Larkfarm Returns

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Jun 12, 2025: “Hiding” Olympus E-M10 IV with 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/7.1, 1/200s, ISO 500. Steller’s Jay at Spencer Butte.. #mbjune Day 12: hidden 📷

Jun 11, 2025: “Around the Bend” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 14mm, f/8, 1/30s, ISO 100. Shot at the Vivian Lake Trail crossing.

Jun 11, 2025: Finished: War, by Sebastian Junger 📚. The story of a single platoon engaged in heavy combat in Afghanistan, told by a reporter who spent months …

Jun 11, 2025: “Stumpseat” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 20mm, f/8, 1/13s, ISO 2500. Chainsaw art along the Diamond Creek Falls Trail.

Jun 11, 2025: Entire Fullbright board resigns, citing Trump administration interference Another Congressionally-mandated, bipartisan, democratic institution …

Jun 11, 2025: US Marines arrive in LA; California governor warns ‘democracy under assault’ I think most of us knew democracy was under assault last …

Jun 11, 2025: Disney and Universal sue Midjourney for making AI ripoffs of their biggest characters I hope Midjourney gets sued out of existence - along with every …

Jun 11, 2025: “Mind the Edge” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 27mm, f/8, 1/15s, ISO 250. Top of a small waterfall near Salt Creek Falls.

Jun 11, 2025: How to Protest Safely: What to Bring, What to Do, and What to Avoid A guide from WIRED.

Jun 11, 2025: “Memory” Olympus TG-6 @ 5.1mm, f/3.2, 1/200s, ISO 100. Remnant of an old homestead in Suzanne Arlie Park. #mbjune Day 11: brick 📷

Jun 10, 2025: Hitler Used a Bogus Crisis of ‘Public Order’ to Make Himself Dictator We’ve reached the point where comparing Trump to Hitler is not hyperbole.

Jun 10, 2025: “Rooted Man” Olympus TG-6 @ 9mm, f/4.5, 1/50s, ISO 1000. Oregon Manroot growing over a fern along the trail at Mount Pisgah.

Jun 10, 2025: “Pristine” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 40-150mm lens @ 125mm, f/11, 1/259s, ISO 200. Safety railing around the railroad tracks in Truckee, seen from …

Jun 9, 2025: “Lost on a Yellow Planet” Olympus TG-6 @ 11.9mm, f/5, 1/250s, ISO 125. Tiny fly in a balsam root flower along the trail at Mount Pisgah.

Jun 9, 2025: “Peeled” Olympus TG-6 @ 18mm, f/6.3, 1/100s, ISO 800. Harvest Brodiaea (I think) along the trail at Mount Pisgah.

Jun 9, 2025: RFK Jr. fires CDC’s independent vaccine advisors I’m selfishly happy that my own kids are old enough to have already gotten all their …

Jun 9, 2025: I see Apple has announced the size of this year’s tailfins. I’m super happy that I have no reason to pay attention to this nonsense any …

Jun 9, 2025: The Bleach Community Is Ready for RFK Jr. To Make Their Dreams Come True You can’t make this shit up. And hopefully you wouldn’t want to …

Jun 9, 2025: ‘I would’: Trump says he’d arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom As far as I can tell this is not “arrest for a particular …

Jun 9, 2025: Finished: The Boys of Everest, by Clint Willis 📚. A history of (some) British climbers from the early 1950s to the early 1990s. The author is a …

Jun 9, 2025: Pam Bondi’s brother crushed in DC Bar Association election Take the tiny rays of sunshyine where you can get them.

Jun 9, 2025: “Good Morning” Olympus TG-6 @ 8.4mm, f/4.5, 1/30s, ISO 1600. Columbia Lily along the trail at Mount Pisgah.

Jun 9, 2025: “The Trail Entices” Olympus TG-6 @ 4.5mm, f/8, 1/50s, ISO 200. Trail at Mount Pisgah.

Jun 9, 2025: AI Angst Tim Bray gets pretty darned close to my own feelings about the current AI boom: it’s a financial bubble that may leave some useful …

Jun 9, 2025: “Sand in the Gears” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 14mm, f/10, 1/125s, ISO 125. Driftwood near the John Dellenback Dunes Trail. #mbjune Day …

Jun 8, 2025: One sign that I’ve been vegan for many years: tofu-based “cheese” sauce actually tastes pretty good on noodles.

Jun 8, 2025: 1947: Britain blockades Palestine to prevent ships with Jews from landing. 2025: Israel blockades Gaza to prevent ships with food from landing. …

Jun 8, 2025: “Candystick” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/100s, ISO 2000. Close-up of the weird and wonderful candystick plant …

Jun 8, 2025: “Who Dat?” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 15mm, f/8, 1/40s, ISO 320. The best travel is foot travel. This is me on the Cummins Creek Trail a …

Jun 8, 2025: “Bears and Diamonds” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 14mm, f/16, 1/1250s, ISO 2500. Diamond Peak over flowering bear grass along …

Jun 8, 2025: “Moonscape” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 14mm, f/8, 1/400s, ISO 250. A high-intensity burn scar on the Eugene to Crest Trail …

Jun 8, 2025: Trump deploys National Guard to quell Los Angeles area ICE raid protests Looks like we’ve reached the “military occupation” stage of …

Jun 7, 2025: “Steepness” Olympus E-M10 IV with 60mm 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/7.1, 1/50s, ISO 4000. Looking back at steep switchbacks on the Eugene to Crest Trail. …

Jun 6, 2025: Supreme Court hands DOGE big wins in Social Security, records cases If we’re getting this shit on the shadow docket, I can only imagine how bad …

Jun 6, 2025: Cruz seeks $10 billion for NASA programs in budget reconciliation bill It’s so cute watching Senators pretend that the Trump administration will …

Jun 6, 2025: 13 House Republicans urge Senate to save green credits “We hope you grow the spine that we couldn’t find when we voted against …

Jun 6, 2025: “Rest Time” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 41mm, f/14, 1/160s, ISO 320. Middle Sister, South Sister, Broken Top and Ball Butte …

Jun 6, 2025: “Lilies” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 42mm, f/4.5, 1/800s, ISO 250. Subalpine Mariposa Lilies (I think) at a high point on …

Jun 6, 2025: RFK Jr. Is Opening the Alternative Medicine Floodgates What could possibly go wrong? (To clarify: I do think there is a place for experimental and …

Jun 6, 2025: From bros to foes: how the unlikely Trump-Musk relationship imploded I’m no fan of either one of them, but anything that might slow down the …

Jun 6, 2025: Finished: Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long, by Richard D. White, Jr. 📚. Long was basically Donald Trump 90 years earlier: elected on a populist …

Jun 6, 2025: “Chow Time” Olympus E-M10 IV with 60mm f/2.8 macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 6400. Veiled polypore fungus on burnt standing tree on Bunchgrass Ridge, …

Jun 5, 2025: “Reflected Sadness” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens @ 22mm, f/11, 1/200s, ISO 320. Unnamed lake in the Separation fire burn scar near Foley …

Jun 4, 2025: “A Bad Place to Sprout” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 24mm, f/5, 1/320s, ISO 320. Along the Foley Ridge Trail

Jun 4, 2025: “Separation Point” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 lens and MC-20 teleconverter @ 300mm, f/11.5, 1/400s, ISO 800. …

Jun 4, 2025: Education Department says Columbia fails to meet accreditation standard Say it again for those slow on the uptake: giving in to a bully does not stop …

Jun 4, 2025: “Ex-forest” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/9.0, 1/1000s, ISO 500. Snow in the Separation fire burn scar between Proxy …

Jun 4, 2025: “Recovery” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 30mm, f/6.3, 1/25s, ISO 250. A new tree struggling to life in the devastated area of the …

Jun 4, 2025: CMS Statement on Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) The TLDR for people who haven’t been following this particular legal mess: …

Jun 4, 2025: With steel tariffs doubling today, a North Carolina manufacturer wonders how to compete But for every steelworker in America, there are about 80 …

Jun 4, 2025: Trump’s Takeover Wrecks Kennedy Center as Subscriptions Plummet Sad but hardly surprising. Seems Mr. Trump has a sort of reverse Midas touch these …

Jun 4, 2025: “Famous Forty” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/13, 1/15s, ISO 1600. Some of the Oz books. I read the entire 40 canonical books to my …

Jun 3, 2025: “Buttgall” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/2.5, 1/500s, ISO 250. Shot at Mt. Pisgah.

Jun 3, 2025: Finished: Corum: The Prince in the Scarlet Robe 📚. The definitive edition of the Swords Trilogy, the first part of Corum’s story. It’s …

Jun 3, 2025: Finished: Unknown Valor, by Martha MacCallum 📚. Pretty straightforward history of the Pacific Teater in WWII, interspersed with the story of some of …

Jun 3, 2025: Hegseth orders Navy strip oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk of name Apparently June is “erase the gays” month for all the studmuffins running …

Jun 3, 2025: “Tree Wings” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/1.8, 1/2500s, ISO 2000. Shot at Mt. Pisgah.

Jun 3, 2025: ‘Disgusting abomination’: Elon Musk tears into Trump megabill 🍿

Jun 3, 2025: Meta and Yandex are de-anonymizing Android users’ web browsing identifiers Fuck Meta. If your business model depends on hacking my browser and spying …

Jun 3, 2025: Trump pardons Florida divers who freed sharks There’s something deeply symbolic about this.

Jun 3, 2025: “Sunrise” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/2.5, 1/1250s, ISO 800. Shot at Mt. Pisgah.

Jun 3, 2025: “Love in a Shadow” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/1.8, 1/4000s, ISO 100. Shot on my back deck. #mbjune Day 3: shadow 📷

Jun 2, 2025: “‘Scuse Me, I’m Using This Trail” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/4, 1/100s, ISO 320. Shot at Mt. Pisgah.

Jun 2, 2025: Education Department declares June ‘Title IX Month’ Yes, they really do want to just completely erase LGBTQ+ people entirely. Fortunately, I expect …

Jun 2, 2025: “Loop the Loop” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/3.2, 1/400s, ISO 2000. Wild cucumber at Mt. Pisgah. #mbjune Day 2: curve 📷

Jun 1, 2025: Trump Spreads Bizarre Conspiracy Theory That Biden Was Executed and Replaced by a Robot Clone I hope all the people who helped elect this …

Jun 1, 2025: “Eugene Morning” Olympus E-M10 IV with Mieke 25mm f/1.8 lens @ 39mm, f/11, 1/2500s, ISO 400. View from the top of Spencer Butte, with Mt. …

Jun 1, 2025: “Fake Litter” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/15s, ISO 640. A group of the aptly-named Spring Orange Peel Fungus …

Jun 1, 2025: “Perching” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens @ f/5, 1/100s, ISO 100. Shot at Mt. Pisgah. #mbjune Day 1: tree 📷

Jun 1, 2025: “Trail Tunnels” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 39mm, f/11, 1/25s, ISO 800. Chucksney Mountain Trail.

May 31, 2025: “Snowmelt” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 1/2000s, ISO 3200. Seasonal pond along Chucksney Mountain Trail.

May 31, 2025: “Ringing the Bells” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 22mm, f/6.3, 1/200s, ISO 200. Hooker’s Fairy Bells along the Chucksney …

May 31, 2025: Real TikTokers are pretending to be Veo 3 AI creations for fun, attention Some serious ouroboros shit going on here.

May 31, 2025: “Cold Sisters” In-camera panorama from Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens @ f/5.6, 1/1600s, ISO 2000. North, Middle and …

May 30, 2025: We are destroying software I’m glad someone is still keeping up this fight., even if I’m long out of energy for it.

May 30, 2025: “Nest of snakes” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/30s, ISO 640. Close-up of red columbine flower near Alsea …

May 30, 2025: Elon Musk’s Legacy Is Disease, Starvation and Death 300,000 deaths. Mostly children. This is what “Make America Great Again” means.

May 30, 2025: RFK Jr.‘s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report seems riddled with AI slop Bad politics meets bad tech. Just need to throw in some cryptocurrency for …

May 29, 2025: Trump goes after Leonard Leo in attack on tariff ruling Alternate headline: Thin-Skinned Man-Baby Whines That Nothing is Ever His Fault (I presume Leo …

May 29, 2025: “Green Peak Falls” Olympus E-M10 IV with 7 Artisans 7.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens @ f/9, 1/5s, ISO 100.

May 29, 2025: The Trump Administration Wants to Create an ‘Office of Remigration’ I’ve wandered into the timeline where 2025 USA is 1938 Nazi Germany, and I …

May 29, 2025: White House blasts rulings on tariffs: ‘The courts should have no role here’ Carefully eliding that one of those horrible unelected activist judges …

May 29, 2025: Trump administration cancels $766 million Moderna contract to fight pandemic flu More potential child-killing from MAHA.

