World Teachers’ Day rallies tomorrow, 3:00 at the McDougall Center in Calgary and 11:30 at the Legislature in Edmonton. Come support Alberta teachers in their quest for fair wages and classroom condition.

Teachers across Alberta are cleaning off their desks and saying goodbye to their students, not knowing when school will resume. It’s going to be a tough day for teachers, kids, and families. This didn’t have to happen. Funding education is the job of provincial government. Rallies Sunday Cal and Edm

Huh. Highlighting teachers pay history is a fascinating choice by the UCP… But since they are… Considering inflation, by year the UCP’s offer equals a 1.3% increase per year since 2012. Keeping up with inflation that ain’t. #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

So the UCP has money for parents but not for the school system? Nice. Again the lie that the government doesn’t know what teachers want.

I’m undergoing allergy testing this morning. Is it possible to die of itch??? I think I may 😵

All my AB teacher friends are voting to reject the UCP offer, even though they believe the complexity of their own classrooms can’t be fixed and they’re nearing the end of their careers. The vote now is for the students, the system, colleagues, and grandkids. The moral injury and outrage are real.

51 000 Alberta teachers are spending the weekend trying to decide whether the sacrifices of a strike will accomplish what 2.5 years of negotiations have not. How do you deal with a provincial government determined to destroy public services? Albertans deserve better.

I’ve been listening to Jodi Picoult’s Wish You Were Here on Audible. It‘s set in the very early days of Covid. I have a couple of hours left but it’s a truly fascinating story so far. It reactivates all the emotions of those days of uncertainty.

What a surprise that the UCP, unable to strike a deal with the teachers to whom they’ve shown constant disrespect, now want to put people without education degrees in the classroom. Already, half of teachers leave in their first 5 years. Throwing people in unprepared can only increase turmoil.

Why can’t Smith’s UCP understand that Alberta teachers don’t want to wait until 2027 for their salaries to make up some of what they’ve lost to inflation. Do it now!

Alberta teachers are 3 weeks away from a strike. Could the UCP possibly turn their attention away from pronouns and graphic novels and try to solve this?

Should we be alarmed that Alberta’s Minister of Education can’t read fluently? Or are perhaps he has trouble because he’s spinning and twisting the truth so hard.

After chastising teachers’ salary demands, the minister was asked about hiring new teachers in AB. He said some kind of pay incentive may be needed for recruitment and retention. I wish someone had asked a follow up question to point out the relationship between teacher pay and teacher salary. 🧐

What a shock that the Alberta government suggests teachers are greedy and don’t care about kids. 🤦‍♀️

Can folks do me a favor? I was on Bluesky early & it was great. Mostly. I hit the eject button in January. I came back, many colleagues are here, but still don’t know I am. I co-created Halt and Catch Fire. I write TV & comics. Here’s two favorite set photos. Repost? I am in the wilderness.

The city dog joined me for an end of summer break at the lake. It turns out he prefers boats to cars!

WARNING!!! It’s been brought to our attention that a fake website exists, misleading that the #ForeverCanadian petition can be signed online. With a laptop, they’re visiting senior homes. Official @ElectionsAB petition must be signed on paper and this badge must be presented.

The young adult offspring occasionally asks me to come along for unfamiliar situations. He concedes that he’s an adult but claims that I’m a “premium adult”. Took him this morning for some medical stuff and I (yes, it was in my hand!) forgot the paperwork. I asked twice if he had his health card. 🤦‍♀️

My kid called to give notice at work before returning to school out of province. He was nervous about what to say so I helped him plan it out. It didn’t occur to me to rehearse how to respond to the boss saying, “I love you man.” 🤣 🤣 🤣

You can see on Putin’s face that he knows this guy’s a moron.

Just a dog and his squid.

My raised garden has suffered from too many stormy afternoons but the potted plants are coming around.

Kid is home from college for the summer, watching me and the dog share veggies and dip: “You broke my dog!” Apparently he was unaware his canine bro loves radishes and cauliflower.

I made two pots of soup during the daily thunderstorm cooldown. It’s been a pretty cool summer in Calgary but I can’t wait for real soup making weather!

PP is making promises on economic development. How much power does he think he has or will gain if he wins the byelection? The last I checked, we’re years away from a general election.

Look how big the rain drops were in Calgary just now. This is not taken through a window. The drops falling were that big! Crazy heavy downpour! Looked like monsoon rain!

Rachel Maddow is really laying it on the line tonight. It’s chilling.

The whole debate is worth listening to.

I’m still thinking about the debate in Battle River- Crowfoot last night. My work takes me to many parts of that riding. The idea that the Christian Heritage Party rep thinks that teachers in Three Hills or Drumheller are trying to change kids’ genders is laughable. It’s ridiculous anywhere really.

As a gardener in YYC, I hate to complain about too much rain, but I went out to check on things tonight and found the roots of all my lettuce plants have molded! Oops!

Well that was an interesting debate in Battle River - Crowfoot. I’m not sure saying you expect to lose is the strongest closing argument. I liked Bonnie Chritchley. She was not afraid to criticize PP directly.

I was shopping today at one of those cool Asian stores where you see unexpected goods. I sent my sister a pic of something and she replied that I should look for some kind of small collapsible broom that would fit in a storage compartment on a boat. Lo and behold, there it was. 🤣

Cars? Has Trump ever driven in Europe? Who wants enormous gas guzzling vehicles in Europe?

It must be so hard for these educated and dignified world leaders to sit beside Trump and listen to him blather utter nonsense.

My dog is suddenly interested in sniffing under the deck. It’s off the ground floor and has a foot of hard lattice to the ground. He’s not frantic but stops for a good smell every time he’s out. I’ve seen squirrels, rabbits, skunks and bobcats in my neighbourhood. Any suggestions?

What do conservatives have against bike lanes? And why does the UCP always overreach into the big cities? Hypocrites!

Lawrence O’Donnell @lawrenceodonnell.msnbc.com is having a tough time managing his emotions while talking about the poor kids victimized by Epstein and his clients. This is just too disturbing for decent people. It’s obscene that the government is trying to cover this sickness up.

My dog is getting a little tired of the nightly thunderstorms. He’s typically not bothered but it’s been a lot and very close.

I saw an “Alberta, the 51st State” bumper sticker in the wilds of Calgary today. What an embarrassment! I shake my head at truck nuts, flags, and those wanting to be intimate with our former or current PM, but this is gross.

Just home from a week in the woods. Indoor plumbing is glorious! So is running water!

Beautiful British Columbia!

Trump’s “cabinet” should be ashamed and embarrassed. What a bunch of bootlickers! I’m embarrassed for them and I’m Canadian.

Go Stamps!

Going to my first Stampeders game tonight. What do I need to know? My professional viewing experience is limited to a couple of NBA games and two trips to watch WWE 🤣.

It’s probably not good that ice cream is half the price of a watermelon!

This beautiful poppy opened this morning and now there’s a thunderstorm. I sure hope it somehow survives the heavy rain.

Calgary weather - I had to grab a couple of things at Walmart and saw people dressed for literally all 4 seasons! I wouldn’t have gone as far as a puffer jacket myself but I think one could make a case for any outfit today.

“We love you, God,” while declaring military strikes. Nothing weird about that. 🙄

Just watching on tv it sure doesn’t look like this is a big, wild, out of control demonstration.

I can’t help question the timing of the escalation of response against protestors in the US. Is this an attempt to prevent the embarrassment of mass protests on his parade day next week? Are some of those tanks going to be put to use beyond a parade? It’s clear the escalation is deliberate.