BARRY KAHN

Father, #grandfather, UCLA grad (#linguistics), former #PeaceCorps Vol. (#Senegal), former guitar teacher, elementary school teacher, semi-retired small business owner. Interested in #language #learning and teaching, #language acquisition, all branches of #science, #education--actually I'm interested in everything.
#Podcast for English learners: https://www.wadjasay.com/
How could I forget Ollie?? He's the #GoldenDoodle on the left. His BF is Oscar, same breed but 8 yrs old while Ollie is four.

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npub1qln3tctf4u9xry6rzgea7gnknpea6vruwqnnj9dktm7enmn4htvqdssv78

NIP-05 Address

bkahn_at_mstdn.science@mostr.pub

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nprofile1qqsq0ec4u9567znpjdp3yv7lyfmfsu7axp78qfeezkm9alveae6m4kqzksy09

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npub1qln3tctf4u9xry6rzgea7gnknpea6vruwqnnj9dktm7enmn4htvqdssv78

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Last Notes

2024-05-21 17:51:11

Having heard testimony from several witnesses about what a cheapskate trump is, how he squeezes every penny, blah blah, I'm quite surprised he hasn't asked Putin to send him some Russian uniforms to wear. trump would want to be a general, no doubt, but Putin wouldn't care. It's not like anyone would understand his orders if he gave any. And he'd save a bundle not buying those ugly plus size suits any more.

2024-05-19 13:47:48

We're damn close to needing a Today's Disasters section in the newspapers of the world. In effect, I think we're there except for the formal title. I haven't kept notes during the past week, but (riffles through remaining brain cells) let's see:
• wildfires in Canada w/evacuations
• floods in Brazil
• big storm in Houston
• floods in Europe
• heatwaves in Asia
• record sea temperatures
• terrible drought and water shortages in Mexico
That's what I recall from casual browsing. Yikes.

2024-05-17 18:32:30

Real BS
Repubs take a special pride in finding something that is already illegal--like citizens of oh, let's say citizens of the Gambia--flying in to vote in US elections, and then proposing legislation to make this illegal voting--illegal!
Can something illegal be made doubly illegal? Are there degrees of illegality?
No, I suspect that this is another example of why the Repubs are such goddam failures at governing. "Hey--let's dig a hole in this hole!" they shout, excited and happy. Aargh.

2024-05-15 17:34:13

I read about some portal thing that allows people in NY(?) and Dublin to see and communicate with each other. Sounds like time travel can't be far behind. I think one-way, modern NY to 15th century Dublin would work.
"Just step this way, Mr. trump, right through this round doorway. Your fans are waiting!"

2024-05-13 20:07:14

- reply

@npub1te7…3dzs
Quite awful. I had allergies when I was in my 20s and 30s and then they vanished. No idea why or if it is a normal thing, but I sure don't miss them. Climate change is a killer in so many ways.

2024-05-13 19:23:39

#GiftLink
Achoo! Op Ed about allergies getting worse:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/opinion/allergies-climate-change.html?unlocked_article_code=1.rk0.Bxhm.HBYES6o9KCF9&smid=url-share

2024-05-08 18:05:54

I'm not talented enough to do any of trump's crimes, but if I pulled one of them off, I'd already be serving 200 years in a lockup somewhere. Equal justice for all but rich grifters get a lot more equalizing and a lot less 'justice' than regular folks.
There are a million reasons why I want trump to lose the election by an immense margin, but one of them is so he can spend more years in courtrooms silenced and listening to testimony. It's not the punishment he deserves but it's a good warmup.

2024-05-07 21:40:53

Fake News
Judge Cannon: "I've got a lot on my docket so we'll deal with this documents case posthumously."
Reporter: "You mean after Trump's death?"
JC: "Actually I was thinking after the death of the republic."

2024-05-05 23:14:46

I'm preparing some online English lessons for a 13-year old Mexican girl. In looking at one website with free images, I searched for the word "working". Out of 100 pages, it wasn't until page 8 that I found a single image that wasn't individuals or groups using laptops, smiling happily, and definitely not doing physical labor.
For some reason this reminds me of the first time I used a manual posthole digger. I was a skinny kid and I quickly grew to hate that tool. Oh, well. Back to my search.

2024-04-21 01:27:09

Final Fake News (for today)
trump melts down in courtroom!
In a shocking act of defiance, trump dissolved in the courtroom today, ending his trial in a stunning demonstration of protoplasmic disintegration. "I've seen similar events with single-cell organisms," said Professor Caul Mee Janny of Harvard, "but never with a creature of this size and mass." He said that an explanation of what occurred would need an autopsy, "but that might be impossible. All that's left is slime and goo."

