For all those saying Justin Trudeau is too old to go to Coachella; Iggy Pop performed and he’s 79.

Let people live their lives.

Can I add, copy or backup everything published. That web URL could disappear tomorrow.

Ian Penman · I’m just a sound: Back to the Beach Boys To an extent rivalled only by the Beatles, the Beach Boys have become the tales told about them, the ever expanding...

‘Like surfing, Brian Wilson’s creativity involved a fragile balance, and carried the very real risk of going under or too far out to sea.’

Ian Penman on the Beach Boys.

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Billboard beside an elevated freeway: The French Aristocracy never saw it coming either.

Ten years ago this popped up on Facebook.
Still true.

Meanwhile, on Vancouver's North Shore...
@tomflood.bsky.social

Céline Dion - Hymne à l'amour (Live aux Jeux Olympiques de Paris 2024 / Live from the Olympic Games YouTube video by CelineDionVEVO

Still can't get over this enchanting, beautiful, exceedingly talented woman and her rendition of Hymne a l'amour. Her talent is out of this world. #CelineDion www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wQ-...

This is easily one of the finest examples of music production that I've ever heard. On par with the best of Phil Spector, arguably better. This isn't just pop music, in the background in one ear and out the other; it's bloody amazing and complex.
In less than 3 minutes per track.

Ian Penman · I’m just a sound: Back to the Beach Boys To an extent rivalled only by the Beatles, the Beach Boys have become the tales told about them, the ever expanding...

Thanks to @lrb.co.uk for a stunning and thoughtful article about Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. This afternoon I sat down and finally listened to Pet Sounds; having known the BB only from random over-repeated tracks. /1
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

I'm betting you'll love this essay about Brian Wilson.
@charlieangus104.bsky.social

*gasp*

I have been accused of being a snob by a colleague because I include the diaeresis in "naïve."

Now admittedly, it was probably ill-advised of me to briskly say "It's not an umlaut."

Worth noting that the leader of Canada's Opposition, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, has repeatedly REFUSED to get security clearance.
Then again, he also lost his own riding in the last federal election, and had to bounce a loyalist MP in Alberta and take over that riding.

Bro, you didn't see the Slack? Did you read my email? I sent it to you on Signal. Did it disappear? I texted you. Wait, I meant WhatsApp. I called you. I assigned it to you on Notion. I added you to the invite. It's on the Discord, did you see it? You're not in that channel?

The Slimy BC Invader That Came from the West | The Tyee The violet tunicate is a hermaphroditic reproducer that shellfish farmers have been blasting off oysters for nearly a century on the West Coast.

It didn’t arrive on a meteorite, crashing into a suburban town to feast on human flesh.

But an alien blob has been circulating in British Columbian waters, spreading its colonies in marinas and oyster farms. Grace Kennedy writes. 🪸👽

@theregister.com

Meanwhile in Canada.
bsky.app/profile/hali...

Analysis: “Accident” or Systemic Colonial Homicide? In 2020, Everett Patrick, a 42-year-old Lake Babine Nation man, died in hospital after having been left and observed motionless for most of four hours on a hard cell floor in Prince George. His cause ...

Please take a few minutes to read the sad and disturbing report describing the inquest into the death of an Indigenous man, Everett Patrick, in the hands of the RCMP. mediacoop.ca/node/119356

Been researching my family, homesteading in Saskatchewan at the start of the last century, and without even looking at the trailer I'm sure it will bear no resemblance to the reality.
Sod homes? Months of picking rocks from the field so that you could actually plow it? I don't call that romantic.

Been researching my family, homesteading in Saskatchewan at the start of the last century, and without even looking at the trailer I'm sure it will bear no resemblance to the reality.
Sod homes? Months of picking rocks from the field so that you could actually plow it? I don't call that romantic.

“Does it feel like Mr. Trump has insulted you personally 720 times in the year-plus since he took office? Because that’s how it’s gone down, by our count.”

A professional acquaintance is in a bind after missing a key detail in my email because they relied on an AI summary instead of taking 45 seconds to read five sentences. They're also deeply offended to learn this is in no way a Trevor Problem.

Preservation in general. I look at how much of everything is on-line, and shudder to think how it could all disappear overnight.
My spouse is studying vellum manuscripts from 800+ years ago, and I can't imagine 95% of the 'net surviving that long.

For the record. You can't have two bank accounts that use the same currency (CAD). Instead of just adding the new account, then deleting the old one, you instead click EDIT on the old account and replace the various account numbers.

Well, there's a half hour wasted trying to change the bank account for Stripe payouts. Really, this has GOT to be easier.

bsky.app/profile/appa...

@crimethinc.com has you covered:
bsky.app/profile/crim...

Windows Update: Torture chamber for seldom-used PCs Opinion: Microsoft punishes you for updating infrequently

Ho Hum. Just updated my #Mint #Linux Lenovo laptop to the latest version of the OS and desktop, plus all installed software. Took all of seven minutes, including two reboots.
Almost nothing has changed, and everything still works.
Meanwhile, in #Windows...
www.theregister.com/2026/04/14/w...

Donald "Jesus" Trump serving Kool-Aid to followers.

An image that will likely fly over the heads of anyone over, say, 45 years old...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones

Housing Should Be Affordable Except When I Sell My House for a Million Dollars “People deserve to buy a home at a price they can afford, a price that will somehow also cover my entire initial investment, three decades’ worth of repairs ...

"People deserve to buy a home at a price they can afford, a price that will somehow also cover my entire initial investment, three decades' worth of repairs and home improvements, allow me to purchase a new condo, and fund the next two decades of my retirement. It's that simple."
buff.ly/eb04d9q

Steal Something from Work Day April 15, every year

April 15 is Steal Something from Work Day!

Bosses, landlords, and billionaires steal from us continuously. It's not just wage theft—they've robbed us of the entire world, reducing everything to private property, commodities, or wreckage.

Let's snatch back what we can.

stealfromwork.crimethinc.com

Canada's big weakness is that no matter how bad we do things like healthcare, guns, housing etc we can excuse it by saying "Yeah,but we're better than the US."
If you compare us to Europe, we're mediocre.