Today’s drive was absolutely gorgeous. The weather was perfect—cool, breezy, and sunny at around 22°C. It’s interesting; I learned that this temperature is what it’s like year-round in the Canary Islands. Now I’m thinking I might like to visit there someday.
I woke up naturally this morning, feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep. It was a much-needed rest, especially after staying up late packing. Packing has always been a task that seems simple until you’re in the middle of it, distracted by a million other things. Marilyne was on the phone with me, helping me stay on track and reminding me of the little things I might forget. Given how often I travel, I’m seriously considering just keeping certain luggage packed—it might save me some of the hassle next time.
Last night, as the packing wore on, I decided to take a break from packing and stepped outside to capture the supermoon. Lunar photography hasn’t always been my strong suit—my shots tend to come out blurry or overexposed. But last night, I spent some time under the moonlight, reading up on techniques, and finally managed to get a shot I’m proud of. It felt good to take the time, focus, and see it pay off.
After finishing my packing this morning, I managed to get on the road before noon. I had hoped to pick up my suitcase and a pair of rubber boots from the dry cleaners—items I dropped off over a month ago after Auta had an accident on them. After weeks of not hearing back from them despite my calls, they finally called three hours into my drive to say my things were ready. A little too late. I told them I’d pick everything up after my trip, but it was frustrating considering how long I had waited.
The drive itself was smooth for the most part. Traffic was light, and I had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. I did see a pretty rough motorcycle accident on the opposite side of the road, which gave me pause. I’ve thought about getting a new motorcycle now and then, but I’m not so sure after my last crash in 2019. It brought back memories of another accident I had years ago when I was still in college. That one was serious, too—my bike hit a concrete guardrail, and I ended up in the emergency room. Thankfully, I made a full recovery both times, but seeing that accident today made me rethink the idea of getting back on a bike. I wrote about the first accident in a blog post and shared my experience with the more recent one in a Twitter thread.
The best part of the day was reaching Jeff’s house in upstate New York. Jeff’s a good friend I met on Twitter years ago, and he’s been kind enough to offer me a place to stay halfway between Baltimore and Montreal. Breaking up the trip like this makes it so much more manageable. He made an incredible dinner—chicken, rice, and Brussels sprouts—and we spent the evening laughing and watching TV shows and movies. Moments like these make me grateful for the friends I have in my life.
Today was one of those days where everything seemed to pile up at once. I started the day catching up on a ton of work at the Department of Transportation, especially tasks related to our social media presence. The highlight was finishing Frank’s retirement video—a project that took longer than expected but came together beautifully.
I was struck by the variety of people who sent in videos wishing Frank well. Colleagues, coworkers, people who have moved on to other jobs and agencies—even several mayors left video messages for him. It was a touching reminder of his impact on so many people, and I’m glad I could pull it all together before heading out on my trip.
Yesterday, I received three new patrons on my Patreon account—two paid and one free. Seeing people appreciate the work I put out there is always encouraging. My long-term goal with Patreon is to have it become my primary source of income. Honestly, I wish to do design work for free and give it away. My design agency charges for projects because I have to pay my bills, but Patreon brings me closer to my goal of working on art and design projects that I can give away.
Even though my Patreon is small, it has a group of dedicated and loving supporters who make it possible for me to keep creating. You can sign up here if you’d like to support my work and get some cool perks.
The rest of the day involved tying up many loose ends, including graphics for new speed cameras around Baltimore and an extensive ad campaign for an upcoming job fair that will be featured on billboards across the city. I’m proud of the designs, but the workload was intense, especially with the pressure of preparing for my time off.
I didn’t sleep well last night—too much on my mind. It was a restless night between staying up late to work and then lying awake thinking about everything I still needed to do. To top it off, traffic on the way to work was a nightmare, with several accidents slowing me down. I was already running behind, and that didn’t help. Thankfully, my boss was understanding, and we managed to have a productive day, even squeezing in a lunch meeting at Rosina Gourmet.
My boss has been pretty stressed out lately, but she’s started taking a step back, making the work environment a lot nicer. Over lunch, we chatted about my trip, seeing Marilyne, and shared stories about her mom and my grandmother.
