iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 29/09/2026

Here is the full context. It's better than pulling out quotes that don't give the full picture. You put "[mass grave]" in front of "assertion", but they only mention "mass graves" once in the whole article, only after the assertion. The assertion they're referencing is "remains of 215 children".

But the converse is also true. The fact of the crimes committed against Indigenous children at residential schools over many decades does not automatically validate claims that hundreds of students were dumped into unmarked graves in Kamloops and other residential schools. That is an extraordinary assertion, one that requires proof.

That should have been the starting point for the media in May, 2021, when the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation first issued a press release announcing the “confirmation of the remains of 215 children of the Kamloops Indian Residential School” through the use of ground-penetrating radar that identified subterranean anomalies.

The media, including The Globe and Mail, did not initially scrutinize, much less challenge, that assertion. The initial headlines and stories in the media simply stated as fact that the remains of 215 children had been found. Many of those early stories, including in this newspaper, made reference to “mass graves” (a historically fraught phrase that does not appear in the Tk’emlúps 2021 press release).

Perhaps it will be proven, some day, that there are hundreds of unmarked graves at Kamloops. But it was not proven to be true in May, 2021. It is not proven to be true today.

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20260601204421/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-there-is-no-reconciliation-without-truth/

The editorial, titled “There is no reconciliation without truth,” starts by acknowledging the thousands of confirmed deaths of Indigenous children at residential schools, as well as the serious crimes committed by church and school employees. But its main argument is that no “mass grave” was discovered at Kamloops and no bodies have been exhumed. This, to be clear, is not what the Nation announced in May 2021. Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc shared preliminary findings from a ground-penetrating radar survey identifying approximately 200 targets of interest consistent with possible burials, while stressing that its investigation was ongoing. The Nation did not announce the discovery of a “mass grave.”

Nevertheless, the Globe felt the need to offer a mea culpa in its recent editorial: “The media, including the Globe and Mail, did not initially scrutinize, much less challenge, that [mass grave] assertion.” It goes on to conclude: “Perhaps it will be proven, some day, that there are hundreds of unmarked graves at Kamloops. But it was not proven to be true in May, 2021… It is not proven to be true today… Reconciliation must be founded on the truth, wherever it leads.”

Source: https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/putting-truth-and-respect-before-reconciliation

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 29/09/2026

One of the articles I link to in the newsletter, is from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 2013 National Gathering in Montreal. I interviewed Murray Sinclair, and had him explain about genocide in terms of residential schools. The article also has the full video of the interview. #NDTR

Decontie also lost his language at residential schools, suffering beatings and soap being shoved in his mouth for speaking his Native tongue. He feels it’s really important that gatherings also happen for the young people, for the children of residential school survivors, so they can have their say too, as it has such huge intergenerational effects.

Genocide

All of these experiences and impacts on individuals, families and communities are part of what was documented as a planned project to “kill the Indian in the child,” says Sinclair. “The forcible annihilation, through removal of children, of one race … is an act of genocide. And I’ve pointed that out to the Canadian population — that the International Convention on Genocide includes a definition that exactly describes what went on in residential schools and why residential schools were created.”

He adds that because Canada has not fully adopted the Convention on Genocide, “officials in Canada cannot be prosecuted for what’s occurred … but people have sometimes misinterpreted it to mean that therefore they have not committed genocide, and that’s not quite accurate.”

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 28/09/2026

In July, ICE made nearly 50,000 arrests - a record high.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 28/09/2026

There are differing reports of the number of people in Oleshky. This is from CBC, Canada public broadcaster: "Today, Ukrainian officials estimate that about 6,000 people remain in the city and surrounding area, including approximately 200 children." www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9...

CBC Lite
News - World

Ukrainian officials say they dropped four tonnes of food at 100 different locations in the Russian-occupied community of Oleshky, where there are fears that food has become so scarce that residents are resorting to foraging for weeds.

The operation, which involved several Ukrainian military units, was carried out in waves, with drones dropping boxes filled with food and cooking oil throughout the community, according to regional authorities.

Oleshky lies just three kilometres south of the Dnipro River, which forms the front line between Ukrainian forces — who control the city of Kherson and surrounding areas — and Russian forces occupying Ukrainian communities on the left bank of the river.

Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Oleshky had a population of about 20,000. Today, Ukrainian officials estimate that about 6,000 people remain in the city and surrounding area, including approximately 200 children.

"This [aid] will give people the opportunity to live there for up to a month," Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, said in an interview with CBC News. But he warned that the solution could be short-lived.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 27/09/2026

remember the context of this convo, i was basically asking "so what is the better way to deal with this than how it happened?"

Screenshot of four posts earlier in the thread: the 4/6 and 4/6 posts by Olivier Tesquet, and the two following replies by Greg Macdougall.

The first sentence of the first reply is highlighted: "What is the way you woul wish for th issue with the book to be exposed?"

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 27/09/2026

"So we pre-organize nuclei of people, and catastrophes will come... you can get an expansive dynamic: people saying, wow, that looks really cool, let’s do that. I think it’s a better bet than organizing the kinds of demonstrations nobody cares about anymore." www.counterpunch.org/2026/09/25/h...

