tobie

My interests vary wildly from politics to poetry and philosophy. I'm a born contrarian but my bark is worse than my bite, and I appreciate detailed posts, sharp commentary, verbal repartee and quirky habits. Some of my quirks are #FountainPens, #birding, and all manners of idealist thought. Committed to fairness, democracy, and environmental stewardship. Proud lifelong #Dem

I was on another server but it was closing down, so I switched to this instance. I'll say in advance, "Happy to meet you."

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npub1smdx802afl8lfy3ftf9uxm9mtzjs9pff96p3q5lggqvlt7e2nrms5aad6k

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tobie1@mastodon-social.mostr.pub

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nprofile1qqsgdknrh4w5lnl5jg545j7rdja43fgzs55jaqcs205yqx04lv4f3acpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgqgkwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8qunfd4skctnwv46qtvyzf7

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Last Notes

2025-03-17 02:07:34

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@nprofile…eqw3 Yes, he is. Thank you for the kind words and for sharing the memory of your father.

2025-03-17 02:03:04

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@nprofile…eqw3 Your father sounds a lot like mine. From one day to the next he gave up coffee, cigarettes, hard alcohol, fatty foods, etc. and began running marathons. That was a generation with incredible willpower. May your father be an inspiration to you now. We need strong-willed, principled people like him.

2025-03-17 02:03:04

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2025-03-17 00:40:18

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@nprofile…eqw3 My gosh, was your father in good shape in his basketball days.

2025-02-23 16:00:32

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@nprofile…f0x4 I realized the Musk/Project 2025 was all about eugenics with the attacks not only on DEI but also on DEIA. I never heard that acronym before. It was a way of saying anyone who's not white, straight, cis-gender is not able-bodied and therefore expendable. Ill never understand how the US sunk so low, so fast.

2025-02-09 16:26:57

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@nprofile…gflr Thanks for posting this. I've been stunned at how little coverage cuts to the NIH and NSF are getting. They will have devastating effects on the economy. The U S is giving up its preeminence in science for what? More tax cuts for the rich? Every univ pres needs to be out there explaining how basic science leads to discoveries that eventually result in products. Private companies don't invest in basic research because the return on investment isn't guaranteed.

2024-12-12 02:19:16

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@nprofile…chpz Biden's picking his battles. He's doing the right thing. There's a lesson in there for us. The next four years are going to be so disturbing, depressing, and enraging that we need to figure out what's important to respond to.

2024-11-27 00:35:00

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@nprofile…vdm6 Paywalled so I can't read the article but I'm sick of reading that one group's irritation is a legit reason to throw out scientific research in virology, immunology and public health.
The US had a higher mortality rate than any other developed nation because we didn't have protocols in place. That was under Trump.
Were some mistakes made as we were learning in real time about the virus? Sure. Was refusing the vaccine a stupid choice? Yes.
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-vaccines-reduce-long-covid-risk-new-study-shows#:~:text=Interestingly%2C%20while%20the%20overall%20risk,COVID%20compared%20to%20earlier%20groups.

2024-07-07 23:06:56

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@npub1grx…uxfe This is grotesque. Blocking you.

2024-07-07 22:37:20

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@npub1grx…uxfe You kid yourself if you think Harris has the verbal finesse to answer the blistering set of questions she will REC from the press.

2024-06-29 12:12:22

I still can't believe the arrogance of Justice Roberts in claiming that the judiciary has more expertise than federal agencies when it comes to regulating the myriad, complex aspects of healthcare, the environment, transit, to name just a few examples. That is hubris on steroids and, as Justice Kagan said, a power grab.
Dems need to win the #election in Nov. We need to expand #SCOTUS. We need to make Roberts a toothless tiger.
#USPolitics

2024-05-12 10:38:03

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@npub1efr…lpe8 Irland--Zentrum des Judenhasses in Europa.
#BoycottIreland

2024-05-01 02:28:18

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@npub1grx…uxfe That's an interesting take on the psychology of hardliners in Israel. The whole situation fills me with such despair.

2024-04-18 06:58:36

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@npub1xj8…egqe Congratulations! May your day be filled with furry wonders.

