Dave Vasilevsky
@vasilevsky.ca
SFF reader, programmer, cyclist. He/him
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
We are deeply saddened by the loss of Greg Newby, who led Project Gutenberg ( @gutenberg.org ) with passion and purpose. Greg’s belief in free and open access to knowledge continues to inspire us and so many others working to preserve our shared culture online. gutenberg.org/about/newby....
October 22, 2025 at 7:40 PM
We are deeply saddened by the loss of Greg Newby, who led Project Gutenberg ( @gutenberg.org ) with passion and purpose. Greg’s belief in free and open access to knowledge continues to inspire us and so many others working to preserve our shared culture online. gutenberg.org/about/newby....
@mikepmoffatt.bsky.social Any thoughts on these replies? Would love your opinions on what would really help, and what would just get in the way.
Nous avons posé huit questions à propos de la construction de logements aux partis municipaux du Grand Montréal. Consultez leur vision pour construire le Grand Montréal ici ➡️ https://www.construisonsmtl.ca/cities-policies/?city=Montr%C3%A9al#question-1
October 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM
@mikepmoffatt.bsky.social Any thoughts on these replies? Would love your opinions on what would really help, and what would just get in the way.
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
“There are many living witnesses to what happened,” Mastromonaco says. “But it’s either not broadly acknowledged or it’s trivialized, perceived as anecdotal and insignificant. But it wasn’t anecdotal, and it wasn’t insignificant.” @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/were-immigra...
thewalrus.ca/were-immigra...
Were Immigrant Kids Barred from Quebec’s French Catholic Schools? | The Walrus
Former students say yes, historians say no. A new investigation is forcing the province to confront its past
thewalrus.ca
September 26, 2025 at 10:54 AM
“There are many living witnesses to what happened,” Mastromonaco says. “But it’s either not broadly acknowledged or it’s trivialized, perceived as anecdotal and insignificant. But it wasn’t anecdotal, and it wasn’t insignificant.” @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/were-immigra...
thewalrus.ca/were-immigra...
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
🚨Today we have a special edition of Insight monitor, where on a Friday morning I woke up and chose data.
I take a close look at claims of rising left wing terrorism in the US:
open.substack.com/pub/insighti...
I take a close look at claims of rising left wing terrorism in the US:
open.substack.com/pub/insighti...
Is left-wing terrorism on the rise in the US?
And how does this compare to trends in Canada?
open.substack.com
September 26, 2025 at 11:50 AM
🚨Today we have a special edition of Insight monitor, where on a Friday morning I woke up and chose data.
I take a close look at claims of rising left wing terrorism in the US:
open.substack.com/pub/insighti...
I take a close look at claims of rising left wing terrorism in the US:
open.substack.com/pub/insighti...
Quebec giving up on illness prevention, as usual
Québec réserve désormais les doses sans frais aux personnes jugées plus à risque, a appris «Le Devoir». #COVID #santé
Le vaccin contre la COVID-19 ne sera plus gratuit pour tous cet automne
www.ledevoir.com
September 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Quebec giving up on illness prevention, as usual
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
People from all over are showing up for DC. This is not a moment. It’s a movement. We are united in our demands. We are all DC! #FreeDC
September 6, 2025 at 6:08 PM
People from all over are showing up for DC. This is not a moment. It’s a movement. We are united in our demands. We are all DC! #FreeDC
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
Multiplexes are coming!
But more slowly in some places than others. Why?
@jensvb.bsky.social & I highlight our recent (open access) paper w/ Tsur & @tomdavidoff.bsky.social comparing multiplex reforms in Kelowna & Coquitlam & also look at Vancouver so far.
homefreesociology.com/2025/08/29/m...
But more slowly in some places than others. Why?
@jensvb.bsky.social & I highlight our recent (open access) paper w/ Tsur & @tomdavidoff.bsky.social comparing multiplex reforms in Kelowna & Coquitlam & also look at Vancouver so far.
homefreesociology.com/2025/08/29/m...
Multiplex Reforms: The Details Matter
Co-authored by Jens von Bergmann and cross-posted at MountainMath Many Canadian municipalities are implementing reforms to allow multiplexes in formerly single family areas. These initiatives are d…
homefreesociology.com
August 30, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Multiplexes are coming!
But more slowly in some places than others. Why?
@jensvb.bsky.social & I highlight our recent (open access) paper w/ Tsur & @tomdavidoff.bsky.social comparing multiplex reforms in Kelowna & Coquitlam & also look at Vancouver so far.
homefreesociology.com/2025/08/29/m...
But more slowly in some places than others. Why?
@jensvb.bsky.social & I highlight our recent (open access) paper w/ Tsur & @tomdavidoff.bsky.social comparing multiplex reforms in Kelowna & Coquitlam & also look at Vancouver so far.
homefreesociology.com/2025/08/29/m...
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
Irwin Cotler, Charles Bronfman sign open letter calling for Israel to end the war in Gaza www.lapresse.ca/actualites/2...
