Cassey Lottman

some pretty bleak numbers here: Canada's wealthiest demographic receives the largest proportion of government assistance.

"It’s not just that they typically have no dependents, live in paid-off homes and carry little debt, though all of that helps. Their well-being is also untethered from Canada’s anemic wage growth. People 55 and older make up less than one-third of the population but, as of 2023, they owned 49 per cent of the country’s real estate by value, 62 per cent of bank deposits, 72 per cent of mutual funds and other investments and 75 per cent of stocks. The value of all those assets has soared."

"Many do not feel rich. They consider themselves middle class, because they own the things middle-class Canadians once took for granted: a home, a car, perhaps a cottage or a boat. But those once-ordinary markers of stability are now available only to a privileged minority."

https://macleans.ca/longforms/the-great-generational-rip-off #Canada #canpoli #onpoli

Transgender American students in Montreal denied care based on fear of US laws.

Elbows up, eh?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/mcgill-clinic-trans-rights-9.7194954

#canada #TransRights

If I am ever killed in the streets by a driver while I’m on foot or on my bike, please make it known that I would consider it spitting on my grave for flags to be lowered by the same government that took away speed cameras, that fights common sense traffic calming, that fights to dismantle and prevent better infrastructure for vulnerable road users.

A government that encourages, even guarantees, more deaths of kids walking to school, of people on bikes, old ladies in parking lots, and crossing guards forced to become martyrs.

#ottawa #ontario #BikeTooter #SafeStreets #KidicalMass

4 year old reminding me the rules of hockey:

In the penalty box there is only sitting, no standing. And we can’t have toys in the penalty box but we can have water.

#PWHL #parenting
Go Charge go!!

An adult mentions New York in passing.
4yo: “New York! That’s where my friends live”
Parents: “…. what friends?”
4yo: “Spideys!”

#parenting

A friend asked me today "wait, what's the ethical issue you have with LLMs?" and hoo boy is there no way to concisely provide that info without sounding like a raging conspiracy theorist. It's all pretty well documented and supported by fact, it just sure sounds like it shouldn't be! If that were true wouldn't everyone know it and also be horrified instead of enamored with these cool new toys?? Wouldn't it!??
#AIVegan #antillm #antiai

Tell me you’re the younger sibling without telling me:

You are 1 year old and have a single spot of purple marker on the top of your head and nowhere else
#parenting

CBC reports: Ottawa bike share will cost just 2% of Landsdowne 2.0 - a bargain!!

https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9.7162687

#ottawa #OttBike

A friend from a book club we were both in back in Lincoln for several years wrote a book. Based on the strength of one essay of hers I’d read reflecting on her relationships with some larger than average penises, I was eager to read more.

Wow, I am not disappointed. This book easily flies beyond “thing I am reading because I know the author” and is rapidly rising towards “favorite collection of essays I have ever read”

It’s funny, it’s heartfelt and poignant, and it’s quite well written.

“The Trouble With Loving Poets and other essays on failure”, by Elizabeth Zaleski
#books

@lzg@mastodon.social I’ve been chewing on this and I guess I don’t feel like my own moral condemnation needs a theory of change attached. I’m ok holding a niche position on my ethics (insomuch as I can do so and remain employed, which: TBD) and LLM use isn’t even the first one I’ve held (see: abolition type stuff and YIMBYism- two less common beliefs even less commonly held by the same person at once!)

My moral distaste isn’t really affected by recognizing use cases that I accept are genuinely useful- it still feels bad to me!

Vegans (at least some) definitely know or are familiar with the idea that bacon tastes really good to most people. And (at least some) vegans are fine sticking strongly to their own values, and thinking in their heads that others would be better to do things their way, but aren’t necessarily proselytizing at every potluck because they understand that’s a quick road to not being invited back.

https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9.7143584

"The budget also allocates $41 million over three years for a provincewide school resource officer program, after Bill 33 was passed in November. Ottawa’s largest school board cut the program in 2021 after racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ students raised concerns about the presence of police officers in schools."

"(In January 2025, Ottawa police launched a new program assigning one officer to each of Ottawa’s four districts, but not to specific schools.)"

Hey look, it's provincial money for Ottawa transit that could be immediately re-allocated in the proposed budget without harming anyone (and in fact, while keeping schools safer for marginalized kids)!

#ottawa #onpoli

I opened this at some recent point from someone sharing it on fedi, and just read it now. Thanks to whoever shared it - nice essay on gender and roles.

https://okayfail.com/2026/the-roles-we-play.html