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Billy

@billyidles.bsky.social

130 followers 240 following 1.4K posts

Vancouver. Local Politics. Less Local Politics. Tech stuff.

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Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 3h

I pretty much haven’t had a cold since I started masking on public transit so I still do. I’m not mad at people who don’t though.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 14h

This kind of thing coming from American liberals is why the international community must contain America whether or not they shake off fascism. They are always going to be at most one election away from deciding Alberta separatists are “pro-democracy forces.”

Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com · 1d

we have to be willing to just fuck with foreign governments in order to promote pro-democracy forces and harm pro-authoritarian forces in those countries

*that's* our actual interest, not whatever faff natsec heads preach about "the rules based order"

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 15h

The oil sands feel apocalyptic in ways that conventional doesn’t. But many people who work in the industry have never seen them in person.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 16h

Anyways my whole thing here isn’t to put down (or “mess with”) Texas (I would never!). I just grew up around the oil industry and I don’t think people in it will ever let go of it.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 16h

I think maybe the best cultural artifact about what life in the Alberta oil patch is like is “Ducks” by Kate Beaton. Which is a different kind of thing but I’m just going to mention it because everyone should read it it’s great.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 16h

A bumper sticker on the back of a white pickup truck that reads “PLEASE GOD LET THERE BE ANOTHER OIL BOOM. I PROMISE TO NOT PISS IT AWAY THE SECOND TIME.”

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 16h

I don’t think any of this is about rational economic interest. Sustainable economic growth will never feel as good as another oil boom. They’re addicts desperate for another hit. Maybe Texas can come out of it sooner since they at least have some other industries the government has not killed.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 16h

If you are under the impression that southern Alberta is too densely populated to put solar projects all I can say is go for a drive there. The sunniest spot is essentially a desert next to Brooks. It’s been an army base since the dust bowl because they couldn’t make it arable again.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 16h

Sunniest, windiest province in Canada and they made new renewable projects illegal.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 16h

This is true of Alberta too but it won’t stop them lol.

Reposted by Billy

Seth Klein @sethdklein.bsky.social · 1d

Dawn Farrell, the former CEO of Trans Mountain who now leads the federal government's Major Projects Office told the House of Commons environment committee that the oil pipeline helps fight climate change. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/10/n...

Head of Carney’s Major Projects Office thinks Trans Mountain is good for climate

Dawn Farrell, the former CEO of Trans Mountain who now leads the federal government's Major Projects Office told the House of Commons environment committee that the oil pipeline helps fight climate ch...

www.nationalobserver.com

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 1d

There’s a whole world of regulatory responses to social media that would help but the one that the Canadian government went with is the one the industry lobbied for.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 1d

Every time I see a journalist complain about how news is banned on Facebook I need to remind everyone that the Canadian news industry’s position was that allowing people to post news links on Facebook was stealing. The epoch times must be so steamed that their misinformation is being stolen.

Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 1d

Cool how Meta bans news publishers on Facebook, yet allows this gibberish to remain:

News Now: Florida just became rhetorical first state to ban weather modification and geoengineering flights at all state airports”

“News Now by the Epoch Times is your real-time source for breaking news. Delivered with honesty and integrity, in respect for the values and wisdom that sustain a free society”

Reposted by Billy

Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.bsky.social · 1d

Old CBS would’ve probably spelled the guy’s name right, too.

@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 1d

CBS News would never put a thinly sourced 'story' by a rookie blogger like this on it's air. Until now. The Free Press isn't a journalism outlet, it's bloggers aren't reporters. This piece is more NYPost than Tiffany Network but I guess that's the goal.

www.cbsnews.com/video/some-n...

Some NYPD officers worry about Mandani becoming the NYC mayor, The Free Press reports

The Free Press spoke to several New York City Police Department officers who are worried about Zohran Mamdani becoming mayor. Olivia Reingold joins CBS News with more.

www.cbsnews.com

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 1d

You know the boycott is finding valid targets because none of these businesses are calling for Trump to resign, they’re all whining about themselves.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 1d

The thing about the stove is it does not believe in innocent bystanders. It is just hot.
www.cnn.com/2025/10/13/b...

