when you realize that the American unipolar global order was suppressing long-forgotten levels of public Frenchness

I had no idea that the United States purchased the US Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917, and as part of that purchase agreement, agreed to not object to Danish control of Greenland: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History... How classically Trump. Make a purchase agreement and then try to renege on it.

What's your dream home? Learn more about our single stair competition we're hosting along with @strongtownspdx.bsky.social mailchi.mp/60bec59f5076...

Let's face facts, Vancouver: you weren't going to get a carbon monoxide detector or make an earthquake kit any time soon. But you can do this much. Talk to your loved ones. Have a plan in place.

Not a projection. 450 Torches. Carried up the mountain and place correctly by 10 residents.

from The Time That Remains by Palestinian director Elia Suleiman

Even for an "extreme power user" LLMs don't materially alter overall energy consumption. Driving, flying, eating meat, and living in an unnecessarily large and inefficient home are all way more impactful. An extra kWh/day is only $0.10 to $0.50 worth of electricity, depending on where you live.

"A commuter train has struck a collapsed retaining wall in Spain, killing the driver and injuring 36 people" "heavy rain near... Barcelona... five people... seriously injured." "2 days after 42 people... killed in a high-speed train collision & derailment near Adamuz... southern Córdoba province."

Jan 20: Sadly now one more train crash in Spain, near Barcelona. Apparently, due to a concrete boulder falling on the tracks due to rainstorms. bsky.app/profile/fons...

I hate the messenger and the intro is way too generous, but if this messaging gets through then I’ll take it.

they gotta be trolling me

7m Rule. Euro style single stair apt buildings have narrower floor plates so you don't have deep/dark internal rooms, unlike what we get with fat north american buildings. 7m (23') max distance from windows is a good rule of thumb. Townhouses do this, but most double loaded apt buildings don't.

This is something! Parks Canada has video of a skier getting caught in an avalanche... www.facebook.com/story.php?st...

I’ll have you know I had serial mancrushes on G20 central bankers long before it became cool.

Important perspective from Greenland.

So, this is wild. And you sort of don't believe it until you see the videos at the end. And it reads like an analogy to the current situation in the U.S. Because you have a bus full of people that LET the driver do this. And the driver is clearly psychotic. People are very afraid of action.

Do you believe the US will pay you back in 30 years, with dollars that are worth anything?

Oh… I was hoping it was better in context. It wasn’t.

not to lib out but if anybody in labour made a speech that demonstrated even 70% of the understanding of what’s happening and, importantly, the willingness to explain what’s happening as that mark carney one, they should obvs just coronate them leader now and save everybody the faff

In 2025, City Hall paralysis blocked 6 key sites from being developed. Ken Sim couldn’t build the majority required to get things done. Enough. I’m moving to immediately unlock these sites for 4,000 affordable homes. No more excuses. #VanPoli #HousingNow

Insights from Ben Affleck on AI: • AI can help write scenes but can't create full movies. • Job loss fears are overblown because adoption of new tech is slow; it's hype for startup valuations. • ChatGPT v5 is ~25% better but costs 4x. • Users actually preferred v4's sycophancy for companionship.

First draft of my Housing & N'hoods policy wish list for 2026 and leading up to the election. Housing / biking / affordability / accessibility / climate cc @wazaroff.bsky.social @rebeccaleebligh.bsky.social @kareem42.bsky.social @seanorr.bsky.social @ptfry.bsky.social @onecityvan.bsky.social

The American people are almost unfathomably stupid.

If I'm being honest, the collapse of the post-Cold War international order and the violent occupation of an American city are making it difficult for me to concentrate on housing policy.

There is no enemy like a friend betrayed. From last March in Alberta/Photo by Gavin Young

The vibe shift in the EU and Canada over the weekend is unlike anything I've ever seen. US hegemony in military and economic alliances is effectively dead. History will look back and wonder how the elites in power not only did nothing to stop it but cheered it on willingly.

oh hey small life update. RIP larch lab. we're going to build a better world.

This. Greenland defense is a tripwire—putting various European countries’ personnel in harms way in an attempt to deter attack—not an effort to win a war with the US. A real Europe-US war would destroy the world. The goal is to not have one. Which was more than accomplished by a robust NATO. Alas.

Palisades now delayed to late March www.enr.com/articles/623...

The speech Mark Carney gave at #Davos was nothing short of historical. It will be replayed around the world. Now we watch who stands with him, or who capitulates to autocracy, or blind ideology hardened by mass propaganda. #WEF #MarkCarney @mark-carney.bsky.social www.youtube.com/live/uStuQ-T...

"Street Scene from Købmagergade in Copenhagen" (1893) by Danish painter Otto Bache (1839-1927) Oil on canvas. 78 x 54 cm, private collection #art #painting #artist #BlueSkyArt

A Spell to transform a human into a horned snake. The Papyrus of Ani, The Egyptian Book of the Dead. 1275 BCE.

Charley Harper, "Darwin's Finches", from "The Giant Golden Book of Biology", 1961

Danish Parliament Deputy Speaker Lars-Christian Brask: "If I could come with some advice, it would be for the Senate & House to start to take control of political power in America because with this erratic & mad behaviour, you have to ask the question, is the President capable of running the US?"

January 20, 1930: Born on this day, astronaut Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., better known as Buzz Aldrin. On September 9, 2002 - Buzz punches a moon landing conspiracy theorist in the face. contactlight.de

Peter Mansbridge posts on substack that the Mark Carney speech at Davos was the best political speech he has heard in his lifetime.

“Canada is a pluralistic society that works. Our public square is loud, diverse, and free. Canadians remain committed to sustainability.”

Holy smokes - he opened with a reference to Vaclav Havel's "The Power of the Powerless," among the all-time greats of underground revolutionary literature (Havel spent years in jail for it, then became Czech's president after his release). Momentous speech. Read the whole thing.

An excellent & informative analysis of the fiscal bind #NewWest #SD40 & other districts face in providing inclusive #educationforall. I agree: @davidebybc.bsky.social & @lisabeare.bsky.social need to step up. Good argumentation, @jplett.bsky.social!

Cory Doctorow has some thoughts on this matter. pluralistic.net/2026/01/01/3...

AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage | Cory Doctorow

Carney: "American hegemony in particular helped provide public goods, a stable financial system... this bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition... recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as a weapon. Tariffs as leverage ... "

Thread of the day.

Globe & Mail reporting on Canadian military's modelling of how an extended insurgency against a US invasion would play out: In short, we'd take cues from the mujahideen. "The aim of such tactics would be to impose mass casualties on U.S. occupying forces..."

A routine regime change isn’t going to restore any global trust in the USA. Our weaknesses and faults have been laid out for all to see. Only a Nuremberg will move us toward a re-entrance to global leadership.

This is amazing and there could be no better place to host this. www.vancouverisawesome.com/events-and-e...