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Idealistic Pragmatist

@justip.bsky.social

1.7K followers 610 following 8.5K posts

Canadian by choice.📍Halifax. International in outlook. Leftie. Foodie. Queer. Multilingual. Bike person, but pedestrian at heart. Social scientist by trade. Household = me, Partner, two cats. Embracer of reality in an anti-reality world since early 2022.

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · Sep 1

As of today, I am officially retired! I expect my life to change, well, not at all, at least for now (I was already not teaching because it was summer, I still have my research group, and my last grad student will still be at it for a while), but it’s the beginning of the end, anyway.

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1h

Maybe because they don't.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 2h

Gross.

Reposted by Idealistic Pragmatist

Suzanne Rent @suzannerent.bsky.social · 5h

At the District 8 town hall last week, Mayor Andy Fillmore said there is a phase two to the AAA bike lane network that will cost $65 million. He said that money was on top of the $100 million for the network.

I did some fact checking. Here's the story:

www.halifaxexaminer.ca/government/c...

Fact Checking Fillmore: Mayor told town hall Halifax's bike lane network will cost $165 million - Halifax Examiner

At a recent town hall, Andy Fillmore said there's a phase two to the AAA bike lane network that will cost an extra $65 million. But that's not correct.

www.halifaxexaminer.ca

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 7h

I’m way too young too, but if my workplace insurance was willing to pay… 🤷‍♀️ Partner got them too (through my insurance) and she’s even younger.

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 7h

I will always get every vaccine available to me. I even got the RSV and pneumococcal pneumonia vaccines despite being several decades too young to get it for free because my work insurance was willing to cover them.

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

Tomorrow’s will be my 11th COVID shot! It’s such a privilege to be able to get it when it’s no longer widely available in most places.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

From a recently retired U of Alberta faculty member: this is a definite Nous thing. www.ualberta.ca/en/uofa-tomo...

Frequently Asked Questions

www.ualberta.ca

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

You became a historian of something that requires facility with numbers, so presumably you used that ability somewhere in there!

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

Oh noooooo

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

I’m also getting them both at the same time for the first time, and I’m not looking forward to that! I’ll plan for a day of quiet downtime.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

I’m so sorry, Jillian! What a good long life.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

Vaccines are awesome! I mask in indoor spaces, so I’m already pretty protected, but the evidence says vaccines are one of the important tools for both prevention and decreasing severity if you do get sick. I feel very lucky to live in a place where they’re still available.

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Reposted by Idealistic Pragmatist

Tara Moriarty @moriartylab.bsky.social · 17h

Canadian COVID Forecast: Oct 11 - Oct 24, 2025
SEVERE: NL, NS, SK
VERY HIGH: MB, NB, North, PEI
HIGH: CAN, AB, BC, ON, QC
MODERATE: none

About 1 in 95 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.

This image shows gauges with the Oct 11 - Oct 24, 2025 Forecast scores for Canada, the provinces, & territories. From left to right:

Canada: HIGH - 8.9
Alberta: HIGH - 7.0
British Columbia: HIGH - 8.4
Manitoba: VERY HIGH - 14.9
New Brunswick: VERY HIGH - 11.3
Newfoundland & Labrador: SEVERE - 17.0
North: VERY HIGH - 12.3
Nova Scotia: SEVERE - 16.3
Ontario: HIGH - 7.5
Prince Edward Island: VERY HIGH - 11.8
Quebec: HIGH - 10.0
Saskatchewan: SEVERE - 17.0

A text box reads: "The COVID Forecast is calculated from 3 equally weighted categories: 1) Current infections and spread; 2) Healthcare system impact; 3) Mortality. Within each category there is one sub-category for trends over the most recent week (Trends) and one sub-category for current parameter values relative to a specified baseline (Current values). Trends and current values are weighted equally when determining the final score for a category. All Forecast input data and sources are available here (https://datastudio.google.com/embed/u/0/reporting/42b886cf-d661-488e-b7d8-5c5836b55ab6/page/p_2yqs028mwc). Past Forecast scores are available in the table below. Forecast scores are grouped into 4 ranges: MODERATE (1 to <5, white), HIGH (6 to <10, yellow), VERY HIGH (10 to <15, orange), SEVERE (>15 red)."

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 22h

Are electric bikes cheating? The studies that disprove the idea

It's the most common of all the myths in cycling - the idea that somehow you are "cheating" yourself in

www.cyclingelectric.com

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

The COLT and the BLT were awfully pretty this morning.

#BikeHFX

Pretty fall colours alongside the Chain of Lakes Trail.

Partner’s Tern bike by the side of a lake.

The BLT trail with a pretty kissing canopy above.

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

It was almost certainly the one made in Quebec! Sweeeeet, that's what I want!

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

(My "like" was intended as agreement about the best way of doing poutine, not being pleased that you no longer have your favourite local poutine shop. Boo!)

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you! I got the cut done when I got home from Edmonton in April, but the dye job is new.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 23d

In April when I came back home from my last semester at the U of A, I got a very drastic short haircut for the first time in decades. Then today, to celebrate my retirement, I got it dyed rainbow colours! I definitely no longer look like a stereotypical professor. 😆

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

P.S. Anyone who knows my full name can google me and see one example up in various places already 😀

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

If you need portrait photography done for any purpose, I can heartily recommend @indigoclarke.bsky.social ! She did my final professional academic photoshoot (my last one was pretty out of date) in September at the waterfront, and I got my final photos back today. I'm so pleased!

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Reposted by Idealistic Pragmatist

@nsdebbi 🇨🇦 @nsdebbi.bsky.social · 1d

www.densebreastscanada.ca/make-your-vo...

Make Your Voice Heard | Dense Breasts Canada

Stop the needless suffering and deaths of the women in our lives. Make Your Voice Heard Demand that the provincial government act now to improve breast cancer screening and save lives. Breast cancer s...

www.densebreastscanada.ca

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Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

So sick of the “bruised feelings” euphemisms. 🙄

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah, I get this. I still haaaaate doing it but I’ve gotten better at it over time?

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

This is the way.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

I genuinely find it hilarious!

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