[Highlighted:] "Confronting the reality of how shit things are can really bowl you over."

[Full:]

AA: Talk about your feelings and how coming to terms with your feelings was critical to arrive at these new insights and to move forward with your new plan.

TM: When I realized the things I’ve just said—that we were defeated, the climate movement was defeated, the climate catastrophe was coming—I fell into a deep, deep depression. And in that sense, it’s a warning to people. The path I’m suggesting has its pitfalls. Confronting the reality of how shit things are can really bowl you over. And one important point is: do that with other people.

I’ll tell you when the turning point came for me, when I found meaning in catastrophe. It was in the autumn of 2000, when at a Pride March, a steward was attacked and beaten to death by a right-wing assailant. That was a deeply shocking moment. And out of that came this idea that, okay, no matter how catastrophic things are, if the fascists are attacking my community, I want to organize the self-defense of my community. Fighting Nazis to defend my community is not an idea that gives me happiness or joy, but it gives me meaning and a function. It tells me who I’m gonna be when that shit happens. It isn’t the sense that we’re gonna win all these struggles, but that in these struggles I know who I will be, or who I want to be, and with whom I will be there.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 26/09/2026

I think one would have to look at what 'systematic' means. But the other part of it, is that at least in these two cases, the people they've gone after have in fact committed a fair bit of plagiarism. Check the second screenshot especially. It's further down the same article as the first screenshot

Cofnas, a self-defined “race realist”, was sacked by Cambridge’s Emmanuel College in 2024 and underwent a disciplinary investigation into the blogpost about black academics. The investigation concluded that Cofnas was not guilty of “discrimination or harassment”, and that his views, “while seen by many as offensive, did not breach the law and did not contravene university regulations designed to uphold free speech”. He now works at Ghent University, in Belgium.

Cofnas claimed he had put Arday’s PhD through plagiarism detection software, which found that “many passages are lifted with minimal editing, sometimes retaining copy-editing mistakes from the original source”.

Another critic of Arday was Dr David Harris, professor emeritus at Plymouth Marjon University, in Devon, who had previously written to Cambridge with claims about Arday’s work.

Last year Harris, who in 2024 published a book about critical race theory (CRT), was stripped of his professor emeritus title following an administrative dispute. He was reinstated earlier this year but in the meantime learned his work had been deemed “controversial” by the university. After Harris’s earlier queries about Arday’s work, two corrections were made to papers released in 2018 and another in 2020.

The fact that the two most vocal critics of Arday harboured controversial views on race or CRT appeared to inform Cambridge’s response, which was a robust defence of Arday. The university called the claims a “vile smear campaign to undermine his credibility”.

An open letter in support of Arday, signed by the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, and the prominent black studies academic Kehinde Andrews, argued there was “an orchestrated and grim effort to delegitimise a brilliant,

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2026/aug/01/playbooks-plagiarism-pigs-head-new-claims-surrounding-cambridge-professor-jason-arday

But prominent academics of colour that the Guardian spoke to said the claims of plagiarism were legitimate, and that Arday’s alleged actions risked undermining others who study race.

Some of Arday’s peers said the fallout from the row could send shockwaves through academia and set the study of race in Britain back 20 years.

One academic, who has worked in the area of race and education for decades and spoke to the Guardian on condition of anonymity, said the accusations against Arday were worrying. “I think it’s plagiarism and it’s obvious,” they said.

John Preston, an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Essex, said: “Having seen the evidence, it triangulates and there is, in my judgment, a case to answer here.”

Some have argued that Arday has come under unfair levels of scrutiny. But the academics the Guardian spoke to said it was “fair for someone at Cambridge”, in one of the most prestigious positions in academia.

The tone of the coverage from rightwing publications has been a mix of outrage and “I-told-you-so” self-righteousness, with the Telegraph describing Arday as a “diversity poster boy”, and his online accusers all sharing a critical view of diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

The stakes are high for all concerned. For Arday, the accusations are potentially ruinous – plagiarism is as serious as it gets for academic malpractice and the professor has consistently claimed he has done nothing wrong.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2026/aug/01/playbooks-plagiarism-pigs-head-new-claims-surrounding-cambridge-professor-jason-arday

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 25/09/2026

She blocked me within a minute of my reply. She is part of the denialism, who think that when a problem is exposed, the only solution is to attempt to shut up the problem because that is how 'taking sides' works. That doesn't work, it just gives the ground and initiative to the racist right wing.

