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Noting the 22nd of August, 2026
Aug. 23rd, 2026 10:11 amTwo things of interest yesterday.
Carney's team walked away rather than surrender us to Trump. I have no complaints about that choice.
CBC broadcast a replay of the Tragically Hip's Last Concert to commemorate that concert's tenth anniversary. I could have done without the censoring of the lyrics of "Tired as Fuck" in the latter. I hope that CBC will do better on the 15th and 20th anniversary replays.
Carney's team walked away rather than surrender us to Trump. I have no complaints about that choice.
CBC broadcast a replay of the Tragically Hip's Last Concert to commemorate that concert's tenth anniversary. I could have done without the censoring of the lyrics of "Tired as Fuck" in the latter. I hope that CBC will do better on the 15th and 20th anniversary replays.
Trek: Matt Jefferies
Aug. 12th, 2026 08:15 pmThe birthday of the designer of the TOS version of the Enterprise was today...
https://bsky.app/profile/daytonward.bsky.social/post/3msw5dspits2e
https://bsky.app/profile/daytonward.bsky.social/post/3msw5dspits2e
The A-Hole Threshold
Aug. 3rd, 2026 02:45 pmSome of you have already seen this via other channels. I apologise for the repetition. That said, this should be seen by as many informable humans as possible, so that we can take joint action.
https://thegrimhistorian.substack.com/p/has-america-crossed-the-asshole-threshold
If it helps your morale right now, I think most of you reading this - like me - want to be honest-dealing co-operators. Because we're here in this "place", we've already started the work, or perhaps it started long before we could hope to even show up. Per Rabbi Tarfon (whom I've just stumbled across, despite knowing variants of his quotation for years now): "It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it..."
We're not done yet, even now, at this dire point.
https://thegrimhistorian.substack.com/p/has-america-crossed-the-asshole-threshold
If it helps your morale right now, I think most of you reading this - like me - want to be honest-dealing co-operators. Because we're here in this "place", we've already started the work, or perhaps it started long before we could hope to even show up. Per Rabbi Tarfon (whom I've just stumbled across, despite knowing variants of his quotation for years now): "It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it..."
We're not done yet, even now, at this dire point.
A Return to Comic Books
Aug. 1st, 2026 08:52 pmI have resumed reading comics from DC. Not buying them myself, mind you. There's no way I'm going to be able to keep up personally buying every week like I did before the Pandemic kicked off. Barring a Lotto Max win, and even then, I would struggle to make room for resuming buying on that scale.
No. The local public library is providing as my tastes move me. In the last couple of weeks, my tastes have moved me to look at the Bat-books of the last couple of years. Chip Zdarsky's run as writer on Batman and G. Willow Wilson's work on Poison Ivy. The latter series focuses on one of the 1960's additions to the rogues' gallery, Pamela Isley, and her efforts to navigate life as activist, "eco-terrorist", elemental-adjacent, citizen of both Seattle and Gotham...among many other aspects.
Zdarsky's run on Batman lasted two years, wrapping up last year, and got collected into five volumes. It is a glorious mess, running through every aspect of Bruce's life - including the relationship with the Justice League, and the baggage that comes with that - and work in both of his primary identities, his tendency to overplan for contingencies and how it sometimes blows up in not only his face but those of his chosen family and friends, and to some extent, Gotham as well. I also get a sense of Bruce finally developing a sense of humility and self-understanding. The last of the five Zdarsky volumes in particular addresses the Batman-Gordon friendship as a thing standing the test of decades.
I'm having a good time with that so far.
No. The local public library is providing as my tastes move me. In the last couple of weeks, my tastes have moved me to look at the Bat-books of the last couple of years. Chip Zdarsky's run as writer on Batman and G. Willow Wilson's work on Poison Ivy. The latter series focuses on one of the 1960's additions to the rogues' gallery, Pamela Isley, and her efforts to navigate life as activist, "eco-terrorist", elemental-adjacent, citizen of both Seattle and Gotham...among many other aspects.
Zdarsky's run on Batman lasted two years, wrapping up last year, and got collected into five volumes. It is a glorious mess, running through every aspect of Bruce's life - including the relationship with the Justice League, and the baggage that comes with that - and work in both of his primary identities, his tendency to overplan for contingencies and how it sometimes blows up in not only his face but those of his chosen family and friends, and to some extent, Gotham as well. I also get a sense of Bruce finally developing a sense of humility and self-understanding. The last of the five Zdarsky volumes in particular addresses the Batman-Gordon friendship as a thing standing the test of decades.
