#Comedians & #Democracy Colbert's corner cut. Like others have done, Canadian editorial cartoonist Michael de Adder notes the key role American comedians have been playing in upholding the US constitution & democratic principles (while many govt. elected reps & mainstream media fail in that.)

On #Alberta_separation questions “I saw firsthand what happened in the United Kingdom when the view was`vote for this, it will be soft, and then we'll negotiate, etc.,'” ...“They're still, 10 years later, trying to undo what people didn't think they were voting for, but what they ended up having.”

Says it all.

We had a whole movie about this over 40 years ago. “The only winning move is not to play.”

Sculpture at Audain art museum in Whistler, British Columbia which we visited May 22 for Gord's birthday. Don Yeomans, Creator. This is an experiment checking upload speed on my phone after reducing image sizes.

This was an experiment to see if this photo on my phone uploads faster at half the size. It still took a long time and as I didn't used to see such long upload times from my phone I wonder if something has changed on Bluesky?

I'm growing (everbearing) strawberries for the first time in a hanging basket as we've no garden. The harvest may never be much but it's fun to see the daily progress in the flowers then turning to berries. Local, sweeter berries are a short season here in Vancouver, BC. I'll get some to make jam.

thetyee.ca/Opinion/2026... I believe there is not enough attention paid to US interference in this matter of some Albertans hoping to break up Canada. Smith often shows a Maple MAGA face, positioning herself at odds with Canada's leaders who stand up to Trump & US economic/annexation threats.

Every time I make my vegetarian shepherd's pie/moussaka fusion dish I think of my late father's joke that I was trying to convert him to vegetarianism by serving it (his cute way of complimenting me.) Ingredients a little different each time I make this. ⬇️

farandwide.beehiiv.com/p/foodlabeli... Tod Maffin on what origin labelling looks like when it isn't set up to fool consumers, like Canada's present rules. CBC Marketplace did a story on this some time ago. This issue became more pressing for many upon Trump's re-election & his govt's attacks on us.

What goes through the collective mind of the entire democratic free world when they see someone driving a Tesla Cybertruck.

I'm afraid I don't understand US law. When both his previous deportation was overturned and the subsequent criminal charges have just been rejected as vindictive, how can the govt. still be threatening to deport? Is there no longer even a pretence of upholding the rule of law?

Fitzsimmon's Creek, Whistler, BC We're visiting Whistler for Gord's birthday and after the spectacular Audain art museum we're wandering a little on the nearby valley trail.

#Xi and #Putin Reach Agreement on Joint Ownership of #Trump The Borowitz Report, May 18/26

𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐇𝐎𝐃𝐎 Even though my phone didn't quite see mauve tints as I did (my photographer husband tells me this is just the way it goes) wanted to share this rhododendron spotted out walking a short time ago. Sometimes it's good to take a different route than usual, avoiding traffic.

www.reddit.com/r/printers/c... Sharing this Reddit post about issues #printing on glossy paper on #HP OfficeJet printer, in case anyone has experience fixing this issue. It's fine for regular/matte paper printing. PS not very happy with this machine/HP re other issues mentioned

MORE #EXCESS_PACKAGING - this 11"x11" package from Costco held 3 small ink cartridges for our printer. Though I suspect Costco may want a theft-deterrent, oversized package, this is making our environment pay for companies' choices around rationalizing overpriced goods or retail security.

What an awful human being and disgraceful government. I would say something like "the best government money can buy but that is upside down. It's the WORST government money, pardon seekers or corporations can buy.

𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐨'𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐢𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 The redesign of #Google's app icons to present them with "gradients" vs. solid colours has degraded the Google Drive icon on my pinned tabs in Windows so it looks tiny/like 3 coloured dots. The big tech co's might try asking users what needs improvement.

" #FREEDOM DEPENDS ON BEING COURAGEOUS" ~Pericles Lamp standard banners in our Greek-Canadian neighbourhood in Vancouver, BC feature philosopher quotations. This one has legs.

SOME #AI TOOLS HELPFUL Yesterday I used Google Lens text recognition tool to help G. capture names of photo files for a forthcoming presentation. A screenshot of the file folder became a 213-item list using the built-in character recognition feature of Google Lens image search (see example.)

www.peopleoverplatforms.org/fix-platforms Got the notification from Meta my 13-year-old account is now disabled, after 180 days in which their AI unaccountably said my status was that I appealed & that appeal was incomplete.AI said same on 2 earlier mystery suspensions reversed with cryptic apology.

thetyee.ca/Opinion/2026... In Vancouver, BC we are so water-short we've jumped right to stage 2 watering restrictions for 1st time & for years before that, wildlife ponds in city parks are summertime mudholes as city says we're too dry to fill them. Also short of electricity, net importer.

