis”, then invokes the Biblical story of Korach & the concepts of a moser & a rodef - and he isn’t accusing Lewis of informing on anyone.
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Deb Chachra @debcha.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The thing about having a radiologist friend like @gammacounter.bsky.social is that you will learn, in incredibly well-documented detail, how dangerously life-threatening swallowing button batteries are to kids. [link via @pazsays.bsky.social, who also got to hear about it]
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Hi, it's Matt Collins! @mitchberghini.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
If you're in Toronto on Sunday I'm performing with an ensemble I get a lot of joy from performing with and it's in celebration of an album we're all very proud of!
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Micah @rincewind.run · 29/09/2026
there's a reason I almost exclusively use my QTs as a "yes, and" tool
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John Michael McGrath @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
In last night's debate Dylan Marando said he'd ban online gambling in Ontario outright (means TBD.) His campaign tells me that while he's said it before in smaller settings, this is the first time he's broadcast it, will be part of Marando's platform.
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Naomi Elizabeth @naomielizabeth.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
You can’t criticize me I already visualized you as the unhelpful zigzag Tetris block and myself as the heroic single line block
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Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"In the states examined in this analysis, a drop of approximately 20% in inflation-adjusted rents—as happened in Austin, Texas, and Minneapolis after those cities made reforms—could reduce poverty by 18% to 26% and child poverty by 21% to 38%." www.pew.org/en/research-...
pew.org
The Housing Shortage Is a Major Driver of Poverty
Housing costs are usually the largest item in a household’s budget and can determine a family’s financial stability.
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
And Doctors for Bikelanes just held a big rally this morning on University Ave
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Oliver Moore @oliver-moore.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
All those Toronto drivers who shouted about bike lanes' [non-existent] effect on emergency vehicles will no doubt throw their support behind congestion pricing. Right?
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Ethan Hein @ethanhein.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Yesterday after class some of my students got into a conversation with me about AI. They were reacting to my belief that genAI music is a fad that will blow over, that it's more like VR than like DAWs, a solution in search of a problem. They want to believe me but are doubtful.
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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 29/09/2026
For those keeping track, Canada now has *two* journalists with purported links to foreign intelligence agencies
pressprogress.ca
This National Post Columnist Says He Spied for a Foreign Intelligence Agency. Experts Call His Behaviour ‘Unethical’ and ‘Absurd’.
National Post columnist Adam Zivo says he was moonlighting as a foreign intelligence asset at the same time as he worked for the National Post
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Nick Brumfield @nickjbrumfield.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Sitcom about a mob-owned restaurant where the protagonist is the gourmand son who really wants to make the food work
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Alex Blechman @alexblechman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Me: If I was rich I wouldn’t go insane. I might buy a few small luxuries, but I’d stay a normal person *someone hands me $50 billion* Me: I will build an underground city. It shall be an Ark for 10,000 humans to survive the coming Conflagration
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rax ‘levon honkers’ king @raxkingisdead.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
i agree with the key point here and will add to it that there IS a reward, it’s knowing you did one right thing instead of walking around plagued by the nameless shame that afflicts all men who are determined to live the most frictionless lives possible
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Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Dada perfection
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The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv) @theserfstv.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Michael Tracey is actively attempting to dox Jane Doe in the Cornell 7 rape case
Michael Tracey : If you happen to know who this Cornell "Jane Doe" is, get in touch and I would be happy to publish her name and identifying information. And yes -- this is 100% permitted under the First Amendment, whatever threats or emotional blackmail people might want to deploy"Report" me for what, exactly? Save your breath, scumbag. Sorry you hate the First Amendment so much. Her identity is obviously newsworthy at this point, and I will take extreme pleasure in reporting it. (Not "doxing" -- that's a total canard)
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PAM! @pamtoo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Some of the most powerful and influential people of today got their start by pooping in the potty.
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Tim Price @timprice.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I think this is the least representative image you could possibly use to promote The Bear without taking a still from a different show
Variety ad for The Bear that shows Carmy, Syd, and Richie smiling
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hammancheez @hammancheez.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
GOP Consultants : what do you mean she just fucking tweeted it out
Marjorie Taylor Greene
We have not seen a caravan headed to the U.S.
southern border in several years, why now?
Oh yeah, there is an election coming and the
GOP needs to scare you into voting because
nothing else is working.

Anthony Aguero Live
Over 400 aliens predominantly from
Honduras entered Mexico on Thursday,
ready to make their way to the US southern
border ... Here's footage of the caravan.
Someone is incentivizing this movement, t ...

