rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
This does tend to explain one aspect of the Regime's antipathy to the Int'l Criminal Court.
Husband, Father, Christian, Canadian. Super-nerd for visual astronomy, aviation, and matters geomorphological.
265 followers 1,335 following 193 posts
view profile on Bluesky rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
This does tend to explain one aspect of the Regime's antipathy to the Int'l Criminal Court.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Weird they would want to limit access to 1984. If you wanted to demonstrate why soviet/maoist style totalitarianism was pernicious, you would actually WANT teenagers to read it. Animal Farm and Darkness at Noon, too.....these limits seem counterproductive, to say the least.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
One more observation done in the RASC double star program, this time HR 313 (77 Psc). Just 3 more to go, all in Cetus, so likely in October. Also did 4 Williamson moon observations, 3 around Imbrium/Copernicus, and then Longomontanus.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
One of my kids (30-plus years old now) just messaged me in shock that Mr Crabbytree died. Graham Greene improved everything he was in, and every role, whether large or small, was epic. (For non-Canadians, the character is from the kid's show "Dudley the Dragon").
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Works out to basically, "Don't be either of these guys...."
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Honestly, parenthood is an inoculation against squeamishnes about bodily outputs....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
My kids (30- plus, now) are saddened to hear that Mr. Crabby Tree died. Graham Greene was epic in even the smallest roles.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
That too. Somebody once said "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs", which kind of fits. Albeit, he had a fairly dim view of bankers, but, hey.....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Oh, my bad. I thought you were the poster from Vermont. Sorry.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
How about "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs". They're unlikely to spot the origin of that one, either.....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Hah! A hearty Canadian congratulations to the American who knows Canadians well enough to make the "Geneva suggestions" jibe! Well played, sir, well played indeed!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
That's a wise and charitable response. It's also the point. In a well-organized province or state, benefits and costs should be structured to provide reasonably equivalent service levels (never perfect, ofc, but one should try...)
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
There are bumper stickers that say "if you ate today, thank a farmer". I always wanted to get one that says, "If you farmed today, thank an urban taxpayer". But that might have been impolite....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
A witty person on this site referred to it as the F-47 Bonespur....which needs to be its unofficial nickname the same way the F111 was the 'Aardvark'.....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Here is a thing i have always wondered about. I am amazed at the research that shows we have - and in theory can use - pulsars as a natuarally-occurring space GPS. Marvelous work....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Campylobacter jejunicoli as an adult? No fun at all. I had it many years ago and spent 3 days in hospital. I can totally envision how very nasty secondary impacts could result.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
I find this oddly beautiful in its synchronicity. Kudos to the team that designed the drone footage!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Leo Major. If anyone deserves a TV show about his exploits, it's the "One-eyed ghost".....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
This is absolutely awesome- in all senses of that word! Excellent work by all involved.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Photo of the close approach of Mars and the Moon. June 29, 21:53. Photo taken by cellphone at 3x in nightmode, cropped. Moon overexposed in order to show the planet
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Finished the spring section of the RASC double star program with HR5397 and HR5816 in Libra. Bit tough with smoke still about. Now, just 4 left to go, but will have to wait until Fall. Also logged M29 in Cygnus. Remarkably, its nickname "Cooling tower cluster" is quite apt!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Edmonton 5-4 in sudden death overtime. That's playoff hockey! What a game! Coming back from 3-0 down in the first period to claw back and win. All the drama and tension you can handle, and then some....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
I know, right? Kind of a Mozart of mayhem....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
5 or 6 episode limited series on Leo Major. Works out to about one absurdly crazy brave escapade per episode, plus one for early life/training and another for Korea/later life. It's amazing he actually died at home in his 90's, all things considered.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Another classic lesson wrapped up in a discussion of fine watches. As previously stated, THIS is what social media should be about....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Need to set a clip of him saying this over Tom Lehrer's ditty about Wernher von Braun....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Good one! I like it!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Wonder how many of them were camouflaged Yanks?
