George Will today in Washington Post: "Americans should not trust ICE. Kristi Noem isn’t the only reason." Assume this loutocracy’s statements on its deportation mania are lies until proven otherwise. (Gift article, though you must have an account to access.) wapo.st/3M7Tk41

Alt theme for #BirdOfTheDay is robin. Here's an American Robin at Putah Creek Riparian Reserve, Davis, California. It fascinates me how members of the same species are present but so different on different continents.

One of the best things I’ve read in a while:

A favorite photo from 2 days at Mae Wong National Park, Tak province, Thailand. It's a Streaked Spiderhunter taken at the Chong Yen campground.

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme from @fraggenstein.bsky.social is #FoodFinds any bird with food in its mouth. Here's a Black-crested Bulbul at Mae Wong National Park in Thailand, taken Wednesday afternoon.B

One of the delights at year's end: Dave Barry's "Year in Review." davebarry.substack.com/p/the-year-i...

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme from @alan678.bsky.social is #SideProfiles any 'Birds Side Profile'. This is Mr. Kookeroo, a white ringneck dove that I found lost on the streets of Berkeley, California. He lived with us for 23 years.

#BirdOfTheDay theme from @alan678.bsky.social – #QuietObservers – single birds observing their surroundings. Alt theme – #OpenWings – bird not flying, open wing(s). I have to do both: a very young hummer outside our window; plus our rescue dove – Mr. Kookeroo – pretending to bathe.

@robcronk.bsky.social has announced today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Groups, groups of 4 or more birds. Sometimes you just happen to be in the right place at the right time. This was in Ang Thong province, Thailand on the road to Nakhon Sawan back in 2018.

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme from @alan678.bsky.social is #NaturesPantry birds interacting with berries, seeds, or flowers. One of the best things about autumn has to be all the little lesser goldfinches coming to eat the seeds out of the flowers in our backyard in Oakland, California.

@peterking1.bsky.social I still think of you most Monday mornings. I'd love to see you post your book recommendations. I always found something interesting.

Rob @robcrank68.bsky.social has said today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #ScratchersAndPruners (any bird Scratching or Pruning itself), . . I'm going with an Anna's Hummingbird preening in our backyard in Oakland, California.

Egret on rocks at Fang Hot Springs, Doi Pa Hom Pok National Park, Fang, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #HeronsandEgrets with the alternative being #birdsandrocks any bird with a rock in the frame. Extra points for a double theme combo set by @alan678.bsky.social

An American Kestrel taken at Merced National Wildlife Refuge last week. #kestrel

I am incredibly sick of living through a time in this country that is both historically evil and historically stupid.

This quote from Heather Cox Richardson in her post today. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/september-...

Sigh. The latest Republican selective outrage/enforcement. What percentage of shootings are done by young, white males? 90%? 95%? I've got an idea: let's have a ban on young white males owning firearms.

National Guardeners.

Great article from @borowitzreport.bsky.social (Andy Borowitz). It should have been called "Things you CAN do to stop Trump." www.borowitzreport.com/p/how-not-to...

"I spent weeks researching this question, desperately looking for counter-examples ... Here's what I found: Once fascists win power democratically, they have never been removed democratically. Not once. Ever." 😔

Maybe they could review this list of indicia, from Rick Perlstein:

Don't forget who made all this possible: Mitch McConnell. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

I threw the sandwich but I did not kill the deputy

Washington Post weighs in: there's nothing wrong with rigging elections and locking up elected representatives who don't agree with you. Apparently authoritarian tactics aren't a threat to democracy. Who knew?

NY Times has a pretty sanitized way to talk about a racist.

@mcuban.bsky.social Any thoughts on this? paulkrugman.substack.com/p/ai-is-powe...

Now for something completely wonderful: a life-affirming break from the madness of the world. If you're not following @nycjayjay.bsky.social ‬ (Jay Kuo) and subscribed to his substack, why not? statuskuo.substack.com/p/no-politic...

Man confesses to felony "Assault with a deadly sandwich."

This is a freebie from Status - calls the meeting with Putin truthfully. Amazing also how the right-wings commentators (hello Sen Hannity) don't really have any principles, how their opinion about something changes like the wind. Such a double standard. www.status.news/p/trump-puti...

TACO's Art of the Deal.

Another major FIRST EVER for a US President! The accomplishments just keep pouring in... time.com/7266334/us-h...

Imagine Republican reaction if it were Biden doing this. www.huffpost.com/entry/donald...

Article in The Hill: "Trump’s mental decline is undeniable — so what now?" thehill.com/opinion/camp...

Article in The Hill: "Trump’s mental decline is undeniable — so what now?" thehill.com/opinion/camp...

Have you viewed today's Just for Skeets and Giggles statuskuo.substack.com/p/just-for-s...

I read this article on The Bangkok Post. I couldn't find it on The NY Times or The Washington Post. I guess it's not considered fit to print. Bangkok Post - 'Stuck in limbo': Over 90% of X's Community Notes unpublished, study says www.bangkokpost.com/world/306666...

After reading this article on The Bangkok Post, I tried to find this article on the NY Times and the Washington Post. I was unable to. Sad decline to those newspapers. Bangkok Post - Trump’s pick for Singapore envoy chided for lack of knowledge www.bangkokpost.com/world/306680...

This July 2024 article by @nycjayjay.bsky.social (Jay Kuo) makes scary reading: "Breaking Down Project 2025 – We took on Project 2025 issue by issue so you don't have to." Talk about a template for the Trump agenda. thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/project-20...

We need another category: Failed Governments. It continues to astound me that he bankrupted a casino.

If this were Joe Biden, Jake Tapper would be doing an entire week on ‘Who is actually running the country when many people are speculating that the president is senile.’ Only this is Trump so it’s yet another day of ‘Oh, that’s just ol’ racist strongman grandpa, you know how he gets.’

"Undocumented workers compose about 40% of the agricultural workforce, according to the US Department of Agriculture." But, sure! Let's deport them all. MAHA: Making Americans Hungry Again. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Law of Unintended Consequences strikes again. This order would require the parents of every baby to verify their citizenship creating a huge, new bureaucracy. (Not sure if this is behind a paywall, hopefully not.) www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/05/24/o...

Heather Cox Richardson is always worth a read. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-23-2025