Navneet Alang
@navneetalang.com
Editor on the Opinion team @ Toronto Star. Pitch me at [email protected].
Writer, columnist, bylines all over. PhD. Anglo-Indo-Canadian, each in equal measure. https://navneetalang.com/
Writer, columnist, bylines all over. PhD. Anglo-Indo-Canadian, each in equal measure. https://navneetalang.com/
Pinned
Navneet Alang
@navneetalang.com
· Aug 12
"You've read your last free article," the doctor says after walking into my room, a very serious look on her face
Couple of ways lit theory could be useful to the current moment:
1) What is the place of the referent in relation to the sign, particularly if we think about the death of the author and the capacity of "signs that do things" to do so in the absence of an author, but in some cases, even intent
1) What is the place of the referent in relation to the sign, particularly if we think about the death of the author and the capacity of "signs that do things" to do so in the absence of an author, but in some cases, even intent
September 18, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Couple of ways lit theory could be useful to the current moment:
1) What is the place of the referent in relation to the sign, particularly if we think about the death of the author and the capacity of "signs that do things" to do so in the absence of an author, but in some cases, even intent
1) What is the place of the referent in relation to the sign, particularly if we think about the death of the author and the capacity of "signs that do things" to do so in the absence of an author, but in some cases, even intent
FWIW, I do think that while, Canadian defensiveness is totally understandable, the rush to distinguish this country from the U.S., by invoking the latter's slide into bigotry, fascism etc., feels different when one is Indo-Canadian (no, that is not me saying that Canada = the current U.S.)
I do not believe ordinary Canadians need anything other than their own gumption and character to be racist against Indians (and Indo-Canadians)
It's happening in Canada, too, and I don't know that I would blame the US for it.
September 18, 2026 at 7:15 PM
FWIW, I do think that while, Canadian defensiveness is totally understandable, the rush to distinguish this country from the U.S., by invoking the latter's slide into bigotry, fascism etc., feels different when one is Indo-Canadian (no, that is not me saying that Canada = the current U.S.)
I do not believe ordinary Canadians need anything other than their own gumption and character to be racist against Indians (and Indo-Canadians)
It's happening in Canada, too, and I don't know that I would blame the US for it.
They really should be explicit in the headline that the rise in South Asian hate rhetoric is stemming directly from the united states government.
September 18, 2026 at 6:26 PM
I do not believe ordinary Canadians need anything other than their own gumption and character to be racist against Indians (and Indo-Canadians)
Reposted by Navneet Alang
i interviewed THEE carly rae jepsen! we talked about her new double album, finding joy again in making music, and my break-up, which if you can’t tell that stuff to the artists who’ve soundtracked some of your most emotional moments then who can you tell? www.socanmagazine.ca/features/car...
Carly Rae Jepsen feels it all - SOCAN Words and Music
I don’t mean to talk to Carly Rae Jepsen about my break-up but I do it anyway. It’s late August and we’re on a Zoom call, with Jepsen at home, her cantaloupe-coloured hair radiant in the sunshine, and...
www.socanmagazine.ca
September 18, 2026 at 12:04 PM
i interviewed THEE carly rae jepsen! we talked about her new double album, finding joy again in making music, and my break-up, which if you can’t tell that stuff to the artists who’ve soundtracked some of your most emotional moments then who can you tell? www.socanmagazine.ca/features/car...
I’m on a quite restrictive diet these days, but a strange upside is that meal prep, weeknight cooking etc. is incredibly quick when you aren’t cutting and then sautéing onions and garlic. Sure, the food is flavourless; but it gets ready so quickly!
September 18, 2026 at 2:57 AM
I’m on a quite restrictive diet these days, but a strange upside is that meal prep, weeknight cooking etc. is incredibly quick when you aren’t cutting and then sautéing onions and garlic. Sure, the food is flavourless; but it gets ready so quickly!
Trump is like that one annoying uncle who runs a successful car dealership: he’s shrewd, rich and can be affable but he also happens to be shockingly arrogant and ignorant, and breathtakingly bigoted to boot.
