iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 11h

I'm just a regular human adult who sat perfectly still on a beach for 30+ minutes waiting for a water snake to come closer in order to snap a picture of it for @inaturalist.bsky.social.

A water snake poking its head out of the shallow water near the edge of a lake

A long water snake swimming away in shallow water at the edge of a lake. The water is shimmering above the rocky terrain.

A water snake swimming away through shallow water at the edge of a lake. The water is shimmering above the medium and small rocks on the lake floor.

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Hannah Vardit @hannahvardit.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

i worry that men think being A Good Guy is dramatically and heroically intervening on behalf of an endangered woman and then being publicly rewarded on a grand scale when actually being A Good Guy is just usually saying, “hey man that’s not funny” or “wow that’s fucked up” and there is no reward

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Prof Deborah Lupton, MPH PhD @dalupton.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I have no time for the sit-on -the-fencers who advocate for responsible GenAI. There is no responsible use of these energy-sucking, planet destroying, exploitative slop machines promoted by technofascists

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

My phone got a slopdate with a new feature: Gemini creating news article summaries. The problem is that these AI summaries are using random images from unrelated articles. Harmless for an article about rain. More harmful when they make a Ottawa city councillor the face of OPS sexual misconduct.

Screenshot of an Ottawa Citizen news article with the title "New Château Montebello owner announced bankruptcy after sale" with an aerial photo of the Château's property.

A screenshot of an Ottawa Citizen news article with the title "Why one councillor is pushing to end Ottawa's $1.3 million express bus." The lead photograph is of Ottawa city councillor Wilson Lo, standing in front of an O C Transpo station.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

"The good news is that unlike many countries, we can control our future. We can't afford to restrain the growth [of the oil & gas sector] In my judgement, [Canada's climate plan] was not sustainable over the long-term. It would have been too expensive for Canadians." @markcarneytweets.bsky.social

A screenshot of an online map showing active wildfires across Canada, with over 600 fires mapped and smoke covering most of the country.

A screenshot of air quality monitoring for northern Ontario showing dangerously high levels of PM 2.5 in many communities, and multiple fires in the northwest.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Love that within 24 hours of @mark-carney.bsky.social announcing that meeting climate targets would be "too expensive," the temperature here hit 46°, there were 3 massive thunderstorms and tornado warnings. Extreme weather cancelling Ottawa's Canada Day celebrations today is painfully appropriate.

Screenshot of a weather radar image showing a large and severe weather system over most of central Ontario, with three weather warnings in the corner, two are orange (indicating increased severity) and one is yellow.

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Erin Dwyer aka Ginger Is A Construct @erindwyer.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

People talk a lot about the internet being reduced to a hellscaoe but then you find art like this Cardi B audio layered over young kestrels being scared of a butterfly:

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

"According to the PBO, Canada will pay more than $1B to host the games, meaning each game will cost $82M." I'm so tired of governments lighting money on fire for grifts that underdeliver benefits while pricing entry out of reach for the community footing the bill www.theguardian.com/football/202...

theguardian.com

‘I don’t want to give my money to Fifa’: Toronto turns its back on the World Cup

For football fans in Canada, the initial prospect of the World Cup coming to town was thrilling – but hundreds of tickets remain unsold

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lauren @lauren.rotatingsandwiches.com · 17/05/2026

if i was going to give a college commencement speech i would make sure to start with something the students could rally behind. something like "we will mechanically suck the youth from your bones to feed a mechanical eschaton, which my generation will use to climb heaven and become new gods"

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Very cool to get a mid-May heat warning for Toronto the same week that Carney signs a pipeline agreement. I will ask again, why does "Elbows Up" never extend to initiatives that would support a sustainable future for everyone in Canada?

