Roland Cooper's Avatar

Roland Cooper

@swordcoop

Barbering; historical fencing, sport fencing, & stick fighting; roller derby; politics we can do something about.πŸ’ˆβš”οΈπŸ›Ό

167
Followers
269
Following
51
Posts
09.11.2024
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by Roland Cooper @swordcoop

Preview
Potential Candidates for the 2026 Vancouver Election At least 12 council candidates from OneCity, 7 from COPE, and 4 from the Greens are vying for progressive nominations over the coming months, and the list includes some impressive Vancouverites.

I've started compiling a comprehensive list of all the progressives angling for city council nominations in Vancouver. It's already a long list and I'm sure I'm missing a few.

canadianveggie.com/2026/03/04/p...

#vanpoli

05.03.2026 04:36 πŸ‘ 30 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 1
Black-and-white studio portrait of Mifflin Gibbs shown from the chest up, facing slightly to the left while looking toward the camera. He wears a dark suit jacket with a high-buttoned vest, a white shirt, and a patterned tie or cravat. He has short hair, a mustache, and a closely trimmed beard along the jawline. The background is plain and softly graded, with even lighting that highlights facial features and the texture of the suit.

Black-and-white studio portrait of Mifflin Gibbs shown from the chest up, facing slightly to the left while looking toward the camera. He wears a dark suit jacket with a high-buttoned vest, a white shirt, and a patterned tie or cravat. He has short hair, a mustache, and a closely trimmed beard along the jawline. The background is plain and softly graded, with even lighting that highlights facial features and the texture of the suit.

Mifflin Gibbs came to Canada for a better life.
In that new life he prospered, becoming an activist, elected official and even played a role in getting British Columbia to join Canada.
This is the story of one of BC's most important early residents.

🧡1/10

14.02.2026 15:01 πŸ‘ 84 πŸ” 22 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
Video thumbnail

another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls

27.12.2025 17:27 πŸ‘ 47055 πŸ” 14489 πŸ’¬ 954 πŸ“Œ 3138

So @evocarshare.bsky.social has a promotion for 50% off the day rate (ie $52.50 + tax, less 10% for BCAA members) but because the day rate kicks in at SIX hours it turns out that a FIVE hour booking still ends up costing $90 somehow, or a four hour booking is $72, etc. I'm miffed, y'all.

03.12.2025 02:04 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This whole thread is very much worth reading.

20.10.2025 03:33 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
side of a building with a billboard that says smoking tables next to non-smoking tables used to be normal too and picture of child biking beside a truck on painted bike lane

side of a building with a billboard that says smoking tables next to non-smoking tables used to be normal too and picture of child biking beside a truck on painted bike lane

Table For One Please.

20.08.2025 12:21 πŸ‘ 315 πŸ” 75 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 13
Video thumbnail

"A call for power is not He-Man standing in front of Castle Grayskull," David Eby told reporters regarding BC Hydro's new call for 5,000 GW more power.

28.07.2025 17:59 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I don't know about questions two and three, but Hard Core Logo and Last Night are both so good. I also really liked Universal Language.

22.06.2025 21:56 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

100% - I know of no First Nation here that recognized - at any time - a local Metis people.

The closest thing to the Metis experience in BC are the Hawaiians - who briefly created a distinct fusion culture, that was fully absorbed back into Native nations here by the mid 20th Century. 1

15.06.2025 17:10 πŸ‘ 44 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 0

This is just a bananas amount of counterfactual hyperventilation fixated on a draft version of a plan that ended up drastically different than what they're freaking out about. "They were going to sell drugs in the streets!" No, they considered market space at Dowler Place and changed their minds.

13.06.2025 03:57 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

The Vancouver School Board creating a graphic showing how it's going to take 23 years to build a single school for a centrally planned neighbourhood in the heart of B.C.'s biggest city serves as a hilarious indictment of how planning happens here

(credit to @city-duo.bsky.social for flagging)

28.05.2025 22:07 πŸ‘ 220 πŸ” 51 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 13

When do we get more voluntary care support? I hear waitlists are still bananas.

25.04.2025 01:45 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
204. 

204 bands unilaterally assert sovereignty over territory within the province, much of which overlaps.

For decades, we’ve entertained assertions of sovereignty within our borders and tolerated a de facto veto on development. 

Indigenous citizens of Canada have already been given every right possessed by their fellow Canadian citizens. Nevertheless, for several years now, BC governments of various stripes have begun signing secret deals with band leaders relinquishing public land and wealth on the basis of their assertions of sovereignty, including, most famously, the deal with the Haida. That agreement enshrines Haida title claims over the Queen Charlotte Islands and did not require the Haida to cede claims of title over private property. 

Private docks are on the chopping block in Sechelt, public access to Joffre Park has been barred by local bands for two consecutive seasons, and 90 acres of prime real estate β€” the former Jericho Lands military base in Vancouver β€” have been transferred.

This reorganization of the core structures of British Columbia is transpiring without the consent or consultation of the public.