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Honestly, he just stole a "style" from Don Cherry (non-Canadians may need to google him); reduced the collar height and made the suit patterns a bit more extreme (if that were possible). Two rightist oddballs with attention-seeking clothing.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
At least the tiles themselves have a gloss finish. I made the mistake of putting matte finish 4x12 subway tiles in a bathroom. Never again. Lesson learned. I now dislike matte finish tiles (except on floors) as much as wallpaper (another story).
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
If only it stopped at the border. I grew up 4 miles from the St Clair river. There was always a brown stain across the northern sky from the coal-fired Con Ed plant in Michigan (now closed, thankfully). We couldn't eat fish from the lakes or rivers because of mercury from US emissions.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Thanks! Those are some amazing stories of steely-eyed pilots bringing bent birds home.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
I'll bet there's quite a story to this one....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Also started RASC Messier program. Observed M13 and M92 in Hercules. Toronto's light pollution makes any "faint fuzzies" really difficult, even with a UHC filter to cut some of the glare.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
RASC Double star program continues. Timed Corvus at culmination. Completed HD 109556 and HD 105590. Interesting pairs. One is a double in the midst of a triangular asterism, the other is a very tight triple system. Now at 94.5% completion - 6 more to go!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
That is simultaneously terrifying and amazing.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Apparently, brave and clever men of principle. One wonders how the crew came together and settled on such an audacious plan....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
And if your suite of policies make your personal seat untenable, maybe you should consider whether a few changes may be in order.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
From a science data perspective, this is like the sack of Rome. Though the comparison is unfair to the Goths......
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
My wife grew up in a courtyard house (former convent) in Ecuador. Playing with siblings in the 3 (yes, three!) connected courtyards remains a cherished memory.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
If you look at statements by the current Premier of Alberta as well as the former leader of the Reform party, you have to suspect the Quislings are already on the payroll.....next, the 'little green men'.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Rene Levesque would be aghast to see what has happened. He fought against extremism and ethnocentrism within independentisme and wanted a Quebec that would be both independent AND inclusive.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
An excellent observation. Every jurisdiction in the world is going to struggle with these issues. Adding various local barriers to practice may prove counterproductive.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
I think it was called "la revanche des berceaux" ( the revenge of the cradles). But it wasn't intended to work quite the same way these replacement types think....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Good heavens! Actual halfway reasonable proposals from a Ford government....prepare my fainting couch! But they still push the 401 tunnel concept, though. Which is just nuts.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Is this not the same guy who only a week or two ago was telling Canadians we should return to visiting California because they weren't like the rest? So much for that.....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Of all the elections in the world, Canada's would be just about the hardest to rig. Simple paper ballots. Lots of scrutineers. A fully professional, non-partisan administration.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Yuck! And of course, it prompts me to remember the SF story"The Screwfly Solution", which just makes it all so much worse.....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
May also have something do with the fact he's about to meet Canadian PM Carney this week. Canada is the main extraterritorial location for film and TV production. It's a major industry here.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
First to arrive were the war brides, followed by their extended families escaping the privations of post-war Europe. One of the main centres of community life was the "CBD" - the Canadian - Belgian - Dutch Club.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
I grew up in the north end of Kent County, Ontario. The local regiment was the Essex & Kent Scottish, who were involved in the liberation. When I was in elementary school in the '60's, easily a third of the class had last names starting with "Van" or "Den". Or both...
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
The winner of the internet last week said "God has a special providence for children, drunks and the Liberal Party of Canada".
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Apparently, the US Army is only intended for warm weather duty. Which is nice work if you can get it, I guess. This is NOT the ride you want during a Prairie winter.....might get a little nippy.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Strategic voting is a fine Canadian tradition. Lots of traditional NDP voters opted for the Liberals in order a/ to better resist American pressure ( Carney being seen as unusually capable) and b/ to block the Conservatives because of perceived weakness in point a/. They will shift back next time.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Thanks!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
It was set in a future where the confederacy had become a technological power. I wish I had tagged it in Libby....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Odd but related question - i recall someone wrote an alternative history with an SF tinge to it in which the Shawnee Confederacy endured as a state, but haven't been able to locate it. Do you or anyone out there know the title/author?