One thing that’s been frustrating me lately is how taking a vacation feels like a punishment. In the U.S., it seems like the expectation is to finish all your work before you leave, making it nearly impossible to truly relax and recharge. My job is unique, and because of that, there aren’t many people who can step in and cover for me when I’m away. While that provides some job security, taking time off is also incredibly difficult.
I love what I do, but it’s wearing me out. It’s a constant balancing act, and today was just another reminder of how much I need this upcoming break.
Now that the workday is over, I’m spending the rest of the evening packing for my trip. I’m feeling really good about it—I’ve made an exhaustive packing list, including clothing for all kinds of weather and all the tech gear I’ll need to take lots of pictures and do plenty of recordings. I’m bringing several extra hard drives to ensure enough room for all the files. It’s a lot to think about, but I’m looking forward to finally getting on the road.
Today was a mix of familiar routines and new beginnings. It started with the annual Crossing Guards Symposium—my second year covering the event. Alan Robinson, as always, set the tone with his energy, preparing the crowd for the day.
The room was bigger this time, letting me play around with some wide-angle shots I didn’t capture last year.
After the symposium, it was back to the office. I don’t love spending long hours there, but the view from my window has its perks. Watching storm clouds roll over Baltimore provided a moment of peace, a reminder that there’s beauty to be found, even on the busiest days.
One of the day’s highlights was when Frank Murphy, who recently retired after 50 years of service, stopped by the office. We spent a long time talking about visiting national parks and cool places—he’s a walking encyclopedia for the Department of Transportation. It was a meaningful conversation, especially since I won’t be able to attend his send-off party later this week.
We exchanged numbers to stay in touch. I was grateful to have had that time with him today.
By the time I wrapped up, I was exhausted. Knowing I wouldn’t have the energy to cook, I stopped by the Full Moon Pub & Grill for some fish and chips. It wasn’t just about the food—it was a chance to unwind and let the day settle.
But today isn’t just about work. I’m gearing up for a trip north, with a stop in Montreal to see Marilyne. I love spending time with her.
After Montreal, I’ll head to Kawawachikamach for the Elders’ Gathering. It’s the first time in 20 years that my hometown is hosting this event, and I’m honored to be documenting it. Capturing candid moments between the elders—many of whom I see as grandparents—is something I’m particularly looking forward to. These are stories that need to be preserved.
I’m thrilled to share that the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security recently featured me in a video interview as part of their article “Checklist to Build Trust, Improve Public Health Communication, and Anticipate Misinformation During Public Health Emergencies.”
We developed a unique, viral approach to public health communications. Our strategies aimed to rebuild trust within our community and enhance resilience against misinformation, which had a significant impact during these challenging times.
Building trust in public health is crucial, especially during emergencies, and it’s an honor to have our efforts recognized. Check out the video and learn more about the checklist developed to help public health departments improve their communication strategies:
BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Baltimore City Firefighters saved a victim from a residential fire in Southwest Baltimore on Monday, according to the department.
The department says at approximately 3:30 p.m., Baltimore City Firefighters battled a working dwelling fire in the 4200 block of Potter Street in Southwest Baltimore. Units arrived on the scene to find fire and smoke conditions coming from the first floor of this location. Firefighters performed a scene assessment and 360-degree observation and performed an interior attack on the fire. While performing search and rescue operations firefighters located a victim inside the dwelling. The victim was secured by firefighters and removed to the exterior where they are being cared by paramedics at the scene.
Fire officials say while battling the fire, firefighters identified holes in the floors of the structure that could create unsafe conditions. The incident commander ordered an evacuation of the structure to assure the safety of firefighters. At this time there have been no reports of injuries to any firefighters.
The Simcoe Gentlemen of Harmony returned victorious from the Ontario District Barbershop Competition in Belleville earlier this month.
The 34-member chorus won the provincial title, and one of four quartets they entered won in the novice division.
“The quartet of ours that won are called What Song Are We Singing,” said chorus member George Anger. “They were nervous but didn’t show it much on stage. They sang two pole cat songs – songs known by all barbershop choruses throughout the world – My Wild Irish Rose, and Sweet and Lovely.
