Looking closely at the etymologies and naming conventions in the Sundered Houses and their vassals. May be nothing. But I see two children whose names break their established patterns. One child in House B is named like House A, and one in House A is named like House B. Curious. #CriticalRole

TheMilitaryShow (17 May 2024), “Why the Next Global Superpower Isn’t Who You Think”: youtu.be/aHQtt3eGGYM?.... An expansion on Ian Bremmer’s TED talk of the prior year on the same topic. I’m in no position to evaluate these arguments yet, but I’m seeking a lay of the land.

Guardian (26 Sept 2025), “We Were Obedient Our Entire Lives’: The Nuns Who Broke Back into Their Convent”: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s.... Lovely :). The gerontologist in me would love to visit these sisters and see what aging-in-place adaptations could help them move about more freely.

Project *very* close to my heart just collapsed. Powers That Be. I’ve been working on it silently for… about three years. All that was left was formal approval. Here’s to the dreams that fall through 💧. Thank goodness I just checked up on #GarfunkelandOates: tinyurl.com/y76p755h.

Throwing a wild wish into the universe. When I read SotL, all I wanted was to be Alanna. (Adults said 👀 turned 🟣 when I wore 🟪. Thought I had a 🎯 :)). Thirty years later, I 🌠 to co-produce the definitive adaptation + cameo as the Shang Wildcat. 🎬 tech has to catch up, but🤞🏼there’s still ⏳ for me.

Didn’t see the musical, 2003. Tried the book a few times after the musical came out (~2006, ~2011? ~2018?); couldn’t get into it. Skipped the first movie, 2024. Too fizzy for my mood. Finally checked out the “WICKED: For Good” trailer: tinyurl.com/4bs6nvfp. Cried. It looks perfect.

Kurzgesagt, “Let’s Talk About Fat”: youtu.be/sOsqXKr4l30?.... “Only in the last few decades have we learned fat’s most important job. Fat is an *endocrine* organ. Part of the system that makes and regulates your hormones.” You have my attention. #publichealth @kurzgesagt.org

Wrapped up and ready to head back in time. Blue for the Bridgertons, gold for the Featheringtons’ jewelry, paisley for the Sharmas. Let’s go.

The Cut, “The Costumer Who Changed Hollywood for Good - Paul Tazewell Shares His Emancipated Vision of Oz”: www.thecut.com/article/wick.... Might be paywalled; here are key photos.

“I have eaten older entities than myself” is a godslayer line from a deep-lore video game. Or a gentle observation by Caduceus Clay: “Actually, I have drunk of many older than myself. More tea?”

So today, Speaker Johnson is being forced to: 1.) Reopen the House after a 7-week shutdown; 2.) Swear in Rep. Grijalva, who won two months ago; and 3.) Hold a vote to fund the federal government. One, is that assessment accurate? And two, if so, why are we paying him to not do his job as Speaker?

We only rate dogs. This is a family of Suburban Gold Fairies. It's rare for them to travel together like this. Very magical but please only send dogs. Thank you... 13/10 for all (TT: hdbrosriley)

Guardian, “‘Most Horrific Death You Could Imagine’: Netflix’s ‘#”: www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio.... On the promise of James Garfield, and the debacle of his early assassination. He reads like a genuinely remarkable human being. Even here, you can see how he could have been a top-tier POTUS. 💭

Fascinated by #genealogy; it's soothing, esp. when the present feels full-throttle and... Less than humane? Haven't met a person who doesn't have feelings about "where I come from", whether they want strict facts or something more personal. #archives Charles Dance: youtu.be/n-KKL7CfShs?....

@TheGuardian.com, “A Year On From Trump’s Victory, Resistance Is Everywhere”: tinyurl.com/yc5mwxzr. “If this country has a future, it’s in the streets, the courts, the movements, and the continued exercise of free speech and freedom of assembly against this administration.”

Thinking about worth, value, and why Tuesday's wins were so important. To be continued :).

Thinking about the SNAP cancellation/“Gatsby” party. And 2016’s electors. A good system has multiple safeguards. Making a malignant narcissist the world’s most powerful human isn’t all on them. But they went first. The first group to “follow orders” vs. say “I have concerns. No”. Can’t forget it.

We only rate dogs. This is spaghetti con salsiccia. Obviously has the noodles and the sausage, but is notably missing sauce. Please only send dogs. Thank you… 13/10 (IG: futrinka_tacsko)

JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED. (For the first time in 2025.) Excuse me while I scream and gaze respectfully. #JonathanBailey

So. We live in a time when problems aren't *considered* unless they matter to a small group of people with power. Needed to spell that out, to accept where we are and move from there. This Guardian article on the anemia epidemic set me thinking about it: tinyurl.com/mr6y45km. #publichealth

Extending the National Guard occupation of DC *through February* when: 1.) The “crime emergency” that started this [nonsense] on August 11th did not exist; & 2.) POTUS declared DC “crime-free” on September 9th; is unjustified, unfounded, and a clear abuse of power against a political “enemy”. FTR.

This time next year, I want my life to look completely different.

Here’s the “3rd term” deal. This POTUS only has a few tricks. One is “Float an outrageous idea, let talk give it legitimacy, use the wave of hype to force it through”. Who cares if he’d “love” a 3rd term? It’s illegal. But we are talking it into possibility by regarding it with seriousness. [+]

Let's see: - Speaker of the House makes $223,500/year. - Johnson has held the House on recess (i.e., not shown up for work OR let anyone else show up for work) for 37 days so far. - That's $22,656.16, plus $612.33 for each additional day. It's a start. How do we do this? [-]

Ubi periculum: Papal bull issued by Pope Gregory X to set conclave rules after it took 3 years (1268-1271 CE) to elect his predecessor's successor. The big incentive was, no Pope, no income. ::shrug:: Since Mike Johnson is singlehandedly keeping the HoR on recess, I think he shouldn't get paid. [+]

I don’t mean to just despair. I feel at a bit of a loss: lots of people with more knowledge and political influence than I are saying, “This is unacceptable; we must stop this”. But when I ask for concrete advice, there are no answers. The protests are SO important at showing where public [+]

Day 70, pardon me. Time has clearly lost meaning.

Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey 2025 (July 2025): content.schwab.com/web/retail/p.... ::rubs eyes:: For something both different and right at the center of the point: What do Americans need to feel financially safe, and how do we change things so that safety becomes normal?

I’m absolutely exhausted in the best possible way. I love us. We did it! #NoKings

So glad and encouraged to see how widespread the No Kings protests were. ::breathe: It's Day 67. DC's felt so isolated under pressure. (Stephen Miller lives within walking distance of my home, FFS.) We remember how violently this POTUS dealt with George Floyd protesters in DC. ::breathe::. 3.5%.

Guardian (interview), “‘Risky is the best way to be’: Tim Curry on Sexuality, Surviving a Stroke - and 50 Years of Stardom”: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle.... ::excited clapping:: He narrated the audiobook?!? Sold :).

C'MON, DC! Ad on a Metro bus. Glad for the #USCapitolPolice. Their courage and dedication on January 6th - there aren't words. They were crucial to stopping a direct attack on our republic. That's not the job this ad is selling. [+]

"Any time, honey." Just a nice thing to hear when you ask someone wiser for advice :).

Contrasting the weakness of our political elite ("Your face deserves a currency bill!") against the essential integrity of a small honors committee in another country. All they said was, "We looked at all candidates, and we judged a different one most worthy". And that's hopeful. 🎉

Back to #publichealth! It's a central interest - I always return eventually :). Traveling a lot lately, for medical stuff/mental health, and I've noticed the explosion of CELSIUS™ #energydrinks: convenience stores, vending machines, in the take-and-go freezer at fast casual restaurants. [+]

Watching @TastingHistory.bsky.social's WWII Home Front series (youtube.com/playlist?lis...) and doing the obvious 💭 experiment. How would the U.S. feed itself if we had to ration as a nation today? Let's assume we could stop fighting each other and try to feed *everyone* to our best ability. [+]

I am up at an uncomfortable hour, sad and genuinely wondering if the "American experiment" is failing. We - early Millennials, my group (b. 1981-1986)... Nothing in our childhood suggested that America COULD fall, or tear itself apart. I know that's rare. Just trying to make sense of this moment.

It would be different, I think, if the majority American consensus^ believed that a POTUS^^ who: - violates Constitutional rights (ex. free speech, assembly, due process), - militarizes cities who chose a political rival, - manipulates elections (ex. blocks eligible voters, gerrymanders [+]

Q (meme): "Why did humans stop building wonders?" A: Curious what %tage "un- or under-paid labor" is part of that. As a world, we're the richest we've ever been. If we wanted to, couldn't we build more wonders and pay people properly to do it? I don't think people have to be the cost of wonder.

Another gargoyle reading in the wild.

12 million people immigrated to the U.S. between 1860-1900, many seeking job opportunities. Though the large businesses and the factory system were growing, subcontracting brought together an intricate network of competing small-scale manufacturers. (1/4)🗃️

And before someone fusses (because someone will): AGNOSTIC (n.): a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality is unknown and probably unknowable. From a-gnōstós (Greek), "not"/"without" + "known". It's a philosophical position, not a religious one.

I haven't wanted a law degree. Family has many lawyers, so it's a career I've considered. The closest I came was mediation/conflict resolution. We have senators signaling an illegal 3rd POTUS term and whitewashing government/FTC coercion. I don't want law school, but we need people who can fight.

Watching "Barbie" (2023) for the first time, broken up by TV commercials. It's trippy.

^Sept. 9: POTUS declared DC "crime-free". By his own pretext for deploying them, the Guard's mission is done. Yet they are here, indefinitely. Weaponized to scare us. Send them home. ^"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two..." You know the quote. @schumer.senate.gov

What if, as a culture, we had something akin to the Early Modern twelve days from Christmas to Twelfth Night? Not religious, OFC, but a universal "break" from routine, which we could celebrate individually but also have big public festivities to get excited about? Random 💭: youtu.be/YpJx3KC8ZMA.

Not a polisci expert. Still not 100% clear on the differences and interactions between "tyranny", "authoritarianism", and "dictatorial tendencies": it seems to depend who you ask. But most of us can pattern-match history and feel movement by direction. This is WRONG. [-] @barackobama.bsky.social

Statements by SAG-AFTRA, the Writer's Guild of America, and the American Federation of Musicians on removing Jimmy Kimmel from the air. Original texts: - SAG-AFTRA: shorturl.at/orNza. - WGA (W&E): shorturl.at/YKqsi. - AFM: shorturl.at/tR6X6. Direct links to primary sources matter.

Wait. This imaginary "crime emergency", the pretext by which POTUS deployed the #NationalGuard into DC... He declared DC "crime-free" on September 9th: shorturl.at/e8YH7. Title: "National Guard Asks DC Leaders for ‘Beautification’ Projects as Trump Says Crime Is Gone". So why are they STILL HERE?

Finally, back to public health! While getting my 2025-2026 #COVIDvaccine yesterday, asked the pharmacist how many people he'd seen that day. (DC now requires a prescription for under-65s.) He said just a few, but he expected the floodgates to open once the CDC's Advisory Committee met Friday. [+]