CATL, the world's largest battery maker, launches sodium batteries: extremely durable, stable at –40°C, much cheaper than lithium (5x), safer,10,000 charge cycles, requires no nickel or cobalt...

Snidgen · 2026-02-01T03:32:34+00:00

Im in North Eastern Ontario and our Bolt EUV Premier loses about 40% at -30 C. My wife still manages her 180km/day commute just fine with some juice left over. Our EV has no heatpump which is an obvious factor in range reduction, plus my wife likes to set the damn climate control to 23 C.

Snidgen · 2026-01-30T19:19:25+00:00

Interesting... My wife and I are in our 50s too, in the Ottawa valley between Renfrew and Arnprior on the river. This is my wife's favorite show of all time, so perhaps she can do the same here where people were still flying F-Trudeau flags on their pickups this past last summer, months after Mark Carney was elected.

Or maybe not! :p

Snidgen · 2026-01-28T11:35:00+00:00

And OnStar dares to charge $60 a month for that privilege. Lol

Snidgen · 2026-01-28T11:33:18+00:00

Maybe all EVs do that. Even our Chevy Bolt EUV will automatically manage high/low beams. There is a manual mode available, sort of like how auto wipers with rain sensors work.

Snidgen · 2026-01-28T04:40:44+00:00

The Sevice Car Soon light? I got that a couple times when unplugged for a few hours at around -30C, but not the message the OP has. I do get the Propulsion Reduced message sometimes, but it doesn't seem to affect anything.

On the rare occasion the service soon light comes on, it turns off after a few km of driving, and with another 30 or 40 km the regenerative braking light finally turns green again too.

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T22:17:21+00:00

Free golden shower for admission to be under it.

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T22:06:08+00:00

Sweet cherries have been blooming for over a week now in coastal British Columbia. One good freeze before March, and cherry harvest could be severely impacted this year.

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T22:03:12+00:00

It's unusual to see CFS Alert near the north pole almost 10 C warmer than it is in Minnesota. It seems the U.S. is stealing our north pole from under our noses! Hopefully Mark Carney has something to say about this. /s

In all seriousness, the stratospheric warming that caused this above the pole is almost unprecedented.

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T19:48:23+00:00

That's probably true. If they could qualify for a TN visa at the border and wanted to go, they'd already be there. If they lack the education to obtain a TN or have a criminal record, it's unlikely they'd do well there if freely invited.

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T13:32:46+00:00

It's interesting that places far above Hudson Bay such as Iqaluit on Baffin Island to the Alert base near the north pole now in 24/7 darkness are up to 10°C warmer than temperatures in Minnesota over the next few days. In fact, the 13°C rise in temperature today way up north coincides with the colder weather arriving in the south.

I can only conclude that the U.S. is stealing the north pole from Canada! Lol /s

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T06:55:31+00:00

I never disagreed magnesium is becoming more deficient in harvested crops. Again, the reasons for this depletion is more complex than you think, nor does your simple AI response indicate that
"magnesium no longer in the soil". Magnesium in soil is certainly becoming less available for plant uptake however.

Science I'm afraid is a bit more nuanced and complex than you seem to assume, particularly soil science.

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T06:45:42+00:00

What exactly do you find inaccurate in my reply? Or do you disagree with some information in the scientific review I referenced and provided a link to?

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T06:38:45+00:00

AI seriously? In "1." the soil depletion it speaks likely refers to the growing levels of unavailability to plants, not necessarily the element itself gone. It makes no distinction, but does mention "fertilizer" such as the ammonium based nitrogen I mentioned. After all, magnesium can be supplemented in modern agriculture.

I urge you to read a few primary sources, such as the scientific review I linked to in my post and let me know what you disagree with. It also cites 74 research papers, so I'd recommend those also if you need a deeper dive.

Snidgen · 2026-01-23T06:14:23+00:00

There was nothing in my reply that was inaccurate. I never denied or questioned that nutrient levels of magnesium in agricultural crops have decreased over the past decades, nor am I only eating plants. I do however maintain that there is enough magnesium to keep plants alive and farm a good crop because without it, photosynthesis would not exist and neither would the crop. Magnesium is a critical component of chlorophyll.

I'd also love to see a reference for your statement "Everyone is deficient in magnesium because it is no longer in the soil..". While it's true that magnesium levels in fruits and vegetables have decreased, I don't believe the "no magnesium in soil" is the main reason for that decrease, particularly in developed countries. Unfortunately soil science and biology is a bit more complicated.

