Be sure to read the whole thing.

Matthew Meyer's depiction of two kodama, whose tree form are thin skeletal trees with sparse greenage, and whose human form are two old people, one an old man in Buddhist-esque robes and a broom to clean its own leaves with, and a hunched over old woman with her own broom doing much the same.

If a tree reaches 100 years of age, its soul develops the ability to manifest out of its body. In Japan this is called a Kodama (木霊), a tree with a manifesting spirit. What form they take varies, and they can defend their forest with force. #FolkloreSunday

🖼: M. Meyer

Independent bookstores make quiet comeback as big chains dominate retail About 422 indie bookshops opened in 2025, up 31%, defying predictions of retail consolidation

"Independent bookstores make quiet comeback as big chains dominate retail"

"About 422 indie bookshops opened in 2025, up 31%, defying predictions of retail consolidation"

Map showing the western United States mean temperature for January to March 2026 relative to a 1991-2020 departure.

Almost the entire Western United States is averaging more than 5°F warmer than the most recent 1991-2020 climate baseline so far in 2026, which is truly remarkable. Off the color scale here!

Graphic from wrcc.dri.edu/my/

Wow, it's Thursday and the president that openly threatened the eradication of an entire civilization on Tuesday is somehow still the president.

OHM 🦭

(Sleeping Seal)

Draft dodgers shouldn’t have the power to impose the draft.

AP says it will offer buyouts as part of pivot away from newspaper-focused history The Associated Press says it will offer buyouts to an unspecified number of its U.S.-based journalists as part of an acceleration away from the focus on newspapers and their print journalism that sust...

People should actually be very alarmed that while AP's business model is shot to bits, Americans are still very much reliant on the news it delivers. The alternatives in some cases are inferior or non-existent.
apnews.com/article/news...

Photo from Oceana of a Marine Iguana with hatchling on back, looks as if they are smiling. Every Day Should Be Earth Day!! Sunday's Peaceful Moment of Zen with this magnificent Marine Iguana and hatchling on back. Aquatic, dives deep, holds breath up to 45 minutes while underwater. Warm blooded and must warm body in the Sun before eating, highly gregarious, will huddle with other iguanas to warm their bodies. Lives up to 30 yrs. Vulnerable

Every Day Should Be Earth Day!!

Sunday's Peaceful Moment of Zen with this magnificent Marine Iguana and hatchling. Aquatic, dives deep, holds breath up to 45 min. Algae main food source. Warm blooded, huddled w/others to warm enough after swimming to eat. Lives 30 yrs. Vulnerable 🌎

Photo/Oceana

But shall this crazed old man be tamely suffered to drag a whole ship’s company down to doom with him?

Morally, legally, economically the war on Iran is disastrous and the disaster goes on for years no matter what happens now. But what cannot be overstated is that in pure national security terms it is also an unmitigated catastrophe.

The President of the U.S. The man with the nuclear codes. And people are just going to pretend this is ok.

In a functioning society, he would be removed from office within hours by his own party.

Omg! Huge shoutout to San Francisco, CA! Ocean Beach, you crushed it! 🌊

#chronicillness community, here’s something you want to read

You have no idea how glad I am that you posted this. It's been happening to me for years and it always freaks me out.

To be clear to historians: Despite what contemporary government propagandists insist, absolutely no one in America sincerely believes that Iran is a threat to us. Pretty much everyone knows this is a stupid and pointless war, but we are essentially hostages in a police state.

Rick Steves' Iran (2009) YouTube video by Rick Steves' Europe

Tried watching @ricksteves.bsky.social Iran episode and only made it 30 seconds before getting choked up at the sight of darling Iranian school girls.

If only everyone could see their humanity. ❤️‍🩹 A must watch.

youtu.be/CYoa9hI3CXg?...

If it’s true that the United States bombed an elementary school and killed scores of children it is an unfathomable crime. I have never been more disgusted to be an American.

When you’re living with chronic illness, your body calls the shots.

It doesn’t matter how hard you try.

It doesn’t matter how badly you “want” to do something.

There’s time when your body will say “No”.

You’re no longer in control and it can be devastating.

If this isn’t one of the biggest stories of the day, then it should be.

Americans are stranded in the Middle East because of Donald Trump’s war in Iran, but they’re flying out MAGA “influencers” on private jets?

U.S. Opens Military Action in Ecuador Against ‘Terrorist Organizations’

i'm sorry what (gift link because i'm sorry WHAT)

The numbers are staggering:

Rent is now unaffordable for a record *half* of U.S. renters.

Some 30 million jobs pay less than $15 an hour. The average wage needed to afford a one-bedroom apartment has climbed to $28.17 — nearly four times the federal minimum wage, which hasn't gone up in 16 years.

Paperback edition of There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone

Today the paperback of THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US is out.

It's arriving in a country once again waging war—a country that can spend tens of billions on bombs without blinking, while millions of Americans are one missed paycheck, one rent hike away from homelessness.

Let's take stock of where we are.

ㅤ
Let there be an opening into the quiet that lies beneath the chaos, where you find the peace you did not think possible and see what shimmers within the storm.

— Jan Richardson, Blessing in the Chaos

Beta Alpha Tao 🦇

gif: Bats illuminated by lightning — theneolistickid
ㅤ

ICE was very active in Minneapolis today, they kidnapped multiple people. ICE didn't leave, the media has moved on but we are still under federal occupation.

A tiny dog on a huge red chair called Siegfried by Thomas Theodor Heine, 1921.

🐾 ♥️ Just had to share this little guy called Siegfried by Thomas Theodor Heine, 1921.

Visit Exploring Art History: substack.com/@ideasroadshow

🗃️ #arthistory #caturday #dog #dogsofbluesky #dogsofbsky #dogs

RobinReach

Today, I am joining the #ShowYourStripes campaign in honour of #RareDiseaseDay and the millions of people all over the planet living with a #RareDisease. Visit rarediseaseday.us To learn more and get involved @RareDiseases (@nord_rare) 🤍🖤🤍🖤 #Zebras

Anthropic responds to Hegseth. www.anthropic.com/news/stateme...

background is purple with a bunch of cells and germs and viruses - we shouldn't have to "look sick" to receive proper care @the.chronic.couple

@the.chronic.couple

Arrest them.