Lucian

Software dreamer

[Philip Cutler @pacutler]

In 2009 I was a university student.

I ran for City Council in Westmount at the age of 21. It was a 3 ticket race and I was 30 years younger than my opponents. But I like a good challenge.

I had no political experience. My campaign was simple. We are the younger generation, and our generation should have representation on council. Our objective was to get out the younger people to vote who typically are disengaged with municipal politics.

After an exhausting campaign (I knocked on every constituent’s door), election day comes.

As candidates do, I voted for myself early in the morning.
As I am walking out of the polling station, Brian Mulroney is walking in.
I am star struck. I try to avoid eye contact.

He stops me.

“You’re Philip Cutler,” he says.

Embarrassed, but impressed he recognized me I say, “I am.”

“Good. I’ve come to vote for you, and it’s a pleasure to shake your hand,” Brian says.

“To vote for me?”

“Yes. I’ve followed your campaign. You’ve worked harder and are the most qualified candidate.”

I didn’t know what to say. Westmount is a community of many distinguished folks, but a Prime Minister is a Prime Minister. And Brian Mulroney is Brian Mulroney.

Fan boying, I ask Brian if we can take a picture. “Thank you Mr. Prime Minister” I say as I walk away.

A few hours later I lost the election finishing second by a slim margin to former Councillor Tim Price (may he rest in peace).

I was disappointed. But having a Prime Minister vote for you will give you a certain confidence.

In 2013 I ran again. If you know me, you know I don’t like losing so 4 years was a long time for the sting to sit.

Again, like deja-vu, I walk out of the polling station on election day to see Brian Mulroney walking in. This time I approach him.

“Mr. Prime Minister,” I say.

“Philip. Congrats. I look forward to you being my City Councillor.” He says as he shakes my hand again.

“I haven’t won anything yet.” I tell him.

He looks at me with a smile. “No, but you will.” And walks in to vote.

This time I won. At 25, I was, and still am, the youngest ever City Councillor elected in Westmount’s 150 year history.

For the next 8 years I was Brian’s city councillor.

We didn’t speak very often, typically to discuss small municipal matters. We’d see each other on the streets from time to time.

To this day, I think about that first interaction often. It is etched in my memory.

He was a true leader. Everywhere he went he radiated and uplifted the people around him. It was almost like an infectious glow that rubbed off. I feel privileged to have been one of those people.

I never had the opportunity to properly thank him. What I wish I could have told him was that small interaction gave me a confidence I didn’t think I deserved and shaped who I am today.

Rest in peace, Mr. Prime Minister. Thank you for changing my life.

[World of Statistics @stats_feed]

The human cost of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (deaths/injuries): documented by the UN:

2008:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 3,202
Israel 🇮🇱: 853

2009:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 7,460
Israel 🇮🇱: 123

2010:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 1,659
Israel 🇮🇱: 185

2011:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 2,260
Israel 🇮🇱: 136

2012:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 4,936
Israel 🇮🇱: 578

2013:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 4,031
Israel 🇮🇱: 157

2014:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 19,860
Israel 🇮🇱: 2,796

2015:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 14,813
Israel 🇮🇱: 339

2016:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 3,572
Israel 🇮🇱: 222

2017:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 8,526
Israel 🇮🇱: 174

2018:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 31,558
Israel 🇮🇱: 130

2019:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 15,628
Israel 🇮🇱: 133

2020:
Palestine 🇵🇸: 2,781
Israel 🇮🇱: 61

[Matt Loszak @MattLoszak]

Excited to announce Aalo Atomics!

This is a new startup created to help push nuclear energy forward, and it’s what I’ve been working on for the past year.

More announcements coming in the next few months…

https://t.co/pzvIiUdU5u
@AaloAtomics

[Avi B. @avijustin]

The fact that when Rogers goes out, it knocks out ATMs, Non cash payment abilities, 911 services, internet and mobile from almost all of Canada should be the warning sign that monopolies put Canadian citizens at unnecessary risk

[Lucian @lmustatea]

@DaveWoodX I upgraded my Google account but deleted most user accounts and converted them to aliases of the main account.

[Ben Bear @BenBear]

What’s a startup conspiracy theory you believe?

Mine: OKRs were actually a psyop from Google to slow down potential early stage competitors

[Lucian @lmustatea]

#Eurovision Awesome songs this year!

[KeeWeb @kee_web]

KeeWeb is looking for a maintainer: https://t.co/NAFVXC3EJF

[Piotr Zalewski @p_zalewski]

Remarkable speech. Addressed to the Russian people, it should also be heard everywhere.

[Lucian @lmustatea]

@elonmusk Can we get control of the windows in the mobile app, for those occasions when the door mechanism fails to open the door from the outside?

[Lucian @lmustatea]

@DaveWoodX Yes, it works with macOS. Which is the OS I mostly use it with. But the rest of the family use it with Windows and that works ok too.

[Albert Wenger 🌎🔥⌛ @albertwenger]

My book The World After Capital https://t.co/JvRQFHlvZn in 64 tweets

[Edward Snowden @Snowden]

How long do we have left before the iPhone in your pocket begins quietly filing reports about encountering “extremist” political material, or about your presence at a "civil disturbance"? https://t.co/k3SxaGakwh

[François Chollet @fchollet]

People who lost 80% on BTC in 2018/2019 did not buy the latest bull run. That bull run required further mainstreamification of the scheme in order to happen. The new crash will burn an extended set of people, who won't come back. Etc.

[Quatrian Inc @quatrian]

Quick intro video to Sudoku Tutor https://t.co/n41JxHX8Jh

[Lucian @lmustatea]

I just donated to @Wikipedia. Support free knowledge! #iloveWikipedia https://t.co/5RTVgW1oFW

[Lucian @lmustatea]

Mostly a justification as to why a project originally estimated to take a month ended up taking six.

[Quatrian Inc @quatrian]

Short story about the making of Sudoku Tutor https://t.co/ZiOL2C0kmj