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Andy Ball

@andychelsea99.bsky.social
255 followers 298 following 92 posts

Businessman, cycling advocate, opinionated.

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Reposted by Andy Ball
Dr Robert Davis @chairrdrf.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
Sensible, rational piece here www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... by @peterwalker99.bsky.social . But that's the point: rational, sensible arguments don't work when you're up against car culture (or "car supremacism"/"Motonormativity"). Still be polite and rational, but don't expect that to work.
theguardian.com
No wonder Jeremy Vine is hanging up his helmet cam – the rage we cyclists face is off the scale | Peter Walker
Why does cycling make so many drivers lose their cool? It’s partly ignorance, but demonisation by politicians doesn’t help, says Peter Walker, a senior political correspondent for the Guardian
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Andy Ball @andychelsea99.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
The pop vote is too close for comfort. Lots of work to be done, time for electoral reform. Binary races are not great for Canada. Relieved the PP-CPCs are not forming a gov't. Pleased Carney is our new PM, especially since he and our local MP seem to fit well with most of my values and beliefs.
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
I can't remember who said it on here, but one reason causing danger on a bike isn't the same as causing danger in a car is that the bike rider has already taken steps to mitigate any harm by using a 10-kg vehicle instead of a 2000-kg vehicle
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Adam Kinzinger @adamkinzinger.substack.com · 06/04/2025
Trade deficit. I have bought food from say, Chilis. They have never bought food from me. There is a trade deficit with Chilis. I’m still doing fine. The trade deficit argument SOUNDS compelling, but it’s a straw man with no relevancy
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T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
This seems relevant as Trump introduces tariffs on the penguins of the Heard and McDonald Islands.
The single greatest Wikipedia edit of all time. "Piper Kerr (right), a member of the Scottish National Expedition, plays the bagpipes for an indifferent penguin, March 1904."
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Sen. Adam Schiff @schiff.senate.gov · 12/03/2025
Let's talk about America's new enemy... ... Canada? youtu.be/bZUuw3lnrUk?...
youtu.be
America's New Enemy is... Who??
YouTube video by Sen. Adam Schiff
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John Miedema @johnmiedema.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
I have been a critic of Trudeau on several files, but I am mightily impressed with the closing of his term, his handling of trade and sovereignty, and his closeout on a number of signature policies. Thank you Mr. Trudeau for your public service. #cdnpoli #trudeau
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David Hamer @davidhamer1951.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
Bob Rae - once again we see the best 🇨🇦Prime Minister Canada never had, putting things in simple terms that everyone can understand - to a 🇺🇸US audience. 🙏🏻🍁🙏🏻 www.msnbc.com/the-last-wor...
msnbc.com
'We don't accept this': Canadian Ambassador explains why Trump's tariff fight is pointless
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell is joined by Amb. Bob Rae, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, who explains Canada's belief that Donald Trump's "trade war" with its neighbors needs to stop.
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T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
It's no joke, Americans. You are living in a rogue state that is directly threatening its neighbour. If you want to know what you would have done in 1930s Germany, you're doing it right now. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/w...
nytimes.com
How Trump’s ‘51st State’ Canada Talk Came to Be Seen as Deadly Serious
President Trump, in an early February call, challenged the border treaty between the two countries and told Justin Trudeau he didn’t like their shared water agreements.
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bergsbites @bergsbites.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Whether you're 🇨🇦 or 🇺🇸 take a few minutes to hear what Trudeau said to you today as he addresses both Canadians and Americans.
youtu.be
FULL SPEECH | Trudeau outlines response to U.S. tariffs
YouTube video by CBC News
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Notes from Poland @notesfrompoland.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Polish Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Wałęsa and 38 other former political prisoners of Poland's communist regime have condemned Donald Trump's treatment of Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, which they said reminded them of communist interrogation techniques
notesfrompoland.com
Wałęsa condemns Trump treatment of Zelensky, likening it to communist interrogation
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Mia Farrow @miafarrow.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
Leaders of the free world stand united in London The United States is not among them
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Barbara Kaskosz @kaskosz.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
“It was a sickening spectacle: the man who tried to upend democracy bullying the man who is fighting for democracy.” Trump is rooting for Putin. Trump is working for Putin. Literally. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump Is Rootin’ for Putin (Gift Article)
Trump and Vance in a gross betrayal of the West.
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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 19/02/2025
Toronto to Montreal in 3 hours www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
cbc.ca
Trudeau announces high-speed rail between Quebec City and Toronto | CBC News
The Liberal government launched a six-year, $3.9-billion design and development plan Wednesday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says will eventually connect Quebec City and Toronto with a high-speed...
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George Bell @george.borkbork.ca · 19/02/2025