May 29, 2025: Trump Freaks Out When He Learns About Humiliating New Nickname Remember when Xi Jinping got his knickers in a twist over Winnie-the-Pooh memes? I look …

May 28, 2025: SpaceX launches another Starship rocket after back-to-back explosions, but it tumbles out of control The point of “move fast, break …

May 28, 2025: RFK Jr. Threatens Wild Ban on How NIH Scientists Can Share Work Fuckwits gonna fuck wit things.

May 27, 2025: Some signs of AI model collapse begin to reveal themselves Or to put it more bluntly, Garbage In, Garbage Out. Not that I expect garbage out will do …

May 27, 2025: What is the ‘TACO trade’ on Wall Street? It’s Trump Always Chickens Out, of course. I’ll bet every time he sees that smoke comes out of …

May 27, 2025: “Porch Friend” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 640. At Camp Yale.

May 27, 2025: RFK Jr. ends COVID shot recommendation for healthy children, pregnant women Killing children is going to be RFK Jr’s signature achievement. …

May 27, 2025: Finished: The New Year, by Pearl S. Buck 📚. A change of pace from her sweeping historical novels, this one is more of a modern romance. It tracks an …

May 27, 2025: “Fern Forest” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/7.1, 1/40s, ISO 5000. Along a utility easement near Camp Yale.

May 27, 2025: The Privacy-Friendly Tech to Replace Your US-Based Email, Browser, and Search It’s good to have alternatives.

May 26, 2025: “Pearls” Olympus TG-6 @ 18mm, f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 250. At the top of MacDuff Mountain.

May 26, 2025: America Is Watching the Rise of a Dual State Systems are crumbling – but daily life continues. The dissonance is real Two chewy essays that provide, I …

May 26, 2025: This functional Macintosh replica is just 2.4-inches tall. I am seriously impressed. I’ve been trying to cut down on the amount of spare …

May 26, 2025: “Ex-Bridge” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/100s, ISO 1250. Along the East Fork Trail. There’s supposed to be a …

May 26, 2025: “There’s a Trail in There Somewhere” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/100s, ISO 250. Along the East Fork Trail. …

May 26, 2025: Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry If only it were that simple.

May 26, 2025: “You Can’t Keep a Good Fern Down” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 15mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 800. Along the East Fork Trail.

May 26, 2025: At Amazon, Some Coders Say Their Jobs Have Begun to Resemble Warehouse Work No one should be really surprised that the face-eating leopards have come …

May 25, 2025: “Spring Trail” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 14005s, ISO 320. Olallie Trail with a foot or so of snow on the east side …

May 25, 2025: “Morel Season” Olympus E-M10 IV with M. Zuiko 40-150mm f/5.6-6.3 lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/400s, ISO 200. On the O’Leary Trail south of …

May 25, 2025: Finished: The Peshawar Lancers, by S.M. Stirling 📚. A rip-roaring adventure tale set in an alternative-history sort-of-steampunk 2025 India, featuring …

May 23, 2025: Trump threatens ‘straight 50% tariff’ on EU. Trump threatens Apple with 25 percent tariffs. Apparently the man baby in chief woke up this morning and …

May 23, 2025: “Sawtooth Ridge” Olympus E-M10 IV with M. Zuiko 40-150mm f/5.6-6.3 lens @ 53mm, f/8, 1/200s, ISO 160. Seen from the O’Leary Trail west of …

May 23, 2025: Scam GPT: GenAI and the Automation of Fraud. If you think the guardrails and safety measures from the big AI companies protect society from fraud, you …

May 23, 2025: Why Some Experts Call Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Shield a Dangerous Fantasy. Because it won’t work. Oh, and it’s destabilizing. Too bad …

May 23, 2025: Vaccine Integrity Project says new FDA rules on COVID-19 vaccines show lack of consensus, clarity To put it mildly. But note that if you are a …

May 23, 2025: Anthropic CEO claims AI models hallucinate less than humans. Yes, he really said that with his bare face hanging out. Looking at the details, he …

May 23, 2025: Kentucky’s Bitcoin Boom Has Gone Bust Now mines are powering down, and investors are hoping AI-powered data centers will fill the void. Scammers …

May 23, 2025: Finished: The Living Reed, by Pearl S. Buck 📚. A novelization of Korean history from 1881 to 1945, of which I knew essentially nothing before reading. …

May 22, 2025: “Mossy Elephants” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 15mm, f/5, 1/125s, ISO 3200. O’Leary Trail west of MacDuff Mountain.

May 22, 2025: Finished: The Rising Tide, by Jeff Shaara 📚. A historical novel covering WWII’s Mediterranean Front roughly from the tank battles of North …

May 22, 2025: “The Constitution is not a suicide pact” - Justice Robert H. Jackson “Hold my beer” - Chief Justice John Roberts

May 22, 2025: “Starflower” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/6.3, 1/15s, ISO 1600. O’Leary Trail west of MacDuff Mountain.

May 22, 2025: Supreme Court clears way for Trump to fire 2 independent agency leaders over liberal dissents Fuck. Anyone who still thinks the Supreme Court will …

May 22, 2025: “Sand Two Bits” Olympus TG-6 @ 5.4mm, f/3.2, 1/800s, ISO 100. At Baker Beach.

May 22, 2025: The US has a radio-free zone. If we had an AI-free zone, I’d move there.

May 22, 2025: “By-the-wind Sailor” Olympus TG-6 @ 7.8mm, f/4, 1/160s, ISO 200. At Baker Beach.

May 22, 2025: “Loneliness” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/11, 1/1600s, ISO 800. Shot at Baker Beach.

May 22, 2025: Judge: Trump Administration ‘Unquestionably’ Violated Court Order on Deportations And they’ll no doubt violate his order of remedies too. The …

May 22, 2025: Diseases are spreading. The CDC isn’t warning the public like it was months ago So the way to make America healthy again is just to claim that …

May 22, 2025: Trump administration accepts Qatari 747 to serve as Air Force One Even loud objections from (some) Republican members of Congress isn’t enough …

May 21, 2025: Nice 20-mile hike today. www.alltrails.com/explore/m… Photos will follow but right now I’m exhausted.

May 20, 2025: “Sea and Sky” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/640s, ISO 320. Morning low tide at Baker Beach.

May 20, 2025: Trump admin deports immigrants to South Sudan in violation of court order, lawyers say It’s becoming increasingly apparent that this …

May 20, 2025: The more AI takes over the internet, the less I want to be a part of it. I wonder if I should retreat to Gemini or some other niche online space. Or …

May 20, 2025: Zero-click searches: Google’s AI tools are the culmination of its hubris Google occupies the same place in my internet usage as AltaVista: a service …

May 20, 2025: Hassan, Noem lock horns over habeas corpus In normal times, I would expect any Cabinet secretary to have a basic understanding of the Constitution. …

May 20, 2025: “Run Away!” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/8, 1/500s, ISO 640. Snowy plovers on Baker Beach.

May 20, 2025: Trump officials set new requirements for COVID vaccines in healthy adults and children Another disaster for public health from the political hacks and …

May 20, 2025: I’m 65 years old and just sewed on a button for the first time ever. It seems to have worked. Old dog, new tricks.

May 20, 2025: Worst interviewee tic: responding to every single question with “Yeah…well, ,,,” You’re stalling for time while you think of …

May 20, 2025: “Sentinels” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 22mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 640. Shot at the north end of Baker Beach.

May 19, 2025: Finished: Mawson’s Will, by Lennard Bickel 📚. The story of Douglas Mawson’s desperate slog across the Antarctic (featuring, among other …

May 18, 2025: “Anemones” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens @ f/8, 1/160s, ISO 3200. Shot at Baker Beach.

May 18, 2025: “It’s my crab and you can’t have it” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 100-400mm lens @ 361mm, f/11, 1/2500s, ISO 6400. Shot at …

May 18, 2025: A New Headache for Honest Students: Proving They Didn’t Use A.I. Students are resorting to extreme measures to fend off accusations of cheating, …

May 18, 2025: How the Signal Knockoff App TeleMessage Got Hacked in 20 Minutes Further evidence that Secretary Hegseth’s judgement is just astoundingly bad. …

May 17, 2025: Watched the Eurovision Grand Final with my daughter - something we’ve done together for years, though this year it had to be via online chat …

May 17, 2025: Where local forecast offices no longer monitor weather around-the-clock Including one just across the Cascades from where I live. Gutting the Weather …

May 17, 2025: Trump berates Walmart over price hikes: ‘Eat the tariffs’ Guess it’s finally come to his attention how much Trump-caused inflation is going to …

May 17, 2025: “There’s a Reason for the Name” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 27mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 640. Devil’s Club coming up …

May 17, 2025: “Trail Work” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 28mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 4000. Along the Marys Peak North Ridge Trail.

May 17, 2025: “Coming and Going” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/10s, ISO 250. Along the Marys Peak East Ridge Trail.

May 16, 2025: “Octopus’s Garden” Olympus TG-6 @ 11.1mm, f/5, 1/250s, ISO 160. Along the Sutton Creek Trail.

May 16, 2025: “Vegetable Cobra” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 60mm f//2.8 lens @ f5.6, 1/125s, ISO 320. Darlingtonia plant near Florence, Oregon.

May 16, 2025: “Can’t Keep a Good Tree Down” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 16mm, f/11, 1/10s, ISO 1000. Along the Sutton Creek North …

May 16, 2025: “Paintbrush Rising” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/7.1, 1/80s, ISO 1600. Along the Sutton Creek North Trail.

May 16, 2025: “Rainy Rhodies” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 34mm, f/11, 1/80s, ISO 320. Along the Sutton Creek North Trail

May 16, 2025: Flash Forest Reforestation by shooting seeds into the ground from 14-foot drones. Pretty nifty. Might be the only drone I wouldn’t mind seeing …

May 16, 2025: “Maybe Not the Best Spot” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 41mm, f/11, 1/80s, ISO 320. Along the Sutton Creek North Trail.

May 15, 2025: “Who You Lookin' At?” Olympus E-M10 IV with M.Zuiko 100-400mm lens @ 400mm, f/11, 1/60s, ISO 2500. Spotted in Dune Lake next to Alder Dune …

May 15, 2025: Finished: Lords of the North, by Bernard Cornwell 📚. In this installment the Saxon-Dane Uhtred gets his revenge on some of the Danes who mistreated …

May 15, 2025: Finished: Dreamers in Hell, ed. by Janet Morris - 16th book in this shared universe series, so you probably don’t want to start here. In this …

May 15, 2025: Trump says he doesn’t want Apple building products in India: ‘I had a little problem with Tim Cook’ Another tech giant discovers …

May 15, 2025: Dark matter formed when fast particles slowed down and got heavy, new theory says So basically this theory is another attack on junk food.

May 15, 2025: EA Tried to Stop an ‘Anti-DEI Mod’ for The Sims 4—but More Keep Surfacing This is what happens when hate gets normalized.

May 14, 2025: Montana judge strikes down law banning gender-affirming care for minors More good news from the judiciary.

May 14, 2025: The End of Rule of Law in America Judge Luttig sums up the mess we’re in. Long and depressing but still worth reading. After these first three …

May 13, 2025: First judge approves Trump invoking Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans Had to happen sooner or later, I guess. This stuff is clearly not going …

May 13, 2025: Judge slams lawyers for ‘bogus AI-generated research’ How stupid do you have to be to add more AI slop to a legal brief after the judge questions your …

May 13, 2025: “The Gathering Storm” Olympus TG-6 @ 5.4mm, f/9, 1/250s, ISO 100. Near the top of Mt. Pisgah.

May 13, 2025: “Ready to Pop” Olympus TG-6 @ 11.1mm, f/3.6, 1/200s, ISO 800. Fringecup buds along a trail at Mt. Pisgah.

May 13, 2025: AI therapy is a surveillance machine in a police state The obvious takeaway from this is “don’t get therapy from a chatbot, especially not from a …

May 13, 2025: “Cat Ears” Olympus TG-6 @ 5.4mm, f/3.2, 1/160s, ISO 100. Elegant Mariposa Lily trailside at Mt. Pisgah.

May 13, 2025: “Sweeping View” Olympus TG-6 @ 5.4mm, f/3.2, 1/250s, ISO 100. Trail at Mt. Pisgah leading into a meadow dotted with Scotch Broom.

May 13, 2025: “Ookow Rising” Olympus TG-6 @ 5.4mm, f/3.2, 1/320s, ISO 100. Yes, this flower really is named the ookow. Taken on the trails at Mt. …

May 13, 2025: Finished: The Last Season, by Eric Blehm 📚. A look at the life and disappearance (and later remains recovery) of Randy Morgenson, a longtime …

May 12, 2025: Universe expected to decay in 10⁷⁸ years, much sooner than previously thought Another reason to avoid auto-renewing subscriptions.

