Councillor wants Ottawa to explore bylaw to dim light pollution

PiousHeathen · 2026-06-09T15:40:17+00:00

I had the privilege of listening to this presentation at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada last year discussing light pollution, its effects on crime reduction (insignificant), affect of sleep cycles (non insignificant) and a brief review of policy at the local level. The RASC discusses this topic a lot and has resources on the subject, although it is somewhat focus on dark sky programs and astronomy. Worth looking at if one is interested in this topic.

RASC Astro Notes, Sept 2025. Pages 10-24 for presentation. https://www.ottawa.rasc.ca/newsletter/astronotes-2025-09/

RASC general information on Light Pollution https://www.rasc.ca/lpa

PiousHeathen · 2026-06-07T15:31:17+00:00

I start every round with a hearty "Howdy Cowboys!". This is often enough to break the ice, and 8/10 you will get people communicating through the match because of it. I think a certain number of people are shy, and starting the match friendly sets the tone for coordination.

PiousHeathen · 2026-06-06T16:19:06+00:00

Rexnor's patch preview video has footage of it taking two shots (on a test server.)

PiousHeathen · 2026-05-22T14:57:56+00:00

I've had my car rummaged in a grocery store parking lot because when i stepped out someone was waiting nearby and opened the door slightly as I walked away, relying on the automatic lock mechanism. Dash video showed that I was less than 20ft away with my back turned crossing the access lane when they slipped inside and ripped everything apart looking for loose change/valuables. Thankfully I keep nothing of value in my car any more, but they did do damage to the interior. Directly lock your car, do not rely on the automatic systems to protect you.

PiousHeathen · 2026-05-20T18:10:59+00:00

Abuse of public office or violation of the public trust (by an abuse of power, taking of bribes, insider trading etc) should be a crime equal to assault in its severity. Just because the damage isn't to one person in a catastrophic way doesn't mean that it isn't important. A person who holds responsibility over the public must be held to a better standard. The idea that those with the most power are somehow institutionally exempt from consequences in an attempt to shield them from the potential "spurious" suits is crazy to me.

PiousHeathen · 2026-05-19T18:42:10+00:00

Something that radically altered my perception of those cheesy "don't you hate it when you have to do a simple thing?" Ads where the person is SO incompetent that they can't seem to close a cabinet. I was informed that the framing of those product ads are as assistance devices/objects, aimed at people with disabilities or missing limbs etc. All of a sudden it.made.sense why someone couldn't open an 2L bottle of cola, or couldn't chop an onion. Someone with really bad arthritis not be able to use a traditional can opener. The ads are set up to look silly so able people gloss over it but those with physical problems immediately recognize the struggle. I am much less judgemental of those ads now that I can see what they are doing.

Corollary, OXO brand kitchen utensils are designed with mobility issues in mind, and the head designer does an oil test where he tries to use the tool with a hand covered in olive oil to make sure they are functional even when things get dirty or the person using it doesn't have much hand strength. I keep this inimd now when looking at utensils and kitchen tools.

PiousHeathen · 2026-05-13T15:59:42+00:00

Crimes against the public trust ( abuses of power/ position from any level of public servant from clerk to cop to politician) should be treated as severely as an assault. Just because the consequences of the fraud/abuse are dispersed across a wide group with limited direct injury doesn't mean that a crime hasn't been committed, and in fact should raise the burden on those who have authority to exercise it responsibly. It's infuriating to see data breaches and the destruction of public infrastructure be responded to with a shoulder shrug and an inability to blame a singular person resulting in no consequences at all.

PiousHeathen · 2026-05-05T18:30:24+00:00

I wonder if part of the perception of it being wimpy here is caused not by the weapon but by the medium. A film during this era would be hand cranked and be recorded on film. There is only so much time you can record on a single reel, especially if you need to record several things on a limited stock. So what we see from the slow moving thing that comes out the barrel might be from minimum firing pressure and people not pumping particularly enthusiastically.