Lets GOOOOO!!!! (Or VIA....or whatever we are gonna call it...) national unity project, will reduce trade barriers and free up freight capacity...use Canadian steel and concrete...seems like a no brainer at this moment...get building!!!
thestar.com
Trudeau government to announce high-speed rail plans from Toronto to Quebec City: sources
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Transport Minister Anita Anand were slated to make an announcement Wednesday which two sources confirmed to the Star will be to build high-speed rail from
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Alex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
This is really, really, really good! I strongly identify with the sentiments expressed, and the conclusion that in a world of power blocs, the UK must choose Europe And not just the bits it likes. The UK must actively embrace the whole European political project, warts and all.@roterote.bsky.social
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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Maybe I wasn’t clear about this. I wanted more egg and no plane crash, not many plane crash and no egg.
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e.w. niedermeyer @niedermeyer.online · 18/02/2025
If you think protesting is boomer cringe, I get it. So find something else to do that makes Tesla's brand toxic. Make art, leave bad reviews, use your imagination. Tesla's business is weak, and if we can make it weaker, the stock will fall and wipe out his fragile paper fortune. Every bit helps!
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AlpenglowDreams @alpenglowdreams.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
“Wherever law ends, tyranny begins” -John Locke
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Bookshelfie ⭐️ @bookshelfie.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
#booksky
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Barry Petchesky @barryp.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Possibly useful tip: the Trader Joe's precooked hardboiled eggs seem to be immune from the egg price hikes so far. The downside is that eating wet eggs from a bag makes you feel worse about yourself.
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MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 03/02/2025
BREAKING: U.S. TARIFFS ON CANADA PAUSED FOR 30 DAYS
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solomonchik🇨🇦 @msolomonchik.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Excellent speech by our Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau on the insane Trumpen Tariffs of revenge and greed. 🇨🇦 Sorry to my US friends who want no part of him either. Not the ones I know. Thanks PMJT. www.youtube.com/watch?v=92rutFiIWAM
youtube.com
Canada’s Trudeau announces 25% counter tariffs on US goods | LIVE
YouTube video by Global News
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Hey EU, UK, Mexico etc you guys seem smart, funny and reliable trading partners who don’t illegally break relatively recent trade agreements by imposing ridiculously high tariffs to start a trade war against long-time partners & allies while plunging your nation into fascism. Wanna do more trade?
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Susan @susananddogs.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Buying Canadian - This Hour has 22 Minutes 🇨🇦 youtu.be/oYUI4hu950w?...
youtu.be
There's only one winner in a trade war... | This Hour Has 22 Minutes
YouTube video by 22 Minutes
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Sundance @sundance.bikesky.social · 28/01/2025
Laws should not be your moral compass. You can do beter
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Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
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Trinoz @trinoz.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/j...
theguardian.com
An information dark age is upon us. I’m logging off | Stewart Lee
As Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos attempt to reshape our reality, my advice is to avoid their toxic platforms and wait it out
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Phil J Reese @philjreese.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
Sectarian violence in Syria has been less intense than feared since Assad’s ouster apnews.com/article/syri...
apnews.com
Sectarian violence in Syria has been less intense than feared since Assad's ouster
The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of authoritarian rule.
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Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
This is interesting technology, although the use case of sending videos to local police for enforcement seems too optimistic. Massachusetts has a close passing law, and at least in my surrounding area, not a single person has been ticketed. Would video change that? I'm not hopeful.
usa.streetsblog.org
New Camera Tech Hopes to Stop Drivers From Close-Passing Cyclists — Streetsblog USA
If only policymakers could fully experience the pervasive problem of drivers passing too closely to cyclists perhaps they'd find a way to stop the deadly practice and get victims justice.
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Doug van den Ham @dvdham.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
The new bridge at Lebreton Flats is now open to #ottbike and #ottwalk. It's twice as wide!
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Edward Xie @edwardxie.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
Oslo isn't just a functioning city, it's a *flourishing* city - by design! They've kindly made their street design ideas (and rationale) publicly available: t.co/LkWJD9i8pl It shows how a trade-off between lives and travel time is a false choice. #visionzero #cities #bikeTO #onpoli
Image of a street in Oslo from a street design manual by the City of Oslo
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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
The Centretown Community Association has sent a letter to Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe opposing Ottawa's transit budget. This budget will make traffic worse, force children and seniors to stay home, and is financially reckless to the billions already invested in the O-Train system.
Dear Mayor Sutcliffe,

