I think it’s so funny that theirs a war flag happening in my home town in between the Canadian flag and the Ukrainian flags and honestly without context it makes no sense at all.

*you can’t really see the ukranian flags but it’s there I just didn’t want to be a creep and take more photo also my bus was coming*

Do you think everyone will know I'm queer?

So over on Twitter Darren McCarty quote-tweeted a question about if Lecavalier deserves to be inducted into the HHOF (he doesn’t) by commenting that he won’t answer any HHOF questions until they induct Chris Osgood and I saw someone saying about that “lol well that makes me think I could make it into the HHOF” and I just have some things to say.

  Okay, so Chris Osgood has 3 Stanley Cup rings.

He is currently 6th all time in playoff shutouts (15 in 129 games).

He is 13th all time in win percentage (.583).

He is 9th all time in playoff wins (74).

General consensus among fans/media is that Fleury is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Chris Osgood has exactly as many Stanley Cups (only he was actually in the net for 2 of those wins, unlike Fleury’s 1 - or 1.5 if you wanna be generous).

Chris Osgood has one fewer playoff shutout (in 38 fewer games).

He has better career playoff GAA and SV% (2.09 and .916 respectively to Fleury’s 2.57 and .913) and better regular season GAA (2.49 to Fleury’s 2.54).

So I’m not saying Fleury doesn’t deserve to be in the HHOF (yes I absolutely am because he has been 1000% a product of the teams in front of him which is why he was absolutely brutal for Chicago and also he has choked in the playoffs an embarrassing number of times which is why he’s been benched in the playoffs five different times on three teams by four different coaches - at some point they aren’t persecuting you, bro, you just aren’t performing in big games. Take your bad photoshops and victim complex and gtfo.) but

If Marc-Andre Fleury is a first-ballot Hall of Famer it is absolute horseshit that Osgood isn’t in there.

TIL that the people who got the town of Westlock AB to put forward a vote on a bylaw to ban Pride flags organized a “both sides” party called the “I don’t agree with you but I love you” party, complete with live music from a band that wrote songs about being red-pilled, being anti-vax, and supporting the truckers convoy. Also they invited Jordan Peterson’s daughter (no idea if she attended or not).

CANADIAN POLICE COLLABORATING WITH FASCIST TERRORISTS IN TRANSPHOBIC RALLY

1 Million March 4 Children is a transphobic far right rally seeking to remove education of gender and sexuality from schools and furthermore to restrict access to gender affirming care for trans youth. It is being supported by a number of organizations, including Indigo People, also known as Project Indigo, a project organized by Raven News, a far right anti-vax convoy affiliated news source. This organization is funded by Police On Guard For Thee, an organization of active and retired Canadian police officers with anti-vax sentiments, who openly espouse doubts in the legislative assemblies which govern their work.

Furthermore, another supporter of this march is the Canadian Democratic Defense Affiliation, which includes among its affiliates The Myth Is Canada. This organization openly espouses a goal of a coup in Canada for the overthrow of the constitution to implement their own constitution, which actively targets "cultural marxism" and "political correctness" for criminalization.

In this manner, the police of Canada is collaborating with a fascist terrorist organization through targeting trans youth. The contradictions are sharpening, and the police are revealing their class collaborationist characteristics more and more! The role of the police is to protect private property of the bourgeoise, and when capitalism is in crisis, as it most certainly is in Canada and across the world, the police become divided between protecting the property of the imperialist bourgeoisie or the property of the precariat and petite bourgeoisie (who face threats of proletarianization as the rate of profit decays). Regardless of the general direction, this will always result in violence which targets the working class and oppressed groups of Canada! Stand not with the fascist reactionary forces nor with the Canadian colonial-imperialist bourgeoisie, and study the methods of working class struggle to replace police slave drivers with working class militancy and solidarity!

i’ve been in a quiet war with a local conservative dipshit for the past couple months. every few days they go and put their silly little anti- vax mandate, anti-“”SOGI”” stickers on the lampposts down our street and around the nearby high school. and every few days, i do a round on my bike and scrape the bastards down. the stickers are frankly tasteless, even without the fascism; they talk about how “it didn’t start with gas chambers” and are cleverly disguised to make it sound like they’re advocating for a resistance movement, in the name of the poor oppressed convoy cons who are living in Literal 1984 over being asked to not kill other people.

anyways my weather-resistant 3x5” label stickers got here today. i’m thinking about covering them all with “FASCISTS FUCK WORMS”

wait what did she do now

Not so much what she did now, anon! Really just a series of somewhat concerning posts that while I do respect everyone's right to use their social media for what they want, I do find a bit concerning and irresponsible for a public figure with a predominantly young female audience!

(some examples under the cut)

I'm not going to pretend like I know her as a person or her intentions, anon, because I certainly don't. I can only go by what she's put out publicly and make some basic assumptions based on that.

I know she retweeted Elon Musk supporting the trucking convoy that terrorized Canada for weeks, as well as retweeted Jack Posobiec and Sebastian Gorka on the Balenciaga controversy (both of those are pretty alt-right personalities, despite the fact that people on all ends of the political spectrum were talking about it).

