Martin Grasdal 🍁
@mgrasdal.bsky.social
Old IT guy, nearing retirement. Living proof that a degree in Engl. Lit & Philosophy is far from useless. Lover of fiction (including sci-fi & fantasy), history, classics, etc,. Classical music lover.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
The Frankenparty stitched together by Jason Kenney spawns a separatist monster in its ranks. albertapolitics.ca/2025/11/the-...
The Frankenparty stitched together by Jason Kenney spawns a separatist monster in its ranks - Alberta Politics
The Frankenparty stitched together in 2017 by Jason Kenney from the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservatives has spawned a monster. Hard-line Alberta separatists who were tolerated by Mr. Ken...
albertapolitics.ca
November 30, 2025 at 6:27 AM
The Frankenparty stitched together by Jason Kenney spawns a separatist monster in its ranks. albertapolitics.ca/2025/11/the-...
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
UCP AGM 2025, baby
November 29, 2025 at 3:56 PM
UCP AGM 2025, baby
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
today's essential read for all Canadians.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/a...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/a...
Read it and weep: This pipeline agreement is a document of betrayal
How to describe the laundry list of climate-killing gifts to Alberta that the MOU spells out? The depth of the betrayal goes beyond words. I felt ill as I read it. It’s not just the hard-won ground lo...
www.nationalobserver.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:45 PM
today's essential read for all Canadians.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/a...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/a...
The rot and corruption run deep in this province. Superb investigative reporting by @carrietait.bsky.social and other G&M reporters.
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
Who is Sam Mraiche? Inside Alberta’s health care controversy
A Globe investigation into the provincial health agency’s dealings with a company whose contracts have come under scrutiny
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:06 PM
The rot and corruption run deep in this province. Superb investigative reporting by @carrietait.bsky.social and other G&M reporters.
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
No comment necessary. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
Who is Sam Mraiche? Inside Alberta’s health care controversy
A Globe investigation into the provincial health agency’s dealings with a company whose contracts have come under scrutiny
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:59 PM
No comment necessary. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
RIP. I think this is a guy who tried, in general, to encourage people to be more thoughtful and aware.
www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/n...
Tom Stoppard, playwright of dazzling wit and playful erudition, dies aged 88
A theatrical sensation since the 1960s, whose dramas included Arcadia, The Real Thing and Leopoldstadt, Stoppard also had huge success as a screenwriter
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:32 PM
RIP. I think this is a guy who tried, in general, to encourage people to be more thoughtful and aware.
www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/n...
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Thread.
So far, Trump has pardoned:
Changpeng Zhao (founder, Binance) - pled guilty to money laundering. Facilitated millions in transactions for terrorist organizations such as Hamas.
Ross Ulbricht (founder of the Silk Road) - the dark web Costco of illegal drugs.
1/3
Changpeng Zhao (founder, Binance) - pled guilty to money laundering. Facilitated millions in transactions for terrorist organizations such as Hamas.
Ross Ulbricht (founder of the Silk Road) - the dark web Costco of illegal drugs.
1/3
November 29, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Thread.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Actors can be nuts, man. A dude (André Tchaikowsky) left his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company to play Yorick in future productions. No one felt comfortable doing it until David Tennant played Hamlet.
November 28, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Actors can be nuts, man. A dude (André Tchaikowsky) left his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company to play Yorick in future productions. No one felt comfortable doing it until David Tennant played Hamlet.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Considering that horses are dangerous and riders are very regularly seriously injured, I wonder what the direct overall injury/death rate looked like when everyone in our society had to constantly ride/drive horses, versus the injury/death rate from cars today?
November 28, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Considering that horses are dangerous and riders are very regularly seriously injured, I wonder what the direct overall injury/death rate looked like when everyone in our society had to constantly ride/drive horses, versus the injury/death rate from cars today?
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
fwiw, i think there was some value in Ottawa proving that they weren't the ones constraining conventional energy production, because the future of Alberta comes down to the UCP's desire to make money vs their desire to become separatists
Danielle Smith: "I hope people today feel a lot more confident that Canada works than they did a couple of days ago."
