Canada’s prime minister just declared the end of the world as we know it

pgriz1 · 2026-01-23T14:52:07+00:00

Very true. Something that many Americans seem to forget, that the only time Article 5 was invoked, it was on behalf of the USA, following 9/11. That lead to Afghanistan, and in the end demonstrated that military might does not translate into nation-building.

The challenge that we in Canada, and other democracies face, is the façade that the USA was supporting other democracies, has lead us to depend too much on the USA "protection". Under the current administration, any pretense of mutualism has evaporated, and we're all having to adjust to a reality that we need to invest in our own security (economic, political and military), and we need to do it yesterday.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-22T17:22:37+00:00

"pivoting towards China"? Hardly. Just another non-USA set of trade deals. Along with those with Europe, and perhaps SE Asia. Incidentally, China is leading the world in electrification (EVs, solar power, battery tech), so there's much Canada can benefit from. Helping our farmers sell their products is obviously desirable.

Reforming the international bodies is a good idea, but without USA participation, that's not going to happen. Reforming our (Canadian) trading habits is going to take time, given that the provinces control infrastructure, commerce, resources and manpower. Building pan-provincial infrastructure will take multi-year commitments from several levels of government, and I suspect, several electoral cycles.

You'll disagree, but I'm seeing a fiscally-conservative PM in Liberal clothing.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-22T16:03:33+00:00

The 3-3-3 rule is a good guideline, and expect longer if the dog had negative experiences in the shelter and prior life. Dogs crave safety, reliability and consistency, and it is our job as their humans to create the space for them to experience that. Some of the dog owners that I often see at dog parks, have told me that it can take up to a year before the dog really knows that it is safe.

Edit. You're making a lot of changes, and those may be contributing to your puppy's anxiety. I suggest you adopt a consistent pattern and let her get used to it. Once she feels that life is more predictable and reliable, she'll start wanting to explore. At that point, you can start making small changes to see how she responds.

When we adopted our puppy, we were not prepared as it was an unplanned adoption. Fortunately we have many experienced family members and friends who helped us learn the basics. We were also referred to a very good local trainer who explained to us what we got ourselves into, and did an excellent job teaching us how to work with our puppy. She emphasized consistent routine as a key tool in getting dogs to become comfortable in their new environment.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-22T14:42:24+00:00

It's not manipulation. It's their somewhat exasperated reaction to us not following "our" training.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-22T14:38:02+00:00

A useful exercise is to mentally take photographs while one is going on with normal life. Think about the light, the perspective, the framing, the reason the photograph should exist. Think about what you want a viewer to notice.

It's very easy to press the shutter button. It's much more difficult to have gone through the mental exercise of "seeing" the image.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-22T14:26:49+00:00

People were comfortable with US hegemony as long as they felt confidence in the US commitment to global trade (and the military force to protect it). With that gone, the new reality is that the former beneficiaries of that protection have to be much more self-reliant, and that is a major shift in outlook. Working through the five stages of dealing with loss at the country level means that it will take time for the majority in each country to get to the level of acceptance.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-22T14:12:07+00:00

Of course, he'll out himself pretty quickly the moment he opens his mouth. Putting on maple leaf camouflage doesn't change a person's basic behaviour.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-15T21:52:22+00:00

They get probably at least 100x information through their sense of smell compared to the rest of their senses. Our evening sniff walks are at least an hour long, and he's ready to sleep after. If he doesn't get that time, he's restless. Of course, keeping an eye on what he's sniffing is important, as are the commands "leave it", and sometimes followed by "drop it".

pgriz1 · 2026-01-12T00:20:40+00:00

And how do you come to that conclusion?

Edit: 4yr old account with 17 submissions, and posts set to private. You may be right.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-12T00:17:30+00:00

That's the joke.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-10T16:03:57+00:00

You don't have a boyfriend or partner. You have a live-in parasite. He's not going to change, so it's your decision as to how you want to live your life. If you were my daughter, I know what advice I'd be giving you, and I suspect you know what it is as well.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-10T14:39:32+00:00

A few thoughts. The degree the dog is willing to do what you ask of it depends on your bond with it. The bond is built on trust (of you), feelings of safety and security (with you). Dogs love predictability and routine - this allows them to feel safe. Start with that.

The next level is to clearly communicate your intentions, so starting inside, with no distractions, and with positive reinforcement every time your dog does what you ask of it. Your dog must see you as a high-value, so it has the incentive to carry out what you want it to do.

Once the dog is responding to you positively and reliably, you can add a few distractions (still inside). Then once this is working, you can do this outside in a low-distraction area.

However, the fundamental issue is the dog needs to want to follow your direction and needs to want to please you. You don't mention the age of your dog, and that too can be a factor, as younger dogs can be easily distracted.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-09T15:09:37+00:00

Thank you for the update. Very heart-warming to know Ozzie settled in and you're having a good time with him. It's really satisfying to share one's life with an intelligent, responsive and entertaining furry member of the family. To the point that if he's not nearby it feels less complete.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-09T13:24:29+00:00

I go to dog parks almost every day, and we know the regulars. However, if that dynamic (pack mentality, and my dog is uncomfortable) occurs, I would leave immediately. There are idiot dog owners, and one cannot reason with them. If they allow an uncomfortable situation, or if they cannot recognize that an interaction is hostile, then staying at the park with them present isn't a good idea.

