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  Remains of my mostly-garden pizza. I call my gourmet cheese blend "Whatever was already open in the cheese keeper." The sauce was tomatoes, basil, chili, and garlic from the garden, simmered for 4 hours. Garden garlic and green pepper on top, along with store-bought mushrooms. #pizza #gardening #food

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  First ever butternut squash: many more to come. I've included my largest teapot (6 cups / 1.5 litres) for size comparison. #squash #gardening #ottawa

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  Using AI tool to detect AI is like asking the fox to guard the hen house. #AI

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  Today's tomato bounty (all Sweeties). #gardening #ottawa #tomatoes

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  First baby butternut squash (ever). #ottawa #gardening #squash

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  Reminder: it's a war crime to bombard targets in/near built-up areas where civilian casualties are likely (UN EWIPA, 2022), as is deliberately targetting non-combatants (UN Security Council Resolution 1265, 1999) or civilian infrastructure (UN Security Council Resolution 2573, 2021). In war, these rules apply as much to the victims of invasion (e.g. Ukraine, Palestine) as to the invaders (Russia, Israel). "Whataboutism" is irrelevant. It's not an "accident" when...

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  When you throw a celebration, you're giving a gift to the people attending, not initiating a transaction. This applies as much to children's birthday parties as to weddings. #birthday #children #weddings

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  In the The Bridge on the River Kwai, the filmmakers had the POWs whistle the "Colonel Bogey March" because the actual lyrics British soldiers sang to the melody in WW2 were considered too offensive for 1957 cinema audiences: Hitler has only got one ball, Goering has two, but they are very small. Himmler has something similar, But poor old Goebbels Has no balls At all. #history #cinema #music #WW2

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  I'm disappointed in Tim Hortons for running a major Harry Potter sponsorship promotion with J.K. Rowling. It's a deep betrayal of their trans customers, employees, and the whole Canadian trans community. If you buy anything at Tims, you will be helping to fund Rowling's anti-trans foundation, in which she's invested millions. "TERF Hortons," indeed. #transphobia #TimHortons #Canada

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  Cheat notes Gospel (Jesus): Please, God, give all your children what they need, and teach them to care for each-other. Prosperity Gospel (Religious Right): Please, God, give your most loyal followers every luxury they want, and starve the rest of humanity. (p.s. Could you make the "Eye of the Needle" a little wider? I can't get the camels through with all my stuff.) #religion #Christianity #socialJustice

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  #TIL (actually yesterday) from my kids about the #sadBeigeMom hashtag, to describe influencers places like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube who design their homes only in shades of cream and grey (even children's toys and ornaments on Christmas trees). I'd noticed that "design" approach on TV home-improvement shows as well (even to the point of painting over wood trim or exposed brick in bland colours, and putting grey tiles over hardwood floors). "Sad" isn't half...

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  Can we give a yellow card to a headline writer? #news #jokes

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  I have two zucchini plants. My 5th and 6th fruits are growing now (I've harvested 4 zucchini already), and one of those will be ready in a day or two. After years of false starts, I think I finally have the hang of this zucchini thing. Now, lets see if I have similar luck with my butternut squash: the vines are approaching 3m/10ft long, so if they don't fruit, it won't be for lack of trying. #gardening #squash #zucchini #ottawa

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  Is your goal to resist the systemic racism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia that make up the world you live in? Or is your goal just not to be called "racist," "sexist," "ableist," or "homophobic"? #questions #socialJustice

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  Which cucurbits do you have in your garden (choose all that apply)? #gardening #polls

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  I like Mayor Mamdani, but his public musings about arresting Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly were bizarre and irresponsible. Coming to the UNGA has always been a special diplomatic situation, not a regular visit to the U.S. Does he have any idea how dangerous a precedent like that would have been? The Trump administration could have sent ICE to arrest every foreign leader they don't like. By all means, arrest Netanyahu anywhere else. #USpoli #UN

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  I've owned my Kobo Forma for over 7 years. It's survived spills in coffee shops, numerous drops, being lept on by a dog, being smushed in the overhead compartment of airplanes, and 3½ months on my hospital bed tray. It's worn out one case, and is halfway through wearing out a second. I'd love an excuse to buy a new e-reader, but I don't think this one has any intention of quitting. The battery isn't what it used to be, but I still get a few days of decent use with eac...

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  Noon harvest: kale, zucchini, 8 Sweetie tomatoes, 2 Black Cherry tomatoes, dill, garlic chives, and bolted coriander (the fresh seeds are delicious). #gardening #ottawa

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  First sweet peppers of 2026 (and first time growing from preserved seeds). #gardening #ottawa #peppers

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  Here come the cherry tomatoes . Soon the trickle will turn into a flood. #tomatoes #gardening #Ottawa

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  "It never did ME any harm…" Yep, and 5 out of 6 players survive a round of Russian Roulette. Humans suck at understanding risk. We fear things that are highly improbable (terrorist attack, airliner crash) but are blasé about things that put us in real danger (climbing a stepladder, driving a car on the highway). #statistics

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  I know the narrative, but still don't grok the deep Argentinian obsession with the Falklands/Malvinas: they have never been governed by Argentina, there was no indigenous population at the time of European contact, and in the last referendum, 99.8% of the population voted that they didn't want to join Argentina. Let's be honest: given its colonial history, it's usually safe to assume that the UK is in the wrong in any geopolitical disagreement outside of Europe. This seems to b...

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  You call that a zucchini? This is a zucchini. (I've finally broken the multi-year curse of being unable to grow what is supposedly the easiest crop. This one appeared from nowhere in 2 days.) #gardening #Ottawa #zucchini

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  To what shall we liken George Lucas? #billionaires #genAI #cinema

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  American friends: are you ever struck by the cognitive dissonance of living in a country that uses the word "freedom" in every third sentence, but can require a convenience store clerk to submit to random drug testing as a condition of employment? That kind of personal invasion for non-critical jobs would be unimaginable in Canada or the EU. Your employer is not entitled to your bodily fluids. #privacy #freedom

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  FWIW, Mussolini didn't "make the trains run on time." He just ordered the Italian press to write that the trains were running on time. That's how authoritarianism works. Fascist sympathisers in other countries fell for it. #authoritarianism #hegemony #history #Italy

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  I'm surprised they didn't just steal it. #BritishMuseum #museums #history

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  The surviving child in the Cooney-Hamber murder and abuse case told reporters he's glad his former foster parents were found guilty of his sibling's murder, and that he wants to go to law school when he grows up so that he can defend defend accused people, because they aren't all guilty. 😢… 😢… 😭 I feel that humanity's future is in good hands. #news #Canada #justice

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  My five butternut squash plants are starting to vine, and the buds for the early (male) blossoms are visible. This is my first time growing butternut squash, but apparently the vines can grow 2–3m long (!!!) #gardening #squash #Ottawa

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  The legend: the average lifespan of a British or Empire infantry subaltern (junior officer) on the Western Front in WW1 was 6 weeks. The reality: 75–80% of subalterns survived the war. 6 weeks was the maximum period the British calculated they could leave a subaltern on the front line during an offensive safely before rotating them out. A 20–25% mortality rate is horrific by itself; no need to exaggerate. https://kensingtons.org.uk/a-mere-six-weeks-a-comparative-study-re-examining-the-longev...