Members of the winning novice quartet are Benjamin Jancewicz, Alan Daly, Les Komaromy, and Terry Pond.
The Simcoe Gentlemen of Harmony also were presented the trophy as the top performer in Plateau 3, while member John Deacon received the Sandy Bell Chapter Leader of the Year Award for his work at both the Simcoe Chapter and Ontario District level.
The Simcoe Gentlemen of Harmony has existed for over 50 years, and currently are directed by Derek Stevens, along with Robert Ross as assistant director.
“Our director has only been with us for a few years, and he decided that we were doing really well with these two songs,” Anger said. “’Let’s take them to provincial and see what we can do’, he said.
“It’s a lot of work to put in for six minutes on stage,” he noted. “But it’s worth it in the end.”
The men-only group sings every Tuesday evening at Old Windham Church in Simcoe.
“We would love for more guys to come out and join us,” said Anger. “We’d love to make it 50 (voices) again.”
The Simcoe Chapter draws members from London, Brantford and Niagara and performs at community fundraising events and special church services.
A pickup truck was coming in the other direction. As soon as it passed me, the cat darted across the road. I was going slow already. I hit the brakes. It didn’t matter.
He was a big guy, all black, and very fluffy. Looked like a shadow with eyes.
I did a quick u-turn on the empty street, hit my flashers, and ran over to him.
He was still breathing as put my hand out to comfort him, but didn’t last long. He didn’t cry.
I looked up in the direction he had been running; a house that resembled a well-worn and threadbare slipper. There was a light on inside. The porch didn’t seem like it would hold me.
Through the front door, I could see an older man in a bathrobe watching TV. I knocked.
A silver-haired woman with bright eyes and glasses came to the door.
I asked her if she owned a black cat. “A few!” She laughed, but then looked past me. “Oh no.” She said.
“Yeah.” was all I could say.
She came out in her socks, and gently lifted the cat up from the stain on the pavement.
“I’m so sorry…” I said, I began to tear up.
“I told you, Spooky,” she admonished the cat, still warm in her arms. “I told you so many times…”
“I’m so so sorry.” I repeated.
The man called from the porch. “Spooky?”
“Yeap.” Replied the woman. “It’s too bad.” She turned to me. “It’s not your fault. I just couldn’t keep him in, you know? Some cats just don’t take to bein’ indoors.”
The man, apparently ever practical, reappeared on the porch holding a garbage bag.
Their daughter came out, and took the bag from him.
She came out to us, smoothing Spooky’s fur down.
“I’m really glad you stopped and told us.” The elderly woman said.
“At least it was quick…” the daughter searched my eyes, it was a half question.
“Yes; very.” I reassured her. “I stayed with him until…” She visibly relaxed. “Thank you for doing that.” She lifted him gently, closing his eyes. “A lot of people wouldn’a even stopped.”
They thanked me again, I apologized again, and they went back into the house, carefully cradling Spooky.
I had planned to visit Lynnville United Church, but I can’t figure out what time they have their service (the sign out front, their website, and the note on the door are all different).
So; I was 5 minutes late getting to Grace Baptist Church. The parking lot was nearly full, and as I came in, I was warmly welcomed and handed a bulletin.
The church was quite full; maybe 50-60 people, even using the balcony upstairs. The chairs were comfortable, and the band played late 90’s Christian rock. This was also the first church I’d been to where I’d seen nonwhite people. So I had hopes.
Then Pastor Mike Holt took the pulpit, and things began to shift.
The readings were focused on Colossians 2, which, while dense reading, are all about warnings against false prophets.
Pastor Mike Holt began using the text to warn against “the false teachings of science”.
He said “this is something we heard constantly during the pandemic” and that it was “spiritual warfare”.
He went on to tell how he had been so sick and weak this past week that he had been forced to lie on the couch for days. “But God.” He apologized to the congregation for his voice. During communion, seeming to forget his mic is on, his coughs reverberate through the church.
My mask is ON.
After communion, they sing another song, and dismiss.
A lady rushes up to me, introduces herself as one of the deacons’ wives, warmly welcomes me, begins to interrogate me in that very churchy way (do you live in the area?) and asks if I’ll be coming back.
