Megan

Math & history nerd. Happiest if backcountry canoeing. Housing. Climate. CovidIsAirborne. A better world is possible. Maybe even probable. She/her.

#CovidIsAirborne
#Climate
#YIMBY
#HousingIsAHumanRight
#Toronto
#TorontoHousing
#BikeTO
#OnPoli
#TootFinder

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Last Notes

2024-05-11 13:37:37

Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage in Toronto this weekend.
41 km from west to east, over 2 days. Starting at Bloordale United church near Hwy 427. Ending near Rouge Hill GO station. Mostly along Bloor/Danforth. Come for all of it, or just for a hour or 2.
https://www.kairoscanada.org/event/toronto-gaza-ceasefire-pilgrimage
#Toronto #Ceasefire #Gaza #Peace #Kairos #CeasefireNow

2024-04-18 14:21:46

Toronto neighbourhood’s fight to stop tiny building is why nobody can afford a home
3 storeys tall, with 10 units on a deep lot. A short walk to 2 subway stations and a grocery. Across from a school. Madness to reject it, in the depths of a housing crisis.
https://www.blogto.com/real-estate-toronto/2024/04/91-barton-avenue-toronto/
#ToPoli #Housing #HousingCrisis #MissingMiddle

2024-04-08 21:14:59

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🧵 3/16. Covid moves like smoke
Covid is airborne: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)00869-2/fulltext
Aerosols stay suspended and maintain infectivity: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/9/20-1806_article
https://cdn.mastdn.ca/media_attachments/files/112/237/173/119/550/103/original/3a681e32eff3ebcc.png

2024-04-08 00:21:48

What's up with Covid (2024 ed):
1. What's up with Covid
2. You're probably going off old info
3. Covid moves like smoke
4. Covid is still everywhere
5. Wastewater reporting
6. Covid is really dangerous
7. Repeat infections are hurting us
8. Vaccines are not enough
9. Rapid tests and false negatives
10. What we can do
11. High quality masks
12. Clean air
13. Extra precautions
14. I have Covid -- Now what?
15. Treatment
16. Breaking the chain
https://newlevant.com/covidzine

2024-03-11 20:29:32

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@LALegault Hmm. The trans community, or medical gatekeepers who have historically decided who gets to medically transition and who doesn’t?
Also societal pressure — as a cis woman, I face no physical risk if I leave the house without makeup.
I found Julia Serano’s book The Whipping Girl really helpful and informative, both with respect to the history and in thinking about trans activism as a feminist movement.

2024-03-11 14:09:45

What’s different about your life now, compared to pre pandemic?
What’s different physically?
What’s different about how you view yourself and those around you?
Do you feel closer to friends and family or more distant?
Are there things you expected to change but didn’t?
#Covid #Pandemic

2024-03-10 14:57:14

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@npub1mmf…eknq
This NPR article has the same quote about iron dome.
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/10/1237221448/biden-netanyahu-hurting-israel-by-not-preventing-more-civilian-deaths-in-gaza
Beau comments mainly on US policy, with a particular focus on the military. I would place his politics as left of centre, often reaching out towards those on the right.

2024-03-10 13:09:16

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@npub1mmf…eknq
Beau’s interpretation of this one was intriguing: maintaining defensive aid while cutting off defensive aid. Here’s hoping he actually follows through.
https://youtu.be/7GyML8xUq0o?si=h0Mb95bjy_soYz3E

2024-03-05 14:40:09

Why did you write a book about the Book of Revelation:
Fascinating interview with Professor Elaine Pagels, about how people over the ages have continually reinterpreted the Book of Revelation to refer to current struggles. With particular focus on George W Bush and the invasion of Iraq. Also touches on Jan 6th insurrection, Israel/Palestine.
Conclusion is those using a Revelation lens push for annihilation over negotiation.
https://youtu.be/1EFpEqLE9kE?si=ebL5G-a2yyOOd4Yq
#CeasefireNow #Peace #Christianity

2024-03-04 19:25:07

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3) If the officer is working for YPS, why is public money being used to provide security for an illegal land sale, which is barring entry based on religion/nationality?
4) What were the criteria for hiring the officer? If entrants were restricted based on religion/nationality, did the same criteria apply to the officer(s) providing security?
Uniformed officers separating the protesters are clearly acting in public interest. But this guy with a sidearm covering up his uniform?