We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the proposed 2025 transit budget. This budget risks driving Ottawa’s transit system into a "transit death spiral," where rising costs and declining service reliability will lead to lower ridership, creating a vicious cycle that is hard to break. More people will choose to drive, worsening traffic congestion, while many—especially seniors, children, and those with lower incomes—will be forced to stay home. The resulting decline in transit usage will only deepen the financial challenges of our system.

Specifically, we are concerned about the following issues:

Fare increases and cancellation of free transit days for seniors: A 120% increase in the cost of transit passes for seniors is both unfair and economically short-sighted. For seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes, this drastic price hike will likely force them to abandon public transit altogether. This will not only leave seniors isolated, but also contribute to further declines in ridership, making the system more expensive to maintain, while also driving more cars onto our already congested roads.

Cuts to youth fare programs: Ending free transit for 11 and 12-year-olds, along with cancelling the youth transit pass, sends the wrong message to the next generation of transit riders. We should be encouraging young people to adopt transit as a way of life, not pushing them toward car dependence. This decision will result in more busy parents driving their children across town, exacerbating traffic congestion and undermining our city’s environmental goals.

The $36 million funding gap: A $36 million hole in the transit budget is a serious concern. Without adequate funding from higher levels of government, the result will be even more service reductions, poorer reliability, and higher costs for those who depend on transit. This will only drive more people into cars, further congesting our streets and undermining years of investment in…in public transit, these cuts threaten to unravel all the progress we’ve made toward a more sustainable, efficient, and affordable transportation network.

Our requests are simple:

Reverse the fare increases for seniors and reinstate free travel days for seniors to ensure that transit remains affordable for those who rely on it the most.
Reinstate free transit for 11 and 12-year-olds and bring back the youth transit pass to help build the next generation of transit users.
Ensure that the transit budget is adequately funded and balanced, without a $36 million funding gap, to maintain and improve service reliability and avoid future cuts.
Ottawa’s transit system is at a crossroads. If we do not act now to reverse these cuts and increase funding, we risk undermining a system that so many depend on. We will only make traffic worse, alienate the most vulnerable, and undo billions of dollars in investment. We urge you to prioritize the long-term sustainability of our transit system and ensure that it remains a reliable, affordable, and efficient option for everyone in our community.

Sincerely,

Derrick Simpson Transportation Chair Centretown Community Association
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Dr. Jen Gunter @drjengunter.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
This needs to be watched by every Canadian.
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The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 18/11/2024
After Trump’s re-election, Elon Musk posted on X: “Novus Ordo Seclorum.” Latin for: “A new order of the ages is born.” Musk has more hubris than a nude statue, but make no mistake. The Trump revolution will rearrange the U.S. Andrew Nikiforuk writes.
thetyee.ca
A Reeling Left Must Face the Great Divide | The Tyee
Liberals doze while right-wing revolutionaries appeal to dread and drift in society.
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Andy Ball @andychelsea99.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
As a newbie, what is going to keep the bots and trolls off BlueSky?
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Andrew Coyne @acoyne.bsky.social · 10/11/2024
Testing.
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Dave Walker @davewalker.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
By request: 'Storage of private property in the street'. From my book 'From A to B'. Commentary below.
Black and white cartoon, with title 'Storage of private property in the street'. Picture of a row of terraced houses with five captioned items in front, with captions as follows:
Some lovely patio furniture? Not really the done thing.
The garden shed? Various curtains would twitch.
Some boxes of odds and ends that wouldn't fit in the loft? Frowned upon.
A wardrobe full of clothes? Outrage on local Facebook group.
Your car? Absolutely fine.
Separate panel below the main drawing.
Woman on bike, with child: 'Could a cycle lane be put in so we can ride to school safely?'
Man, with clipboard: 'I'm sorry - the parked cars mean there just isn't any room'.
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Andy Ball @andychelsea99.bsky.social · 12/11/2024
Does anybody know how to see what is "Trending" on Bluesky?
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