I know she's liked some anti-mask and anti-vax tweets.

Her liked tweets in general are....a bit of a trip.

And then there is this that she posted on her insta story awhile ago:

What....what does that mean?

It aligns pretty nicely with this that she posted recently:

I, uh, I went to the Tiktok of this dude and it's....well it sure is a Tiktok. Featuring posts like this:

Anyway. She's going to believe what she's going to believe and she has the right to. But it's a little concerning to me considering how right-wing and fringe some of these beliefs are.

Bwa ha ha! I just read an article talking about how in a recent poll of how Canadians like each of the different provinces, my province was rated high for our national parks, but there is a negative perception of the people who live here. Basically, the province is nice but the people get in the way.

The article goes on to talk about how there is a “perception” of extremist right-wing politics and attitudes, and “this perception doesn’t reflect the majority of the moderate people who live here.”

Hm really? Cause having lived here all my life, I’d say that perception is fairly accurate. “Most people aren’t like that” - are you SURE? It’s true not every single person here is rushing out to join the anti vax protests… but I would say the average person here is conservative, slightly to moderately racist, and supportive of right-wing policies, and the smaller the town, the more conservative the people are. In my experience it isn’t limited to just the “small town white folks” either - the immigrants I’ve met and worked with here are just as conservative and racist, and they say the same shitty things as my racist family members, just that the groups they hate are slightly different.

Anyways, what use is a “moderate” majority if they do not oppose the bullshit like the anti vax protests? The idiotic truckers convoy? The proposed changes to our provincial education curriculum? What fucking use is a “moderate” majority when they keep voting in the right-wing politicians?

I would say if a national poll shows that people don’t like Albertans, the response “well most people aren’t like that” is just a shitty excuse. Do you not want people to view us like that, or are you fine with it? Do you want to speak up and be a voice of opposition when people are pulling their bullshit stunts, or are you ok with it happening? Why do you want to keep voting in conservative governments that keep edging more and more right wing? Like. “Most people aren’t like that”, what a cop-out. Do something about it then.

The relationship between Covid-19, DIY Citizenship and misinformation/disinformation explained.

Today, digitally mediated DIY (do it yourself) practices have become more mainstream. The internet and social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are being used openly for media dissemination and political purposes. The Twitter link is from news media company Stuff, it raises some interesting arguments from the anti-vax community who have been identified for “using their social media platforms to disperse misinformation about vaccinations and anti-government conspiracies” (Stuff). According to Dr Greg Nyilasy from the University of Melbourne, misinformation is “information which is spread innocently despite being incorrect”. Examples of Covid-19 misinformation include misunderstandings of the virus, false remedies and unrealistic expectations about how the virus spreads. On the other hand, disinformation is “spread intentionally by people in bad faith”, examples of this include Covid-19 related racism and blaming government agencies for the spread of the virus.  

My view is that the anti-vax community is not doing anything to positively contribute to citizenship, or to help people deal with the stresses of a pandemic situation by spreading misinformation in a democratic society. In relation to this article, anti-vax promoter Donna Pokere-Phillips claimed, ‘without providing evidence’, that her father died because of the vaccine. Most of her claims like the ‘vaccine being a bioweapon’, and that fact she disagrees that millions of people have received the Covid vaccines without incident seems concerning. The fact that none of these claims have any actual scientific evidence could be a testament to this. I would consider what Pokere-Phillips is doing to be a modern way of media communication through DIY citizenship. Ratto (2014) explains, ‘DIY citizenship’ as a term that is intended to highlight the diversity of ways citizenship is enacted and performed.  

Ratto further explains that DIY citizenship invites us to consider how and when individuals and communities participate in shaping, changing, and reconstructing worlds, and environments. This can be done in creative ways that challenge the status quo and contemporary understandings of “how things must be. Using Rattos' example, I would argue that spreading misinformation in a participatory means is a way of utilising DIY citizenship, by taking matters into your own hands. I have come across a lot of misinformation myself in the media throughout this pandemic, filtering through the correct facts can sometimes be challenging with the amount of content that we are exposed to daily about the effects of Covid-19 and vaccines. An example of communities participating in DIY citizenship in recent times would be the anti-vax and anti-mandate protest that took place in Wellington NZ. A collective action was formed by citizens through networking and participation in order to end the mandates with no success. The internet and social media were used as a platform through DIY citizenship to inform and communicate messages to practice freedom and democracy.  

Kony 2012 tried to invoke a kind of distributed citizenship, in which individuals from across the globe were to engage in a collective project for political change (Ratto).  Kony 2012 is a 30-minute documentary about the Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony made by Invisible Children, it became one of the fastest-spreading videos in 2012. The film was particularly popular with young people, who spread it through their social networks. The idea of “do it yourself” is noticeable in many areas, but it is particularly apparent in politics through this example. Here, doing it yourself means, making up your own mind, and doing your own research, taking initiative for your own actions. I feel that this is another way in which citizenship has changed, as social media and the internet are gaining popularity individuals are finding new ways of engaging in collective political change.   

