I saw these on Bluesky:How to lure me to my death pic.twitter.com/X0sVRGJOWK
— Hermeshuns 🤍 (@hermeshuns) August 13, 2023
"Do not go gentle into that good night. Blog, blog against the dying of the light"
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Weekend Funny Stuff
Friday, August 18, 2023
21st Century Fire: “...there is no top end.”
I don't think there is anything more terrifying than a wildfire.
According to federal data, roughly 13.4 million hectares have burned in wildfires in Canada this summer. To put that in context, that's an area about the size of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island combined.https://t.co/84dvUMA0PG
— Seth Klein (@SethDKlein) August 17, 2023
My parents (my dad a retired water bomber) were evacuated from #FortSmith Friday and drove to Kelowna to stay with my sister. Her neighborhood in #WestKelowna is now on evac alert. Canada’s wildfire season from hell continues #fireweather #wildfires https://t.co/ub3aEUXNnJ
— Wes Regan (@411Regan) August 17, 2023
Journalist John Vaillant has a new book out - Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast - about the Fort McMurray fire in May 2016 and the Literary Review of Canada has published Bob Armstrong's review titled Alarm Bells.Fires beginning to close in on parts of Kelowna, a city of 222,000 in British Columbia, Canada. Temperature forecast today is 38C (101F), far above normal. https://t.co/QUcI38pStt
— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) August 18, 2023
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Today's News: It's been a great month for political cartoons!
My @TinyviewComics cartoon published 7/13/23. #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #weather #heat #storms #floods #wildfires #pollution #environment
— Rob Rogers (@Rob_Rogers) August 13, 2023
Support cartoonists by subscribing: https://t.co/nTA2r3Qrmm pic.twitter.com/czSzjMzJYL
— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) August 9, 2023
— mike luckovich (@mluckovichajc) August 7, 2023Hey, do you know conservatives have no sense of humour?
Here's one of my all-time favourites. Boy, did I get trolled when I ran this. Please enjoy. pic.twitter.com/XqdBX18uql
— Theo Moudakis (@TheoMoudakis) July 30, 2023
— Effin' Birds 🔜 FAN EXPO Canada (@EffinBirds) August 15, 2023
Announcer: “IIIIIIN THIS CORNER, weighing in at 185 pounds, CEO of Facebook…”
— Leon Wolf 🇺🇦 (@LeonHWolf) August 14, 2023
Zuckerberg:”Meta.”
Announcer: “Whatever. And in this corner, weighing in at 205 pounds, CEO of Twitter…”
Musk “X.”
Announcer: “Am I in the wrong place?”
Monday, August 14, 2023
Today's News: Rescuing Maui Pets
Woman finds her cat amid the charred ruins of the Maui fires in Lahaina. Photo: Moses Slovatizki/Getty. pic.twitter.com/EI3D6sSjNZ
— Lorenzo The Cat (@LorenzoTheCat) August 13, 2023
Yes, he's fine.
— Lorenzo The Cat (@LorenzoTheCat) August 14, 2023
“I’m thankful for the people who made it out alive,” said Ms. Wong, who is also the chef and owner of the Koko Head Cafe in Honolulu, “but an entire town has burned down.”The Pioneer Inn was known for a parrot, Alex, who regaled guests. He made it out alive, Ms. Wong said, “but again, there are thousands of pets who didn’t.”Ms. Wong is now working out of the University of Hawaii’s Maui campus with World Central Kitchen, the global nonprofit organization founded by the chef José Andrés, as well as local business owners to prepare meals for evacuees.