May 12, 2025: China tariff thoughts Looks like China & the US have agreed to a temporary reduction in tariff rates (to 30% in this direction, 10% in that direction). The so-called …

May 11, 2025: Finished: Preface to the Past, by James Branch Cabell 📚. The title is quite literal; this book collects the prefaces to all of the books in the …

May 11, 2025: AI vs College Chatted with my college freshman child about AI, after reading Everyone is Cheating Their Way Through College. They don’t use AI for writing …

May 11, 2025: “Diamond in the Sky” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/9.5, 1/350s, ISO 200. View of Diamond Peak from the Hardesty Way …

May 11, 2025: Trump administration poised to accept ‘palace in the sky’ as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources Remember when bribery used to be …

May 11, 2025: Finished: The Pale Horseman, by Bernard Cornwell 📚. Second book in Cornwell’s series about the making of England in the ninth century. In this …

May 11, 2025: “Growth” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 31mm, f/9, 1/30s, ISO 640. Along the Lawler Trail.

May 11, 2025: Why so many photos? There are a few reasons why I post so many photos here: My aphantasia means that if I don’t take and save pictures, I have very little memory …

May 11, 2025: “Misty Woods” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/4.0, 1/125s, ISO 200. Along the Lawler Trail.

May 11, 2025: “Stone Wave Breaking” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 15mm, f/7.1, 1/30s, ISO 400. Along the Lawler Trail.

May 10, 2025: “Into the Mist” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/20s, ISO 100. Taking a break along the Lawler trail.

May 10, 2025: “Bad Hair Crowd” Olympus TG-6 @ 18mm, f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 400. Close-up of moss along the Lawler Trail.

May 10, 2025: The Democracy Index If you don’t have time to keep an eye on the whole river of shit coming out of DC these days, this looks like a useful …

May 10, 2025: Industry groups are not happy about the imminent demise of Energy Star Nor is anyone with half a brain. Note, too, that this is yet another illegal …

May 10, 2025: ‘Orwellian’: planetary scientists outraged over deletion of research records All in all it’s just another brick in the wall.

May 10, 2025: “Hidden cafeteria” Olympus TG-6 @ 5.4mm, f/3.2, 1/100s, ISO 800. Bugs feasting in a skunk cabbage blossom along the Lawler Trail.

May 10, 2025: Looks like Oregon wildfire season is getting underway.

May 10, 2025: “Capturing the Sun” Olympus TG-6 @ 9mm, f/4.5, 1/125s, ISO 200. Fawn lily along the Lawler Trail.

May 10, 2025: “Helleboring” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 33mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 200. A small bit of a meadow full of white false hellebore …

May 10, 2025: Zero ships from China are bound for California’s top ports. Officials haven’t seen that since the pandemic This is fine.

May 9, 2025: “Spring Morning” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 1/50s, ISO 1250. Along the Lawler Trail.

May 9, 2025: White House ‘actively looking’ at suspending habeas corpus in immigration crackdown Because of course they are. Of course, this statement comes from …

May 9, 2025: “Hound’s Tongue” Olympus TG-6 @ 12.7mm, f/5.6, 1/250s, ISO 320. Along Lawler Trail.

May 9, 2025: Vance: War between India, Pakistan would be ‘none of our business’ Yeah, because the end game of two nuclear powers lobbing atomic bombs at each …

May 9, 2025: Donald Trump Threatens to Stop Barbie Dolls Being Sold in US This man really does not like toys. Well, except for treating the entire US government …

May 8, 2025: ‘Fire season is here,’ Gov. Kotek declares May Wildfire Awareness Month, state prepares Ugh. The 2025 fire season is projected to be more intense …

May 7, 2025: Finished: Doorways in the Sand, by Roger Zelazny 📚. Another relatively minor Zelazny work, perhaps most notable for the protagonist Fred Cassidy, …

May 7, 2025: “Implied Bridge” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/11, 1/200s, ISO 200. South end of Cougar Reservoir at low water.

May 7, 2025: Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project. I know I just sound like a curmudgeon, but I find …

May 7, 2025: Turkish Tufts University student detained by ICE can be sent to Vermont, appeals court rules Another well-deserved loss for the nasty and petty …

May 7, 2025: NASA, in surprise shift, may launch rockets to Mars next year Surprise? I’d be absolutely astounded if they could make the 2026 launch window. …

May 7, 2025: “Ceci ne pas un pont” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 2000. Missing bridge near the start of the East Fork …

May 7, 2025: Are seed oils unhealthy? Not from what I can tell. A professional nutritionist speaks truth to dummies. I cannot find convincing data that seed oils …

May 7, 2025: Voice of America planning partnership with OAN: Kari Lake So if they can’t just pull the plug on VOA, the new game plan is to drown it in a …

May 7, 2025: “Wild Strawberry” Olympus TG-6 @ 13.6mm, f/65.6, 1/320s, ISO 200. Along Echo Trail.

May 6, 2025: “Tribble” Olympus TG-6 @ 18mm, f/6.3, 1/00s, ISO 1250. Along Echo Trail.

May 6, 2025: 58 crypto wallets have made millions on Trump’s meme coin. 764,000 have lost money, data shows Suckers are more frequent than one per minute …

May 6, 2025: Second judge bars Trump use of Alien Enemies Act for deportations I wonder if the administration will get the message that they’re breaking the …

May 6, 2025: Trump-appointed judge reaffirms order that admin seek return of 2nd wrongly deported man from El Salvador The Trump administration has now made is …

May 6, 2025: GOP leader: Trump pick to serve as U.S. attorney for DC won’t reach floor When you’re too much of an ignorant extremist for even the craven GOP …

May 6, 2025: Stephen Miller Unveils Totally Made-Up Definition of “Due Process” The sort of sociopathic clown that Trump means when he says he’s listening to …

May 6, 2025: The U.S. Threat Looming Over Canada A Canadian author reflects on Trump’s threats. In short, a continental conflict would be an unmitigated act …

May 5, 2025: Lutnick skeptical of cutting deal with Canada’s ‘socialist regime’ So just to recap: Russian Thugs: Must reopen trade Chinese Communists: Sure to …

May 5, 2025: “Forest of Ferns” Olympus TG6 @ 5.4mm, f/3.2, 1/60s, ISO 800. Along Echo Trail.

May 5, 2025: Absolute worst thing about post-cholecystectomy digestion: inability to tolerate anything hotter than mild jalapeno sauces.

May 5, 2025: You’d think at my age I would know that when my tummy is upset due to overeating, more food will not make things better.

May 5, 2025: TikTok says okra water has tons of health benefits. Here’s what nutrition experts say. Just the two words “okra water” are enough to …

May 5, 2025: Trump administration to pay $1,000 to self-deporting undocumented immigrants The latest in a series of increasingly desperate Hail Mary passes in the …

May 5, 2025: Anthropogenic climate change contributes to wildfire particulate matter and related mortality in the United States A paper in Nature that is not …

May 5, 2025: Scientists question NIH project’s use of 20th century technology to make a universal flu vaccine A deep dive into why RFK Jr’s latest brainstorm …

May 5, 2025: So last night Trump said he wants to reopen Alcatraz. Presumably he just saw The Rock. Is he not aware that the BOP no longer owns Alcatraz? Or that …

May 4, 2025: Trump says he’s willing to extend pause on TikTok ban again Negotiating from a position of utter weakness, I see. If Trump is willing to indefinitely …

May 4, 2025: People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies I’m sad but not surprised that ChatGPT can further unbalance unbalanced people.

May 4, 2025: 5 things to know as Trump rolls out Golden Dome missile defense shield I can narrow this down to 2 things: It’s a giant giveaway of your …

May 4, 2025: Trump skeptical about need to follow Constitution in deportation cases: ‘I don’t know’ Any pre-Trump President would have been roundly denounced by …

May 4, 2025: “Exploring” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/20s, ISO 640. Crane fly on Oregon grape flower along the Separation …

May 4, 2025: Historians alarmed as Trump seeks to rewrite US story for 250th anniversary Well, as good old George Orwell said, “He who controls the past …

May 4, 2025: Email encouraging me to download an app for my vacuum cleaner: We’ve enhanced your Dyson experience. No. No, I don’t really think you …

May 4, 2025: “Calypso Duet” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/20s, ISO 640. Separation Lake Trail.

May 4, 2025: Democrats cautiously open door to another Harris run in 2028 You’ve got to be joking.

May 4, 2025: “Welcome” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/10, 1/20s, ISO 2500. Vine maple along the old Separation Creek Trail.

May 4, 2025: Finished: Year of the Tiger, by Jack Higgins. 📚 This is early Higgins, written under the name of Martin Fallon and then re-issued under his name …

May 3, 2025: “Luckily I am not a Horse” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 30mm, f/6.3, 1/40s, ISO 250. Along the old (now decommissioned) …

May 3, 2025: “Echoes of Trees” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/13, 1/160s, ISO 1250. Separation Lake.

May 3, 2025: “Froggie Friend” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/50s, ISO 1000. Cascades Frog along the Separation Lake Trail.

May 3, 2025: “Troll with Antennae” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 16mm, f/9, 1/15s, ISO 3200. Separation Lake Trail.

May 3, 2025: “Fall Creek” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 250. Shot from the bridge at Bedrock Campground.

May 3, 2025: “Yellowleaf Iris” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 26mm, f/9, 1/30s, ISO 4000. Close to the Clark Butte trail.

May 3, 2025: Eugene police arrest man who brandished rifle-shaped object for disorderly conduct The object he was carrying turned out to be a bong in the shape of …

May 3, 2025: Oregon and Washington could be in for another destructive wildfire season Worrisome. I was on trails yesterday that shouldn’t have been …

May 3, 2025: A Double Win For Voters in Pennsylvania More good news in the fight against the MAGA voter-suppression efforts. This stuff scares me more than …

May 3, 2025: Group Founded by Trump Ally Stephen Miller Sues John Roberts in Bid to Control Courts Well, you have to give them points for creativity. Also …

May 3, 2025: U.S. Secretary of Commerce says the ‘new model’ is factory jobs for life—for you, your kids, and your grandkids Because they can’t say the word …

May 3, 2025: Russia’s Medvedev says Trump’s statement about US World War Two role was ‘pretentious nonsense’ And he’s right. Not that …

May 3, 2025: Why Balcony Solar Panels Haven’t Taken Off in the US Another good idea we’re denied by living in a technologically backward country. I’d …

May 3, 2025: Finished: The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley 📚. I’m a sucker for a good time travel book, and this one is pretty good. Focused on the …

May 2, 2025: New Oklahoma curriculum includes pro-Trump conspiracy theories The stupid, it hurts.

May 1, 2025: “The Trail Endures” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 15mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 320. One of the few portions of the Jones Trail still …

May 1, 2025: Stephen Miller claims Americans likely ‘willing to pay more’ for US-made dolls These people are just utterly, utterly out of touch with the financial …

May 1, 2025: Finished: The Last Kingdom, by Bernard Cornwell 📚. First book in Cornwell’s series about the making of Britain in the time of King Alfred. I …

May 1, 2025: Didn’t finish: The Insect Crisis, by Oliver Milman 📚. I think this could have made a really good long-form article somewhere like The Atlantic. …

May 1, 2025: Trump, brushing aside separation of church and state, establishes religious liberty commission First Amendment? Never met her.

May 1, 2025: Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act for swift deportations is illegal, Trump-appointed judge rules The losing continues. The ruling is here if …

May 1, 2025: Trying out Firefox with vertical tabs. I think I like it, but I wish I could put the bookmark window to the left of the tab window. My muscle memory …

May 1, 2025: Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning Orb Is Now Coming to the US This is an easy “hell no.” For all their protestations of saving humanity and …

May 1, 2025: “Fire is Not the End” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/30s, ISO 1250. Close to the Clark Butte trail.

May 1, 2025: A judge just blew up Apple’s control of the App Store It’s somewhat heartening to see that there can be serious consequences to a strategy of …

May 1, 2025: T. rex researchers eviscerate ‘misleading’ dinosaur leather announcement I’m shocked, shocked that there is lying going on in the …

May 1, 2025: Even MAGA Is Disgusted by Trump’s “Kim Jong Il–Style” Cabinet Meeting That feeling when you agree with Ann Coulter Couldn’t have said it …

Apr 30, 2025: Today I hiked 13.5 miles of basically obliterated trails. Perhaps not my best decision ever.

Apr 30, 2025: Trump’s tariffs loom over the economy as shipments from China fall Hard to see how we avoid a recession at this point. And the only way China blinks …

Apr 30, 2025: Trump Attacks Judges at 100 Days Rally, Plays Video of Men He Sent to El Salvador The audience reaction may be the scariest part. Our own little …

Apr 30, 2025: Obituary: Rule of Law, 1787-2025. Trump Says He Could Free Abrego Garcia From El Salvador, but Won’t At this point there is no doubt that Trump is openly and gleefully defying a …

Apr 30, 2025: The US government has a new policy for terminating international students’ legal status No surprise: the pause in deporting international students was …

Apr 29, 2025: I just realized that Trump does have a plan to end illegal immigration: simply turn the USA into a worse shithole than anywhere else on the planet.