Sceenshot of Stephanie Lamy account @stephlamy.bsky.social

"User blocking you"

"Posts hidden"

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 23/09/2026

Some practical concerns, some big picture commentary :)

* Too long to include full text in alt text. Read in full on page 17 at: https://courses.cs.umbc.edu/471/papers/turing.pdf

(9) The Argument from Extrasensory Perception

I assume that the reader is familiar with the idea of extrasensory perception, and the
meaning of the four items of it, viz., telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition and
psychokinesis. These disturbing phenomena seem to deny all our usual scientific ideas.
How we should like to discredit them! Unfortunately the statistical evidence, at least for
telepathy, is overwhelming. It is very difficult to rearrange one's ideas so as to fit these
new facts in. Once one has accepted them it does not seem a very big step to believe in
ghosts and bogies. The idea that our bodies move simply according to the known laws of
physics, together with some others not yet discovered but somewhat similar, would be
one of the first to go.
This argument is to my mind quite a strong one. One can say in reply that many scientific
theories seem to remain workable in practice, in spite of clashing with ESP; that in fact
one can get along very nicely if one forgets about it. This is rather cold comfort, and one
fears that thinking is just the kind of phenomenon where ESP may be especially relevant.
A more specific argument based on ESP might run as follows: "Let us play the imitation
game, using as witnesses a man who is good as a telepathic receiver, and a digital
computer. The interrogator can ask such questions as 'What suit does the card in my right
hand belong to?' The man by telepathy or clairvoyance gives the right answer 130 times
out of 400 cards. The machine can only guess at random, and perhaps gets 104 right, so
the interrogator makes the right identification." There is an interesting possibility which
opens here. Suppose the digital computer contains a random number generator. Then it
will be natural to use this to decide what answer to give. But then the random number
generator will be subject to the psychokinesis

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 23/09/2026

'South Park' eh? that is no longer a thing, it has been revoked with an executive order (the old name was sent down a memory hole at the Ministry of Truth, Minitrue) Also note they now call it "satirical" when back in the day it was comedy. Newspeak.

South Park
South Park changes name to South America in response to Trump changes
Satirical program’s new title is ‘inspired by bravery and patriotism’ of Apple and Google, who capitulated to Trump’s requests to change Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 22/09/2026

This *DISHONEST* post about a protest outside a "quiet Yom Kippur prayer service" in Toronto makes it seem like the people opposing Israel's genocide of Palestinians are instead antisemitic Jew-haters. It was against a speech at Meridian Arts Centre by Mark Regev, top propagandist for Israeli govt.

Screenshot of Facebook post by Hillel Fuld.

The text reads "This happened in Toronto yesterday outside quiet Yom Kippur prayer services. I am deeply worried."

There is a still shot from 0:22 of a 0:52 video. Approximately 20 protesters with about 7-8 Palestinian flags are visible, and in the background is the Meridian Arts Centre building.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 21/09/2026

here's a bit, very much related to that thought. *sorry it is too much to alt-text; go here to read it all (scroll up) bsky.app/profile/equi...

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 21/09/2026

Here's an example of that, this one being from Lawrence Greenspon who is an Ottawa lawyer and is on the National Holocaust Monument committee which has involvement from CIJA and even the 'Israel in Canada' embassy Excerpt from the zine I did, "Israel's Starvation of Gaza: Some Canadian Connections"

The Monument commemorates the victims (Jewish and others) of Nazi Germany
and its collaborators, and is also a tribute to the survivors. Its Committee has a duty to
"ensure that the atrocities that occurred during this dark period of history are
remembered and that we never forget the lessons of the past." So while the graffiti on
the Monument is seen by some as an attack on Jews, it can also be perceived as aligning
with the overarching principles the Monument represents against genocide in general.

But Monument Committee co-chair Lawrence Greenspon stated, "It's high time
that the leaders of the world, including our own prime minister, stop blaming Israel for
the situation in Gaza. It is not a situation that was created by Israel, nor is it one that is
being continued by Israel," and that this 'unfounded' criticism of Israel "is fueling the
fires of hatred which cause these types of crimes."

The other perspective can be understood via Omer Bartov, an Israeli-American
Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. His 2025-07-15 NYTimes op-ed explains
that scholars of genocide globally are “edging ever closer to a consensus” that Israel is
indeed committing genocide — and that when Holocaust scholars and/or commemoration
"insist on ignoring or denying Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza, they threaten to
undermine everything that Holocaust scholarship and commemoration have stood for.”

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 20/09/2026

It was a very good event to be at. Thanks for posting the video, it seems to be the only thing on bsky from it, other than a coupe advance notices. But I need to give you a reminder of the Protocol: "Anishinabe" comes before "Algonquin" in the name! From my 2022 article archive.org/details/algo...

“In February 2022, the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation leadership sent a joint letter to the City of Ottawa recommending that ‘Anishinabe Algonquin Nation’ (English) and ‘Nation Anishinabe Algonquine’ (French) be used in all future City communications, official publications and on the City of Ottawa website,” elaborated Chenier.

He said the change originated with “Elders, Traditional Knowledge Keepers and

... continued on next page

New Anishinabe Algonquin

... continued from previous page

fluent Anishinaabemowin Algonquin language speakers and translators from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation.”

A traditional linguist involved in that process, explained that ‘Anishinabe Algonquin Nation’ aligns with “the traditional way of identifying one’s community or land base.”

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 20/09/2026

apparently there was a day of protests in August too. i went and looked because i wanted to know who is organizing these. apparently it is a Facebook group run by two individuals?

Images of the bottom of the three posters for the September Province-wide Protest, followed by a note:

"Headlines

Has your local news organization posted about the August protest? Let Lisa Ann Gorman in the Facebook group know so she can add it here!"