2024-04-17 13:55:35

Should be clear to everyone: trump desperately wants to "win" (aka steal) the upcoming election for a few simple reasons:
1) so he can cancel the trials that have yet to start
2) grift grift grift grift
3) revenge
4) because Putin et al are pushing and pulling to get him back into the oval office so they can finish the destruction of the USA.
I'm 75 and this is the most important election of my lifetime. Vote Blue.

2024-04-09 00:01:26

trump's latest attempt to delay the upcoming trial in NY already hitting rocks and boulders:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/08/nyregion/trump-hush-money-trial-delay.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.i00.xx1b.NDU3UF9HwYgZ&smid=url-share
#GiftLink

2024-04-03 23:13:06

If there is an afterlife, trump will go to hell and hell will be a courtroom, with a hostile jury, terrible defense attorneys, a string of no-nonsense judges, and an eternity of "guilty on all counts, your Honor" verdicts. After each trial he'll be locked in a nasty little cell for a week or two, and then hauled back into court for the next trial. Every sin in his life, every lie, every vile word and deed will be adjudicated. He'll be in court until the heat death of the universe.

2024-03-20 23:48:48

Dear Alabama,
When I use a restroom, it's not cause I'm interested in "biological sex"--I just want to relieve myself. You guys are at the very least confused, or more likely, a really kinky bunch of legislators. 😩

2024-03-20 23:43:53

Dear Speaker Johnson,
Using my powers as a member of the mighty Mastodon community, I hereby volunteer you to serve a 6 month tour of duty on the front lines in Ukraine. You'll be departing at midnight tonight and since you'll be traveling at godspeed, it will take mere minutes to reach your destination where you will receive a uniform and a weapon. Unfortunately, due to some unnamed assholes in the US House of Reps, I can't guarantee much if any ammo. Keep your head down and pray. Good luck!

2024-03-16 21:04:20

I like that Trump is so clear on his plans:
'If elected I'll be a dictator and everyone I don't like--which includes millions of people--will be kicked out of the country or arrested and locked up without trials or killed. Yeah, it'll be a bloodbath but it's what we have to do to cleanse the country.'
'If I'm not elected it'll be a blood bath. And when it's over, I'll be President and then we'll finish the job.'
Heads I win, tails you lose.

2024-03-14 20:11:26

FAKE NEWS (before Ollie and I go for a walk)
George Santos Offers to Help Bob Menendez Run for Re-Election
"I've got skills he understands," said Santos. "We understand each other."

2024-03-11 15:39:55

Fake News
Trump says he will build a "beautiful wall" between Russia and Ukraine. "The Mexicans will pay for it," he declared. "Just like last time. You can help--go to this website and donate like crazy! It's God's work so be generous! Open your hearts and open your wallets!"
Several reporters said they heard Trump mumbling "E Jean, E Jean" after his speech.

2024-02-22 21:25:46

Show your support for Donald! Buy and wear a Trump Golden Jockstrap*
*Fine print: High probablility that all proceeds from TGJs will go to the State of New York. Thanks!

2024-02-17 22:16:10

Trump Shoes for $399. Hmmm.
Is it called "Sneaker Con" because, well, gosh, I dunno...maybe cause "Sneaker Grift" sounds funny?
Let's see: Say Trump needs to raise roughly $500 million. So if he sells about 1 million, 253 thousand pairs of his sneakers, he's good to go. No worries: I'm sure they're great shoes. At least as reliable as his financial statements.
😇

2024-02-16 18:27:51

Just imagining...
Putin is sitting at the President's desk in the oval office. Trump stands nearby. He looks confused and wimpy, as if he doesn't understand why Putin is sitting at the desk.
"Finally," says Putin. He looks at a guard and points at Trump with his chin. "Take him away. The fat fool is longer useful."
As two guards grab Trump, he begins to squeal protests. "You can't do this! My followers..."
Putin interrupts. "No, fool. My followers. MY followers. You are stupid garbage."

2024-02-15 16:34:10

Nope, it's not a news photo of grumpy trump in a NY courtroom. It's OLLIE who never sleeps under any sort of covers, blankets, or quilts, caught peering out in the early morning light from under a quilt. I think my wife tossed it over him when she got up this morning. Hello, world!
#dogsofmastodon
https://static.mstdn.science/media_attachments/files/111/936/440/791/867/758/original/08501748f8eb8759.jpg

2024-02-07 19:12:01

If the House GOP were your brain surgeon:
"Well it's clear you have a tumor that will kill you if we don't remove it. But we don't operate during election years. Tough luck."
If the House GOP were your auto mechanic:
"You've got about a week left before your brakes fail. $385 to fix them, but we don't do repairs during election years."
If the House GOP were your pilot:
"Thank you for flying GOP Airlines. We don't land during election years but there are parachutes under the seats."