The New Yorker (@newyorker.com) reposted
“In Canada, he doesn’t sound like a troll. He sounds like a threat.” Adam Gopnik writes about how the 2025 Canadian federal election was won and lost on Trumpism and its perils.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Nathanael Dance, you magnificent son of perfidious Albion, you! Arguably, his ruse won not one, but two battles; and he didn't even need to be physically at the second one!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Oh, I know....but Canada was in and bleeding within weeks both times. And no one would ever deny the efforts of the US in the Pacific or in truly being the arsenal in which much the the Victory was built. But the triumphalism rankles...especially coming from him.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
How about Nov 11 being called "We joined really late Day"? And May 1 as " We joined really late AGAIN Day"? Churchill's snark about the US doing the right thing once all the wrong things had been exhausted does apply....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Now that is one outstanding cartoon. Sort of like the end of "Rabbit of Seville", but for genocidal monsters....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
I grew up in Southwestern Ontario under the flight path of USAF B52's heading for their ready positions. MAD was just what we lived with. Strangelove was a revelation to me in my early teens. So real, yet still so absurd. Remains one of my favorite films.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Loved the podcast, but you may have missed a piece of "ally" in your "tally". In one flying sequence, the shadow of a plane is shown flying up a snowy mountainside. The shadow sure looks like a B-17....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
People in Toronto still look back at the great blackout, 20 or so years ago, with fondness. Street parties, people barbecuing for the neighbours before the freezer defrosted, and the opportunity to see the Milky Way from downtown Toronto! Mind you, it was summer, which helps....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
To be honest, I would suggest the photo ID concern is something of an American import, and does not map smoothly onto the Canadian context.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Agreed. That's what I said. There are options, and they work. But I disagree with you about photo ID. There may be a few provinces that lack a photo ID for access to the health system, but Ontario has a robust system, and everyone of voting age should have one.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
There are also simple and agreed-upon rules about voter ID. No one here sees it as offensive to provide a second piece of photo ID to receive a ballot. Not to blow our horn, but it's a way better system than the very disaggregated, disorganized and politicized US system.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
There is virtually no way to rig a cdn federal election. Elections Canada is non-partisan and run by a professional civil service. Ballots are quite simple, and because there are no other ballot initiatives, counts are fairly quick and reliable. There are also strict rules about recounts. /2
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Which is fair enough. Red Tory is basically the Canadian factory default setting.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Suspect Ford lurks in the wings after basically spending the campaign sniping at PP and Byrne and ostentatiously doing little to nothing to help them in Ontario....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
If he lasts long enough....there's a Ford-shaped cloud on the horizon....and the Cons have seldom tolerated failure.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Social media sometimes delivers....this is a brilliant account of how victory is always a cooperative effort. The pointy end need the thinkers and planners, and vice versa. And gender is no barrier to intelligence, as a 20 year old woman taught one of the RN's leading admirals.
Dreadnought Holiday (@dreadships.bsky.social) reposted
This here is one of the great U-boat hunters of the Second World War. Grab a comfy seat and a glass of something pleasing. We're going on a journey...
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
This was the only combat mission my Uncle never felt qualms about. He was proudest of flying 3 ‘Manna’ missions dropping food into occupied Holland. /End
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
He had two reasons; 1 the target was morally uncomplicated, and 2, after Normandy, CDNs wanted payback on the SS. He wanted it so much, he ordered a go-around because the pilot didn't initially line up properly. This was done under AA fire the whole time, albeit safeguarded by 4 USAAF Mustangs. /4
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Rumoured Nazi plans to lead a ‘Werewolf’ defence of the Reich from the Alps - while little more than the fever-dream of a few fanatics - meant the target needed to be hit. Though an experienced F/O and Bomb-Aimer, my Uncle volunteered to fly with a rookie crew on their first combat mission./3
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
80 years ago today at 09:52, my Uncle took this photo as his RAF 166 Squadron Lancaster - and hundreds of RAF, RCAF, RAAF and USAAF bombers - conducted high-altitude demolition of the Berchtesgaden SS camp and Obersalzburg Nazi compounds. Unusually for Bomber Command, this was a daylight mission /2
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Good Friday dinner. Ecuadorian legume & cabbage soup called "Fanesca". Usually cooked with salt cod. Not a fan....but my wife brilliantly improvised pan-fried fresh cod medallions. Delightful! And all the fibre you could ever want in one bowl!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
/2 One satisfying aspect was building skills at using mechanical setting circles on my EQ5 mount. Is it perfect? No. I hit targets dead on about 50% of the time, and about 30% could figure it out from the finderscope. But about 20% back to trial and error. Still helpful, though!
