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Vancouver has long been nicknamed the “city of glass” for its shimmering high-rise skyline. Over the next few years, that skyline will get a very large new addition: Sen̓áḵw, an 11-tower development that will Tetrize 6,000 apartments onto just over 10 acres of land in the heart of the city. Once complete, this will be the densest neighbourhood in Canada, providing thousands of homes for Vancouverites who have long been squeezed between the country’s priciest real estate and some of its lowest vacancy rates. Sen̓áḵw is big, ambitious and undeniably urban—and undeniably Indigenous. It’s being built on reserve land owned by the Squamish First Nation, and it’s spearheaded by the Squamish Nation itself, in partnership with the private real estate developer Westbank. Because the project is on First Nations land, not city land, it’s under Squamish authority, free of Vancouver’s zoning rules. And the Nation has chosen to build bigger, denser and taller than any development on city property would be allowed. Predictably, not everyone has been happy about it. Critics have included local planners, politicians and, especially, residents of Kitsilano Point, a rarified beachfront neighbourhood bordering the reserve. And there’s been an extra edge to their critiques that’s gone beyond standard-issue NIMBYism about too-tall buildings and preserving neighbourhood character. There’s also been a persistent sense of disbelief that Indigenous people could be responsible for this futuristic version of urban living. In 2022, Gordon Price, a prominent Vancouver urban planner and a former city councillor, told Gitxsan reporter Angela Sterritt, “When you’re building 30, 40-storey high rises out of concrete, there’s a big gap between that and an Indigenous way of building.” The subtext is as unmissable as a skyscraper: Indigenous culture and urban life—let alone urban development—don’t mix. That response isn’t confined to Sen̓áḵw, either. On Vancouver’s west side, the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations—through a joint partnership called MST Development Corp.—are planning a 12-tower development called the Heather Lands. In 2022, city councillor Colleen Hardwick said of that project, “How do you reconcile Indigenous ways of being with 18-storey high-rises?” (Hardwick, it goes without saying, is not Indigenous.) MST is also planning an even bigger development, called Iy̓álmexw in the Squamish language and ʔəy̓alməxʷ in Halkomelem. Better known as Jericho Lands, it will include 13,000 new homes on a 90-acre site. At a city council meeting this January, a stream of non-Indigenous residents turned up to oppose it. One woman speculated that the late Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George would be outraged at the “monstrous development on sacred land.” To Indigenous people themselves, though, these developments mark a decisive moment in the evolution of our sovereignty in this country. The fact is, Canadians aren’t used to seeing Indigenous people occupy places that are socially, economically or geographically valuable, like Sen̓áḵw. After decades of marginalization, our absence seems natural, our presence somehow unnatural. Something like Sen̓áḵw is remarkable not just in terms of its scale and economic value (expected to generate billions in revenue for the Squamish Nation). It’s remarkable because it’s a restoration of our authority and presence in the heart of a Canadian city. What chafes critics, even those who might consider themselves progressive, is that they expect reconciliation to instead look like a kind of reversal, rewinding the tape of history to some museum-diorama past. Coalitions of neighbours near Iy̓álmexw and Sen̓áḵw have offered their own counter-proposals for developing the sites, featuring smaller, shorter buildings and other changes. At the January hearing for Iy̓álmexw, one resident called on the First Nations to build entirely with selectively logged B.C. timber, in accord with what she claimed were their cultural values. These types of requests reveal that many Canadians believe the purpose of reconciliation is not to uphold Indigenous rights and sovereignty, but to quietly scrub centuries of colonial residue from the landscape, ultimately in service of their own aesthetic preferences and personal interests. In Sen̓áḵw’s case, it’s Indigenous by design, whatever it might look like to others. The project offers exciting architectural possibilities which could be replicated elsewhere by Indigenous leaders: a focus on communal public spaces rather than private yards, walking paths over parking spaces and the incorporation of Indigenous languages and designs reflecting thousands of years of site-specific history. And rather than taking an incremental approach to development, with concessions to nearby homeowners, the projects at Sen̓áḵw, Iy̓álmexw and Heather Lands consider the entire community—including those who don’t yet live there, and those often marginalized by city planning, such as renters, non-drivers and, obviously, Indigenous people. Source

I'm finally about to turn 30 this year. a milestone as I thought all my illnesses would never let me be here. now that I got a really good job, and my life seems to be getting back on track. are you part of the 1994ers? where are you in this moment in life? any advice for your 30s?

