potate

Hi all - I'm a several-times-a-day Thunder user and really enjoy the app. It's steadily evolving and improving which is awesome to see and I really appreciate the efforts of the dev team.

One thing that I think is missing is the ability to send and respond to DM's. Is that accurate (or am I just incompetent) and if so, is there an accepted alternative for handling DM's?

The federal government just increased support for individuals with major disabilities by $200/month. Smith and the UCP are clawing it back by reducing AISH by the same amount.

I've volunteered with folks on AISH - they aren't getting by. They have to beg and plead for the basic supports to live life with the hand they were dealt. The UCP thinks they can do this because most of us don't have a close friend or family member who depends on AISH.

We need to prove them wrong.

A public inquiry seems pretty justified given the magnitude of the financials involved...

I haven't done adequate due diligence yet - could be inaccurate

I came across this article alleging that Germany is considering bailing on the F-35 aircraft because the US can remotely disable them.

If the US could do this to German F-35s, presumably they can do it to ours....

Additional reporting alleging concern in Canadian defence circles

tl;dr: Police "Insulted" by insinuations photo radar has been used as a cash cow. Also police: Requirement to restrict photo radar to school zones, construction sites, and locations with demonstrably higher collision rates due to speeding has resulted in a $28M funding gap for Calgary ALONE.

Shoes and boots are one of the few items where you have a ton of made in Canada options.

I've gotten pairs from a few different brands and the stand out value is the WM. Moorby line by Canada West. My set haave been durable, and look as good as boots I've bought at twice the price. They aren't cheap ($300+) but they can be resoled so they should last roughly forever.

Got the pretty brutal news that one of our three cats is suspected to have FIP. Luckily, treatments have become available in the last couple of years so I'm trying to not get carried away freaking out - but this poor thing has had a tough go.

She came to us as part of a foster litter of kittens without a mom. She was half the size of her siblings and super malnourished. Long after her siblings were adopted, she stayed with us. She had allergies requiring special food and daily (expensive) meds and no one wanted to adopt a higher needs cat. She then had a reaction to her meds which caused excessive gum growth so the shelter decided she needed all of her incisors pulled. At that point she'd been with us for over a year and was fully integrated with our two cats. We decided that maybe this was her forever home and hoped that we could better manage her care by working directly with our vet instead of coordinating through the shelter.

Wrapping our heads around her now having FIP is rough - but we're going to do everything we can to help her through it and are hopeful she'll recover. Poor kid deserves a win...

I have an absolutely incredible set of moose hide trigger mits by Hides In Hand - a traditional leather crafter in Canada who use locally sourced hides.

I backcountry ski a lot and DESTROY gear. My hides in hand mits are the most durable and comfortable mits I've ever had. The issue is the acrylic fleece liners - I blow through them.

So I decided to make a set of sheepskin liners. I went to Bill Worb Furs - who source pelts from traditional hunters and trappers (read: mostly, but not all indigenous) and scored some hides.

I deconstructed the original liners, made a pattern and made these new liners. Cost me $30CAD and I have material for a couple more.

Totally pointless, could have bought replacements, but it was a super fun project for someone who has never made something like this before.

I put this together to help me understand how fluctuating emissions from the electrical grid and outdoor temperature impact the environmental performance of a heat pump compared to a natural gas furnace.

Would love feedback!

Information is limited - and likely to remain that way given the recalcitrance of police when it comes to their own.

Right now all of the news outlets are running the same wire service article, but hopefully a journalist digs in farther.