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Conservative-backed petition calls for end of ‘co-ordinated mass candidacies’ in elections
  • Surprised by some of the comments here.

    Whether or not the solution being proposed is the best or only one is the question.

    Instead several users are taking any discussion as being anti-democratic.

    The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada raised concerns about how these long ballots were impeding the democratic process, including by presenting barriers to accessibility by voters.

    This has become an increasing problem, with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s riding being targeted in 2019.

    There seem to be two kinds of barriers:

    • physical barriers to finding and marking the ballot of their choice
    • becoming informed of the positions and intents of candidates when there are so many candidates that do not actually intend to serve as MPs.

    The underlying issue seems to be that a small group of qualified voters in a targeted riding are nominating a very large number of candidates.

    That is 60+ candidates put forward by the longest ballot group were all nominated by the same small number of voters.

    Is this reasonable?

    Democratic rights are balanced with responsibility under the Charter. Is it reasonable for a single voter to sign the nomination papers for 50 candidates or even 20.

    Only being able to sign the papers for one candidate in one election period may be too limiting as not all candidates obtain enough signatures to be minor drop out later for other reasons.

    Would limiting the right to sign nomination papers to 2 or 5 candidates be a reasonable balance under the Charter?

    While this specific solution being proposed by this CPC member may be too restrictive, it seems worth a debate.

    And perhaps the second issue of voters being able to reasonably obtain information about the intent and positions of candidates would be resolved if there were not so many nominated candidates.

    The Rhinoceros party position that their candidates would resign if elected was well known so voters could make an informed choice. The current long ballot situation doesn’t offer that choice.

    A proactive referral to the Supreme Court of Canada might be the best way to get an understanding of the balance of democratic rights. It would be best to have a read on what would be a reasonable limitation on both those who sign nominations and those who put themselves forward vs the responsibility to have accessible ballots with candidates who intend to serve before any changes to the the elections act is brought forward.

  • Which produce can you find grown in Canada?
  • Check out altgrocery.ca for a list and map of farmers markets across Canada.

  • There is no safe amount of processed meat to eat, according to new research | CNN
  • The reason WHO frames common risk factors and common chronic diseases is because persons with these risks, conditions and diseases often end up with more than one of these diseases.

    e.g., WHO now considers obesity a disease in itself, but obesity is also a biological risk factor for cancer and diabetes.

    There are a lot of interrelationships in the risks.

    More, with these conditions, they are also more vulnerable to infectious diseases.

    It’s important though to keep in mind that, as I note in another reply, these kinds of studies aren’t just about informing individuals’ choices.

    They’re not about ‘blaming’ or ‘shaming’ individuals choices.

    They are about understanding what are the underlying determinants of health and risk factors that are shaping health outcomes.

    Back to the study in question, and the OP’s remark that they were surprised that people were eating that much processed meat daily…

    If the protein sources that are most available and affordable are the most unhealthy, preprocessed ones, then consumers will buy and consume more of these than healthier ones.

    And their preferences and consumption habits will be shaped by these experiences.

    And that will affect overall health and life expectancy of the population.

  • There is no safe amount of processed meat to eat, according to new research | CNN
  • My point is that raising risks of getting hit by a car, or other accidental causes of injury and death beyond the individual’s control, is a deflection.

    Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada.

    Full stop.

    No one single risk factor is responsible for that. Building the evidence base to be able to both inform individual behaviour but also to inform food safety regulations is important.

  • There is no safe amount of processed meat to eat, according to new research | CNN
  • Cancer is the leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity (death and disability) in Canada.

    So, an accumulation of small risks, and avoidance of risks, have significant benefits at both the individual and population levels.

    The general population needs to be aware that unhealthy eating is impacting their lives and quality of life.

    Let’s stick to the peer reviewed science and evidence consensus.

    WHO established the four behavioural common risk factors for the four major chronic noncommunicable diseases decades ago.

