This London tree looks like it's covered in new leaves, but these are rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri). There are a lot of legends about how London became colonized by tens of thousands of these birds native to the Himalayas. Some involve Jimi Hendrix...

Hilarious!

I'm curious if this is true of all TikTok users or just those in the US.

During the Soviet era, at times of govt instability, the state broadcaster would typically preempt scheduled broadcasts by airing performances of Swan Lake

AFP— Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez says she has had "enough" of orders from Washington. "Enough orders from Washington on politicians in Venezuela. Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and internal conflicts.

I’m so tired of the “What radicalized you?” question. I’m tired of it because so much of what’s considered “radical” is just basic empathy and regard for human rights, taking a stand against obvious fascism and speaking out when people lie and defend cruelty. That shouldn’t be “radical”.

Heads up Ottawa: 🚘🚫 A Winter Weather Parking Ban will be in effect on Monday, January 26 from 10 am to 7 pm. When vehicles are removed from our streets, the Roads and Parking Services team can clear snow efficiently to create a wide-open roadway. 1/

🚜 All city resources will be deployed to clear sidewalks, priority roads, bus routes, the Transitway and the winter cycling network. Given the cold and high winds, it will take longer than usual for crews to navigate these conditions and restore the transportation network. 4/

For the "homes used to be places to live but now they're investments" crowd: An ad from 1911 showing the investment potential and "surest speculation" of buying land in the Glebe. (Given how much land prices have gone up here... they're not wrong.

"The lighting design varies along the route, adjusting to how people and animals use different sections of the road. The aim is to avoid a one size fits all approach." Testing Red Streetlights to protect wildlife search.app/TbLNY

A good source of information and locations of warming centres is www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-he...

I'll pass on a hold-the-date. Thanks @railfans.ca and @bettertransitottawa.ca for talking transit data with me on February 2. Notez bien cette date. Merci à @railfans.ca et @bettertransitottawa.ca pour nos échanges sur les données de transport en commun le 2 février.

I wish Casey of Casefile had a second less scary podcast. His voice is very soothing but the content is so not.

End of month down to wire for rent which goes up by 5% in Feb Your help in part keeps me housed & continuing work I started with my dad & his Harry's Last Stand including 6 books His Green & Pleasant Land now with publisher Excerpts on Substack ko-fi.com/harryslastst...

“Two billion autonomous cars would continue to sprawl around us, drain our wallets, pollute our cities and limit our freedoms. They distract from meaningful progress, making cities walkable, livable and improving transit. In foregrounding them we continue our bondage to the car-industrial complex.”

Good morning, Mayor. It's been 5 days since I reported these trash heaps on William St to my councillor and by-law.

I've gotten to know my neighbors by organizing weekly block parties in the spring/summer. Thursday evenings after work till it gets dark. Seattle has a free permit process if you want to close your street. I'm putting in my 2026 application now.

We lost a giant in public health today. Dr. William H. Foege helped eradicate #smallpox - the only human disease ever eliminated—through science, surveillance, and vaccines. His legacy is the antidote to today’s antiscience, anti-vaccine rhetoric. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...

"The First Nations are asking that the courts declare the separation petition as 'null and void,' along with reimbursing the First Nations for the cost of the court action." #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli

The same cat who would not go outdoors in August to cool down at +35 C insists with howling about going out tonight at -28 C.

I really want the Mayor to achieve this goal with help from all types of residents.

A huge thank you to Jamie Fine for being such a fantastic MC at the Fairmont Château Laurier’s Gold Hearts Gala Mayor’s Charity Ball. Jamie, you were outstanding. You brought heart, energy, and genuine compassion to the room. I am deeply grateful for your support.

there is not one right way to feel and process what's happening on this planet - we're currently living through unprecedented and unconscionable moments all day every day.

I know that there's A LOT going on ... all over the place and it's easy to sink into doom. For me personally, getting involved in local advocacy groups does wonders for my mental health. So much healthier than doom scrolling! Look up a local group and ask them what they're doing and what they need.

@helps.octranspo.com Yo, the stairs and paths at Mooney's Bay station are un-uncleared, unsalted, and extremely slippery.

If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.

For those who don't think our city is huge: "... Cornwall SDG Paramedics were dispatched to the scene as they had the nearest ambulance to the collision."

didn’t realise we were going to celebrate 250 years since the revolutionary war by doing it again

Man, there are enough different videos to render that murder in 3D.

Goodbye berm

Good Morning, Mayor. As we can clearly see, no one bikes in winter. #balance

I am always “know your triggers and be aware if you need to not watch the video” but I also think, with the narrative being spun here, as many people seeing the video as possible is important. He may have been armed but that’s not a standoff. It’s an execution. Watch it if you can. Share stills.

Chyron phrase which should never exist: "new fatal shooting".

DO NOT POST THE VIDEO OF THE EXECUTION TODAY FROM ICE IN MINNEAPOLIS. I know it's horrific, but we do not need such graphic images. I WILL MUTE/BLOCK YOU.

Good Morning, Mayor @mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social Bonjour, Monsieur le Maire.

We can make a difference if we rethink design and make #PlacesForPeople, led by women; see my foray into Substack open.substack.com/pub/toondree...

Doesn't that mean 3 buildings were driven into yesterday?

I’m gonna come back to this after coffee because, yes, climate change is one of the biggest threats to our built heritage right now and this is only a small bunker but it’s going to be the start of a trend of buildings toppling off cliffs

“Only 25 of the world’s 300 largest cities have female mayors. A tiny 5% of municipal leadership positions are filled by women. Despite these figures, many of the cities that are making the most progress to become greener, cleaner, more equitable and liveable are led by women.” READ: bit.ly/4rbmcHu

According to its new privacy policy, TikTok now collects more data on its users, including their precise location, after majority ownership officially switched to a group based in the US. www.wired.com/story/tiktok...

Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026

while you have time, see if you can fill some bottles with water and put those in the fridge. Any bottles will do tbh the cold water will keep the cool longer inside your fridge full of food if it goes without power PLUS you'll have tons of water to drink.

A German soccer federation executive committee member says it's time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Darling had a coffee scheduled to a friend earlier in the week; opted not to spend an hour getting there and an hour and a half getting home so canceled. Cost to social well-being and small businesses bc a 15 minute drive takes an hour or longer.

I would like to see promotion of all the towns and municipalities which make up Ottawa so the uniqueness of each history does not get lost as they disappear as suburb communities these days.

At least one reporter seemed to be questioning if OCT needs to run more than it is today. My comment is people will car pool or avoid the train for a day or two if they know the trip will be frustrating

Yesterday, I posted profiles of Canadian soldiers who died in Afghanistan. I hope you will have the time to read each of them. However short and fragmentary, each bears witness to the families, from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, or Alberta, whose sons and daughters deployed to Kandahar.

A random epiphany from the OCT media briefing (for me): like the axle issue, we can spot the failure modes in many things. Like axles, we don't know the root causes of those failures.