Apr 29, 2025: Finished: Eye of the Storm, by Jack Higgins 📚. The fictionalized story of the 1991 mortar attack on #10 Downing Street. Higgins brings in many of his …

Apr 29, 2025: House Transportation proposes to include $20 per vehicle fee in GOP megabill Oh look, another regressive tax!

Apr 29, 2025: Amazon has no choice but to display tariffs on prices now Bezos answered the White House by rolling over and showing his belly and whimpering. The …

Apr 29, 2025: Amnesty International warns of global human rights crisis as ‘Trump effect’ accelerates destructive trends The Trump administration’s anti-rights …

Apr 29, 2025: Trump Administration Proposes Defunding Suicide Lifeline for LGBTQ+ Youth Beginning October 2025 Literal erasure in action.

Apr 29, 2025: Color additives banned? Not exactly. Marion Nestle (who has been a nutrition researcher and writer for decades) looks at what RFK Jr’s …

Apr 29, 2025: Exclusive: Most Americans see Trump as “dangerous dictator,” poll says The other 48% are in denial. (And yes, I’m cherry-picking the …

Apr 29, 2025: White House blasts Amazon over tariff cost report: ‘Hostile and political act’ How’s that sucking up going for you, Mr. Bezos?

Apr 28, 2025: US dismisses all authors of National Climate Assessment, email says Because the Trump/Musk administration wants everything to burn down literally as …

Apr 28, 2025: Michigan Democrat files articles of impeachment against Trump Good for you, Mr. Thanedar. At this point, I don’t care how quixotic this is. …

Apr 28, 2025: STRENGTHENING AND UNLEASHING AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PURSUE CRIMINALS AND PROTECT INNOCENT CITIZENS The latest deranged Executive Order. …

Apr 28, 2025: Put an Old-School BBS on Meshtastic Radio Tempting. Many many years ago I ran a dialup BBS on a Heathkit H-89 computer using Tom Jennings’s …

Apr 28, 2025: Trump: ‘I run the country and the world’ Megalomania much? If there was any sanity in this administration, section 4 of the 25th amendment would get …

Apr 28, 2025: Brendan Carr’s FCC is an anti-consumer, rights-trampling harassment machine More good reporting from The Verge on another icky part of the current …

Apr 28, 2025: A nearby dark molecular cloud in the Local Bubble revealed via H2 fluorescence Gotta love astronomers: “nearby” in this case means about …

Apr 28, 2025: American Panopticon The surveillance state is several steps closer thanks to the Doge Bros. I hope they choke trying to integrate my decades-old FBI …

Apr 28, 2025: “Howl” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/10, 1/25s, ISO 2500. Birds Nest Fungi along the Sweet Creek Falls trail.

Apr 27, 2025: “Vegetable Pigtail” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/16, 1/30s, ISO 3200. Along the Sweet Creek Falls Trail.

Apr 27, 2025: “Amanita Goblin” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/8, 1/60s, ISO 3200. Along the Crawfish Trail.

Apr 27, 2025: The Untold Story of How Ed Martin Ghostwrote Online Attacks Against a Judge — and Still Became a Top Trump Prosecutor The scum rises to the top. I …

Apr 27, 2025: “Starry Starry Moss” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/6.3, 1/80s, ISO 1600. Along the Adams Mountain Trail.

Apr 26, 2025: “Misty Mountain Morning” Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/10, 1/80s, ISO 3200. Along the Adams Mountain Trail.

Apr 26, 2025: Trump: US ships should not have to pay to use Panama, Suez Canals Um. Trump says “Those Canals would not exist without the United States of …

Apr 26, 2025: Finished: The Dream Master, by Roger Zelazny 📚. Not IMO one of Zelazny’s better works, even if it did win the Nebula; this story of a …

Apr 26, 2025: Courts Handed Trump A Slew of Legal Losses This Week More losses for a big fat losing loser.

Apr 26, 2025: Judge says 2-year-old US citizen appears to have been deported with ‘no meaningful process’ Another step down the slippery slope.

Apr 25, 2025: Trump DOJ goon threatens Wikipedia Because of course he does. The thought of a neutral source of truth is deeply disturbing to the fartclowns trying …

Apr 25, 2025: Trump offers a private dinner to his biggest memecoin buyers The corruption really is right out in the open. Not that the Republican ass-lickers in …

Apr 25, 2025: A Strange Phrase Keeps Turning Up in Scientific Papers, But Why? Why? Because AI is quickly turning our ability to distinguish truth to mush.

Apr 25, 2025: Trump administration reverses abrupt terminations of foreign students’ US visa registrations Good news, though given the chaos and pettiness and …

Apr 25, 2025: “Go Away I’m Bzzy” Olympus TG6 with Ultimaxx 0.43x Macro Lens @ 18mm, f/6.3, 1/320s, ISO 100. Trailside at Mount Pisgah.

Apr 25, 2025: “Camas Road” Olympus TG6 @ 18mm, f/4.9, 1/200s, ISO 100. Along the base of Mount Pisgah.

Apr 25, 2025: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan arrested by federal authorities at Courthouse Have some more police state shit.

Apr 25, 2025: Warhol print accidentally thrown away by Dutch town hall Oops. And it wasn’t even a soup can. That’d be understandable.

Apr 25, 2025: Trump insists China called, and trade deals are weeks away: Time interview China tells Trump: If you want trade talks, cancel tariffs I never …

Apr 25, 2025: “Monkeyflower” Olympus TG6 with Ultimaxx 0.43x Macro Lens @ 18mm, f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 160. Trailside at Mount Pisgah.

Apr 24, 2025: “Floral Firework” Olympus TG6 with Ultimaxx 0.43x Macro Lens @ 19mm, f/4.9, 1/400s, ISO 400. Purple Sanicle flower trailside at Mount …

Apr 24, 2025: “Hazy Valley” Olympus TG6 @ 13.6mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100. View from atop Mount Pisgah.

Apr 24, 2025: “Waiting for the Wind” Olympus TG6 with Ultimaxx 0.43x Macro Lens @ 18mm, f4.9, 1/250s, ISO 800. On the trail at Mount Pisgah.

Apr 24, 2025: Trump Organization is selling 2028 hats If you think this is just a joke, you haven’t been paying very close attention.

Apr 24, 2025: Judge pauses parts of Trump’s sweeping executive order on voting More sanity from the judiciary.

Apr 24, 2025: AI models can learn to conceal information from their users This should not surprise anyone. The whole notion of “alignment” (convincing …

Apr 24, 2025: Trump says ‘it’s been harder’ to deal with Zelenskyy than Russia Guess that’s what happens when you’re Putin’s bitch.

Apr 24, 2025: Florida Bill Could Let Homeowners Shoot Down Spying Drones New frontiers in second amendment rights.

Apr 23, 2025: Finished: Townsend of Lichfield, by James Branch Cabell 📚. This volume of Cabell’s collected works starts with an essay explaining why the …

Apr 23, 2025: Finished: Imperial Woman, by Pearl S. Buck 📚. Next up in my trip through Buck’s major works is this romantic novel of Tzu Hsi (these days …

Apr 23, 2025: $1 Trillion of Wealth Was Created for the 19 Richest U.S. Households Last Year This is obscene. And it’s difficult to see how it doesn’t …

Apr 23, 2025: Trump signs executive order incorporating AI into classrooms Another proposed boon for his billionaire constituents. Fortunately also another area …

Apr 23, 2025: Wildfires this year expected to exceed historical averages: Report Ugh. Combine this with ‘Crazy’: Forest Service cuts ignite fear, fury over wildfire …

Apr 23, 2025: Finished: Conquistador, by S.M. Stirling 📚. This alternate history is one of several that Stirling has written with the general theme of “what …

Apr 23, 2025: Just 15 percent of young Americans say country is heading in right direction If only we could get rid of those pesky older Americans. Personally …

Apr 23, 2025: “Me! Me! Pick Me!” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/25s, ISO 640. Along the Fisher Creek Trail.

Apr 23, 2025: “Fungus Family” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/10, 1/3s, ISO 800. Along the Fisher Creek Trail.

Apr 23, 2025: “Trail Ends Here…for now” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 1/60s, ISO 250. Waldo Lake Wilderness somewhere …

Apr 23, 2025: Are watermelon seeds the next breakthrough in plant-based milk? I think the word “milk” has jumped the shark at this point.

Apr 23, 2025: Meta labels EU digital fines a ‘tariff’ on American firms Dear Meta, Being fined for knowingly breaking the law is not a tariff. Signed, People Who …

Apr 23, 2025: OpenAI tells judge it would buy Chrome from Google I can think of few firms I would be less supportive of owning one of the major browsers. Then …

Apr 23, 2025: “Dodgy Bridge” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 1/15s, ISO 2500. Crossing Fisher Creek at the edge of the Waldo Lake …

Apr 23, 2025: Finished: The Weight of Glory, by C.S. Lewis 📚. Lewis remains my favorit Christian apologist, and this collection of sermons and addresses from the …

Apr 23, 2025: Finished: The Harrad Experiment, by Robert H. Rimmer 📚. Finished: The Harrad Experiment, by Robert H. Rimmer 📚. I was given this copy of the “Sex Manifesto for the Free Love Generation” (as the …

Apr 23, 2025: Kennedy Declares ‘Sugar Is Poison’ While Announcing Ban on Food Dyes Too much sugar certainly has health effects, but no, it’s not a poison. …

Apr 22, 2025: Tesla earnings plunge 71 percent in first quarter As my children say: “sucks to suck.”

Apr 22, 2025: Finished: Taj Mahal by Diana & Michael Preston 📚. This one turned out to be much more than a history of the Taj - the authors place it in the …

Apr 22, 2025: Team Trump Drafts Dystopian Plan to Get Women to Have More Babies Surprise, surprise - Dobbs was not, in fact, the end of state control of the uterus.

Apr 21, 2025: Finished: Immortality Inc. by Robert Sheckley 📚. Sheckley wrote absurdist SF, and I find myself rereading his novels every five years or so. This is …

Apr 21, 2025: Trump blasts Supreme Court while arguing trials for migrants ‘not possible’ Well this is chilling: the President is saying flat-out that due process …

Apr 20, 2025: Finished: Is Paris Burning? by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre 📚. The story of the liberation of Paris in 1944, with most attention focused on …

Apr 20, 2025: In other “how stupid do they think we are?” news: Emmer disagrees with Van Hollen, says Abrego Garcia was given due process Presumably …

Apr 20, 2025: Alito says the recent Supreme Court order barring further flights under the Alien Enemies Act was not “necessary or appropriate.” Except, …

Apr 20, 2025: “Pioneer” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/8, 1/60s, ISO 800. Along the Lake Linton trail.

Apr 20, 2025: “Lake Linton” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens plus CPL filter @ 14mm, f/11, 1/60s, ISO 320.

Apr 19, 2025: “Someone Owes the Government $250” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/5, 1/50s, ISO 4000. At the 3272' level along OR …

Apr 19, 2025: “Cool Morning” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 1/4s, ISO 320. Base of Lower Proxy Falls.

Apr 18, 2025: “Lil' Buddy” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/7.1, 1/60s, ISO 2000. On the side of Oregon 242 between Proxy Falls and …

Apr 18, 2025: «Ça ressemble à Mar-a-Lago» : l’envoyé spécial américain Witkoff compare le palais de l’Élysée à la villa de Trump Yes, Trump’s “Special …

Apr 18, 2025: FFS: Covid․gov now points to a ‘lab leak’ conspiracy website “We’re from the government, we’re here to lie to you.”

Apr 18, 2025: Anti-Vax Doctor Praised by RFK Jr. Pushes Wild Theory About Measles Some of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s allies are claiming measles is actually a …

Apr 17, 2025: Finished: The Trial, by Franz Kafka 📚. Not at all what I vaguely remembered from my last reading 40+ years ago, which just goes to show that callow …

Apr 17, 2025: U.S.-born American citizen under ICE hold in Florida after driving from Georgia Well this is fucking insane. Despite having his birth certificate …

Apr 17, 2025: Appeals Court supports Judge Xinis This can’t be quoted enough: “It is difficult in some cases to get to the very heart of the matter,” one of …

Apr 17, 2025: Supreme Court to hear rare May arguments in birthright citizenship battle Good that the birthright citizenship nonsense is blocked until at least May. …

Apr 17, 2025: Minnesota Republicans elect a flat-earther to a party leadership post Keep it classy, Republicans.