2024-03-24 11:47:47

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@npub1lrv…tth9 This is also Israel. Tens of thousands protested (again) in Tel Aviv last night. If elections were held now, Netanyahu and his coalition would be toast. This is the worst govt in Israel's history at the worst moment in Israel's history. I can't imagine the agony of the majority that hates the Netanyahu government.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/150/499/306/665/261/original/93714a962cb2f461.jpeg

2024-02-06 20:57:52

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@npub1grx…uxfe This is so inside baseball and I so get it. I'm back to long-form journalism--lengthy articles in weekly and monthly publications. Everything else feels superficial.

2024-02-02 17:53:38

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@npub1grx…uxfe @npub18d8…hg86 There might be some change in attitude as the election draws closer and the choice becomes clearer.
I'm a mainstream Jewish Dem and I can tell you that I'm not entirely happy with Biden's handling of the war for different reasons than you see in the news. I believe Biden made a big mistake at the start of the war to placate Arab-American voters & it has shaped the representation of the conflict ever since.
But I'm not a one issue voter.

2024-01-03 00:53:17

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@npub1grx…uxfe I heard about the incident, didn't hear about the denial. Don't know what to make of any of this but stand by my general position that chaos in the world serves Putins interests, as it weakens the US.

2023-12-25 15:59:13

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@npub1lzz…jhl3 I was responding to your original post. That's how the fediverse works. People post their own thoughts or quote statements they find notable and others respond to the content, as I did. Your dishonesty about this general practice and defensiveness about the potential implications of the quoted statement surprise me.
Have a merry Christmas and enjoy what I hope is a serene day.

2023-12-25 05:32:10

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@npub1lzz…jhl3 Read the original statement you thought was so worthy of quoting. You chose it. It is scandalous. I haven't said one thing about the gospels in this thread. Don't put words in my mouth.

2023-12-24 22:14:25

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@npub1lzz…jhl3 I made an argument, and a clear one at that, about the implicit parallel the minister was drawing between the killing of Christ and the killing of children in Gaza. This is what makes the use of Jesus' life story as an allegory for the politial situation in the Middle East so very toxic.

2023-12-24 22:05:28

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@npub1lzz…jhl3 There are ways to talk about civilian casualties in Gaza. Whatever their number may be, and I suspect Hamas has inflated the number of women and children killed considerably, any civilian death is awful. But to revive the charge of deicide right now is explosive. You, like the unholy minister, are both saying that Jews are killing Palestinians, like they killed Jesus. Even the Catholic Church renounced the charge of deicide.

2023-12-24 14:21:06

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@npub1lzz…jhl3 Equally possible: he'd have been burned alive in Kibbutz Be'eri. I find this effort to conscript Jesus for the poltiical cause du jour to be nauseating.

2023-12-22 14:15:55

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@npub18r7…xrw4 Oh my gosh. At first I thought this was a spoof post. How in keeping with the spirit of the holidays and the hope of the new year. Good on President Biden for doing this!

2023-12-17 05:12:31

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@npub1u3t…c6ug I've looked for confirmation elsewhere but haven't found it.
The only Palestinian prisoner named in the article is Barghouti who was convicted in a court of law. His location was known, as was that of the other 300 convicted or detained Palestinian individuals, who all received regular visits from the ICRC to verify the conditions of their detention and their health.
I see the false equivalence you are setting up and reject it categorically.

2023-12-14 18:42:52

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@npub1lzz…jhl3 The rent stat is super positive news.

2023-12-07 14:16:42

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@npub1ahq…wjwd this is the first I'm hearing of this. Republicans should demand that slipping Tub get a full physical including a cognitive test.

2023-12-01 22:56:08

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@npub1zlf…jxfl Hi Rabbi Jill! Some of us were talking about you earlier and hoping that you were holding up in these dark times. Shabbat shalom to you. May everything come together as beautifully as the braids in your challah.

2023-12-01 20:16:53

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@npub1ffl…tv7d This conflict is not a labor issue, so I'm not sure why the UAW is getting involved. I'd love to hear the membership's informed opinion on how they would get Hamas to abide by a cease fire when Hamas has broken two since Oct 6. Thanks UAW for taking the absurd position that Israel should assent to its own extermination as Hamas sends rockets its way and goes on shooting sprees in Israel. My next car will be Japanese.

