Women in science means accepting your L’Oreal/ UNESCO award together with baby. Congratulations to all this year’s laureates, and to Baby Enzo for having a 😎 super cool engineer mom in Ana Sarkis.

At the G20 summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked when he last spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump. He replied: "Who cares?"

“Dear Professor, I’m currently out of town, and I might not be back for the scheduled final exam [250 person intro lecture]. Can we discuss another arrangement that would be more convenient for me?” 😵‍💫

Good lord, folks! Looky here! We have found the most delicious baby & it is my niece! Doesn’t she just look like a dumpling? Such juicy, plump little cheeks! But please restrain yourselves. Don’t eat the baby. (Weird that we associate baby cuteness w/ snackableness. And yet… I get it.)

Protesters burst onto the stage at the Met during Carmen, but no one can figure out what they were protesting or what their message was. 🤷‍♀️ So they -but not their message - made the NYT. = Epic fail.

I know but the barest gist of these Glitzy Litzy Tuzzi Nuzzi critters, and fully plan to keep it that way. Happy Saturday.

1/2 🇨🇦Canada’s fresh-passed budget includes a Eurovision line item 🪩🥳! W/ Dean Vuletic I argue in @thestar.com it's 💰 well spent: A great investment in nation-building & a signalled playground shift: away from North American fracture, toward *Trans-Atlantic* values — freedom, democracy, free trade.

All eyes on UCL for its 200th birthday. Across 3 nights our Wilkins Building and main Quad will transform into an immersive sound and light experience as UCL illuminated takes us through the history of London’s oldest university. 11–13 Feb 2026 https://www.ucl.ac.uk/event-ticketing/app/ev/25074/

LOL. But also who’s surprised? I first learned of a Chomsky as a teen at a screening /discussion of ‘Manufacturing Consent’. The activist audience was in full ‘YES MASTER! YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH MASTER! YOU ARE BRILLIANT MASTER!’ and I was so creeped out. Men like that always tweak antennae.

1/2 🇨🇦Canada’s fresh-passed budget includes a Eurovision line item 🪩🥳! W/ Dean Vuletic I argue in @thestar.com it's 💰 well spent: A great investment in nation-building & a signalled playground shift: away from North American fracture, toward *Trans-Atlantic* values — freedom, democracy, free trade.

Rarely spotted job fairy alert! A specific public law senior lecturer/reader post (and a few other positions - including in environmental law - to boot). Please spread the word! Happy to discuss with anyone who is tempted to come join us in Newcastle: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPM199/s...

I’ve now aged out of this but navigating the pestering attention of older men in my field—which varied from manipulative flattery when they were trying to sleep with you to contemptuous retaliation when they realized they couldn’t—was an exhausting and demoralizing tax of my early professional life.

My teen is hosting a large birthday party and our guest bunny, Willa Lapidus, has moved upstairs since it seems -contrary to expectations - bunnies do not actually like hip hop. She is self soothing with bok choy. I am self soothing with her.

Hyperpartisanship & message discipline are “wicked problems".... But rules shape culture. A short list of practical changes could rebalance incentives enough to make policymaking less performative and more deliberative. Our latest in @policyoptions.irpp.org. policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/11/part...

JOB College Lectureship and Fellowship in Modern History and Politics (c20), Trinity College, Cambridge [This includes a teaching requirement for International Relations] www.trin.cam.ac.uk/vacancies/co...

Has anyone measured the impact of civil society actors (corporate, university, NP, etc) making political statements? Do these statements have substantive effect on movements’ success (recruitment, fundraising, policy change)? Anyone studying this? #sociology #polisky?

Because your morning definitely needs a bunny munching bok choy. Sound up for max cuteness.

Absolutely gone at this story from Harris on FB, the last sentence is pure Atlantic coast magic.

Remembering 🍁my grandfather, Max, a quartermaster sergeant in the Second World War. Here, lucky to be stationed on Vancouver Island, c.1943. We remember all those who gave their lives when we pause at 11.