2024-03-04 19:20:34

Multiple strange things about this police officer in the tan pants:
1) His jacket covers his police uniform. Need approval from police chief for that.
2) Paid duty officers are not permitted "At a function likely to promote a confrontation between participating groups including, but not limited to, annual general meetings, termination of employees by an employer, protests and get belongings".
https://mstdn.ca/@dbattistella/112034272279365842
https://cdn.mastdn.ca/media_attachments/files/112/038/788/131/479/498/original/99d2a630b9114293.jpg

2024-03-04 12:28:31

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@npub1mmf…eknq I saw a news article this weekend saying there will be no ceasefire because Hamas has refused. Without saying why they had refused. This was in the news section, not opinion. Had to head over to Al Jazeera to find out why. It seems willful to not even ask the question.

2024-03-04 01:23:27

A map and a timetable. That’s all I ask.
Whether on the GO train site, or the Via Rail site, or the Quebec Maritime ferry site. All obstinately refuse to make this basic info easy to find.
Instead, they opt for whimsy. Here’s some nice photos! Explore! Imagine! Now guess which places are connected, and what dates those might be. And we’ll keep telling you you’re wrong.
Why is booking transit here so horrible???
#Transit #Ontario #GOTransit #ViaRail

2024-03-03 07:35:52

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@npub1mmf…eknq oh god. It hadn’t occurred to me they would hold this real estate event at a synagogue.
https://cdn.mastdn.ca/media_attachments/files/112/030/358/510/201/519/original/170b2fabff11ece8.jpg

2024-03-01 22:22:35

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@npub1mmf…eknq Pretty hard not to see hijab-ban as anything other than straight-up racism. Especially when used to deny people of employment or right to participate in civil society.

2024-03-01 22:19:13

The “all lives matter” folk sure are quiet with respect to US-funded genocide.
#genocide #CeasefireNow

2024-03-01 18:44:49

I really enjoyed this compilation of memories of Aaron Bushnell, as recounted by his friends.
He clearly gave a lot of thought about how to live an ethical life, and will be deeply missed.
https://crimethinc.com/2024/02/29/memories-of-aaron-bushnell-as-recounted-by-his-friends
#AaronBushnell #Anarchy #FreePalestine #CeasefireNow

2024-03-01 02:24:32

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@npub1mmf…eknq 👆”In a news release on Thursday, York Region Public Health (YRPH) said the patient, who is in his 30s, had not travelled recently and had no contact with anyone ill.”
I’m kind of surprised they didn’t mention whether he had been vaccinated. He’s of an age where he should have been. Seems relevant to know whether the vaccine was insufficient in his case.

2024-02-25 14:47:35

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@LALegault I strongly suspect Harper.
From this 2011 article in The G&M: “What follows is apparently (but not officially) what Ottawa doesn't want to admit. Canadians born before 1948 (i.e. before the Jewish state of Israel was created) in Jerusalem are considered to have been born in "Palestine."
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/news/world/palestine-exists-for-a-select-few-canadians/article594913/
Given Harper’s pro Israel stance, I suspect passport application changed between 2011-2015. Can’t find anything definitive though.

2024-02-24 15:40:03

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@npub1mmf…eknq Looking at the map, Al Bassa is at the very north end of what is now Israel (close to the Lebanon border) and was then Mandatory Palestine.
Which makes me wonder what the government’s policy is with respect to recording the birthplace of people from other countries that have changed. Such as Yugoslavia, USSR, Burma, Czechoslovakia, and even the Dominion of Newfoundland.

2024-02-20 13:16:26

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@npub1mmf…eknq By all means, go listen to and document the testimonies of Israeli women attacked. But if not also listening to Palestinian women, then they’re just signing up to be a propaganda tool for the Israeli government. I expect better from 3 seasoned women politicians.

2024-02-20 13:12:56

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@npub1mmf…eknq The message is ambiguous but I understood it to be specifically pointed at Cheri DiNovo, Kathleen Wynne and Lisa Raitt.
“I believe strongly in the MeToo and the Believe All Women movements, and in providing care and support for survivors … Canada offered the Ukrainian government similar support for investigations into sexual violence by Russian troops”
Their silence about Palestinian women was already notable at the time of their Dec 11th press conference.
https://thecjn.ca/news/wynne-dinovo-raitt/

2024-02-20 12:59:43

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@npub1mmf…eknq Wow. It’s the ones mocking the lack of drinkable water that do it for me. Surely history will not judge them kindly. They cannot say they didn’t know.

