Appalbarry

H/T to Vancouver Pride for the big parade on Sunday. It has been far too long since I was surrounded by so many happy people, feeling safe in who they are, and proud to celebrate what - and who - they love.

As I mess with themes in @ghost I look back fondly on the days when HTTP wasn't followed by S and things were designed in PageMaker.

Oh man. WardAir used to serve meals on Royal Doulton china. And WestJet used to be so good that employees were genuinely proud to work for them.

Maybe it's just Canadian airlines, but the working assumption is that your checked back will never arrive.

Still think M&S shouldn’t have apologised in any way to people who think 6’2” cis women don’t exist

UNControllables: The Story of an Anarchist Student Group A veteran student organizer relates how an anarchist student organization got off the ground & everything you need to know to do it yourself, from filling out paperwork to organizing a Radical Rush.

Going back to school soon? Start an anarchist group on your campus!

A veteran student organizer describes how an anarchist student organization got going, exploring everything you need to know to do it yourself—from filing paperwork to organizing a Radical Rush.

crimethinc.com/uncontrollab...

Ah yes, the classic "Sure it worked in seventy-nine other cities, but we're different!"

As long as it's not WIND-MILLS!

Whitey on the Moon, 2025.

(The president’s a rapist, but whitey’s on the moon…🎶)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=otwk...

Camel cigarette price listing

Whoa! $9.50 CDN a pack! Who the heck can afford to smoke any more! That's like $300 a month! Plus lighter!

1990 Camel cigarette package, soft package, NO FILTER!

You know what, approaching 70, the whole world is going to hell with economic collapse, climate disaster, and fascism.
I think it's time to take up an old habit that I recall as comforting.

She can return home tomorrow and pick-up like she never left 30 years ago. I, meanwhile, need to go through a long and expensive immigration process.
Commonwealth? Not relevant.
Married to UK person? Not relevant.
King Charles III is the head of my government? Not relevant.

I was born in 1956, and grew up in Canada. Every child learned that we were a valued part of the Commonwealth, and that the Queen was our monarch. For us, that connection was fundamental.
Now, at 69, I find that even though I'm actually MARRIED to a Brit, it means nothing to the UK. /1

For those following along at home, finally decided that the SubStack site has to move to Ghost. So we're into day four or five, and hammering out hopefully small barriers.
@ghost.org DOES have a 50% off for three months sale right now, so it's a good time to move.

If you were this restaurateur today, my email address is jay.rayner@ft.com. No promises but it might save you a £2k a month retainer.

And door knobs etc.

The previous owners of my house kept a binder with the original manuals (and receipts, for the things they bought directly) of EVERYTHING from plumbing to appliances to HVAC. *And* they left cans of every kind of paint used in the closet. Absolute lifesaver.

If you buy a home, learn from my mistakes and keep a list of:

* the manufacturer and model of all of your faucets / fixtures
* every paint color + manufacturer + glossiness of every paint you do

And Here I am, in a Nazi bar.... How DO you escape Substack?

Lots of people can tell you why you shouldn't host your blog on Substack, and will even tell you how to move it elsewhere.
Unfortunately, that advice is great for the big guys, but not for little guys unless they're prepared to give up subscriber revenue.
www.threesquirrels.ca/p/and-here-i...

Yeah, my guess too.

Followup. Now on day three of finding a simple, inexpensive, move away from Substack for a small operation. On paper it can be done with Wordpress. Except I cannot for the life of me find the "Import subscribers" button that WP support claims to exist.

Simmer, not boil. Some garlic and chopped onion is good.
Honestly, an hour or so, watching the water, then add anything you like after straining and season to taste. It's pretty much impossible to screw up chicken stock.

a girl on the beach reading moby dick

Black-and-white historical photograph of a large crowd of people, mostly men in hats and coats with some in military uniforms, gathered on a city street in front of a multi-story brick building with arched windows and signs reading "Cowan & Brookhouse" and others; vintage automobiles, utility poles, and streetcars are visible in the background.

The Vancouver General Strike of 1918 was sparked by the death of Albert Goodwin, who advocated for workers' rights and unions.
It was the first general strike in Canadian history and inspired the much larger Winnipeg General Strike of 1919.
This is the story.

🧵 1/8

Cartoon with windmills generating energy along the Canadian border with the U.S.

I’ve heard worse ideas.

#ElbowsUp #TrumpsTradeWar BT @theomoudakis.bsky.social

We've been back in Vancouver for a year, and in that time I have seen exactly ONE VPD member enforcing traffic laws. ONE guy with a radar gun.
16th and Fir could use a full-time traffic cop for noise, immense trucks, speeders, and horn-blowing assholes. Instead, we suffer.

The tiger in Apocalypse Now. WHOA!!
Stronger than that was while in line outside the Stanley theatre in Vancouver beforehand, watching the audience from the preceding screening walking out with a stunned, exhausted look on their faces.

Appalachian Kentucky supermarket, stopped in the aisle by a radio listener, me being the only Canadian accent in about 200 miles.
(Radio name: Tim Horton)

Though my hair is less exotic than David's, on this I totally agree. I usually just don't get men.

OK, so I missed:
- Shut down the entire public broadcasting system
- Start nuclear war with Russia.