    The kind of research synthesis in this article is about continuing to build the evidence on relative and absolute risks, and in some cases look at how these differences impact different populations more or less due to intersecting determinants.

    Common risk factors

    • unhealthy diet
    • physical inactivity
    • tobacco use
    • harmful use of alcohol
    • air pollution added more recently

    Major chronic noncommunicable diseases

    • cancer
    • cardiovascular diseases
    • diabetes
    • chronic respiratory diseases
  • July 12: Canvas 2025
  • Ooh.

    While I have enjoyed working on the OG 1701 and the Delta in previous years, a change up will be a great.

    Looking forward to doing other ships in future years!

  • Dishwash Spray: Need suggest
  • Biovert is excellent.

  • U.S. resumed trade talks with Canada on Monday morning, says Carney
  • I feel as though the entire point of this was to make Canadians feel ashamed and discouraged on the day before our national holiday.

    And in that Trump was successful. It’s brutal and bullying propaganda.

    No success of realpolitik in negotiations can undo that.

    The business community and media were calling the digital services tax an unforced error.

    But the real unforced error is Carney getting played to do something destructive to national unity heading into Canada Day.

    This is one of the few cases where his lack of political experience is showing. I’m wondering if his team will let him understand that and see the polling impact.

  • B.C. MLA Bowinn Ma's constituency office targeted with explosive device
  • Truly awful.

    This office is part of a complex that includes a Coastal Health urgent care clinic and other provincial government services.

    This office is street facing but seems to back against the urgent health care centre.

  • Cillian O’Sullivan Says His Roger Korby Has A “Smidge” Of Darkness In ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ S3
  • I’m rather interested to see where they go with Korby.

    It’s important for Christine Chapel’s character that the backstory they are developing for the TOS relationship is credible.

    It was really rather sad and mortifying for Chapel in TOS to be shown as a intelligent and successful scientist, who took a Starfleet starship posting as a nurse to track down a missing fiance only to have him revealed as a dark mastermind turning people into androids.

    Having what appeared to be a one sided, unrequited longing for Spock as well, made Chapel come across as pathetic, and very much shifted it to misogyny. Or, at least a complete failure of a Bechtel-type test where a female character exists for more than her interest in male characters.

    (Even Majel Barrett’s Number One in ‘The Cage’ was put in an unrequited attraction situation with Pike.)

  • Murderbot - thoughts
  • The show clearly shows Murderbot as being ACE and uncomfortable with the sexual and gendered reactions of others towards them — which is as important in my view the outward and physical apparent gender.

  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Producers Have A Genius Plan To Keep The Show Alive (Kind Of)
  • I have started (another) rewatch of TAS recently.

    This time, what’s struck me is how much the Kirk in TAS aligns with Paul Wesley’s performance.

    Despite TAS being animated to look like Shatner’s Kirk and Shatner voicing the part, somehow there’s less swagger and a more intellectual Kirk in TAS.

    It’s in the writing surely but perhaps the creators had a sense that they needed to shift the tone to sell the drama on an animated show — especially one that took advantage of the medium to show even more trippy aliens and phenomena.

    I wasn’t looking for it but there it is.

  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Producers Have A Genius Plan To Keep The Show Alive (Kind Of)
  • The Animated Series that ran in the mid 70s although it was originally just called ‘Star Trek.’

    It had the same cast as TOS. Roddenberry was the showrunner again (after leaving before season 3 of TOS) and DC Fontana was the Supervising Editor in charge of the scripts.

    https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Animated_Series

  • Couples with opposing political views face higher risk of separation
  • And yet, you’ll see many people posting elsewhere on social media that it shouldn’t be relevant.

    Can’t imagine trying to share a life with someone who didn’t share my values, but there seems to be a contingent that think that other things should be more important.

  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Producers Have A Genius Plan To Keep The Show Alive (Kind Of)
  • At 22 episodes total, and only 6 in TAS second season, it could go either way.

    I am willing to concede so that those who don’t love TAS much as I do can get their proper closure to the 5 year mission.

