Just a reminder that a bar is a safe consumption site and alcohol caused 17,000 deaths in Canada in 2020. The Ford government closed down the supervised consumption site in my neighbourhood. No matter what the substance, regulated and observed is safer than illicit and alone.

I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland. And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.

Historian of medicine here. Yes. Yes, they did.

Same. As a teen in the late “80s, I met my husband on a local teen BBS using a 300bd modem, with no idea what he looked like until we met irl. And some of my very closest friends of 25 years I met on what was then the planet n text CServe Literary forum.

Hey friends. Everyone is sick right now. Do yourself a favour and wash your hands all the time. Lean into the sick days (get paid to rest and recover hell yeah) and stay home. If you're under the weather and can't stay home be the best neighbour and slap on an N95 when out and about. Love u

Niche research question: does anyone have access to a Plan Popp for Brussels? In the 1820 Almanac my character lives at place Royale, n. 949, and I need to know exactly where that is. Plans Popp at kbr.be don't cover that area. A possible query for @vincenzodm.bsky.social or @svanimpe.bsky.social ?

In late 2023 we bought Ikea couches for our family room. They fit the budget and looked nice enough. In 2 years, the couch & loveseat frames both failed in the same way. We made a warranty claim. It's approved, but the refund will not include the covers. Of the couches they'll be taking away. Um.

Misinformation about violence by transgender people is so rife that it literally has its own Wikipedia page, which includes actual stats with actual sources. Don’t give in to the politics of disinformation and hate. It only makes things worse. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinfo...

Remember it’s always a good time to be kind.

He cried. I’m so glad we have a Canadian PM with compassion.

Canada has had nine “school shootings” since 2020, but the majority of those were parking lot skirmishes and such. A combined 4 people died in nine incidents. Last night is the third-largest shooting of any kind in Canadian history.

Verified Tumbler Ridge GoFundMe www.gofundme.com/f/tumbler-ri...

The small-town paper in Tumbler Ridge is going to need support. This is its front page right now. Their subscription page is here: www.patreon.com/tumblerridge...

British Columbians grieve with Tumbler Ridge and hold the families & friends suffering loss & affected by the tragedy close in our hearts. If you need support: 310-Mental Health Support: 310-6789 Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 FoundryBC.ca

Holy shit, Canada had a school shooting. Ten dead now. In a town of population 2,400. (This is, for us, horrific and wildly atypical. Our last school shooting this deadly was in 1989, and we still commemorate the victims.)

Age verification? This was the first computer game I played.

90% of Canadians think platforms and government need to protect Canadians from health related misinformation on social media. Hard to get 90% of Canadians to agree on anything!!!!

Unsubscribe pages from companies that ask you to "please select the reason for unsubscribing" never include my main reason: "You made me sign up to get a discount." I'll take your discount, but I am absolutely not staying signed up for emails I never wanted in the first place.

Hey all, if you know anyone who loves family history research and has Scottish roots, please let them know about my Edinburgh research trips. The next one is coming up in June and still has some space left.

This is apparently on the wall at Team Canada’s workout room. Big fan of this. (Alt text for easier reading.)

This pup found a stick shaped like an old timey pipe earlier today and has already solved three mysteries. 13/10

Ive spent the entire day sorting, rearranging, and shelving books because I got my long-dreamed-of extra bookshelves in my living room. It’s a lot of work - still far from done - but so joyful. I love love love being surrounded by books.

John Candy and Catherine O'Hara made the world a better place. Canada and the world is a better place for them having existed.

Canadians, remember, all seasons of Schitt's Creek can be enjoyed on CBC for free, and commercial free for $5 a month.

Quote with 5 jobs you've had: 1. Executive secretary 2. Teacher-on-call (substitute) 3. High school English teacher 4. Conference coordinator 5. Genealogist

he protec

In a mad, mad world, with the maddest mad person shouting mad, mad the loudest, I thought this might help. (Chocolate helps too). www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghcd...

Introduce yourself with 5 (how do I pick??) concerts you’ve seen: Paul Simon Billy Joel One Republic Corey Hart Dido

It’s Penguin Awareness Day which seems like a great excuse to post the greatest ever Wikipedia edit.

Somehow, between mid-December and now I have completely lost a 3/4 full gallon of trim paint I’d have bet significant money I knew the exact location of. We have searched every nook and cranny multiple times. Clearly the fairies took it in the night. Either that or I am losing my mind. Possible!

Promo email I received today for a magazine has the subject line "Over 115 Essential Forms to Keep You Organized." I guarantee you that if I had to to deal with 115 essential forms, organized is the last thing I'd be.

Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed no one has approached me to option my story. Big city consultant wins obsolete business. Moves to a small, post industrial city. Meets colorful cast of hilarious characters. I'm still waiting for a local girl to teach me the true meaning of Christmas.

But the bigger reason that you should write and make art, is that your work is someone else's respite. You don't know who they are. They may be someone in the future. But if you have escaped into a book, or a painting, or a TV show... Someone created that. You can do that for someone else.

Just five months until I'll be here again, this time with a small group of family history researchers in tow. Will you be one of them? I hope so!

Acoustic guitars used to just be called ‘guitars.’ Then, we invented electric guitars. Oh no. Which meant saying ‘guitar’ wasn’t clear enough. So 'guitars' became 'acoustic guitars.' ‘Acoustic guitar’ is an example of a ‘retronym.’ 🧵⬇️

Garden of the Grinning Beast A pacifist born into a warrior society gets trapped in a Ghibli-esque spirit world where she must right the balance between humans and spirits while weighing the value of one life against the many its loss might save. #BluePit 📖 #Q #A #NA #F #ND #LGBT

Watching doc about resilience that reaffirms many changes I made last few years to my mental outlook (I read a LOT of brain books). Brains are hallucination engines. If the story is the world is shit, everything is fucked, brain reframes every interaction this way. It impacts behavior; shuts us down

seems a little insensitive

People. Do not let your declaration of undying love damage bridges and railings. "My adoration is destructive" is probably not the message you were trying to send. How about sending a love letter instead?

GOOD NEWS! A group of patients with an otherwise incurable form of T‑cell leukemia have seen their cancer driven into REMISSION by an innovative immune therapy known as BE-CAR7. 82% of patients reached deep remission and 64% of patients have now been disease-free and OFF therapy for THREE years.

Who wants to come to Edinburgh with me?

For 2026, let’s normalize unfollowing people who are repeatedly gratuitously mean, and blocking posters who post or re-post misinformation.

A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026 🧵

May 2026 surprise you in the kindest ways. On we go, friends and kind strangers.

In case anyone's having a bad day, here's my dog in the coat which he despises, looking dapper, nonetheless.

Have Scottish roots you love to research? Join me in Edinburgh in June!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping SiWC to continue to provide an inclusive, welcoming, and career-expanding experience for many years to come. We can't wait to see you in October!

As 2025 ends, we're reflecting on the amazing generosity and support we’ve received this year. It was a difficult year at SiWC HQ, but every dollar, every share, and every act of kindness reminded us of the strength of this incredible community.

White men are 30% of the population. They are also: - 98% of presidents - 90% of CEOs - 90% of billionaires - 80% of Congress Forever oppressed.