Screenshot of a heat warning issued by Environment Canada for May 18 and 19, 2026 in Toronto.
The warning anticipates humidex temperatures near 37 degrees.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

As a member of OPSEU, I've been watching the presidential campaigns unfold. After a few clearly inaccessible posts, I started to wonder just how accessible these campaigns were. So naturally, I spent my weekend looking into it. rowest.ca/writing/an-o...

rowest.ca

Are These OPSEU Presidential Campaigns Accessible? — Róisín MF West

Three candidates are running to be OPSEU's next president. 26% of OPSEU/SEFPO members are disabled. Check out this analysis to find out which campaigns meet accessibility standards and which one compl...

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Would love to know what parts of Charlie's work the @liberalca.bsky.social MPs were giving a standing ovation to. You can't march in the Pride parade in June and then salute a man who spread divisive hate and lies in September.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Gentrification is wild. I was just thinking about my grandmother's house and the rats that crawled across her feet when she was in the cold cellar. A house that they bought with a single income in the Italian neighborhood where no one wanted to live. A house that is now listed for $815,000.

A screenshot of a house listing showing a red brick house and the listing price of $815,000.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

I'm not sure I'm equipped to live in a world where keying a Tesla is considered terrorism but murdering an Indigenous gay man while yelling slurs isn't a hate crime.

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🔫🎃Scott Martian Invaders 🎃🛼 @youcaughtscott.com · 29/04/2025

Hot tip to the NDP: Shifting right as the left-wing option doesn’t work.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

It looks like this will be the lowest number of seats for the NDP in history. How did we get here? • a party with notoriously toxic inner politics • a party that has attempted to run on vibes for 10+ years instead of bold progressive policy • a party that marginalizes most progressive members

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Please, I need to sleep tonight 😭😭😭

Screenshot of voting results for the Carleton riding showing the Liberal candidate leading

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Live feed from the conservative HQ.

Gif of teenage Milhouse throwing a garbage can through store window.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Folks who are thinking about their options, please keep in mind that Canada limits immigration of disabled folks, which is very in-line with our position of pretending to be progressive while being incredibly backwards on a variety of issues related to justice and equity.

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Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 25/03/2025

“It is painful to say this, given my time in government service, but the United States urgently needs a strong alternative to the government public health guidance it has relied on in the past.” 🎁 wapo.st/4225Rdk

wapo.st

Opinion | When the government becomes a health misinformation superspreader

Until I left last week, I led the CDC’s public health messaging. Now we need something to replace it.

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Greg Bester 🇨🇦 @gregbester.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Me: I wish Liberals didn't sound like Conservatives. Liberals: You obviously want the Conservatives to win.

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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

The AP Stylebook says to avoid using the term "special needs" (and "special education" out of titles/quotes), and yet, I keep seeing such language when talking about Department of Education.

Education
Trump says Education Department will no longer oversee student loans, 'special needs'

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Let's talk about people who've received longer sentences than Pat King. I'll start: Mandy Hiscocks. 16 months for organizing G20 protests. www.thestar.com/news/canada/... #cdnpoli #ottawa

thestar.com

‘Freedom Convoy’ organizer Pat King given 3-month conditional sentence

King was found not guilty on three counts of intimidation and one count of obstructing police.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

My bellwether for the sentiment in rural Ontario is that my neighbour who has been flying a "Thank You Trump" flag since before I moved here has finally taken it down. I sure wish the reason was based in human rights and not fired up nationalism, but here we are.

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Jeremy Stahl @jeremystahl.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Breaking from me and @mjsdc.bsky.social : Newly installed AG Pam Bondi sent out more than a dozen memos in a 15 minute period on Wednesday. One of them told staffers to come up with "proposals for criminal investigations" of large companies that have DEIA initiatives. slate.com/news-and-pol...

slate.com

Pam Bondi Instructs Trump DOJ to Criminally Investigate Companies That Do DEI

Civil rights advocates may well file suit immediately against the Justice Department to secure an injunction.

