Truth. Frozen tundra (it’s was in the 20s here today) and no scoring so far.

This is why we love Tony Evers and will miss him after his term ends.

Waiting for spouse to get home from a gig an hour away on the night of our first snowfall. It's deer-dodging time up here, so I won't relax until he's on site (due in the next 10-15 minutes). #uppermidwestproblems

Just need everyone to Google the name "Rosalind Franklin" at this moment.

A troubled nation breathes a sigh of relief as the Hoagie Hurler case is finally adjudicated. #NotAllHeroesWearCapes

this looks like a trick daffy duck would put up to get bugs bunny into "the oval office"

Dems in ARRAY

Steve Martin unavailable for comment… (this place looks amazing!)

The USDA sent an email to grocery stores telling them they are prohibited from offering special discounts to customers affected by the SNAP funding lapse. I'm aware of at least 2 stores that had offered struggling customers a discount, then withdrew it after receiving this email

So we aren't going to AMS this year & received this yesterday (we donate the registration to scholarship funds instead of wanting a refund). Note the highlighted passage (ignoring the typo): we have attended annual meetings for over 40 years & don't recall this sort of rudeness in comms before...

Beautifully written and worth the read.

Pritzker: "I sent a letter to Kristi Noem and to DHS leadership asking them to pause all of their federal agent operations for the entirety of the Halloween weekend. I'm asking for basic human decency. I think their response will be revealing. Give the children and families of Illinois a break."

going to have enough material for a 9-minute disco cut soon

I looked it up once. SNAP takes 2% of the US budget and 93% of the money goes to the actual poor people instead of to the bureaucracy. So it's kind of like if you paid $1000 in taxes, you spent $20 on the poor of which they got to keep $18.60, and you spent $166.66 on the military.

Sent some $ to the local food bank. Even though we're in a "fancy" town, plenty of folks need help (we live in the non-fancy part of town & see families who are struggling). So angry that federal & WI legislators won't use available rainy-day funds for families, in order to make political points

The Blue Jays are DISMANTLING the Dodgers and I’m here for it. 🇨🇦

Go, Blue Jays! (love, this Brewers fan)

The history being erased by the destruction of the East Wing includes that of First Ladies and their emergence as active participants in the culture at large. The East Wing was their section, the location of their offices. via @shannonrwatts.bsky.social

They know the East Wing demolition is bad optics for them that’s why so many have suddenly “come to life” on this platform today armed w/inaccurate talking points about earlier renovations at the WH.

Heading north for our yearly vacation (my birthday, same every year, my choice). Lake Michigan, cheap but just fine family motel, fewer crowds, hiking in the woods and eating good local food, excellent bookstore, goats on the restaurant roof. Local bar/restaurant has great food! Love Door County!

Susan Stamberg, an original National Public Radio staffer who went on to become the first U.S. woman to anchor a nightly national news program, has died. n.pr/4qjVMDS

Sigh. Small-market Brewers are not going to win this game either, dammit. As spouse noted, the Dodgers do something with their $$$, as opposed to other teams (Yankees). Crap (though there are 5 more games, so we can dream).

"what the fuck just happened"

All of Wisconsin is delighted to have Brian Anderson calling this series (he's one of the Brewers' broadcasters, in addition to his national work). The Cubs series was pretty painful (except for the outcome).

Brewers! (crazy double play) #letsgoBrewers

There's always next season

Good people need to start outing their ICE family members, neighbors, and community members. They need to be made into pariahs in the places decent Americans gather.

We're wondering if the geniuses at G00gle researched the background of "Sugartown" (1966) before featuring the Zooey Deschanel recording in their new commercial. Original (by Lee Hazlewood) was sung by Nancy Sinatra (backed up by the Wrecking Crew) and is, according to the composer, about LSD. LOL

Glad to see I'm not the only pedant on this one (and yes, I know this is the dictionary)...

We appear to be weathering the 65+ vaxxes reasonably well (they're stronger & thus can really knock one down for a couple of days, as happened last year). Sore & mildly itchy arm plus fatigue, but we were able to take our long walk this morning without incident. #gethosevaccinespeople

This evening we’re playing vaccine effects bingo. Will we get a fever? Will we sleep all day tomorrow? Headaches? Sore arms (I’ve already got that)? Still better than getting Covid/the flu.

Jane Goodall.... the very best of us... rest in peace

Colbert is on it tonight... #thankyou

We all need a laugh (in an otherwise horrible situation). Bike guy got away.

This is great. Be sure to read the transcript in the comments

The Lady's Companion, a series of small kits containing things a Victorian woman would have carried in the mid-19th century: sewing kit, notions, small notebook, scent bottle, corkscrews, and ear picks. Currently on display at the Tatter Library in Brooklyn IG tatterbluelibrary

I am prepared for the raptor I have my camera and binoculars at the ready

Adding to the rapture convo, I'll note that the last time folks predicted a specific date for said event, I was in Rome with a group of students. It was our day to tour the Vatican Museums & we all figured that this was the place to be. Since I'm telling this story, you know how it turned out.

The Michigan Bassoon Studio playing Boomer Sooner as punishment for losing to Oklahoma. youtu.be/0qW2EMUklL8?...

NEW: Ohio Chaplain Freed From Jail as DHS Drops Deportation Case “This is beyond my dreams,” Ayman Soliman told ProPublica in a call just after his release. In a case marked by errors and inconsistencies, DHS had accused the children’s hospital chaplain of providing material support to terrorists.

This gave me a smile this evening. A favorite spot in Rome (aside from the "Julius Caesar was likely murdered here" part). The square has an important opera house, too (Rossini "Barber" premiere, etc.). But the cat sanctuary is the best part! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largo_d...

Here is my best guidance, rendered beautifully by the great John Lithgow. I first published these lessons nearly nine years ago, in late 2016. They open the twenty chapters of "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century." snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-les...

If you're up for a while but want to get away from current events, TCM is airing "Roman Holiday" at the top of the hour (10 pm Central).

Timeline cleanse (h/t @jonathanplatt.bsky.social ): "Eye of the Tiger" played on a dot matrix printer

One of these rich dudes invested in a food company with all proceeds going to kids in need. The other started Sundance Institute, boosting the lives of countless artists. Hey modern rich dudes, don't be a typical greedy AI crypto-prick, be like these two.

Education is the enemy of fascism.

New water heater going in, replacing leaking 5yr-old model. Good plumber w/reasonable rates, "free" new unit (6yr warranty, but they always die yr 5). Sounds like a racket to me, but can't afford tankless (maybe in 5 yrs). Hope this is the end of expensive repairs for now.