I attempt to untangle myself from her politely, but she’s insistent. “Are you visiting? Are you looking for a church home?”
I told her that it is unlikely that I’ll be returning. She doesn’t let go. “May I ask why not? Your parents live in the area, right?”
Dear readers; I let this poor woman have it.
I said: “Frankly, I was pretty shocked by your pastor. Everyone has been so nice and friendly. But what he was spouting from the pulpit? I’m disgusted, honestly. Colossians is all about false teachings, and he’s up here DOING it.”
Some middle-aged dude has come up to eavesdrop in the background, but quickly realizes he doesn’t want any part of this, and turns away. She gets quiet and goes “I understand. I’ll be sure to relay this to the pastor.”
I replied “I sincerely hope you do”, and got out of there.
TL;DR: went to a church with an actively sick pastor who uses scripture to argue against science. 2/10, do not recommend.
Reading the selection from Explorations in the Interior of the Labrador Peninsula was fascinating for me for a number of reasons. There was a peripheral fascination with the pet beaver and the tools they used and how they travelled. But I was much more interested in the interactions between the various people in the story.
I loved seeing Domeninque’s interactions with his wife. It is quite clear throughout all their interactions that they are in a strong partnership. Domeninque consults with her at every single interaction, even calling her over to participate in conversations when Hind and Louis attempt to talk to him alone. Even though Hind doesn’t even bother to learn her name, it is clear that she has equal footing in every decision that is made.
It was quite clear to me that the Innu chief Domenique did not trust Hind at all, even from his caution when he first approached them on the river. Louis, who serves as Hind’s translator, detects Domeniques hesitation in helping Hind at all at a very early stage. He delays Hind’s request for Domeninque to give him Michel, a young orphaned Naskapi boy, multiple times. He intuits quite well that Domeninque does not want to let Michel go with Hind.
Domeninque has had a lot of experience with white colonizers, being a member of one of the tribes that were first contacted by the French, and it is clear he does not trust Hind at all. I really want to read the rest of the story to find out what Hind ultimately does.
I also got kind of annoyed with Hind as the story progresses. It’s clear that he values Native people and hires and pays them quite well (a dollar a day is near the top of what going wages were for the time period) and yet he repeatedly ignores or resents their advice throughout the narrative. He gets told by multiple people that the water is too high, making it dangerous to continue, by people who grew up and know this territory. And he ignores them, even though he’s paying them for their expertise. Hind even calls Louis “talkative and bumptious”, when he sees Louis is at ease talking with Domenique, despite having just used the man for multiple pages of repeated and redundant questions about the previous winter’s hunt and the icy conditions ahead.
Hind then goes on to make racist remarks about how he knows how “Indians are deferred from any efforts involving great labour”. The high water in the Moise River is a life or death situation, and not something to be taken lightly. This attitude of doggedly pushing through any obstacle in their path is what led to the death of many white men who first landed on North American soil.
Hind seems at face value a neutral observer who simply records the things happening around him, but it is clear to me that as soon as his ego is at stake or if he feels himself the professional in the situation (despite having never travelled this part of the world), everyone else’s advice and opinions are null and void.
It is clear to me that Domeninque sees himself at a clear disadvantage in this situation. He and his family are alone on the river, and encounter a rather large (and uncounted in this section of the book) party entirely composed of men. Though the power dynamic is quite strong against him, and he fiercely protests the taking of Michel still. He makes the correct argument that Michel is the one and only failsafe his family has of survival should anything happen to him. Despite all this, Hind again does not take the Native person seriously, and asks Louis if Domeninque’s death threats are legitimate or not.
Hiring a diverse police force may change what cops look like, but it doesn’t change what policing means and does.
After a white cop fatally shoots someone, prison reformers often suggest hiring more Black cops or more women. But diversifying the police force won’t end police violence, and neither will milquetoast reforms that have been tried and tried again.
Benjamin Jancewicz, a Baltimore-based abolitionist, points out that around 62 percent of the American police force is white, and around 85 percent of cops identify as male. But that lack of representation is not where the issue of policing lies. Jancewicz asserts that police have an established culture of “oppression and dominance” that does not change even when the force has more women or BIPOC officers. “Baltimore,” he points out, “has a 40 percent Black police force” which has not affected the “already established culture of corruption and brutality.”