Trump: Electric is a heavier form of propulsion. If you get a little leak and the water starts coming in the boat, do you get electrocuted? If I'm in an electric boat, and the water is pouring in, but 5 yards away there's sharks, do I take the electrocution or sharks? I'll take the electrocution
September 17, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Trump is like that one annoying uncle who runs a successful car dealership: he’s shrewd, rich and can be affable but he also happens to be shockingly arrogant and ignorant, and breathtakingly bigoted to boot.
The trouble with the 🙏 emoji is that I'm just Punjabi-Sikh enough that it makes me think of Sat Sri Akal rather than what it otherwise connotes
September 17, 2026 at 4:26 PM
The trouble with the 🙏 emoji is that I'm just Punjabi-Sikh enough that it makes me think of Sat Sri Akal rather than what it otherwise connotes
Idle thought: sometimes feel that AI safety discourse may be akin to discussing road safety in the early 20th century but being entirely unable to envision a Costco in something that would later be called "the suburbs."
September 17, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Idle thought: sometimes feel that AI safety discourse may be akin to discussing road safety in the early 20th century but being entirely unable to envision a Costco in something that would later be called "the suburbs."
Over the years I’m really glad to have developed a relationship of trust and understanding with Physician Extender Team Member 3
September 17, 2026 at 12:32 PM
Over the years I’m really glad to have developed a relationship of trust and understanding with Physician Extender Team Member 3
Reposted by Navneet Alang
rip annie dillard
September 16, 2026 at 3:29 PM
rip annie dillard
I continue to be surprised at how ambivalent and back and forth I am about AI. Part of that is the disparity between my own sense of what’s true and the rhetoric from at least some corners that can often over- or understate things Quite exaggeratedly.
September 17, 2026 at 1:52 AM
I continue to be surprised at how ambivalent and back and forth I am about AI. Part of that is the disparity between my own sense of what’s true and the rhetoric from at least some corners that can often over- or understate things Quite exaggeratedly.
I’m sympathetic to the idea that an LLM/“AI” might automate or ease some things, thus making certain things easier. Perhaps the tech can help demystify mortgages, investing, maybe bc it can find and digest publicly available information (“publicly” I guess, if we assume it’s on a news site)
Over on the bad place, @weisenthal.bsky.social is making the argument that one reason leftists shouldn't support decommercializing AI is that AI is "the great equalizer" and its absence hurts the marginalized the most. This seems like a stretch to me. e
September 17, 2026 at 1:33 AM
I’m sympathetic to the idea that an LLM/“AI” might automate or ease some things, thus making certain things easier. Perhaps the tech can help demystify mortgages, investing, maybe bc it can find and digest publicly available information (“publicly” I guess, if we assume it’s on a news site)
Over on the bad place, @weisenthal.bsky.social is making the argument that one reason leftists shouldn't support decommercializing AI is that AI is "the great equalizer" and its absence hurts the marginalized the most. This seems like a stretch to me. e
September 17, 2026 at 12:29 AM
Over on the bad place, @weisenthal.bsky.social is making the argument that one reason leftists shouldn't support decommercializing AI is that AI is "the great equalizer" and its absence hurts the marginalized the most. This seems like a stretch to me. e
When I was self-employed, it seemed so important to have the right setup: the right hardware (in my case, initially a mac mini and an ipad pro, then an MBA later when it became clear an iPad wasn't enough), the right email, calendar and to-do apps etc etc. Now it all feels like overkill.
September 16, 2026 at 11:15 PM
When I was self-employed, it seemed so important to have the right setup: the right hardware (in my case, initially a mac mini and an ipad pro, then an MBA later when it became clear an iPad wasn't enough), the right email, calendar and to-do apps etc etc. Now it all feels like overkill.
Reposted by Navneet Alang
What's a good Canadian Politics newsletter that will give me a headline roundup and some basic analysis. I'll pay. Someone must be doing this.
September 16, 2026 at 3:33 PM
What's a good Canadian Politics newsletter that will give me a headline roundup and some basic analysis. I'll pay. Someone must be doing this.