Since the relationship between democracy and the media can be complex. Many citizens that stay in democratic societies don’t want any government control of media outlets as they fear that certain government regulations will cause issues within democracy. A representation of this kind of citizen is Brian Tamaki. According to this article from the NZ Herald, “Brian Tamaki the founder of controversial Auckland-based Destiny Church, is accused of intentionally failing to comply with the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act” the article explains how Police said he violated Covid-19 lockdown orders on multiple occasions in 2021 by attending Auckland Domain rallies on 3 separate occasions and violating his bail conditions by continuing to attend the rallies. In my view this is another example of DIY Citizenship, showing how citizens are breaching government restrictions. Citizens in more powerful positions are taking democracy into their own hands.  

Neelakshi explains how urban spaces like community gardens received increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citizens, garden organizers and non-government organizations across Canadian cities advocated for re-opening community gardens in April 2020, and for them to be listed as an essential service, rather than a recreational one. Ratto’s research also explains how creating community gardens, filming personal music videos, and even knitting can be understood and evaluated as emergent modes of political activity. I am part of the local Ellerslie community in Auckland, New Zealand. We have a dedicated Facebook page with information regarding community activities like gardening that takes place locally, as well as information that gets updated regularly about the community fruit and vegetable stands. This is where the local citizens of the community share their spare produce from their gardens. Giving value to fruit and veg that might otherwise go to waste. 

I previously mentioned how DIY citizenship invites us to challenge the status quo. This can be done in creative ways. For example, US citizens were supporting Ukrainians not just through traditional means like donating money to the Red Cross, but by using networks like AirBnB to send money directly to Ukrainian families. This is a great example of how in the age of digital and social media, people can find creative ways to support humanitarian efforts through ways that go beyond the traditional model of donation. I would also consider this as another way that DIY citizenship is performed by citizens helping each other financially.  

Anti-Vaxxers. Ugh.

Had a kinda friend who is an anti-vaxxer. I have a few vax questioners who respect the “If you aren’t vaccinated, stay home” philosophy and this person seemed similar, so I let it slide. Then I found out he was a supporter of Canada’s “Freedom convoy” which terrorized downtown Ottawa for weeks. (Y’know if they’d been #BLM they’d have been shut down in hours.) Said convoy was funded in large amounts by “alt-right” (aka fascist) groups, and I was getting ready to defriend. Today, he pulled the “I prefer pure blood” line. Immediately, my hackles were up. That’s a J. K. Rowling - TERF line at the very least. Double check, oh, and look, it’s a Nazi term too. Not only defriend, BLOCK. Like, JFC. When I knew him as a teen, he was very smart, not sure when he fell into the turnip truck. Now I feel like I need like 50 showers.

 Friendly reminder today in light of the protesting in Ottawa that any ideology that puts your personal freedom first is one to be wary of as a Christian. No one can stop anyone from believing and protesting what they want--but when it becomes all about you, to the point where you’re willing to make disruptive noise late into the night (which triggers ptsd and anxiety in people), block ordinary people from getting to and from places they need to go (including ambulances), then that is using your freedom to fulfill worldly desires. There are so, so many problematic things about the current anti-mandate movement and this protest, but I’m just gonna leave these verses here:

GALATIANS 5:13-14  “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (emphasis by me)

HEBREWS 13:17  “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (note that this doesn’t say you can disobey this if you think they’re a bad leader)

JOHN 15:13  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

1 PETER 2:19  “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”

1 PETER 2:13-14  “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.“ (emphasis by me)

HEBREWS 13:9  “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.“

TITUS 3:9  “But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.“

LUKE 6:27-28  “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.“

MARK 7:15  “There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”

 Anti-mandate ideology is not biblical. It distracts from our true mission as Christians, which is to love others as Jesus loved us.

Phillipians 4:8  “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

What's scaring me as a POC is how many POC I know seem to have been alarmingly fascist all along, or fall for fascism 😔 A local East Asian food blogger whom I thought had been posting anti-vax rallies and the Freedom convoy turned out to be a supporter who's currently wining and dining with PP, and is using his huge following here to campaign for him to become PM. My Black neighbours who used to vote Liberal at least for years became PPC voters. I got stopped in the street once and got a fascist rant about how the left, LGBT community, Black Lives Matters: immigrants, homeless, etc. are ruining Canada, a land of law and order, unlike the uncivilized brown countries, and we need strong right-wing leadership and police. (This guy was Middle Eastern and an immigrant himself, and a South Asian woman who was there also backed him up on his fascist beliefs.) So many people in my own community seem to love the right bc 'they won't make us pay taxes' and 'traditional values'.

I just want to scream that they will never be accepted by white supremacists who are just using them, and would happily want us all dead or deported, but some of them really believe that aligning with whiteness will get them ahead of other POC and immigrants they see as lesser, and it's so frustrating.

~~~~

Slow monday at the convoy

Shoddy camera work, but an update on the convoy activity for Monday.

Just one more small addition to be made for today

My amazingly brave future mother in law is going to a protest today, she has proper ear protection incase they use the LRAD but I just wanted to show off her shirt she made for the protest and the coat she altered for her husband

Wish them the best of luck and hoping for their safe return ❤️🇨🇦🤍