🎥 The WCK convoy earlier today heading to western Maui with thousands of meals for first responders & families impacted by the fires. Communities in this area are the hardest-hit on the island, so we’ll continue supporting the best way we know how. #ChefsForHawaii pic.twitter.com/patyPLsHYi
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) August 13, 2023
The Maui Bird Conservation Center, a sanctuary for endangered bird spieces, was defended by a staffer and a neighbour until firefighters could get there.Mahalo to everyone -- human and canine -- helping us with our recovery. #MauiFires #MauiStrong https://t.co/cSDz5qMYTn
— HawaiiDelilah™ 🟦 #MauiStrong (@HawaiiDelilah) August 13, 2023
... The center houses about 40 ‘akikiki, a native songbird, and about 40 ‘alalā, also known as the Hawaiian crow. ‘Alalā are extinct in the wild, and only about five ‘akikiki are known to remain there. The only other members of these species live at the center’s sister facility on the Big Island.... As Ms. Pribble watched the fire in the distance, she felt reassured that it was in the forest, where a bed of thick pine needles seemed to be making it hard for the flames to spread. For a time, they actually reduced in size.But she grew increasingly worried as fire approached grasses closer to a road.If it crossed, she thought, the grasses on the 46 acre property would provide ample fuel....“All of a sudden, basically, the fire jumped the road and it was on our property,” she said.Ms. Pribble ran inside to get two fire extinguishers to douse the flames, but she worried it would happen again. She raced back in for more extinguishers and a garden hose. She texted the forest manager saying she needed assistance. “We just went out and kept it under control the best that we could, just so it didn’t cross back over the road, until the state firefighters could arrive.”
Checking several of the posts at X (twitter) tonight, I see conspiracy theories by the dozen are already springing up all over the hashtags about the Maui fires.🐾 Furiends, our hearts are with the pets and hoomans of Maui ♥️. @mauihumane is working hard to pawtect and save the lives of Maui’s animals. For information on how to help during this time, please paw https://t.co/ez6ij2UuPc
— The Oval Pawffice® 🇺🇸 DOTUS Fans (@TheOvalPawffice) August 14, 2023
Saturday, August 12, 2023
Weekend stuff: Craig Baird history and Tevye stories and funny posts and animal crackers
Here's someone every Canadian should be following -- Canadian historian Craig Baird's X (twitter) feed (and the dogs in parliament AI photo above is from Craig's post here)
Today in 1928, Ethel Catherwood won Gold at the 1928 Olympics in the High Jump.
— Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx (@CraigBaird) August 11, 2023
She was one of the Matchless Six, a group of Canadian women who dominated at those Olympics.
Let's learn a bit more about Catherwood, the Saskatoon Lily!
Ethel was born on April 28, 1908 in Hannah,… pic.twitter.com/kYSzgCfWaL
Each day, I am sharing the history of the Indigenous people of each province and territory.
— Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx (@CraigBaird) August 8, 2023
Today I am looking at the Woodland Cree People who live in their territory across the northern area of Prairie Provinces
The Woodland Cree call themselves Nîhithaw in their own language.… pic.twitter.com/KMBnMf53Sz
Wednesday, August 09, 2023
Following up: Trudeau's funny posts, some pro-choice wins, and Online News act support
Balancing things out: Oppenheimer with Ella. pic.twitter.com/MdcZlhDwaG
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 9, 2023
Study: Being hated by Piers Morgan, Jordan Peterson et al. most likeable thing about Justin Trudeau https://t.co/mCfxOEG5FJ pic.twitter.com/su5ndluee8
— The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton) August 8, 2023
Monday, August 07, 2023
Ain't we havin' some fun now!
keep going, Donny.you’re about to find what it’s like to no longer be above the law.you’re going run your stupid mouth until you talk yourself into custody, and you’ll have no one to blame but your own reckless self.Donald Trump has the right to remain silent. too bad he doesn’t have the ability.pass the popcorn. this is going to be entertaining as fuck.
Judge Chutkan: “Mr. Trump, you have the right to keep yapping. Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”
— Captain Obvious ™️ (@TheFungi669) August 7, 2023
Thursday, August 03, 2023
It was one of those days
This morning in Ottawa, I got to send off an incredible group of people. They came from Korea and spent the last few weeks battling wildfires in Quebec. On behalf of all Canadians — I thanked them for their heroic work. pic.twitter.com/nYZEhRXO43
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 1, 2023
I did not know you are a ‘New Canadian’. You will like this quote pic.twitter.com/C4RbzE6MBm
— Old Man with a Beard (@Brianebutler1) August 2, 2023
Tuesday, August 01, 2023
Creating a three-ring circus?
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Look up! Look way up!