Apr 17, 2025: This ‘College Protester’ Isn’t Real. It’s an AI-Powered Undercover Bot for Cops More from the “AI is not your friend” files. Perhaps every …

Apr 17, 2025: Nate Silver gives early nod to Ocasio-Cortez for 2028 You know who would love AOC as the Democratic presidential nominee? Republicans. The attack ads …

Apr 17, 2025: “Too Large” Olympus E-M10 IV, 7 Artisans 7.5mm f/2.8 fisheye lens @ f/11, 1/20s, ISO 200. Along the Shale Ridge trail.

Apr 16, 2025: Google just arbitrarily switched on Gemini on my phone. Do Not Want. Took ten minutes in settings to eviscerate it. I’m about at the point where …

Apr 16, 2025: Joe Biden Launches a Comeback No One Is Asking For Just what it says. Biden was an OK President, but really, he’s done enough damage. He needs …

Apr 16, 2025: Toy industry CEO on Trump’s China tariffs: ‘Christmas is at risk’ Plot twist: the War on Christmas was being led by Republicans all along. Expect to …

Apr 15, 2025: Judge orders Trump officials’ depositions, blasts inaction in Abrego Garcia case Judge Xinis is tired of taking shit from the administration. …

Apr 15, 2025: World wants more trade with Europe since Trump-driven uncertainty, von der Leyen says At least someone gets to benefit from the tariffs.

Apr 15, 2025: Blackmagic Design says tariffs have made camera price hikes ‘unavoidable’ And also, they’re rethinking plans to build a US factory. Literally …

Apr 15, 2025: The CVE program for tracking security flaws is about to lose federal funding What could possibly go wrong?

Apr 15, 2025: Pronouns in some reporters' email signatures get a stony response from Trump administration The Trump/Musk administration continues to display an …

Apr 14, 2025: Harvard rejects Trump demands for funding How sad is it that one institution fighting back against the fascists is a major win? It’s a major …

Apr 14, 2025: The rule of law is pretty much dead in the USA Trump, Bukele say they won’t return mistakenly deported man to US As if we couldn’t strong-arm El Salvador into doing anything we want to keep …

Apr 14, 2025: Trump says CBS should lose license after ’60 Minutes’ segments on Ukraine, Greenland Just in case you didn’t already have “assault on a …

Apr 14, 2025: China, Vietnam sign agreements on supply chains, railway cooperation Not sure this is what the administration had in mind when they said there would …

Apr 13, 2025: Finished: Straws and Prayer-Books, by James Branch Cabell 📚. This is one of the later volumes in the massive Biography of Manuel, and it’s a …

Apr 13, 2025: “Streamside” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 25mm, f/11, 1/60s, ISO 1600. Along Cummins Creek.

Apr 13, 2025: “Root Stairs” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/10, 1/20s, ISO 5000. Cape Perpetua Cummins Loop Trail.

Apr 13, 2025: Artisan, the ‘stop hiring humans’ AI agent startup, raises $25M — and is still hiring humans Looking kinda frothy out there, isn’t it? This is …

Apr 13, 2025: US Commerce Secretary says exempted electronic products to come under separate tariffs He was literally being contradicted by another administration …

Apr 13, 2025: “Future Salmonberry” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 34mm, f/5.6, 1/30s, ISO 500. Cape Perpetua Discovery Loop Trail..

Apr 13, 2025: “Along the Coast” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 250. At Stonefield Beach.

Apr 13, 2025: “Calypso and Friend” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 29mm, f/5.6, 1/30s, ISO 200. Along the Shotgun Creek Trail.

Apr 12, 2025: “Hitchhiker” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/50s, ISO 250. Sharing the trail at Shotgun Creek.

Apr 12, 2025: Finished: John Adams Under Fire, by Dan Abrams 📚. A deep dive into how Adams defended the soldiers who were charged with murder in the incident that …

Apr 12, 2025: Finished: Bridge Over Hell by Michael A. Armstrong 📚 Another bizarre entry in the long-running Heroes in Hell shared universe. This one features the …

Apr 12, 2025: Trump excludes smartphones, computers, chips from higher tariffs Honestly, who the hell knows what is going on with tariffs any more? I can’t …

Apr 12, 2025: Trump administration says wrongly deported man is alive in El Salvador prison Well, at least he’s alive. But the administration is doing all …

Apr 11, 2025: “Fungus Fireworks” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/10s, ISO 1000. Along the Shotgun Creek trail.

Apr 11, 2025: “Crystal Clear” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/9, 1/40s, ISO 640. Snowmelt in Roney Creek along the Horse Creek …

Apr 11, 2025: The Abrego Garcia Case: A Quick Update Government lawyers say they need 5 days to study a 4-page order from the Supreme Court. If only we had some …

Apr 11, 2025: I can understand why, in the interest of “fairness”, the NYT Daily podcast would choose to give a platform to Chrisopher Rufo. That …

Apr 11, 2025: “Early Spring Trail” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 20mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 320. In the Three Sisters Wilderness on the Horse …

Apr 11, 2025: “Bridge to Wilderness” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 27mm, f/9, 1/6s, ISO 800. Entering the Three Sisters Wilderness on the …

Apr 11, 2025: Oregon says it will refuse to comply with Trump’s DEI order on public schools Gotta say I’m pretty happy to have moved to a state where elected …

Apr 11, 2025: Social Security lists thousands of living immigrants as dead to prompt them to leave, AP sources say Pretty much literally Orwellian. All it lacks is …

Apr 10, 2025: “You Shall Not Pass” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 lens @ 40mm, f/13, 1/50s, ISO 5000. Along the Dead Mountain Trail.

Apr 10, 2025: Supreme Court rules Trump administration must ‘facilitate’ return of mistakenly deported man Basically, the ruling is “why yes, the government …

Apr 10, 2025: “I suppose you’re all wondering why I called you here today” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/7.1, 1/50s, ISO 500. …

Apr 10, 2025: Trump Is Stupid, Erratic and Weak Usually I avoid Paul Krugman, because he seems to me to have the consistent attitude that he is not only the …

Apr 10, 2025: Finished: Dissolution by Nicholas Binge 📚. This was an unexpectedly delightful science fiction novel, featuring time travel via immersion in perfect …

Apr 10, 2025: “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 lens @ 150mm, f/13, 1/80s, ISO 160. Shot from the Dead …

Apr 10, 2025: Trump Backs Off Most of His Dumb Tariffs—but What’s Left Is Still Bad Indeed. Let’s see how long it takes the stock market to figure that out. …

Apr 9, 2025: “Who says violets need to be purple?” Olympus TG6 @ 5.4mm, f/2.3, 1/30s, ISO 250. Along the trail at Howard Buford Recreation Area.

Apr 9, 2025: “Fawn Lily” Olympus TG6 @ 5.4mm, f/2.3, 1/125s, ISO 200. Along the trail at Howard Buford Recreation Area.

Apr 9, 2025: “Camas Lily” Olympus TG6 @ 9.6mm, f/3.3, 1/200s, ISO 160. Along the trail at Howard Buford Recreation Area.

Apr 9, 2025: NYT: Asked why he decided on a pause, President Trump says, “Well, I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting …

Apr 9, 2025: Trump announces pause in tariffs; markets jump It was what, two days ago that he said he’d never back down? At this point, it’s …

Apr 9, 2025: RFK Jr says his response to measles outbreak should be ‘model for the world’ He left out the words “of what not to do.” And lest we …

Apr 8, 2025: Exclusive: Musk’s DOGE using AI to snoop on U.S. federal workers, sources say Two bad tastes that taste worse together.

Apr 8, 2025: Fake job seekers are flooding U.S. companies that are hiring for remote positions, tech CEOs say With every day that passes, I get more and more happy …

Apr 8, 2025: Trump Forgets Basic European History in Bizarre Tariff Rant Well that’s a charitable headline. I’d be astounded if he ever knew basic …

Apr 8, 2025: Trump Adviser Releases Insane List of Demands for Tariffed Countries Finally, Miran said that countries could “simply write checks” to the Treasury …

Apr 7, 2025: Supreme Court rolls over for Trump's illegal and thuggish actions Supreme Court lifts orders blocking Trump from deporting Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act If you had any hope that the Supreme Court was going to …

Apr 7, 2025: Some day I’ll be telling my grandchildren about the old days, when you could choose from a vast array of inexpensive products thanks to a global …

Apr 7, 2025: Bessent: Federal layoffs will help fill factory jobs created by Trump tariffs Because park rangers, nurses, accountants and lawyers are qualified and …

Apr 7, 2025: Trump Will Get His Showy (And Likely Expensive) Military Parade in D.C. Dear Leader is giving himself a parade for his 79th birthday. I wonder if …

Apr 7, 2025: Proud to be a PANICAN. Let me know when I can buy the t-shirt.

Apr 7, 2025: “Scotch Broom” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/16, 1/160s, ISO 500. Along the Tahkenitch Dunes Trail.

Apr 7, 2025: Tabletop industry in full panic as Trump tariffs are poised to erase decades of growth Hope you enjoy playing the games you have now, because a …

Apr 6, 2025: “Gigeresque” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 320. Along the beach near Tahkenitch Dunes.

Apr 6, 2025: “Barnacle Bouquet” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/11, 1/320s, ISO 320. Along the beach near Tahkenitch Dunes.

Apr 6, 2025: Bessent calls tariffs ‘a one-time price adjustment’ Kind of like having your leg amputated is a one-time body adjustment.

Apr 6, 2025: Federal judge in scathing decision calls Trump’s deportation of Salvadoran man ‘wholly lawless’ Not that the administration appears to give a shit. I …

Apr 6, 2025: “Framed Lake” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 16mm, f5.6, 1/160s, ISO 250. Along the Threemile Lake North Trail.

Apr 6, 2025: “Fuzzy Bells” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 41mm, f5.6, 1/100s, ISO 200. Along the Threemile Lake North Trail.

Apr 6, 2025: “You Can’t See Me” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f5.6, 1/80s, ISO 6400

Apr 6, 2025: More details surface in Trump administration plan to cut national forests Trump appears to believe that declaring national emergencies lets him do …

Apr 5, 2025: This is what a lawless dictatorship looks like Trump administration argues judge cannot order return of man mistakenly deported to El Salvador So to summarize, the administration position is: We …

Apr 5, 2025: I started buying things via Amazon back when they only sold books. I try hard not to waste my limited time on this earth with regrets, but if I were …

Apr 5, 2025: Just cancelled all of my Amazon subscriptions. It’s just a tiny thing, but I don’t need to be giving money to billionaires who kiss …

Apr 5, 2025: Hundreds of protestors lining Hwy 101 for at least a mile in Florence, Oregon this afternoon. And a dozen or so in tiny Veneta. Even in deep-blue …

Apr 5, 2025: DOGE Is Planning a Hackathon at the IRS. It Wants Easier Access to Taxpayer Data Oh, and they’re bringing in right-wing military contractors …

Apr 5, 2025: ‘I was a British tourist trying to leave the US. Then I was detained, shackled and sent to an immigration detention centre’ Her advice to anyone …

Apr 4, 2025: An update on our economic outlook J.P. Morgan goes on the record predicting a recession for this year. Folks who are too young to remember what 2007 …

Apr 4, 2025: “The Road Ahead” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 1250. In the North Bank Habitat Management Area.

Apr 4, 2025: Divided Supreme Court sides with Trump to block teacher grants File under “No, the courts are not going to save us.”

Apr 4, 2025: “Roads Not Taken” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 160

Apr 4, 2025: Trump delays TikTok ban again Apparently the unitary executive theory includes “you can make up whatever laws you want and Congress won’t …

Apr 4, 2025: Trump’s top prosecutor in Washington compares Jan. 6 charges to Japanese internment Because why should a little thing like an understanding of …

Apr 4, 2025: “This Way to the Clear Cut” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 lens @ 150mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 320. Seen from the North Bank …

Apr 4, 2025: Yesterday I learned that Americans spend roughly 10 times as much on lottery scratch tickets as they do on pizza. This baffles me. I don’t eat …

Apr 4, 2025: Finished: Orange is the New Black 📚. I’ve never seen the TV show, and given that I watch zero TV, I never will. To be honest, I wasn’t …

Apr 4, 2025: “All Your Pollen Belongs to Me” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 1250. At the North Bank Wildlife …

Apr 4, 2025: Tesla is sitting on $200 million worth of Cybertruck inventory Swasticars are not doing well. Boo hoo. Buried in the article is the fact that even …

Apr 3, 2025: Kennedy suggests 20 percent of HHS cuts may be reversed I so want someone who thinks a 20% error rate is acceptable to be in charge of the …

Apr 2, 2025: Trump Tariffs Hit Antarctic Islands Inhabited by Zero Humans and Many Penguins Presumably the tariff will be lifted when the penguins stop sending us …

Apr 2, 2025: The NaNoWriMo organization is shutting down Sad news. I completed NaNoWriMo 4 or 5 times - never anything really publishable, but I always enjoyed it.

Apr 2, 2025: I, Pencil If I thought anyone in the Trump administration could read, I’d recommend that they read this classic essay.