Gaza | Irwin Cotler et des personnalités juives demandent à Israël de mettre fin à la guerre
L’ancien ministre libéral de la Justice Irwin Cotler s’est joint à des milliers de Juifs qui ont appelé le premier ministre israélien, Benyamin Nétanyahou, à mettre fin à la guerre et à la famine à Ga...
www.lapresse.ca
August 14, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Irwin Cotler, Charles Bronfman sign open letter calling for Israel to end the war in Gaza www.lapresse.ca/actualites/2...
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
The housing shortage isn’t just about homelessness.
It’s also the young person who can’t afford to move out. It’s the couple who can’t get a place big enough to have children. It’s the people stuck with roommates (or even in abusive relationships) because they can’t get a place of their own.
It’s also the young person who can’t afford to move out. It’s the couple who can’t get a place big enough to have children. It’s the people stuck with roommates (or even in abusive relationships) because they can’t get a place of their own.
July 24, 2025 at 7:51 PM
The housing shortage isn’t just about homelessness.
It’s also the young person who can’t afford to move out. It’s the couple who can’t get a place big enough to have children. It’s the people stuck with roommates (or even in abusive relationships) because they can’t get a place of their own.
It’s also the young person who can’t afford to move out. It’s the couple who can’t get a place big enough to have children. It’s the people stuck with roommates (or even in abusive relationships) because they can’t get a place of their own.
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
This is incredible. This computer science professor makes his students play a game that simulates the risks and repercussions of getting Long COVID, and then he's like, hey anybody want a mask? And: "approximately 95 to 100% of students who’ve played the game now wear masks in his classroom."
Games can be sense-making tools, allowing players to vicariously experience the risks of contracting COVID-19, recognize #LongCOVID’s most challenging symptoms, and connect with others amid an ongoing public health crisis.
Read more from @kaatefishman.bsky.social: bit.ly/4iQhmuE
Read more from @kaatefishman.bsky.social: bit.ly/4iQhmuE
May 8, 2025 at 3:19 PM
This is incredible. This computer science professor makes his students play a game that simulates the risks and repercussions of getting Long COVID, and then he's like, hey anybody want a mask? And: "approximately 95 to 100% of students who’ve played the game now wear masks in his classroom."
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
Live version and code, plus some additional graphs and details, on my blog. (This is adapted from @karimdouieb.bsky.social's iconic animation of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.)
Elections fun - 2025 edition – Mountain Doodles
Playing with Canadian 2025 federal elections data.
doodles.mountainmath.ca
April 30, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Live version and code, plus some additional graphs and details, on my blog. (This is adapted from @karimdouieb.bsky.social's iconic animation of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.)
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
I invite you to read my new Substack paper called "Measuring improvements in Canadian standards of living" at the following URL: philip635.substack.com/p/measuring-...
Measuring improvements in Canadian standards of living
How much has the standard of living of Canadians improved over the last half century or so?
philip635.substack.com
May 7, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I invite you to read my new Substack paper called "Measuring improvements in Canadian standards of living" at the following URL: philip635.substack.com/p/measuring-...
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
With Yoon removed from office today, by my count that makes 34 democratic leaders convicted since 2010. Only one—Trump—faced no real consequences. Trump's actions weren't uncommon. What was exceptional was how our institutions failed to hold him accountable.
April 4, 2025 at 7:35 PM
With Yoon removed from office today, by my count that makes 34 democratic leaders convicted since 2010. Only one—Trump—faced no real consequences. Trump's actions weren't uncommon. What was exceptional was how our institutions failed to hold him accountable.
Firefox 136 shipped with my new feature: LZMA compression for .dmg downloads
blog.nightly.mozilla.org/2025/01/23/f...
blog.nightly.mozilla.org/2025/01/23/f...
Firefox on macOS: now smaller and quicker to install! – Firefox Nightly News
Firefox is typically installed on macOS by downloading a DMG (Disk iMaGe) file, and dragging the Firefox.app into /Applications. These DMG files are compressed to reduce download time. As of ...
blog.nightly.mozilla.org
March 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Firefox 136 shipped with my new feature: LZMA compression for .dmg downloads
blog.nightly.mozilla.org/2025/01/23/f...
blog.nightly.mozilla.org/2025/01/23/f...
And done! Try exporting your Paper docs with my new tool: www.npmjs.com/package/drop...
February 19, 2025 at 5:36 PM
And done! Try exporting your Paper docs with my new tool: www.npmjs.com/package/drop...
Hmm, looks like Dropbox just upgraded me to a new API version, exciting! But it apparently also means I can't bulk-export my Dropbox Paper docs anymore!? And now have to export all of my hundreds of docs, one at a time!?!
Welp, I guess it's time to write a bulk-doc-exporter tool.
Welp, I guess it's time to write a bulk-doc-exporter tool.
February 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Hmm, looks like Dropbox just upgraded me to a new API version, exciting! But it apparently also means I can't bulk-export my Dropbox Paper docs anymore!? And now have to export all of my hundreds of docs, one at a time!?!
Welp, I guess it's time to write a bulk-doc-exporter tool.
