On the DEWLine 2.0: Dwight Williams

RWNJs With Political Power, Rabbit-Holes and Canada (CW: anti-Canada rhetoric)

2026-03-28T10:57:04Z

Some things for consideration and concern.

There are people in the wider US intel communities with more time than sense. Warning delivered by Andrew Coyne via The Globe and Mail:

https://archive.is/20260327185628/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-maga-plan-canada-dismemberment-darc-trump/

And the DARC essay itself, entitled "Our Canadian Problem":

https://archive.is/irCkw

To the DARC author in question, Canada's continuing autonomy and desire to preserve same is "anti-Americanism". A lot of you who keep in touch with me here are Americans who know far better than "John Waterman" of DARC and their fellow-travellers, thankfully.

Yes, both countries are standing on lands under Indigenous nations' stewardship, and they too rightly have informed opinions of their own on such arguments...

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An Anti-ICE App?

2026-03-22T19:56:38Z

Some of you may be interested in this.

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In Case of Canadian Disasters?

2026-03-20T11:23:18Z

This seems like a good idea...

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/03/20/japan/japan-roaming-service-disasters/

Update: When I raised the question on Bluesky, reporter David Reevely pointed out to me that it was already in place to some extent:

https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/emergency-communications/en

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Fonts/Mapmaking/Trek Fandom: A Particular Need

2026-01-14T00:05:41Z

I'm shopping for a particular kind of font family. Looks close to Helvetica UCE, has multiple weights like Gravitica Compressed or Tungsten and has at least two character sets in addition to Latin. Greek and Cyrillic at least.

Can anyone here help me with this?

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About Hey!Cafe?

2026-01-11T17:32:18Z

It's like Twitter-as-was, Bluesky-as-is, and the Mastodon-Fediverse network. Canadian-based - Penticton, BC, specifically - and Canadian-owned, though. If you're in Canada and want one more fallback option for short-form social media stuff, this might be useful to you at times.

https://hey.cafe/

Just putting it out here.

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About that Appointment Yesterday:

2026-01-10T22:04:17Z

It was with a job-search-support service specializing in helping neurodivergent job-seekers. I plan to keep in touch with them through my upcoming contract, because said contract is going to end when March does. So, planning has to be for at least the medium term.

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A Reminder re: Hey!Cafe

2025-09-22T13:44:30Z

I'm maintaining an account on that Penticton, BC-based social media service, partly as a fallback measure in case I lose access to Mastodon, Bluesky and Twitter-as-was, and partly as a means of supporting made-in-Canada social media. You can find my account here:

https://hey.cafe/@dewline

Yes, I expect to set up something with Gander as well, for similar reasons.

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Checking In - 16 August 2025

2025-08-16T17:10:46Z

Chores.

That's my word for today.

Bedding-laundry, shopping, computer-mouse replacement, new colour-pencils for Mom, and if I can push myself the rest of the way, new storage bins to keep the basement reorg process going. Not sure that last item is going to be doable with today's local weather. Hot and humid.

Talked with the writer of San Francisco 2161 last night about proposed maps for his now-finished Trek-inspired fanfic project about the negotiations to co-found the Federation. What maps should there be attached, what forms they should take, that sort of thing.

I'm also toying with an idea for a prose fanfic project of my own centred on one of the participants in that story and a prequel, In the Raptor's Claws about the Coaltion-Romulan War that preceded the Federation. Specifically Nathan Samuels, whom Enterprise-watchers may remember as portrayed by Harry Groener. Not sure if this is going to go anywhere beyond maybe a couple of paragraphs before getting derailed by a job offer or loss of housing or whatever.

We'll see.

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Social Media Note: Hey.Cafe

2025-07-01T20:48:57Z

Just a reminder that Hey.Cafe exists. It's Canadian-based and Canadian-owned. It's an alternative to Twitter and the rest - however well-behaved they are - just in case.

My account is here:

https://hey.cafe/@dewline

Yes, I plan to try Gander as well once it opens up.

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Seeking Help For Trek + Comics Writers

2025-05-02T13:36:17Z

I've been reminded over on TrekBBS that there's ongoing medical fundraisers for two writers whose work on comic books and on Star Trek I've enjoyed reading and re-reading over the decades.

Mike W. Barr

Peter A. David

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Anyone Looking for Work in Ottawa's Entertainment Sector?

2025-04-23T21:35:46Z

A couple of resources:

https://www.ottawafestivals.ca/jobs

https://apt613.ca/ottawa-arts-and-culture-jobs-april-2025/

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National Caregiver Day in Canada

2025-04-01T16:43:14Z

Noting this thanks to newsletters from the Ontario Caregiver Organization...

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Checking In - 2 March 2024

2025-03-03T03:52:43Z

Two weeks left on the current contract.

Then the job search starts. Or maybe it already has.

Good night.

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Transit: Activism Ill-Thought Out?

2024-09-10T11:23:53Z

I have just signed up to delegate to the Ottawa Transit Commission about the upcoming service changes. I have next to no script for this. I am almost certain to have to do this while I'm working on my day job, and it will be over Zoom.

I have somewhat less than two days to decide whether or not to settle for a written submission instead, and if so, what to write for it.

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dewline @ 2024-04-29T22:34:00

2024-04-30T02:35:22Z

Any of you ever heard of a "Machiavel Studios"?