BERRY GOOD After 15 days though not galloping to grow, both strawberry plants in the hanging pot are flowering so there'll be berries at some point. G. wonders if the wild birds will come for them, as they did our herbs years ago, but these days we have no bird feeder, so it's less likely.

Watching news this evening about #Trump 's #China visit, I thought of Wallace Stevens' poem THE EMPEROR of ICE CREAM. Have always found it a mysteriously resigned poem and at the moment Trump's blustering, floundering figure in US flag colours & fake tan does seem like a grotesquely melting monarch.

EXCESS PACKAGING- to justify high prices? Husband bought 2 of these toothbrush head "rafts" at Costco & once used we'll be getting Canadian alternatives w/o excessive packaging. We're also ticked off the company has eliminated the coloured bands that allow us to tell our brushes apart. Get real.

A tribalism reason makes more sense than my notion that obsession with getting a national abortion ban is a motive--though reasons for choosing devotion to an evil person may still involve ideology. 𝐑𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦: 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 "𝐮𝐬 𝐯𝐬. 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦" 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." ( #Trump on #China leader #Xi 's remarks about the US.)

CARTOON OF THE DAY 😕🇺🇸 (From @andertoon.bsky.social )

"...Trump has also pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 70 donors or allies who were convicted of fraud. One, Philip Esformes, was convicted of stealing $1.3 billion from Medicare..."

#Trump- Xi #China editorial cartoon Graham Harrop, Vancouver Sun 2026May14 "Xi: This is the Forbidden Palace. Home to divine rulers and emperors. Trump: Move-in ready?"

Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar Barrios to be Released from Federal Detention | ACEP share.google/zkUPBuCdos1Y... I wonder what possible rationale for the doctor's detention ICE can offer? The possibilty of arrest quotas and poorly qualified officers dancing to Stephen Miller's warped tune come to mind.

"...Arginine is found naturally in protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes. It is also widely available as a dietary supplement..." (Article mentions dosages used in the study may differ from common supplement dosages.) scitechdaily.com/scientists-i...

‘Irresponsible’: backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan Facility would require more power than entire state uses and suck up vast amount of water in drought-stricken area. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

DO IT YOURSELF...EVENTUALLY No flies on us, husband and I finally installed replacement armrests on our computer chair. Out of curiosity I looked up when I ordered these and it only took us nearly 6 year to put them on. The new chair would be $383 & now only armrests go into the landfill.

VERY PUNNY Have been doing the syndicated NYT crosswords in our newspaper since the 1990s when my husband introduced me to it. This one has fun with puns. I always thought G. was the master of these but he just started solving again lately, feeling rusty & concerned about keeping his brain limber.

"...it is our expert opinion that Donald J. #Trump is #mentally_unfit to be the President of the United States, and that steps to remove him from office must be undertaken with the greatest urgency..." The statement of 13 medical experts in the congressional record can be read at the link.

thetyee.ca/Analysis/202... I'm mad that the Liberals & Conservatives in 🍁Canada voted to let retailers charge different prices to different shoppers-even worse than online app surge pricing. Article mentions exiting loyalty apps/location serv.-how else can physical stores tailor prices to individ.?

I don’t think we need a product on the market that does this.

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 - 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟕 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐢𝐞 (𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫) My mother Isabelle died in 2012 and I am grateful for knowing her. I gave the poem a graphic layout later on and my 2019 rose photo is not as deep a rose hue as those mother grew but they'll have to do.

𝐑𝐇𝐘𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 A post here with a fine painting in Sedona led me to notice how beautifully Sedona and Arizona go together. I came up with some other harmonizing places in some US States and a few Canadian provinces. (Most province / state names don't rhyme or harmonize readily.)

FINE EMBROIDERY We've been weaning our old bed linens, taking some to Night Owl Bird Hospital for use there or at their The Nest medical bird shelter. I thought we were already done when G. brought out a very old, yellowed pillowcase that was likely Grandma Bougie's. (After photo editing.)

…Right-wing extremist #violence has been responsible for approximately 75% to 80% of #U.S._domestic_terrorism deaths since 2001. Charleston. Pittsburgh. El Paso. Buffalo. Most of those attacks were related to America’s white supremacy movement, with a smattering of anti-federal government attacks…

"THE SLAVES WILL LOVE MY #BALLROOM" Michael de Adder editorial cartoon. 🍁

"𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭..." ~Donald Trump fires the Law of Gravity For making him look like a fathead~

Inside the #Kash_Patel story - #The_Atlantic - May 7/26 Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor In Chief "...𝐼𝑓 𝑃𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑡𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑏𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑠, ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦, 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔..."

DUTCH DOCTORS CAUTIOUS ON MAID Dutch psychiatrists issued a blunt warning to senators and MPs during the seventh and final meeting of a special joint committee deliberating the expansion of MAID (medical assistance in dying) to people whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness. ⬇️

Support the Epstein survivors. Release the Epstein files. www.youtube.com/shorts/vrytw...