Apr 2, 2025: Musk downplays Wisconsin results, saying he ‘expected to lose’ What’s that smell? Oh, it’s sour grapes mixed with horseshit.

Apr 1, 2025: Liberal candidate wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race in blow to Trump, Musk More good news from the Badger State. Looks like Elon failed to buy a state …

Apr 1, 2025: Finished reading: The Mother 📚. Another of Pearl S. Buck’s novels of rural China in the pre-Communist era, this one is mainly a pretty …

Apr 1, 2025: Trump-backed Randy Fine elected to Congress in tense Florida special election According to AP, looks like Fine won by about 10 points. Given that the …

Apr 1, 2025: Booker sets record for longest Senate speech in history Thank you, Senator Booker.

Apr 1, 2025: Screen time in bed linked to worse sleep, study finds This is news?

Apr 1, 2025: Finished reading: Arc Light 📚. Given the current occupants of the White House & Kremlin, it probably wasn’t my smartest move to read a …

Apr 1, 2025: Central Cascades Wilderness Permits Reservations opened this morning and I was quick enough to get a 4-night permit for July. Guess I know where …

Apr 1, 2025: Defending free speech: FIRE and Substack partner to protect writers in America Well good on them. Substack is planning to “support writers …

Apr 1, 2025: More Chilling, Illegal Nonsense from the Trump Administration Trump administration concedes Maryland father from El Salvador was mistakenly deported and sent to mega prison This ought to be the biggest news of …

Apr 1, 2025: “After the Storm” Olympus TG6 @ 12.7mm, f/3.9, 1/200s, ISO 100. Along the trail in Suzanne Arlie Park.

Mar 31, 2025: “No Parking” Olympus TG6 @ 18mm, f/4.9, 1/125s, ISO 200. In Suzanne Arlie Park.

Mar 31, 2025: “Embrace” Olympus TG6 @ 11.1mm, f/3.6, 1/250s, ISO 500. At the edge of Suzanne Arlie Park.

Mar 31, 2025: “Catenaries” Olympus TG6 @ 18mm, f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 100. At the edge of Suzanne Arlie Park.

Mar 31, 2025: “Oregon Sky” Olympus TG6 @ 15.7mm, f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 100. View from Mt. Baldy.

Mar 31, 2025: Trump Anti-Voting Order Draws Furious Pushback In case you missed the voter suppression executive order (you’re forgiven; there’s a lot …

Mar 31, 2025: “Sun at Pinard Falls” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 22mm, f/9, 1/125s, ISO 1250

Mar 31, 2025: Trump is ‘not joking’ about third term, though Constitution says he can’t serve I see the administration found a way to knock …

Mar 30, 2025: “It’s Jelly Time (no PB)” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/25s, ISO 2500

Mar 30, 2025: Finished reading: The Lineage of Lichfield 📚. This is a rather minor bit of Cabelliana. I’m linking to the archive.org copy; to get it in print …

Mar 30, 2025: Everybody in the Pool This climate podcast is my weekly dose of optimism. Instead of giving out the doom and gloom, Molly Wood focuses on solutions. …

Mar 30, 2025: “Capturing the Sun” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/25s, ISO 400

Mar 29, 2025: This is also Spirit Falls. Same camera, same lens, but stitched together from two 2 second exposures at 29mm, f/9.0, ISO 100. There’s some art …

Mar 29, 2025: Spirit Falls Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/3.5, 1/80s, ISO 5000

Mar 29, 2025: It is oddly comforting to know, after all these years, that Scripting News is still updating regularly and still publishing RSS. I wonder how many …

Mar 29, 2025: Finished reading: Elric: The Moonbeam Roads 📚. Another of my retirement projects is to read through the definitive author’s editions of Michael …

Mar 29, 2025: “Steps to Nowhere” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 17mm, f/4.5, 1/500s, ISO 400. Along FR 5821 near Lookout Point Reservoir.

Mar 29, 2025: Garmin’s online map shows a point for the “Willamette Divide Trail,” for which there is no information online (just sketchy mapping …

Mar 29, 2025: Fortunately, I live in Oregon, so there are always waterfalls to improve things. This is Moon Falls - I also hiked to Spirit Falls and Pinard Falls …

Mar 29, 2025: Why RFK Jr.’s pick for a vaccine-autism review may be familiar to Retraction Watch readers And speaking of RFK Jr, his pick to run a new …

Mar 29, 2025: Top FDA vaccine regulator Peter Marks pushed out I wonder if the “oh, RFK Jr isn’t that extreme” crowd in Congress are having …

Mar 28, 2025: Flight bookings between Canada and US down 70% amid Trump tariff war Guess it’s the turn of the USA to learn what the term “pariah …

Mar 28, 2025: Finished reading: The Cream of the Jest 📚. I do seem to be tearing through the James Branch Cabell lately. This one firmly ties his Lichfield novels …

Mar 28, 2025: First big AI IPO (CoreWeave) lands with a thud. From NYT: The company priced its offering at $40 a share, compared with an initial range of $47 to …

Mar 28, 2025: “Horsetail” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens, f/11, 1/200s, ISO 4000. Along FR 5824 near the Eugene to Crest Trail.

Mar 28, 2025: I’m sure I’ll never be in a position to take any business to Skadden, Arps or Paul, Weiss, but if I was, I wouldn’t.

Mar 28, 2025: Much of my post-move life is perfectly described by the notion of putting ten pounds of shit in a five-pound sack. Maybe downsizing will be done …

Mar 28, 2025: Dear Canada, We’re not all assholes. Honest. We’re sorry for the jerk at the top. PS - How about you adopt us? I’m sure western …

Mar 28, 2025: Utah becomes first state to ban fluoride in public water supply Forward into the past.

Mar 28, 2025: Sourdough Sidekick I’ve managed to keep a sourdough starter going for years now (including a cross-country move) without a $160 gadget. I think …

Mar 28, 2025: Trump Slump continues. And accelerates. What a surprise, when you tank the economy the markets notice.

Mar 28, 2025: DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Codebase In Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse Anyone who has ever been involved in a large software project will …

Mar 28, 2025: With so many years in the industry, you’d think I could write simple Markdown without needing three tries. You’d be wrong.

Mar 28, 2025: With the acceleration of AI nonsense, I’m starting to think the internet will be dead as a useful place before I am.

Mar 28, 2025: Musk: Trump will ‘go after’ people ‘pushing the lies’ about Tesla Apparently co-President Musk thinks it’s terrorism to tell people they …

Mar 28, 2025: “We’re Watching You” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens, f/5, 1/60s, ISO 1000. Along FR 5824 near the Eugene to Crest …

Mar 27, 2025: Finished reading: Brain on Fire 📚. This one initially seems to be in the “I had psychiatric problems but survived” genre. But then it …

Mar 27, 2025: “Embrace” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 41mm, f/6.3, 1/13s, ISO 2000. Along the Eugene to Crest Trail.

Mar 27, 2025: White House withdrawing Stefanik nomination to serve as US ambassador to UN Because they’re worried they might lose a special election in a …

Mar 27, 2025: Steakholder Foods Secures $250,000 Grant Installment for 3D-Printed Eel Alternatives On the one hand, I’m happy to see more cruelty-free meat …

Mar 27, 2025: I see the online April Fools jokes have already started. Remember folks, 99% of you aren’t as hilarious as you think you are.

Mar 26, 2025: Might be about time to re-read some Saul Alinsky.

Mar 26, 2025: Justice Department goes to bat for Trump in hush money case With all the other shit going down, it’s easy to forget that co-President Trump is …

Mar 26, 2025: Democrat members of Congress are calling for an investigation of Signalgate by the DOD Inspector General. Perhaps they’ve forgotten that the …

Mar 26, 2025: Notably missing from Signalgate coverage: the focus on this one chat disguises the fact that decision-making by disappearing Signal messages is …

Mar 26, 2025: CIA director: ‘No assessment’ US at war with Venezuela amid use of Alien Enemies Act Gee, you mean the President lied when he invoked the Alien …

Mar 26, 2025: Bullshit: Tulsi Gabbard said the release of the additional screenshots by The Atlantic today “were a refresher on what happened.” But she said she …

Mar 26, 2025: Micro.blog has been a trouble-free pleasure for a month. Upping my subscription to yearly. Thanks @manton!

Mar 26, 2025: On the plus side, the Supreme Court slapped down the Fifth Circuit (again) and said that yes, ghost guns and kits could be regulated as firearms.

Mar 26, 2025: I just hope someone in Congress is keeping a list of all the fools, liars, and traitors in the current administration to indict when (and if) the …

Mar 26, 2025: Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal See inside the clown car, thanks to The Atlantic. You might want to read this sooner …

Mar 26, 2025: Finished reading: The Whisper of the Axe 📚. I’d guess most people only know Richard Condon thanks to THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, but he wrote a …

Mar 25, 2025: NASA website axes a pledge to land a woman and a person of color on the moon File under “sad but no longer surprising.” I will be …

Mar 25, 2025: Finished reading: The Eagle’s Shadow 📚. Though this was Jame Branch Cabell’s first published novel, it comes comparatively late in the …

Mar 25, 2025: “Visitor” Olympus E-M10 IV, Meike 25mm f/1.8 lens with Viltrox 250 macro lens, 1/320s, ISO 100. Along Eugene’s Ridgeline Trail.

Mar 25, 2025: Bubble Trouble The bear case on big generative AI. I think he may be overindexing on DeepSeek, but the general point (that it is very unlikely all the …

Mar 25, 2025: “Contemplation” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 2s, ISO 500. Salmon Creek Falls.

Mar 24, 2025: Trump calls on Polis to remove ‘purposefully distorted’ portrait of himself hanging in the Colorado capitol Personally I hope Gov. Polis keeps the …

Mar 24, 2025: It’s spring. Even the leopard slugs are out smelling the flowers. Olympus E-M10 IV, Meike 25mm f/1.8 lens, 1/100s, ISO 160. Along Eugene’s …

Mar 24, 2025: The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans Lots of people (including Congressfolks on both sides of the aisle) are shocked & …

Mar 24, 2025: Didn’t finish: The In-Between 📚. I’m interested in the subject (end-of-life care), and more so as I get older. Despite which, I gave up on …

Mar 24, 2025: “Inside of a Skunk” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens, f/7.1, 1/40s, ISO 500. Along Whispering Spruce Trail.

Mar 24, 2025: “Coltsfoot” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens, f/9, 1/40s, ISO 800. Along Saint Perpetua Trail.

Mar 23, 2025: Finished: The Last Wild Men of Borneo 📚. It’s a pretty meandering book, going from art collecting to the loss of native culture to protest …

Mar 23, 2025: “Bad Hair Day” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens, f/10, 1/60s, ISO 1600. Near Salmon Creek Falls.

Mar 23, 2025: “Vampire fungus” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 640. Along Amanda’s Trail near Yachats.

Mar 23, 2025: “Splash!” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 100-400 f/5.6-6.3 lens + MC-20 teleconverter @ 800mm, f/14, 1/40s, ISO 200. Shot from Amanda’s Trail …

Mar 23, 2025: “Skunk Season” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/5.6, 1/25s, ISO 800. Cape Perpetua, Giant Spruce Trail.

Mar 22, 2025: “Laziness is our Middle Name” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 100-400 f/5.6-6.3 lens + MC-20 teleconverter @ 684mm, f/14, 1/40s, ISO 124. Shot …

Mar 22, 2025: An airport, Mount Rushmore and the $100 bill: Inside the GOP effort to venerate Trump while he’s still in office The latest from the Congressional …

Mar 22, 2025: 10 1/2 mile hike took me a ridiculous 6 hours. The fact that I shot 300 photos probably has something to do with that.

Mar 22, 2025: A Mysterious Startup Is Developing a New Form of Solar Geoengineering I don’t think we are very many years from some small government or large …

Mar 21, 2025: Trump says student loans moving to SBA Small Business Administration plans to slash staff by over 40 percent amid agency-wide reorganization What …

Mar 21, 2025: Commerce secretary: No one but ‘fraudsters’ would complain about missed Social Security check I’m not sure how out-of-touch you need to be to …

Mar 21, 2025: “Beachgrass” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 41mm, f/11, 1/400s, ISO 400. Along the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.

Mar 21, 2025: Trump suggests sending Tesla vandals to El Salvador prisons Or put another way, the increasingly lawless President wants to send American citizens to …

Mar 21, 2025: “Sentinel” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 30mm, f/11, 1/250s, ISO 250. ALong the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.

Mar 21, 2025: How to Avoid US-Based Digital Services—and Why You Might Want To I’m not the only one moving things out of the US - and micro.blog is right on …

Mar 20, 2025: “As Above, So Below” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/10, 1/200s, ISO 250. Near the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.

Mar 20, 2025: “Life Finds a Way” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 200. Along the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.

Mar 20, 2025: Dr. Oz Is Now the Grown-Up in the Room A legitimately scary thought.

