Not Vex as in 🏳️🌈 but Vex as in 🏳️🌈
@theterroirist.bsky.social
Wine, Politics, M:TG, Derby, Urban Affairs, Travel. Probably bad puns. All views expressed here are actually yours; sorry, I don't make the rules. they/them Toronto based, but I get around.
Pinned
Wow, hello everybody!
I woke up today to a LOT of new followers, so I thought I'd make a quick introductory post to let y'all know more about me.
Back on the 'other site' I mostly posted about urban issues, Magic: the Gathering, Roller Derby, equity, and - in the summer - baseball. 1/
I woke up today to a LOT of new followers, so I thought I'd make a quick introductory post to let y'all know more about me.
Back on the 'other site' I mostly posted about urban issues, Magic: the Gathering, Roller Derby, equity, and - in the summer - baseball. 1/
Oh cruel fate! I *wanted* to support the cause and boycott Starbucks, but my local branch had the nerve to shut down a few weeks ago.
Damn you!
Damn you!
November 14, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Oh cruel fate! I *wanted* to support the cause and boycott Starbucks, but my local branch had the nerve to shut down a few weeks ago.
Damn you!
Damn you!
Reposted by Not Vex as in 🏳️🌈 but Vex as in 🏳️🌈
This will make these parts of Toronto an even more vibrant place to live, work, and play.
It will also induce more space and transportation conflicts as people insist on driving and parking mostly-empty cars in the core.
The solution cannot be to cater to cars. They take up too much space.
It will also induce more space and transportation conflicts as people insist on driving and parking mostly-empty cars in the core.
The solution cannot be to cater to cars. They take up too much space.
“New small shops and cafés will once again be allowed to open inside some of Toronto’s neighbourhoods, reversing decades of strict planning policy that kept businesses out of residential areas.” www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
New shops and cafés can open in Toronto neighbourhoods decades after being outlawed | CBC News
New small shops and cafés will once again be allowed to open inside some of Toronto’s neighbourhoods, reversing decades of strict planning policy that kept businesses out of residential areas.
na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
This will make these parts of Toronto an even more vibrant place to live, work, and play.
It will also induce more space and transportation conflicts as people insist on driving and parking mostly-empty cars in the core.
The solution cannot be to cater to cars. They take up too much space.
It will also induce more space and transportation conflicts as people insist on driving and parking mostly-empty cars in the core.
The solution cannot be to cater to cars. They take up too much space.
Pretty fantastic that Vlad won the @mlb.com Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence this year.
Best winner of all time.
#LightsUpLetsGo
Best winner of all time.
#LightsUpLetsGo
a cartoon of two men standing next to each other with the caption and now the winner of the first annual montgomery burns award for
Alt: a cartoon of two men standing next to each other with the caption and now the winner of the first annual montgomery burns award for
media.tenor.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Pretty fantastic that Vlad won the @mlb.com Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence this year.
Best winner of all time.
#LightsUpLetsGo
Best winner of all time.
#LightsUpLetsGo
GOOD NEWS!!!
We're almost ready to become a real city!
We're almost ready to become a real city!
The neighbourhood retail report as amended CARRIES 23-2.
Toronto Council votes to permit corner stores in all Old Toronto & East York wards, and expands permission for retail on some (but not all) major streets city-wide.
Toronto Council votes to permit corner stores in all Old Toronto & East York wards, and expands permission for retail on some (but not all) major streets city-wide.
November 13, 2025 at 8:27 PM
GOOD NEWS!!!
We're almost ready to become a real city!
We're almost ready to become a real city!
I gotta say, "Councillor Holyday directly advocating for a return to mid-1930s German social theory" was not on my bingo card but, honestly, it checks out.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central...
November 13, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I gotta say, "Councillor Holyday directly advocating for a return to mid-1930s German social theory" was not on my bingo card but, honestly, it checks out.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central...
