Two people sit on a shaded wooden porch at Dudley Family Farm in Florida. One woman wears a bright purple bonnet and dress, focused on hand‑sewing a piece of white fabric held in an embroidery hoop. Beside her, a visitor in modern clothing reads a black‑and‑white informational pamphlet. Both rest in wooden rocking chairs, surrounded by weathered boards and simple farm furnishings that evoke the site’s 19th‑century history. The scene captures a quiet moment of traditional craft demonstration and visitor engagement.

A close-up of a handmade craft piece displayed at Dudley Farm. A smooth wooden disc sits at the center, its growth rings forming natural circular patterns. Coiled natural fibers radiate outward, held in place by tight black thread woven in a net-like pattern. On one side, bright turquoise thread and small beads add a pop of color against the warm browns of the wood and fibers. The detailed weaving and mix of textures highlight traditional handcraft techniques demonstrated at the historic farm.

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekPforPurple
This purple-clad woman told us all about her craft skills. Seen at DUDLEY FARM HISTORIC STATE PARK, Florida. [2019]

Tell Congress: End the Illegal War on Iran act.indivisible.org/sign/no-iran...

Palantir manifesto described as ‘ramblings of a supervillain’ amid UK contract fears Alarm caused by posts of Alex Karp, tech firm’s CEO, championing US military dominance and of AI weapons

Palantir manifesto described as ‘ramblings of a supervillain’ amid UK contract fears
#AlexKarp #TechLeadership #AIDominance #MilitaryTech #FutureOfAI #EthicsInAI #InnovationDebate #USMilitary #TechForGood #AIWeaponsDebate
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

The surprising origin of 4 features that superglue kids — and adults — to screens Taken together, these four features can create a trancelike state that can keep us stuck on social media apps or video games for hours. Children are particularly vulnerable.

Hint: Think slot machines ...

What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat For the richest men on Earth, everything is free and nothing matters.

Gift article

What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

Martyn Stewart has the last known recording of the now-extinct golden Panamanian frog. He says he is deeply worried about a catastrophic decline in wildlife populations around the world. cbsn.ws/4vGv8rn

‘Invisible’ birds spotted with thermal imaging | Science | AAAS
Approach could help reveal which migrating species are most vulnerable to wind turbines and light pollution

www.science.org/content/arti...

A colour collage of 12 pictures showing handmade gifts for home and hound by misheleneous. Including kennel club dog breed bag charms, keyrings and brooches. Plus bandanas and toy bones, wooden and acrylic jewellery and Robert Smith bag accessory

Black and white photograph of me (Helen) and Heidi border terrier sat on my knee in Heaton Park, Prestwich, Manchester

Hello New Followers 👋🐾

And a HUGE Thank You to those who support my #SmallBusiness @misheleneous.bsky.social on #BlueSky since I moved here from Twitter in October 2024

Your Reposts of my work & products is invaluable in finding me new customers 🫶

misheleneous.etsy.com

#Etsy #DogsOfBlueSky #Dogs

Yes: go along - comply - do your part.

Chilling, in retrospect.

Tragic for all

https://www.theworldwar.org/ | Early‑20th‑century Ford ambulance on display at the National WWI Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. The vehicle has a wooden, boxy medical transport body mounted on a Model‑T–style chassis with spoked wheels and a front radiator grille. It sits behind low protective barriers. Behind it, brightly lit wartime posters line the wall, including a large “Fourth Liberty Loan” image of a classical figure with shield and sword and another depicting Kaiser Wilhelm. The scene highlights the medical and propaganda elements of the World War I era.

Display case at the National WWI Museum in Kansas City showing a neatly arranged collection of early‑20th‑century personal items. Objects include round eyeglasses in a worn case, a pocket watch with its chain coiled beside it, a small tin of Burlington Pure Soluble Coffee, a Swan Vestas matchbox, a Piedmont Cigarettes pack, and a Durham smoking‑tobacco booklet. A cloth pouch marked “U.S.A.” holds domino pieces spilling slightly outward. Also visible are a metal pocketknife, a beaded rosary, a chewing‑gum card, and a folded booklet of black‑and‑white photos. The items rest on a neutral surface under soft exhibit lighting, evoking the everyday belongings carried by soldiers during World War I.

Two visitors stand in front of a brightly lit wall of framed World War I–era posters at the National WWI Museum in Kansas City. The posters form a tight grid and feature bold patriotic imagery and slogans, including calls to save food, enlist in the Marines, buy Liberty Bonds, and support “Victory Girls” and “Victory Boys.” The figures in the posters—women in uniform, farmers, soldiers, and allegorical characters—are rendered in vivid early‑20th‑century illustration styles. The pair of viewers is silhouetted slightly against the display, emphasizing the colorful propaganda art behind them.

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekOforOld
photos from a 2021 visit to the National WWI Museum and Memorial - Kansas City, MO | an ambulance - personal items - posters from the era.

These wartime posters are fascinating to me. They tell us something about our country, and sometimes something about what the fighting is all about. There's a WW I memorial and museum in Kansas City, MO. I recall I have some photos of similar signage which I can post for our OforOld theme.

**Alt text:** A restored 1906 Ford Model N displayed outdoors on a brick street. The car is deep red with bright red spoked wheels, polished brass lamps, and a brass radiator plate engraved with “Ford 1906.” Its exposed front engine and black leather seat highlight the simple, early automotive design. People stand nearby, suggesting a car show setting.

**Alt text:** A rare 1916 Ford Tall‑T pickup on display at an outdoor car show. The truck has a brass Ford radiator, a wooden cab, and dark wheels, all showing the patina of an unrestored, century‑old vehicle. A sign in front notes it’s one of only three known to exist and the only fully original example. Another classic car and several spectators stand in the background.

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekOforOld

These motorcars were photographed in 2006 at a community car show in West Point, NE

Musk Gives a 50 Million-View Boost to COVID Vaccine Hoax X owner promotes the claim that COVID vaccines killed 60,000 people in Germany.

Musk Gives a 50 Million-View Boost to COVID Vaccine Hoax #COVIDVaccine #VaccineHoax #Misinformation #PublicHealth #VaccineAwareness #SocialMediaImpact #FactCheck #VaccineTruth open.substack.com/pub/newsguar...

Outdoor scene at a garden-themed gift shop in Micanopy, Florida. Rows of bright red poinsettias and other potted plants sit on a brick patio surrounded by colorful pinwheels, small flags, and whimsical garden ornaments. A small white Buddha-like statue rests among the plants. Behind them is a white shed decorated with signs, including one that says “GARDEN.” Three people move through the shaded space—one near the shed, one in a yellow shirt and wide-brimmed hat, and another by a table with plants and bottles. Tall trees frame the cozy, lush setting, giving the shop a vibrant, lived‑in feel.

#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekOforOld
This tiny gift shop is located in Micanopy, Florida.

Settled in 1821, it is Florida's oldest inland town.

Not far from the Gators of the Univ of Florida, and the wild horses and bison of Paine's Prairie.

How Lee Zeldin Shifted the Mission — and the Message — of the E.P.A. (Gift Article) More than any administrator in decades, Lee Zeldin talks about the Environmental Protection Agency's work in economic terms, reflecting President Trump’s desire to boost industry while downplaying env...

“It’s just staggering how far outside the parameters of what the agency is about he has taken it,” Christine Todd Whitman said. “He is completely undoing the mission of the E.P.A.” www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Edna Foa, Who Pioneered Exposure Therapy to Treat PTSD, Dies at 88

Gift article
I was fortunate to have attended two training classes with Dr. Foa several years ago. She was a pioneer in the field of exposure therapy for PTSD and other anxiety problems.
The guidance I received from her [her books and articles, too] were instrumental in my understanding of OCD.

Illiberalism Is Not Inevitable If Viktor Orbán can lose, then his Russian and American admirers can lose too.

Gift article

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Holy guacamole
#beyondthepale

The only president stupid enough to do it.

Nearly $2 billion in dark money flooded our elections in 2024. Double the amount from 2020.

Buttigieg: "For the leader of this country to make a nakedly genocidal threat against another civilization as if the US was a death star that was going around blowing up civilizations, of course that is a new low ... the whole country is being judged just for tolerating that kind of thing at the WH"

As Japan warms, cherry blossom displays are fading Some trees in southern Japan are already failing to reach peak bloom—a trend researchers predict will move north in the coming decades

As Japan warms, cherry blossom displays are fading | Science | AAAS | Some trees in southern Japan are already failing to reach peak bloom—a trend researchers predict will move north in the coming decades www.science.org/content/arti...

If you weren't thinking about the Strait of Hormuz and skyrocketing gas prices before Trump started his war, it appears nobody at the Treasury Department was either.

That's according to a top Treasury official who was asked by my staff.

CDC delays publishing report showing covid vaccine benefits The acting CDC director cited concerns with the methodology, but the design has long been used to test vaccine effectiveness.

Exclusive: The acting director of the CDC has delayed publication of a report showing the covid-19 vaccine cut the likelihood of ER visits and hospitalizations for healthy adults last winter by about half, according to two scientists.

Bernie vs. Claude YouTube video by Senator Bernie Sanders

Bernie asks what we all need to know about #AI #AIprivacy

youtu.be/h3AtWdeu_G0?...

‘Masquerading as a university’: inside the brazen rightwing plan to conquer American schools As teachers eagerly adopt its free lesson plans and the White House boosts its videos, PragerU is intent on one goal: attracting young people to conservatism

Heads up!

www.theguardian.com/education/ng...

ALT: Three brightly colored novelty sodas sit on a storefront shelf in Estes Park, Colorado, photographed in September 2020. Each bottle has a playful, gross‑out theme from the “Always Ask for Avery’s” line: a yellow “Worm Ooze” soda with a cartoon worm, a pale pink “Dog Drool” soda with a drooling dog, and a neon green “Bug Barf” soda with a bug mid‑vomit. All three labels read “Totally Gross Soda” and “SODAsgusting,” giving the display a humorous, kid‑friendly, intentionally icky vibe.

#alphabetchallenge
#weekNforNonsense

Unusual flavor selections, as seen in a storefront in Estes Park Colorado, September 2020. Bottoms up!

U.S. Forest Service unveils extensive closures of research facilities Cost-cutting move is expected to cause resignations and turmoil

U.S. Forest Service unveils extensive closures of research facilities | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Spudhenge, perhaps?

Close-up of pet food packaging showing the top half of an illustrated orange cat with green eyes and white-tipped ears. Beside it, partial text reads “Salmon & Pumpkin R” and “Bone Broth Infused” on a cream and maroon background.

#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekNforNonsense

Whilst shopping for Kitty food for our senior cat, it occurred to me that many cats might have a gourmet experience that's substantially beyond my own. Really? Outrageous!