EP

@Astro_Jessica @Space_Station Bought a $700 ski pass and didn't use it because of back pain. I could have joined you on the space station.

The closest I got to donning my ski socks this season! I haven’t been able to get any turns in from my temporary home at the @Space_Station, but at least I have stunning views of the mountains where I fell in love with backcountry skiing. Though I started x-country skiing at the age of 2 (thanks to my Swedish mother!) and took up alpine skiing in college, it was only while doing my post-doc at @UBC that I realized I could combine the two for the most ultimate of snow passions. How was your ski season? Photo 1: Ski socks over Vancouver and the Coast Mountains, taken in the @Space_Station Cupola Photo 2: View of Vancouver and the Coast Mountains with Earth limb from the Cupola Photo 3: Zoom of @WhistlerBlckcmb (seventh heaven baby!) at center of image

@ianhanomansing On the way back to earth, Orion's speed was increasing due to the pull of earth's gravity. They went from 900 mph to 7,000 mph halfway between the moon and the earth. Did they feel the acceleration at all, or did they remain at 0 g the whole time?

Well, here's a fun assignment: I'm interviewing the Artemis II astronauts Thursday. What would you like me to ask them?

@cbcsports Hello! The alpine skiing races from yesterday are missing. It's been 24 hours, and they are not available yet to watch as a replay. When will we be able to watch them? Thanks!

@cbcsports Hi, CBC! Thank you for your alpine skiing coverage. Please note that the name of Zrinka Ljutic is pronounced "Lju-T-ich", not "Ljuchik". Thanks.

@AkivaGoldsman Um, is there a legal limit to how many times one can binge-stream Strange New Worlds? Absolutely brilliant show. (The only quibble I have is that "I feel badly" should be "I feel bad," on account of linking verbs, but I'm happy to re-watch even that bit.) :)

@TRyanGregory Good advice, but most people are either unaware of it or ignoring it. I was traveling recently, and there were maybe three people masked out of 300 people on the plane. Last year, it was at least a dozen.

WOW

@PrognosticChats This is like reading about some alternate dimension where logic and reason don't exist, except that every aspect of our dimension is like that other dimension.

@deonandan Kind of like the boring pandemic we are in the middle of now, where no one can be bothered to take any precautions, because the danger is not immediate and obvious.

My latest blog post: "The Next Pandemic Will Be Boring — And That’s the Danger" blog.deonandan.com/wordpress/2025…

@deonandan Is that like the marshmallow test, but with smarties? If you don't eat them, do you get more later as a reward?

My 5-year old is doing an experiment involving smarties. But he's afraid I might eat them. So he has added this sign to remind me that these are experiment smarties, not eating smarties.

@deonandan The legal name doesn't change, only the applied title. Maybe they can just use the legal name for all letterhead?

While I was working for the Ontario government way back when, the government changed twice. The name of our ministry also changed. That meant the letterhead, the building signs, etc, all had to be changed. Every time a ministry changes its name I cringe at the pointless expenses.

@TRyanGregory And also the result of the politicization of public health. Public health (or science in general) should not be on one side or the other of any argument, just as people don't take sides about whether or not the earth is flat. Oh wait. Never mind.

This is the very foreseeable outcome of constant minimizing of airborne diseases, especially in kids. You own this, public health and media who keep promoting "immunity debt". globalnews.ca/news/11172244/…

@drseanmullen I have seen at least one good, conscientious student disappear each term after getting sick. Exactly the same pattern. I give them extensions, they try, and then I never hear back. They don't even withdraw from the course, just fail.

A Pattern I Can’t Ignore Anymore. For the past three years, I’ve seen the same scenario play out—over and over, and it’s only getting worse. A student starts missing assignments.
I send a check-in.
I offer flexibility, a meeting, support.
Weeks go by. They resurface—apologetic, citing health or mental health issues.
I respond with compassion. I extend deadlines. I make a plan.
They thank me…
And then… they vanish.
Or miss more.
Or book a meeting they never attend.
Maybe they try one more time.
Maybe they don’t.
And then they’re gone. This isn’t laziness. It’s not entitlement.
It’s something bigger. Something systemic.
Call it burnout. Call it a mass disabling event. Call it post-viral sequelae.
But don’t call it normal. If this isn’t the aftermath of COVID, I don’t know what is. I know this pattern is playing out not just in higher ed, but in healthcare, K-12 schools, the workplace.
If you’ve seen it too—in your field, your family, your life—I’d love to hear from you. Because we can’t fix what we keep pretending is just an individual failing.

I actually can’t believe the CBC is having an honest conversation about Covid. David Putrino is interviewed. Here is a link to the Quirks and Quarks podcast. The Covid segment begins around the 34 minute mark. cbc.ca/radio/quirks/m…

@deonandan Too bad we can't manufacture Novavax, so that I don't have to go to the U.S. to get it every six months.

Here's my appearance on CTV earlier today, all about the vaccine manufacturing centre in Montreal: youtube.com/watch?v=lDJUR2…

@deonandan That you know of. :)

I foolishly left my 4.5-year old alone with my phone. I later discovered he had downloaded a game and taken screenshots of it. Could be worse. At least he didn't order a yacht from Amazon.

@twpiggott Congratulations! I must admit, though, I would be 100x more excited if you were to become the chief medical officer of health for all of Ontario. Next step, maybe? :)

I'm very excited by the opportunity to continue to serve all of our communities and bring the two incredible health units and our wonderful staff together ❤️

@TRyanGregory This is so weird, when the pandemic is over and Covid is like a cold and we all wash our hands just as public health agencies told us to.

No one could have foreseen this. winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/…

@OttawaHealth Why not mention masks and ventilation, the two most effective safety measures?

Heading into the holidays the levels of COVID-19 & flu circulating in our community are similar to what we’ve seen in recent weeks, and RSV activity (in particular hospitalizations and % positivity) are once again notably high. As we start to gather in large groups please be mindful of your health. Protect friends and family by staying home if you have any respiratory illness symptoms and washing your hands often. We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season 📷 Info about your other layers of protection, when to seek care, and more can be found on our website OttawaPublicHealth.ca/RespVirus As always, the full dashboard update can be found here: OttawaPublicHealth.ca/VirusReport

@twpiggott Thanks! I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing any announcements. I am hopeful too. :)

@object_in_space Sorry unfortunately not this year. I am hopeful next year.

@twpiggott Hello! Is there any chance at all that we'll get Novavax in Canada? I am still stubbornly hopeful, but considering a trip to the U.S.