Reposted by Not Vex as in 🏳️🌈 but Vex as in 🏳️🌈
This is one of the purest encapsulations I've seen recently of someone who sees a city not as a destination but as something through which to drive. Imagine if there were popular stores? The horror
Councillor Shan moves to exclude three streets in his ward. He worries the retail spaces created won't just be small shops selling ice cream to locals, but things like "beef patties that are so popular that people from the 905 will come to get it." That'll just add to traffic problems, he says.
November 13, 2025 at 6:01 PM
This is one of the purest encapsulations I've seen recently of someone who sees a city not as a destination but as something through which to drive. Imagine if there were popular stores? The horror
Reposted by Not Vex as in 🏳️🌈 but Vex as in 🏳️🌈
I'm hardly a hardcore free-market libertarian, but it does seem like the reality of market forces should be a bigger part of this debate. The basic reason you don't need to worry about a 24/7 bar/potshop/noise-making emporium setting up on a small street is basically "there's no demand for it."
November 13, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I'm hardly a hardcore free-market libertarian, but it does seem like the reality of market forces should be a bigger part of this debate. The basic reason you don't need to worry about a 24/7 bar/potshop/noise-making emporium setting up on a small street is basically "there's no demand for it."
Stephen "Government Regulations" Holyday apparently wants city council to micromanage retail stores.
"Only functional things may be sold at your store!" bellows commandant Holyday, of the new Toronto regieme.
"Only functional things may be sold at your store!" bellows commandant Holyday, of the new Toronto regieme.
Councillor Holyday worries about retail stores that "sell some zany thing that has very little value." He wants to know if council could define a list of what stores can sell.
Staff say they can regulate things like size, noise and property standards, but generally not what stores sell.
Staff say they can regulate things like size, noise and property standards, but generally not what stores sell.
November 13, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Stephen "Government Regulations" Holyday apparently wants city council to micromanage retail stores.
"Only functional things may be sold at your store!" bellows commandant Holyday, of the new Toronto regieme.
"Only functional things may be sold at your store!" bellows commandant Holyday, of the new Toronto regieme.
Our city council is so embarassing. We're the fourth biggest city on the continent. Is it too much to ask that we actually act like it, rather than pretending we're some exurban outpost?
Seems to be some scene-setting going on for a motion to defer this until after the close of negotiations with the province re: restricting alcohol and pot uses. We'll see if that gains traction.
November 13, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Our city council is so embarassing. We're the fourth biggest city on the continent. Is it too much to ask that we actually act like it, rather than pretending we're some exurban outpost?
To the regressive anti-city folk, 'enough consultation' is at the exact point where people disagree with the policy enough to cancel it, but none of the voices supporting it are heard.
Councillor Thompson asks if there's been enough consultation on this corner store item. Staff say they had pop-up events in every ward with a total of 1,300 people, a survey that received 2,600 responses, public meetings with 'several hundred" attendees, seven meetings with resident associations.
November 13, 2025 at 3:29 PM
To the regressive anti-city folk, 'enough consultation' is at the exact point where people disagree with the policy enough to cancel it, but none of the voices supporting it are heard.
A fine for blocking streetcar tracks is meaningless if there's no enforcement.
Allow automated camera enforcement, and mount them on to every streetcar - if it's blocked, even for a minute, you get a fine.
Allow automated camera enforcement, and mount them on to every streetcar - if it's blocked, even for a minute, you get a fine.
Councillor Saxe moves to raise the fine for blocking a streetcar with your parked car to $500. She also wants a report on requiring corporate landlords to clear their own sidewalks. "It was a mistake in the first place to relieve that liability and we should put it back."
November 12, 2025 at 8:33 PM
A fine for blocking streetcar tracks is meaningless if there's no enforcement.
Allow automated camera enforcement, and mount them on to every streetcar - if it's blocked, even for a minute, you get a fine.
Allow automated camera enforcement, and mount them on to every streetcar - if it's blocked, even for a minute, you get a fine.
I remain amazed that, not only can he tell the difference between a bus, a subway train, and a streetcar, but that he has very strong opinions about them.