Canada’s boycott America movement is hurting innocent bystanders | CNN Business

Virginia Distillery CEO Gareth Moore was bullish on his company’s American single malt whisky sales north of the border when 2025 kicked off.

Reposted by Billy

Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 1d

Front page of Scottish newspaper The National today.

How Genocide Happened

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 2d

“A death toll that is shrugworthy” is a phrase that, if you type it out, the computer should read it back to you and ask if you’re sure you want to post it. Seriously what the fuck?

Reposted by Billy

The A.C.E.R.B.I.C. Nerd @acerbicnerd.bsky.social · 2d

Any criticism of Yves must take "thirteen books and 1000+ articles" into consideration.

Rachel's complaints about Yves? Not even worth mentioning here.... mostly because it would become clear she's upset about his (latest) dalliance with the far right, not outraged by his left-wing views.

In a sign of the depths of status quo ideological rigidity, Paris Marx told Rachel Gilmore “fuck Yves Engler” to which the ‘leftist’ laughed heartily, replying “I feel like he’s not a very serious candidate”. During a segment on the NDP leadership race on Gilmore’s program Thursday, Marx then added “let’s be real, he’s just chasing clout”. Apparently, the others vying to lead the NDP aren’t “chasing clout”. Neither Marx nor Gilmore said a word about my campaign’s comprehensive new policy platform, drawn up by 45 activists and researchers, titled “Capitalism Can’t Be Fixed – Onward to a Socialist Future”.

Since I launched my bid to lead the NDP Gilmore, who spent a decade working for Global, IPolitics and CTV in Ottawa, has repeatedly taken shots at me while ignoring the substance of my thirteen books and 1000+ articles.

Reposted by Billy

The A.C.E.R.B.I.C. Nerd @acerbicnerd.bsky.social · 2d

Quintessential example of how this shit works.

He's just making a list of people who've said nasty things about him (most of which are true) and then declaring that's a conspiracy to silence *you*.

You're the real victim here, ya see...

🎄world's smallest xmas🎄 @nargy.bsky.social · 3d

wherein rachel joins the illustrious ranks of the acerbic nerd, jane austen marxist, and a couple of other names yves had to remove. yvesengler.com/2025/10/11/m...

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 3d

- I pointed out that R&D spending from Canadian firms is substantially lower than in the US. this in part due to tax provisions that make it easier to write off in the US. Government should think in terms of growing R&D, not AI alone

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 3d

I also filled this out. A few themes of my responses:
- Regulation is good not bad for business. Having a bunch of uncertainty about liability or copyright is much worse than having clear rules
- If the government wants more experts and good jobs the best thing they can do is FUND HIGHER EDUCATION

Bloody Mary (mirror entity, not cocktail) @marygillis.bsky.social · 3d

I did this, took like 30 min.
Points I kept hammering: domestic cloud, regulations around copyright and likeness rights, focusing on machine learning with concrete, real world uses (creating new drugs, etc), the damage done by slop, the need to listen to AI experts who are realists, not boosters.

Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel) @nicomaramckay.com · 6d

Canadians: The federal government is seeking public input on how AI should be developed and used in business, research, and the military.

If this scares the shit out of you, please let them know:

Reposted by Billy

sadvil 😎 @sadvil.bsky.social · 3d

A great weekend to share Jeff Bridges making a perfect joke

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 3d

You can also get cheaper countertop induction things shaped like this, they don’t have to be built in.

Billy @billyidles.bsky.social · 3d

I’ve been told woks are a big part of the reason developers want to put gas into new condo buildings in Vancouver, the existence of these things has been a way to convince some of them to go electric.

Chris Person @papapishu.bsky.social · 3d

They make induction countertops that are meant for woks and I really want one. They’re so cool.