2025 Vancouver

9 posts • May 01, 2025 to May 05, 2025
America / Vancouver time

Thinking about Steve Dyer today. What an enormous contribution he made to early online gay life, creating communities that are still socially meaningful to me today.

I've talked to a few Canadians about what they make of the US Republican's 51st state talk. They absolutely see it as a threat of annexation, either directly military or indirectly via economic and political pressure.
To me in the US it just seems so outlandish that I don't take it seriously. But I'm not the one being threatened. Also we are subjected to a bunch of different outlandish things from Trump and the Republicans and they all seem non-serious. Right until they aren't.

Fantastic visit to the Museum of Anthropology, one of the world's best collections of indigenous peoples' art, particularly for the Pacific Northwest. I love how dense these displays are, you get a sense of range.

Carved and painted bird figures. Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, Pacific Northwest.
Carved and painted bird figures. Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, Pacific Northwest.
Masks. Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, Pacific Northwest.
Masks. Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, Pacific Northwest.
Two doll figures. Iatmul, Papua New Guinea
Two doll figures. Iatmul, Papua New Guinea
Man seated in a potlach serving vessel. ???,  Pacific Northwest.
Man seated in a potlach serving vessel. ???, Pacific Northwest.

I bought this tiny Bluetooth speaker and it is a miracle of sound quality for the size. Also remarkably good construction and super cheap. How is this possible? Are there even better tiny speakers about this size?

a tiny speaker being held between finger and thumb
a tiny speaker being held between finger and thumb

One response to US threats of violating Canadian sovereignty is a lot of gentle Canadian pride and nationalism. A lot of shops boast signs like this one.

A sign reading Shop Canadian
A sign reading Shop Canadian

Just enjoyed my moment of good karma. I left my cell phone in a chair at the gate and somebody brought it to the plane for me.