The Democratic National Committee is building its first team to counter third-party and independent presidential candidates, people involved told NBC News, as the party and its allies prepare for a potential all-out war on candidates they view as spoilers. The DNC has hired veteran Democratic operative Lis Smith, best known for her work guiding the 2020 presidential campaign of Pete Buttigieg, to help oversee an aggressive communications component of its strategy, which also includes opposition research and legal challenges. Underscoring how important Democrats view the effort, it is being overseen by Mary Beth Cahill and Ramsey Reid, two veteran DNC insiders, who have already started issuing rare public statements rebuking Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Matt Corridoni, Smith’s former deputy on the Buttigieg campaign and most recently a top aide to Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., is also joining the team as a spokesperson. “We’re facing an unprecedented election and we know the GOP is already working to prop up third-party candidates like Robert Kennedy Jr. to make them stalking horses for Donald Trump,” Corridoni told NBC News. “With so much on the line, we’re not taking anything for granted. We’re going to make sure voters are educated and we’re going to make sure all candidates are playing by the rules.” The move comes as a coalition of outside groups — which includes Democratic and anti-Trump Republican organizations — stockpile money and work to stymie third parties. “There is some Jill Stein hangover,” Pat Dennis, president of American Bridge, a Democratic opposition research group, said referring to the 2016 Green Party nominee who was seen as a spoiler in places like Michigan. “A lot of people, including me, regret that we didn’t go after her further.” Democrats have long blamed Green Party candidates such as Stein and Ralph Nader for contributing to their losses in 2016 and 2000. But they say third parties will be especially impactful in 2024 because of the nature of Trump’s support base. Full article: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/dnc-war-third-party-candidates-rcna143290

Imagine thinking supporting "Israel" was ever worth the moral crisis and continuous trouble it has caused

https://www.chron.com/culture/article/texas-adult-website-blocked-19018637.php

President Joe Biden's average approval rating is currently at its lowest of his entire time in office despite a positive reaction to his recent State of the Union address. Biden's approval rating currently stands at 37.4 percent, the lowest since he recorded an average of 37.6 percent in December 2023, according to poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight's national average calculations. Biden's disapproval rating is at 56.5 percent, giving the president a net disapproval score of 19.2 points—both of which are record markers of disapproval for the president. The average ratings come amid long-standing concerns Biden has faced about his struggling poll numbers and a lack of enthusiasm for the 81-year-old's reelection bid. On Tuesday night, both Biden and Donald Trump were confirmed as the Democratic and Republican nominees for the 2024 election respectively, setting up a rematch of the 2020 race. The White House has been contacted for comment via email. Biden's low approval rating comes close on the heels of recent polls suggesting that potential voters were encouraged by the president's State of the Union address on March 7. During the speech, Biden hit out at Trumpfor trying to win the November election by running on a campaign of "hate, anger, revenge, retribution" while also slamming the "insurrectionists" who "stormed this very Capitol and placed a dagger to the throat of American democracy" during the January 6 attack. Biden listed his accomplishments in office, including stating the U.S. economy rose from being "on the brink" in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to one which is now "literally the envy of the world." Heath Brown, an associate professor of public policy at the City University of New York, said Biden gave "one hell of a speech"on March 7. "President Biden literally said 'hell' more often than I could count. He was a bulldog in this SOTU. He was combative, funny, and aggressive. It also was the most pro-union speech I've ever heard from a U.S. president," Brown previously told Newsweek. "This clearly was the official launch of his reelection campaign, and a good one at that." Full article: https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-approval-rating-sotu-address-2024-1878673

I'm not really an alarmist usually, but Boeing makes half of the world's planes, and they've really been going through it recently

UNESCO has just added six new entries to the list of intangible cultural heritage in Germany, including Berlin's techno scene. The intangible cultural heritage designation is meant to preserve cultural traditions.

The end of an era.

He spent his whole life inside the iron lung. He had come home from playing outdoors when he felt feverish and had a headache. Within days he had been rushed to hospital and doctors operated to clear mucus from his lungs. He woke up in the mechanical iron lung - and spent most of his life inside it. An update posted on his GoFundme page revealed he died on Monday aged 78. It reads: "Paul Alexander, “The Man in the Iron Lung”, passed away yesterday. “After surviving polio as a child, he lived over 70 years inside of an iron lung. “"In this time Paul went to college, became a lawyer, and a published author. "His story traveled wide and far, positively influencing people around the world. "Paul was an incredible role model that will continue to be remembered. "Paul, you will be missed but always remembered." Despite his physical constraints, Paul became a published author, lawyer and avid traveller, remembered worldwide for his smile and inspirational attitude to life. He became a trial lawyer and represented clients in court in a suit and modified wheelchair that held his body upright. He wrote a memoir that took him five years to complete, each word written with a pen attached to a stick in his mouth. More modern ventilators had been created during the course of his life but Paul decided to stay in the iron lung because he was used to it. Polio is a deadly virus that attacks the spinal cord, leaving some survivors paralysed. A vaccine was developed in 1955, largely wiping out the virus. The disease remains endemic in just four countries today: Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many people who survived the virus were only able to breathe via an iron lung. A 7ft metal case that use a vacuum to push air in and out of their own lungs. Paul’s brother Philip said: “I am so gratitude to everybody who donated to my brother’s fundraiser. “It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free. It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time. “It is absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people were inspired by Paul. I am just so grateful.”

https://www.businessinsider.com/cars-recording-data-onstar-gm-lexisnexis-insurance-rates-increase-report-2024-3 Wow, that is ridiculous. Isn't that against privacy laws?

thoughts?

