steve whisnant @whisnant@octodon.social

The pattern that has emerged is that all news stories that the president declares fake, all reports that are declared conspiracies...these are the true ones. Exhibit 3,402,601:

Trump Calls Stormy Daniels Threat Claim ‘A Total Con Job’

Anyone else notice that when young people stand up and speak their mind about guns, what they get is make fun of, their funding questioned, their heritage questioned, and their status as humans and citizens belittled. No discussion of the issues, no attempt to have a conversation, only a dirty political fight just like any other political battle. It really is time to change the membership of congress. We, all of us, must fix this.

https://octodon.social/media/qx5TtwkeYF5ckAGPNUA

Perhaps all presidents have the cuffs of their shirts marked with the number of their presidency. However, I suspect that this one does so he knows what clothes to wear each morning. Who comes to a listening session with a note reminding them to listen? Apparently number 45 does.

Not usually this political, but this level of stupidity is really over the top.

So...

“If you had a teacher … who was adept at firearms, it could very well end the attack very quickly,” said Trump.

Ok, let's see...how many children can an armed teacher shoot accidentally trying to kill the killer? What could go wrong?

Rather, let's do something to stop the incident before it starts rather than continue killing. I vote for fewer guns.

There are those who say the the problem is mental illness, not guns. Fine. Let's enable the NIH to study the brand of illness that ends in someone shooting people and sort this out. Then we might to could prove with science what works and doesn't!

Oh, wait...the current government doesn't want science and all those pesky facts getting in the way with the pre-determined conclusions.

I've pre-determined that all those politicians need to go. How's that for starting with the conclusion?

Family makes being in the FUSA (F**ked Up States of America) bearable. otherwise, I'm out of here.

Just returned to America after nearly two years in Australia. I’m already ready to go back.

Perhaps we are looking at the world through the wrong end of the telescope:

There are so many ways to be human, but all too often our own modern and mainly urban societies are used as the yardstick for what is universally human. We have so much to learn, not least about ourselves, from the largely undocumented and endangered linguistic and cultural riches that are out there

Niclas Burenhult

The Blue Mountains are well worth a visit. Great vistas and nice amenities. NSW makes getting there from Sydney easy on the trains.

I can't upgrade to Mac High Sierra because I am still waiting for critical software to catch up. Will it be worth the wait? Is the new version of the OS better, worse, different, or the same?

The joy of having groceries delivered are remarkable.

We sold our car the other day. We are now public transport people, at least for a while. Owning less is very liberating. Everyone should try it sometime.

Watching Fargo (TV series) on Netflix. Season 1 is a universe where the bad guy is smart and nearly the rest of the world is not.

Season 2 is just fill with really bad people and few not smart people.

It seems the catalyst is always the not smart people. Perhaps this is the lesson: we can't have nice things because the world has too many stupid people in it.

Reading about Scott's expedition to the South Pole 1910-1913. OMG. This is one of the most terrifying things I've ever read.

You know those stories where something goes wrong and it is bad; then something else sours and it it terribile; and another thing, and another thing, etc. They've only arrived in Antarctica and I have to read in short sittings. This is really intense.

Sure is hot here in Sydney these days. A couple days ago a section of the Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney was closed because it was too soft to drive on. It melted!

@pzmyers blogged about this story at the Smithsonian

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/daring-journey-across-antarctica-became-nightmare-180967223/

I have downloaded the book for free to my kindle and looking forward to a chilling (in all senses) read.

The part of the American Dream that insists that when we grow up we *need* to own a home is crap.

Been there, done that.

I voluntarily choose to go homeless in 2016 and couldn't be happier. I recommend it to everyone. Do you really need all that stuff?

@kensanata Actually, the two birds were "playing" with one another. They moved about once or twice to new positions during this interlude. later, when another bird came by, both got up and wandered away. Strange behaviour.

The sun is finally out and it is warm out. Summer seems to be finally here.

In a theater in Hobart, Tasmania to watch the latest Dr Who. I hope I don't look as strange as do most of the folks who turned on Boxing Day to see this.