I just keep saying over and over, the point of a PhD is not for a dissertation to exist that didn’t previously exist. The point of a PhD is that a human has learned something.

For today’s rainbows we go to the hosiery section. Unfortunately, like many retailers, Bombas has not put out a pride collection this year. But fortunately for me, I tend to make my clothes last a long time.

I was going to show you my multi-coloured sandals but then realized I don't want to be on wikifeet, so you'll have to imagine today's rainbows for yourself.

Today we have the tiny, subtle rainbow unicorns. A retired bishop once told me that unicorns are “very heraldic”.

Today’s rainbow celebrates ice cream in addition to Pride. Win-win!

Three rainbow items today, including this fun necklace I got from a fellow conference-goer in French Lick, Indiana in 2024.

For my own entertainment on this, the First Day of the Month of Pride, 75% of my clothing today has rainbows on it. I don't think I can maintain that percentage throughout the month, but I will strive for >2 rainbows per day for all of June.

Happy pied month

I am at ORD this very minute and my sister and I are the only mask wearers I’ve seen in the last two hours.

I saw roseate spoonbills last weekend and a scarlet tanager this morning and life is very good. #TinyJoys

Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian

For example, _Language_ has a Teaching Linguistics section: www.cambridge.org/core/journal... and many other disciplines have journals or sections dedicated to questions of teaching in the discipline.

Today @alexusherhesa.bsky.social lists important steps to grapple with how post-secondary education needs to change in an AI world. higheredstrategy.com/lectures-ess... Teaching-focused faculty members have *scholarly expertise* in these matters. And there are journals for this kind of work!

I just watched the documentary Ghost in the Machine @ghostdoc2026.bsky.social in Toronto and am feeling affirmed and despairing and also tentatively hopeful about the world. If you get the chance, make time to watch it!

I had a great-uncle who died at age 103. Near the end of his life (pre chatgpt but post iphone), when asked what technological change had had the most profound effect on his life, his answer was "the zipper".

I was disproportionately proud when a 16yo friend of Twin B described our 2006 Toyota Camry as “sick”

My sons turn 18 today and I’m taken aback by how emotional this is making me. 😭

McMaster has become the first university in Ontario to sign the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, more familiarly known as DORA, which will allow us to better assess research contributions in terms of societal and community impact. news.mcmaster.ca/mcmaster-sig...

Gauging interest. I were to do a workshop on possible academias -- defined as ways of doing knowledge production and sharing, maybe other things, who knows -- who would want to participate? I'm interested in thinking together about how we could build new structures or understandings of this thing!

A couple years ago I asked my linguistics students a question to prompt them to think about prototype theory (cf. "is a hot dog a sandwich"). The question was not very effective, because I had assumed they would know that bats are not birds.

OOTD for today’s International Women’s Day event on campus supplied by the @academicaunties.com merch store.

I am trying to fix my heart, but I confess to feeling a little salty that International Women's Day has added several additional responsibilities to my week, taking time away from my responsibilities directing a women's and gender studies program.

What does love look like? A non-exhaustive Valentine’s Day thread: payhip.com/b/XQeBH

#birds Enjoy!

McMaster has a pool. So why is it hosting swim nationals in Markham?

It's Offense and Derogation week in Intro #linguistics class and I am here to say that the word 'clanker' is a very useful example for teaching these concepts without doing harm to my students. fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th... @fritinancy.bsky.social

*honk* I love nuthatches so much I tattooed one onto my body. 🪶

Ok this LSA panel is 🔥. So thankful for colleagues who are doing the work to make our field more just. #LSA2026

Introducing myself to my students, told them I like to play Wingspan. Figured that whatever else they infer about me from that fact will probably be accurate.

Two bright spots on a grey morning: 1. male cardinal at the crown of an otherwise naked tree, surveying his domain 2. red star-shaped mylar balloon floating about two feet above the arts quad trash bin

A key point in this editorial, by Mount Allison president Ian Sutherland and student Lucas Orfanides, is that, along with possessing relevant (and essential) job skills, liberal arts grads are uniquely well positioned to deal with AI's ethical shortcomings. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...

My latest comic breaking down the “generosity” of billionaires is live! aubreyhirsch.substack.com/p/the-genero...

The final exam for my course of 400+ students was six days ago and I'm still calculating final grades. As a little break from the spreadsheets, I thought I'd pull back the curtain on what the prof does after the exam. 🧵 1/n

Reposting because the morning crowd deserves to see how cute we are.

Twenty-six years these babes have been married. That’s literally half our lives.

There isn't a single problem "solved" by edtech that couldn't be fixed with smaller classes led by well-paid teachers given real academic freedom

I generally really like learning new things, but I confess to some resentment at having to teach myself organic chemistry at the breakfast table for the sake of the Grade 12 project.

Someone has adorned the water fountain outside my office with two very tiny gnomes. #TinyJoys

Maximizing my Canadianhood by making butter tarts with the pastry leftover from the meat pies.

Offering thanks to Past Catherine, who scheduled "Catch-up Week: No New Material" for mid-November.

I didn't know it was possible to love Emma Thompson any harder than I already did.

Gave myself a seasonal manicure. #TinyJoys

A co-working session with twitter colleagues turned into a Community of Practice that turned into a whole-ass textbook: essentialsoflinguistics.ca

Universal👏Free 👏Vaccines 👏

Just in time for "Language behaviour indexes social identities" week in Intro Linguistics: www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?com...

Listening to podcasts and baking cookies, the perfect start to a Sunday.

I am once again urging you to add a thread to your class discussion board where students can post pics of their pets. I'm feeling nervous about the first class of the semester but I also get to enjoy excellent cats and dogs on my screen.

"LLMs cannot replace the expertise, empathy, insight, experience of teachers because teaching is a relationship. Do not let anyone automate any parts of your work you value and do well."

Worth reading: (Also now I want to watch the movie Pride again)