In 2015, Freddie Gray died in police custody after being brutalized by Baltimore cops, and the police violence and misconduct in Baltimore hasn’t ended there. This is because a system will not and cannot reform itself, especially “when you dump more money and more personnel into it,” according to Jancewicz.
How do we know when a reform is actually going to funnel more money and power to the prison-industrial complex? In an interview with Truthout, Sarah Fathallah, an Oakland-based abolitionist, points to a Critical Resistance framework that helps to determine if a proposed reform “is an abolitionist step that works to chip away at the scope and impact of policing, or a reformist reform that expands its reach.”
The framework guides us to look at reforms critically and ask: Does the proposal reduce funding to police? Does the proposal challenge the notion that police increase safety? Does the proposal reduce the tools, tactics and technology police have at their disposal? And does the proposal reduce the scale of the police?
When it comes to hiring more police officers as an attempt to diversify, we can immediately see that this reform will not lessen the scope of the prison-industrial complex.
Instead, Fathallah says, “Hiring more diverse cops often expands the funding and bodies police departments have at their disposal.” Fathallah saw this firsthand in Oakland, where the City Council voted to approve a police academy in September 2021, citing “discrepancies between the gender and racial makeup of the police compared to communities” to justify the need to hire even more cops.
Focusing on the identities of the police who are committing violence actually prevents us from taking aim at the real issues. Fathallah rightfully points out that these pushes for gender and racial diversity frame “police brutality and murder as individual issues to solve” while reinforcing the “‘bad apples’ narrative of policing, that the police are harmful because of individually blameworthy and racially biased police officers.”
Pushing this narrative is imperative for those who seek to preserve the existing power structures, because it wrongly suggests that huge social problems are actually the failures of individuals, rather than structures.
The violence and cruelty of the prison-industrial complex has been well-documented since its inception, and public consciousness is reflecting this reckoning. More and more people are becoming increasingly critical of the prison-industrial complex. In the summer of 2020, this criticism came to a head with the protests against police violence after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Brutal police violence and the horrors of incarceration never stop, but when examples of them are catapulted onto the national stage, people want answers and solutions.
Because policing and incarceration are inherently violent and racist institutions, prison-industrial complex abolitionists have been working to dismantle them in the hopes of creating a safer and more just world. Without the prison-industrial complex, abolitionists argue that we can divert resources to life-giving resources and services, rather than death-making institutions.
Prison-industrial complex reformers and preservationists generally argue that the system is “broken” — that it has problems that are ultimately solvable, but that maintaining its existence is imperative for public safety. The truth is that the prison-industrial complex is functioning exactly as it is meant to; its creation was never intended to provide justice, but instead it was born of the desire to maintain white supremacy and racial capitalism. When we reframe our understanding of the prison-industrial complex, it becomes clear that it is accomplishing its intended purpose.
In this context, it becomes clear that reforms, such as hiring more Black cops or more women cops — as well as proposed changes like bans on private prisons, body cams on cops and requiring that police verbally warn before shooting — will never solve the problem of police violence.
While police violence can be enacted by individual officers due to racial bias, it is not limited to that. Fathallah says it is also (if not more so) “the outcome of intensive over-policing and systemic criminalization of racialized poverty,” meaning diverse hires will not stop violence.
When concerned people focus on reforming the police and removing the so-called bad apples, policing is able to continue existing in much the same way. Fathallah mentions the phrase “preservation through transformation,” coined by Professor Reva Siegel that describes the phenomenon wherein a violent institution shifts and changes just enough to remain legitimate in the eyes of most.
Hiring diverse cops changes who is doing policing and what the police look like, but it doesn’t change what policing is. And it certainly doesn’t change the fact that the system is actually functioning exactly as it was designed to do.
The only way to stop police violence is to abolish the police. “Policing itself is a form of violence,” says Fathallah, “and violence is a fixture of policing, not a glitch in its system.” Once we acknowledge that truth, then we can see that no reform will change what police are and what they were created to be: protectors of a white supremacist state, of racial capitalism and of private property.
