Politics

Cats split the vote in a FPTP system: graphic.

The dream of proportional representation dies again; long live pro rep

I campaigned during the first and second referendums we had here in BC regarding proportional representation. We won the first one. 58% of voters voted yes for the Citizen Assembly […]

Policy

A BC Ferry winds it's way between Victoria and Vancouver on the Salish Sea.

The many boats of climate change

Their (the IPCC’s) dramatic report on keeping that rise under 1.5 degrees C says the world is now completely off track, heading instead towards 3C.Keeping to the preferred target of 1.5C […]

Politics

A cyclist rides over the Victoria bridge.

My picks for city of Victoria’s Mayor and Council

From housing and affordability, transportation, childcare, and budget priorities, here is how I’m voting on October 20th in the Victoria election for mayor and council…

Policy

House boats rest on calm harbour waters at Fisherman's Wharf in Victoria, BC.

Let all residents vote in Canada

This year, I will be asking Victoria’s municipal election candidates where they stand on letting permanent residents vote in our elections. Join me!

Culture

A famous actor (femme) sits on top of a bed wearing an amazing flowing gown, showing some leg.

The closet, sewing communities, and yay for good comments

I’m loving this article written on the Sewcialists blog. It’s a blog with the goal of making the sewing community more inclusive and representing a wider range of voices. The article is published under a pseudonym…

Roundup

Illustration, mostly greenish, of Bharat looking into the lens of a camera and holding up his thumb, almost like he's sizing us up.

Bharat’s Pocket Scraps: Jeans, not Genes!

Where we wade into the “new” controversy on genetics and race, and talk about e-cigarettes, food and more

Culture

Meghan looking adorable in an old school sedan in the 80s in Ontario.

Hitchhikings

In which Meghan and Sherwin reflect on the old days, hitchhiking, and being young and lucky (and privileged) …

Culture

Black and white silhouette of a hand

Imprints

Reflections on safety and ways of being…

Policy

Dallas Rd, Marine Drive, Victoria, BC

Buying ourselves out of homes

Renting and buying homes, for BC residents, is becoming less and less affordable. We’re experiencing the result of decades of deregulation and rabid speculation…

Art

A variety of images and panels by Lumberjanes

Friendship to the Max! A Review of Lumberjanes!

I recently discovered Lumberjanes, a comic published by Boom! Box, an offshoot of Boom! Studios. I strongly recommend …

Science

A part of a map of relative risks of soil liquefaction due to earthquake.

Map of earthquake liquefaction risks around Victoria

My father recently sent me these amazing resources about various risks due to earthquake around Victoria. I immediately had to look at one, because the thought of the ground turning to liquid is terrifying to me…

Politics

Bill Morneau says Trans Mountain expansion, fuck yes!

Tsleil-Waututh Nation versus Bill Morneau, the duty to consult, and the public interest

Say it with me. The duty to consult Indigenous people does not conflict with the public interest…

Design

An interrobang on a plain tomato background.

Martin Speckter, type design, and the interrobang

99% Invisible did an episode on the interrobang recently. I was interested to learn that early Greek and Roman writing didn’t have spaces! Rack that up to stuff I took for granted. Apparently an ad man in the sixties developed the interrobang…

Roundup

Illustration, mostly greenish, of Bharat looking into the lens of a camera and holding up his thumb, almost like he's sizing us up.

Bharat’s pocket scraps you own a pipeline! edition

Ottawa fails to find new buyer for Trans Mountain pipeline by deadline The federal government is set to become the official owner of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion after failing […]

Roundup

Illustration, mostly greenish, of Bharat looking into the lens of a camera and holding up his thumb, almost like he's sizing us up.

Bharat’s pocket scraps – Making room edition

Vancouver makes room for more people, charities get political, and more…

Roundup

black and white image of a greyhound bus

Bharat’s Pocketscraps NUMTOTS edition

Scraps are back after a while, read on

Culture

Trinity Western University students walk on campus

Trinity Western University continues to defend anti-gay community covenant

The Supreme Court of Canada, happily, was not moved by Trinity Western University’s claims that they weren’t hurting gay folks. And the Supreme Court was not moved by the claims by TWU that they…

Media

Angel in Islamic painting

Canadian journalism fails at nuance when it comes to jihad

On my view the news media in Canada have, by and large and in the long run, misrepresented the concept of jihad. They have positioned jihad as a form of villainy. In so doing they have portrayed Islam as a peril…

Media

The Angel Gabriel as depicted by Bernardino de Betto.

Some notes on why jihad is good

If you read Canadian journalists on the topic, you might not understand that jihad has some very nice meanings. Most Canadian journalists seem to commonly misrepresent the concept. It’s not just them, mind you. There’s lots of misrepresentation of jihad to go around…

Media

There are more ads than articles in the June 2nd BC Edition of the A Section of the Globe and Mail.

Ads versus articles in the Saturday BC Edition of the Globe and Mail, A Section

Here’s the A Section of the Globe and Mail. It’s the BC edition for June 2nd, 2018. There are 19 reports and 5 opinion pieces. I counted the weather section […]

Design

An owl stairs into the snow.

Some thoughts on microblogging with self-hosted WordPress

So I’ve been experimenting with microblogging on Mastadon, micro.blog and Tumblr. I decided it’s time we have our own self-hosted WordPress microblog…

Roundup

Illustration, mostly greenish, of Bharat looking into the lens of a camera and holding up his thumb, almost like he's sizing us up.

Bharat’s Pocket Scraps: Jagmeetophobia TV facebook and more

Canadian media is still hung up in the 1980s on Sikhs, is facebook really to blame for polarization, and more!

Roundup

Pocket Scraps – Jan and Feb 2018

Convergent evolution, cat mass spectrometers, love jihad and more!

Media

A well worn drawer of type sits with a wide range of individual type setting pieces sitting on it.

Anadrome, semordnilap and levidrome: a whimsical example of problematic information

How a heartwarming news story about an interesting linguistic phenomenon widely mislead people that there are no words to describe that spell different words when they’re reversed…

Roundup

A picture of a jeans front pocket with daisy flowers sticking out of the pocket

Bharat’s Pocket Scraps Dec 3

Grizzly overpasses, alt-right scariness and more

Roundup

Bharat’s Pocket Scraps Nov 24

This shall become a weekly thing again, I decree it so. Universal Family Care As millennials have kids and Baby Boomers live longer, we need to create a new, integrated, […]

Roundup

Bharat’s Pocket Scraps 03-Nov

In which you get a sneak peak at my numbered rant system

Roundup

A picture of a jeans front pocket with daisy flowers sticking out of the pocket

Bharat’s Pocket Scraps October 28

Songbirds and twitter, insects, google and more.