204. 204 bands unilaterally assert sovereignty over territory within the province, much of which overlaps. For decades, we’ve entertained assertions of sovereignty within our borders and tolerated a de facto veto on development. Indigenous citizens of Canada have already been given every right possessed by their fellow Canadian citizens. Nevertheless, for several years now, BC governments of various stripes have begun signing secret deals with band leaders relinquishing public land and wealth on the basis of their assertions of sovereignty, including, most famously, the deal with the Haida. That agreement enshrines Haida title claims over the Queen Charlotte Islands and did not require the Haida to cede claims of title over private property. Private docks are on the chopping block in Sechelt, public access to Joffre Park has been barred by local bands for two consecutive seasons, and 90 acres of prime real estate β€” the former Jericho Lands military base in Vancouver β€” have been transferred. This reorganization of the core structures of British Columbia is transpiring without the consent or consultation of the public.

Post image

over on X, MLA Dallas Brodie β€” a lawyer, allegedly! β€” is claiming federal and provincial recognitions of Indigenous rights & sovereignty are indulgent charades ("entertaining assertions"!), rather than the result of decades of legal cases won by Indigenous nations

25.04.2025 00:36 πŸ‘ 55 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 6

How did it go? Any major takeaways about the local candidates?

18.04.2025 05:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

THIS IS GREAT: "Cities are meant to change. It's in their nature. Trying to lock a neighbourhood in amber doesn't preserve its character, it leads to stagnation. Vibrant, livable n'hoods are ones that grow and adapt to the people that live in them, not stay single family homes."

16.04.2025 05:38 πŸ‘ 30 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks for doing it. It was a lovely evening (at the Vic Curling Club, presented by @richardzussman.bsky.social )

03.04.2025 15:16 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Sudan | A groundbreaking Sudanese documentary capturing everyday life amid crisis garners global acclaim from Sundance to Berlinale. Its success highlights East Africa’s cultural resilience and storytelling power in the face of political and humanitarian upheaval.

28.03.2025 23:01 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Being real for a second: I have never trusted paper or citizenship to protect me from a sufficiently fascist state. If they really want to, they can say β€œhey let me see your birth certificate” and then rip it up when you give it to them, say β€œI guess you don’t have one,” and arrest you.

19.03.2025 23:30 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky

I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped

19.03.2025 10:16 πŸ‘ 9248 πŸ” 4333 πŸ’¬ 514 πŸ“Œ 762

*also because ppl keep getting detained by ICE
** and cuz our LGBTQ pals/teammates don't feel safe crossing the border

16.03.2025 04:09 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Trans people have long warned that most of the victims of anti-trans laws and policies would be cis women and girls who don't have the "right look."

08.03.2025 03:30 πŸ‘ 3408 πŸ” 1108 πŸ’¬ 40 πŸ“Œ 29

Definitely need weight based surcharges, and safety certs need to be based on pedestrian safety as well as passenger safety.

07.03.2025 01:31 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
The image is a black-and-white political cartoon depicting a man in a suit standing behind a counter labeled "Republican Platform." He is holding a bottle labeled "Untaxed Whiskey, 20Β’ Gal." in one hand and a piece of cloth labeled "War-Taxed Common Cloth, Tariff 84%" in the other. Above the counter, a sign reads, "If you don’t see what you want, ask for it." The cartoon, signed by W.A. Rogers, appears to satirize the Republican Party's economic policies, highlighting the disparity in taxation between luxury items like whiskey and essential goods like cloth.

The image is a black-and-white political cartoon depicting a man in a suit standing behind a counter labeled "Republican Platform." He is holding a bottle labeled "Untaxed Whiskey, 20Β’ Gal." in one hand and a piece of cloth labeled "War-Taxed Common Cloth, Tariff 84%" in the other. Above the counter, a sign reads, "If you don’t see what you want, ask for it." The cartoon, signed by W.A. Rogers, appears to satirize the Republican Party's economic policies, highlighting the disparity in taxation between luxury items like whiskey and essential goods like cloth.

In 1890, the Tariff Act came into place in the United States. It placed tariffs on imports of up to 50%.
While touted as a way to build American industry, there was also the hope it would force an annexation of Canada. It backfired.
Let's learn more.

🧡1/10

04.03.2025 16:53 πŸ‘ 1632 πŸ” 994 πŸ’¬ 41 πŸ“Œ 248

Are there buildings that aren't historic?

Huh, feeling pedantic this morning.

02.03.2025 17:00 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Isn't there an argument against using Chinese tech because then the Chinese government could use it as a weapon? It's so great that that isn't the case for American tech.

22.02.2025 06:42 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
VPD initiative reduces street crime in Gastown, Hastings Crossing - Vancouver Police Department Vancouver – A Vancouver Police initiative to improve safety in [...]

Hah, so the VPD are patting themselves on the back for the success they've had with their police initiative to lower crime in the DTES. A couple of problems though...

1. Violent crimes like assault started falling in JULY of that year, before "Project Brighthaven" began.

vpd.ca/news/2025/02...

21.02.2025 19:13 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Feeling better and better about the team's decision not to go down for a while...

22.02.2025 00:06 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Vancouver Island's @docs4saferdrugs.bsky.social will be back outside Royal Jubilee Hospital today and tomorrow with pop-up overdose prevention sites.

They will be joined by former BC Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe, and have support letters from multiple groups eg BC Family Doctors and BC Nurses Union.

18.02.2025 16:48 πŸ‘ 45 πŸ” 23 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2

Weird shit is the best

17.02.2025 07:07 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Very fun series. The first two were great, and I'm so happy we're finally getting a third.

17.02.2025 05:41 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0