Chris Neill 🐧
@chrisneill.bsky.social
Associate Professor, Economics (education, labour, public econ, policy) at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, 🇨🇦.
Originally from 🇦🇺, I tend to prefer rivers that I can swim away in, rather than skate away on.
Originally from 🇦🇺, I tend to prefer rivers that I can swim away in, rather than skate away on.
Point! But that also makes for a miserable day for my rellies there.
(Finally getting into the twenties in Nov, basically)
(Finally getting into the twenties in Nov, basically)
October 26, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Point! But that also makes for a miserable day for my rellies there.
(Finally getting into the twenties in Nov, basically)
(Finally getting into the twenties in Nov, basically)
OK seriously, the other cities are just all over the place or still winter, while Brisvegas just hangs in a few degrees either side of a nice 30, with a lovely thunderstorm if it gets a bit hot. (Melbourne and Sydney both get more days over 35 in a typical year than Brissie.)
October 22, 2025 at 3:31 AM
OK seriously, the other cities are just all over the place or still winter, while Brisvegas just hangs in a few degrees either side of a nice 30, with a lovely thunderstorm if it gets a bit hot. (Melbourne and Sydney both get more days over 35 in a typical year than Brissie.)
The traditional Lake Huron Thanksgiving Day Swim - Wasaga this year for a change and with a gang who swam circles around me (literally). 15°C, somewhat chilly.
October 14, 2025 at 1:07 AM
The traditional Lake Huron Thanksgiving Day Swim - Wasaga this year for a change and with a gang who swam circles around me (literally). 15°C, somewhat chilly.
A balmy 17-20°C in the water at Oakville today. Way warmer than last year. Planning the traditional Lake Huron Thanksgiving swim for Monday.
October 11, 2025 at 1:06 AM
A balmy 17-20°C in the water at Oakville today. Way warmer than last year. Planning the traditional Lake Huron Thanksgiving swim for Monday.
This is in my top three favourite opening lines of a book.
From Patricia Wrightson, The Ice is Coming.
From Patricia Wrightson, The Ice is Coming.
October 10, 2025 at 11:29 PM
This is in my top three favourite opening lines of a book.
From Patricia Wrightson, The Ice is Coming.
From Patricia Wrightson, The Ice is Coming.
It's a way better flag than the Australian one. Can't steal it too, otherwise this would be an improvement:
October 7, 2025 at 12:04 PM
It's a way better flag than the Australian one. Can't steal it too, otherwise this would be an improvement:
I worked in the Oz Treasury when we moved the budget. Involved a lot of interdepartmental committees, and iirc one meeting where someone said "and this is confidential so Christine you will need to stop taking notes" which as a compulsive note taker still makes me feel twitchy.
October 7, 2025 at 1:03 AM
I worked in the Oz Treasury when we moved the budget. Involved a lot of interdepartmental committees, and iirc one meeting where someone said "and this is confidential so Christine you will need to stop taking notes" which as a compulsive note taker still makes me feel twitchy.
Word Cloud of student responses from today's class to: what sci-fi/fantasy/other books/movies can you think of with an example of externalities/public goods.
Given I'd covered The Sneetches the previous class, bit annoyed I hadn't thought of The Lorax myself.
Given I'd covered The Sneetches the previous class, bit annoyed I hadn't thought of The Lorax myself.
October 1, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Word Cloud of student responses from today's class to: what sci-fi/fantasy/other books/movies can you think of with an example of externalities/public goods.
Given I'd covered The Sneetches the previous class, bit annoyed I hadn't thought of The Lorax myself.
Given I'd covered The Sneetches the previous class, bit annoyed I hadn't thought of The Lorax myself.
A bit of a Discworld + Latin kind of class today. Also got the students to logic out what "Carpe Jugulum" might mean and therefore what creatures might feature in it, which followed from using quoting Granny Weatherwax on "Evil starts when you begin to treat people as things".
September 22, 2025 at 9:49 PM
A bit of a Discworld + Latin kind of class today. Also got the students to logic out what "Carpe Jugulum" might mean and therefore what creatures might feature in it, which followed from using quoting Granny Weatherwax on "Evil starts when you begin to treat people as things".
Am in at work on a Saturday morning, at a university campus where we routinely trumpet concerns about sustainability. No bike parking anywhere near the building, so the three of us who rode in had to improvise in not socially friendly ways.
