PMC COVlD Report, Week of Feb 16, 2026 (U.S.) 14 states are still experiencing High/Very High COVlD levels amid a lingering 12th wave. Minnesota may be at an all-time high. THREAD 1 of 4 🧵

incredible

Eight years ago today 🌿 Etlingera elatior (Torch Ginger) blooming in the forest preserve near Ke’anae.

The level of sheer incompetence here is just mind-boggling. Testing weapons systems over or near populated areas, not coordinating with the FAA, none of that is remotely acceptable. White Sands is right there! Such a series of own goals with all of this!

The American Kestrel is such a cute little murderbird merlinbirds.org/species/amekes

I heard a loggerhead shrike today which is weird since they are unlikely to be in my area in February merlinbirds.org/species/logshr

McCoy's elf skink from northeastern Australia. Look at those stubby little arms, likely an adaptation to its burrowing lifestyle.

Seven years ago today 🌿 Trimezia steyermarkii (Yellow Walking Iris) at Garden of Eden

It's tax season and sometime in the near future it will be election season! Make sure you are aware of the new postmarking rules at the US post office! Don't hold off on mailing things in at the last minute, since the postmark date no longer means what it used to mean nstp.org/article/usps...

To the tune of "That smell" by Lynyrd Skynyrd 🎶Aaaaaagh the bees!🎶 🎶Anything but the bees!🎶 🎶Aaaaaagh the bees!🎶 🎶The bees are stinging me!🎶

The beautiful plant life growing among the limestone and marble of the El Doctor mountains in Querétaro, Mexico. Mute if you don't want to hear a botanist yapping and casually cursing; the dude even recommends it partway through. Or don't, the yapping is educational. youtu.be/XniMcVdfiHg

The always-beautiful Tetrataenia surinama, a common grasshopper in the Peruvian rainforest. Photographed last week at our field station at the Tapiche Reserve. A species I see almost every day. #insects #NaturePhotography 🌿

I tried to take a picture of ice covering some crepe myrtle branches, and the neat way how the ice refracts and reflects light. I took the time to manually adjust the shutter speed but I forgot to manually adjust the focus. The slow shutter speed made it hard to hold the camera still for long enough

Library of Alexandria this, Library of Alexandria that, WHAT ABOUT THE BAGHDAD HOUSE OF WISDOM?

Happy jay day from this fine specimen, who has no idea, I guess. 📷🌿🪶

Look at all the blue wave hashtag resist accounts, not even noticing that they and the Nazis they think they're mocking, are both speaking the same language with the same targets.

"It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners." Albert Camus

"If the ants don't kill him, he will eventually dry up in the sun, still trying his hardest to please his partner."

"Nothing will dissuade him from his lovemaking, not even the opportunistic Iridomyrmex discors ants that will consume him bit by bit as he tries to impregnate the beer bottle. Should an actual Julodimorpha bakewelli female wander by, he will ignore her, remaining faithful to his true love"

"To the male Julodimorpha bakewelli beetle, a beer bottle lying on the ground looks like the biggest, most beautiful female he has ever seen. He doesn't waste any time when he sees her. The male immediately mounts the object of his affection." www.thoughtco.com/the-giant-je...

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ROBOTS CANNOT FEEL PAIN. THEY CAN ONLY MOCK US FOR FEELING PAIN.

Saturday, I visited the Rohwer Japanese Internment camp in eastern Arkansas. There, several Japanese American and Japanese immigrant families were relocated and confined during WW2, including @georgetakei.bsky.social and his family.

Your annual festive reminder that Saint Nicholas bears an uncanny resemblance to Lieutenant Worf.

AI: where FOMO turns into FAFO

Day 13 of #ArtAdventCalendar: "The Barn Swallow Choir." #birds

Butter

US farm owners knew the tariffs and the more restrictive and punitive immigrant regime would greatly increase their operational expenses and shutter the markets for their products. But the promise of tax breaks and bailouts was too good to pass up. Now they are getting their bailouts and crying.

He wants a plumber who will fix his plumbing while constantly reassuring him that there's nothing to fix and that the plumbing is working perfectly. This is so that he can get away with not paying the plumber After all, the plumber admitted to doing nothing.

the hater's council just vetoed this actually. "a real hater hates attention seekers by ignoring them" wise words from one hater elder. "hate reading is for homework dorks" said another senior hater on condition of anonymity as this statement was a compound diss targeting other council members

#EastCoastKin is the #BeautifulCabinCrew of photography. A meaningless prayer to a non-existent algorithm that it deliver eyeballs for consumption. Reject false gods! Reject the algorithm's empty promises!

YouTube's advertising algorithm seems convinced that I need to be on schizophrenia meds and also meds for the side effects of schizophrenia meds 🤷🏼‍♂️

In regards to multi-factor authentication: Something you know is something you can forget Something you have is something you can lose Something you are is something you can't control OOPS

One of the hardest things is to continue to be creative with bird photography when you’ve ran through the gamut of close portraits I’m committing to find time and use my Leica more for wide angle bird photos which include more landscape Let’s start with some gulls and the ocean Western Gull 📷🌊🌿🪶

This was a good year for #Beetles. The Fiery Searcher, Calosoma scrutator, hanging out at the #BugLight. #MacroPhotography #Insects #Invertebrates #coleoptera

A cozy bunch 🌿

hey guys check this out clocks.brianmoore.com @katie.bzky.team

🐶💩⛳️ I binned the bag in 13 throws, rating ⭐️➖➖➖➖ vole.wtf/dog-poo-golf/

This little beauty is a juvenile black crowned night heron. When I see them, I wonder how a creature can be so perfect. How can they fit in this world so beautifully? As I photograph it, I whisper to them that I hope they live a long life and Godspeed. #photography #wildlife #birds #EastCoastKin

I believe these tiny sunset-colored mushrooms are the Vermilian Wax Cap, Hygrocybe miniata 🌅🍄 📷 Canon R5 Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM M, f/2.8, 1/3, ISO 400 Stack of 33 images 10/23/25 Mt. Hood, OR #mushroom #fungifriends #mushrooms 🍄📷 📸🎞 🌿🌱 🟢 🍄 🍄‍🟫

Enjoy this little demon, #Bugsky At first I thought this was just a small fly, but when I got my macro on it I found this alien creature. I think it's in the genus Poppea, a type of treehopper. Found at @casabentbill.bsky.social #CostaRica #nature #insects

the first great-grandchild to unlock the nsfw mode with great-grandmas virtual AI is going to create so much complex sociological energy it'll reanimate Sigmund Freud instantly like Frankensteins monster

Bidens laevis found growing in soil that is flooded by the Mississippi River for part of the year. #BloomScrolling

Chilean beauty queen Nacha Fernández performs a Death Metal song for the talent portion of the Miss Chile competition youtu.be/FwbZrdSGlmE

A toothy critter cosplaying Betelgeuse for Halloween? :) This Yellowhead moray was...not thrilled I interrupted his evening hunt. This is something of a threat posture, the eel deepening its yellow head and grey stripes as a warning. One of the few species you want to be cautious around. :) 📷🌿🐟🦑