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Trash Nothing: Something Noticed This Morning

2024-03-24T13:09:06Z

Know anyone in the Ottawa-Gatineau area who can find a use for these publications?

https://trashnothing.com/beta/post/42902832/fine-homebuilding-woodworking-old-ottawa-south?uid=5804038

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VIA Rail: Petition for Service Restoration

2024-01-10T12:15:52Z

"Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:

Passenger rail is a safe, efficient, sustainable, affordable, and accessible mode of public transportation;
Due to federal cutbacks and underinvestment over many years, Canada’s current passenger rail services lag far behind those available in other countries;
Since its creation in 1978, VIA Rail has lacked both the legislative mandate and stable budget necessary to maintain and expand passenger rail service in Canada;
While VIA Rail's on-time performance on tracks it owns is over 90 percent, it is only 60 percent on tracks it shares with other railways;
Rail privatization and outsourcing schemes in other countries have led to higher fares, reduced service, deteriorating safety performance, and lower salaries for workers;
Unlike other public passenger rail providers around the world, VIA Rail lacks representation from passengers and workers on its board of directors; and
In its Corporate Plan, VIA has warned that its long-distance fleet, built in the 1950s, is overdue for replacement, without which it will soon be unable to provide services in Atlantic and Western Canada.

We, the undersigned, Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Incorporate the contents of Bills C-371, the Rail Passenger Priority Act, and C-236/C-640 (41-2) the VIA Rail Canada Act, in a Government Bill and prioritize its passage through the legislative process;
2. Commit, in the 2024 federal budget, the funds necessary to renew VIA Rail’s long-distance fleet;
3. Provide passenger and worker representation on VIA Rail’s board of directors; and
4. Revise the High Frequency Rail project to protect VIA Rail’s role in delivering public passenger rail service along the Windsor to Quebec City corridor."

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4754

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Edge of Midnight: Base Map Progress X

2023-12-27T01:01:24Z

Here's what I have as of this morning:

Again: The Edge of Midnight, if you're interested in what inspired this.

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Comics: Communities II

2023-12-10T21:54:48Z

Following up a bit on local comics creators and suchlike.

One friendly acquaintance of mine from the long-dissolved Orléans Comic Jam sessions, Dominic Bercier, has a Kickstarter fundraiser/project going at the moment. Timing might be tight for you if you're interested, I understand that...

Anyway, here's the link.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/renaissancebp/exclusive-holiday-card-delivered-by-santa

If you're interested in Dominic's published work to date more generally:

https://www.bercier.ca/

The local publisher that Dominic's more recently tying in with:

https://pressesrenaissancepress.ca/

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Comics: Communities

2023-12-10T16:08:34Z

Steve Lieber mentioned on BlueSky recently that the comics artform and industry alike can benefit from an updating of this page:

https://web.archive.org/web/20150415200242/http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/lists/lists_and_links/30269/

I mentioned in reply that I could probably make some time to update the Ottawa-Gatineau section. Sadly, we lost Suzanne Marsden three years ago, and the Ottawa Comix Jam sessions were her Big Project of keeping the community connected to itself and the larger city and comics creators' community of North America.

Writers, artists of all branch-disciplines, and so on...

More on this to come, I think.

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Sad Note re: ArtStation

2023-11-26T00:12:37Z

I had to amend my ArtStation profile. I'm getting asks about wedding anniversary illustration gigs, and between my day job, the map project and the caregiving trips, this is going to fall by the wayside.

Again.

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Transit Disaster 2024?

2023-11-05T18:49:21Z

I think we're going to have a Problem despite our attention to the details in recent years:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/bus-route-changes-ottawa-1.7018834

The networking to counter this plan is already underway, partly because we were already talking amongst ourselves and with city council. This is a good thing. We need to keep building on this.

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City Hall: After-Action Report

2023-10-24T01:43:13Z

Well, it wasn't a deputation. That's apparently not until next month, which is going to...not complicate at least one other appointment at the end of November. I am going to have to deal with lost income for however long I have to be ready to deliver it on that day, I think.

What did happen was further training, as well as face time directly with three city councillors. Leiper, Troster and Devine. Also, contact with some of the staffers of other members of city council.

Focus is still on mental health, poverty reduction and housing, because the city budget-building for 2024 is underway, and the staff's under direction to keep the rate increase to 2.5 %.

What I could have felt better about? More than a half-dozen of the 50 attendees masking up, for one. Seeing working air purifiers in the room for another. Neither of those things happened, though, so...

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Animation Festivals and Star Maps

2023-09-15T03:07:09Z

Yes, there still is such an event. The Pandemic hasn't killed it. I hope everyone who goes, is careful and has fun. In that order, please?

https://apt613.ca/tips-on-what-to-see-at-oiaf-2023/

Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out an alternative to epsilon Eridani for Axanar's host star. This leaves me with a history question: how much of the local galactic region was already charted out by the Vulcans before first contact with Earth?

I don't think they knew about Axanar - the planet or the species - going by "ENT: Fight or Flight". So, while the first contact between Earth and Axanar may well have happened at epsilon Eridani, I don't think that species' homeworld should be there as well.

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ArtStation

2023-09-11T01:22:06Z

So I've started setting up a presence there.

https://www.artstation.com/dwightwilliams-ottawa

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