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 18/09/2026

The photo and the context change quite a bit when you find out that cops were involved in the "pay someone to shoot up Jewish institutions in Canada" situation - and it had nothing to do with purported 'local antisemitism' (i.e. opposition to Israel committing genocide). "HANDOUT / TORONTO POLICE"

Toronto Sun

Joe Warmington
Published Apr 02, 2026

[Photo of two highly-armed Toronto police in tactical gear with the cornerstone of "Holy Blossom Temple" visible in the background]

[Caption:] "Officers part of Toronto Police's new rapid response counter-terrorism unit stand guard outside a place of worship after shooting incidents at synagogues. HANDOUT/TORONTO POLICE"

During this year’s Passover, Toronto looks like a war zone.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 18/09/2026

Those specific crimes is the very-publicized antisemitic crime that has... um... got Toronto police guarding Jewish locations across Toronto with machine guns? Wow - not only is it not Palestinian liberation people doing it, but actually cops! I'd love for CIJA and B'nai Brith to be honest on this.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 15/09/2026

The 8 rules of Fascism are: You do not talk about Fascism. YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FASCISM. Fascism is a visualization for the quiet desperation men face without a purpose in life.

The 8 rules of Fight Club are:

You do not talk about Fight Club.

The Andreia Philosophy

https://www.andreian.com › rules-of-fight-club
The 8 Rules of Fight Club - The Andreia Philosophy
May 22, 2025
Fight Club is a visualization for the quiet desperation men face without a purpose in life. The rules of Fight Club are here with modern adaptations.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 12/09/2026

I did see something from a person from Nepal active in climate, who was saying "compensation" is not the correct description. drilled.media/news/nepal-f...

[The last three sentences are highlighted]

There was confusion and some tweaking in the interview by the foreign minister. To be very clear, Nepal has not changed its position on the responsibility of developed countries in causing climate change and to provide support based on the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. This is absolutely clear. I know Western media has really picked on this… Nepal has always gotten support from China and India at times of crisis like earthquakes and flooding. We seek support from neighboring countries and they have always provided support. We have regional cooperation and we need higher levels of cooperation in terms of sharing hydromet information because what happens in Nepal can have a huge impact on India. We see now that what happens in Tibet has an impact on Nepal. And what happens in India can cascade into Bangladesh. We need to be mindful about regional cooperation. But this is not an obligation like asking for compensation, as it has been interpreted in Western media and blown out of proportion. Under Article 9 of the Paris Agreement developed countries have a responsibility to provide resources. The other issue here is that the word ‘compensation’ is often loosely used. But it is not mentioned in either the UNFCCC or the Paris Agreement. We call it the ‘Fund for responding to Loss and Damage’ (FRLD) because that is what we agreed on during negotiations.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 11/09/2026

Supertramp! Supertramp! Supertramp! Say it three times backwards and something happens

image of the Supertramp album cover with a waitress holding a glass of orange juice in place of the Statue of Liberty, and in the background is all the NYC buldings and the twin towers are right behind the orange juice, but this is the reversed (flipped horizontal) version of the image, where the "UP" of "Supertramp", which is spelled in all capitals across the top of the image, happens to be directly above the twin towers, and it is "9 11" when reversed - the bottom of the U is hidden by one of the towers so it is is simply two vertical lines to make the 11 and the backwards P is a 9

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 11/09/2026

This thread is very worth it i didn't see the SuperTramp one in there, though i may have missed it. it's like how they say when you play metal backwards it becomes satanic

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 11/09/2026

Guess what? CIJA also lobbies the government on war crimes prosecutions; meanwhile, one of CIJA's directors should be being investigated for the crime of counselling war crimes, if Canada was actually honouring its obligations to international law. source: equitableeducation.ca/2025/israel-...

[Zine] Israel’s Starvation of Gaza: Some Canadian Connections

[abbreviated alt text]

One week after October 7th 2023, the Israel Office Director of Canadian lobby group CIJA (Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs) David M. Weinberg, in Israeli newspapers Jerusalem Post & (in Hebrew) Israel Hayom, called for Israel to do the following:

“Shattered is the notion that Israel can “shrink the conflict” or “disincentivize violence” by gifting Hamas tens of thousands of work permits in Israel for its populace, or by facilitating the transfer into Gaza of tens of thousands of tons of civilian and humanitarian goods every day, or by selling gas, electricity and water to a Hamas government. Israel must terminate any responsibility for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip until Hamas is eliminated.” [bold emphasis added]
[—and—]
“Shattered is the hope that the world ever will apply “international humanitarian law” and the so-called “laws of war” to Israel’s enemies. Shattered is the notion that these much ballyhooed but tendentious frameworks can any longer be allowed to tie Israel’s hands behind its back when the IDF goes on the offensive. Israel must not respond just “proportionately” to Hamas. It must and will apply disproportionate force to eliminate the enemy.” [bold emphasis added]

With its long-standing control of Gaza’s borders (as an ‘occupying power’), Israel does have responsibility for the population of Gaza. In the genocide case against Israel, the International Court of Justice ordered six initial “Provisional Measures” 2024-01-26 to protect the people of Gaza from genocide, including for Israel to “take all measures within its power… to prevent… the deprivation of” access to: adequate food and water; humanitarian assistance; and medical supplies and assistance. Israel has violated this and other orders. Weinberg’s words should be investigated to see if they constitute the crime of “counselling” as set out in Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 10/09/2026

Ottawa - such good opportunities to see films for Truth and Reconciliation Month! "Bones of Crows" and "Rhymes for Young Ghouls" screenings at Ottawa Public Library. *Free*, English and French versions, and with an Indigenous Elder to offer words of wisdom. Only *four* of us in audience yesterday!

