Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Dawson @mdawsonhistory.bsky.social · Sep 3

Yup. My opening pitch (courtesy of this image) to my Exploring History students this year will be that History is the least intimidating of disciplines. Everyone thinks they can do it because they constantly make reference to the past in their daily lives -- plus we tend to "hide" our theory.

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Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · Aug 13

300 SUBMISSIONS
64 ENTRIES
400,000 VOTES

ONE FINAL MATCH TO DETERMINE A CHAMPION

Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Championship final — Totem Poles vs. Orcas | CBC News

Two iconic symbols of this province. Which one will British Columbians vote as the best?

www.cbc.ca

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Michael Dawson @mdawsonhistory.bsky.social · Aug 8

Puns, indeed! But also a great exchange on themes ranging from Indigenous cultures to settler colonialism to environmentalism to domesticity.

Forrest Pass @forrestpass.bsky.social · Aug 6

Fun to defend the dogwood this morning on the CBC Vancouver's Early Edition with @cbcstephenquinn.bsky.social as @jmcelroy.bsky.social's epic BC Symbols Bracket enters the home(ish) stretch. Come for the #bchist, stay for the terrible puns!

www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

www.cbc.ca

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Forrest Pass @forrestpass.bsky.social · Aug 6

Fun to defend the dogwood this morning on the CBC Vancouver's Early Edition with @cbcstephenquinn.bsky.social as @jmcelroy.bsky.social's epic BC Symbols Bracket enters the home(ish) stretch. Come for the #bchist, stay for the terrible puns!

www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

www.cbc.ca

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Michael Dawson @mdawsonhistory.bsky.social · Aug 6

Sigh. It’s the Chapters-ization of museums and art galleries. Though I must admit to a soft spot for the ginormous “stuffy” giraffes at the Royal Ontario Museum gift shop. None purchased… yet.

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Michael Dawson @mdawsonhistory.bsky.social · Aug 3

More unusual critter news from Oceania… complete with over-the-top 1940s gender stereotypes:
www.bbc.com/news/article...

How the mystery of Winston Churchill's dead platypus was finally solved

The platypus was a top secret gift from Australia, found dead in his enclosure as war raged in the seas around him.

www.bbc.com

Michael Dawson @mdawsonhistory.bsky.social · Aug 2

Whoa -- Moa! Life imitating art with a big serving of Jurassic Park (and a side order of Lord of the Rings) in Aotearoa New Zealand.

apnews.com/article/pete...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg5s...

New De-Extinction Announcement: the Legendary Moa of New Zealand

YouTube video by Colossal Biosciences

www.youtube.com

Michael Dawson @mdawsonhistory.bsky.social · Jul 30

And with the totem pole still in contention why not check out (or reacquaint yourself with) John Lutz’s take on how it became a “Canadian”symbol?
thetyee.ca/Culture/2018...

How the Totem Pole Became a Symbol of Canada | The Tyee

Much appropriated, today they have been reclaimed by Indigenous artists around the globe.

thetyee.ca

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Michael Dawson @mdawsonhistory.bsky.social · Jul 30

Lots to talk about as British Columbians attempt to choose their province’s “best” symbol…

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · Jul 30

IT'S BRACKET TIME

but also an acknowledgment that the coastal symbols british columbians like most were used to sell this province at the same time the people creating those symbols were deprived of basic rights

.......

BRACKET TIME

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Coastal Semifinals | CBC News

There's a certain symbolism in the fact that three of the four coastal finalists left in the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol have had shifting symbolism to different people over British Columbia's histo...

www.cbc.ca

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Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · Jul 30

IT'S BRACKET TIME

but also an acknowledgment that the coastal symbols british columbians like most were used to sell this province at the same time the people creating those symbols were deprived of basic rights

.......

BRACKET TIME

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Coastal Semifinals | CBC News

There's a certain symbolism in the fact that three of the four coastal finalists left in the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol have had shifting symbolism to different people over British Columbia's histo...

www.cbc.ca

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Michael Dawson @mdawsonhistory.bsky.social · Jul 29

I liked “Lobachevsky” — used to play a clip for my students to lighten up my plagiarism warning. Then there was his suggestion that political satire was dead/meaningless once Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Sigh…

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