2024-02-06 01:45:13

Reuters:
"U.S. fossil fuel subsidies stretch across the U.S. tax code, which makes detailing their costs complex. The IMF estimates they stood at $760 billion in 2022, a figure topped only by China."
How many solar and wind installs could we do with $760 billion? How many home insulation upgrades? Workplace EV chargers?
That's a lotta money and that's for ONE year. We're killing ourselves.

2024-02-04 21:54:09

- reply

@npub1zdp…vqv8
The music comes from the ceiling tiles. Unless the roof leaks, nobody changes ceiling tiles. Tiles from the 70s? Music from the 70s.
But if you think that's bad, listen to this: As part of joining the Peace Corps in 1970, I had to get a physical exam at the VA hospital in Los Angeles. The exam included a chest X-ray and I kid you not, the X-ray machine was as long as a city bus and looked like a Nazi V-2 rocket. Scariest medical device I've ever seen.

2024-02-03 00:59:29

I like the words peddle and peddler. I like tinker too. If I could peddle conspiracy theories to MAGA crazies, I would be tempted. But I'm not crazy enough and I'd start laughing at myself in the middle of my grift. Oh well. 😆

2024-02-01 00:37:00

President Taylor Swift announces that her first state of the union address will be performed as a concert. Members of Congress plead for a change of venue so they can invite 500 guests each.
Remaining MAGA members of the House (7 in all) say they will not attend. Nobody cares.
😀

2024-01-30 21:45:22

I don't have time or energy to expand this, but it's hard to believe that the GOP platform (if they ever bother to write one again) would include goals like:
Deny children food
Permit & encourage young children to work in hazardous jobs
Deny women health care
etc.
But even more appalling to think millions of voters approve of these goals.
I've read some dystopian sci fi in my life, but current reality leaves it in the dust.

2024-01-25 21:07:20

- reply

@npub19fc…ay3c
We're talking Texas here. Think big! Push him into the cat pee pool. And then squirt him.
Still too kind. I think he'd improve after a 10-year stint working at a front desk in a Cancun hotel. Ted could visit him every winter.

2024-01-24 15:13:47

Nikki Haley is horrible. But I hope she stays in the race at least until her presence gives Trump a stroke. Call me mean, but anything that increases his grief is okay by me.
As far as Biden, his campaign can easily compare and contrast with Trump and Haley, starting with abortion rights and going on to lots of other fertile fields. They are both dangerous losers. Shout it from the rooftops!
Do I wish Biden were younger? Sure. But his experience is awesome and he's human, unlike T & H.

2024-01-21 21:13:16

#GiftLink
Switzerland's shrinking glaciers:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/world/europe/switzerland-glaciers.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PU0.imI7.TQEeaPumEZML&smid=url-share

2024-01-12 23:07:31

CAN ANYONE DOUBT THAT PEOPLE WHO POST THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN ALL CAPS HAVE A BRAIN VIRUS?
Nothing to see folks, keep moving, keep moving. Just a little experiment to see what it's like to post like Donald. Kinda creepy, if you ask me.
😂

2024-01-12 22:52:39

I know Trump thinks he's the richest man in the universe, but I'm hoping as the financial penalties pile up, some of his less dim followers will realize that their donations are going straight to the NY Times, E Jean, the coffers of NY State, and megabuck legal fees. If I were younger and super clever, I'd set up one of those phony websites and route Trump donations straight to the ACLU, ACTBlue, Planned Parenthood, etc. (In the 3pt fine print I'd tell all, but nobody reads that stuff, right?)

2024-01-11 02:20:44

- reply

@npub19fc…ay3c
Hey, Adam. Speaking as a grandfather, I can't answer the "why" of your excellent question, but I can testify that at least in some areas, certainty is established early. My grandson is four and he's especially sure in the realms of dinosaurs, and good guys and bad guys.
The elder of my granddaughters (9) is sure of just about everything in the world, starting with she's the boss and we are servants.
It's all downhill from there.
I, however, am 75 and doubt everything. 😇

2024-01-06 00:27:07

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/05/opinion/trump-insurrections-disqualification-14th-amendment.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Lk0.GF-K.7QUrKhGwZ0jV&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare - #GiftArticle - Trump & 14th amendment.

2023-12-28 22:31:17

Hmmm. Quote from ''Little green footballs" --
-Nikki Haley says the man who asked her about the reason for the Civil War was “a Democratic plant.”-
How can anyone determine the political affiliation of a plant?
And what about invasive plants? And hybrids? I'm no botanist, but I seem to remember a lot of plant sex stuff that might not sit well with the MAGA crowd. Plants that are both male and female? That could get you into more trouble than your Civil War comments. Shut it down, quick!