New York City 2021-2022 all over again, thankfully no murders like the seven there prior. Unlike the (mostly) gay men targeted there, that is not specified in its entirety here so not including that in title, despite the likelihood. Avoid Atlanta bars Five Paces Inn, Johnny’s Hideaway, The Ivy Buckhead, and Thirty Bar. Highly organized operation with multiple suspects implied from the stories, clearing their accounts after drink spiking/etc. and then either after kidnapping with threats and/or Face ID while incapacitated clearing their accounts on their phones. Tons of red flags here and I’m reading some irate comments on blogs (that I won’t link to) alleging intentional slow-walking by the APD and even allegations of pay-outs with bar security. No one’s been charged and no leads. Stay safe out there.

From: https://9to5google.com/2024/03/11/tiktok-photos-leak/ So, ATRLsties, will we be ditching Instagram, or not?

Undercover footage of pigs at a Devon farm showing them exposed to “unimaginable suffering” has prompted calls for legal action against the owners. The film crew said the video of pigs being kept in filthy, cramped conditions – featuring instances of cannibalism and malnourishment, as well as animals with untreated, bleeding wounds and hernias – was filmed at Cross Farm in Holsworthy, owned by WJ Watkins and Son. In one clip, a screaming pig was trampled on and bitten by her pen-mates and apparently died in front of the crew from Glass Wall Films. A spokesperson for WJ Watkins confirmed he was aware that covert filming took place on the farm in October, but declined to comment further, referring the Guardian instead to the National Pig Association (NPA). On the basis of the footage, filmed across four non-consecutive nights, the solicitors firm Advocates for Animals has sent a letter of complaint to Heart of the South West trading standards alleging “several potential breaches of the law” at the farm, which is part of the Red Tractor scheme, used to mark food produced to a “high standard”. In 2017, Animal Equality investigated the same farm, estimated to hold 12,000 pigs, and said they found animals living in leaking, dilapidated buildings covered in slurry and forced to lie in their own waste, as well as two pigs with large hernias left in pens with other pigs, pregnant pigs kept in barren, concrete pens without any enrichment, and pigs that had had their tails docked. Christopher Shoebridge, from Glass Wall Films, said: “We were interested to document how animal welfare has improved over time on British farms, and so we visited a farm where improvements had been promised. It was a huge shock to us that, far from being improved, things were just as bad, maybe even worse than before. Full article:https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/10/calls-for-legal-action-after-unimaginable-suffering-filmed-at-devon-pig-farm

President Biden said in an interview on MSNBC on Saturday that he has a "red line" when it comes to the war in Gaza. "You can't have another 30,000 Palestinians dead as a consequence of going after (Hamas). There are other ways to deal with Hamas," he said. Why it matters: This was the first time since the Hamas attack on October 7 that Biden said he has a "red line" for the Israeli military operation in Gaza. Biden's remarks in the interview are another sign that the President's patience about the Netanyahu government is growing thin. The president gave the "red line" remark in response to a question about a possible military operation in Rafah — something the administration has expressed serious concerns about. Yes, but: Biden emphasized that he will not abandon Israel and will not stop the supply of weapons like Iron Dome in a way that Israel won't be able to defend itself. Driving the news: President Biden was caught on a hot mic after his State of the Union address telling a Democratic senator he'd told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu they were going to have a "a come to Jesus meeting" about the situation in Gaza. When asked in the interview what he meant by that, Biden said it's a phrase that is used in Delaware in a serious way. "Bibi knows what I meant," he added. What they are saying: Biden noted that Israel has the right to defend itself and go after Hamas, but emphasized that Netanyahu "must, must, must" pay more attention to preventing civilian casualties in Gaza. Full article: https://www.axios.com/2024/03/10/biden-red-line-gaza-palestinians

after spending 10 years on this site, i’m not sure how true this is

The UK has landed in second place for the most miserable country in the world. With house prices skyrocketing and the cost-of-living crisis still in full swing, it's no wonder why Britain probably isn't one of the most desirable places to be at the minute. Data was collected via the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) assessment, with scores ranging from -100 to 200. Scores under zero represent 'distressed or struggling', between zero and 50 meant 'enduring' while between 50 and 100 meant 'managing' and scores between 100 and 200 meant 'succeeding or thriving'. https://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-news/uk-most-miserable-country-world-cost-of-living-crisis-010058-20240308