2024-02-19 14:16:32

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@npub1mmf…eknq Has he gone full Zionist? My impression is that he’s been desperately trying to park that ass between 2 chairs. As if “please don’t genocide too hard” was an option.

2024-02-16 21:02:43

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@npub1f3s…jzfc Do you have a source for the 37% figure? It’s quite astonishing.

2024-02-13 13:56:20

“A land without people for a people without land”
Sounds kind of poetic, until you watch on camera what it actually means to de-people the land.
#Genocide #EthnicCleansing #Palestine #FreePalestine #SettlerColonialism

2024-02-11 19:23:32

M'entends-tu / Can you hear me:
Fantastic French-Canadian drama-comedy series on Netflix. Watch it with French audio and English subtitles.
John Doyle's description: "Raunchy and unapologetically existing at the intersection of class, race, gender and poverty. Brace yourselves; this is hilarious, original and not-nice Canadian content of small genius."
#Netflix #Television #Quebec #Canada

2024-02-11 07:05:59

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@npub1a24…etnp Oh my lord, that man really is insufferable.
"For public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one black and one woman artist to include here ... they didn't measure up to that same historical standard."
SERIOUSLY??

2024-02-10 19:57:00

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@npub1mmf…eknq I’m really chuckling over this whole apostrophe thing. I’d love to think it was done intentionally just to give people something to stew over.

2024-02-10 02:28:45

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@npub1mmf…eknq I really like that site. And the term anti-Palestinian racism makes so much more sense to me than the term “Islamaphobia” that I keep seeing bandied about. Pretending it’s a religious dispute obscures the whole genocidal colonialism aspect … deliberately, I think.

2024-02-10 02:17:31

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@npub1mmf…eknq I’ve really liked mstdn.ca. I like that a Canadian instance has more content that’s likely to be local to me. I like the moderation, and the regular “state of the instance” reports.

2024-02-08 21:56:44

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@npub1mmf…eknq I hope this sets a precedent for the global south to sue our governments asses off. For funding genocide. For destroying the planet. May they be the Deus ex machina we never anticipated.

2024-02-02 08:01:57

Question about Toronto Fire:
I witnessed a fire very close to a Toronto fire station. Several people tried banging on the doors of the fire station for help. No answer. The fire truck that eventually came was from a different station. I want to know why the closest one didn’t respond. I see there’s an “active incident” site. But I can’t find an archive for info on past.
Anyone with insights?
https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/alerts-notifications/toronto-fire-active-incidents/
#Toronto #TorontoFire #TFS #Fire #FireSafety #FirstResponders

2024-02-02 03:45:41

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@npub1mmf…eknq I enjoyed Beau’s take on the Taylor Swift NFL thing. Telling right wing fathers they’re idiots if they choose to trash Taylor instead of welcoming the chance to bond with their own daughters.
https://youtu.be/rYuGnwk6m6I?si=1ZDRWR7U3n65uc5l

2024-01-31 11:48:52

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@npub1mmf…eknq 👆”CUPE calls on the Canadian government to:
- Take all necessary steps to ensure Israel’s compliance with the ICJ decision.
- Impose an arms embargo on Israel.
- Call for a permanent ceasefire”

2024-01-31 05:10:20

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@npub1mmf…eknq I like the brevity and accuracy of FemSquad, and don’t see why it should be dismissed just because a man suggested it. Allies are good.

2024-01-31 01:31:55

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@npub1mmf…eknq Seriously, Trudeau never fails to disappoint. He talks a lovely progressive talk. But his actions, not so much.
Electoral reform, First Nations drinking water, the TRC calls to action, slow-walking the housing crisis, quadrupling arms exports after 2018. Slow-walking Canadas response to climate crisis.
I don’t hate him like I hated Harper. And Poilievre is a snake. But good God, I wish Trudeau was better.

2024-01-30 20:12:09

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@npub1mmf…eknq Fuyu (flat and round) or hachiya (pointy)? I feel like the best hachiyas are better than the best fuyus. But decent fuyus are so much easier to find.