2023-12-22 01:16:46

I remembered this evening that the iphone allows an image to be extracted from the background. So here's good old Ollie wondering if there's another treat coming before bedtime.
There was. 😇 ❤️
#dogsofmastodon
https://static.mstdn.science/media_attachments/files/111/621/413/064/331/543/original/d9c67ed6da1ddbb4.jpg

2023-12-21 23:42:34

Unappealing Trump appeals again. And again.
Wish SCOTUS would just issue a blanket writ of DENIED, GO AWAY.

2023-12-20 00:06:16

Apparently disconnected things sometimes surprise us. That's why I think it would a treat if the current eruption in Iceland sent out little magma branches that erupted in and around all of Trump's properties. He likes attention and that would certainly get him lots.
LAVA FLOWS BURY NJ GOLF COURSE. MEMBERS DEMAND REFUNDS.
MAR-A-LAGO CLUB DECLARED TOTAL LOSS.
VOLCANOLOGISTS MYSTIFIED BY ERUPTION IN NYC
RELIGIOUS LEADERS LINK TRUMP'S SINS TO HELLISH ERUPTIONS
Works for me. 😀

2023-12-18 15:21:56

I used to think puppet shows were fun. And I might still grab a couple of my grandkids' dolls or toys and rev up an impromptu silly show for the kids' amusement.
But nowadays I think of a giant Putin pulling strings and the PlumpTrump puppet wriggling and dancing while he sings the praises of Putin, Hitler, et al.
Very discouraging. And OllieTheDog ate some sticks at his playdate yesterday and is now walking around trying to vomit up the fragments. I will mail the results to Trump.👽

2023-12-16 22:02:45

Well, I didn't expect to read that Trump was a future Diaper Dictator when I took a look at @Laffy a few minutes ago. To cleanse my brain, I remembered a photo I took of Ollie this morning.
Ollie is content and also tired. His best friend Oscar returned today from a visit to our neighbor's new granddaughter, and he and Ollie celebrated by racing and wrestling for the better part of 30 minutes. These golden doodles LOVE chilly weather. Pumps up their energy levels 300%. #dogsofmastodon
https://static.mstdn.science/media_attachments/files/111/592/314/790/843/439/original/6843ccd253ec3134.jpg

2023-12-15 23:51:09

I just read the NY Times article about the $148M judgement against Rudy the loser. 👎
Many letters commenting, of course, and many people saying Freeman and Moss may never see a penny. However one comment from an attorney explained that bankruptcy doesn't protect assets if you've done evil shit like Rudy has. If he declares bankruptcy, the atty. explained, an executor (or someone; I don't recall the name) will be put in charge of the assets and start paying off his debts. Hooray! Huzzah! 😜

2023-12-09 21:34:13

Nobody can tell me that Ollie doesn't get excited when I buy him a new toy. He got groomed a couple of days ago and while he was suffering the indignities of a bath and haircut, I stopped at the local pet shop and got him this red toy. He was delighted! He has a similar one in blue but he long ago ripped the tassels off and it's been missing for the past week. He doesn't get new toys often--I'm not Bill Gates, you know!--and when he does, it's a big deal. Merry Xmas, Ollie!
#dogsofmastodon
https://static.mstdn.science/media_attachments/files/111/552/581/487/664/338/original/070565be16ca9965.jpg

2023-11-21 17:02:40

One person raved at me after I gifted the NYT article about Omicron.
Baboom Bablocked!
Thanks, Mastodon. 😇
A bathroom mirror is a good place to rave. Better yet, go for a walk. It's better for your blood pressure than yelling at strangers.

2023-11-17 21:55:03

At some point in the future, adults will begin asking children "What do you expect to be when you grow up?" and I fear the children will answer "Extinct."
Before I go battle with the dirty dishes, a question: do the Christofascists in the House of Representatives realize that when the Cracks of Doom open up under Grindavik, Iceland, and the lava begins to pour out, the Dark Lord's terrible hand can easily reach across the ocean and pluck them from their House seats? Are they paying attention??

2023-11-16 22:31:59

Dear House GOP,
Next time I hear crap from y'all about saving money, I'm going to pelt you with wadded balls of paper. Unfolded you will see photos of Georgie Boy Santos along with my best reckoning of how much he has cost tax payers so far. I say so far since we will be paying his room and board in jail for years to come. Saving starts at home and your home is the House.
PS As far as I can tell you have yet to accomplish ANYTHING this year. So give back your salaries and save some more $.