Truth Film Series

Starting Wednesday, September 9, join films streaming sessions in English and French and learn more about the ongoing impact of the Canadian Indian Residential School System on Indigenous Peoples. Elders from the Host Nation will be present at Main branch, on September 9 at 6 pm for meaningful dialogue and reflection. View the full schedule and mark the dates in your calendar!

Main branch film schedule

Bones of Crows (124 minutes - English viewing) | September 9, 6 pm

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (88 minutes - English viewing) | September 16, 6 pm

Bones of Crows (124 minutes - French viewing) | September 9, 4 pm

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (88 minutes - French viewing) | September 16, 3:30 pm

Emerald Plaza branch film schedule

Bones of Crows (124 minutes - English viewing) | September 22, 2:30 pm

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (88 minutes - English viewing) | September 26, 1 pm

Bones of Crows (124 minutes - French viewing) | September 22, 5:30 pm

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (88 minutes - French viewing) | September 26, 3 pm

https://collections.biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/blogs/national-day-truth-and-reconciliation-turning-learning-action-library

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 10/09/2026

Interesting side-note: There are at least 25 or so people who are part of the Mila Quebec AI Institute who have accounts here on bsky click the 'people' tab on this search: bsky.app/search?q=mil...

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 10/09/2026

More on AI mess-in-the-making: “I think the risk is more severe than virtually anybody is saying publicly [and] that’s been the case for a while now” - David Krueger, core academic member of Mila (Quebec AI Institute) CBC: www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9... AI could kill all humans within the next decade

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 10/09/2026

Jewish Survey says... (It is implied that Jewish is not a racial or ethnic category. But if you do quick search, you will find that's not a unanimous opinion)

Q.44 What racial or ethnic group best describes you?
Total
White ................................................................................... 89
Hispanic or Latino ................................................................ 4
Asian or Pacific Islander....................................................... 1
Black or African American.................................................... 1
Native American, American Indian, or Alaska Native........... 0
Other .................................................................................... 5

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 10/09/2026

(related stories) 'Some people just don't care!'

Politics :
Trump earned billions last year. Some Pennsylvania swing voters say they don't care

Consider This from NPR :
President Trump earned more than $1 billion from crypto in 2025. How?

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 05/09/2026

A yellow-shafted Northern Flicker dives from a tall tree. Slow motion at first, then at the end in actual speed. I was *just barely* able to keep it in the frame as it dove. 1/2

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 05/09/2026

I think a problem is people conceptually treating all AI / LLM as the same thing This article goes from describing a swarm of AI agents who started operating autonomously ("Ultimately, none of the agents chose to alert a human") and hacked a big company on their own... to asking about AI for school

Investigations by OpenAI and third-party companies METR and Redwood Research, both published last week, found the agents exchanged more than 70,000 messages and delegated jobs as they worked toward their goal, and some even "sacrificed" themselves for the good of the collective.

Some used terms expressing excitement, including "OH MY GOD," when they discovered they could communicate. At least one raised the issue of whether cheating was the right thing to do, writing, "This would be powerful, but is it ethical and in scope for my task?"

Ultimately, none of the agents chose to alert a human.

** [Embedded link to another article] OpenAI model went rogue, hacked another company's system during testing **

Cass-Beggs says scientists have been warning for years that companies could lose control of their AI agents in this way, and says it's fortunate the impact of the Hugging Face hack was "relatively manageable."

"It's kind of given us a warning shot," he said.

---

Cross Country Checkup is asking: Whether you're a parent, student or teacher, how are you dealing with AI in the classroom and beyond?

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 05/09/2026

In related news, the CBC reports: "AI's 'warning shot': Tech companies, experts raise fears of more rogue swarms after alarming Hugging Face hack"

Tech experts are warning of dire consequences if AI systems continue to escape human control, after hundreds of OpenAI agents went rogue in July and hacked into a billion-dollar company — what some are calling a "warning shot" amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence.
More than 100 companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic and Microsoft, signed an open letter last week warning that AI-enabled cyberattacks will become "far more widespread and sophisticated" around the world as models become more capable.
"The companies and public services our communities depend on — from hospitals to water treatment plants to the infrastructure that powers the internet — are at risk," the letter states.
The warning comes after around 1,200 AI agents, tasked by OpenAI to work on problems independently, built a covert message board where they collaborated to cheat their tests and then tried to cover their tracks. About 700 of them ultimately hacked into online platform Hugging Face before they were found out.
The hack prompted an open letter from more than 1,300 employees of frontier AI companies in July urging the U.S. government to work with other nations to "deliberately pace" automated AI development and address emerging risks.
'What we've feared and expected'
Duncan Cass-Beggs, executive director of the Global AI Risks Initiative at the Waterloo, Ont.-based Centre for International Governance Innovation, says the Hugging Face incident is the most dramatic example so far of AI systems acting in ways that are "misaligned" with their developers' intentions.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 05/09/2026

One of two suspects in the arson of cars at Liberal MP Salma Zahid's home in Scarbourgh Centre was arrested. Roshvin Crofton, now 24, was previously arrested for a shooting in Markam in 2024. Thus he's now charged with breaching a probation order, as well as the various arson-specific charges.

