Mary Lacroix
@marylacroix.bsky.social
Toronto person with a bike and a computer. I have an attention span – it’s just not very evenly distributed.
Reposted by Mary Lacroix
I know it’s not worth debunking his stupid conspiracy theories, but objects have very much survived incidents that you’d think would disintegrate everything. There’s a bittersweet story about the Challenger soccer ball: www.espn.com/espn/story/_...
NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka's soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
On Jan. 28,1986, the space shuttle Challenger stunned the nation when it broke apart 73 seconds into flight. This is the story of the soccer ball that survived -- and the family that sent it into spac...
www.espn.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:01 PM
I know it’s not worth debunking his stupid conspiracy theories, but objects have very much survived incidents that you’d think would disintegrate everything. There’s a bittersweet story about the Challenger soccer ball: www.espn.com/espn/story/_...
NOT A DOCTOR but going through Bad Back stuff right now. Most of us sit too much and have tight hip flexors. You might also have some age-related changes to your lower spine. Try #2 and #6 from this page. (The other ones look a little more challenging, so try these gentler ones first.)
Tight Hips: 7 Stretches, Symptoms, Causes, Prevention, and More
Tight hip flexors can cause a lot of discomfort. Here are seven stretches to help loosen up your muscles and give you relief.
www.healthline.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:56 PM
NOT A DOCTOR but going through Bad Back stuff right now. Most of us sit too much and have tight hip flexors. You might also have some age-related changes to your lower spine. Try #2 and #6 from this page. (The other ones look a little more challenging, so try these gentler ones first.)
If you're near a Metro, De Cecco pasta is on sale this week for $1.99. They'll give you a rain cheque if your fave type isn't in stock. The Flipp app is great for finding sales and making lists, and many stores, like FreshCo, will price match nearby stores.
February 13, 2026 at 2:05 AM
If you're near a Metro, De Cecco pasta is on sale this week for $1.99. They'll give you a rain cheque if your fave type isn't in stock. The Flipp app is great for finding sales and making lists, and many stores, like FreshCo, will price match nearby stores.
When you add alt text to videos and GIFs on Bluesky, that text is read out by screen readers only.
February 12, 2026 at 2:09 AM
When you add alt text to videos and GIFs on Bluesky, that text is read out by screen readers only.
If you want to give Peter Watts money, whether or not you've downloaded his stuff for free, there's always the Niblet Memorial Kibble Fund on his site.
The Kibble Fund
A part of new Peter Watts' novel.
rifters.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:05 AM
If you want to give Peter Watts money, whether or not you've downloaded his stuff for free, there's always the Niblet Memorial Kibble Fund on his site.
Reposted by Mary Lacroix
Thread. 🧵 (1/x)
On the superiority of water as the primary decontaminant for tear gas and peppery spray on skin and eyes.
To make it clear to people, this is a thread. Some of you are not clear on the concept. I will reply this with another post and mark it with a number in (x). And so forth. (1)
On the superiority of water as the primary decontaminant for tear gas and peppery spray on skin and eyes.
To make it clear to people, this is a thread. Some of you are not clear on the concept. I will reply this with another post and mark it with a number in (x). And so forth. (1)
February 10, 2026 at 9:04 AM
Thread. 🧵 (1/x)
On the superiority of water as the primary decontaminant for tear gas and peppery spray on skin and eyes.
To make it clear to people, this is a thread. Some of you are not clear on the concept. I will reply this with another post and mark it with a number in (x). And so forth. (1)
On the superiority of water as the primary decontaminant for tear gas and peppery spray on skin and eyes.
To make it clear to people, this is a thread. Some of you are not clear on the concept. I will reply this with another post and mark it with a number in (x). And so forth. (1)
*disembark* not debark /sigh
February 9, 2026 at 9:39 PM
*disembark* not debark /sigh
At Keelesdale, three escalators (standard and looong and standard) needed to get to street level. You need to tap again to get a bus as there's no bus bay.
February 9, 2026 at 9:32 PM
At Keelesdale, three escalators (standard and looong and standard) needed to get to street level. You need to tap again to get a bus as there's no bus bay.
At Fairbank, where some standees can now get seats. Moving briskly to Caledonia, where more leave and few enter. Several empty seats now. I leave at Keelesdale. Trip time: about 17 minutes.TIP: Escalators are at the east end of the platform.
February 9, 2026 at 9:32 PM
At Fairbank, where some standees can now get seats. Moving briskly to Caledonia, where more leave and few enter. Several empty seats now. I leave at Keelesdale. Trip time: about 17 minutes.TIP: Escalators are at the east end of the platform.
At Cedarvale for the Eglinton West transfer. Most students leave. Thom Yorke sings plaintively in my head. My fully adult seatmates in this four-seater remain. Yes, the dwell time at this transfer point is a little longer.
February 9, 2026 at 9:32 PM
At Cedarvale for the Eglinton West transfer. Most students leave. Thom Yorke sings plaintively in my head. My fully adult seatmates in this four-seater remain. Yes, the dwell time at this transfer point is a little longer.
Rush-hour-ish return trip on line 5 from Eglinton. Pretty full, a few standing, lots of students. At Avenue, it's pretty much SRO. Still pretty fast and smooth. A few students leave at Forest Hill, but most remain. I am eavesdropping on a lot of high school gossip. Feels like 1996.
February 9, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Rush-hour-ish return trip on line 5 from Eglinton. Pretty full, a few standing, lots of students. At Avenue, it's pretty much SRO. Still pretty fast and smooth. A few students leave at Forest Hill, but most remain. I am eavesdropping on a lot of high school gossip. Feels like 1996.