2023-11-02 18:48:56

FAKE TESTIMONY
Eric Trump: I'm telling the truth even when I'm lying. And I'm confused. And I don't recall whether or not I recall. And I never understood those financial statements that I never looked at anyway why are you bothering me I hate all of you and it's not fair let me go home just stop harassing me where's daddy wah boo hoo!
Your honor, do you mind if I throw myself on the floor and shout and kick and say bad words?
Judge: Go right ahead. $1,000 per minute of tantrum.
😂

2023-11-02 18:42:17

- reply

@npub19fc…ay3c
Well, I guess I fit in there somehow. I think people who judge other people by skin color are cognitively impaired.
On our species' tombstone:
TOO DUMB TO SURVIVE
Depressing cause there are so damn many really nice, good, kind, intelligent, inspiring people in the world.
And then there are the Trumps.
Aaaaaargh! I will go sweep leaves and try to calm myself.
😟

2023-10-30 17:29:42

Up and down:
I see the name "Trump" -- blood pressure goes up.
I see a cat or dog photo -- blood pressure goes down.
I play with OllieTheDog -- blood pressure goes further down.
Don't need a fancy device to tell me that.

2023-10-24 23:13:24

My opinion based on nothing is that a majority of House GOP members have no desire to do any work. They are content to drag out the current Speaker farce indefinitely. If the government shuts down, they will blame the Democrats and ignore the plight of the people who elected them as well as everyone else. They just don't give a shit. If they have fealty, it is to Trump and Putin, both of whom see chaos and inaction as positives for a host of reasons. I joke a lot but there's no humor here. 😟

2023-10-22 00:36:45

I think the House GOP members should henceforth be paid for piece work. Produce nothing--in their case it'd be viable legislation--and earn nothing.
If this concept is too difficult for some (all?) of them, perhaps a week harvesting apples would help them understand. As it is, they collect a handsome salary for fighting, arguing, lying, grandstanding, eating, staring at their phones, flying home, anything except productive work.
C'mon voters. It's pink slip time.

2023-10-19 23:25:24

If we all imitated our dogs, there'd be a lot more napping, sleeping, and sniffing. Meal times would be short, many of us would run around like crazy at every opportunity, and nobody would want to be Speaker of the House.
Can humans evolve into dogs before it's too late?
#dogsofmastodon
#deepquestions
#evolution

2023-10-19 00:19:32

From WaPost this evening:
"But some key allies to McHenry, such as Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), said the GOP must hit rock bottom first before considering working across the aisle."
Good grief. First I laughed and then I wondered where 'rock bottom' is located. If Jordan supporters go down by 2 or 3 votes each round, do we have to wait for zero votes? Is that rock bottom? Is it when Jordan realizes he's a loser? Is he numerate enough to understand a declining total of votes is bad news?

2023-10-18 19:38:54

- reply

@npub1lnm…624t @npub1e3p…5dvg
Both!

2023-10-18 15:59:57

Via an old email address that forwards to my current one, I got a request this morning to support GymNaziJordan for Speaker. What a nasty thing to find in my phone. Reminds me of the Xmas cards from Nixon I got when I was in the Peace Corps in Senegal 50+ years ago.
At least Nixon's Christmas cards didn't contain threats. To be honest I don't know if Jordan's email was beseeching or threatening. I tapped "junk" and "delete permanently" which is what the House GOP should do with #junkjordan.

2023-10-16 18:37:43

The House GOP members borrow a gargantuan sieve. All the members jump in and then a rent-a-giant shakes it while reciting:
Fi, Fie, Fo, Fum,
Give us a Member who's really dumb,
Give us a Speaker, we need one soon,
Will it be Jordan, that dreadful goon?
One by one the members slip through the sieve holes. Who will be the last member in the sieve--our next Speaker, leader of the FCP?*
Stay tuned. It will surely turn out well.
😂
*Feckless Chaos Party (or whatever name you prefer.😀 )

2023-10-12 20:41:30

A small number of House Republicans could partner with the Democrats to choose a new non-crazy Speaker, they could work together to pass legislation, and we'd have a functioning government again.
Why don't they? I don't know, but I have thoughts.
1) They're afraid of being killed by domestic madmen.
2) Being in the House is so much fun (lucrative?); if they compromise, they'll lose their seats.
3) There are no House Republicans capable of compromise. They don't know how.
Discouraging.

2023-10-12 18:06:54

I have subscriptions to NY Times and Wash. Post. If you ever see stories in either place and want me to #giftarticle them here, just send me a note. I can use 10-12 gift articles per month and never use them all. Happy to share.

2023-10-07 17:19:40

- reply

@npub189n…satx
Ditto for people who have lost their marbles. i name no names.

2023-10-05 22:23:36

A serious post for a change. My wife and I will soon start making our very modest contributions to candidates we want to keep in office and also ones we hope can flip seats from red-orange to blue. Not talking much money: $10 here, $25 there. But if a million people contribute $10 to a candidate for the House, that's not pocket change. Who are your reps? Who should we look at? I usually look at Emily's list first but there are a lot of people we'll undoubtedly miss. Suggestions? Thanks!

2023-10-03 21:09:48

- reply

@npub1hpc…hjn3
On my long ago visit to Sweden I saw "Drag" on a cafeteria door! What were they thinking??