2024-01-28 14:59:08

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@npub1mmf…eknq Oooh. He raises an interesting point on the financial aspect. I looked up Myanmar:
“Sanctions related to Myanmar were enacted under the Special Economic Measures Act to respond to the human rights and humanitarian situation…
- a freeze on assets in Canada of any designated Myanmar nationals connected with the Myanmar State…;
-an arms embargo…; and
-a prohibition on the export, sale, supply or shipment of aviation fuel.”
https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/international_relations-relations_internationales/sanctions/myanmar.aspx?lang=eng

2024-01-28 02:09:19

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@npub16gn…5lxe @LALegault It is astonishing for the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and Finland to have all announced on the same day that they are all pausing/cutting funding to UNRWA. I think it is worth asking the question how it is that all came to the decision on the same day. A decision that will undoubtedly worsen the existing catastrophe in Gaza.

2024-01-27 05:38:50

Joly still trying to sit “avec sa cul entre deux chaises”.
“Our support for the ICJ does not mean that we accept the premise of the case brought by South Africa. … Canada will continue to support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself … Nothing can justify Hamas’ brutal attacks on October 7 … Canada remains deeply concerned about the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza”
https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2024/01/statement-by-minister-joly-on-the-international-court-of-justices-decision-on-south-africas-request-for-provisional-measures-in-its-case-against-is.html
#Gaza #Genocide #MelanieJoly #ICJ #Canada

2024-01-26 21:12:02

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@npub1gmx…atcq thanks for posting. I read the first few pages of the complaint. It’s reminding me a lot of Peter Nygard. I wonder if their circles overlapped.

2024-01-26 20:07:58

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@npub1mmf…eknq A balanced approach: the US paused funding for UNWRA today, while saying the ICJ ruling is consistent with Biden’s own calls to minimize civilian harm.
🙄

2024-01-25 03:55:39

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@npub1mmf…eknq Wow. Stunned by those dancing and singing over their success in starving people.

2024-01-23 23:26:01

Tadhg Hickey’s message to Irish Americans:
“If you’re Irish American, and you’re not standing up for Palestine right now, you may want to take another look at your history”
https://youtu.be/zeSiYWvtlqw?si=kDeB7Oq6wwzh9eUb
#Palestine #FreePalestine #Famine #Genocide #WarCrimes #Gaza #IrishAmericans #Ireland #irelandpalestinesolidaritycampaign

2024-01-23 12:59:48

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@npub1mmf…eknq The article itself points to a supply shortage as being the primary driver.
Purpose built rental (PBR) buildings in particular has been in short supply due to restrictive zoning plus tax change that made condos more attractive than PBR. Since the demand for rental never disappeared, it led to people renting condos, which tends to be a less secure form of rental.
Many solutions needed: tax change, zoning, affordable housing etc. Banning corporate owned rental isn’t one of them.

2024-01-22 13:07:56

“Israel erased the civil registry in Gaza, destroyed it completely, destroyed the libraries and stole tens of thousands of ancient records, Palestinians now have no proof of their assets, the degrees they earned at the university or even the birth certificates of their children.”
Source: @MacaesBruno
#Gaza #Palestine #Genocide #Israel
https://cdn.mastdn.ca/media_attachments/files/111/799/500/534/507/716/original/ca0ef59145f05ca3.jpeg

2024-01-19 20:13:17

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“many settlers do not migrate with the intention to expel native inhabitants, steal their lands, and generate wealth for themselves, but are rather motivated by the desire to escape persecution in their homelands. … But all settlers, regardless of their intentions and motivations, become conscripted into the settler colonial project by the settler state and its institutions. This is as true of the settler colony of Canada, for example, as it is of the settler colony of Israel. “

2024-01-19 20:10:37

Zionism and colonial modernity:
“Zionism … violently turns the beautiful interconnectedness of multiple histories into a distorted mono-history that only recognizes Jewish presence, and, most critically, advances the idea that only Israeli Jewish sovereignty can exist on these lands... Only absolutist racial thinking, which is a staple of the project of colonial modernity, can lead to this kind of political project of mass elimination.“
https://mondoweiss.net/2024/01/zionism-and-colonial-modernity/
#SettlerColonialism #Zionism