That makes sense, but the long dwell time this afternoon was at Forest Hill, not Cedarvale. Probably just a random local issue?
February 9, 2026 at 8:09 PM
That makes sense, but the long dwell time this afternoon was at Forest Hill, not Cedarvale. Probably just a random local issue?
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this. I have to use this to escape to civilization (Scarborough) soon!
February 9, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this. I have to use this to escape to civilization (Scarborough) soon!
Arriving at Eglinton, connecting to Line 1. Lots of people leaving the train, lots coming on. Arrive at Mount Pleasant and use THREE sets of escalators to get to street level, with the last one being very long. No wonder this part of the line spent so much time with dug-up streets.
February 9, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Arriving at Eglinton, connecting to Line 1. Lots of people leaving the train, lots coming on. Arrive at Mount Pleasant and use THREE sets of escalators to get to street level, with the last one being very long. No wonder this part of the line spent so much time with dug-up streets.
Got to Cedarvale with no issues! Remember that Cedarvale is the connection for Eglinton West. We have a few empty seats and lots of people standing. Forest Hill is next, but we're holding for a prolonged period with the doors open -- not sure why. We start up again after about 2 minutes.
February 9, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Got to Cedarvale with no issues! Remember that Cedarvale is the connection for Eglinton West. We have a few empty seats and lots of people standing. Forest Hill is next, but we're holding for a prolonged period with the doors open -- not sure why. We start up again after about 2 minutes.
Immediate impression after leaving at 1:54: fast, smooth, clean, and mostly bilingual. Mid-afternoon, but my train is about 75% full. The seating arrangements seem about the same as streetcars, but with Metrolinx livery (that's a transit nerd term for upholstery and other design elements).
February 9, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Immediate impression after leaving at 1:54: fast, smooth, clean, and mostly bilingual. Mid-afternoon, but my train is about 75% full. The seating arrangements seem about the same as streetcars, but with Metrolinx livery (that's a transit nerd term for upholstery and other design elements).
If there are two trains there, you may choose to trust the overhead signs with departure times (e.g. "now" or "4 minutes") or local TTC staff. I trusted the woman sweeping who pointed me to "4 minutes" instead of "now", and she was right. We left before the "now" train.
February 9, 2026 at 7:19 PM
If there are two trains there, you may choose to trust the overhead signs with departure times (e.g. "now" or "4 minutes") or local TTC staff. I trusted the woman sweeping who pointed me to "4 minutes" instead of "now", and she was right. We left before the "now" train.
Line 5 - Eglinton Crosstown first ride going east from Mount Dennis. TIPS: The 89 Weston bus (north or southbound) will turn into Eglinton Ave and bring you to the Mount Dennis bus bays. After debarking at your bay, walk downstairs and follow the signs to Line 5. #ttc
February 9, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Line 5 - Eglinton Crosstown first ride going east from Mount Dennis. TIPS: The 89 Weston bus (north or southbound) will turn into Eglinton Ave and bring you to the Mount Dennis bus bays. After debarking at your bay, walk downstairs and follow the signs to Line 5. #ttc
Reposted by Mary Lacroix
404 Media just had an ad during the #SuperBowl! We Googled "smallest TV markets in the United States" and bought an ad for $2,550 that only ran in Ottumwa, Iowa, population 25,000. That still counts
www.404media.co/watch-404-me...
www.404media.co/watch-404-me...
Watch 404 Media’s Super Bowl Ad
WE BOUGHT A SUPER BOWL AD.
www.404media.co
February 9, 2026 at 2:48 AM
404 Media just had an ad during the #SuperBowl! We Googled "smallest TV markets in the United States" and bought an ad for $2,550 that only ran in Ottumwa, Iowa, population 25,000. That still counts
www.404media.co/watch-404-me...
www.404media.co/watch-404-me...
Reposted by Mary Lacroix
everyone post the videos they watch to cheer themselves up
September 12, 2024 at 11:24 PM
everyone post the videos they watch to cheer themselves up
Reposted by Mary Lacroix
Maybe I'm biased, but this one-of-a-kind visual guide brought to life by @wencyleung.bsky.social and Michael DeForge might be the most entertaining thing you read this weekend. Don't miss it:
The long-awaited Eglinton Crosstown LRT begins service today. We took an unorthodox look at the journey to get here: thelocal.to/understandin...
Understanding the Eglinton Crosstown in Seven Illustrations | The Local
From Shohei Ohtani’s salary to the tunneling rate of a mole—an unorthodox guide to the numbers behind Toronto’s newest transit line.
thelocal.to
February 8, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Maybe I'm biased, but this one-of-a-kind visual guide brought to life by @wencyleung.bsky.social and Michael DeForge might be the most entertaining thing you read this weekend. Don't miss it:
Reposted by Mary Lacroix
The long division algorithm CAN be understandable and not just something to memorize. Here's how we can make sense of it.
February 8, 2026 at 5:28 PM
The long division algorithm CAN be understandable and not just something to memorize. Here's how we can make sense of it.
Reposted by Mary Lacroix
digital version so you can play along too!
February 8, 2026 at 3:49 PM
digital version so you can play along too!
Yep -- CBC News Network, which you can also pull up on the CBC Gem app (with a paid sub only, I think).
February 8, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Yep -- CBC News Network, which you can also pull up on the CBC Gem app (with a paid sub only, I think).
Reposted by Mary Lacroix
Watching the "Genghis Khan" video for anxiety relief upon waking
Miike Snow - Genghis Khan (Official Video)
YouTube video by Miike Snow
www.youtube.com
February 7, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Watching the "Genghis Khan" video for anxiety relief upon waking