JenniferD

800 000 is all of the the old city of Toronto driven from their homes.
(Blue on map)

Leo Sayer - You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (Official HD Music Video) YouTube video by Leo Sayer

Because, how could I not? Leo Sayers, friends.

The unbelievable life of Leo Sayer! The songs, the sex, being swindled – and a spooky phone call from Elvis He lit up the 1970s with a string of hits, before falling out of the public eye. But was any man ever more connected? He discusses extraordinary encounters with Muhammad Ali and Keith Moon – and why h...

This is entertainingly bonkers. Leo Sayer, friends.

ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST STARTER PACK! These are accounts with unusually effective communications or marketing/branding of issues and ideas for better city-building. Sharing the truth more persausively, and calling out disinformation & lies! Please follow & SHARE WIDELY! #UrbanTruth go.bsky.app/47w5jKk

It was on this day
six years ago
that the WHO
officially declared
COVID-19
a global pandemic.

So it is on this day
six years later
that all of us
officially enter
the seventh year
of this pandemic.

Yes, but they knew this would get headlines & build the Doug Ford: Doing Stuff™ brand.

“The real issue that needs addressing is this government’s ongoing refusal to address the chronic underfunding that forces educators to subsidize classrooms out of their own pockets in the first place.”

#OnPoli

This is a very thoughtful judgment from Sarah Anjum Bari, and I particularly liked Kevin's commentary point, "Judge Bari chose to mostly ignore that and confronted them on the same playing field". I wondered how this pairing would fair with a judge and it was such a good approach.

The Wilderness v. Metallic Realms — The Tournament of Books Sarah Anjum Bari makes the call in today’s match at the 2026 Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes.

Now live: @wordsinteal.bsky.social judges today’s match at the 2026 Tournament of Books, presented by @fieldnotesbrand.bsky.social → www.tournamentofbooks.com/2026/the-wil...

This is a rude pairing - how am I to choose?! 🤣

What is Canada's Favourite Book: ROUND ONE
From a list of 96 fiction and 96 non-fiction books, we will choose a winner.
All matchups chosen by random number generator.
(To vote, go into the thread and click like on the book you are voting for)

Andrew O’Hagan · Stay Classy: Mummy’s Favourite The late queen can be held responsible for much, but nobody could accuse her of seeming to enjoy her role. For the...

“The gift of Andy and Fergie, which comes at too high a price, has been to bring the antiseptic of daylight to the culture of royal privilege,” Andrew O’Hagan writes in @lrb.co.uk and anyone ever names a baby “Andrew” again, this shrewd skewering may be why.

PRESS RELEASE: NoJetsTO Condemns Premier Ford and Ports Toronto shutting Torontonians out of the
airport debate. Tell Ford you want a say at NoJetsTO.com! af93970d-16e7-4a9a-be2f-16918dd39444.usrfiles.com/ugd/af9397_b... #topoli #onpoli #cdnpoli

Endling v. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter — The Tournament of Books Nicholas Bredie wields the gavel in today’s match at the 2026 Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes.

The quarterfinals continue in today’s match at the 2026 Tournament of Books, presented by @fieldnotesbrand.bsky.social! www.tournamentofbooks.com/2026/endling...

Image of the longlisted books for the 2026 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. The 15 books are: The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole (Tin House) Sea, Poison by Caren Beilin (New Directions Publishing) milktooth by Jaime Burnet (Vagrant Press) Suddenly Light by Nina Dunic (Invisible Publishing) Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards (Spiegel & Grau) Hellions by Julia Elliott (Tin House) Casualties of Truth by Lauren Francis-Sharma (Atlantic Monthly Press) The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes (One World) Audition by Katie Kitamura (Riverhead Books) Cannon by Lee Lai (Drawn & Quarterly) Wild Life by Amanda Leduc (Random House Canada) A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar (McClelland & Stewart, Canada; Knopf, USA) The Morgue Keeper by Ruyan Meng (7.13 Books) The Sea Gives Up the Dead by Molly Olguín (Red Hen Press) Lion by Sonya Walger (New York Review Books

"The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction’s longlist includes 15 unforgettable works of fiction by women and non-binary writers in the United States and Canada, spanning novels, short story collections, and a graphic novel. Shortlist revealed April 21."

👉 carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/2026-longlist

Samuel fellows in belonging. What to expect from the 2026 fellowship program

WHAT IS THE SAMUEL FELLOWS IN BELONGING PROGRAM? An 8-month applied research fellowship focused on belonging and social connectedness. Fellows work with partner organisations to explore real-world challenges and contribute research that helps strengthen community and connection.

