Nick M. Walsh

Most public debate reacts to systems after they are already in place. My work focuses on understanding them before they reach the mainstream. I analyze institutions, emerging technology, and the real-world consequences they have for everyday people. Here is what you will find on this account.

KELOWNA - TABULATOR MALFUNCTIONS REPORTED BY 3 DIFFERENT SCRUTINEERS All refused a Recount as the Mayor --"I have a lot of concern and worry about the counting of these mail-in ballots, both in terms of the VTU errors, and in terms of the accurate counting, in part because I was prohibited in seeing just how these ballots were inserted in the VTU and from seeing any other information on or about them,” Baird says.-- Complaints were dismissed by Laura Bentley, City of Kelowna's deputy city clerk and chief election officer for the recent election In an application to B.C.'s provincial court filed Monday, Sacheen Collecut is seeking a judicial recount of the ballots cast in Kelowna in the municipal election earlier this month. In the application, she claims “ballots were placed inaccurately in vote tabulating unit,” and there were “rejection errors by vote tabulating unit.” Collecutt, who ran under the Spirit Alliance slate, also says scrutineers were denied their right to properly perform their duties and verify that ballots were counted correctly. But the City of Kelowna's chief election officer says the city is confident in the election results. In her application, Collecutt relies on affidavits filed by three people who worked as scrutineers for several candidates during the election. Scrutineers represent candidates during elections by observing voting procedures. In her affidavit, Susan Siewart says she first worked as a scrutineer during advance voting at the Hollywood Road voting station on Oct. 8, where there were no issues with the machines. But when she worked as a scrutineer on election day at Watson Road voting station, she says the voting tabulation machines were not working correctly. “It was rejecting all ballots despite attempts to feed the ballots into the [vote tabulating unit] in many different ways,” she says. “Long lineups began almost immediately, and the officials began to put the paper ballots into the box and avoiding the VTU (sic).” Siewart says the election official told her the ballots that had been put into a box “would be read at some future unspecified time.” While she says someone arrived at 8:50 a.m. to fix the machine, Siewart says the machine “functioned abnormally all morning.” Credit: Castanet Kelowna

These two had massive chemistry. You can just feel it. No acting here. Great stuff.

Open a savings account to buy Google, Amazon, and Apple stock in the coming years.

Mikey, Mike, Davey, and Peter! Waiting for the last Train to Clarksville!

@modernhistory Why is Iron Mike fighting @JohnCleese ? Polly! Polly? Manuel! Tell him to stop!

19 year old Mike Tyson vs 196cm tall opponent Sammy Scaff

You are so right here, Kris. But come election time, If I hear ONE "split the vote" ignoramus, I'll become Ragnar in body and spirit.

@REMASCULATE A two door station wagon with a bench back seat! Never made them. And, the 78 Yellow Honda civic is WRONG.

What’s the first thing you notice?

Why must we give this putz any airtime? Poilievre is done. He is everything Canadians say they hate. Ignore him fully. The guy doesn't exist. Never mind about the next election. There won't be one. Canadians have already pissed away their chances. With double digit IQs they fell for every media and pollster trick going. Split the fucking vote? You all get what you deserve.

This is quite amazing! Costly, but very doable. We have to rethink the way we create cities. This would work well for sewer and water and waste disposal. A prison system could be connected via underground to a distant prison complex several miles away.

If you want to see the output, dm me any video or audio link and I'll transcribe it for you. This tool will make you untouchable.

Screenshots are great Andy and I do them all the time but I also discovered a new tool recently. A friend of mine who lives near me, he's a software developer, and he created this software that runs off your Windows machine or your MacBook, whatever you've got. It will literally transcribe any audio or video that you want. With YouTube you can even stack up the videos and have it transcribe them all. If you can capture the video or the audio, you can turn it into a full transcript and then go crazy on the content. I'm using this now every single day and loving it.

In British Columbia, it is time we went on the offence. Stop reacting and start taking numbers. Frivolous use of the Law For what it’s worth, British Columbia law already contains safeguards against the kind of weaponized litigation you appear to be facing. Under the BC Supreme Court Civil Rules, Rule 9-5 allows the court to strike a claim that is frivolous, vexatious, or an abuse of process. Rule 9-5(1) specifically permits a pleading to be struck if it discloses no reasonable claim, is scandalous or unnecessary, would prejudice a fair trial, or is otherwise an abuse of the court’s process. That rule exists precisely to prevent the courts from being used to harass people or to force ideological compliance rather than resolve a legitimate legal dispute. There is also authority under the Court Order Enforcement Act, section 18, for the court to declare someone a vexatious litigant if they repeatedly start proceedings that are frivolous, abusive, or intended to harass. Once that designation is made, the person cannot start new actions without permission of the court, which is one of the strongest remedies available against misuse of the legal system. Canadian courts also rely on the common-law doctrine of abuse of process, confirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada in Toronto (City) v. C.U.P.E., Local 79, where the Court held that judges have inherent authority to stop proceedings that are unfair, oppressive, or that undermine the integrity of the justice system. The same principles apply in human rights and tribunal proceedings, which can be dismissed where a complaint is frivolous, vexatious, brought in bad faith, or has no reasonable prospect of success. In short, the law already recognizes that the courts must not be used as a tool to compel belief or punish disagreement, and there are established mechanisms to stop proceedings that cross that line.

@Dallas_Brodie , for what it’s worth, British Columbia law already contains safeguards against the kind of weaponized litigation you appear to be facing. Under the BC Supreme Court Civil Rules, Rule 9-5 allows the court to strike a claim that is frivolous, vexatious, or an abuse of process. Rule 9-5(1) specifically permits a pleading to be struck if it discloses no reasonable claim, is scandalous or unnecessary, would prejudice a fair trial, or is otherwise an abuse of the court’s process. That rule exists precisely to prevent the courts from being used to harass people or to force ideological compliance rather than resolve a legitimate legal dispute. There is also authority under the Court Order Enforcement Act, section 18, for the court to declare someone a vexatious litigant if they repeatedly start proceedings that are frivolous, abusive, or intended to harass. Once that designation is made, the person cannot start new actions without permission of the court, which is one of the strongest remedies available against misuse of the legal system. Canadian courts also rely on the common-law doctrine of abuse of process, confirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada in Toronto (City) v. C.U.P.E., Local 79, where the Court held that judges have inherent authority to stop proceedings that are unfair, oppressive, or that undermine the integrity of the justice system. The same principles apply in human rights and tribunal proceedings, which can be dismissed where a complaint is frivolous, vexatious, brought in bad faith, or has no reasonable prospect of success. In short, the law already recognizes that the courts must not be used as a tool to compel belief or punish disagreement, and there are established mechanisms to stop proceedings that cross that line.

The timing of Mueller's death is highly suspect. I don't even think we know the tip of this iceberg with Mueller. But now that he's dead I think a lot of it is going to come out. There won't be much we can do because he's already gone. Except know and understand the damage that he did while he was here.

Don't hold your breath Karl. Harman is a guy who loses a chess match in four moves every time so don't expect miracles here.

Okay Eric, you don't get off that easy. I'm afraid you're going to have to define the word "good". If you are a Liberal in Canada, there is nothing good about this morning. Of course if you are a Conservative in Canada, there is also nothing good about this morning. If your only concern is that the sun came up and the weather is half decent, then we could stretch the meaning and narrow it somewhat to include being classified as "good".