Kristi “I shot a dog in Reno, just to watch him die” Noem has ordered army troops into Portland to maintain order. No one is exactly sure what the disorder was, but there are rumors that an antifa barista made a latte with soy milk for an ICE captain.

Whispered comment during an astronomy talk today: “This slide is really hard to read for people who are blue-black colorblind.”

High of 107 in Tucson today; No Kings scheduled a car march. Rather than drive I went to a corner and waved a large California Republic flag at the parade for 2 hours. Because republic. People were enthusiastic and if they rolled down the window to wave I hollered “Free the Bear!”

A crow having a dispute with its reflection in the VERITAS telescope mirror, seen at Whipple basecamp on the way back from @mmtobservatory.bsky.social

Observing a star occulted by Uranus, in the infrared with MMIRS at the MMT @mmtobservatory.bsky.social

Rumors that the DoD purged webpages about Navajo Code Talkers of WW II in an anti-DEI rampage are untrue and unfair to the Trump admin. They purged the Navajo Code Talkers because these men violated the admin’s English-only policy. A Navy banner about “revised content” per the President’s order:

Dear Friends, with all the recent disruptions in scientific research, you will be excited to know that I am joining a new venture in high-end, luxury foods. Delivered straight to your door! If you liked Trump Steaks, you’ll love our new, exclusive to us, Trump Eggs.

Making American cholesterol levels great again!

I know the Republican Party has been upset ever since John Dean said there was a cancer growing on the Presidency, but I don’t think freezing programs at the National Cancer Institute was the best way to address this.

I propose to found a Museum of Fiascos. Informational and instructional exhibits would describe and demonstrate notable fiascos, failures, blunders, botches, collapses, and cock-ups through time. My university’s IT department could sponsor a wing.

The robot AI apocalypse is stupid; I say that machine malevolence is overrated, and complex computing systems are more likely to end the world due to critical network failures caused by an expired SSL certificate.

Yesterday’s NY Times spelling bee pangram was ZOMBABLE: what can become a zombie. A person animated by a bokor, killer rabbit, yr middle school nemesis, a once-respected news outlet, a totalitarian ideology, the MySpace of a band you liked in 2005 whose guitarist is posting lately after his divorce.

Spoiler: Today’s NY Times Spelling Bee pangram is “HEALGOON.” This is the name of an anti-recidivism program that retrains mob enforcers to use their talents peacefully as massage therapists.

I propose that ginning up a fake moral-political panic over a pop star who dares to attend football games should be called Taylor Swift-boating.

My new plan to get astronomy-famous: enroute to next conference, get loaded on double scotches in the airport bar and tweet ignorant remarks about cosmic inflation, “This is why Americans think the matter-energy balance is terrible,” “Hubble tension is caused by coastal elites,” etc.

Let’s start up this social medium the right way - a cat picture.