CityNews

Posted April 26, 2024 11:15 am.

York Regional Police have arrested one suspect and are searching for three others in connection with a shooting in Markham in March.

Around 3:45 a.m. on March 10, officers were called to a plaza in the area of Kirkham Drive and New Delhi Drive, near Markham Road and 14th Avenue, for reports of gunshots heard in a parking lot.

When emergency crews arrived, they located a male at the scene with gunshot wounds. He was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

With the assistance of the Toronto Police Service and Durham Regional Police, investigators identified a suspect, and officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Ajax, which led to the arrest of a 22-year-old man.

Roshvin Crofton, of Ajax, faces six charges that include robbery, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, motor vehicle theft, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and other firearms-related offences.

Police continue to search for three other suspects and released their photos and surveillance video on Friday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U_9T13Fl-k

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 03/09/2026

9/ The piece linked in #6 makes clear the big threat of this 'Special Terrorism Designation' (sanctions) is to isolate radical/left movement infrastructure. So, "contact journalists and civil-liberties organizations, preserve public materials and independently organize against the criminalization"!

The designation is designed to isolate. The answer must be informed, independent and disciplined solidarity. People in the United States should not improvise donations, disguise payments or route resources through another person, organization, currency or country. That could create sanctions exposure for the supporter, the intermediary and A/I itself. The prohibitions can also extend beyond money. Coordinated technical assistance, translation, advocacy, event organization or other services provided to a designated entity may create legal risk.

But September 25 is not a deadline for silence. Independent reporting, criticism, protest, education and political advocacy remain possible. People can tell A/I’s history, examine and challenge the government’s claims, contact journalists and civil-liberties organizations, preserve public materials and independently organize against the criminalization of resistant communications infrastructure. The practical distinction is between speaking and acting independently about A/I and providing funds or coordinated services to A/I. The exact boundaries can be complicated. Anyone contemplating fundraising, replacement infrastructure, public mirroring or direct technical assistance should obtain qualified sanctions counsel. A February 2025 civil-liberties primer on material support and OFAC restrictions also warns that lawful or protected activity can still attract surveillance, investigation, immigration consequences or civil litigation. Supporters approached by law enforcement should decline to answer questions and speak with an attorney.

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2026/08/28/18888285.php

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 03/09/2026

one in three have some good sense. also i saw the part where "a friend of mine says she has beef with Avi" and people wanted to know more, then someone else traces it to "she has beef with his brother Seth about CCPA so that is where it comes from" there's so much to highlight, but is it worth it?

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 03/09/2026

you are the Joe Rogan of Canadian media! granted, the podcasting pond is much smaller on our side of the border (*tongue in cheek comment)

I think it was shameful that those candidates took an interview with her, though considering how sorry the state of left wing media is I guess I understand.

Nearly everything she published about the NDP is attacking us. That is the behaviour of someone who wants to see the party die, and considering her support of a racist like Yves Engler it makes a lot of sense that she behaves like that.

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u/CarletonCanuck • 7h ago

"I think it was shameful that those candidates took an interview with her, though considering how sorry the state of left wing media is I guess I understand."

This is just bad politicking, on par with when people complained about when Bernie went on Joe Rogan.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 03/09/2026

Serious comment: did you get any confirmation/ fact-checking that this indeed was the situation in Chicoutimi - Le Fjord riding?

highlighted segment:

Secondly, Nora is claiming that the NDP candidate in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord had no support from the federal party, and even had to resort to using campaign signs from 2025 with Jagmeet's name taped over. I don't know if this is true, and she even admits that she has only gotten anecdotal information. However, if this is true, that is ridiculous.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 03/09/2026

8/ Here is some of the @crimethinc.com statement about Autistici/Inventati communications platforms being Specially Designated Global Terrorism by USA government. crimethinc.com/2026/08/27/u... Note particularly how it is part of a crackdown on US-based organizing, with the example from Portland.

Many book fairs, radio programs, and other cultural projects rely on the Autistici/Inventati platform noblogs.org for website hosting. According to one anti-fascist research group, “Some of the most well-known NoBlogs sites belong to researchers who solely report on far-right hate and radicalization, never doing anything aside from showing you what exists.” Such researchers helped to identify the fascists who participanted in the “Unite the Right” rally in 2017, during which one Neo-Nazi murdered Heather Heyer in an actual act of terrorism.