2023-10-02 21:42:05

- reply

@npub19fc…ay3c
What gives me the shivers is that it takes 8 minutes for light to reach us from the sun. So if the sun goes out, we won't know it for 8 minutes.
It would be exciting for a few minutes if it happened in the daytime. All of a sudden it would be like the middle of the night and--depending on local light pollution--the starry sky would appear.
Then the big chill would start, and the return of snowball earth. How long would it take for everything to freeze, I wonder? Climate change!

2023-10-02 00:21:20

- reply

@npub1xr8…3q0g
Take it from me, a kid before there was a measles vaccine. I spent a miserable week in bed with the window shades down. Not fun and I was lucky not to get really sick--or die. I remember the relief when a vaccine against polio was finally developed. I remember the relief when we got rid of smallpox--what an achievement!
Read some history, people, and protect your kids. And be glad you can.

2023-10-01 17:18:37

Saw my older daughter briefly an hour ago. She told me she was exposed to Covid yesterday. She saw a friend who flew home and called her later to say he'd tested positive. And his wife has long Covid which she got from his brother at some point. Yep, it's still with us, still evolving, still thriving cause too many of us are content to pretend Covid is in the past. Like the MIddle Ages or the 100 Years War.
Dumb. Wear a mask, get vaccinated.

2023-09-29 12:25:29

- reply

@npub189n…satx
Some people aren't waiting for extinctus to happen en masse: they're taking it into their own hands:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/florida-auto-shop-owner-angry-customer-shot-death-103563754
Or the more entertaining(?) stories from the Darwin Awards website:
https://darwinawards.com/
But time for me to return to local reality in which OllieTheDog--a fine exemplar of Caninus PrettySmartus--is patiently waiting for breakfast.

2023-09-29 12:15:14

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@npub189n…satx
I live in Maine where white folks are common as fleas so mostly we give Covid to other white people. But racism is incredibly stupid, so to be expected from homo stupidus. (Nobody cares about my rants but there is only one human species/race. Differences in skin color, eye shape, etc. give us an excuse to act abominably, but we are genetically all the same with trivial differences.)
So, like I said, we're all homo stupidus and if we don't smarten up soon, we'll be extinctus.

2023-09-29 12:06:23

- reply

@npub189n…satx
I don't have any way to judge even on a local level, but my gut tells me it's herd behavior. If only 1 in 10 or 1 in 20 people wear masks at the supermarket, people unconsciously start thinking "Oh, I guess it's safe not to mask any more." And then that behavior becomes the general standard, at least until people start dying in droves again. This is greatly aggravated by medical personnel dropping masks too. But I think we're more like lemmings than we imagine. Homo stupidus.

2023-09-27 00:12:49

My wife, daughter, and two granddaughters just turned on Dancing with the Stars or whatever it's called.
Ollie is growling to go outside so he can pee on the little Trump Tower I put out for him. (Just kidding--but not a bad idea. I can draw one on a scrap of cardboard.)
Trump is somewhere hurling ketchup while his flunkies pretend everything is okay and wait for him to have a stroke.
1000s of bees swarmed in our backyard today, then vanished.
Is the world not strange and mysterious?

2023-09-25 23:24:02

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@npub19fc…ay3c
Couldn't agree more. Not holding my breath. If Jimmy Carter got as much respect as Trump gets attention, it'd be a better world. Perhaps the only question at 'presidential' debates should be this: Please tell us what you have already done in your life to make the world a safer, healthier, better place for others. How would you improve life for everyone, especially those who are in any way disadvantaged, if you were President?
The GOP response, if honest, would be a big silence.

2023-09-25 21:01:58

As a long-time reader of British mysteries, in which dukes and counts and other big shots, having had their horrible crimes discovered, go into their office/libraries, lock the doors, and take the 'honorable' way out (they always have pistols in their desks they kept after serving in India)--well, hearing that Trump did buy a Glock and then that he didn't buy one, I confess to disappointment. (If you think my sentence was long, try Faulkner!) Anyway, it was just a thought, and not a nice one. 😇

2023-09-23 00:50:48

Got my shots this afternoon at CVS. Covid in the right arm, flu in the left. Very quick and smooth process--quite a welcome change from the 'old' days of 2021 and later. Confirmed my arrival with a click on an email message, checked in at the desk, waited for a few folks in front of me, and was soon headed home. Hopefully people will protect themselves and each other.

2023-09-19 13:07:33

I think it's stupid and wrong to give Trump air time to spew lies, but if media outfits decide it's good for ratings or whatever, I propose a change in format.
Instead of fact-checks after the lies have aired, turn it into a contest where viewers--for cash prizes, c'mon!--submit lists predicting the lies ahead of time. I'll leave the details to smarter people but I imagine bells ringing or lights flashing during the 'interview' every time there is a winner. Maybe like bingo? Make it fun!

