Shirley Tillotson
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stillots1.bsky.social
Shirley Tillotson
@stillots1.bsky.social
4.5K followers 2K following 3.9K posts
Prof. Emeritus at Dalhousie/King's in Halifax, NS. Canadian history (with sources), public finance, pix of woodland and coast. Slow to anger. Stage IV MBC https://ukings.ca/people/shirley-tillotson/
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stillots1.bsky.social
Shirley Tillotson @stillots1.bsky.social · Jan 11
My fave political history is the backstories of politicians: the agenda-making and network building worlds of volunteering, fundraising, and policy / interest advocacy.

So I'm your dial-a- Canadian-historian on lots of specialist topics. But it's all political history.
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
themattmcd.bsky.social
My microwave sings a little song when my Hot Pocket is done. Should it have the right to vote?
abeba.bsky.social Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.bsky.social · 23h
can’t fucking catch a breath

make it stop
Is ChatGPT Conscious? Many users feel they’re talking to a real person. Scientists say it’s time to consider whether they’re onto something. By Jeff Wise, a science journalist and private pilot.
November 25, 2025 at 8:44 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
Colleen Jones is gone. I dare you not to be moved by her work as a journalist telling stories of good people. See the clip from her retirement two years ago, in this story

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Colleen Jones, champion curler and CBC reporter, dies at 65 | CBC News
Jones’s celebrated career paved the way for other women in sport and broadcasting.
www.cbc.ca
November 25, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
bdgesq.bsky.social
We'll soon post a short document summarizing these points (with Emmanuel Saez stepping in to help on the economics and revenue estimates), but for now readers can look at our longer explanation at

www.californialawreview.org/print/state-...

4/4
Money Moves: Taxing the Wealthy at the State Level — California Law Review
It’s widely understood today that inequality is a major social problem that in turn contributes to other crises. By most accounts, tax systems are supposed to be our engines of equality. Yet in today’...
www.californialawreview.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
Hard on the hands, grippy on the boots. ♥️ NS white granite
Close up of a piece of white granite forming a horizontal demarcation between the granite and some trees and sky visible in soft focus beyond
November 23, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
craigschaeferbooks.com
New scam, folks. Be aware. Got an email from a writer akin to real ones I've gotten in the past -- hey, I like your books, I'm a writer too, looking to make connections, etc. Nothing sus. First red flag: ending with "I'd love to stay connected. Do you have a link to your latest book or author page?"
November 21, 2025 at 9:49 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
For lots of good reasons - regulatory capture, human error, cultural/class bias - the credibility of state agencies has always been scrutinized.

But we've made progress in a lot of areas in Canada especially.

💔 to see the CDC forced into sacrificing its credibility. share.google/Axy5dPCe5ApJ...
RFK Jr. says he told CDC to change position on vaccines and autism
Agency website changed despite decades of research as U.S. Health Secretary and longtime vaccine skeptic tells the New York Times that gaps exist in vaccine safety science
share.google
November 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
*Ganong's
stillots1.bsky.social Shirley Tillotson @stillots1.bsky.social · 4d
An old New Brunswick business, Gaming's, is not selling into the US with its Christmas holiday candy.

I hope they'll be OK. Their cinnamon / chocolate chicken bones are a classic

ganongchocolatier.shop/collections?...
From the ganong website "due to recent changes to U.S. import and FDA regulations, including the removal of exemptions for low-value food shipments and new documentation requirements for all confectionery products, we are temporarily unable to ship orders to the United states. These updated rules have created increased duties and compliance obligations for exporters, and we are reviewing options to resume U.S. shipping in the future A white candy dish filled with oblong pink hard candies.
November 22, 2025 at 1:20 AM
stillots1.bsky.social
*Ganong's
stillots1.bsky.social Shirley Tillotson @stillots1.bsky.social · 4d
An old New Brunswick business, Gaming's, is not selling into the US with its Christmas holiday candy.

I hope they'll be OK. Their cinnamon / chocolate chicken bones are a classic

ganongchocolatier.shop/collections?...
From the ganong website "due to recent changes to U.S. import and FDA regulations, including the removal of exemptions for low-value food shipments and new documentation requirements for all confectionery products, we are temporarily unable to ship orders to the United states. These updated rules have created increased duties and compliance obligations for exporters, and we are reviewing options to resume U.S. shipping in the future A white candy dish filled with oblong pink hard candies.
November 22, 2025 at 1:19 AM
stillots1.bsky.social
An old New Brunswick business, Gaming's, is not selling into the US with its Christmas holiday candy.

I hope they'll be OK. Their cinnamon / chocolate chicken bones are a classic

ganongchocolatier.shop/collections?...
From the ganong website "due to recent changes to U.S. import and FDA regulations, including the removal of exemptions for low-value food shipments and new documentation requirements for all confectionery products, we are temporarily unable to ship orders to the United states. These updated rules have created increased duties and compliance obligations for exporters, and we are reviewing options to resume U.S. shipping in the future A white candy dish filled with oblong pink hard candies.
November 22, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
matttomic.bsky.social
Arguing with JD Vance feels like taking the bait but still:

1. Per capita GDP is not a measure of "standard of living"
2. US GDP/capita is highly skewed by the outlier ultra-wealthy 0.01% class
3. Canadians, as a median, earn more money, work fewer hours, and live longer than Americans
twseal.bsky.social Thomas Seal @twseal.bsky.social · 5d
JD Vance shares some opinions on Canada:
November 21, 2025 at 5:18 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
#oncsky #cansky
stillots1.bsky.social Shirley Tillotson @stillots1.bsky.social · 5d
I don't know if I'll ever need a "Worry Algorithm" but there is one.