2024-01-18 00:15:52

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@npub1mmf…eknq it reminds me so much of how Canada imposed the band council system to replace existing existing indigenous governance systems. It seems completely undemocratic and disrespectful to just drop in and impose a new leadership. Hard to negotiate peace with a leadership the people haven’t chosen and don’t respect.
https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indian-act-and-elected-chief-and-band-council-system

2024-01-18 00:04:30

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@npub1mmf…eknq I know someone well who was disabled by long Covid for about 6 months. She’s back working, but at reduced capacity, managing her energy expenditure and sleep very tightly to prevent flare up.
She has stopped masking. It’s not the choice I would make. But she intimately understands the risk she’s taking. I don’t judge her, as it’s (mostly) her risk to take.
Politicians and public health leaders that have abandoned us to a deadly & disabling disease though? I judge them a ton.

2024-01-16 23:16:09

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@npub1mmf…eknq Based on this video, my guess is Yemen (the official government) would not be applying to the ICJ. It appears they welcome the intervention.
https://youtu.be/4C-nin72Oz8?si=szEd0hApMA8cNkAS
Also, “Operation Prosperity Guardian” — what a name. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Prosperity_Guardian

2024-01-16 22:59:32

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@npub1mmf…eknq I’m not at all buying that the words “does not mean” were misinterpreted. Glad, though somewhat surprised, to see a change of heart.
Aside from the obvious moral issue, I don’t think it’s in Canada’s strategic interest to support ethnic cleansing and/or genocide. The more pressure applied to reach a negotiated peace with full respect for human rights and international law, the better for everyone.

2024-01-15 01:32:51

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@npub1mmf…eknq It was worth a shot! Long ago I read that borage was the “herb of gladness”, so I used to make a borage cucumber drink for my ex, who was frequently grumpy. I don’t think it helped him. But the flowers were pretty in the drink.

2024-01-15 01:24:04

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@npub1mmf…eknq given the name and description of the flowers, could it be borage? I see Google translate gives borage the Ukrainian name:
борщівник
borshchivnyk

2024-01-14 16:56:25

The Doctrine of Discovery and Christian Zionism:
“Understanding how colonial Christianity is an instrumental part of perpetuating the violence in the region helps debunk two false assumptions. First, it breaks down the “Jews vs Muslims” dichotomy by recognizing the role [of] Western Christians. Secondly, it reframes the situation from an equal conflict based on prejudice, to a struggle of an indigenous people against Western Colonialism.”
https://doctrineofdiscovery.org/blog/christian-zionism
#SettlerColonialism #Palestine

2024-01-13 23:28:56

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@npub1mmf…eknq examples?

2024-01-09 23:31:59

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@npub1mmf…eknq Thanks for the snapshots. Looks like the report is worth reading.

2024-01-09 23:30:09

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@npub1mmf…eknq Also the fact that politicians are stirring up outrage about that particular highway overpass, saying it’s targeting a Jewish neighborhood. The protests have been consistently on multiple overpasses all across Toronto. Definitely not targeting one neighbourhood.

2024-01-08 02:30:15

Watched the film Israelism this evening. Available to rent on demand for $5 until end of January. Well worth watching.
Discusses how younger Jewish Americans are questioning unquestioning support for Israel.
https://www.israelismfilm.com/
#Israelism #Israel #Palestine #IfNotNow #JewsSayNo #JewsAgainstIsraeliApartheid #FreePalestine #EndApartheid

2024-01-03 21:12:47

A thread on life expectancy trends around the world. Because what else is an actuary going to do on vacation? 😉
Of course the data is imperfect. But still interesting.
I looked at:
1. Italy, Cda, France, US
2. Stable mid-east
3. Volatile mid-east
4. Southern Africa
5. Southeast Asia
6. South America (west)
7. Central America
8. Russia/Ukraine/Poland
9. HK/JP/Korea
#LifeExpectancy #Mortality
(🧵1/)

2024-01-03 19:37:58

A pair of graphs for the anti-vaxxers (not really):
News articles about sudden deaths often have comments from anti-vaxxers speculating about vaccine injury. If this was a driving force, we would see a strong correlation between vaccination rates and excess mortality. But no, the relationship is inverse: low vax rates are paired with high excess deaths.
#Covid #CovidIsntOver #Vaccine #VaccinesSaveLives #PublicHealth
https://cdn.mastdn.ca/media_attachments/files/111/693/427/067/825/882/original/e25f7c5ef4354405.png
https://cdn.mastdn.ca/media_attachments/files/111/693/427/073/313/216/original/e7a46de3c83ef09e.png

2024-01-02 05:26:30

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@npub1mmf…eknq I’ve been going through the book “21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act”, comparing and contrasting to the situation in Israel and Palestine.
So many similarities. Carving out a small inferior portion of land. Restrictions of movement. Denial of status, citizenship and voting rights. Expropriation.
There are differences of course. But so much is familiar.