2023-09-16 17:45:11

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@npub189n…satx
Blind spots?
Tunnel vision?
Brainwashed?
Too busy smirking to notice when one is being played for a sucker?
Just plain dumb?
Or the best answer when in doubt: all of the above?
Footnote: I am a bona fide old white person having been called "toubab" (white man) by little children when I lived in Senegal. They knew one when they saw one.❤️

2023-09-15 20:03:26

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@npub189n…satx Wow! I literally just posted the same thing but not with your brevity. I think I need a time out.

2023-09-14 23:43:59

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@npub1j8m…v5r7
Visit the brand new Museum of Beadwork in Portland.
https://www.museumofbeadwork.org/
Disclaimer: Conceived of and despite Covid delays, brought into existence by my daughter, Heather. The beadwork in the museum is astonishing.

2023-09-14 00:32:25

#ImNotSayingImOldBut OllieTheDog usually conks out around 7pm and that hour is looking more attractive to me every year. Night all!

2023-09-14 00:30:52

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@npub1jup…77gr
Sooner or later, normal working people will either live in tents or leave Florida. I'd suggest they burrow underground but with the water table a foot below the surface (or a foot above at times), that's not an option. The state is steadily becoming less and less attractive, and all it would take is a couple of monster hurricane direct hits, and survivors would be bugling taps and heading north.

2023-09-12 19:53:24

Dear God,
I know you're a busy woman, running the universe and all, but I have three requests. Given your powers, this won't take but the blink of a divine eye.
1) Delete the 2nd amendment and all mention of it anywhere and everywhere, including memories of its existence. Just POOF it away. Then convert 98% of the firearms into farm equipment and give it all to poor farmers.
2) Transform current members of Congress as dumb or dumber than K. McCarthy into asses.
3) Fix SCOTUS.
Thanks!!!

2023-09-12 14:17:20

Based on when I've read here about the desire to impeach Biden, the Republicans should instead spend time in fiction writing workshops, with a specific focus on historical fiction. I mean if you're going to make shit up, at least learn to do it in a stylistically pleasing way. Otherwise it's just digging through the compost pile and hoping to find a nice-looking apple that's been buried for five years.

2023-09-08 15:36:15

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@npub189n…satx
When I was a teenager, gas cost around $0.16 per gallon and sirloin was about the same per pound. The current minimum wage would have been good pay back then.
I was a teenager in the 1960s--the minimum wage is stuck in a time warp.
My in-state tuition at UCLA was $82.50 per quarter when I started in 1966.
(No credit to me: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar--then Lew Alcindor and now well-known for lots more than hoops--was at UCLA the same 4 years.)
The min wage is a NATIONAL SHAME.

2023-09-01 21:05:13

"Trump Posts More than 30 Video Rants in One Day on Truth Social"
What's that old saying? Something about the devil makes work for idle hands?
This dude was raised to think that work is telling lies, exaggerating, and bossing people around. Now he's running into judges and prosecutors who are professionals and know the difference between bullshit and facts. He's scared shitless of a fair trial because he's guilty and knows it. What a loser.

2023-08-31 15:22:49

Our garden is churning out tomatoes and cucumbers slightly faster than we can eat them, so for breakfast I had a salad. (Always trying to do my bit.) OllieTheDog, having finished his breakfast, came over to beg as I was slicing cucumbers. Dubious, I offered him a slice. He dropped it on the floor, sniffed it, and to my surprise ate it and waited for more.
Usually he's hoping for pizza crusts, scraps of chicken, or bits of cheese or noodles my grandson drops. But cukes? Who knew?
#dogsofmastodon

2023-08-30 22:15:08

If McConnell doesn't retire soon, he's going to have a massive stroke at the podium and that'll be the end. All these die-in-the-saddle politicians should study Jimmy Carter. Spend at least the last 1/3 of your life helping others instead of grifting to the bitter end.

2023-08-27 12:42:51

My 4 year old grandson came home from a walk yesterday with some round stones. I got up this morning to find painted rocks on the small table in the kitchen. Last week it was a painted stick. Don't know if he's improving on nature, but he takes these artistic ventures seriously.

2023-08-25 17:03:32

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@npub1lzz…jhl3 I find this decision appalling even in a state where appalling is the norm. So if 5% percent of pregnancies ended in maternal death, nobody would care enough to investigate? How about 10%? How about 50%?
Women of Idaho, the value of your life has been set at zero.

2023-08-25 00:05:03

Think of all the time, suffering, and grief saved if only Trump's infamous trip down the escalator had ended in the Atlanta jail. 15 years for hate speech, no parole.
O Hittite Deities, Hear Our Prayers...