WHO CAN APPLY? Applicants come from diverse backgrounds. Some are students, others are practitioners or people with lived experience. What matters most is curiosity, strong writing, and a passion for building a more inclusive and connected world.

WHAT DO FELLOWS DO? Fellows undertake an applied research project with a partner organisation, exploring issues related to belonging and social connectedness. Throughout the program they participate in workshops, mentorship and cohort calls while working toward a final public-facing research output.

What is the Samuel Fellows in Belonging program? An 8-month applied research Fellowship supporting projects that strengthen belonging and social connectedness. Learn more: https://belongingforum.org/samuel-fellowship/

Since (MIS)Treated launched 6 months ago, we've covered endometriosis, fibroids, PCOS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, ADHD, Alzheimer's & more. It's clear women's health is not a niche issue. If we don't have good health, it makes it much harder to “lean in" or be our best selves. Women's health matters.

The two of you are doing a tremendous job, my goodness!! With lupus, 9/10 cases are women. And Black women are 2x-3x more likely to develop lupus. I think I read Black women also develop it younger, and with more serious presentations, but fact check on that needed. (I have lupus; it sucks.🤣)

I've really appreciated your work through this series, and glad there's a platform for these issues and stories.

Any plans to look at lupus*? Generally, far more common in women, most often hits during reproductive years and is seriously underfunded.

*Or other autoimmune diseases?

Susan Choi and Katie Kitamura among authors longlisted for Women’s prize for fiction Sixteen novels are in contention for the £30,000 award, now in its 31st year, with settings ranging from climate-ravaged islands to a near-future Kolkata

Usually quite on top of this, but <flailing arms> everything is utterly fucked and I'm not online as much.

Anyway. This is a great longlist - so many are 'want to read', for whenever my brain recovers from being in an oatmeal state. De Waal is a particular favourite!

#WomensPrize
#Booksky

Adorable!! I hear he's a totally lovely human, so maybe he *was* waving at your mum through the throngs?

I am bonkers for R.E.M. - a soundtrack of my life band, adored since I was quite a young teen. I was lucky enough to see R.E.M. in concert (with Indigo Girls as openers) many moons ago. I can confidently say were I somewhere, anywhere, and Stipe came out on stage, I would be utterly uncool about it.

MACLEAN'S article stating Jaime Watt's daughter is Heather Watt.

Ms. Heather Watt has been appointed as supervisor at the PDSB. Ms. Watt is a management consultant with over 20 years of career experience in public and private sector leadership. She has worked in crisis consulting and senior strategy roles across multiple sectors, including government, life sciences, health insurance, pharmacy, consumer products, industrials and private equity.

Heather’s LinkedIn where it’s shown she worked as the Chief Strategy Officer at Navigator

So it turns out that Heather Watt, the Ford crony supervisor appointed to run the Peel District School Board is the daughter of Jaime Watt, founder of Navigator. Who better to help Education Minister Calandra navigate the useful crisis of his own creation? #topoli #Onpoli #onted

Oshawa area friends:

Dr. Whitzman is a Senior Housing Researcher at the University of Toronto's School of Cities, a leading voice on non-market and public housing, and the author of "Home Truths" - widely regarded as the definitive text on what's broken in Canadian housing policy and how to fix it.

A friend points out: “Doug Ford has long been obsessed with Chicago. The largest convention Center in North America is a lakeside convention Center south of downtown. So similar to Ex.”

The ideas aren’t unique or original. Much like his call to turn Niagara Falls into Vegas.

Derivative.

Paikin drives me nuts.

"His second term was completely derailed by COVID"

is one take.

Carney *explicitly campaigned* on increased funding for the CBC. Just a straight up lie.

This is a profound continental divide. Canadians overwhelmingly view other Canadians, even those unlike them, as being good people. Americans, more than any other country, view their neighbours and fellow citizens as bad people. Anti-Americanism flourishes in the United States

Worried about the demise of reading? Come to France, where we’re up to our eyes in print | Alexander Hurst From hefty literary magazines to thriving book sales, the French publishing industry refuses to let printed matter die, says Paris-based writer Alexander Hurst

A wonderful reflection on the state of books and magazines in France from the Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

‘HEATED RIVALRY’ creator Jacob Tierney sets next project ‘ALEXANDER’ at Netflix.

The drama series centers on the relationship between young Alexander the Great and his tutor Aristotle.

Based on Annabel Lyon’s novel ‘THE GOLDEN MEAN’.

#Alexander #Netflix