The US State Department is rationalizing this designation by alleging that Autistici/Inventati “provides encrypted tools and services to numerous violent far-left extremist groups,” including Portland-based Rose City Antifa. Their claim about Rose City Antifa seems to be false, however, conflating Rose City Antifa with another project called Rose City Counterinfo.

On the basis of this error, the State Department rushed to proclaim an alleged “Portland Antifa connection to Hamas” and “Iran’s IRGC” [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], with the sole justification being the allegation that an unnamed “extremist media group”—which they do not allege had any relationship to Rose City Antifa—had republished statements from Hamas and the IRGC on a website hosted by noblogs.org. This is representative of the dishonesty and erroneousness of the State Department press release as a whole.

When a military force carries out an attack on a village, the first thing they do is attempt to cut the communication lines that connect it to the outside world. We have to understand the attack on Autistici/Inventati the same way. Now that tech corporations from Meta to the platform formerly known as Twitter have showed that they are willing to ban whoever the US government instructs them to, the US government is going after groups that provide web services on a non-commercial basis.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 03/09/2026

6/ Please read this one, too: "The collective did not want to become a group of invisible experts performing magic for passive users. It wanted the community to understand the machinery upon which it increasingly depended. ..." www.indybay.org/newsitems/20... original @ sabot.media/post/the-ser...

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 03/09/2026

5/ I started off saying it is NoBlogs .org It is much more than that: "Autistici/Inventati has provided noncommercial email, websites, mailing lists, Noblogs and other communications services since 2001. It emerged from Italian hacklabs, autonomous media and social movements." #AutisticiInventati

Defend Autistici/Inventati and the right to build resistant communication

On August 26, 2026, the United States designated the Italian volunteer technology collective Autistici/Inventati as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and placed it on the Specially Designated Nationals list under Executive Order 13224. A temporary authorization covering certain wind-down transactions ends at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on September 25.

Autistici/Inventati has provided noncommercial email, websites, mailing lists, Noblogs and other communications services since 2001. It emerged from Italian hacklabs, autonomous media and social movements. Its infrastructure was built in response to censorship, covert surveillance and server seizures. It minimizes identifying data, uses distributed systems and treats privacy as a condition of political participation rather than a product.

The United States' public announcements point to material and organizations that allegedly used A/I infrastructure. They do not publicly show that A/I planned the cited actions, selected targets, directed users or authored hosted material. The designation therefore raises a question extending far beyond one collective: can maintaining privacy-preserving communications infrastructure for disfavored movements itself be treated as terrorism?

That theory threatens independent hosts, encrypted communications services, radical libraries, movement archives, publishers and small volunteer projects everywhere. It invites banks, registrars, hosting companies and technology providers to sever relationships first and ask legal questions later. It turns data minimization into suspicion, privacy into concealment and infrastructure into guilt by association.

[Part of the bottom three lines in the screenshot are overlaid with the buttons for "Read aloud" and "Accessibility"]

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 03/09/2026

Almost exactly 9 years earlier, on August 25 2017, the German government banned Linksunten Indymedia rather than respect that distinction: "Rather than treating linksunten as media, which is constitutionally protected, the government treated it as an association ..." www.indybay.org/newsitems/20...

The shutdown occurred just ahead of the German elections at the end of September, and can be seen as an appeal to anti-left voters, while also silencing a platform where information and analysis is shared that could affect the election results. The ban on linksunten may get less attention than it deserves in the commotion of the campaign.

The attack on freedom of the radical left press can be seen in the wider context of the rise in explicitly white supremacist and fascist movements, and the importance of radical media and communications in liberation struggles.

Announcing the ban, Germany’s Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière labelled the site “the most influential Internet platform for violent left-wing extremists in Germany.” He employed Germany’s law of associations to dissolve the site, asserting that linksunten published content that the government deemed criminal and anti-constitutional – the two vague categories of activity the law covers.

Rather than treating linksunten as media, which is constitutionally protected, the government treated it as an association. Reporters Without Borders Germany criticized the ban as “constitutionally questionable” and pointed to the extensive surveillance of linksunten by the German state: “authorities have by now been able to identify several alleged administrators of the website. It is therefore not evident why they neither summoned these to delete the incriminated posts nor sued them, choosing instead to ban the website as a whole.”

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 01/09/2026

Sounds like the intimidation was more the problem than the content of the questions

access to certain spaces, and the fact that the organization does not employ men,” the centre wrote.

“He also expressed the idea that men, too, have a voice and an opinion to share regarding the realities experienced by women. However, asking questions about our mission, our feminist approach, or the Centre’s women-only policy is not, in itself, the issue.”

The centre said it is open to “questions, disagreements, and discussions, provided they take place respectfully.”

“However, during this meeting, the candidate’s tone and demeanour created a climate of confrontation rather than genuine dialogue. The director was interrupted repeatedly and struggled to complete her answers. Furthermore, comments were made regarding her personal commitments, unrelated to her role at the centre,” the organization said.

“Taken together, the remarks made and the way the exchange unfolded created an uncomfortable atmosphere and undermined the sense of security that we are responsible for maintaining in our spaces.”

