David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
Founding Pres, Vets without Borders-Canada; Veterinary epidemiologist. Writer >20 books poetry fiction nonfiction On Pandemics,The Origin of Feces. Officer, Order of Canada.
https://davidwaltnertoews.wordpress.com/
David Waltner-Toews is a Canadian epidemiologist, essayist, poet, fiction writer, veterinarian, and a specialist in the epidemiology of food and waterborne diseases, zoonoses and ecosystem health. He is best known for his work on animal and human infectious diseases in relation to complexity. He lives in Kitchener, Ontario. .. more
Public Health
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Agriculture
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David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Jul 3
Spirit Bear scanning River in Great Bear Rainforest. Photo by my friend & colleague Barry Stemshorn. Presented to me at my OC investiture by Barry & my other friend, Enid Stiles.
Normal
Where was Melania born?
Silvio is a treasure. Helped me to understand my work in epidemiology in a way that made sense.
The next two volumes are not up to the same level. This volume was made into a movie, which I enjoyed…I’m waiting for the next two.
Does AI ever feel sadness, anger, regret? Do they ever apologize and try to fix mistakes? If not, they might be puzzle solving things, but not anywhere near being human
I went back to read Sea of Tranquility again after many years. I’d forgotten how wonderful your writing is, not just the story, but the deft, clear, use of language. Thanks. I’m still sorry I missed your visit to Kitchener Public Library after advocating so hard to get you here.
Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice | My Jewish Learning
Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice. The History of Hanukkah. Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights. Jewish Holidays.
www.myjewishlearning.com
Lighting advent candles is an act of global solidarity. "If we see Hanukkah as intentionally, not accidentally, placed at the moment of the darkest sun and darkest moon, then one aspect of the candles seems to be an assertion of our hope for renewed light."
www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanu...
www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanu...
I don’t have a menorah. Does lighting an advent candle work? Light is light.
12 dead at a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.💔
A 43-year-old father of two, Ahmed al Ahmed, snuck up & tackled a gunman to disarm him. Ahmed was shot twice.
Both Jewish & Muslim faiths teach that “to save one life is to save all humanity.” Let us hold fast to our humanity.❤️
A 43-year-old father of two, Ahmed al Ahmed, snuck up & tackled a gunman to disarm him. Ahmed was shot twice.
Both Jewish & Muslim faiths teach that “to save one life is to save all humanity.” Let us hold fast to our humanity.❤️
19 staples taken out of my back today. Currently being held together by a ribbon and a bow.
Kidney Recipient Dies After Transplant From Organ Donor Who Had Rabies
www.nytimes.com
Kidney Recipient Dies After Transplant From Organ Donor Who Had Rabies www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/h...
The Virgin Birth and the Queerness of Jesus
A colleague of mine –well, a publisher; can a publisher be a writer’s colleague? let’s set that aside for another time– recently wondered whether my backyard flock of hens needed a rooster. Since h…
davidwaltnertoews.wordpress.com
A veterinary scientist thinks about the Virgin Birth (excerpt from A Conspiracy of Chickens, Wolsak & Wynn, 2022) . davidwaltnertoews.wordpress.com/2020/12/25/t...
Changing the universe: a slow dance, with very tiny steps
Experience, Science, Imagination DESCARTES ARGUED that all science and understanding of the universe must begin with ourselves, and how the world appears to us here, and now. Standing in a corral w…
davidwaltnertoews.wordpress.com
The Book I can’t get published (too outside the box, too scholarly, too popular): davidwaltnertoews.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/c...
You’re Invited to Our Virtual Anniversary Event: Celebrating 20 Years of One Health Impact
Join us online on December 2 for a virtual celebration of the people, partnerships, and progress that have shaped Veterinarians Without Borders over two decades of One Health in action.
www.vwb.org
Join me and many others to celebration 20 years of Veterinarians without Borders - Canada-US-Ukraine-….ecohealth and One Health for the world!!! www.vwb.org/site/blog/20...
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 25
Bruno was like Spinoza except a couple of hundred years earlier.
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 25
Well don’t disturb the pond witch goes without saying.
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 23
Beautiful spot that. My daughter lives nearby.
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 22
So a climate gamble on Patagonia is better than an archaeon bet on heat vents
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 22
Yes
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 20
Buy Swedish!!!!!
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 19
As I go into spinal surgery, I am reading Katabasis, by R.F. Kuang, about two grad students in analytical magik (a form of epidemiology); they are going to hell to rescue their advisor so he can sign off on their theses, so they can graduate. Glad I already signed off on all mine.
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 18
Wow. She belongs to the same officers club as I do PLUS she’s an epidemiologist (as I am) so winning this is awesome!!!
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 14
And why do Zoom and Google push hard for me to use AI and make it difficult to say no, I just like the old way?
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 13
Here’s a gift link (no paywall) to the article, “Catholic bishops condemn ‘indiscriminate mass deportation’ in rare statement”:
wapo.st/448fDw6
wapo.st/448fDw6
Some of them started reading the New Testament! Who knew that was in the “Catholic Bible”?
Rachel Maddow
@maddow.bsky.social
· Nov 13
Here’s a gift link (no paywall) to the article, “Catholic bishops condemn ‘indiscriminate mass deportation’ in rare statement”:
wapo.st/448fDw6
wapo.st/448fDw6
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 12
Celebrate Black Fly Day
quotes from my 2017 book, Eat the Beetles, ECW Press In 2012, Doug Currie, Vice-President, Department of NaturalHistory and Senior Curator of Entomology at Toronto’s RoyalOntario Museum, launched B…
davidwaltnertoews.wordpress.com
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 12
Make it long and slow and gentle and never-ending.
David Waltner-Toews
@doft.bsky.social
· Nov 12
Never paint bricks or wood. That’s a crime. A kitchen you can turn around in with more than one person. Cupboards you don’t have to get down on your knees to open. Very inefficient use of spaces, lots of corners, extra stairs between floors. Much more interesting than “efficient” places.