Things I learned today: the new language of the Internet, the tariff "deal" with the US/UK, and Prof Galloway on Trump's corruption.

Meet Tralalero Tralala, the Italian Brain Rot AI meme.

Did you know there is a whole new language around Artificial Intelligence and Internet memes now?
One of the internet columns I follow is Casey Newton's Platformer, and today he introduced me to the term Italian Brain-rot, which led me to other new terms: Uncanny Valley, AI slop (which is sort of a 21st Century version of the old Telephone Game - remember that?), Shitposting, Rage-baiting. The only one I had already heard about was enshitification - Cory Doctorow's great term for how social media invariably gets worse as it gets more successful.
Speaking of betting worse -- Parker Molloy reports this week on a creepy recent court case where the victim's sister produced a AI video "victim statement" showing the victim himself "speaking" to the person convicted of killing him, and the judge loved it!

Canada's Alberta square-dance: "Promenade and don't be slow, Where we're going nobody knows"

Just a little square-dance patter for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who seems to be doing the Wexit do-se-do-- getting closer to it then backing around it, then sashaying closer again. She can't say yes and she can't say no, and where we're going nobody knows. 

So I asked ChatGPT to give me a picture of Danielle Smith at a square dance and I think it did a pretty good job ⬆️ 

Maybe even a better job than Smith herself is doing. 

Tonight I found some posts and commentary on what is happening. 

And really, my square-dance analogy seems apt: 

"Inviting (the separation referendum) experience to Alberta, and to Canada, especially now, is more than a failure of duty and leadership; it’s a failure of character." #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli

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— Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean (@mitchellab.bsky.social) May 7, 2025 at 1:39 PM

Carney visits the lion's den - oops, sorry, it was just a paper tiger after all 🐯!

Today was Carney's day to visit Trump at the White House. 

No tariff deal resulted, so then the DOW dropped 500 points.

But the 51st State talk is clearly dead now. And I must say, sometimes it was hard to tell who was the host and who was the guest. 

Here are three cartoons that tell the story of this visit:

Before:

During:

After:

Canada's Red Dress Day

May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit+ People (MMIWG2S+) 

Red River Métis artist and activist Jaime Black founded the REDress project in 2010 after she displayed her first REDress installation at the University of Winnipeg that included a series of empty red dresses to honour and symbolize the lost lives of Indigenous women at the hands of violence. 

Black writes: 

It is an installation art project based on an aesthetic response to this critical national issue. The project has been installed in public spaces throughout Canada and the United States as a visual reminder of the staggering number of women who are no longer with us. Through the installation I hope to draw attention to the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against Aboriginal women and to evoke a presence through the marking of absence. 

I also wanted to note that later this month, HighWater Press is publishing Black's book REDress Art, Action, and the Power of Presence - click the link for more info.

Here's a good summary:

Today, we remember our Missing and Murdered Indigenous sisters, aunties, Elders & land defenders. MMIR is a crisis rooted in colonial violence. Awareness must lead to action. Start by reading the 231 Calls for Justice.#DayOfAwarenessForMMIWG2S+ #RedDressDay #MMIR #MMIWG2S pic.twitter.com/g83i6dIjj2

— Indigenous Climate Action (@Indigenous_ca) May 5, 2025

May the Fourth be with you, Justin Trudeau

I will miss the Star Wars socks:

Trudeau ran for the leadership at just the right time, in 2013, when the Liberal Party was flailing and failing. 

And he left at just the right time too, as it turned out.

Yes, by 2024 he had worn out his welcome with many Canadians, but he still had fucks to give. 

From that dinner at Mar-Lardo in November, until his exit in March, Trudeau led Canada through a time of grave peril.

In November, this is where we began:

By March, this is where we ended up:

It was Trudeau who led us from that beginning to that end. 

His unselfish and non-political leadership roused Canada to reject Trump's 51st State talk while not disrespecting the American people. He alerted Canada to the profound danger posed by Trump while giving us confidence that we could rise to meet the challenge. 

You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 21, 2025

Trudeau inspired a rush of patriotism that even surprised us with how deeply and sincerely we could feel Canadian pride.

And we didn't even realize that Trudeau had anything to do with it, we thought we had done it all ourselves. 

Weekend funny stuff: Let's bring Stanley home! Let's laugh at Trump! Plus some other good posts, and Animal Crackers

Go, Canada, Go!

when it comes to the nhl playoffs i would like to simply say, “play ball”

— Jon Bois (@jonbois.bsky.social) April 29, 2025 at 7:35 PM

you don’t get to have good politicians AND a second round of the nhl playoffs.

— Elyse (@elysebee.bsky.social) April 30, 2025 at 8:13 PM

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Today's News: a random roundup -- Carney's press conference; Smith's carpet; Poilievre's seat; and First Nations nix Wexit

Basically, it seems we are back to politics-as-normal now -- tonight I have just a random assortment of political news and views tonight, without anything really dominating the headlines. Yet.

 First, we got some good news today that the King is coming!

This is a master stroke. Mark Carney knows how global power positioning works and to have King come to Canada to read speech from throne instead of Governor General says Canada is never going to be the 51st State. And that we can command performance by the monarch #Cdnpoli 🇨🇦 https://t.co/C4Zt4PN1CO

— Laura Babcock 🇨🇦 (@LauraBabcock) May 2, 2025

All in all, a great press conference today from Carney:  

Stormy weather over Stornoway

I keep waiting for wiser heads to prevail - will the Conservative party realize that they don't need Canada's version of the Trumpy Man-Baby as their leader anymore?