I guess what I'm thinking here is that Apple's line is they don't store, record, it all goes into this super secure pathway etc. Wondering if they might make the same argument re video for a "Hey Siri, what am I looking at?" feature (which tbh is one of the compelling things about the Meta glasses)
Hey here's a thought: what if what the Apple Watch does re "privacy" in audio re the new Siri Recap feature is what it does in for video on smart glasses? Probably better in a certain way, but would still have the same effect of normalizing surveillance, recording etc.
September 16, 2026 at 3:01 PM
I guess what I'm thinking here is that Apple's line is they don't store, record, it all goes into this super secure pathway etc. Wondering if they might make the same argument re video for a "Hey Siri, what am I looking at?" feature (which tbh is one of the compelling things about the Meta glasses)
Reposted by Navneet Alang
I'm not sure it matters in the slightest anymore, but it's clear that a ton of people have still never seen the full comic.
It was exactly ten years ago today, on my 33rd birthday, that I posted this comic online.
September 16, 2026 at 2:24 PM
I'm not sure it matters in the slightest anymore, but it's clear that a ton of people have still never seen the full comic.
Hey here's a thought: what if what the Apple Watch does re "privacy" in audio re the new Siri Recap feature is what it does in for video on smart glasses? Probably better in a certain way, but would still have the same effect of normalizing surveillance, recording etc.
September 16, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Hey here's a thought: what if what the Apple Watch does re "privacy" in audio re the new Siri Recap feature is what it does in for video on smart glasses? Probably better in a certain way, but would still have the same effect of normalizing surveillance, recording etc.
If one of the complains re the current U.S. admin is instability, uncertainty etc., then maybe it's better to not simply float/leak ideas about a significant political agreement between states before there's much in the way of consensus among those states?
September 16, 2026 at 2:25 PM
If one of the complains re the current U.S. admin is instability, uncertainty etc., then maybe it's better to not simply float/leak ideas about a significant political agreement between states before there's much in the way of consensus among those states?
Reposted by Navneet Alang
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September 15, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Attention writers! This Magazine is open for pitches for our next print issue! This issue is unthemed, and we're looking for features, opinion and memoir columns, news and arts pieces. Send your pitches over to [email protected] or click the link below for more information:
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Reposted by Navneet Alang
I find this endlessly fascinating.
In terms of urbanism, Canadian cities look so much like the US that it’s half the reason we have a film industry.
But then you run some numbers on things like traffic safety, and Canada is right between France and Belgium, nowhere close to the US!
In terms of urbanism, Canadian cities look so much like the US that it’s half the reason we have a film industry.
But then you run some numbers on things like traffic safety, and Canada is right between France and Belgium, nowhere close to the US!
List of countries by traffic-related death rate - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
September 16, 2026 at 2:08 AM
I find this endlessly fascinating.
In terms of urbanism, Canadian cities look so much like the US that it’s half the reason we have a film industry.
But then you run some numbers on things like traffic safety, and Canada is right between France and Belgium, nowhere close to the US!
In terms of urbanism, Canadian cities look so much like the US that it’s half the reason we have a film industry.
But then you run some numbers on things like traffic safety, and Canada is right between France and Belgium, nowhere close to the US!
What a remarkable misread of oneself! Baffling.
Canadians strongly believe they have more in common with European nations than with America
September 16, 2026 at 2:26 AM
What a remarkable misread of oneself! Baffling.
tfw when you took software eats the world too literally and forgot that the world is full of both stuff and people
September 16, 2026 at 1:40 AM
tfw when you took software eats the world too literally and forgot that the world is full of both stuff and people
Reposted by Navneet Alang
I was right to be wrong. Those who were right were not being reasonable.
May 21, 2026 at 6:58 AM
I was right to be wrong. Those who were right were not being reasonable.
Something I've thought frequently is that there's a strange thing that happens where you get more stuff the more stuff you get. i.e. you get a job, so you have more money, but then you pay less for medical things, get discounts through work on a phone, get free software, get free tickets etc etc
I wish everyone had good benefits. I just got a new night guard entirely covered.
September 15, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Something I've thought frequently is that there's a strange thing that happens where you get more stuff the more stuff you get. i.e. you get a job, so you have more money, but then you pay less for medical things, get discounts through work on a phone, get free software, get free tickets etc etc