Welp, I guess it's time to write a bulk-doc-exporter tool.
Filesystems are fun! I figured out how to mount Clonezilla backups as directories, so I can look at just one or two files inside: gist.github.com/vasi/b6285221a
gist.github.com
February 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Filesystems are fun! I figured out how to mount Clonezilla backups as directories, so I can look at just one or two files inside: gist.github.com/vasi/b6285221a
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
As someone trained as a trade economist, it is my duty to share the 1929-1933 Kindleberger Spiral, showing the month-month decline in global trade due to the combined factors of the (global) Great Depression and retaliatory tariffs. Smooth Hawley is implemented mid-June 1930.
February 1, 2025 at 9:49 PM
As someone trained as a trade economist, it is my duty to share the 1929-1933 Kindleberger Spiral, showing the month-month decline in global trade due to the combined factors of the (global) Great Depression and retaliatory tariffs. Smooth Hawley is implemented mid-June 1930.
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
Curious why we don't see much Broken Windows Theory applied to police
You let cops get away with little crimes like parking illegally and passing out “get out of traffic ticket” cards to friends & family. Next thing you know they’re killing unarmed civilians and abusing their spouses at high rates
You let cops get away with little crimes like parking illegally and passing out “get out of traffic ticket” cards to friends & family. Next thing you know they’re killing unarmed civilians and abusing their spouses at high rates
January 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Curious why we don't see much Broken Windows Theory applied to police
You let cops get away with little crimes like parking illegally and passing out “get out of traffic ticket” cards to friends & family. Next thing you know they’re killing unarmed civilians and abusing their spouses at high rates
You let cops get away with little crimes like parking illegally and passing out “get out of traffic ticket” cards to friends & family. Next thing you know they’re killing unarmed civilians and abusing their spouses at high rates
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
The truth about asylum in Canada 🌎
Yvonne Sue explains that the moral panic around asylum seekers, particularly international students, ignores reality: Asylum is not automatic, and many claims are rejected.
Read more here: policyoptions.irpp.org?p=115144
Yvonne Sue explains that the moral panic around asylum seekers, particularly international students, ignores reality: Asylum is not automatic, and many claims are rejected.
Read more here: policyoptions.irpp.org?p=115144
The truth about asylum in Canada
The moral panic around asylum seekers, particularly international students, ignores reality: Asylum is not automatic, and many claims are rejected.
policyoptions.irpp.org
January 9, 2025 at 9:13 PM
The truth about asylum in Canada 🌎
Yvonne Sue explains that the moral panic around asylum seekers, particularly international students, ignores reality: Asylum is not automatic, and many claims are rejected.
Read more here: policyoptions.irpp.org?p=115144
Yvonne Sue explains that the moral panic around asylum seekers, particularly international students, ignores reality: Asylum is not automatic, and many claims are rejected.
Read more here: policyoptions.irpp.org?p=115144
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
Toronto Star interview is up! www.thestar.com/news/gta/vid...
Video game captures the ‘abject terror’ of cycling in Toronto. Welcome to ‘Loser Lane’
Creator Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, frustrated with Doug Ford’s plan to remove bike lanes in Toronto, coded the impossible-to-beat video game in just two weeks.
www.thestar.com
January 8, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Toronto Star interview is up! www.thestar.com/news/gta/vid...
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
Boutique primary care clinics are making the family doctor shortage worse, by @ritamc.bsky.social healthydebate.ca/2024/12/topi... via @healthydebate.bsky.social @christinebirak.bsky.social #PrimaryCare
Boutique primary care clinics are making the family doctor shortage worse - Healthy Debate
Boutique clinics are not the future of health care. They are a step backward and are making primary care access worse.
healthydebate.ca
January 4, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Boutique primary care clinics are making the family doctor shortage worse, by @ritamc.bsky.social healthydebate.ca/2024/12/topi... via @healthydebate.bsky.social @christinebirak.bsky.social #PrimaryCare
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
Looks like Montreal will come in at about 1.66 murders / 100k population for 2024, about half the rate of NYC or Toronto and 1/20 the rate of a bunch of US cities. I do love the combination of living in a big vibrant city that's also very safe.
January 1, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Looks like Montreal will come in at about 1.66 murders / 100k population for 2024, about half the rate of NYC or Toronto and 1/20 the rate of a bunch of US cities. I do love the combination of living in a big vibrant city that's also very safe.
Reposted by Dave Vasilevsky
Across northern Ontario, 24 First Nations that previously relied on diesel generators for power are now connected to the provincial electrical grid. In the communities, the culmination of this decades-long project is cause for celebration:
This 1,800-km transmission line brings clean, reliable power to 24 remote First Nations — who also own most of it | The Narwhal
Two decades in the making, Wataynikaneyap Power is majority-owned by 24 nations, allowing them to get off diesel and build economic independence
buff.ly
December 30, 2024 at 2:30 PM
Across northern Ontario, 24 First Nations that previously relied on diesel generators for power are now connected to the provincial electrical grid. In the communities, the culmination of this decades-long project is cause for celebration: