Amy MacPherson
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amymacpherson.bsky.social
Amy MacPherson
@amymacpherson.bsky.social
340 followers 360 following 210 posts
Living in Ottawa on unceded Anishinabe territory. Photos and opinions my own unless otherwise specified. Don’t expect much, though, since I’m mostly just lurking here while procrastinating. She/her.

Banner: trees against a sunset sky
PFP: calico cat
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
aptnnews.bsky.social
Quebec Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault has made the decision to resign from being a cabinet minister for the prime minister.

This is in protest of the MOU signing between the prime minister and Alberta premier.
Quebec Liberal MP resigns from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet over MOU | APTN News
YouTube video by APTN News
youtu.be
November 29, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
dragonsofwales.bsky.social
Jeff Bezos will be fine if we ignore him for one day.
This Black Friday, support a small creator.
Artists: drop your shop links below, whether you’re running a sale or not, and please repost everyone else’s.

No NSFW. No AI.

Here’s mine:
dragonsofwales.etsy.com
The banner from my Etsy shop, with illustrations of dinosaurs and dragons, and text which reads “25% off, 24 Nov - 3 Dec” and a “No AI” icon.
November 28, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
thinkingautism.com
Here are some avoidable issues that may upset autistic people to the point of self-injury or aggression, yet parents or caregivers might be told such behavior is “just autism,” or that the autistic person needs behavioral conditioning therapy. At TPGA:

thinkingautismguide.com/2022/01/auti... 1/
Autism Checklist of DOOM
Our autism checklist of doom is meant to help people the kinds of things that may upset an autistic person, ones that aren't always obvious.
thinkingautismguide.com
November 27, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
themerl.bsky.social
It's a beautiful day. We just dropped new merch for the first time in a year.

merl-shop.co.uk

(and, yes: we ship internationally!)

🧵
Merch for The Museum of English Rural Life. Each item - a tote bag, a mug, and two coasters - is adorned with an artwork of a mouse riding a lobster, holding a scroll decorated with the device of The Museum of English Rural Life.
November 26, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
carlbovisnature.bsky.social
I still have lots of my 2026 Birds calendars for sale... they make ideal Christmas gifts for nature lovers, and much nicer than cheap generic calendars in supermarkets etc. 🙏😀🥰🐦
You can buy them here;
www.carlbovis.com/2026-birds-c... 🐦
carlbovisnature.bsky.social Carl Bovis @carlbovisnature.bsky.social · May 7
*Thread! 😀

Here are my brand new 2026 Birds calendars! 🐦❤️
This is the Double A4 version. 😊
You can buy it here;
www.carlbovis.com/product-page... 🐦
November 27, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
thinkingautism.com
Holiday gatherings can be really hard for autistic kids and adults.

And the reasons why aren’t always obvious.

So please use and share our guide to helping autistics avoid
meltdown triggers. At TPGA:

thinkingautismguide.com/2022/01/auti...

#autism #neurodiversity #autistic #sensory
November 27, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
tetzoo.bsky.social
Years of work involving an amazing team at BBCSstudios Framestore AppleTV, our series #PrehistoricPlanetIceAge is out now on #AppleTV. Huge thanks to everyone involved. All 5 eps have been released!
Prehistoric Planet Ice Age promo card, Woolly mammoths. Giant kangaroo Procoptodon from Prehistoric Planet Ice Age. Homotherium serum from Prehistoric Planet Ice Age.
November 26, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
compoundchem.com
Why does skunk spray smell so bad, and what are some science-backed methods for removing the stench? The latest edition of #PeriodicGraphics in @cenmag.bsky.social takes a look: cen.acs.org/biological-c...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic titled “What makes skunk spray stink?” It explains that thiol compounds cause the odor. Earlier research misidentified 1-butanethiol, but two major thiols were later confirmed: (E)-2-butene-1-thiol (38–40% of volatiles) and 3-methyl-1-butanethiol (18–26%). It also notes the presence of thioacetates and quinolines. A central image shows a skunk. A section describes why the smell worsens with water: thioacetates convert to thiols when wet. Another section explains odor removal: tomato juice is ineffective; a mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish detergent oxidizes thiols to odorless sulfonic acids. It also mentions pericosine A, a compound that forms odorless thioethers with thiols.
November 25, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
erininthemorning.com
1. A landmark study was just published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

It found a 68% reduction in suicidality for trans youth getting HRT.

It also found only 7 of more than 400 stopped taking HRT... and of those that did, 4 still identified as gender-diverse.

Transgender care saves lives.
Study In The Journal Of Pediatrics Finds Trans Youth Care Lowers Suicidality, Few Detransition
The groundbreaking study found that suicidality dropped for transgender youth receiving hormone therapy by nearly 70%, with only 7 patients of 432 discontinuing treatment.
www.erininthemorning.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
lastweektonight.com
Our auction comes to a close tonight at 11:59pm! And if you’re unable to bid on any items but would still like to donate directly to a public media station in need, you can at JohnOliversJunk.com! Thank you all for a wonderful season, we’ll see you in February!
November 25, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
moriartylab.bsky.social
Canadian COVID Forecast: Nov 22 - Dec 5, 2025

SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: MB, NB, North, NS, SK
HIGH: CAN, BC, NL, ON, PEI, QC
MODERATE: none

About 1 in 161 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
This image shows gauges with the Nov 22 - Dec 5, 2025 Forecast scores for Canada, the provinces, & territories. From left to right: Canada: HIGH - 9.4 Alberta: SEVERE - 15.1 British Columbia: HIGH - 7.2 Manitoba: VERY HIGH - 13.9 New Brunswick: VERY HIGH - 14.0 Newfoundland & Labrador: HIGH - 7.9 North: VERY HIGH - 11.1 Nova Scotia: VERY HIGH - 14.3 Ontario: HIGH - 8.2 Prince Edward Island: HIGH - 8.8 Quebec: HIGH - 8.7 Saskatchewan: VERY HIGH - 14.5 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)."
November 25, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
elisabettaversace.bsky.social
Our study of time processing in bumblebees 🐝 covered by @cnn.com here edition.cnn.com/2025/11/12/s... . Our summary is here youtu.be/hsGxU65OMQk and the original paper royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.... @royalsocietypublishing.org
Scientists now know that bees can process time, a first in insects | CNN
Bumblebees can process the duration of flashes of light and use the information to decide where to look for food, a new study has found.
edition.cnn.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
okwonga.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Dispensing false information in a confident tone, rather than offering no answer when none is readily available, is a major flaw of generative AI, experts say. An audit of the top 10 generative AI models including ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta’s AI by the media literacy non-profit NewsGuard revealed that the non-response rates of chatbots went down from 31% in August 2024 to 0% in August 2025. At the same time, the chatbots’ likelihood of repeating false information almost doubled from 18% to 35%, NewsGuard found. None of the companies responded to NewsGuard’s request for a comment at the time.
November 23, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
octranspo.com
🎁 Le père Noël se promène à nouveau! Ce matin au centre-ville, notre autobus du père Noël prendra part au Défilé pour venir en aide au père Noël afin de répandre la joie et de soutenir une bonne cause.

Si vous nous voyez le long du chemin, n’hésitez pas à nous saluer! 👋
Autobus du Père Noël d’OC Transpo.
November 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
octranspo.com
🎁 Santa’s on the move again! Our Santa Bus is joining the Downtown Help Santa Toy Parade this morning, spreading cheer and supporting a great cause.

If you see us along the route, make sure to give us a wave! 👋
OC Transpo Santa Bus.
November 22, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
thinkingautism.com
"Surprising no one who follows evidence, a recent review has found no clear link between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and having an autistic child. Yes, we are sick of all of this, too." @ejwillingham.bsky.social in the latest TPGA newsletter:

buttondown.com/TPGA/archive... #autism #pseudoscience
November 22, 2025 at 4:20 AM
amymacpherson.bsky.social
Copycat! She often does this, it’s adorable but still makes him nervous.
A calico and white cat and a similarly coloured dog reclining next to each other on a white comforter in a dimly lit bedroom. They are in almost exactly the same pose with their left front paws extended and the other limbs folded underneath, tails curled around the right flank, heads turned to look up at the camera.
November 22, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
lastweektonight.com
Our auction to benefit public media is live at JohnOliversJunk.com! And it’s not just items we mentioned on the show! For the next 3 days, you can bid on things like this neon sign from a sketch about Medspas starring Rachel Dratch, AKA Wanda Jo.
November 21, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
tabathasouthey.bsky.social
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…
A screenshot of a Facebook post where a person named Andy ask the Well now “What the hell is transgender?” The Royal Canadian Air Force account response with “That’s a pretty big question asked in a pretty small way, Andy. ‘Transgender’ putting describes someone whose gender – who they know themselves to be – doesn’t match the sex they were assigned at birth. It’s not new, and it’s certainly not a fad. People have lived this experience for as long as people have existed; we’re just finally talking about it openly. You don’t have to fully understand it right away, most learning takes time, but we can always start from a place of respect. That’s how decent folks handle things they’re still getting used to.”
November 22, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
clankorval.bsky.social
Friday blog in which survival is not a competition.
sharonleewriter.com/2025/11/frid...

#writingcommunity
Friday – Sharon Lee, Writer
sharonleewriter.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
glengower.ca
Conditions in the Carp River Watershed and Mississippi River Watershed have improved to Level II (Moderate) Low Water conditions in accordance with the Ontario Low Water Response Program, according to Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority. ☔️
Watershed Conditions: Precipitation indicators in the lower Mississippi watershed have considerably improved due to recent rainfall and snowfall amounts. Precipitation over the past 90 days has recovered above 80% of the long-term seasonal average and conditions have further improved in the last 30 days, with precipitation recovering to 100% of the seasonal norm. Precipitation in the upper Mississippi watershed remains below average at approximately 60% for the past 90 days and 40% for the last 30 days. Streamflow in the Carp River has seen several peaks of improvement across October and November due to precipitation. Currently, the past 30-day streamflow has recovered to 100% of long-term historical average. However, conditions could decline again without continued precipitation to supplement flows. Streamflow in the Mississippi River has generally recovered to above 50% of long-term historical average with the exception of a few tributaries that are still recovering. This statement is to advise that present conditions in the Carp River Watershed and Mississippi River Watershed have improved to Level II (Moderate) Low Water conditions in accordance with the Ontario Low Water Response Program. Actions: The MVCA is encouraging all water users that are not on the City of Ottawa’s municipal distribution network to continue reducing their water consumption by 20% to help mitigate the impacts of the low water conditions. MVCA is advising the general public to use extreme caution while out on waterways for recreational purposes (swimming, boating). Those who have permits for taking water from surface or groundwater sources are asked to reduce their actual taking as much as possible. Residents are also urged to use water conservatively by using rain barrels to water lawns and gardens and avoid using pressure washers to clean houses, driveways, decks and fences. Please check your municipality’s website for current water usage restrictions. All residents throughout the Mississippi Valley watershed should be aware of any bans or bylaws that may be in place in their municipalities regarding watering or fire bans. Conservation Authority staff continue to monitor conditions and communicate with water managers throughout the watershed. Duration: This message is in effect until an update has been issued. For More Information: Daily water levels and flows are available on the MVCA website at www.mvc.on.ca/water-levels. A map of the Carp River watershed can be found at https://mvc.on.ca/carp-river-watershed/.
November 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
napaaqtuk.bsky.social
Instead of interacting with the lady who uses a photo of herself holding the skull of an ancestor (the same photo that got her banned from working with remains) for a book cover, watch these clever videos in honor of Native American Heritage Month! After you block Beth, of course.

gonenative.tv
November 20, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
ddiamond.bsky.social
As we and others have repeatedly reported, credible researchers have said there is no link between vaccines and autism.
CDC plans study on vaccines and autism despite research showing no link
President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have repeatedly raised the idea that autism could be linked to vaccines.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Reposted by Amy MacPherson
lastweektonight.com
You have until Sunday at 11:59pm to bid in our auction to benefit public media at JohnOliversJunk.com! And it’s not all Bob Ross paintings. There’s also this absolutely gorgeous custom Minor League Baseball jersey, featuring John Oliver's face. Their idea, not ours.
November 19, 2025 at 11:31 PM