Julie Penner
@julespenner.bsky.social
Musician, mother, arts worker. I play violin with Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene, JP Hoe, etc. Made radio/podcasts with The Vinyl Cafe and William Prince. I tend to post about Winnipeg, biking, urbanism, and politics.
https://linktr.ee/JuliePenner
https://linktr.ee/JuliePenner
Pinned
This is a great story - young folk finding joy in writing, performing and sharing music, bucking against the screentime. And Winnipeg’s We’re Only Here For The Snacks is featured! @julespenner.bsky.social
Globe and Mail gift article
Globe and Mail gift article
A garage band revival? Maybe the kids are all right
Tired of their smartphones, looking for connection and spurred on by Gen X parents, youngsters across the country are getting the band back together
www.theglobeandmail.com
My son’s band “We’re Only Here For The Snacks” is on the front of the Globe and Mail Arts Section! Thrilling.
Their album “Missed Our Stop” is out Nov. 21 and release party is at the WECC on Nov. 23.
Their album “Missed Our Stop” is out Nov. 21 and release party is at the WECC on Nov. 23.
I first heard that Thomas King wasn’t Indigenous in 2016.
I couldn’t understand why he chose to identify with - and attach his entire life’s work to - a father he never met, whose background was nothing more than a rumour.
The Cherokee never claimed him and King was reached out to many times.
I couldn’t understand why he chose to identify with - and attach his entire life’s work to - a father he never met, whose background was nothing more than a rumour.
The Cherokee never claimed him and King was reached out to many times.
I read both pieces in the Globe and neither really address how long it’s taken King to come to terms with this. I have no inside knowledge whatsoever and yet *I’ve* known he had no Cherokee ancestry (according to the Cherokee) since the Boyden scandal. His “admission” feels so disingenuous.
November 26, 2025 at 3:08 PM
I first heard that Thomas King wasn’t Indigenous in 2016.
I couldn’t understand why he chose to identify with - and attach his entire life’s work to - a father he never met, whose background was nothing more than a rumour.
The Cherokee never claimed him and King was reached out to many times.
I couldn’t understand why he chose to identify with - and attach his entire life’s work to - a father he never met, whose background was nothing more than a rumour.
The Cherokee never claimed him and King was reached out to many times.
Reposted by Julie Penner
The open secret that Thomas King is not Indigenous at all is finally verified, and honestly it's a relief. Having him just confess this instead of going out kicking and screaming like so many before him causes a LOT less harm to Indigenous communities.
It still sucks though.
It still sucks though.
November 24, 2025 at 11:15 PM
The open secret that Thomas King is not Indigenous at all is finally verified, and honestly it's a relief. Having him just confess this instead of going out kicking and screaming like so many before him causes a LOT less harm to Indigenous communities.
It still sucks though.
It still sucks though.
Reposted by Julie Penner
As @apihtawikosisan.bsky.social said: at least he just admitted it rather than dissembling. But, damn, it's disturbing how deep the pretendian rot goes. It says a lot about Canada's relationship with Indigenous people that many of the most celebrated Indigenous writers and artists are ethnic frauds
November 24, 2025 at 11:39 PM
As @apihtawikosisan.bsky.social said: at least he just admitted it rather than dissembling. But, damn, it's disturbing how deep the pretendian rot goes. It says a lot about Canada's relationship with Indigenous people that many of the most celebrated Indigenous writers and artists are ethnic frauds
Reposted by Julie Penner
I saw Thomas King finally admitted he’s not Native. We were going to do a story on him for the old podcast - he was cited in a court case, his books used in schools - so it mattered. But also it would just be so ugly. This is the best way for him to do it.
November 25, 2025 at 12:04 AM
I saw Thomas King finally admitted he’s not Native. We were going to do a story on him for the old podcast - he was cited in a court case, his books used in schools - so it mattered. But also it would just be so ugly. This is the best way for him to do it.
Oh my god, this is so awful. Read the entire article.
Those testing questions remind me of Jim Crow-era literacy tests for voting.
Those testing questions remind me of Jim Crow-era literacy tests for voting.
Harrowing account of how Denmark uses cod psychology and general knowledge tests to remove Greenlandic children from their mothers www.bbc.com/news/article...
November 25, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Oh my god, this is so awful. Read the entire article.
Those testing questions remind me of Jim Crow-era literacy tests for voting.
Those testing questions remind me of Jim Crow-era literacy tests for voting.
