Missouri voter: Just this week Trump said, 'Maybe people want a dictator.' Do we want a dictator? Crowd: NO!

I’ve seen so many people spreading the misinformation that PBS is shut down or is shutting down. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been shut down and PBS has been defunded. HOWEVER!!! PBS still exists. It is more important now than ever that you donate to PBS if you can.

open.substack.com/pub/robertre... I was surprised by how moving it was to “sign” the form. It’s just a little online form, but it felt bigger than that. And there was NO request for money! See what you think…

Charlie (our cat) discovered that baby carrots make good toys last night in the middle of the night. I found one in his dish, one in the bathroom, one in our bed and another in the dining room. He’s zonked out.

And does the “flirt flop” when it sees a chess piece it likes.

Once upon our pond. The ducklings are pretty big right now, but he’s standing right where the duck family likes to take its daily nap.

Today’s visitor. He isn’t legless. The hillside just drops off dramatically there. We’re still waiting to see a mama with babies. Last year she had twins she’d bring up close to the house. I don’t know if she thought we were quiet and safe, or if she liked the tasty weeds we don’t cut.

Medicare for all, paid leave, universal childcare. Busting up big corporations and tackling Wall Street’s greed. Getting big money out of politics. Supporting unions and fighting for higher wages. If Dems want to win back working people, this is the agenda they must support.

A customer told me she couldn't believe this store would put up a Pride display, because what if children see it?? Anyway, it was my display, and I'm proud of it, and you (and your children) should all see it. #BookSky 📚💙

“…during his recent Senate testimony, Dr. Bhattacharya acted as if he were a passive observer to the organization he purportedly leads...” He takes no accountability. He does not follow through on what he says publicly. sciencebasedmedicine.org/go-ahead/

Instead of CUTTING Social Security benefits, Congress should INCREASE payments by $200 per month and extend the solvency of the Social Security program by 75 YEARS. How? Make the wealthiest Americans pay a fairer share. I’ve got a bill to get it done.

Our fundamental rights are being eroded by the very people charged with protecting us and our rights. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Trump fired the Librarian of Congress without cause! Sign the petition to stop Trump's attack on the Library of Congress. Help show that Americans will not stand for another attack on our library institutions. action.everylibrary.org/congresshayden via @everylibrary.bsky.social

What she said.

From a guy who used to work there: Rachel is a remarkable person and the best TV news talent there is. If she says something is fucked up, it is. Getting rid of Joy, who dared to see through this fascism bullshit years ago and had the gall of occasionally being funny about it, is dumb.

Gray Wool Sweater: You are in a TV commercial, struggling to play with your grandchild because of your rheumatoid arthritis. My gray sweater isn't wool & I'm not in a TV commercial as far as I know, but the rest is actually a little too true. Damn! Here's a link, if you dare.

this week's cover is on point ht: @jamiegangel.bsky.social

Tesla stock down 9% in a morning's trading. Good!

I’m so excited! We had Belted Kingfishers in CA. I loved them with their goofy bedhead, sleepy eyes, & precise fishing skills. I hadn’t seen them in OR. Today, while doing dishes, my husband spotted one. He hates my camera but grabbed these shots anyway. Great husband. OK pics.

Seen at CPAC

CPAC is the Conservative Political Action Committee which met in Washington DC.

Steve Bannon did a Sieg Heil at CPAC. I'm a 3rd generation Holocaust survivor. My grandparents met in a Concentration Camp. My grandfather's wife & young daughter were murdered. My grandmother's brothers were murdered. Her mother died in her arms from starvation. Is THIS what life in America is NOW?

Cooper’s Hawk observed while doing dishes—now one of the most popular chores in our house. Might be Sharp-shinned Hawk, but I will confirm in comments later.

We are now finding bird flu in deer mice and house mice in Washington State. H5N1 is advancing along the evolutionary ladder—affecting birds, mammals, and humans. This is not speculation; it’s a timeline.

Hooded Merganser on our pond. We’re also seeing lots of super cute Red-breasted Nut Hatches, but they are too fast for me to photograph. At least so far! (Full disclosure, it’s neither a pond nor ours, but we can catch it while we do the dishes.)

Great Blue Heron sleeping in a tree behind our house. The males are supposed to start picking out their nesting trees around Valentine’s Day in our area, so we’re hoping to have a ring-side seat. But…if the Herons nest here it will almost certainly limit the number of ducklings who survive + and -

Red-headed Woodpecker on a Wild Cherry Tree in our backyard.

Wood Ducks on our pond this morning.

Our first Oregon snow

The “slippery” road sign on a bridge near us has lost a bolt and slipped so that the car is upside down. I have two thoughts 1. This way it may make an even better warning sign. 2. This may be the sign of the times right now.

Anna’s Hummingbird on our fence. I had to make sure the feeder hadn’t frozen. It had not.

Great Blue Heron on our icy pond. It’s been cold and sunny and still, but we expect some warming over the next few days resulting in snow or freezing rain.

Has Trump EVER done his homework? In an attempt to codify fetal personhood AND outlaw trans people in one fell swoop, Trump’s badly written and researched exec order accidentally defines all men as trans. (Yup, even Trump, Bannon, Vance) www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Correcting lies I’ve read today: THE TRUTH: Despite pearl clutching over “mutilation” few trans teens have gender-affirming surgery. In fact, 97% of such surgeries on adults in the US are breast-reductions on cis-men (men assigned male at birth who identify as men. hsph.harvard.edu/news/gender-...

Correcting misinformation I’ve read today: The truth: Those living here w/o documentation are ineligible for public services or benefits. Yet, if they earn money here, they pay taxes. Bloomberg calculates they pay nearly 100 BILLION in taxes annually. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Playing footsie with the cat and retweeting MLK memes, @borowitzreport.bsky.social , @hcrichardson.bsky.social . We will overcome.

I find this with my writing. When I feel I’ve tried everything and there is no way out, I’m about to learn something important. But only if I keep slogging through the mire. It’s not the most fun part of writing but it is worth it.

Today, honor a King, not a Felon. #mlkday2025

Archive April 17, 2024 Connections Puzzle #311 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 I get a kick out of solving the puzzle in a completely backwards fashion. Getting there in unexpected ways by unpredicted paths is kinda me all the way.

JUST IN: The U.S. added 256,000 jobs in December, surpassing expectations and bringing the total for 2024 to 2.2 million. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%, and wages grew 3.9% over the past year, far outpacing inflation.

"In the eyes of autocrats and plutocrats, the future is not a right but a commodity." -- HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT (2020) hidinginplainsightbook.com

Our bird baths (plastic plates) froze overnight as did the pond below. We’re expecting the sound of tiny slap shots any minute.

NYT ran an article covering Trudeau’s visit to Florida to attempt to explain tariffs to T. Nowhere in that article does it mention that Trump will never again be able to enter Canada. Why? Canada does not admit convicted felons.

I marched for the ERA in 1981. 19 fricking 81. The amendment has been ratified by the number of states required, but wasn’t ratified in the time frame required. Very much a case of “running out the clock.” But there is still much Biden can do. You can help by calling the White House.

“There are four things that lead to wisdom. You ready for them?'... "They are four sentences we learn to say, and mean. Gamache held up his hand as a fist and raised a finger with each point. "I don't know. I need help. I'm sorry. I was wrong'. Louise Penny, Still Life