James H McLaren @JamesHMcLaren@social.cleverlibre.org
College professor, part time nerd and sci-fi enthusiast. Not actually a duck, but what’s Humphrey Bogart got that I ain’t got?
Joined Nov 2022
James H McLaren
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I *know* half of OC Transpo’s operating budget comes from fares. The other half comes from taxes. Either way, we’re paying for it.
Oh, you don’t take the bus?
You probably should, but even if you are still in your car, consider this: The more people take alternate transit (including active transport!), the less congestion there is on the road. Your travel times are faster. There’s less pollution, including from you. Roads last longer, requiring less maintenance and hey, lower municipal expense. You might even be less likely to get in an accident. So, whatever extra taxes you chip in are worth it.
What about tourists, shouldn’t they pay?
All I’ll say is how much has the city donated to its professional sports team(s) in the way of tax breaks, public funding for arenas, traffic infrastructure, etc. etc. etc. on the premise that it attracts tourism? We’re helping out millionaires, there.
James H McLaren
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James H McLaren
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Ontario Place is PROFITABLE. It made a RECORD profit in 2022, of $5.7 million.
But Doug Ford and friends are clearcutting it, spending hundreds of millions on an underwater parking garage, and building a giant private spa on a 95-year lease.
Take action: https://ontarioplaceforall.com/
#OntarioPlaceForAll #OntarioPlace4All #OntarioPlace #Ontario #ONPoli #WaterfrontTO #Toronto #TOPoli
James H McLaren
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Holy entitlement, Batman! Republicans are furious Democrats didn't save Kevin McCarthy from himself
James H McLaren
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What do Henry Ford and Elon Musk have in common?
By the way, he'll probably think this is a compliment.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/09/19/the-comparison-to-ford-is-apt/
James H McLaren
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Comparing and contrasting app privacy policies for Threads, Bluesky, Twitter and Mastodon:
James H McLaren
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Jim Jordan, a 'Significant Player' in Trump's Efforts to Overturn Election Results, Running for Speaker of the House
James H McLaren
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Here we go again! Another land deal for friends of the Ontario Cons. #ONpoli #NeverVoteConservative #Ottawa #Hamilton
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-ottawa-hamilton-urban-boundaries-greenbelt-1.6984470
James H McLaren
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If you are reading this, you're probably just killing time on the Internet and putting off things that you really should be doing. Me too!
James H McLaren
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The fact that 'fifteen-minute cities' is now a dirty word really puts into perspective all the time people spent agonising over whether 'defund the police' and similar slogans were too radical.
Dude on the train balancing a bike with one hand and a tray of Tim Hortons coffee with the other. So far no casualties but perhaps he’ll question his life choices when he switches to the pedal transportation mode.
The baby name registration people should be able to say “Nope. Not gonna happen. Pick something less stupid.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/surprising-baby-names-trends-2022_l_6511f3aee4b088d5608c847f
James H McLaren
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A friend on Twitter asked where the science is on home COVID tests now. I responded that I expect that they're good. Most tests have antibodies against the spike and nucleocapsid proteins. Spike is under heavy selective pressure, but nucleocapsid, that the immune system doesn't use, not so much. Tests should continue to work well against them.
They rightly pointed out that the bit after "I expect that they're good" is kind of word soup to the non-biologist, so I unpacked it for them...
James H McLaren
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James H McLaren
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Last chance to vote #Manitoba! Maybe vote for a party that isn’t an obvious pile of ghouls? Just a thought. You know, the one that said it wouldn’t search the landfill thereby inviting every serial killer in the country to hide their victims there…
Instead maybe… Unrelated emoji of an orange. 🍊 K. Internet post done. Thanks peeps. #Winnipeg #MBpoli
James H McLaren
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https://www.usluck.com/71667/avocado-green-wasnt-just-for-appliances-in-the-70s-the-1979-pontiac-grand-prix/ Avocado green wasn’t just for appliances in the 70s- The 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix #Ads #Advertisements #OldSchool #Vintage #VintageAds #VintageAdvertisements
James H McLaren
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I have redesigned the product you use to help make you more productive.
Pray I do not redesign it further.
James H McLaren
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If you are opposed to same sex marriage, then you can simply say no when someone of the same sex proposes to you.
Leave the rest of us alone. See how that works? That’s actual #freedom. #ssm #gay #gaymastodon
James H McLaren
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Oh phew! The #EnglishNationalists pledge to deliver us from the "meat tax", "compulsory car sharing" & the "need to split rubbish into seven different bins".
Comic, were it not for the familiar ring. Remember how Brexit saved our sons from conscription into a "European army", from the "admission of Turkey", and from all that food & goods importation and exportation "red tape"?
Inventing things, and then delivering us from them. There must be a name for this political gambit....
Lying?
James H McLaren
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Call me an old cynic @LibrarianshipCA but the idea of any Conservative leader bringing more openness to government - especially Poilievre, given his unwillingness to get a security clearance and his track record in the Harper government - seems laughable.
College professor, part time nerd and sci-fi enthusiast. Not actually a duck, but what’s Humphrey Bogart got that I ain’t got?
Joined Nov 2022