UCP convention crowd: LOUD BOOS
UCP convention crowd: LOUD BOOS
Danielle Smith tried to sell her federal-Alberta energy deal to the UCP convention crowd: tepid applause.
She told them that this proved Canada can work well for Alberta’s interests: loud boos.
This ain’t a base that wants Smith to work with a Liberal PM on a better industrial carbon tax.
She told them that this proved Canada can work well for Alberta’s interests: loud boos.
This ain’t a base that wants Smith to work with a Liberal PM on a better industrial carbon tax.
November 28, 2025 at 11:06 PM
fwiw, i think there was some value in Ottawa proving that they weren't the ones constraining conventional energy production, because the future of Alberta comes down to the UCP's desire to make money vs their desire to become separatists
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Danielle Smith uses notwithstanding clause to declare herself premier of B.C.
Danielle Smith uses notwithstanding clause to declare herself premier of B.C.
Prime Minister Mark Carney disagrees with the concept of a premier of one province unilaterally taking over a different province but his hands are tied by his unwillingness to do anything about it.
www.thebeaverton.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Danielle Smith uses notwithstanding clause to declare herself premier of B.C.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
What a great headline
November 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
What a great headline
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
When a politician says: we’ll deregulate health insurance and send you a “freedom account” check, ask: freedom to buy what? If insurers don’t offer real policies or can cherry-pick only healthy people, that money is a coupon for a store that’s not open.
November 28, 2025 at 12:52 PM
When a politician says: we’ll deregulate health insurance and send you a “freedom account” check, ask: freedom to buy what? If insurers don’t offer real policies or can cherry-pick only healthy people, that money is a coupon for a store that’s not open.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Quashing Alberta separatism debate could spark fireworks at UCP AGM. 👀 Danielle Smith's pipeline deal with Mark Carney will get more jeers than cheers in some corners of her party.
daveberta.substack.com/p/quashing-a...
daveberta.substack.com/p/quashing-a...
Quashing Alberta separatism debate could spark fireworks at UCP AGM
Smith's pipeline deal with Carney could get more jeers than cheers by some at the UCP AGM
daveberta.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Quashing Alberta separatism debate could spark fireworks at UCP AGM. 👀 Danielle Smith's pipeline deal with Mark Carney will get more jeers than cheers in some corners of her party.
daveberta.substack.com/p/quashing-a...
daveberta.substack.com/p/quashing-a...
Rick Bell will be very confused as to who should be dictating his columns.
Aside from the very, very big policy questions raised by the MOU, one curious subplot that intrigues me is that the Alberta premier and the federal Conservative leader are talking very differently about this agreement.
I'm not sure how that plays out.
I'm not sure how that plays out.
November 28, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Rick Bell will be very confused as to who should be dictating his columns.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
This afternoon, I informed the Prime Minister of my decision to resign as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Minister responsible for Official Languages, Minister of Nature and Parks Canada, as well as his Lieutenant in Quebec.
You can find my full statement below.
You can find my full statement below.
November 27, 2025 at 10:32 PM
This afternoon, I informed the Prime Minister of my decision to resign as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Minister responsible for Official Languages, Minister of Nature and Parks Canada, as well as his Lieutenant in Quebec.
You can find my full statement below.
You can find my full statement below.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
I ranked some films set on water. ON water, so submarines don't count. No need to tell me which ones I've missed, though wish I'd remembered to include KNIFE IN THE WATER.
You’re gonna need a bigger boat: the 20 best films set on water – ranked!
As L’Atalante is re-released, we count down the best movies set largely on ships, boats, barges, yachts, steamers and trimarans. Submarines banned, as they’re under water
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 3:18 PM
I ranked some films set on water. ON water, so submarines don't count. No need to tell me which ones I've missed, though wish I'd remembered to include KNIFE IN THE WATER.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
I don't see how Tesla's Model 3 can survive if Benz can offer an alternative EV this cheap, with this kind of performance, on top of the 15% tariff that it's charged in the US.