Incarcerating youngsters is catastrophic for them & for society. The proudest thing in my career was serving on the Dept of ⚖️ team overhauling 🇨🇦 youth justice system. 🧒👶 incarceration is ⬇️ 85% since we moved (minus most serious offenders) to meaningful community-based consequences, 20 yrs ago.

Just been invited to the launch event of a report considering the 'future of the UK's research system' where they will be considering the creation of disruption labs named after Ada Lovelace and the report will be introduced by a panel of five men

More good-ish climate news.

Just learned there is a town called Mayersville, MI, and I can’t stop thinking about being the Mayor of Mayersville and also how from now on, when someone’s bossy, I’m gonna say: “What are you, the Mayor of Mayersville or something?”

I keep bringing it up but Julia Ioffe’s fantastic feminist history of Russia discusses how men in Russia basically saw any decline in their station as a personal affront and reacted accordingly (by drinking and doing nothing else)

In schoolyards &on front steps, first snow in Ottawa reliably showcases youngsters “playing” by shovelling snow. Yes it’s normal mammal behaviour: the young learn through play. But the voice of Foucault looms loud…. And I want to shout: “Kids! Build snowmen! Arm yourselves w snowballs! Resist!!!”

As though the seasons have tumbled into a pot, been stirred and mixed then dished back out. ❄️🍁🍃

Great open access review symposium on Gabriele Pedullà’s On Niccolò Machiavelli: the Bonds of Politics featuring John McCormick, Agneska Bloch, Sabrina Marasa, Marshall Pierce. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

People: “AI is useless! Look how it can’t do this specific thing I just asked it to do! This anecdote is evidence of its uselessness!” Other people: “AI can do all and see all! AI is GOD!" Why so childish? Every tool has its uses and its dangers. Nuance is possible.

Such a nice gesture and very much appreciated. Thank you!🇨🇦👏

Some good-ish climate news.

A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women 🧵

Louvre heist in broad daylight, high speed chase through Paris streets, villains are ridiculous hawties (teen-confirmed). Too cinematic. Marketing stunt? 🤔 or….?

What Mr. Gee said in today’s @theglobeandmail.com. 🍁🥹🍁

ok this is my new favourite thing

The "Boy meets tractor” school of art.

"We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people -- our strength -- from every country and every corner of the world." youtu.be/2R8QxCD6ir8?...

New book, coming soon! Duncan Bell & Douglas Mao, Utopia (Oxford UP, 2026) It's a short interdisciplinary volume in the recently launched OUP Literature and Politics series. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Motivating myself to meet (er) last night’s deadline by not letting myself watch the end of the Jays game (I fell asleep, don’t mock me… ok, fine, 🙄 mock me) till it’s done. So. Motivated.

You mean: It will be neat *when* the Blue Jays win the World Series. 😏 LET’S GOOOOO!

Please spread the word: @lexacademic.bsky.social are offering three bursaries (with complimentary proofreading) for graduate students with dyslexia in philosophy, classics, and art history.

We must honour Ashley and her family by ending the use of isolation and ensuring effective judicial oversight of corrections. #S205 #TonasLaw #EndSeg #cdnlaw #cdnmedia #Senate

Evergreen, in a sea of red.

"In test calls, [Canada Revenue Agency] agents gave accurate answers only 17% of the time when asked about individual taxes" Wot. WOT. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Meanwhile... www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/u...

#topoli Just one of many reasons why I still get the paper. A keeper.

Case of a single vote that decided a federal election in Canada sparks uproar

At Yonge & Dundas Jays fans are obeying the pedestrian scramble, as is the custom & returning to sidewalk each light cycle.

Midterm day for my 225 intro to political thought students! Public transit on the Quebec side is on strike! The website for exam deferrals is down! Admin spread the students across three exam rooms in two buildings! And there’s a massive thunderstorm coming! Let’s gooooooo! 👍

“Dear Professor Lazar, I hope this email finds you well.” Why yes, thank you, ChatGPT! How thoughtful of you. (Number of times students *ever* wrote this pre 2024: 0 Post 2024: 26 billion)