    And then there’s part of me that very much wants Vanguard to be the new, darker station-based serialized ensemble show to fill the DS9 niche we haven’t quite had in this era.

  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Producers Have A Genius Plan To Keep The Show Alive (Kind Of)
  • TAS is the 4th season of TOS - with some of the scripts adapted from the prep for a live-action TOS season 4 that never happened. (Yes, TAS IS canon!)

    Now, we know that Arex and M’Ress are difficult to bring to live action, but who’s to say that their rotations on Enterprise aren’t done, and Chekov isn’t back, as year 5 begins?

  • SNW Season 3 Early Review Round-Up
  • Indiewire has a less positive review - “Brings the Fun — and Zombies — but Misses Chances to Go Deeper”

    https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-review-1235132207/

    As I share this reviewer’s opinion on Tomorrow-cubed, I think I’m at the point of wanting to stop myself from reading more reviews now…

  • SNW Season 3 Early Review Round-Up
  • I’ve been wondering how much of the decision to wrap SNW with a short sixth season might have to do with Goldsman’s contract with Paramount coming to an end and his new one with another franchise and major studio.

    SNW really was his project, regardless of Alonso Myers being the co-showrunner.

    There’s a possibility that this is also about a change in leadership as the show transitions to a true TOS show, perhaps hopping to a time post-TAS but before the movies, and even shifting somewhat in tone.

    All of this would make sense of casting an older actor as Jim Kirk.

  • SNW Season 3 Early Review Round-Up
  • Ryan Britt had a good review for Inverse, and an interesting take on the show overall.

    It’s tempting to say that SNW succeeds because, of all the newer Trek shows, it's the one that feels the most like fan fiction. Or perhaps, to put it another way, it’s Star Trek version of Marvel’s What If? In this case, the “What If?” scenario that is floated in nearly every episode is “What if the 60s Star Trek show were made today?”

    Given how much of a OG fan Akiva Goldsman is, this seems a fair assessment - even if other, mostly younger fans, have different ideas about where the show should link up with the original.

    https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-review

  • *Permanently Deleted*
  • I try mainly to work through my stash.

    But I try to buy independent from stores in our region.

    Fortunately, Wool-tyme is within driving distance. They have a great selection of quality yarns.

    Their store offers classes and has knowledgeable and helpful staff. Their clearance section carries a lot of Diamond Yarns (major distributor) discontinued and overstock but is only accessible in-person.

    For those not aware, Wool-tyme is also Canada’s largest online yarn store.

    They do ship to the United States and other countries. You can select US$ and other currency pricing at the bottom of the page.

    It’s a family-owned business, now in its fifth decade. The original owner passed it down to her niece.

    It’s got a fiesty history — the original name of the store was Wool-mart and they ended up in court when Walmart came to Canada and tried to force her to change the name.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/owner-of-beloved-ottawa-yarn-shop-hanging-up-the-needles-after-40-years-1.6938283

  • Last day for Star Trek Day sale on Steam (Sept 8-15)

    Several Star Trek licensed games are on Steam, now at a significantly discounted price for the annual Star Trek Day celebration.

    These include the MMP Star Trek Online, but also single player games Star Trek Bridge Crew and Star Trek Resurgence (a choose your own path role play game).

    We’d waited until Resurgence came to Steam, because we did want to buy it from Epic, but decided to be even more patient and wait for a sale so we could get it for our teens as well. I’ve been playing in parallel with one of our teens and debating the impacts of our very different choices.

    I have had Bridge Crew since 2022, but we got copies for the teens yesterday. One is into it. It requires running an Ubisoft account synched to Steam which can be annoying, but otherwise G2G.

    4
    Confirmed! - CTV has the Prodigy season 2 licence

    Having reached my exasperation on the total lack of information from Bell Media on a Canadian release, I asked @GoodAaron@mastodon.social if he or the Hagemans could share any information. Here is his reply on Mastodon.

    It’s great to have EPs who will engage with us.