2023-11-25 18:02:07

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@npub1sqz…u7ze You can add the Palestine Red Crescent Society to the mix. They confirmed the delivery of aid to Gaza City and northern Gaza.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/111/472/494/351/136/127/original/370321460add212d.png

2023-11-19 20:20:24

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@npub1ahq…wjwd Thanks for posting this very sad news. I admired Rosalynn Carter for the courage of her convictions. The world is poorer without this brave soul.

2023-11-17 22:51:54

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@npub1lsl…9c2x I noticed you weren't posting much here and I was sorry not to read your posts. I'm trying to limit my time on social media so I don't think I'll jump into BlueSky for the time being. I will though try to check out new stories at TechDirt.

2023-11-16 14:46:32

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@npub1ahq…wjwd You're welcome. Keep on tooting!

2023-11-16 14:44:13

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@npub1ahq…wjwd Nice summary. You should be a talking head. Your take is more accurate than most pundits and it has the advantage of an economy of words.

2023-11-14 15:12:45

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@npub15x4…3p3l Do better.
https://twitter.com/SpencerGuard/status/1724229081997476282#m

2023-11-12 22:57:19

@npub1tzh…sp8m is now taking a both-sides approach to an unambiguous call to eliminate Israel. I wish I was surprised.
Imagine if the terms were reversed. Would you still treat it as potentially innocuous slogan? No way.
@npub1xj8…egqe
"Many Jewish groups say the slogan...is a call for the destruction of Israel. Pro-Palestinian activists argue that most people using it are calling for an end to Israel's occupation of the West Bank and blockade of Gaza, not the elimination of Israel itself."

2023-10-30 03:06:18

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@npub1u3t…c6ug This is terrible. Going to a park with your dog is something you do to relax and to enjoy being with others outdoors. It's the closest thing we have to a public square in the US. And now even that space has become contested ground and a scene of violence. I wish her family strength as they grieve her loss in a senseless killing.

2023-10-29 19:51:37

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@npub1xj8…egqe Thanks so much for following up on this for me. One crisis averted, so many others around the globe. It can't be easy for you reporting the news at this moment.

2023-10-29 18:50:16

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@npub1xj8…egqe Oh no. Please, not a second hostage crisis.

2023-10-29 12:42:11

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@npub1c5c…644a Stunning. It looks like a watercolor.

2023-10-21 15:00:44

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@npub1efv…4jx2 My late father-in-law bought three Reva vehicles when they were first produced in India in 2001. All of them still work. They don't have great range but he figured for tootling around in traffic in Bangalore and Chennai, they would more than suffice. I had hopes when I heard Reva was going to open a plant in NY in 2009 but the initiative failed. What a shame.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/111/273/601/858/911/051/original/c0743e936cf7879d.png

2023-10-19 16:12:40

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@npub1200…aqy2 Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear this. Peace to you and your family in this time of grief.

2023-10-15 02:58:24

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@npub1xzm…eykm @npub1lrv…tth9 The edit function is a delight!

2023-10-13 16:45:45

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@npub16zx…xzxc No worries. I'm glad you spelled it out.

2023-10-13 16:35:04

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@npub16zx…xzxc Agree entirely. There's a definite asymmetry where Russia & Iran are closely aligned with the same interests, whereas Saudia Arabia, Israel and US don't even amount to a loose confederation.

2023-10-13 15:56:43

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@npub16zx…xzxc It does feel a bit like this is a proxy war for who will control the Middle East with Russia/Iran aligned on one side and Saudi Arabia/Israel/US on the other side.
I'm not sure there's any way Israel could have responded to the attack that would not provoke the world's outrage. Gaza is simply too densely populated for an air assault, and Hamas has set up its military bases in civilian structures to protect its hardware, the civilian population be damned.

2023-09-29 20:22:36

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@npub1px9…v9r5 I haven't seen the movie "In Her Hands" about Zarifa Ghafari but now I intend to. Hillary's breadth, commitment, intelligence and strength never cease to amaze me.

2023-09-14 18:22:09

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@npub1aq2…4nfw The indictment is historic but not for the reason you mention. The charge is so trivial it is never prosecuted as a stand alone crime by the DOJ. Never. This is pure politics.
By the way, how many times did Jared Kushner lie on his forms for security clearance? That was pretty historic for a White House senior advisor.