2024-01-02 05:10:24

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@npub1mmf…eknq It’s the knowledge of the coming famine that haunts me. And should haunt every leader enabling this genocide.
1.4 million people displaced as winter sets in. Water and sanitation destroyed. Disease multiplying. And food barely trickling in.
This is criminal.

2023-12-20 01:45:43

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@npub1lf4…kcjr I’m puzzled by your hesitant conclusion: “I confess I still struggle with the idea that this war could rise to the level of genocide.”
Definition of genocide: intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group by:
1) killing members of the group or
2) causing serious bodily or mental harm or
3) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its destruction in whole or in part(…)
This is clearly genocide in Gaza.

2023-12-07 22:45:14

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@npub1mmf…eknq thanks for summarizing! I knew nothing about this.

2023-12-07 22:39:37

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@npub1mmf…eknq There’s a lovely article here on fasting for Palestinian solidarity:
“Remembering that Hanukkah means “rededication,” as we light the candles each night, we can rededicate ourselves to solidarity with Palestine for the long haul: for a permanent ceasefire, for an end to starvation and deprivation, for an end to Zionist colonialism and apartheid, and for an end to state violence in all its forms, from the U.S. to Palestine and beyond.”
https://truthout.org/articles/hanukkah-is-a-time-for-palestine-solidarity-from-fasting-to-public-disruption/

2023-12-06 19:00:41

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@npub1mmf…eknq My husband and I regularly share our grief over this decline. Wildfires, drought, floods and heat domes. Abandonment of public health at the same time novel viruses increase. Growth of conspiracy theories and fascism. Wars, which will increase as habitable areas decrease.
I’m convinced the only way through this is making common cause together, and fighting for systemic change against those seeking to sacrifice humanity for the sake of short term profit.

2023-11-24 05:03:59

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@npub1mmf…eknq Jeff?

2023-11-22 21:26:56

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@npub1mmf…eknq I only started learning the history on this last night. I remember when it happened, being disappointed the UK left was antisemitic. But had been completely unaware of the background. Looks like this will be a worthwhile book to fill in those gaps.

2023-11-19 17:38:00

“The problem is religion”
I find this a particularly irritating, and ignorant, talking point when it comes to the Middle East.
Is religion being used to whip people up, by powerful people who benefit? Yes. Are religious zealots a problem? Absolutely.
But to assume it wouldn’t occur if it wasn’t for religion ignores a ton of history. Both in Israel/Palestine and elsewhere.
Land, power, resources. Those are the motivators. Religion is the flag of convenience.
#Religion

2023-11-15 23:49:24

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@npub1mmf…eknq This thing about Iranian propaganda seems quite misplaced. From what I can see, it’s more that people (and maybe younger generation in particular) are able to distinguish between the Israeli state and Jewish people.

2023-11-14 15:03:20

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@npub1r5j…ky3p Looking up the fines, it’s actually both the TTC and regular parking fines that seem way out of whack:
- GO fare evasion: $35/$50/$100 for 1st/2nd/subsequent offenses
- TTC: $235 or $425, depending on the offence
- Regular parking fine: $30
- Fine for parking in bike lane: $150
- Fine for parking in disabled spot without permit: $450

2023-11-13 19:30:09

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@npub1mmf…eknq It’s the absence of people that I’ve seen at “protect trans youth” rallies that I’ve been surprised and saddened by. One included in her email to constituents a link to the Ceasefire rally info. But didn’t attend herself.