    I’m still gearing up my recipes for a Star Trek Prodigy Soirée for the premiere!

    In case you haven’t seen this, CBS entertainment sponsored a social media influencer to develop watch party ideas for the Prodigy Season 1 finale Supernova Soirée .

    I’ve been experimenting and building on some of these ideas for the premiere of season two. One of Canada’s favourite ice cream brands has this interesting suggestion for A triple-berry yogurt sorbet float punch that seems very Star Trek Prodigy themed.

    6
    Variety - Top Marketing & Communications Executive leaving Paramount Global
    variety.com Paramount Global Head of Marketing, Communications Julia Phelps Exits

    Julia Phelps, Paramount Global's executive VP and chief communications and corporate marketing officer, is leaving the company.

    More departures of former Viacom senior executives from Paramount Global in the wake of Baklish’s firing.

    4
    'Ivory Tower', likely aka 'Starfleet Academy' preproduction rumoured to start in March

    The Directors Guild of Canada (Ontario) ‘Hot List’ compilation of Ontario-based production information has been updated with a new CBS Studios show ‘Ivory Tower’ to begin Accounting & Art Department preproduction in March.

    3
    Friends don't let friends try. . .

    While all TAS episodes had some kind of moral lesson, S1 E10 was an outright criticism of substance use.

    M’Ress and Scotty, unwittingly exposed, end up enamoured then incensed with one another. One is never sure how different that is from a Caitian’s usual romantic style.

    Chapel comes off badly in this one. As Spock puts it “A few moments of love, paid for with several hours of hatred.” It’s all the more poignant given SNW’s deepening of their backstory.

    8
    James McKinnon confirms creative differences likely a factor in Kelvin 4 failure to start production in 2022
    trekmovie.com ‘Picard’ Makeup Designer Reveals ‘Star Trek 4’ Pre-Production Shut Down In 2022 Over Script Issues

    James MacKinnon has doing one more feature film as the last thing on his Star Trek bucket list.

    ‘Picard’ Makeup Designer Reveals ‘Star Trek 4’ Pre-Production Shut Down In 2022 Over Script Issues

    As much as most of us have long had any remaining interest in a fourth Kelvin movie long exhausted by the endless repetition of hype and failure, there does seem to be more confirmation of significant creative differences on the script that was in development in 2022.

    James MacKinnon, longtime makeup designer, shared some context during an interview on his work on Picard and future ambitions. He explained that he was hired by Matt Shankman in 2022 to work on preproduction but was fired after a week when the work shut down.

    > “We were supposed to shoot in the middle of [2022] and it was supposed to come out the following year [2023], but I think a script rewrite went in a different direction.”

    This aligns with previous comments from Zoe Saldaña that creative issues around the script were a factor in the movie not going ahead.

    5
    'The Trial never ends . . .' Global premiere! Migleemo - Hemmer : Fix that which is broken #1

    I have realized that I need a new editing tool that will let me use panels with more than 6 frames.

    A private message with a recommendation would be appreciated sincerely.

    2
    Tired of 'Car Talk' with Gowron? Here's the podcast c/risa really needs...

    Anyone interested?

    I can see so much potential for guidance from a telepathic Aenar engineer & an avianoid counsellor.

    12
    Paramount+ confirms series order for 'Starfleet Academy'
    www.startrek.com New Series Order for 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Announced

    The all-new original series from CBS Studios will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets!

    New Series Order for 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Announced

    While there was an announcement shortly before the WGA strike, and Alex Kurtzman confirmed the writers room is back up and at work during an NYCC panel, Paramount+ is moving forward on promotional information about the forthcoming new ‘Starfleet Academy’ show.

    Will be keeping an eye out for information about preproduction design work starting up in Ontario.

    16
    What kind of weird really engages and trends with Trek fans?

    My contribution to the fediverse’ #MakeYourOwnMoopsyMonth challenge.

    Be gentle, I’m a novice meme-creator.