Mar 20, 2025: Didn’t finish: The Forgotten Man 📚 Revisionist history arguing that FDR’s policies didn’t help people out of the Great Depression. …

Mar 20, 2025: Finished reading: In the Garden of Beasts 📚 Larson’s dramatic history is always an easy read. This one, about the US ambassador to Germany in …

Mar 20, 2025: I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped Thought experiment: how do you suppose the Trump …

Mar 20, 2025: Nearly All Cybertrucks Have Been Recalled Because Tesla Used the Wrong Glue This is just laugh-out-loud funny. Well, unless you happen to be driving …

Mar 20, 2025: “Windblown” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 32mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 200. Processed in Darktable. Along the John Dellenback Dunes …

Mar 20, 2025: A Livestreamed Tragedy on X Sparks a Memecoin Frenzy Memecoins are just an unadulterated barrel of crap.

Mar 20, 2025: Commerce secretary: Buy Tesla stock Looks like co-President Musk managed to buy national advertising as well as a seat in the Oval Office for his …

Mar 20, 2025: Finished reading: Gai-Jin 📚 An ideal bathroom book: action every page or two, comfortably exotic (while being, I suspect, wildly ahistorical), and I …

Mar 20, 2025: “Elephant Foot” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9.5, 1/500s, ISO 200. Near the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.

Mar 20, 2025: Republicans want Musk to shut up about Social Security Yeah, I’ll bet they do. Losing the votes of everyone over 65 might possibly be a problem …

Mar 19, 2025: Dietary Guidelines in the MAHA era Vegetables: the latest leftist plot to pollute America’s precious bodily fluids.

Mar 19, 2025: “Plovers on Parade” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/10, 1/800s, ISO 1250. Oregon coast near the John Dellenback Dunes …

Mar 19, 2025: “Rain Pool” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 21mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 200. Along the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.

Mar 19, 2025: WMO report documents spiralling weather and climate impacts That’s the World Meteorological Organization. Globally each of the past ten years …

Mar 19, 2025: Republican Behind “Trump Derangement Bill” Accused of Soliciting Minor The definition of schadenfreude.

Mar 18, 2025: NYT: In an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News, President Trump maintained his view that his administration is not actually defying the courts …

Mar 18, 2025: Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act blasted as abuse of power A roundup of responses to the administration attempt to send all the Venezuelans they can …

Mar 18, 2025: New filing in the Alien Enemies Act case If the president can designate any group as enemy aliens under the act, and that designation is …

Mar 18, 2025: Judge finds Elon Musk likely acted unconstitutionally in shuttering USAID The interesting thing is that this is an appointments clause decision - …

Mar 18, 2025: FTC Removes Posts Critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and AI Companies Another break for poor oppressed billionaires.

Mar 18, 2025: Moscow and Beijing rejoice at looming death of Radio Free Europe, VOA The enemy of my enemy is (checks notes) a free press.

Mar 18, 2025: Minnesota bill labels Trump derangement syndrome as mental illness FFS.

Mar 18, 2025: 3 vaccine doses cut long-COVID risk by over 60%, analysis suggests Vaccines work. What a surprise.

Mar 18, 2025: NASA’s Webb Images Young, Giant Exoplanets, Detects Carbon Dioxide I’m a child of the Space Age (grew up in 1960’s SoCal) so to me …

Mar 18, 2025: Leaked memo: DOGE plots to cut Social Security phone support I was just thinking it might be time to apply for my Social Security, even though …

Mar 17, 2025: Update: the Newegg seller refunded the excessive markup. On the one hand, this makes me happier. On the other, I wonder how often they get away with …

Mar 17, 2025: I ordered a new laptop ethernet adapter from a Newegg seller because I’m trying to discontinue doing business with Amazon. So I was miffed when …

Mar 17, 2025: Judge lashes out at Trump admin over deportation flights As of right now, it appears to be the administration position that because of (pick one or …

Mar 17, 2025: “Droplets” Olympus TG6, f/4.9, 1/400s, ISO 640. Along the Ridgeline Trail.

Mar 17, 2025: Didn’t finish reading: Destiny’s Road 📚 Usually I like Niven’s work, but this one just never seemed to get anywhere, and I gave up …

Mar 17, 2025: “Rainy Day Flower” Olympus TG6, f/4.9, 1/400s, ISO 250. Along the Ridgeline Trail.

Mar 17, 2025: Trump’s border czar: “I don’t care what the judges think” Speaking of lawless.

Mar 17, 2025: Trump: Biden Jan. 6 panel pardons, others ‘void’ because autopen use Sorry, Presidents have used autopens for decades and there are court precedents …

Mar 17, 2025: “Rainbow Rays” Olympus TG6, f/4.9, 1/180s, ISO 125. Along the Ridgeline Trail. Really hard to capture what this really looked like, even …

Mar 17, 2025: 1 in 8 COVID survivors still have symptoms 2 years after infection, researchers say This is one big reason I’m still careful when COVID case …

Mar 17, 2025: People are using Google’s new AI model to remove watermarks from images Whether Google tweaks this particular feature or not, watermarking is …

Mar 17, 2025: Trump says he’ll speak to Putin Tuesday Trump says We are already talking about that, dividing up certain assets. Anyone else reminded of that time …

Mar 17, 2025: Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants Because sure, why shouldn’t we ignore a technology that has already …

Mar 16, 2025: Give back the Statue of Liberty, French MEP tells US Seems legit.

Mar 16, 2025: VC Aileen Lee highlights how the broader investor exodus is worsening woes for unicorn companies When the VC General Partners stop showing up to …

Mar 16, 2025: "…some gang member subject to removal under the Proclamation had already been removed from United States territory under the Proclamation …

Mar 16, 2025: Surgeon and Professor Is Deported to Lebanon Despite a Judge’s Order So now we have a professional who was in the US on an H1-B visa refused re-entry …

Mar 16, 2025: Just upgraded 6 ethernet switches from 1 gigabit to 2.5 gigabit. Discussion of the absurdity of living in a house with six ethernet switches will be …

Mar 16, 2025: Trump administration deports hundreds of migrants, despite judge’s order stopping removal I’m sad but not surprised about this. I have no …

Mar 16, 2025: “Red Mushrooms” I’m honestly not sure how I got this shot - flash misfire maybe. But I like the way it turned out, noise and all. …

Mar 16, 2025: This gaming mouse has a striking skeletonized design and hot-swap batteries Trimming grams from a mouse struck me as silly. And then I thought about …

Mar 16, 2025: Finished reading: Rogues in Hell 📚 14th book in a complex shared-world series featuring (mostly) historical figures in a bizarre & funny …

Mar 16, 2025: Life in the tower: Who controls Seattle’s drawbridges? Who knew that drawbridge operators need to check their blind spot before raising the bridge? …

Mar 15, 2025: Federal judge halts deportations after Trump invokes Alien Enemies Act He also ordered planes in the air heading for Venezuela to turn around and come …

Mar 15, 2025: Trump invokes wartime law to target Venezuelan gang and speed up deportations This appears to be not even remotely legal: we’re not at war with …

Mar 15, 2025: And speaking of Amazon idiocy…they sent me an email telling me my deleted seller account was reactivated at my request (no such request was …

Mar 15, 2025: “Walking into Spring” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 1/30s, ISO 400. Hardesty Trail, the same day there was a foot …

Mar 15, 2025: Software Development Job Postings on Indeed in the United States Absolutely cratered since the post-pandemic highs. So much for any stray thought I …

Mar 15, 2025: Donald Trump, In DOJ Speech, Calls CNN And MSNBC “Illegal” For Reporting Negatively On Him I need to start figuring out which non-US news sources to …

Mar 15, 2025: Finished reading: Rough Sleepers 📚 Tracy Kidder digs into the work of Dr. Jim O’Connell with the unhoused community in Boston. A scary look at …

Mar 15, 2025: “Snowdodendron” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 35mm, f/5.2, 1/125s, ISO 320. Along the Eula Ridge trail.

Mar 15, 2025: “Actually that IS the trail” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/4.5, 1/800s, ISO 320. Battling my way up Eula Ridge Trail …

Mar 15, 2025: Trump says he was being a ‘bit sarcastic’ when he promised to end Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours s/being a bit sarcastic/outright lying

Mar 15, 2025: Got up at 3:30 this morning. At my age that counts as sleeping in.

Mar 14, 2025: “Turning Over a New Leaf” Olympus TG6, Ultimaxx .43x Wide Angle Lens, f/4.9, 1/25s, ISO 1600. Along the Eula Ridge Trail.

Mar 14, 2025: C.S. Lewis prayed for Hitler and Stalin (among others). I pray for Trump and Musk. Not that I think it is likely to change them, but it may help …

Mar 14, 2025: US and Israel look to Africa for resettling Palestinians uprooted from Gaza I guess they think people have forgotten that Hitler & Eichmann wanted …

Mar 13, 2025: AI search engines give incorrect answers at an alarming 60% rate, study says Or, looked at another way, 40% better than the current White House Press …

Mar 13, 2025: Postal Service signs cost-cutting deal with DOGE Just when you thought mail delivery couldn’t get any worse. Makes me very glad I’m not …

Mar 13, 2025: Got a snail mail fundraising letter from the DNC today, over Kamala Harris’s signature. Given the number of people who directly blame Biden …

Mar 13, 2025: This bill may be referred to as the Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education or F.U.R.R.I.E.S Some nitwit legislator in Texas …

Mar 13, 2025: Amazon Uses Arsenal of AI Weapons Against Workers Every new technology gets used for porn first, but worker control isn’t far behind.

Mar 13, 2025: How Children’s Eating Could Change After $1 Billion Food Cut State Dept: Let’s ruin kids' nutrition by cutting off foreign aid. …

Mar 13, 2025: Trump has decided that Chuck Schumer is ‘not Jewish anymore’ In any other Presidency, this would be top of the news. Now it’s just lost in all …

Mar 13, 2025: Just put in a Github pull request for the first time in quite a while - fixing a one-character typo in a README file. The perils of being an editor …

Mar 13, 2025: Elon Musk’s self-destruction Probably just wishful thinking, but one can hope. Smarmiest quote: After he took his four-year-old son, X, to the White …

Mar 13, 2025: Democratic Attorneys General Sue Over Gutting of Education Department I assume by now the NYT writers have a daily alarm set to fill in a template …

Mar 13, 2025: Trump Administration Launches All-Out Assault on Environmental Protection More depressing details on the Trumpian Environmental Non-Protection Agency …

Mar 13, 2025: Meta is trying to stop a former employee from promoting her book about Facebook Cue the Streisand Effect.

Mar 13, 2025: I want this on a t-shirt Joan Baez: “We’re being run by a bunch of really incompetent billionaires.”

Mar 12, 2025: “Tree Gremlin” Olympus TG6, f/4.9, 1/100s, ISO 250. Yesterday at Mount Pisgah.

Mar 12, 2025: “Sweet Smells” Olympus TG6, Ultimaxx .43x Wide Angle Lens, f/4.9, 1/160s, ISO 100. Yesterday at Mount Pisgah.

Mar 12, 2025: E.P.A. Declares ‘Greatest Day of Deregulation Our Nation Has Seen’ If you’d rather die than support this administration, Trump’s stooges …

Mar 12, 2025: “Spring is Near the Ground” Olympus TG6, Ultimaxx .43x Wide Angle Lens, f/4.9, 1/400s, ISO 400. Yesterday at Mount Pisgah.

Mar 12, 2025: Nebraska lawmakers advance bill allowing parental notification for school library checkouts More performative legislating. Do they seriously think any …

Mar 12, 2025: Finished reading: A House Divided, by Pearl S. Buck. 📚 I inherited a 10-volume signed limited edition of some of Buck’s works. As far as I could …

Mar 12, 2025: More Republican Nonsense Restore Medicaid’s intent: Prioritize the most vulnerable over able-bodied childless adults Prepare for a lot of this ahistorical nonsense as the …

Mar 12, 2025: All this bad AI is wrecking a whole generation of products Personally, I look forward to the (unlikely) day when generative AI goes the way of the …

Mar 12, 2025: EBO Air 2 Companion Robot Regardless of their tagline, “playing with” your pets and kids via a $200 robot and your phone does not, in …

Mar 12, 2025: Senate Democrats appear ready to back down in government shutdown fight Have Senators not noticed that Musk&Trump are already shutting down the …

Mar 12, 2025: Why I Left the Washington Post Ruth Marcus traces the decline and fall of the WP under Jeff Bezos, Includes a copy of the column that they …

Mar 11, 2025: Musk Seeks to Put $100 Million Directly Into Trump Political Operation The corruption really is right out in the open, isn’t it?