The kid is a Toronto urbanist.
The kid is a Toronto urbanist.
My gosh. This kid isn't even two years old.
And when he found out that we were getting on a replacement bus instead of the streetcar for the 504, he started crying.
@ttchelps.bsky.social, when will my kid's dream come true?
And when he found out that we were getting on a replacement bus instead of the streetcar for the 504, he started crying.
@ttchelps.bsky.social, when will my kid's dream come true?
November 12, 2025 at 12:19 AM
I remain amazed that, not only can he tell the difference between a bus, a subway train, and a streetcar, but that he has very strong opinions about them.
The kid is a Toronto urbanist.
The kid is a Toronto urbanist.
My gosh. This kid isn't even two years old.
And when he found out that we were getting on a replacement bus instead of the streetcar for the 504, he started crying.
@ttchelps.bsky.social, when will my kid's dream come true?
And when he found out that we were getting on a replacement bus instead of the streetcar for the 504, he started crying.
@ttchelps.bsky.social, when will my kid's dream come true?
November 11, 2025 at 11:32 PM
My gosh. This kid isn't even two years old.
And when he found out that we were getting on a replacement bus instead of the streetcar for the 504, he started crying.
@ttchelps.bsky.social, when will my kid's dream come true?
And when he found out that we were getting on a replacement bus instead of the streetcar for the 504, he started crying.
@ttchelps.bsky.social, when will my kid's dream come true?
I knew that USians weren't guaranteed paid annual vacations, but are y'all not even entitled to paid stat holidays?!?!
Is this good? It doesn't seem good.
"Walgreens will no longer give many of its retail workers paid vacation time for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other major holidays, as the company looks to cut costs under new owners."
"Walgreens will no longer give many of its retail workers paid vacation time for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other major holidays, as the company looks to cut costs under new owners."
Walgreens Cuts Pay for Hourly Store Workers After $10 Billion Buyout
Walgreens will no longer give many of its retail workers paid vacation time for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other major holidays, as the company looks to cut costs under new owners.
www.bloomberg.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I knew that USians weren't guaranteed paid annual vacations, but are y'all not even entitled to paid stat holidays?!?!
Revised Starter Decks?!?
November 11, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Revised Starter Decks?!?
Ever have one of those mornings when you wake up with a song in your head that you probably haven't heard in years?
Yeah.
Yeah.
November 11, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Ever have one of those mornings when you wake up with a song in your head that you probably haven't heard in years?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Reposted by Not Vex as in 🏳️🌈 but Vex as in 🏳️🌈
as I like to say, if you can’t enforce your core values at scale then those aren’t you’re core values, scale is
November 11, 2025 at 1:54 PM
as I like to say, if you can’t enforce your core values at scale then those aren’t you’re core values, scale is
10 years from now, all the suburban councillors are going to be complaining that people want to live in the walkable wards, and saying derogatory things about housing prices as a result.
so @joshmatlow.bsky.social has posted a motion that allows councillors to adopt neighbourhood retail in their own wards, effectively allowing the removed attachment to be adopted on a ward-by-ward basis. it's not perfect but it's something!!!
November 10, 2025 at 7:56 PM
10 years from now, all the suburban councillors are going to be complaining that people want to live in the walkable wards, and saying derogatory things about housing prices as a result.
Uh, WOW.
That's a heck of a thing to say about a company that could potentially get you shut out from your entire industry.
This is (an example in a field) of what bravery looks like.
That's a heck of a thing to say about a company that could potentially get you shut out from your entire industry.
This is (an example in a field) of what bravery looks like.
OSCAR ISAAC, on whether he'd return to "Star Wars":
".. Yeah. I mean, I’d be open to it, although right now I’m not so open to working with Disney. But if they can kinda figure it out and, you know, not succumb to fascism, that would be great."
@variety.com $DIS
variety.com/2025/film/ne...