I'm having a good time with that so far.
Sketching Thoughts
Jul. 28th, 2026 07:20 pmI just tried to design a character in Clip Studio Paint earlier tonight. Someone asked if I could do this as a birthday gift for them, and if possible, could it be (a) reminiscent of Tinkerbell from Disney's version of Peter Pan, (b) be a figure skater with a mop for reasons I won't get into here for privacy, and (c) could it be ready tomorrow morning?
I hit a wall on that, of course. Being a perfectionist, how could I not? Given a couple of weeks, I'd be more likely to hit the marks, or at least enough of them.
Still, tonight was good exercise of illustration skills I'd been allowing to lapse in favour of the job search, caregiving and other chores. And I want to revisit this sketch project over the next year. Because, by then, I might have it down well enough to share it.
I hit a wall on that, of course. Being a perfectionist, how could I not? Given a couple of weeks, I'd be more likely to hit the marks, or at least enough of them.
Still, tonight was good exercise of illustration skills I'd been allowing to lapse in favour of the job search, caregiving and other chores. And I want to revisit this sketch project over the next year. Because, by then, I might have it down well enough to share it.
Bryan Adams vs. Annexation
Jul. 1st, 2026 03:46 pmNever thought I'd live to see Bryan Adams put out a protest song.
Well, here we are, right?
The song you're looking for is "51st State".
Well, here we are, right?
The song you're looking for is "51st State".
Canada Day 159
Jul. 1st, 2026 08:41 amWith respect...
Also, some further thoughts of Tod Maffin's, shared here:
https://youtube.com/shorts/JHl09QbuOhc?si=tns2hEuPuDMfe8To
Also, some further thoughts of Tod Maffin's, shared here:
https://youtube.com/shorts/JHl09QbuOhc?si=tns2hEuPuDMfe8To
RIP: Gail Bowen
Jun. 27th, 2026 04:26 pmI got to meet Gail three or four times over the decades. She wrote good books, and I'm grateful to have them. Respect to her memory.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/gail-bowen-renowned-author-dies-84-cancer-9.7250335
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/gail-bowen-renowned-author-dies-84-cancer-9.7250335
Starlog, Resurrected
Jun. 24th, 2026 03:28 pmIf you were born within a certain span of years, you might remember a magazine called Starlog. It was about science fiction as an art form and an industry, very much through an American lens. It ran from 1976 to 2009. And then it went away.
Apparently, now it's being revived. With a Hugo-winning journalist-novelist at the editorial helm, one Annalee Newitz by name.
Maybe, this is finally the right moment?
Apparently, now it's being revived. With a Hugo-winning journalist-novelist at the editorial helm, one Annalee Newitz by name.
Maybe, this is finally the right moment?
Cemeteries and Grudges in Gaza
Jun. 24th, 2026 07:56 amI suspect that someone in the Netanyahu coalition made a point of having this done:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gaza-peacekeeper-cemetery-canada-veterans-9.7244382
I wonder who the specific grudge-holders who arranged for it are.
Quoting the CBC News report by Evan Dyer:
"It was once standard practice to bury Canadian soldiers who died overseas in theatre, but the policy changed in 1970.
The 22 men who died in the UN peacekeeping mission to Gaza and Sinai (in 1956) were the last to be buried overseas."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gaza-peacekeeper-cemetery-canada-veterans-9.7244382
I wonder who the specific grudge-holders who arranged for it are.
Quoting the CBC News report by Evan Dyer:
"It was once standard practice to bury Canadian soldiers who died overseas in theatre, but the policy changed in 1970.
The 22 men who died in the UN peacekeeping mission to Gaza and Sinai (in 1956) were the last to be buried overseas."
Checking In - 22 June 2026
Jun. 22nd, 2026 09:03 pmOkay, I'm still here. Job search is ongoing. I found something new advertised by a former employer that looks interesting this afternoon and started filling in questionnaires. Not finished yet, since there's one section that looks like a deal-breaker and I'm not sure that I can qualify under its terms.