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Great clear night for theRASC double star program. Finished the winter portion in Lynx (19 Lyn, HD 75353). Moved to Spring targets in Coma B (32 Com, 12 Com, HD110932) and some in Corona B (Sig CrB, HD139691). Now at 89% complete. /1
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Interesting observation by Aisha Ahmad in an article in The Conversation "Norwegians, Finns and Swedes are peaceful people who have learned to survive next to a dangerous superpower. Canadians must look at their own vulnerabilities and see the logic and wisdom behind the Scandinavian approach."
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
A couple squadrons of F35s and a handful of new subs and Type 26s means nothing. We need to adopt Singapore's "poisonous shrimp" defence posture. As in "Sure, you can take us, but you'll wish you hadn't......"
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Long overdue, and both Con and Lib govts bear responsibility. Key question is what to invest in. We don't need big ticket items. We need small arms, explosives, AA, drones, and lots of intelligence, signals, and insurgency training. And we need it right now! /2
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Not being a finance type, do more knowledgeable folks think there is a risk that this snowballs? As in others see China bailing and think that it is time to flee US securities as well? Where are the trap doors here?
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
The apparent inability to see how NOAA contributes to their own continued personal existence (this in a country prone to extreme weather) manages to be simultaneously appalling AND ridiculous. It's like a perverse form of performance art.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
And here I thought autogyros were crazy. But this? This manages to be simultaneously insane AND magnificent! I applaud the creativity, and am in awe of the courage it took to sit in it and take off. But wow, what a weird beast.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Well, I guess that's a data point for the Danish and Greenlander staff, isn't it? I wonder if something similar might transpire at NORAD when that man eventually returns to his arson of relations with Canada.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
I'd rather that man didn't know the Great Lakes even exist. It's safer for us all that way.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Urban areas even when surrounded by deeply "conservative" rural areas tend to be more liberal-competitive, or even liberal-safe. Look at Lethbridge or Calgary. Likely the similar for Regina and Saskatoon.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
As a former civil servant, what horrifies me is the very real possibility that none of this has been through anything halfway resembling an approval and review process, and is basically being made up out of whole cloth but political children on the fly.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Jimmy Breslin said it best; "Can't anybody here play this game"?
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
I seem to recall something in High School about checks and balances in the US governing system but....nah, I am sure having a Sun-King is perfectly safe and fine. (/s...)
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Try it from Canada's perspective. The US has a trade deficit with us in goods. But we have a trade deficit in services with the US. But if you have to choose, there's way more potential upside to selling services. It's mysterious why that man's administration can't grasp this.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Soybeans? Canada produces a few of those. Might be willing to sell some.....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social)
Continued RASC Double star program last night. Wrapped up Canes Venatici section with HR 4666 (2 CVn). Still only about 82% done. Goal of finishing Coma Berenices section wiped out by bright waxing gibbous moon. Got 2 Williamson Lunar targets around Bullialdus done, though....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
All's new that's old again or some such. Several prominent Canadian families made their first millions from varying degrees of involvement in smuggling during Prohibition....
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
May be some fairly spectacular numbers of US folks running into Costcos in Canada, especially given exchange rates. Good luck to them at US customs on their return, though......
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
Agree with your take on this. A lot still depnds on political winds, though. South Korea offers a good HIMARS equivalent. Self-propelled arty is even more diverse; SK, Sweden and FR all have good systems.
rexdalish.bsky.social (@rexdalish.bsky.social) reply parent
As a former gov't official involved in writing building codes, that gets an 'Amen!' From me.....