    5
    Kevin + Moopsy meme challenge - because why not?

    It’s October, and Trek’s new adorable horror is being unfairly usurped in trendiness by a character who appeared in all of two TOS episodes (even if the grimness of his personal backstory rivals La’an Noonian-Singh’s).

    So, Moopsy + Kevin memes. . . I dare you.

    4
    Yeoh's S31 movie preproduction complete?

    We know from Kurtzman’s messaging at NYCC recently that Michelle Yeoh put her Academy Award star power towards ensue that her Section 31 ‘movie event’ moves forward on Paramount+.

    Checking in on the Director’s Guild of Canada Ontario round up of information for its members (Hot List), there’s been an interesting update.

    While ‘Dovercourt’ (working title alias for the direct to streaming movie) still has a bold ‘POSTPONED’ due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, it’s moved from the ‘Preproduction stage’ section of the list to ‘Production.’

    What does this suggest?

    It would seem that the key preproduction production design work in Toronto has been able to be completed since the WGA strike ended.

    Like SNW, the crews in Toronto are basically ready to go into production once the actors’ strike is settled. Logistically, it’s not entirely clear that both could shoot at the same time as they share some of the same crews, but it is encouraging.

    3
    Question - Star Trek Explorer Presents short story collections from Titan Bookstores - are they simply compilations from the magazines or new content?

    I’ve been enjoying the very short stories by Treklit authors in the recent issues of Titanbooks Star Trek Explorer magazine.

    I see that they’re promoting anthologies of short stories, with a new third one due to be released soon. However, it’s not clear if these are just compilations of previously published stories from the magazine, new content or a mix of both.

    Anyone have the earlier releases?

    3
    NYCC Starfleet Academy confirmation

    StarfleetAcademy ‘will be funny’ according to Alex Kurtzman.

    He’s also confirmed at the NYCC panel today that the writer’s room is back at work after the WGA strike.

    Given the heavier #thriller background (Absentia) of one showrunner Gaia Violo, and youth supernatural CV (TheMagicians; NancyDrew) of Noga Landau the other, sounds as though Tawny Newsome is there to bring some lightness and fun.

    I’m really looking forward to seeing more in the 32nd century StarTrek.

    I’m also pleading 🙏 let David Cronenberg’s Kovich be involved.

    I would love so much to have some of The Magicians mysterious vibe with so true humour mixed in. Glad to know that they’re going for something less earnest than the tone of Discovery for this show, it didn’t seem to be working in the Discovery episode with Tilly and the cadets.

    18
    Star Trek, including timeloops, meets Hallmark

    StarTrek actors have a strong showing across the Hallmark movie offerings this year.

    — Jonathan Frakes & Robert Picardo have supporting roles in ‘A Biltmore Christmas’

    — Dan Jeannotte (Sam Kirk in StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds) is the lead in ‘Our Christmas Mural’

    — Ronnie Rowe Jr (Lt Bryce in #StarTrekDiscovery) leads in Christmas with a Kiss’ (working title), a Mahogany Presents romance (Hallmark’s Black-focused line)

    — Mira Kirschner (Amanda Grayson in #Discovery and #SNW) is the principal in a romance about a woman discovering her Jewish heritage in a 2022 movie ‘Love, Lights, Hanukkah! that will be rebroadcast this year.

    0
    Another spoken word album is coming from Bill Shatner
    www.udiscovermusic.com William Shatner Announces New Spoken Word Album, ‘BILL,’ Featuring Joe Jonas And Brad Paisley

    William Shatner has announced a new spoken word album, ‘BILL,’ with guest features from Joe Jonas, Brad Paisley, and more.

    William Shatner Announces New Spoken Word Album, ‘BILL,’ Featuring Joe Jonas And Brad Paisley

    Not sure we needed another album from Shatner but you have to admire his indefatigable creativity.

    This one will feature Brad Paisley and Joe Jonas.

    12
    StillPaisleyCat StillPaisleyCat @startrek.website
    Posts 172
    Comments 1.3K