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Amanda Hu @amandalhu.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I am wary to turn to nationalism as an answer to our growing concerns because it tends to make us forgive a lot of ongoing subjugation in the name of “standing strong.” My personal preference is to focus on solidarity with others who find oppression and state violence unjust

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NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Worried about our nation’s descent into fascism? This one pot cacio e pepe will make you feel like you’re in 1920s Italy.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

I have never been invited to interview for any job I've applied for where I disclosed that I was a disabled candidate. It is bleak out here.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

My unhinged 2025 prediction is that PP becomes the next PM and, during his reign, renames the Trans Canada Highway either the All Canadian Highway or the True Canadian Highway. Because this is the world we live in.

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Devin Thomas O’Shea @devintoshea.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

i'm also very proud of this essay for @thenation.com on Panera's heart-attack lemonades and the neoliberal aesthetics of Global Village Coffeehouse www.thenation.com/article/econ...

thenation.com

The Story of Late Capitalism as Told Through Panera Bread

It used to make on-site sourdough. Now, the private-equity-owned chain is better known for its (allegedly) killer lemonade.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

There's an 80% chance temps will exceed the +1.5 degree threshold in the next 5 years but sure, kids being soft is the real problem. Not sure I care about the opinions of a generation that threatened to give us something to cry about while actually giving us something to cry about (climate crisis).

Screenshot of a news article with title "Canadians concerned country's children are too soft, with no coping skills: survey" and an image of a family walking outdoors.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

When people talk about the historical turn towards fascism after a pandemic, it's important to remember that Canada isn't immune to such swings. The Stats Can dashboard on hate crimes shows a truly chilling upswing in violence since the start of the pandemic. www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-60...

A grouped bar chart showing hate crimes reported to police in Canada by year and motivation (race or ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation) All three categories show a marked uptick starting in either 2020 or 2021.

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Paris Marx @parismarx.com · 11/12/2024

Canada is investigating Chinese tech companies, but it should be much more concerned with how dependent we’ve become on US tech monopolies that run roughshod over our rules and laws. In @thestar.com, I argue it’s time for Canada to reclaim its digital sovereignty.

thestar.com

With Trump threat looming, it’s time for Canada to take control of its digital future

With the threat of Trump looming, perhaps it's time for Canada to take back its digital infrastructure.

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Glen McGregor @glenmcgregor.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Court on another break but: Freedom Convoy figure Pat King has been found guilty on five of nine charges, including mischief and disobeying a court order.

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Glen McGregor @glenmcgregor.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Freedom Convoy figure Pat King is found guilty on two counts of mischief, (but not on intimidation charges). Judge says he was an organizer and encouraged other protestors.

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 13/09/2023

My new physiotherapist: What are your hobbies? Me: I cook big meals for my community. Physio: Any other hobbies? Me: I also hand out vegetables 🫑🥒🍅

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Gregory Mansfield @ghmansfield.bsky.social · 03/09/2023

Inaccessibility is not a neutral act. The exclusion of disabled people is a hostile act.

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Ricochet Media @ricochetmedia.bsky.social · 28/08/2023

“It's actually shocking how close I think a lot of people are to being [homeless], but don't feel that way because you've always been able to pay your rent. As soon as you stop being able to do that, you get into a cycle where it becomes harder and harder to get back to that place.” bit.ly/3PgA42X

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 28/08/2023

Patients don’t need to ask doctors to wash their hands, or wear gloves, or sterilize their equipment. Why should patients need to demand their doctors take adequate precautions like wearing a mask against an widespread airborne virus that causes death and chronic illness?

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Ro West (they/them) @roisinwest.bsky.social · 28/08/2023

Gather round as I share a tale as old as the very cardboard in which this battle was forged. #cats

A black cat wearing a onesie lying at the back of an open cardboard box. He has one paw extended towards the camera.

A calico cat lying in an open cardboard box raises a front paw and opens her mouth defensively as another cat's paw steps into the frame.

A calico cat lying in an open cardboard box extends one arm towards the open end of the box.

A calico cat lying in an open cardboard box with her front feet tucked beneath her. She is looking out the side of the box inquisitively.

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