2023-08-22 14:00:49

CDC is getting very cheeky about mask quality claiming, against all evidence to the contrary, that surgical masks offer sufficient protection against airborne pathogens.
Easy to be cheeky until there's an outbreak and all hell breaks loose.
My mother's senior home in Florida has a COVID outbreak. Who is looking out for the immunocompromised and the elderly?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2023/08/21/cdc-poised-to-weaken-masking-infection-control/?sh=4a283a412517

2023-07-30 12:22:02

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@npub1xj8…egqe I wish I could have read the article because it's a novel--if depressing!--take. I suspect a lot of the analysis is resting on the assumption that Russia can rebuild it's military quickly.
"The Kremlin **hopes** that the rapid rebuilding of the Russian army...will result in growing western frustration."
(Asterisks for emphasis. Is there a bold font in the fediverse?)

2023-07-22 18:22:02

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@npub1uxz…5ma4 Interesting insights into the investigation and Meadows possible cooperation. He has been very quiet.
I'm feeling a bit vindicated to learn that in Summer 2022, before Jack Smith was appointed, the DOJ was ahead of the Jan 6 committee in its investigation. This line won't die because people need something to be outraged about & best if you can direct that rage at someone. Still the date matters.

2023-07-11 04:19:52

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@npub1200…aqy2 A very happy birthday to you.

2023-06-22 22:30:45

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 Oh brother...since when could one retroactively erase impeachments? The impeachments were voted on by the members of the 116th and 117th Congress. We're in the 118th now.

2023-06-21 18:22:24

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 Yup, that's what you said and you are absolutely right. 👍
I'm always late to the party. Damn.

2023-06-21 18:20:20

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 wow. Republicans really are afraid of Schiff after he just fileted Durham in his questioning.

2023-06-18 04:59:29

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@npub1lsl…9c2x interesting how the calmness of your father is sphinx-like for everyone else.
May he be a good reminder to you and tp everyone else close to him what it means to be content.

2023-06-11 13:27:39

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 @npub1crl…mv08 As Andrew Weissman has pointed out, the subpoena was for anything 'marked classified,' 'marked' being the key word. I guess that Garland guy was pretty clever about the wording of the subpoena and search warrant.

2023-06-05 20:32:35

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 When have I blamed Mehdi and Sanders for everything? I haven't. No one's above criticism. Mehdi constantly reminds us of this when it comes to Democrats.
Let's move on, okay?

2023-06-05 16:59:33

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 Bernie Deadenders are a sight to behold. I was thinking to myself yesterday that Mehdi Hassan never misses an opportunity to praise Sanders and castigate Dems on his show. I'm sure West will make a few appearances on his show to discuss his Presidential bid.
What a legacy. In an age of rising fascism, I divided the only institutional force to combat it.

2023-05-20 13:26:05

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 My understanding is that Russia has taken the city they incinerated but lost the flanks surrounding it. Weird to claim victory in a place where you will soon be encircled without cover.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/19/2170144/-Ukraine-Update-Russia-s-Bakhmut-collapse-bodes-ill-for-its-future-defenses

2023-05-17 11:59:31

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@npub172x…vtav I know that feeling of bereftness when a good series ends. My husband was thrilled when I brought home the book. It will extend the pleasure of the series.

2023-05-17 10:54:06

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@npub172x…vtav My husband loved the series. I was recently packing a library and found a copy of Mcintyre's book. I will read it!

2023-05-16 00:09:30

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 Oh no. That's evil. I'm sorry if I didn't read far enough to understand the gravity of the situation.

2023-05-15 23:21:09

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 Thank you, Laffy, for posting. I'd like to say I read the whole thread but I couldn't. It's just too nauseating. The corruption, the abusiveness, the sense of impunity, the general grossness...it just makes you want to take a shower.

2023-05-12 17:11:32

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 My understanding is that Schumer and Pelosi could have raised the debt limit in the lame duck session. I don't know why they didn't do this. Since March, I've worried we'd default and now it looks like we're careening in that direction. The admin will take a hit for this. A big one.