Earth is currently traveling through multiple clouds of dusty comet debris, bringing a higher-than-usual amount of meteors to the night sky. When these fragments of rock and metal enter the atmosphere, the air around them heats up, creating a blazing glow visible from the ground. The Delta Aquariids coincide with a few other meteor showers, such as the famous Perseids, that promise to impress spectators for weeks to come.
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Keeping up with Canadian Security Stuff
..."it comes down to the lack of a National Security (NS) culture in Canadian government, including around intelligence. Canadians just don’t take NS seriously, despite the dangerous security environment in which we find ourselves and all the events of the last two years (Afghanistan, Ukraine, the freedom convoy, foreign interference). Our major Allies seem to get it, but we don’t. Producing a strategy, creating a cabinet committee on NS, strengthening intelligence coordination at the centre, or being more transparent through public threat assessments and other similar measures, would put us on the same level as our allies. "...
The annual report from the National Security and intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians was tabled in Parliament on July 19. There was no one home to receive it. MPs and Senators are enjoying their summer recess and will not return to the Hill again until the end of September. A stealth release of this important committee’s report is in no one’s interest...
The RCMP have made some intriguing national security arrests recently. One involved terrorism offences. A second was based on charges laid under the Security of Information Act dealing with foreign interference. Both cases have unique features and are the product of long -run and, presumably, complex investigations.
For anyone interested in the government’s handling of national security issues, the biggest news coming out of today’s Cabinet shuffle is the replacement of the much besieged Marco Mendicino as Public Safety Minister by Dominic LeBlanc. Next in line as big news is the move of Bill Blair from a minor Cabinet post (Emergency Preparedness) to Defence, replacing Anita Anand. Melanie Joly stays as Foreign Minister. This is the big three trio of Ministers with responsibilities for security and intelligence.
As an addendum to news about the Cabinet shuffle, PMO is also announcing that the PM will create a National Security council-style Cabinet committee on national security and intelligence.
This is very much a welcome, and long overdue, reform to Canada's national security architecture. The current system is ad hoc and reactive; Cabinet will now finally be able to hold more focused, forward-looking debates on national security. https://t.co/iQnkWa8ng0
— Thomas Juneau (@thomasjuneau) July 26, 2023
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Opinion column roundup: From Trudeau to Barbenheimer to masculinity to climate change polling to the King of Spain
...Poilievre might have gone too early – that he might have been better off from the position of doing well while in the leadership had he waited a decade – is very real, because right now, he’s not ready. Allowing his candidate in Portage Lisgar to use a photo of Max Bernier at Pride as an attack, posing for a photo with the Straight Pride Guy, going to the East Coast to talk about gun rights the weekend before a suburban byelection, accusing Justin Trudeau of conspiring with China to commit treason … at some point we have to face the reality of his fundamental unseriousness.[The Trudeau government] isn’t an unambiguously good government that is guaranteed a win on its merits, but that doesn’t matter if the opposition’s shit. Election are choices, not referendums, and Poilievre ... makes the electorate’s choice for them. ...At the end of the day, the Liberals are where they’ve often been in this country’s history – in office, and likely about to stay there, not on the merits of their term but because the Opposition has not hit the threshold at which this country overcomes its inertia against toppling Liberal governments. Unless we see a lot of people taking their chance to leave soon – and we won’t – then the idea that this Liberal government is dying should make its way to a graveyard, and usher in a proper understanding of reality.
It’s been interesting to watch as the same outrage merchants who led the unhinged attacks on Target and Bud Light for the *gasp* scandalous decision to… hire a trans woman (BL) and sell some super generic Pride merch, have struggled to land hits on Barbenheimer....Watching as professional crybabies like Ben Shapiro tried to get people to boycott “Barbie” because one of the actresses in the film (Hari Nef, who played Doctor Barbie) is trans, and seeing that has absolutely no effect on the film’s success demonstrates that the Bud Light and Target controversies and capitulations only became big deals because Bud Light and Target responded to the outrage as though it were genuine. It was not.Had Bud Light and Target told the outraged weirdos to pound sand, they’d have avoided the mess, but in the rush to appease the far right, they handed Shapiro and the rest of his Daily Wire goons wins they thought they could use to reshape culture around their own bigoted and exclusionary beliefs. ...Anyway, I hope that businesses around the country (and world, for that matter) realize that if you ignore these far-right goons or tell them to screw off, members of the Daily Wire’s hate machine will be the ones who come away looking foolish, as Shapiro has in his post-viewing tantrums.