".. Yeah. I mean, I’d be open to it, although right now I’m not so open to working with Disney. But if they can kinda figure it out and, you know, not succumb to fascism, that would be great."
@variety.com $DIS
variety.com/2025/film/ne...
Oscar Isaac Was ‘Not So Open to Working With Disney’ After Jimmy Kimmel Suspension, Said He’d Return to ‘Star Wars’ if Disney Does ‘Not Succumb to Fascism’
Oscar Isaac was not open to working with Disney after Jimmy Kimmel's suspension and will only return to 'Star Wars' if the studio avoids fascism.
variety.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Uh, WOW.
That's a heck of a thing to say about a company that could potentially get you shut out from your entire industry.
This is (an example in a field) of what bravery looks like.
That's a heck of a thing to say about a company that could potentially get you shut out from your entire industry.
This is (an example in a field) of what bravery looks like.
Huh, who could have predicted that the anonymous tip about a skunk living under my house, submitted via the Realtor website, a day after somebody lost a bid to buy the house, could have been fraudulent?
Not I, truly.
Not I, truly.
November 8, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Huh, who could have predicted that the anonymous tip about a skunk living under my house, submitted via the Realtor website, a day after somebody lost a bid to buy the house, could have been fraudulent?
Not I, truly.
Not I, truly.
Reposted by Not Vex as in 🏳️🌈 but Vex as in 🏳️🌈
"All right, class, who knows what Watson and Crick discovered?"
"Rosalind Franklin's notes."
"That's correct."
"Rosalind Franklin's notes."
"That's correct."
November 7, 2025 at 8:57 PM
"All right, class, who knows what Watson and Crick discovered?"
"Rosalind Franklin's notes."
"That's correct."
"Rosalind Franklin's notes."
"That's correct."
Could this be the most Canadian thing ever?
Canadian gay hockey romance “Heated Rivalry” comes out on Crave in November and actually it would be unpatriotic not to support our boys -
November 8, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Could this be the most Canadian thing ever?
Getting around to reading @freerangekids.bsky.social now. Enjoying it. Lots of good funny rants.
A few thoughts:
i) When my partner first brought home the book, I glanced at it and misread the author's name as Lemony Snicket. I was worried.
ii) Not a lot of advice beyond what we're already 1/
A few thoughts:
i) When my partner first brought home the book, I glanced at it and misread the author's name as Lemony Snicket. I was worried.
ii) Not a lot of advice beyond what we're already 1/
November 7, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Getting around to reading @freerangekids.bsky.social now. Enjoying it. Lots of good funny rants.
A few thoughts:
i) When my partner first brought home the book, I glanced at it and misread the author's name as Lemony Snicket. I was worried.
ii) Not a lot of advice beyond what we're already 1/
A few thoughts:
i) When my partner first brought home the book, I glanced at it and misread the author's name as Lemony Snicket. I was worried.
ii) Not a lot of advice beyond what we're already 1/
Reposted by Not Vex as in 🏳️🌈 but Vex as in 🏳️🌈
I'm building a fantastic team of MTG content creators to help me make Spotlight Series Lorwyn Eclipsed a huge success, and I need your help!
Applications to be a featured creator at the event are now LIVE... so apply apply apply!
Application Link:
forms.gle/JxwkcNPxRJR6...
(❤️+🔁 are appreciated!)
Applications to be a featured creator at the event are now LIVE... so apply apply apply!
Application Link:
forms.gle/JxwkcNPxRJR6...
(❤️+🔁 are appreciated!)
November 7, 2025 at 7:12 PM
I'm building a fantastic team of MTG content creators to help me make Spotlight Series Lorwyn Eclipsed a huge success, and I need your help!
Applications to be a featured creator at the event are now LIVE... so apply apply apply!
Application Link:
forms.gle/JxwkcNPxRJR6...
(❤️+🔁 are appreciated!)
Applications to be a featured creator at the event are now LIVE... so apply apply apply!
Application Link:
forms.gle/JxwkcNPxRJR6...
(❤️+🔁 are appreciated!)