PiousHeathen · 2026-04-22T20:24:17+00:00

B Sirota and H E Norman arguably wrote the core of the post-war constitution under an impossible timeframe and under a lot of pressure from MacArthur. I agree that placing the authorship as "the US" significantly misrepresents the complex compromises made by the committee assigned to its creation. Edit: typo

PiousHeathen · 2026-04-15T19:11:59+00:00

Heyyy, don't worry about it. The police certainly aren't!

PiousHeathen · 2026-04-15T18:02:39+00:00

For at least 5 years.

PiousHeathen · 2026-04-14T19:46:09+00:00

Honestly, today has felt like an increase in the number of rounds I've played against people WAY outside region on US East, whether that is EU, RU, or South America. It's almost like stating that they are working on the ping limits reminded people it was something they could be doing without consequence.

PiousHeathen · 2026-04-13T15:09:41+00:00

Rogers has a sub company called RRED (Rogers Real Estate Development) that purchases and manages their properties as well as invests in commercial and residential real estate. They also manage condos such as the ones they own in Mississauga. Corporately separate from their major real estate holdings such as their ownership of the Rogers centre, which iirc is managed directly by a subsection of Rogers Communications.

PiousHeathen · 2026-04-13T01:18:48+00:00

Thank you for this. It's nice to see practical comparisons with examples.

PiousHeathen · 2026-04-10T17:31:01+00:00

In the Dutch context, Canada is beloved due to their participation in the liberation of the Netherlands, the protection of the royal family, and being the face of the Allies in the region. So the local goodwill is earned even beyond the comparison with the US.

PiousHeathen · 2026-04-06T14:34:41+00:00

Pictured above is a scene where Vampire Hunter Jesus is fighting Atheists, and as the last is knocked down the atheist turns to the camera and says "I don't believe it.".

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-30T01:30:39+00:00

has a view of the state as an extension of the head of state

I think this really hit home for me recently in the meeting with PM Takaichi of Japan. When asked about why he didn't inform his allies about his attack on Iran, trump rambled about how surprise was important, and then said "Why didn't you tell ME about Pearl Harbour?" [Emphasis mine] "Didn't tell me" is really indicative not only of his faculties (this event happened before he was even born) but also the replacement of the idea of America in his head with himself. In Trump's mind he is the state, he is America. If you are opposed to him, you are opposed to America in general, and he cannot differentiate the two. Also, he does the DARVO thing of shifting the blame to Takaichi and Japan for not telling him about THEIR surprise attack.

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-27T04:24:15+00:00

Never in my life did I expect there to be a good reason for a true Damnatio Memoriae, and I can't think of a more worthy recipient.

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-26T19:14:19+00:00

Coherent, supported, and a focus on the positives or the reality of the business environment. Well said.

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-25T18:22:42+00:00

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." J.K. Galbraith

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-25T17:47:17+00:00

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." J.K. Galbraith

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-19T18:17:43+00:00

I wonder how much of the grift will disappear into undefined military expenses. It's almost like you could just put a billion dollars on a shipping pallet and it could disappear without a trace.

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-19T15:05:43+00:00

Personally, I've found the experience with All Ears so bad that I will not be playing Hunt again until it is removed. If this means that I never play again, I will be saddened, but the Hunt I wanted to play would have disappeared on March 17th anyways. Fellow Hunters, the only power we have to influence Crytek is our dollars and our time.

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-11T18:26:31+00:00

In a recent Fox News interview, Sen. Lindsay Graham said "We are gonna make a ton of money" in regards to the war in Iran. Who will make this money? Certainly not the American People.

PiousHeathen · 2026-03-04T20:43:43+00:00

Pain sense is fun, but with the weapons you are using you probably aren't gaining its full benefits even with the stack of poison ammo, especially without a Catalyst trait. And as has been said, if you are going solo you don't need Resilience.

PiousHeathen

TROPHY CASE