@mt ... . 1d

@Anth ... . 1d
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Mara Wilson @marawilson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I really don’t think that’s the case. I do think that probably these people hate femininity, which they see as weakness. But that doesn’t mean that they are secretly gay or trans. And I think that it does damage to insist that they are. Maybe some are, but definitely not all. 
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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 28/09/2026
"nearly 18 per cent of people aged 15 years or older in Canada will meet the clinical criteria for an alcohol-use disorder in their lifetime." www.cbc.ca/radio/thecur...
cbc.ca
Alcohol is Canada’s biggest drug problem. So why aren’t people getting help? | CBC Radio
Research shows alcohol causes more harm overall than any other drug in Canada. Some doctors and other advocates say people struggling with alcohol aren’t getting treatment options that are backed by s...
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Sean Marshall @seanyyz.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
“What is certain, however, is that a vast sum of our money will be wasted, countless Torontonians will find themselves profoundly inconvenienced for extended periods, and, eventually, a cyclist will get struck by a car. But at least the congestion will be worse.”
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ae @aelkus.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
i broadly agree with the thesis, but not the way that WBF argued it
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Anna Mehler Paperny @mehlerpaperny.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Officially, Canada has no solitary confinement. But we found it uses confinement that mirrors solitary as defined under international rules on the most vulnerable prisoners - and it's using it more. ijb.utoronto.ca/news/hidden-...
ijb.utoronto.ca
Hidden solitary: Canada's growing use of prison isolation - Investigative Journalism Bureau
New data obtained by the IJB shows a dramatic rise in the use of observation and dry cells—a form of hidden solitary confinement in Canadian prisons that disproportionately impacts Indigenous inmates.
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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 27/09/2026
First poll in the wake of Pierre Poilievre's AI rap video shows NDP within 4 pts of displacing Conservatives as 2nd party
cultmtl.com
New poll finds support for Conservatives and NDP just 4 points apart
According to a new EKOS study, the Conservatives and the NDP are now polling at just four points apart, at 22% and 18%, respectively.
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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 28/09/2026
⚡Over 258,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 258,989 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.
kyivindependent.com
Over 258,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation
The journalists note that the actual number of deaths is likely significantly higher, as their verified information comes from public sources such as obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media rep...
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Jesse Hawken @jessehawken.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This just moved the needle for me, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend 4 hours of my life watching this cypher’s life story but if it’s funny… then maybe
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April Wolfe @aprilwolfe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I typically want any movie to have a long release window in theaters before it hits streaming, but considering the merger coming, I am wondering how quickly it'll be on HBO, because it would be nice if it actually does make it to streaming.
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Lumlux Art @lumluxart.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
From Minimal Techno to Gospel House Robert Hood’s 1994 records Minimal Nation and Internal Empire helped define a form of techno built through reduction. Their force... #RobertHood #Floorplan #DetroitTechno #GospelHouse lumlux-art.com/art-stream/f...
lumlux-art.com
From Minimal Techno to Gospel House
Robert Hood’s 1994 records Minimal Nation and Internal Empire helped define a form of techno built through reduction. Their force comes from tightly controlled drums, short repeat…
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Bergamot Jones @bergamohjones.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Stanislav Petrov is only one of the people who saved the world - there have been several nuclear near misses, and in every case, a person or people stopped the bombs from flying because they knew that there would be no coming back from nuclear war. Let today be a day to call for nuclear disarmament.
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Sarah Andersen @sarahseeandersen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The image is of a four panel comic.
The first panel shows Sarah, the protagonist, working at a desk. A brain next to her says, "We need to take breaks!"
The second panel zooms in on Sarah's face. She is annoyed. She says, "What if I don't listen to you?"
The third panel shows the brain smiling.
The fourth panel shows the brain reaching towards a lever. The brain says, "I'LL MAKE YOU."
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Bob Pickard @pr.bobpickard.com · 26/09/2026
Another reason to think twice about buying any Driscoll's products in Canada. I uniformly avoid this brand. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Whistleblower alleges millions of Driscoll’s berries sent to Canada with excess chemical levels | CBC News
A whistleblower lawsuit in California is alleging millions of pounds of Driscoll's fruit containing non-compliant levels of pesticides and chemicals crossed the border into Canada, and the company tri...
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Space Captain Lispegistus 🇪🇺🇧🇬🏴‍☠️ @lispegistus.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Same. we know the archetype. We are the archetype. The archetype has a very obvious and very avoidable failure mode and it's extremely embarrassing to fall in it. But even the minimum of self-awareness required to avoid it is lost on some people unfortunately.
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Alex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 26/09/2026
Counterpoint: the rise and decline of union halls
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