2023-11-13 19:20:04

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@npub1mmf…eknq I was so disappointed to see the disparity in elected representative attendance at the rallies in Toronto.
12 politicians at the “Solidarity rally for the hostages”: Minister Ya’ara Saks, councillor Josh Matlow, MPs Marco Mendicino, Carolyn Bennett, Melissa Lantsman, Adam Chambers, Dan Muys, Kevin Vuong, MPPs Laura Smith, Robin Martin and Goldie Ghamari and Trustee Shelley Laskin.
At the ceasefire rally, I saw no gov’t reps. The absence is shocking.

2023-11-07 22:09:52

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@npub1mmf…eknq Also… I was watching a “man on the street” interview with Palestinians from a few years ago. The question was whether it will be possible to live peacefully with Israelis. There was a distinct age gap in the responses, where older adults were more likely to say yes, and younger ones more likely to say no. I wondered if it might be related to lived experience, where elderly can remember peace, but youth grew up under siege and bombs.

2023-11-07 21:01:50

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@npub1mmf…eknq Yes. I was thinking about this after reading a horrific thread from an Israeli man about his experience, together with wife and kids, of hiding inside while Hamas was going door to door. He wrote about how vital it is to wipe out the terrorists. And I kept thinking about how indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians will radicalize more people. There is nothing good down this path.

2023-11-06 15:15:29

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@npub1vz5…qdta Bombing civilians is a curious way to free them from oppression.

2023-10-31 14:00:38

The 4th Geneva Convention affords protection to civilians, including in occupied territory.
Article 33: “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.
Pillage is prohibited.
Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited."
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/geneva-convention-relative-protection-civilian-persons-time-war
#Israel #Palestine #Gaza #Peace

2023-10-28 17:46:32

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@npub1j8m…v5r7 It’s difficult to know how to respond to such a shocking and dehumanizing statement. I don’t feel outrage. Just grief.
I know from your previous toots that you have been personally affected by October 7th. But just as capital punishment doesn’t undo or prevent murder, collective punishment and killing does not undo or prevent future terror. There is only more horror along this path.

2023-10-28 17:13:01

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@npub1j8m…v5r7 There are many who say that to criticize Israel’s ethnic cleansing and genocide against Palestinians is antisemitic.

2023-10-28 15:16:05

“Israel insists that what it does, it dpes in the name of Judaism. Hence it creates an association between Zionist colonization and the Jewish religion in the minds of twisted people. The association should be rejected in the name of Judaism. … The right for all peoples in 🇮🇱 and 🇵🇸 to live as equals should top the agenda of all efforts for peace and reconciliation in the region.”
From “Gaza in Crisis”, by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe.
#Israel #Palestine #Peace #antisemitism #Gaza

2023-10-26 20:52:03

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@npub19fc…ay3c From Israel’s point of view, all the options suck. Option 1, continue living in a state of siege. Costly in terms of $ spent, moral injury, and occasional terrorist attacks. Option 2, the 2 state solution, seems unworkable with the extensive Israeli settlements in West Bank. Option 3, the one state solution, may be hard to contemplate. But places like Northern Ireland, Lebanon, South Africa, etc, have shown that there can be a path out.

2023-10-26 20:19:33

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@npub1rf9…ra82 @npub19fc…ay3c Omer Aziz advocated for this single state solution in the G&M:
“The way forward now is for Israel to become a binational, federated democracy with strong local autonomy. For this to work, the Palestinian territories would have to be absorbed into Israel, with full civil and political rights for all citizens. … In simpler terms, Israel will have to become like another imperfect, multiethnic, multiracial democracy: the United States of America.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-occupation-made-the-two-state-solution-impossible-so-what-comes-next/

2023-09-30 17:37:35

"This should be a day when Canada rededicates itself to seeking justice. [W]hen we speak up to force the government and church to release documents, to prosecute abusers, to jail them and to hound them to their deaths and beyond for their crimes. It’s a day to be angry, not just about the past, but about the people who abused children, the people who enabled it, the people who honour it and the people who deny any of it ever happened."
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/standing-in-this-graveyard-is-a-reminder-truth-and-reconciliation-is-a-day-you-should/article_3e11e1b8-baee-5eb5-83f0-73abe77604f5.html
#TruthAndReconciliation #Canada

2023-09-29 21:06:51

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@npub1k4q…3lsq Indeed. In Toronto, council has cautiously been moving towards allowing alcohol to be consumed in parks. One of the arguments against it was that restaurants would lose money. As if the spending of $ sanctifies an activity.
Same argument goes for supporting gyms to open early in the pandemic vs making it easier for people to walk and bike outside. Without money, it loses prestige.