I gotta say this flow chart feels "sciencey"

It's just the ordinary steps a person takes to deal with worry, no?
A flow chart that begins at the top with a box labeled worries about breast cancer recurrence or progression. Below it three alternate channels: unrealistic worry, realistic worry, unclear if worry is realistic. Each of them in turn has a subsequent course of action. On the left of the diagram, unrealistic worry leads to a solution called reframe thoughts and adaptive thinking. On the right, below "unsure if Realistic," there is a box is labeled with a solution called "collect more information e.g. get feedback from the oncologist). In the middle under the heading realistic worries, the next step is to ask the question is there any action that can be taken to resolve worry? In turn, flowing from that box, there are two options: yes (controllable) and no (uncontrollable). Under yes, the solution is take action. Under no, the solution is "enhance coping and distress tolerance."
November 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
I don't know if I'll ever need a "Worry Algorithm" but there is one.

I gotta say this flow chart feels "sciencey"

It's just the ordinary steps a person takes to deal with worry, no?
A flow chart that begins at the top with a box labeled worries about breast cancer recurrence or progression. Below it three alternate channels: unrealistic worry, realistic worry, unclear if worry is realistic. Each of them in turn has a subsequent course of action. On the left of the diagram, unrealistic worry leads to a solution called reframe thoughts and adaptive thinking. On the right, below "unsure if Realistic," there is a box is labeled with a solution called "collect more information e.g. get feedback from the oncologist). In the middle under the heading realistic worries, the next step is to ask the question is there any action that can be taken to resolve worry? In turn, flowing from that box, there are two options: yes (controllable) and no (uncontrollable). Under yes, the solution is take action. Under no, the solution is "enhance coping and distress tolerance."
November 21, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
kwilsonhfx.bsky.social
Almost to a person, the answer to "what do you want out of budget season?" is something version of "more spending in my district, lower taxes"
elmo from sesame street is standing in front of a wall of fire .
ALT: elmo from sesame street is standing in front of a wall of fire .
media.tenor.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
danp.net
“Your city hall access code is your district’s deficit last year”
November 21, 2025 at 12:10 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
The workout bots are nearly as intrusive as the porn bots used to be in the bad place.
November 21, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
aaronwherry.bsky.social
A quote from former Alberta premier Ralph Klein I hadn't come across before (in a column @senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social wrote in 2024).

albertaviews.ca/stripping-aw...
November 20, 2025 at 4:03 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
Sunset at the gym
Flaming orange sunset seen through the windows of a gym
November 19, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
bdgesq.bsky.social
This, friends, is why they teach you in prosecutor school* not to wait until the last day of the statute of limitations to file your indictment.

*: A boot camp in S. Carolina run by DOJ -- kinda like the movie Stripes, but with a lot of bad suits -- call it "PinStripes."
November 19, 2025 at 6:41 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
I'm so worried for Alberta

CDN Medical Association on threat to health care in Alberta. And the better routes to better services.

www.canadiandoctorsformedicare.ca/canadian_doc...
"There are far better ways to improve our Healthcare system," said Dr Bernard Ho, vice chair of Canadian doctors for Medicare and emergency / family physician in Toronto. "Strong public investment, supporting primary care through multidisciplinary teams, and centralized referrals are all evidence-based ways to improve efficiency in healthcare and reduce wait times."
November 19, 2025 at 4:58 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
Among the pleasures of home
Photograph of two objects sitting on a wooden table. In the foreground, slightly out of focus is part of a multicoloured cookie tin. In the background is a smoky, clear glass lamp base, reflecting on its uneven surface the colours of the cookie tin. Neither object is especially legible as an object from the photograph. The effect is a study in colour, light, and texture
November 19, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by Shirley Tillotson
sophienadeau.bsky.social
Yes! If you’re working to fight misinfo like we are, you can’t play by the salacious rules of wild algorithmic success because if you did you’d be feeding into the systemic mess. Healthy content development demands of us to see value and impact differently. www.linkedin.com/pulse/maybe-...
Maybe some things are valuable even if they don't produce engagement?
I want to talk about engagement. In journalism nowadays we are obsessed with it.
www.linkedin.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:21 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
Delightfully BC!
forrestpass.bsky.social Forrest Pass @forrestpass.bsky.social · 7d
Happy Douglas Day to those who celebrate! First marked in the 1920s and officialized by the Douglas Day Act, 1959 (at 9 words, BC's shortest provincial statute), in 2025 the day marks 167 years since the proclamation of the colony. If nets are your thing, party like Century Sam! #cdnhist #bchist
November 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
"Happy" memories of marking the less-well-researched undergrad essay.

"Traditionally -- evidence?"

Tradition = that past someone devoutly wishes had existed. The wish is sometimes based on partially understood childhood experiences.

It's a word I can't any longer use without scare quotes
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10d
Bessent on tariffs: "This is one of President Trump's signature policies, and traditionally the Supreme Court does not interfere with a president's signature policy."
November 18, 2025 at 1:39 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
It's official. There is a magic money tree. /s
ryanbeckwith.bsky.social Ryan Teague Beckwith @ryanbeckwith.bsky.social · 9d
They send these every week. No check is going to ever come.
November 18, 2025 at 1:30 PM
stillots1.bsky.social
Fitness accounts are showing up in my Discover feed.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Insta-block

I am here for couch time.

If any self-improvement occurs, it will only be intellectual
Sock-covered toes and lower legs and loose pants. Photographef from the point of view of someone lying on a couch
November 17, 2025 at 6:02 PM