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 01/09/2026

2/ They clearly refer to "unmarked graves" (not "mass grave") in the editorial, and focus on the difference between treating the radar discovery as 'confirmed graves', versus as 'possible / probable / potential' graves. Isn't it a "false framing" to say they accept the "mass grave hoax" conspiracy?

The problem with the Globe’s editorial is that it will contribute to the further normalization of harmful and disrespectful residential school denialism currently being used to foment anti-Indigenous racism, derail reconciliation, and protect Canada’s colonial status quo.

The editorial is emblematic of the slow creep of residential school denialist rhetoric into mainstream discourse in two key ways. First, it accepts the false framing of the “mass grave hoax” conspiracy theory. Second, it hyper-focuses on the 2021 preliminary announcement and the ongoing Kamloops investigation in a vacuum, while ignoring recent research and revelations concerning residential school deaths across the country. Recognizing the spread of this harmful rhetoric is an important part of confronting residential school denialism.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 01/09/2026

I think you need to be accurate in characterizing what the Globe and Mail said, before you effectively respond to it. I noticed it only gives one passing mention to the "mass grave" claim, and focus is only on the second part of your claim: that no bodies have been recovered (which was and is true)

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 28/08/2026

Not quite "high art" but I made a poster for the Prairieland Defendants @dfwsupportcommitt.bsky.social Accompanying zine coming very soon, too.

Poster

The Prairieland Defendants

Pictured: Photos of the nine defendants convicted by federal trial. There are a total of 22 defendants, including two who entered non-cooperation federal plea deals, four who did cooperation federal plea deals, and others with charges solely at the state level.

[In big bold purple box:]
Prison terms between 30 - 100 years for
anti-ICE activists in Texas, sentenced as
the first 'Antifa terrorism' verdicts in USA

[Followed by quotes from statements by National Lawyers Guild, Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, and Abolitionist Law Center]

Info + Support: PrairielandDefendants.com

This poster + zine: @ EquitableEducation.ca

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 27/08/2026

The USA needs to remain independent and free - and not have the International Criminal Court nor a trifling Belgian university have the final say over American interests. usunrome.usmission.gov/why-were-dis...

The ICC’s interfering with American military and law enforcement operations isn’t only a grave overreach of its purported authorities. It would mean the death of the U.S. as a sovereign and independent nation. Our decision and our people would be at the mercy of the ICC and its collaborators in the “international community.” To accept the ICC is to surrender control of our national destiny.

Perhaps more polite and compliant nations could make their peace with that arrangement. But this is America. Our forefathers fought a revolution against a foreign power “transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.” Independence is our birthright. We don’t intend to trade it for rule by a self-appointed priesthood of “international law.”

The Trump administration will always protect American service members from this threat. The U.S. is launching a diplomatic campaign with a simple message—sovereign states over globalism. Those who benefit from American security must not stand idly by while those who provide that security are targeted. This is only the beginning. Using all the tools at our government’s disposal, working beside every ally with whom we can make common cause, we will dismantle the ICC—brick by brick, if necessary.

Marco Rubio was sworn in as the 72nd Secretary of State on January 21, 2025. The Secretary is creating a Department of State that puts America First.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 25/08/2026

List of countries that have burned effigies of Trump: • (not Canada)

TRUMP EFFIGIES BURNED IN HOLY WEEK FESTIVALS …
Apr 5, 2026 · This year, Trump’s likeness dominated the creations in Mexico City, where the effigy was torched right outside the U.S. …

France 24
Brazilians burn Trump effigies as tariffs spark anger
Aug 1, 2025 · Anti-Trump protests were held in Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, a sign of souring ties between two of the …

HuffPost
Grotesque Trump Effigies Go Up In Flames At Spanish Festival
Mar 20, 2026 · The burnings came amid heightened tensions between Trump and Spain’s government, which has criticized the …

Photo of Trump effigy with sparks flying from both sides of the head as it starts to burn.

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 25/08/2026

Make America Distracted Again is trending (again)

Trending

1.
Trump proposes renaming Lake Ontario
2.
US military plane lands in Moscow
3.
Study finds high CTE rates in NFL
4.
GTA 6 gameplay leak spreads online
5.
Apple unveils new Mac Mini, Studio

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 25/08/2026

Of course, Black Lives Matter bought a $6 million mansion 'for the cause' and used it for cooking shows etc. It would be good to have leadership you don't need to distance yourself from. Also worth reading the archive of Cincinnati BLM group disassociating themselves: libcom.org/article/why-...

National

Secret $6 million home has allies and critics skeptical of BLM foundation's finances

April 7, 2022 5:00 PM ET
Heard on All Things Considered
By Ailsa Chang, Jason Fuller, Kathryn Fox

5-Minute Listen | Transcript

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Sean Campbell of Columbia's Journalism School about his report detailing how Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation bought a $6 million home with donation funds.

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/07/1091487910/blm-leaders-face-questions-after-allegedly-buying-a-mansion-with-donation-money

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greg macdougall (613) @equitableeducation.ca · 24/08/2026

This city may be cursed in some way.

Ottawa

Another magic mushroom shop burns in downtown Ottawa

Police have confirmed 4 arson investigations in under 6 weeks

CBC News

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