September 20, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Am in at work on a Saturday morning, at a university campus where we routinely trumpet concerns about sustainability. No bike parking anywhere near the building, so the three of us who rode in had to improvise in not socially friendly ways.
Two lake long weekend: Lake Huron today (quite a bit warmer at 19C)
September 2, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Two lake long weekend: Lake Huron today (quite a bit warmer at 19C)
Oakville, Lakeside Park start.
August 31, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Oakville, Lakeside Park start.
Lake O today: getting chillier, but calm and clear enough to see quite a few fish and also the odd golf ball (now in a bin on land).
August 31, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Lake O today: getting chillier, but calm and clear enough to see quite a few fish and also the odd golf ball (now in a bin on land).
One of these is winter and the other is summer.
August 29, 2025 at 3:31 AM
One of these is winter and the other is summer.
"We" being a teensy bit specific there.
(Though yes to the general point the win over the US is good, though I am all for anyone beating the US and England in that order, and also go the All Blacks / Black Ferns / any Pacifica team.)
(Though yes to the general point the win over the US is good, though I am all for anyone beating the US and England in that order, and also go the All Blacks / Black Ferns / any Pacifica team.)
August 24, 2025 at 12:21 AM
"We" being a teensy bit specific there.
(Though yes to the general point the win over the US is good, though I am all for anyone beating the US and England in that order, and also go the All Blacks / Black Ferns / any Pacifica team.)
(Though yes to the general point the win over the US is good, though I am all for anyone beating the US and England in that order, and also go the All Blacks / Black Ferns / any Pacifica team.)
Watch tracking didn't work, but evidence from the start and finish (and timer chip) suggests I made 3.8km.
Knowing some landmarks does make it a bit easier. As does 25C water and a gentle swell from behind.
Knowing some landmarks does make it a bit easier. As does 25C water and a gentle swell from behind.
August 16, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Watch tracking didn't work, but evidence from the start and finish (and timer chip) suggests I made 3.8km.
Knowing some landmarks does make it a bit easier. As does 25C water and a gentle swell from behind.
Knowing some landmarks does make it a bit easier. As does 25C water and a gentle swell from behind.
Excuse me, but a main set after 2.5km??
August 10, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Excuse me, but a main set after 2.5km??
Also some pool swimming!
Should hit 10km on the weekend, but have another couple of challenges to do still.
Should hit 10km on the weekend, but have another couple of challenges to do still.
August 7, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Also some pool swimming!
Should hit 10km on the weekend, but have another couple of challenges to do still.
Should hit 10km on the weekend, but have another couple of challenges to do still.
Saturday morning Lake Ontario swim - looks as though my sighting is improving.
Almost perfect conditions (mornings are a bit chilly for me tbh, but can't complain about water temp of 20C).
Almost perfect conditions (mornings are a bit chilly for me tbh, but can't complain about water temp of 20C).
August 3, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Saturday morning Lake Ontario swim - looks as though my sighting is improving.
Almost perfect conditions (mornings are a bit chilly for me tbh, but can't complain about water temp of 20C).
Almost perfect conditions (mornings are a bit chilly for me tbh, but can't complain about water temp of 20C).
Was just looking through some old emails re student orientation and was reminded of this excellent flowchart for choosing a STEM major, that I initially saw posted by @simongerman600.bsky.social in another place (I don't entirely agree with the characterization of Econ, but also it's not wrong).
July 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Was just looking through some old emails re student orientation and was reminded of this excellent flowchart for choosing a STEM major, that I initially saw posted by @simongerman600.bsky.social in another place (I don't entirely agree with the characterization of Econ, but also it's not wrong).
Today's lake swim - not quite warm, but almost.
July 27, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Today's lake swim - not quite warm, but almost.
Pretty (but not warm) dip in the lake.
July 19, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Pretty (but not warm) dip in the lake.
Searching up swimming photos for reasons and found a good one - this wasn't the safest or warmest beach day but of course mum wasnt about to be deterred so what choice did I have.
July 15, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Searching up swimming photos for reasons and found a good one - this wasn't the safest or warmest beach day but of course mum wasnt about to be deterred so what choice did I have.
The Canada lilies are back and have babies old enough to flower themselves.
July 10, 2025 at 3:10 AM
The Canada lilies are back and have babies old enough to flower themselves.
It is a nice day in Waterloo Park.
July 1, 2025 at 11:04 PM
It is a nice day in Waterloo Park.