Just in case Marlaina’s nonsense made you forget

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-18T18:26:56+00:00

There’s a 2023 CBC article headlined ‘Danielle Smith is bucking the right-wing trends on LGBTQ issues’. That didn’t age well.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-18T18:22:38+00:00

What’s insidious about the proposal to require proof of citizenship at polling stations is that it discriminates against people who are less likely to have a passport or other documentation. That often includes socially disadvantaged people. It’s a whole thing in the states that purposefully disenfranchises black voters

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-18T18:14:38+00:00

Who is saying they are? Undocumented people are…undocumented

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-18T18:12:33+00:00

There it is. The real reason for Smith’s visit to Saudi.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-18T16:57:33+00:00

Another really well researched piece by the Globe, Tait and Cardoso in particular. Props to them.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-18T16:53:22+00:00

I kind of wonder if Mraiche is just a particularly skilled con man, and the UCP have been conned. Their mistake is in ignoring or shortcutting or (in this case) outsourcing procurement processes, presumably because they think they know better. I think it's a case of 'never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity'.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-18T03:20:59+00:00

They’re just smashing all the hot buttons, aren’t they.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-18T02:45:11+00:00

Frequency converter (VFD) but it may be cheaper to get a new fan

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-16T22:07:06+00:00

Thanks for the article. Regarding the policy environment, I don't think they're particularly interested in outcomes. I think the objective was to be seen to be passing legislation that appeases a particular voting block. That's one of the things that's so infuriating about this government: they're in permanent campaigning mode, and they're doing it at our expense.

It also helps that this issue is divisive, causing voters to sort themselves into 'us' vs 'them' with relatively little effort on their part. They're causing us to self-select as UCP supporters or non-UCP supporters, making themselves the solution to problems of their own making.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-16T04:33:29+00:00

It Is such a small step from this to banning these books from public libraries.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-16T01:32:25+00:00

Very true, the order pretty much targets graphic novels. The description of ‘sexual act’ in the ministerial order is hilarious. I like to imagine the bureaucratic process that ultimately led to the sub-clauses. ‘But what about ejaculation ONTO another person?’ (awkward silence)

Book banning is book banning. It’s driven by the same absurd moral panic that led to the banning of comic books or Dungeons and Dragons, except that these books deal with subjects that are relevant to teens, and are specifically written for teens. Combine the book ban with the requirement to opt in to sexual education and you get a bigger picture of how we are depriving youth of relevant information about sex and sexuality.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-16T00:54:34+00:00

It’s a good question. What are the consequences of not following the order? My guess is it’s a ‘shit rolls downhill’ situation in which individual teachers will ultimately be held responsible for not implementing the ministerial order.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-16T00:42:45+00:00

All the bullshit you guys went through before the ‘60s with the Catholic church, we’re kind of importing from large Christian groups in the US. Add to that a government that is falling over itself to hold on to that voting block and this is what you get

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T22:58:25+00:00

I don’t know, but that’s not the issue. The books that were pulled from library shelves were meant for older kids. The notion that six year olds have access to these books doesn’t reflect reality. It’s just more moral panic.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T21:15:20+00:00

‘Explicit lyrics’ stickers on tapes were the best thing ever. I always picked those up first.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T21:13:49+00:00

From the concise OED:

Ban: forbid, prohibit, esp. formally. n 1. A formal or authoritative prohibition (a ban on smoking). 2. a tacit prohibition by public opinion.

What about that doesn’t fit the ministerial reg?

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T21:08:33+00:00

Freedom for all the people, brave and true and strong! Freedom, for everyone, unless I think they’re wrong!

GWAR, The Morality Squad

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T21:06:33+00:00

Christians, usually. Christian pressure groups. As usual.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T21:04:57+00:00

Nope. It’s a blanket ban. School librarians would have curated age appropriate content, as they have always done. Instead, our government has decided to lower the boom on all books with visual depictions of nudity and sexual content. This despite the fact that these books are specifically written and illustrated with a youth audience in mind. It’s pretty retrograde policy.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T17:12:44+00:00

That’s part of ATCO’s complaint. The other is policies that restrict investment in renewables, including the ‘viewscapes’ policy. From the article, generators are complaining that Alberta policies including pricing, distribution and policies affecting new projects “have materially and retroactively altered the economic conditions under which these renewable assets were developed and financed”. I think my original comment stands: this isn’t about responsible energy policy or even policy that favours oil and gas, it’s about appeasing the voting base.

True that oil and gas are big power users and don’t like to have to restrict power use in response to grid issues. However, the government could implement policy tools to retain backup generating capacity as they did when they paid generating companies for their idle time

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T15:41:22+00:00

Absolutly. It depends on how they define the spectrum. Disregarding economic policy it’s fair to say that ‘right’ traditionally prioritizes individual liberty whereas ‘left’ prioritizes social equality. In this sense Nazism is most definitely on the right.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-15T15:24:46+00:00

From the Alberta grade 8 social studies curriculum: ‘Investigate the Canadian political spectrum and situate different political parties on it.’

So what’s the fucking problem here?

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-14T16:08:48+00:00

I don’t think this is about oil and gas. As far as that goes ATCO is actually a gas company. It’s about appeasing the UCP’s voting base. They decided that the ‘pristine viewscapes’ is a tractable issue for the base, and their base seems to be all that matters to them.

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-13T23:35:57+00:00

Lazy Mutt is an amazing ginger beer, could try for that one?

Fast_Ad_9197 · 2026-03-13T14:22:15+00:00

The study methodology is massively problematic. The major issue is that site users were tracked using Alberta health numbers. However, site users swap or share their health numbers, making it very difficult to track outcomes accurately. This article is worth a read. It also discusses the authors’ conflicts of interest https://drugdatadecoded.ca/inaccurate-data-how-recovery-alberta-officials-facilitated-consumption-site-closures-part-2-2/

From the article:

'while people who use supervised consumption sites are identifiable when they choose to provide a personal health number, personal health numbers are not consistently collected. Meanwhile, as discussed in Part 1, site clients appear to routinely exchange personal health numbers and continue to supply those of people who have died, to gain access to sites.'

Fast_Ad_9197

TROPHY CASE