I'm waiting to get a follow-up e-mail from one of the placement companies about a lead from last week. It sounded interesting if confusing over the phone, and I still want to know more.
I did another visit to the care home this morning. All's as well as can be there. I might yet discuss that under friend-lock.
Good arts thing: I made time for illustration practice and watched a couple of tutorial videos by David Finch last night while I was at it. I have to admit to preferring the "cel" brush by "Iridescent Delirium" as published at DeviantArt to a lot of the others I've accumulated. At least for now. The tightness of the brush works for me.
I'm still working on map projects with various members of the Tranquility Press fanfic gang. I hope to upload a few more excerpts or full WIPs later in the week. Not sure if I'm going to move them from Affinity Designer 1.10.whatever to Affinity 3 yet.
I think that's it for the moment.
I'm waiting to get a follow-up e-mail from one of the placement companies about a lead from last week. It sounded interesting if confusing over the phone, and I still want to know more.
I did another visit to the care home this morning. All's as well as can be there. I might yet discuss that under friend-lock.
Good arts thing: I made time for illustration practice and watched a couple of tutorial videos by David Finch last night while I was at it. I have to admit to preferring the "cel" brush by "Iridescent Delirium" as published at DeviantArt to a lot of the others I've accumulated. At least for now. The tightness of the brush works for me.
I'm still working on map projects with various members of the Tranquility Press fanfic gang. I hope to upload a few more excerpts or full WIPs later in the week. Not sure if I'm going to move them from Affinity Designer 1.10.whatever to Affinity 3 yet.
I think that's it for the moment.
Writing Question: Style Guide
Jun. 19th, 2026 07:46 pmQuestion for writers in the UK and Ireland: are there style guides considered more-or-less universally useful for writers in each of those countries? Like the Associated Press and Canadian Press books?
Website Maintenance: June 2026
Jun. 19th, 2026 09:24 amDoing some updating on my home website's links page this morning. It's been a couple of years, and neurodivergent me forgot to keep working on that.
Job Search: Beginning Anew Every Day
Jun. 2nd, 2026 08:08 amSo I started the new search properly yesterday. I think I got a lot done, even though the progress is never immediately obvious.
I did get one bite right off, but the web software used to test for French language skills was having trouble working with my browser. As the company involved is one that I like working with and hope to work with again - and they're actively working to resolve the issue to our mutual satisfaction - I don't think I'm going to name them here.
Also, before my contract ended, I decided to finally get a license for Fontlab. I'd been wanting that for decades.
Decades.
Because I already have a Typetool 3 license, I was able to get upgrade pricing. Not much of a discount, true, and I am okay with that. I've resumed work on a pet font design project going back a couple of decades inspired by background stuff in DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes series.
I did get one bite right off, but the web software used to test for French language skills was having trouble working with my browser. As the company involved is one that I like working with and hope to work with again - and they're actively working to resolve the issue to our mutual satisfaction - I don't think I'm going to name them here.
Also, before my contract ended, I decided to finally get a license for Fontlab. I'd been wanting that for decades.
Decades.
Because I already have a Typetool 3 license, I was able to get upgrade pricing. Not much of a discount, true, and I am okay with that. I've resumed work on a pet font design project going back a couple of decades inspired by background stuff in DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes series.
Job Search: Beginning Again
May. 27th, 2026 09:58 pmMy current work contract ends tomorrow. The morning afterward, I will return the equipment loaned me by that employer and the job search will begin again.
Nothing I haven't coped with before. Hopefully, I'll recover faster this time.
Nothing I haven't coped with before. Hopefully, I'll recover faster this time.
1. On proposed changes to surveillance powers in Canada:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lawful-access-bill-pile-on-continues-as-u-s-lobby-group-warns-liberals-of-trade-implications-9.7207808
2. On concerns within the federal Liberal caucus over ecological backsliding:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-mp-react-alberta-deal-carney-9.7208157
3. On the ambitions of certain factions of the population of Alberta:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-separation-referendum-televised-address-9.7208162
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lawful-access-bill-pile-on-continues-as-u-s-lobby-group-warns-liberals-of-trade-implications-9.7207808
2. On concerns within the federal Liberal caucus over ecological backsliding:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-mp-react-alberta-deal-carney-9.7208157
3. On the ambitions of certain factions of the population of Alberta:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-separation-referendum-televised-address-9.7208162
