We're going to the Assiniboine Zoo this morning, so I checked their rules to see if I could bring in a water bottle. This is the section on visitor behaviour.
#AssiniboineZoo #YWG #cats

Here's an interesting bit* of Canadian history and woodworking trivia, brought to you by me being enraged at a screw stripping while I was trying to remove it.

Most people are familiar with two types of screws & drivers: the old fashioned slot screw and the cross-shaped Phillips screw.

What if I told you there was a better way?

In 1908, a Canadian inventor named Peter Lymburger Robertson invented a screw with a square hole for the driver. If you've done any woodworking, you're probably familiar with it. This screw/driver design was very popular, as it is self-centering and the driver rarely slips out of the screw.

So why didn't the Robertson screw catch on in the USA? I blame Henry Ford. He initially was the Robertson screws biggest fan, as it was found to remarkably increase production speed. So Ford tried to get Robertson Inc. to give him an exclusive contract. Robertson wasn't interested. In the 1930s, an American inventor, Henry Phillips, created a screw/driver with a cross-shaped slot. Mr. Ford liked this screw because it worked well with powered screwdrivers. I think he also had sour grapes over Robertson rejecting him. At any rate, Ford's adoption of the Phillips screw/driver made it very popular throughout the USA.

If you've ever tried to build Ikea furniture, you probably know the frustration of cheaply-made Phillips screws. If your screwdriver is not the precise size for the screw, it will slip out of that cross repeatedly or just turn helplessly, unable to engage with the screw. In either case, there's a chance of stripping the screwhead. This can also happen when overtightening.

My husband insists on replacing stock Ikea (and other manufacturer's) screws with Robertsons, especially on anything that requires good structural strength or is made from a harder material. Worst case is that the screwdriver bit gets stuck in the screw, but this is easily remedied. With a Phillips screw, if it strips, you're hooped. You have a loose screw or an embedded screw that's never coming out.

tl;dr: I recommend replacing Phillips screws/drivers with Robertson ones, especially if you find your Phillips screws stripping regularly.

This has been a Canadian Heritage Moment.

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/know-the-difference-between-philips-and-robertson-screw-you-really-should

*pun not initially intended, but I kept it because lols

#screws #PhillipsScrews #RobertsonScrews #canada #woodworking #ikea #screwdrivers #HenryFord

Hey Covid-aware friends, does anyone know if expired RATs are trustworthy?

My partner has a sore throat and I went to the co-op to get some free tests, but when I got home, I saw they expired in September 😑.

🙃

Game #52
Shortest path: 7 (Avg. 5.7)
Total words: 13 (Avg. 8.3)
🟦🟦🟦🟪🟪🟥🟥 | 🔥 6

https://linxicon.com
#Linxicon

I feel moved to make the following statement in light of the anti-Indigenous, IRS-denialist, racist attitudes/comments I've seen reported in the fediblock hashtag. (And heard from my MIL 😡)

I am a third-generation Canadian citizen and a descendant of people from England, Scotland, Poland, and probably a few other European countries. I acknowledge that I and my near ancestors have directly or indirectly acted as racists or benefited from policies developed with racists and genocidal foundations. Even my parents had racist attitudes towards Indigenous people that I've had to actively unlearn.

That is all to say that I know my place as a guest in so-called Canada, and in any dispute, I will side with the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island who have been here for time immemorial. I humbly follow their lead and recognize their Wisdom about the Land and its history.

Edit 2025:
Canada is built on the land of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. We will defend the borders of Canada to protect these lands from the imperialist American threat. Canada has treated Indigenous Peoples badly. The US tried to violently wipe them out. We've stood shoulder to shoulder with First Nations warriors against the US before, and we will do it again.

Obligatory #intro toot:

I'm passionate about social justice issues, especially: being #CovidCautious, #BLM, #IndigenousRights, #LGBTQIA+ rights & #DisabilityRights;

I'm a big nerd about: #DragonAge and #MassEffect, #ElderScrolls games (#ESO and #Skyrim), Lord of the Rings (including #LotRO), #StarWars, #StarTrek;

I am interested in #cdnpoli, #adhd, #history, #cats, #science;

I am also a #deconstructing #exvangelical with an MA in theology, for whatever that's worth.