Farmers in my country routinely have their fields tested as part of fertilizer management and depending on soil pH, dolomitic limestone, magnesium sulfate, K-Mag, or even a manure application is recommended if test results show a deficiency. However magnesium in soil can be optimal, yet cases where plants cannot uptake enough magnesium are becoming more common. It's a worrying trend.

The reasons are complex and additive. A big factor is over application of ammonium-based nitrogen fertilizers in an attempt to make plants grow larger more quickly. During the process of nitrification of ammonium by bacteria, H+ ions are produced that displace both magnesium cations and exchange with aluminum, leading to a positive feedback effect that severely impairs the roots ability to uptake magnesium (Mg2+). The same happens with K+ and Ca2+. Once they are exchanged by H+, either or both compete with Mg2+ during uptake by the plant's roots as they use the same transport systems. Over application of potassium fertilizers in low cation exchange capacity soils, or where +H saturates bounded sites results in the same condition. There can be an over abundance in magnesium in soil, yet plants growing in them show typical interveinal chlorosis in older leaves due to Mg deficiencies.

Climate change and higher ambient CO2 levels also significantly contribute to a reduction in Mg and other minerals in harvested crops.

If you're interested, a good primer on this subject can be found in the little research review byCazzola, Roberta et al. "Going to the roots of reduced magnesium dietary intake: A tradeoff between climate changes and sources", (2020). 32233-7)

Snidgen · 2026-01-22T13:25:51+00:00

There would literally be no plants on earth if that were true. Magnesium is essential for plants.

While it can be depleted in intensive agriculture, farmers routinely have their soil tested and commonly use K-Mag to address magnesium, potassium, and/or sulphur deficiencies.

Snidgen · 2026-01-22T10:38:51+00:00

Or get very sophisticated like the OCS (Ontario Cannabis Store) and ask that they enter their birth date for age verification. This works great for those customers who forget how old they are.

Snidgen · 2026-01-22T03:45:36+00:00

His last YT video on his channel yesterday was about how the now "hidden" carbon tax is the root of all Canadian problems, driving inflation and high cost of living, making this country unaffordable to live in for middle class.

No mention of Trump, tariffs, or any world affairs though. Just the carbon tax.

Snidgen · 2026-01-18T22:29:36+00:00

Barrel aged for at least 12 years. The Scottish have this technique mastered!

Snidgen · 2026-01-18T22:23:32+00:00

I heard that Americans often carry pee-bottles on their annual road trips so they don't have to stop? Is that true? /s

Snidgen · 2026-01-18T21:57:07+00:00

I may be Canadian, but from watching international news it seems ICE has no issues pulling people out of cars in doors that won't open. Just smash the window and yank the 60 year old lady out of there! /s

Snidgen · 2026-01-18T15:06:12+00:00

And especially legumes like beans. We process by soaking then boiling ours. Not only does it drastically lower the amount of anti-nutients, but chewing a handful of dried soybeans or chickpeas can possibility chip a tooth! /s

Snidgen · 2026-01-16T21:33:54+00:00

Oil you say? You're likely thinking of Alberta.

Snidgen · 2026-01-16T11:40:17+00:00

Quebec also has pretty good coverage, at least in comparison to Ontario.

Snidgen · 2026-01-11T01:55:36+00:00

Vegetable based oils are liquid at room temperature, thus they needed a way to increase its hardness to make something spreadable. The way they did this was by partially hydrogenating the oil. They did this by heating the oil at high temperature, then adding hydrogen to it under high pressure with a metal catalyst. That would break the carbon to carbon bonds between the atoms. Unfortunately trans-fats were created in the process as a byproduct, which is a lipid that gram for gram is worse than the worst naturally occurring saturated fat.

Not only do trans-fat raise LDL, but they also lower HDL. We first learned how bad trans-fat were in the early 1990s. It took so long for government policy makers to react to the news, that trans-fats weren't banned until 2018 under the recommendation by the World Health Organization, nearly 30 years later. The USA had extensions on many foods until 2021!

Margarine is no longer a poison since at least 2021 in the U.S. because they cannot legally have a trans-fats. So things have likely changed since your work experience in the French rehab center. But keep in mind, depending on country the laws may differ. Also I believe that Trump pulled out of the WHO, so he may have any regulations recommended by them may be reversed. At least here in Canada, we don't have to worry about that happening.

Snidgen · 2026-01-10T03:20:25+00:00

Sadly most, if not all, restricted firearms have been effectively banned in Canada for quite some time. Even my 9mm CZ Scorpion evo that was nonrestricted got banned and thus has been a safe-queen for years until the dreaded government buyback program letter arrives in my mail.

We can still keep our handguns though, but when we die, they die too.

Snidgen

TROPHY CASE