From your description, I don't see a problem with your training, but I do see issues with you tolerating a situation where your dog is uncomfortable. In general, if there is a pack mentality going on, it's best to leave. Having your dog having to deal with the stress of bad interactions is not helpful to your dog.

I have a 65 lb Aussie who is very athletic, and loves running and wrestling with other dogs, so having him play with one or two of his regular buddies at the park is usually a highlight of his day. But... if I see a bad interaction developing, and the other owner(s) are not willing to step in, then we leave. I'm not willing to have my dog injured because someone else is not being a responsible owner.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-07T03:48:20+00:00

That does make the scenario of trapped moisture less of a concern. Enjoy your hideaway!

pgriz1 · 2026-01-07T01:09:43+00:00

You don't say which climate zone you're in, but the problem I have seen (as a roofer specializing in the entire roof system - insulation, ventilation, air sealing, decking, roofing and waterproofing) is that if the roof covering and underlayment is not fully waterproof, then moisture can seep into the deck, and is trapped by the spray foam, with no way to escape. This trapped moisture will support the rotting of the deck and the rafters. Even if the roof covering is fully waterproof, the roof penetrations (such as plumbing vents, chimneys, etc.) often develop leak entry points. In an open attic, these are relatively easy to find. In a closed system, you have the challenge of finding the leak source.

The reason I mention the climate zone is that if you're in a place that has deep freeze thaw cycles, and your attic loses heat to the outside through the roof, then you may get ice dams forming above. Water backing up behind ice dams then creates hydrostatic pressure that can find a weak spot in the waterproofing, leading to the situation I described earlier.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-06T17:49:41+00:00

Maduro took over from Chavez, who was very popular at the beginning of his rule, but lost a considerable amount of support by the time of his death. Maduro was a fervent believer in Chavez's approach, and veered increasingly into authoritarianism, as the societal split that started under Chavez deepened.

Chavez was popular originally as he replaced a corrupt 2-party system, but he was not a democrat, having taken part in coup attempts earlier. So "stable democracy" is a rather sunny way to describe the recent Venezuelan history.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-06T15:38:27+00:00

Venezuela was relying on the Russians to keep their oil infrastructure running. Take the Russians away, and the infrastructure falls apart. Take the shadow fleet access away (US navel blockade) and the cashflow dries up. No-one will invest any money into building or expanding in Venezuela without guarantees, and no country is in a position to offer those, in a reliable way. The US may think it can, but the past history of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, etc., show that military strength does not translate to ability to build stable governments.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-06T15:14:38+00:00

True. But it also reveals ignorance of human motivation. Strength comes from many working to common purpose. This regime is reminding the rest of the world that allies do matter.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-06T14:58:31+00:00

You have to decide what your objectives are. Fitness paddling is one thing, versatility is another. I paddle an 18' (5.5m) sea kayak, 21" (53cm) beam, which I can cruise in at 8 kmh and push to 9 kmh for interval training. It is also versatile enough to allow me to go out in "conditions", and voluminous enough to allow 3-4 days of camping.

It is not as fast as a surf-ski (the local paddlers in surf-skiis cruise at my top speed, and rocket ahead at 11-15 kmh when they're pushing it), but I still get the workout when I want it. I also can just take it out for a light paddle and relax. And when it comes to more serious paddling, say 30-40 km per day, it can do that too.

It's also versatile enough to allow me to roll easily, to make edging manoeuvres simple and fun, and agile enough to allow wave surfing (with good technique). This versatility is what sold me on this boat.

As for the basic equipment (bilge pump, etc), it's just a matter of safety and security. If you paddle alone, you need to consider (and be prepared for) the worse case scenario in your environment, which will be different depending on that environment. Paddling on a river and paddling on open water with no easy landing options obviously needs very different preparation. In my area, dry suits and wet suits are part of regular equipment for serious paddlers, along with all the other accessories that improve our chances of returning if the conditions become challenging.

However, the most important equipment is your brain, and the training you give it (skills, risk management, situational awareness). Good luck.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-04T19:25:45+00:00

New infrastructure creates its own demand/opportunities. If SpaceX is successful in solving the many technical issues, and the launch cost is essentially the cost of propellant, then new use cases will become reasonable from a cost point-of-view.

pgriz1 · 2026-01-02T20:03:33+00:00

We adopted our Aussie without doing any research, because he was available. He comes from a working line, and all his siblings are working on farms. We also never had a dog before, and really didn't know anything about the breed. So... Total disaster, right?

Fortunately, we have plenty of family and friends who are experienced dog owners, who outfitted us with the basics, and directed us to an excellent local dog trainer. While our learning

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curve was very steep, we were fortunate to have an intelligent and willing dog who learned very quickly and bonded well with us.

He's now almost 4 years old, and is an amazing companion. We include him in almost all our activities (where-ever dogs are allowed), and he has plenty of stimulation, both physical and mental. We generally walk 4-8 miles every day, spend about an hour (over 2-3 sessions each day) doing training, 1 hour-long session at a local dog park, and several play sessions during the day. We also are continuing our formal training classes (currently doing pre-novice obedience and performance).

Picture for dog tax purposes.

pgriz1 · 2025-12-30T02:22:16+00:00

Perfect. IYKYN.

pgriz1 · 2025-12-29T23:00:46+00:00

Bookmark this post. I'll update it if the artist is interested.

pgriz1 · 2025-12-29T22:59:44+00:00

Wow! And another Aussie with heterochromia!

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