2023-08-24 21:23:01

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@npub189n…satx
Perhaps, subconsciously, a large number of people have decided that dying is a viable way forward. Wish they wouldn't put the rest of us at risk though. And do they really look forward to the chance of years of misery with Long Covid?
I don't get it either. Have we been mixing genes with lemmings?

2023-08-24 00:52:49

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@npub189n…satx
I can totally relate. I've been listening to a free 1984 book about engineering and design, including famous (well, infamous) engineering disasters. Not hard to imagine a sinkhole just happening to open up beneath the debate stage later this evening and away they go! But to be fair, something equally dire would have to befall the Orange Monster. Maybe we all slip into an alternate universe and Trump is already serving 20-30 years with no chance of parole. Ah, sweet justice...

2023-08-24 00:41:04

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@npub189n…satx
It is morbid curiosity. You're entitled. Let me know how long you last before you throw a shoe or click the clicker. 😂
If I watched, I think I'd approach it either as theater of the absurd (pretend each candidate is wearing a trash can and suspenders), or stand-up comedy. I know I couldn't think of it as a real debate. No way. Or perhaps I could pretend it was a contest of who can tell the most tall tales in one evening. Talking gargoyles? A circus sideshow from 1919? 'Nite!

2023-08-24 00:34:23

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@npub189n…satx
You've got a lot more courage and morbid curiosity than me. I can barely stand to gloat over today's mug shots and say thank you to Fani Willis for being herself. But I confess that I have already decided that all the GOP candidates are people to avoid (that's my mild way of putting it), so ignoring them is easy.
Besides, OllieTheDog is waiting for me to get ready for bed, and he's a true and faithful advisor. Good luck if you watch--I'd be throwing things, I suspect.❤️

2023-08-23 19:22:04

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@npub19fc…ay3c
It used to be Schrödinger's cat
Now it's Schrödinger's Prigo

2023-08-22 21:23:53

One of our employees mentioned that she's been called for jury duty. The info she received included that no masks are allowed. No limits on how dumb we can be, is there?

2023-08-22 19:45:00

If I were one of those ancient gods I mentioned earlier, I'd make damn sure that before anybody got "rich", everybody--and I mean everybody--had decent shelter, clothes, food, access to education, free health care, jobs that paid a living wage, safe drinking water, etc.
And then--with my god powers--I'd invert wages so people with crappy boring unsafe jobs got paid the most, and people with cool prestigious jobs got paid enough to get by.
Then I'd put AWESOME libraries in every town. Fun!

2023-08-22 19:37:00

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@npub19fc…ay3c Here's a story on NPR about old wooden pipes in DC:
https://www.npr.org/2012/08/17/159003115/aging-city-pipes-in-need-of-a-plumbers-touch

2023-08-22 19:34:32

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@npub19fc…ay3c
Have not paid attention--our local water supply and supplier seem okay--but nationally I know we've got a helluva lot of old pipes, lead pipes, etc., and people like to complain but don't want to pay to fix stuff. There are, I believe, still places with white oak pipes, for example. So we get "Don't raise our taxes!" along with "Why is our water service so crappy??"
Same as complaining about the lousy schools but god forbid we should pay teachers well or get rid of asbestos.

2023-08-22 12:57:49

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@npub1lzz…jhl3
Fake News
DNA testing proves that Coach Tuberville is not, in fact, human. He's a football.

2023-08-21 00:44:16

Just occurred to me: Maybe after all the glaciers melt, and all the ice in Greenland melts, and all the ice in Antarctica melts--maybe then inland seas will return to various continents. That should reduce the number of forest fires and the species that remain will thank us for planning ahead. 😀

2023-08-17 15:55:10

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@npub1nqz…838y Once again Trump's grand canyon mouth has opened up a chasm. If he cancels the presser and doesn't share his big (sorry, YUGE) report, then he looks like a coward for listening to his lawyers. If he goes ahead, the report will likely prove hugely (sorry, YUGELY) embarrassing and might well further incriminate him.
What to do? What to do?😂

2023-08-16 14:39:04

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@npub1zva…e2q5
Once a week or so I turn MSNBC on to peek at TV news. Usually at the first commercial I turn it off. For one thing, TV news is usually so content-light that it's a waste of time. But what really chases me off is the ratio of ads to 'content'. Remember "zero-tolerance'? That's me and TV ads. I have an 'ad' allergy. (New word: adallergy?)
I'll take 14 million Mastodon users to zero ads any time. Better experience in every possible way. 👍 👍

2023-08-15 15:11:06

I have a small vision of Trump rushing from courtroom to courtroom, called by judges who wish to hear his explanations for shooting off his mouth in ways they've forbidden. New York one day, D.C. another day, then off to Atlanta, and so on. A human example of Brownian motion, but not random--all his own fault cause he can't. shut. up.
Trump: Krushed by Karma.