Reposted by Julie Penner
One of the reasons I love live call-in radio shows is for moments like this.
Poor Richard thought he was talking to a call screener.
He was actually talking live on air to Alberta At Noon host @kathleenpetty.bsky.social, who gently and professionally nudged him toward that realization.
Turn 🔊 on:
Poor Richard thought he was talking to a call screener.
He was actually talking live on air to Alberta At Noon host @kathleenpetty.bsky.social, who gently and professionally nudged him toward that realization.
Turn 🔊 on:
November 25, 2025 at 12:12 AM
One of the reasons I love live call-in radio shows is for moments like this.
Poor Richard thought he was talking to a call screener.
He was actually talking live on air to Alberta At Noon host @kathleenpetty.bsky.social, who gently and professionally nudged him toward that realization.
Turn 🔊 on:
Poor Richard thought he was talking to a call screener.
He was actually talking live on air to Alberta At Noon host @kathleenpetty.bsky.social, who gently and professionally nudged him toward that realization.
Turn 🔊 on:
Reposted by Julie Penner
Roslyn and Osborne is a deadly intersection because it is built to move cars through it quickly. Every design decision has been made for the convenience of drivers, not safety for the people like Rosalie who lived there.
November 24, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Roslyn and Osborne is a deadly intersection because it is built to move cars through it quickly. Every design decision has been made for the convenience of drivers, not safety for the people like Rosalie who lived there.
“Winnipeg’s 2026 budget is being presented as a responsible plan for a growing city. In reality, it continues a decades-long pattern of expanding the physical footprint of the city faster than we can afford to maintain it — while starving the essential services that keep Winnipeggers safe.”
November 24, 2025 at 2:59 PM
“Winnipeg’s 2026 budget is being presented as a responsible plan for a growing city. In reality, it continues a decades-long pattern of expanding the physical footprint of the city faster than we can afford to maintain it — while starving the essential services that keep Winnipeggers safe.”
Reposted by Julie Penner
Canada is releasing a set of stamps celebrating the nation's graphic novelists.
These stamps feature Kate Beaton, Jimmy Beaulieu, Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, alongside some of their famous works.
These stamps feature Kate Beaton, Jimmy Beaulieu, Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, alongside some of their famous works.
November 21, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Canada is releasing a set of stamps celebrating the nation's graphic novelists.
These stamps feature Kate Beaton, Jimmy Beaulieu, Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, alongside some of their famous works.
These stamps feature Kate Beaton, Jimmy Beaulieu, Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, alongside some of their famous works.
Attention Winnipeg. #Railyards
mil outremont 2005 → 2024
here's a train yard in #montreal that is being turned into a new neighbourhood. it's less than 10 minutes away from a metro station. there's a university pavilion, housing, a grocery store, a sponge park, and soon an elementary school...
📷 google earth
here's a train yard in #montreal that is being turned into a new neighbourhood. it's less than 10 minutes away from a metro station. there's a university pavilion, housing, a grocery store, a sponge park, and soon an elementary school...
📷 google earth
November 24, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Attention Winnipeg. #Railyards
Reposted by Julie Penner
The Kinew government is applying for a special designation to put its growing francophone community on the map and tap into new markets in French-speaking countries across the world.
Manitoba eyes bilingual designation ‘to be at the table’
The Kinew government is applying for a special designation to put its growing francophone community on the map and tap into new markets in French-speaking countries across the world.
www.winnipegfreepress.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:46 PM
The Kinew government is applying for a special designation to put its growing francophone community on the map and tap into new markets in French-speaking countries across the world.
Reposted by Julie Penner
When you add a private tier, you don’t magically create extra surgeons or nurses.
You just give existing clinicians a more lucrative place to spend their limited time and energy.
You just give existing clinicians a more lucrative place to spend their limited time and energy.
November 23, 2025 at 5:25 PM
When you add a private tier, you don’t magically create extra surgeons or nurses.
You just give existing clinicians a more lucrative place to spend their limited time and energy.
You just give existing clinicians a more lucrative place to spend their limited time and energy.
Excellent thread. #Canada #PublicHealthCare
Back in school, I wrote an essay about how two-tier healthcare would improve access for everyone.
It makes intuitive sense: create a second line and the original one gets shorter, right?
A better look at the evidence and arguments like Picard's changed my mind. 🧵
It makes intuitive sense: create a second line and the original one gets shorter, right?