Mar 11, 2025: Trump turns the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom The only mystery here is how co-President Trump managed to find time in his busy schedule of …

Mar 11, 2025: TikTok will play ‘calming music’ to remind teens to stop using the app It won’t work. No matter how good their AI-driven age verification …

Mar 11, 2025: What Really Happened With the DDoS Attacks That Took Down X Looks like co-President Musk was flat-out lying when he claimed last night (on Fox News, …

Mar 11, 2025: File under "Things we used to know" Ran across this in the 1964 (!) ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA this morning in the article on AIR: Carbon dioxide in the air reduces the loss of heat by …

Mar 11, 2025: DOGE is subject to FOIA District Court ruling. Prediction: it will turn out that DOGE didn’t write anything down, and still won’t, and …

Mar 10, 2025: White House: Stock market plunge is not as ‘meaningful’ as business activity Looks like the next administration tactic is whistling past …

Mar 10, 2025: This is just the start The Verge reports on the status of Mahmoud Khalil. This sort of coverage is the reason that I became a subscriber this year. …

Mar 10, 2025: King Charles pays tribute to ‘marvellous’ Bob Marley as he shares favourite songs In these troubled times, it is comforting that King Charles listens …

Mar 10, 2025: I get an absurd amount of pleasure from swapping 10 watts of electrons with someone in Calgary.

Mar 10, 2025: Rubio says Ukraine will have to give up territory in a peace deal with Russia. Shameful. And I never expected to read this in my lifetime: “I can …

Mar 10, 2025: Top ‘Washington Post’ columnist resigns, accusing publisher of killing piece The hollowing out of WaPo continues.

Mar 10, 2025: Every time I have to deal with Xfinity I think about getting into business as an ISP. I could eat a handful of iron filings and crap out a more …

Mar 10, 2025: “Not quite still waters” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/6.3, 1/30s, ISO 1250. Larison Creek.

Mar 10, 2025: CBP launches enhanced CBP Home mobile app with new Report Departure feature Musk & Trump’s genius solution to the logistical impossibility …

Mar 10, 2025: NASDAQ is now down over 10% since January 20. At what point does “Trump Slump” become “Trump Crash”?

Mar 10, 2025: The Apprentice comes to Prime Video. This will likely be the year that I cancel Amazon Prime, after signing up within six months of when it was first …

Mar 10, 2025: Large Study of Dietary Habits Suggests More Plant Oils, Less Butter Could Lead to Better Health The researchers examined diet and health data from …

Mar 10, 2025: Generation Z Is Losing a Skill We’ve Had for Over 5,500 Years: 40% Can’t Communicate Properly Anymore Because…wait for it…handwriting is …

Mar 10, 2025: “Trail Door” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/7.1, 1/20s, ISO 2500. Larison Creek Trail.

Mar 10, 2025: Enough negativity for one morning. Have a grouse. (Seen on the trail a couple days ago. Alas, had a short lens mounted so this is heavily magnified.)

Mar 10, 2025: Top US health agency makes $25,000 buyout offer to most of its employees And where is the $2 billion ($25K x 80K) for this supposed to come from? Oh, …

Mar 10, 2025: Republicans worry Trump’s tariffs could harm economy They’re just now figuring this out? Some people are a little slow on the uptake, I guess.

Mar 10, 2025: Trump’s Plan to Fix Egg Price Crisis Is Already Falling Apart What a surprise, wannabe dictator can’t magically make eggs appear from thin air.

Mar 9, 2025: Meidas Touch Network On the one hand, it’s nice to see progressive media trying to be as brash and popular as regressive media. On the other, …

Mar 9, 2025: “Dance of the Rhododendrons” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 42mm, f/6.3, 1/30s, ISO 250. Larison Creek Trail.

Mar 9, 2025: MOOSEHEAD BREWERIES INTRODUCES THE PRESIDENTIAL PACK If I wasn’t on the wagon I’d be ordering one.

Mar 9, 2025: “Green Trail” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 28mm, f/8, 1/5s, ISO 1250. Larison Creek Trail.

Mar 9, 2025: Vitamin A? Cod liver oil? Experts say there’s no replacement for measles vaccination The fact that this story even has to be reported is profoundly …

Mar 9, 2025: “Moss Buds” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/6.3, 1/125s, ISO 500. Shot at Silver Falls State Park.

Mar 9, 2025: “South Falls” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/3,5, 1/45s, ISO 200. In-camera HDR. Silver Falls State Park. Really …

Mar 9, 2025: “Behind the Curtain” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/10.0, 1/60s, ISO 400. Silver Falls State Park., behind Middle …

Mar 9, 2025: By the way, most of my photos are cropped to 16x9 aspect ratio. They’re CC-BY-NA licensed, so feel free to grab the full-size versions for …

Mar 9, 2025: “North Falls” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/3,5, 1/60s, ISO 200. HDR program plus some heavy-handed work in …

Mar 9, 2025: “Reach for the Sun” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/4.0, 1/125s, ISO 1000. Shot at Silver Falls State Park.

Mar 8, 2025: “Here Comes the Shroom” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/16, 1/15s, ISO 500. Along the Larison Creek Trail.

Mar 7, 2025: “Middle North Falls” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/22, 1/2.5s, ISO 200. Silver Falls State Park.

Mar 7, 2025: Exclusive: US CDC plans study into vaccines and autism, sources say Perhaps they can also fund a study on the connection between abusing dead bears …

Mar 6, 2025: The US now has a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.” Any bets on how long it takes North Korean hackers to drain it?

Mar 6, 2025: Prepare for Discord to Get Way Worse The IPO to enshittification cycle is apparently on the way. It’ll probably be time to find a new home for …

Mar 6, 2025: Ah, Eugene EUGENE, Ore. – Eugene police responded this morning to 911 reports of a man yelling and doing Tai Chi while appearing to wade deeper into …

Mar 6, 2025: One judge who gets it A President who touts an image of himself as a “king” or a “dictator,” perhaps as his vision of effective leadership, …

Mar 6, 2025: Trump Slump continues. Who could possibly have guessed that the markets would react poorly to high tariff rates that randomly change every day …

Mar 6, 2025: (Partially) Escaping Big Tech In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, I did a lot of work in the Microsoft ecosystem, including subcontracting that put a substantial amount …

Mar 6, 2025: Lab-grown caviar (if they succeed). I’m skeptical that there’s enough overlap between vegetarians and potential caviar eaters to make this …

Mar 5, 2025: From all the photos I’ve seen so far, Apple is pretty shaky on the meaning of “sky blue.” Maybe they need to let their engineers get …

Mar 5, 2025: AI-only search results are coming. Do. Not. Want. Fortunately for me, I’ve pretty much de-googled my life at this point.

Mar 5, 2025: Finished The Rivet in Grandfather’s Neck. This is part of a longish-term project of working through the entire Biography of Manuel. These days …

Mar 5, 2025: Federal board orders USDA to temporarily reinstate dismissed probationary workers A 45-day reprieve for Forest Service employees (among others), …

Mar 5, 2025: Good Planet Sharp Cheddar Olive Oil Cheese Slices - Not even remotely sharp cheddar, but not bad as vegan cheese slices go, and definitely healthier …

Mar 5, 2025: Democracy.io - the easiest way to email your Representative and Senators. I just sent a note requesting a “no” vote on any so-called …

Mar 5, 2025: Which reminds me: you can still get science-based vaccine recommendations in English from Canada, the UK, and Australia. Maybe not 100% tuned for the …

Mar 5, 2025: RestoredCDC. A snapshot of the Centers for Disease Control website from before it was vandalized by little Donnie, Robbie, and Elon. It’s always …

Mar 5, 2025: We already knew that there are more bacterial cells in our body than human cells. Now it turns out that our human cells are full of plastic shards. …

Mar 5, 2025: Internet nostalgia + VC + AI = profit? I’m skeptical but not surprised. We’re at the point where we’re going to see a lot of …

Mar 4, 2025: Thank you Al Green.

Mar 4, 2025: Remember back in the 60s when we used to dream about the day when the government needed to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber? Now you can buy a t-shirt …

Mar 4, 2025: People Are Paying Millions to Dine With Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago Madam, we’ve already established that. Now we are haggling about the price. …

Mar 4, 2025: Trump Reveals Tariffs Plan to Ruin American Farmers’ Lives I don’t always agree with TNR, but they do have a knack for writing headlines with …

Mar 4, 2025: Scientists Just Created a ‘Woolly Mouse’ With Mammoth-Like Fur “These mice are massively adorable,” says Colossal cofounder and CEO Ben Lamm. “They …

Mar 4, 2025: “Snow Queen” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/7.1, 1/100s, ISO 800. Along the Youngs Rock trail. First wildflowers of the …

Mar 4, 2025: “The Pom-pom Tree” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/16, 1/125s, ISO 1000. Along the Youngs Rock trail.

Mar 4, 2025: Depressing news about local public lands: U.S. Forest Service firings across Oregon having serious impacts on people, places and things and Executive …

Mar 4, 2025: The era of pettiness is in full swing Nobody knows exactly how long ago a marbled and tender boneless short-loin steak came to be known across the United States as a New York strip. …

Mar 3, 2025: “Willow Flowers” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/16, 1/125s, ISO 2000. Along the Youngs Rock trail.

Mar 3, 2025: I was out hiking before dawn, and had to change my headlamp battery. In the dark, no moon, under trees, in the rain. That’s when I was reminded …

Mar 3, 2025: The competition for “biggest suckup in Congress” is heating up.

Mar 3, 2025: “Pine Twig” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/11, 1/40s, ISO 6400. Shot along the Youngs Rock trail.

Mar 3, 2025: “Cone” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/11, 1/125s, ISO 1000. Shot along the Youngs Rock trail.

Mar 3, 2025: If progressives don’t refer to this as the Trump Slump, they’re missing a good bet.

Mar 2, 2025: Finished The Quotable Lewis. I ran across this one in our local St. Vinnie’s thrift store and snapped it up; Lewis has long been one of my …

Mar 2, 2025: “Elegant Sunburst Lichen” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/13, 1/125s, ISO 320. Found at the base of Youngs Rock. No color …

Mar 2, 2025: “Moon Point” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/13, 1/160s, ISO 200. Shot from Youngs Rock Trail.

Mar 2, 2025: Scheduling a service call with Xfinity may be slightly less painful that a root canal. But I’m not sure about that. If we had any other …

Mar 2, 2025: “Baby tree” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/5.6, 1/100s, ISO 6400. Shot from Youngs Rock Trail.

Mar 2, 2025: Finished The Lost Painting (on audio, but I’m making the rules in this blog, and I say it counts as a book). I know nothing about art history, …

Mar 2, 2025: On Saturday, the number of active lawsuits in federal courts challenging administration actions reached 100. This would be better news if only I …

Mar 2, 2025: “Not Dead Yet” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/5.0, 1/1000s, ISO 200. Shot from Youngs Rock Trail.

Mar 2, 2025: “I suppose you’re all wondering why I called you here today” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro @ f/4.0, 1/125s, ISO 4000.

Mar 2, 2025: National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee. How not to pay your taxes (and what might happen to you as a result). Just in case you reach the …

Mar 2, 2025: Trump, EPA Aim to Remove Finding That Mandates Action on Greenhouse Gas Pollution. One of the many ways in which the new administration is trying to …

Mar 2, 2025: $400 internet-connected toaster. Um, no. To add insult to injury, Wired says it doesn’t even make good toast.

Mar 1, 2025: “Snow Wave” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @42mm, 1/100s, ISO 200. Along the road to Warner Mountain Lookout.

Mar 1, 2025: “Young’s Rock” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @42mm, 1/100s, ISO 320. Shot from Youngs Rock Trail.

Mar 1, 2025: Removed the Washington Post from my morning reading, and replaced it with Wired. Not that I think Conde Nast is the greatest company in the world, but …

Feb 28, 2025: I’ve been reading the Encyclopedia Britannica (yes, start to finish - this is the sort of thing retirement allows) and an offhand reference to …

Feb 28, 2025: In Soviet America, comrade, government tells you what to think.

Feb 28, 2025: Some good news During the week of February 10, the latest week available, foot traffic to Target dropped 7.9% and 4.8% to Walmart. Foot traffic to …

Feb 28, 2025: “Looming Sisters” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 100-400 F5.0-6.3 with 2.0 teleconverter @ 400mm (1600mm FF equivalent), 1/250s, ISO 250. …

Feb 28, 2025: The People’s Union USA. This is the guy (or group, depending on your point of view) behind today’s “24 hour economic blackout” …

Feb 28, 2025: “Treacherous Stairs” Olympus E-M10 IV, TTArtisan 25mm f/2.0, 1/4000s, ISO 160. Near the top of Spencer Butte.

Feb 28, 2025: “Moss Muncher” Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens with Raynox 250 macro lens @ f/9, 1/30s, ISO 6400. Base of Spencer Butte.

Feb 27, 2025: “Fern shadows." Olympus E-M10 IV, TTArtisan 25mm f/2.0, 1/60s, ISO 200. Eugene Ridgeline Trail.