Listen to this interview with Bob Fife: "We like some of the policies you're doing about but we think your leader is a dick!"

Yes he's quite hated but I just can't get past him almost calling him Millhouse 🤣 #cdnpoli #canada #canadasky #elxn45

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— Jo (@darkcoffee8.bsky.social) May 1, 2025 at 8:39 PM

Now that Poilievre has lost his seat, its a perfect excuse for the party to say "See ya! Don't let the door hit you on your way out!"
Alternately, it would be a perfect time for Poilievre himself to be the bigger person and withdraw from public life for a while - use his pension to regroup, maybe get a job at a think tank or an NGO or some such - then start working his way back up. That's what ordinary politicians do when they lose.

CPC party dropped Andrew Scheer after the 2019 election and Erin O’Toole after the 2021 campaign. Both these leaders won the popular vote against the Liberals, but not the seat count. Mr. Poilievre lost both And, strike three, also his own seat. archive.is/L8c76 #cdnpoli

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— Pete Quily (@pqpolitics.bsky.social) May 1, 2025 at 10:41 AM

Post-election News: voting maps, Carney wins, Wexit update, Poilievre sad. Plus, it's always fun to ridicule Trump!

In Canadian events today, some interesting maps showing how Canadians voted -- much more clearly than just showing big empty blocks of red and blue:

In response to the election map of #Canada showing large areas voting Conservative blue, here's a graphic from reddit entitled "Land doesn't Vote, People Do". #Liberals are red. #canpoli #cdnpoli #CanadaStrong Source: www.reddit.com/r/onguardfor... h/t @ianbremmer.com

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— Bill Comeau 🇨🇦 (@bill-comeau.bsky.social) April 30, 2025 at 5:25 PM

And here's news: the Liberals don't actually need another party to vote with them!
The Liberals have 169 seats while the Conservatives and the Bloc have 166 seats in total. Therefore the Liberals actually do have enough seats to pass budgets and laws on their own, even if the Cons and the Bloc vote against them, provided the NDP and Elizabeth May abstain. So ha ha!!!

Here's what Carney accomplished:

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Let's take a break for some funny stuff -- good lines about our election plus other good posts, and of course, Animal Crackers

I have been seeing some great "takes" on the election results:

 

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Great routine from Colbert:

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Whew! Carney and the Liberals did it.

Whenever I get the Wordle answer on my sixth try, the computer says "Whew!" 

That's what I feel tonight. 

It was much closer than I wanted it to be, and Carney had to survive an onslaught of smears and fears, and it's going to be challenging for Carney and the Liberals to manage parliament on one hand and Trump on the other for the next two or three years. 

But they did it!

What newcomer Mark Carney did in this election is unparalleled. It's like a rookie joining a last place team and then leading them to the Stanley Cup in his first season. #cdnpoli #canpoli #CanadaStrong

— Bill Comeau 🇨🇦 (@bill-comeau.bsky.social) April 28, 2025 at 8:43 PM

Cole Bennett / Cole.notcole

Canada Strong: A New Chapter
...Mark Carney’s campaign was built on a simple but profound promise: Canada Strong.
Not strong because of bluster.
Not strong because of anger.
But strong because of fairness, integrity, and the belief that the success of one should lift the success of all.
Across every province, in small towns and big cities alike, Canadians said:
We are stronger when we care for one another.
We are stronger when we protect our environment and build a future worthy of our children.
We are stronger when leadership means service, not spectacle.
... Canadians proved something to themselves and to the world:
Our democracy is not for sale.
Our country is not for rage.
Our future is not for fear.
It is for all of us. Together.
It is for Canada strong, free, and forever forward....

An excellent summary here:

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One more sleep

Here are some good cartoons that sum up this campaign:

S

And some final words:

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Coming around the clubhouse turn, heading for the tape.....

It's just too damned hard to act all solemn and serious right now -- I'm laughing on the outside but quivering on the inside, just waiting for Monday to be over. 

In the meantime -- here are a few posts and cartoons to enjoy!

Lead on, Big Daddy!

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PM Mark Carney is considered as Captain Canada. Poilievre is the villain.

— Just al, Ontario (@chakula.bsky.social) April 26, 2025 at 4:19 AM

It comes down to this: the banker vs the wanker

(Illustration from Wayne Horton's substack )

We're almost at the end now, and the choice comes down to this:

Banker or wanker.

Your choice, Canada.#cdnpoli #elxn45

— Ian Morrison 🇨🇦 (@IanDMorrison) April 18, 2025

If you'd told me a few months ago that I'd be desperately hoping that a 60-year-old white male banker was going to be officially elected Canada's Prime Minister, I'd have told myself to fuck right off with that nonsense, but here we are

— Clare Blackwood (@clareblackwood.bsky.social) April 25, 2025 at 3:31 PM

Time to make fun of the Poilievre campaign!

Three days to go!

And I'm feeling deliriously hopeful (with a sliver of dread that Carney won't get the majority government Canada needs).

So I can't focus on anything serious right now, just the funny stuff.

On CBC's At Issue panel tonight, Chantal Hebert was on fire:

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Here's the whole piece:

April 24, 2025: All the major federal parties finally release their costed platforms, what path to victory looks like for each party, could some leaders lose their own seats? www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcH5... @rosiebarton.bsky.social @acoyne.bsky.social @chebert18.bsky.social @althiaraj.bsky.social 🍁

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— CBC's At Issue videos (@atissuecbc.bsky.social) April 24, 2025 at 8:15 PM