A better look at the evidence and arguments like Picard's changed my mind. 🧵
Picard’s point on AB’s new “dual practice” plan: evidence shows letting surgeons bill public & private won’t fix wait times, it likely lengthens them, drains staff from public hospitals, adds red tape, and undermines access.
A solution in search of a problem. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/70a7e73...
A solution in search of a problem. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/70a7e73...
November 23, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Excellent thread. #Canada #PublicHealthCare
Reposted by Julie Penner
Not a single one of the big pro-Trump "Canadian MAGA" accounts is actually Canadian.
November 23, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Not a single one of the big pro-Trump "Canadian MAGA" accounts is actually Canadian.
Reposted by Julie Penner
I think Mamdani did an amazing job with Trump, he was charming & warm but also disciplined, on message. I also think it’s a mistake to think there’s a cheat code with Trump, that when he abuses someone, it’s the target’s fault… you cd do everything “right” & the man can still explode
November 23, 2025 at 12:32 AM
I think Mamdani did an amazing job with Trump, he was charming & warm but also disciplined, on message. I also think it’s a mistake to think there’s a cheat code with Trump, that when he abuses someone, it’s the target’s fault… you cd do everything “right” & the man can still explode
Reposted by Julie Penner
IDF soldiers & anyone coming from Gaza to Canada should be interviewed to see if they have evidence of atrocities, incl. potentially their own.
Otherwise, the RMCP’s structural investigation is pointless.
Comments from me &
@jamesyap.bsky.social here: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Otherwise, the RMCP’s structural investigation is pointless.
Comments from me &
@jamesyap.bsky.social here: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
IDF soldiers are doing speaking events in Canada. Some say they shouldn't be here | CBC News
A violent incident at a Toronto speaking event has sparked calls for more scrutiny on Israeli soldiers entering Canada, with some saying they should be barred entry or investigated for potential parti...
www.cbc.ca
November 22, 2025 at 11:31 PM
IDF soldiers & anyone coming from Gaza to Canada should be interviewed to see if they have evidence of atrocities, incl. potentially their own.
Otherwise, the RMCP’s structural investigation is pointless.
Comments from me &
@jamesyap.bsky.social here: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Otherwise, the RMCP’s structural investigation is pointless.
Comments from me &
@jamesyap.bsky.social here: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Julie Penner
Yes! This is so important! Machine Learning is doing wonderful things like mapping Martian craters and analyzing microbe genomes. LLMs are a very specific form & it’s them doing these huge amounts of harm. I also sometimes say “Gen AI”
when I mean both LLMs and art generators; I try to never say AI
when I mean both LLMs and art generators; I try to never say AI
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 22, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Yes! This is so important! Machine Learning is doing wonderful things like mapping Martian craters and analyzing microbe genomes. LLMs are a very specific form & it’s them doing these huge amounts of harm. I also sometimes say “Gen AI”
when I mean both LLMs and art generators; I try to never say AI
when I mean both LLMs and art generators; I try to never say AI
Reposted by Julie Penner
How Vaccines Work 🧬🧫🧪🔬💉🥽
November 18, 2025 at 5:00 PM
How Vaccines Work 🧬🧫🧪🔬💉🥽
Reposted by Julie Penner
Almost a year now since I received this absolutely classic burn from the Canadian government.
November 21, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Almost a year now since I received this absolutely classic burn from the Canadian government.
Reposted by Julie Penner
#WokeUpWithThisSongInMyHead The Weakerthans “Left and Leaving” www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3NE...
Left And Leaving
YouTube video by The Weakerthans - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:13 PM
#WokeUpWithThisSongInMyHead The Weakerthans “Left and Leaving” www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3NE...
Reposted by Julie Penner
Allowing doctors to practise in both public and private systems solves what exactly? What Alberta is proposing may sound good superficially but makes no sense in the Canadian context, by @picardonhealth.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti... via @theglobeandmail.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Allowing doctors to practise in both public and private systems solves what exactly? What Alberta is proposing may sound good superficially but makes no sense in the Canadian context, by @picardonhealth.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti... via @theglobeandmail.com
Reposted by Julie Penner
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
November 22, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
Reposted by Julie Penner
He said "Amen" straight into the drop
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
November 20, 2025 at 4:22 PM
He said "Amen" straight into the drop
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
Reposted by Julie Penner
My favorite Oz designs are from the 60s Canadian animated series.
November 22, 2025 at 3:59 AM
My favorite Oz designs are from the 60s Canadian animated series.