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Today's News: Grievances on parade
...It’s a movement of people who have been radicalized for various reasons – the importation of American culture wars, the general fact that the right has been losing the war for hearts and mind in recent decades, and COVID, which was a deeply traumatic event for a lot of people. We’ve never reckoned with the damage done, and even if you think draconian measures were required, there was a price for it. And it’s a movement that Poilievre has gone to great lengths to endure himself to.It's an angry movement because for a lot of people, the world makes less sense now than it ever has before....Poilievre has positioned himself as the leader of this movement, a movement that has overinflated the responsibility that the Prime Minister has on this country and therefore has pinned all their grievances, real or imagined, on him. It’s a movement that’s diffuse on specific grievances but united on their contempt for the one man...
This is frightening & sickening. People with Trump signs shouting antisemitic slurs at the Prime Minister. This is what happens when antisemitism & hate become normalized and it can happen anywhere. In Canada too. Every political leader needs to speak out against this. https://t.co/grOG7Yj9Oy
— Anthony Housefather (@AHousefather) July 21, 2023
Obnoxious, yelling man attempting to threaten our PM.
— Wendy Jackman (@WenJackwoman) July 21, 2023
What does Trudeau do? Notices the child in the crush and squats down to talk to them, face to face.
THAT is a leader. https://t.co/O7dDbTo3on
Thursday, July 20, 2023
It's too damn hot!
At Garbage Day, Ryan Broderick writes: The New Culture War Issue Will Literally Just Be Ignoring How Hot It IsIn the last 48 hours:
— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) July 18, 2023
Rome beat its all time temperature record by a whole two degrees Celsius.
China beat its all time temperature record by almost two degrees Celsius.
Death Valley narrowly missed the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.
And there's more to come... pic.twitter.com/0F7nYHvQWE
I suppose it shouldn’t shock me that right-wing influencers are acting like extreme heat isn’t actually that extreme. It’s sort of the entire philosophy behind climate change denial.But I guess I just assumed that if the weather became extreme enough, at the very least, we could all agree that it was, in fact, extreme.About three years ago, Atlantic writer Charlie Warzel tweeted something that has always stuck with me. In regards to the then still-emerging coronavirus outbreak, Warzel wrote, “The coronavirus scenario I can’t stop thinking about is the one where we simply get used to all the dying. There’s a national precedent: America’s response to gun violence.” He was, of course, right about that.But I think he inadvertently summed up America’s national response to pretty much every large-scale systemic crisis we’re bound to face going forward. The weather’s going to keep getting worse and the right-wing media ecosystem will downplay or outright deny it, and, more often than not, they’ll find ways to tie the acknowledgement of it to definitions of masculinity.And just like the folks who thought they could ride out the pandemic without a vaccine or masks because they were tough, only to end up on ventilators, so too will a lot of folks get hurt trying to man up and ignore the rising temperatures.
🚨NEWS: Amid record-breaking heat, Republicans are introducing legislation to block any president from declaring a climate emergency.
— David Sirota (@davidsirota) July 19, 2023
Fossil fuel donors funneled more than $5 million to the bill sponsors — and some of the lawmakers are oil/gas investors. https://t.co/l5p4GblIS0
Monday, July 17, 2023
Sock it to me!
Trudeau gets hammered day after day, across Canada, for everything from Port of Vancouver trucker policies (which were actually introduced by Harper) to Lac-Mégantic land expropriation.A lot of people don't know as well that the young man makes a pair with Trudeau on them. With Justin's permission. Liberals need to start talking about these things. If Justin won't brag, we should.
— Lonney Butler (@ButlerLonney) July 16, 2023
"Its not a buffet...we will stand up for everybody's rights."
Watch Trudeau’s mind at work here. It’s not just his message. It’s his courage of his convictions. Of OUR convictions. Canadian convictions… in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The best in the free world. #Cdnpoli #HumanRights #CharterOfRights #Ableg https://t.co/lwCt4Zk5zJ
— Paul Stewart II (@PaulStewartII) July 14, 2023