2023-09-29 15:41:11

How is it that driving is viewed as a symbol of freedom and independence, and walking as dependence, when it’s literally the opposite?
When you drive, you depend on the infrastructure supporting it (roads, parking lots, traffic lights, snow clearing, gas stations, car purchase & maintenance & insurance & gas,…). When you walk, it’s just you and your feet, taking you in any direction you want.
#Urbanism #VisionZero #WalkableStreets #WalkableCities #PedestrianSafety #CarDependency #TheWarOnCars

2023-09-26 18:07:13

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@npub1k4q…3lsq @npub1ch0…7gec A good test for whether a term is really gender neutral is to use it in the phrase “I like to have sex with…”. A hetero man who uses “guys” or “dudes” as a gender neutral term would still be unlikely to say “I like to have sex with guys”.

2023-09-14 23:35:33

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@npub1xpc…3t05 My ex, who played jazz among other things, liked to read books about chess strategies before going to bed. And it seemed to me at the time like there’s a similarity between the two disciplines, in terms of immersing enough to become fluent in sequences which one can then draw on as needed.

2023-08-25 01:32:49

“I use a wheelchair and I want more bike lanes”:
1. Many disabled people use bikes.
2. Many of us consider our electric bikes, scooters and trikes to be mobility devices.
3. Lots of people cannot drive
4. More people using cycleways means fewer cars on the road, which makes it easier for disabled and chronically ill people who use cars
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/24-08-2023/i-use-a-wheelchair-and-i-want-more-bike-lanes
#Mobility #Wheelchair #Accessibility #Bike

2023-08-21 12:18:04

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@npub1t9f…5htd 👆”However, there remains a misconception in many places that people living with a disability need a car to access the city, when in fact the opposite is true more often than not. In the United Kingdom, for example, 60% of people living with a disability don’t have access to a car, either through personal ownership or the support of a friend of family.”
#Walkability #Accessibility #VisionZero #Bike #Urbanism #TheWarOnCars

2023-08-07 18:17:25

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@npub1h2n…nx0j On supply, his 2 arguments were:
- housing isn’t like a perishable good like bananas where value decreases over time
- land supply is fixed
He ignores:
- Land appreciates (in a desired area) but the house itself depreciates. Easier to picture if you think of a camper van parked on land. The van loses value while the land appreciates.
- We can build up (eg replace house with apartment)
- Empirical examples from our own history and other markets, counter to his class war narrative.

2023-08-07 17:33:13

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@npub1h2n…nx0j This Tyee interview with the author (Ricardo Tranjan) elaborates a bit more.
I think he makes 2 great points: (1) it's hard to solve a crisis when many are benefiting from it, and (2) it's better to fund pensions than rely on housing gains.
But his arguments that demand & supply don't apply to housing are demonstrably false.
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2023/05/03/What-Behind-Housing-Crisis-Canada/

2023-08-05 23:17:21

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@npub1vep…qc0f
Tax parking
Tax carbon
Tax heavy cars
End Euclidean zoning
Support density
Support passivhaus
Support clean indoor air
Support walkable neighborhoods
Support separated bike lanes
Support public transit
Support public parks
Protect farmland
Protect wilderness
Protect humanity
Support immigration
Support education
Support free press
Support campaign finance reform
Support independent judiciary
Support transparency
Support democracies

2023-06-13 01:31:27

I love that Anthony Furey’s slogan is “A city worth fighting for”. Once we each get that 3rd arm, Toronto’s superpowers will be unleashed. 😉
#TorontoMayoralByElectiom #Toronto #AnthonyFurey
https://cdn.mastdn.ca/media_attachments/files/110/533/832/330/445/887/original/6e0f011eee7c03d8.jpg

2023-06-04 20:05:16

Inside AirBnB: fascinating website showing map and statistics of AirBnB in various cities. Here's a snapshot of downtown Toronto, filtered on "recent and frequently booked" listings. Red dot is whole house/apt; green is private room.
http://insideairbnb.com/toronto
#AirBnB #Toronto
https://cdn.mastdn.ca/media_attachments/files/110/487/247/314/529/717/original/1e0a1c4c22b9c18e.png