Mastodawn

Our expensive toaster has broken and the Guardian newspaper has instituted a paywall. The Enshitification is strong this morning.

Aecernist Feb 23

Today I had a disturbing situation. While buying bread in my bakery, the handheld debit machine ignored the inserted debit card and used the contactless function on my credit card. The credit card never left my wallet and was never closer to the machine than about a foot.
Very disturbing. The bank staff claimed this was impossible - clearly not believing me.
Anyone else had this happen?

Aecernist Feb 13

PM Press Feb 12

Remembering David Graeber on his birthday, an anarchist, anthropologist, and author who dared to imagine a world beyond debt, bureaucracy, bullshit jobs, and hierarchy.

https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1185

Aecernist Feb 1

Patrick Feb 1

You know how fascism wins, right?

Easy. They have an easy shortcut, really. They don't even need to be popular. All they need are mealy-mouthed neoliberal centrists to run the government poorly for a few years.

::looks at you in France and Canada and the United Kingdom and obviously Democrat shit bags:: Weird how that's all super similarly gone down recently, and France and Canada only temporarily escaped by miracle-level intervention.

Aecernist Jan 29

Chris Trottier Jan 29

USA is blatantly working to break-up Canada.

Not only is the Trump administration in talks with Alberta separatists, they’re actively working to destabilize my country.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-teams-secret-meetings-with-group-plotting-to-break-up-canada-exposed/

Trump Team’s Secret Meetings With Group Plotting to Break Up Canada Exposed

Trump officials have met with activists from the Alberta Prosperity Project, a separatist group that wants independence for its province.

The Daily Beast

Aecernist Jan 29

I really hope that Alberta's NDP opposition is preparing to counter the UCP/USA disinformation machine about independence.
The pro Trump stance destroyed Polievre last election; the same should destroy Smith's govt.
#ABpoli

Aecernist Jan 29

CBC Indigenous Jan 29

Archaeology field school planned this spring for ancient cave near Fort St. John, B.C.
One of over 57,000 known archaeological sites in the province, Tse'k'wa is a record of 12,500 years of human settlement and environmental change dating back to the last ice age. It's a sacred space to Doig River, Prophet River, and West Moberly Fir...
#Archaeology #History #CulturalHeritage #FortStJohnBC
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/field-school-planned-spring-2026-tsekwa-9.7060303?cmp=rss

Aecernist Jan 18

A heart-warming story about how a police drone rescues a couple lost in the forest, suggesting that all police forces should have one, probably shouldn't reveal that the drone is called "Sky Fury" and looks like a cruise missile.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/rcmp-drone-used-to-rescue-pair-who-fled-from-shooter-into-sask-woods-and-got-lost-9.6939565

RCMP drone used to rescue pair who fled from shooter into Sask. woods and got lost | CBC News

Saskatchewan is the only province where RCMP have a drone in every detachment. The technology was vital in a recent night rescue near Prince Albert.

CBC

Aecernist Aug 20, 2025

Congratulations to Air Canada's flight attendants and their union CUPE for winning their labour dispute and showing that the Liberal government is firmly on the side of corporations not the workers. By refusing to back down to an unconstitutional order by govt they have demonstrated which side has the real power and which side is relying on dirty tricks and wage theft to maintain profits.

Aecernist Aug 11, 2025

I recently ordered a Marshalltown archaeology trowel to replace one I'd lost on site. One I'd had for over 20 years, and I'm gutted about losing.
I've just found out that it's subject to a 25% tariff. In addition to exorbitant shipping, and brokerage fees that are criminal, these tariffs make ordering anything from the US not even remotely viable. I dread to think what's happening to small businesses on both sides of the Can/US border.