Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Idealistic Pragmatist

@justip.bsky.social

1.6K 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.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

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.

26 1 110

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 7h

I’ve known him since we were both part of the Canadian political blogging community in the mid 2000s. 😆

1 1

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 7h

I actually have four!

1 2

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 7h

I live on one of the big central-south cross streets, and it looks GRIM driving out there.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 7h

I love that you two know each other! I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me.

1 1

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 7h

Butter tart FESTIVAL?

1 1

Reposted by Idealistic Pragmatist

Tara Moriarty @moriartylab.bsky.social · 9d

Canadian COVID Forecast Sep 27 - Oct 10, 2025

NOVA SCOTIA

VERY HIGH [increasing]

About 1 of every 42 people is infected.

Compared to lowest point of pandemic in Canada:

-Infections: 8.2 x higher
-Long COVID: 5.8 x higher
-Hospitalizations: 14.4 x higher
-Deaths: 12.4 x higher

This image describes Nova Scotia's COVID Forecast for the fourteen-day period between Sep 27 - Oct 10, 2025 which is produced by COVID-19 Resources Canada.
Nova Scotia's COVID Forecast outlook is VERY HIGH [Increasing]
Nova Scotia's COVID INDEX SCORE is 11.6
About 1 of every 42 people is infected.

Estimated infections this week: 23,700-37,100
What these numbers mean: MODERATE 1-5, HIGH 5-10, VERY HIGH 10-15, SEVERE >15 COMPARED TO THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COVID PANDEMIC IN CANADA
How much higher are key indicators compared to the lowest point in the COVID pandemic in Canada?
Waste water, infections: HIGH; 8.2X higher
Long COVID: HIGH; 5.8X higher
Hospitalizations: VERY HIGH; 14.4X higher
Deaths: VERY HIGH; 12.4X higher
HOW TO HELP:
EVERYONE:
"UPDATE vaccines every 6 months
WEAR N95-type masks
AVOID indoor social gatherings
AVOID crowded non-essential places"
Who is HIGH RISK?
People 60 and older, babies < 1 year, pregnant
ALL AGES: immunocompromised OR medically at-risk OR no vaccine or infection in the last 6 months

Recommendations are based on the COVID-19 Risk Index from the Peterborough ON Public Health Unit
COVID-19 Resources Canada is a grassroots organization of volunteer scientists supporting Canadian COVID responses. Sources, data and methods for the COVID Index are available at www.Covid19Resources.ca

2 8 20

Reposted by Idealistic Pragmatist

Polling Canada @canadianpolling.bsky.social · 11h

"Which is closer to your point of view when it comes to vaccinations and childhood disease?"

Vaccinations for children should be mandatory: 72%

Parents should be the ones deciding whether their children should be vaccinated: 23%

Research Co. / Sept 12, 2025 / n=1003 / Online

8 7 44

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

Me four!

1 1

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

Because they’re “not affordable”. Inherently. Somehow.

1 12

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 13h

I’m genuinely taken aback by this characteristic in THIS PARTICULAR new councillor.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 14h

When was your last one?

1 1

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 15h

Same! And I pronounced "Gottingen" like the original German 'Göttingen' (I figured that by adding a bad North American accent it would turn out right). Turns out, not so much.

Reposted by Idealistic Pragmatist

Jillian @bikehfxlobby.bsky.social · 16h

Halifax (and Nova Scotia), appointments for COVID and flu vaccines are now available to book!

novascotia.flow.canimmunize.ca/en/booking/c...

CANImmunize

CANImmunize Clinic Flow

novascotia.flow.canimmunize.ca

8 27 52

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 15h

I don't actually believe I will get a true frost in my backyard tonight, but I think it will be a challenging night for my tender new little greenhouse sprouts. 😬

1 4

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 15h

I would love to see him be cornered into admitting publicly what he believes right now.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 15h

Unfortunately, the consequences of those decisions have directly impacted all of us and all of our family members (even in circumstances when we're not aware of the specific ways yet).

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 15h

(I find the Public Health Is Dead podcast (which talks about pandemic issues globally but is Canadian!) really good for sorting through some of the inherent issues with the whole field.)

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 15h

All of which is wrong and should not be happening that way. But public health is a field that is often willing to make arguably evil compromises based on what they think people would be willing to do. So even someone who understands aerosol transmission could make those bad decisions.

2 1 3

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 16h

A lot of medically trained professionals have changed their minds after reviewing the evidence without being willing to say so publicly (which is cowardly, but not anti-science). I wouldn't be certain to know what he thinks right now based on what he said a few years ago for that reason.

1 4

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 16h

You can always identify the young (presumably) Ontarians serving in Nova Scotia restaurants over the summer through this word.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 17h

A person of my intimate acquaintance (ahem) who knows how Nova works says that the issue must be on one of the internal Nova Scotia Health websites it was trained on. Fixing this will require identifying where the error was introduced.

2 6

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 17h

Okay, when I posted the above, I didn’t know they were having a sale! So in case you didn’t either, voilà:

Tidal Salt @novascotiaseasalt.ca · 1d

We’re doing a sale. We’re also learning how to make clickbait I guess? Anyways, $20 introductary price for the Atlantic Sampler (not shown to scale)

Limit three per customer.

www.tidalsalt.ca/product/atla...

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 17h

PSA: the “black” varieties of garden tomatoes are EXTRA delicious with a bit of “Umami Tides”/Darkside @novascotiaseasalt.ca ! Just 👩‍🍳💋

1 19

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 20h

I can’t believe you ever thought you sucked at anything artsy/creative.

Idealistic Pragmatist @justip.bsky.social · 1d

And a medical AI that doesn’t learn (like a medical doctor who doesn’t learn) is actively harmful here.