I just sent this out to Democracy Docket premium members, but in light of the Postmasters comments this morning threatening voting by mail, I felt it is urgent to post it online for everyone. Please read and share. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/mail...

Temperance Falls, Minnesota North Shore, Lake Superior

RIP Mark Rothko. You would have loved how the hydrogen peroxide bleach is only turning the Reflecting Pool blue around the perimeter

There are always important items missing from vacation rental kitchens, and a few items that make you wonder why they’re there. To wit: in this kitchen there’s both a potato masher and a potato ricer. Questions: 1) Who makes mashed potatoes on vacation? 2) Who makes pomme purrée on vacation?

Completely alone in nature. Feet dipping in the Temperance River (ironic). Bliss.

NEW from me: ICE ravaged Minnesota. Now it's roiling Democrats' Senate race. Progressive Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan is surging as moderate Rep. Angie Craig runs from her immigration votes. I spent time with both candidates + dozens of Dem voters. “It’s gonna get ugly." www.huffpost.com/entry/minnes...

How would you like to be the person at the N.B.A. finals in the seat behind Patrick Ewing?

FFS! 2 things can be true: 1. Important that #CA allows access to democracy by allowing many ways to vote. 2. Slow vote counting is an affront to democracy. My state senate race still hasn’t been called. Glad @johnericksonwh.bsky.social is leading. A great #WeHo council member.

Midwest Excellence is a brilliant newsletter, but this sax omission is absolutely a Careless Whisper. youtu.be/9fqsukliGYw?...

Objections to counting every legally cast vote remains a Republican shibboleth. Maybe the Supreme Court ignoring the 14th Amendment and destroying the Voting Rights Act is a far more serious problem?

Gotta love this #AI summary of the Coen brothers’ “Miller’s Crossing”: “In the third film of their career (after 'Only Blood' and 'Arizona Jr.'), the Cohen brothers attempt a stylish tribute to Hammett and Chandler's 'hard-boiled' police literature.”

It remains wildly unacceptable that there is only a single woman who is a #MLB umpire. The sport needs to double the talent pool.

Mel Tormé’s “Comin’ Home” is an absolute jam, with a truly fantastic melody. This performance on Judy Garland’s variety show is wild. There are 10 motorcycles and 5 elaborately costumed women, neither of which relate to the song in any clear way. Worth a watch. youtu.be/Ut1xwRErqlM?...

🚍 Join an upcoming Westside Bus Connection Workshop to share your ideas, priorities, and experiences regarding local transportation options and connections throughout the region. Community input is essential, and we want to hear from you! Learn more at weho.org/news 🚍

“Little Marco and the Brown Nosers” is my favorite one-man band. The Freedom 250 concert should be a jam.

I strongly support get out the vote efforts, regardless of party affiliation. However, these spammy texts are deeply creepy and untrustworthy. Whoever is sending these needs to learn how to do voter outreach in #CA in a reputable manner. #voting #election #primary

As someone who struggles to spell every word, including “license” (not a joke, it just took autocorrect five tries to figure out which word I was trying to type), this is insanely impressive.

1/ In his 1946 essay ‘Why I Write’ George Orwell listed 4 motives for writing: 1. Sheer egotism- desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death. 2. Aesthetic enthusiasm- perception of beauty in the external world or in words and their right arrangement.

introduce yourself with 10 bands / musicians you've seen live… Björk Little Dragon Radiohead Underworld Massive Attack LCD Soundsystem Loney Dear The Bad Plus Bon Iver Stars

Sadly, this robot is still a better dancer than I am: youtu.be/mLa3movQczE?...

Minnesotan Republicans BLOCKED assault weapons bans and ICE reforms, but at least there are now fewer limits on (checks notes) meat raffles. Thanks Lisa Demuth!

Herbie Hancock showing Quincy Jones how to use the Fairlight CMI synthesizer - one of the first commercially available digital samplers Herbie was an early adopter, using the $80,000 machine to compose and arrange, "Rockit," his classic work of early hip-hop/electro/jazz fusion.

You (don’t) have to appreciate #Spectrum for the temerity of raising prices 25% a year and then taking the time to email you tell you that they can’t figure out why you’re complaining about their worsening service.

Have to say I am fascinated by the juxtaposition of a car insurance company and a whiskey company advertising next to each other. (Also, MLB has an official whiskey???)

An excellent, detailed look at the terrible decision between MLB and the Polymarket “prediction” market by @elidelajandro.bsky.social www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-...

Sign the petition to encourage the reopening of the Cinerama Dome, a Hollywood institution. #SaveTheDome c.org/D7pYRkMcBn

This is a next level joke from @toreyvanoot.bsky.social

That’s quite a chart www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

This a fantastic, detailed and yet very clear explanation of how Shazam works:

This is a map published in 1927 by Paramount Studios showing the areas of California & Nevada that doubled as shooting locations for far-flung locales, including Siberia, Wales, the Nile, New England, the Red Sea, and the Alps. [kottke.org]

I got this image from the official USPS Informed Delivery account. Rather than showing me my mail, they appear to be mimicking ICE agent thugs. There should be no connection between our wonderful mail carriers and lowly ICE agents. Why do postal inspectors need body armor and use the word “police”

Exclusive: At the mass deportation hub in Minneapolis they're handing out "challenge coins" commemorating oppo "metro surge" as tho it were a scene out of Fallujah in 2006. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/staff-a...

A truly wonderful local journalism site, but I only realized today that this was a joke. 🤦

As someone with severe insomnia so I’m watching TV at 5 AM, it is amusing to be constantly served ads for mattresses.

The New York Times deleted Trump’s “open the fuckin’ strait” line to make him look less insane Their write-up falsely says his post says only “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” and “Praise be to Allah”

"Eventually, we got to thinking, 'Would it be easier just to send an actual rocket to the Moon?'"

Her grin knowing how this arrest looks (Published in The Atlantic today)

I did not see the Jim Jarmusch/Johnny Knoxville convergence coming.

What I've learned in 45 years of reporting on the military. And why that makes the current reckless folly even worse than it looks. (Most before paywall.) fallows.substack.com/p/the-arroga...

“High end” audio cables are a scam (and bananas are gross no matter their use). futurism.com/robots-and-m...

I have been crippled by this life-long addiction.

Yes, I just searched for “solar lamps indoor” and was puzzled as to why I received so few results. Live and learn.

Oh no! The world’s most terrifying looking strip club, Paris House in West Hollywood, is no more. #WeHo

I profiled Jason Chavez, the Minneapolis city council member who has been embedded in community efforts to combat ICE. “To leave your constituents to face off with a racist fascist regime on their own, without having someone that has some power…I could not let my constituents be out there alone.”

I'm attending National Day Laborer Organizing Network's event, “ICE Out of Our Communities: What Comes Next?” - sign up now to join me! #AdoptACorner www.mobilize.us/ndlon/event/...

I’m honestly not sure if this is intentional or not, but when I added @tbtl.net’s “Greatest Hits” album to Apple Music, this is the cover art I got. (The guy on the cover looks rather sad.) @walsh.bsky.social @half-bear-half-man.bsky.social @lukeburbank.bsky.social