@montepaulsen thanks for this. We need hope, but like so many of our needs (like social connection), it can be weaponized against us.

“I’ve started calling these kinds of calls for positive thinking ‘hopewashing.’ Like greenwashing and pinkwashing, hopewashing offers a way for corporations and people with power to make it seem like they’re making the world a better, more hopeful place, while in reality they’re doing the opposite.”

#hope #hopewashing #greenwashing

https://www.wired.com/story/prediction-futures-politics-hope/

@human3500 @gemelliz @Billius27 I don’t know how many of you are still on the bird site, but when I saw that tweet, I felt so angry. She could have said nothing and not drawn attention to it, but made a point of tweeting lies. So many spicy comments and RTs followed.

@mike that power play was bonkers😆

"Twitter rival Mastodon has rejected more than five investment offers from Silicon Valley venture capital firms in recent months, as its founder pledged to protect the fast-growing social media platform’s non-profit status."
#Mastodon #NonProfit #SiliconValley

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1906861

@nativeplants great advice. I usually start New Year’s Day. By spring, my tiny Toronto property is hilariously overrun with pots and seedlings!

@CedarTea good point! I grew up in what was the township back then, and in Sarnia (so in my head it’s a mix). The Cons love to pit small cities against big ones, too. My family tends to hate Toronto : )

Next up is #Homemade elderberry gin, made with berries from our #UrbanOrchard. We pick some for us and leave some for the #birds, after #bees and other #pollinators enjoy the blossoms. The berries have been soaking in the gin for two months. Today, I’ll add honey, cinnamon, and ginger.

#NativePlants #PollinatorGarden

In our little part of #Toronto, we’ve planted a small #UrbanOrchard on City-owned land. Every year I pick enough fruit for a couple of recipes to make jam for my neighbours. This year it’s apricot and sour cherry.

#GrowYourOwn #UrbanFarming #Community

@rzaichkowski very thorough — thank you. Here’s to more bike lanes and infrastructure in 2023!

Hey #BikeTO! After doing some number crunching, I present to you the Final Bikeway Tally of 2022 which is approximately 13 kilometres. Or a total of 101 kilometres during John Tory's first two terms as Mayor. #TOpoli #VisionZero http://www.twowheeledpolitics.ca/2022/12/final-bikeway-tally-for-2022.html

@leftylabourtech @CedarTea @catherineM the Cons never have policies that help people, so they divide and conquer them. Rural vs urban is one of the biggest divisions—such a ridiculous one. All of us have more in common with each other than we do with Ford and his billionaires. I’m sorry to hear that city folk would talk so cruelly, but please know most of us aren’t like that! I grew up in Sarnia and only wish the best for it.

@Adirondack always an experiment. But it looks great!

@chu wonderful work, thanks. I’m sure our High Park neighbourhood has lost as much canopy. Great you have numbers—so smart. I was in Pittsburgh a few years ago and couldn’t believe its 42% canopy. Meanwhile Toronto’s goal is 40%!

@chu how horrible! Is that 20% canopy loss just Annex? I hadn’t heard of this tree study—thanks. Anything online about it?

@Adirondack well done! Does it keep all winter? I just have a wee 4 x 4 cold frame, and I can’t get chard to overwinter. Kale is ok in it.

Looking to follow the #TOpoli, #ONpoli, and #CDNpoli people of the #Fediverse.

Musk’s grab of the bird site is obviously trying to disrupt how progressives have organized there.

To reconnect with each other here, I also put a call on Twitter to carry over the hashtags.

#TwitterMigration #Introduction #reintroduction

Hey artists, musicians, and other creatives, send me links to your stuff (and descriptions of your stuff) so that I can boost them!

(I did this for musicians on the last #BandcampFriday and it went really well)

@rafial I think I was trying to read everything to get a feel for Mastodon before posting too much. Guessing I made an early mistake by boosting a post that didn’t fit the culture here (but would be ok on other platforms), bc I was unfollowed. Don’t want to disrespect Mastodon! Really like it.

@hollie @houseplants they’re super tough! I wouldn’t worry about breaking the roots. A sharp knife would probably help.