Imagine what this model does to Tesla in Europe, where Benz pays no tariffs.
Imagine what this model does to Tesla in Europe, where Benz pays no tariffs.
November 26, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I don't see how Tesla's Model 3 can survive if Benz can offer an alternative EV this cheap, with this kind of performance, on top of the 15% tariff that it's charged in the US.
Imagine what this model does to Tesla in Europe, where Benz pays no tariffs.
Imagine what this model does to Tesla in Europe, where Benz pays no tariffs.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Come and learn
The Antisemitism Post (tm)
Gotta get the history to know where the tropes live in the discourse today.
www.lifeisasacredtext.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Come and learn
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Changing rules so they don't need to face Albertan seniors, while they roll over and pay out Australian mining companies hundreds of millions. #AbLeg
Pensioners whose retirements were wrecked by dodgy investment schemes by political appointees at AIMCO will be denied the right to sue AIMCO for damages by a new piece of legislation, Bill 12.
Alberta tables legislation aimed at blocking $1.3 billion claim against AIMCo
Alberta has tabled a new bill that would shield the province from a $1.3 billion claim launched against AIMCo.
edmontonjournal.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Changing rules so they don't need to face Albertan seniors, while they roll over and pay out Australian mining companies hundreds of millions. #AbLeg
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
How is this not the top story in the news. AIMCo lost $2.1B and UCP doesn’t want to be sued for bad management.
There’s a lot of people’s pension managed by AIMCo.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
There’s a lot of people’s pension managed by AIMCo.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Alberta tries to legislate ban on lawsuits about AIMCo losses | CBC News
The Alberta government is proposing new legislation to prevent public sector pensions from suing the Alberta Investment Management Corp., or AIMCo, for decisions made before November 2024.
www.cbc.ca
November 26, 2025 at 4:21 AM
How is this not the top story in the news. AIMCo lost $2.1B and UCP doesn’t want to be sued for bad management.
There’s a lot of people’s pension managed by AIMCo.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
There’s a lot of people’s pension managed by AIMCo.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
Recall campaigns were approved this morning targeting UCP MLAs Glenn van Dijken, Jackie Lovely, Nathan Neudorf, Jason Stephan, and Searle Turton. That brings the total number of current MLA recall campaigns to 14.
🤠Total Recall: Nine UCP MLAs are now facing recall petitions in their ridings and MLA Dale Nally lashed out at constituent organizing recall effort in Morinville-St. Albert. 😬 Read all about it.
daveberta.substack.com/p/total-reca...
daveberta.substack.com/p/total-reca...
Total Recall: Nine UCP MLAs now facing recall petitions in their ridings
MLA Dale Nally lashed out at constituent organizing recall effort in Morinville-St. Albert
daveberta.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Recall campaigns were approved this morning targeting UCP MLAs Glenn van Dijken, Jackie Lovely, Nathan Neudorf, Jason Stephan, and Searle Turton. That brings the total number of current MLA recall campaigns to 14.
Reposted by Martin Grasdal 🍁
🤠Total Recall: Nine UCP MLAs are now facing recall petitions in their ridings and MLA Dale Nally lashed out at constituent organizing recall effort in Morinville-St. Albert. 😬 Read all about it.
daveberta.substack.com/p/total-reca...
daveberta.substack.com/p/total-reca...
Total Recall: Nine UCP MLAs now facing recall petitions in their ridings
MLA Dale Nally lashed out at constituent organizing recall effort in Morinville-St. Albert
daveberta.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:22 PM
🤠Total Recall: Nine UCP MLAs are now facing recall petitions in their ridings and MLA Dale Nally lashed out at constituent organizing recall effort in Morinville-St. Albert. 😬 Read all about it.
daveberta.substack.com/p/total-reca...
daveberta.substack.com/p/total-reca...