BLUE

Ffidelioscabinet.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 5:59pm

#naturetober returns! I got busy and now I am behind. So, here October 9—conifers. As someone in the southern US, I’m amused when people find out the iconic bald cypresses sticking up out of swamps are conifers. Not only that, they’re deciduous! They’re not the only ones—so are larches.

Western larch, or Larix occidentalis, watercolor by Mary Vaux Walcott, in the holdings of the Smithsonian (which has lots of interesting images you can use for free, if you need interesting free images, as does NASA and other offices, agencies, and departments of the US federal government. Do not support AI art thieves!)
Back to the image!
A small forked tree branch—or large twig—of a conifer, with small cones (about the top joint of a thumb) that show their seeds, but aren’t yet mature enough to open and release them. The leaves are like needles and are light green and soft to touch. In fall they’ll turn bright yellow.
More on western larches, larches generally, and bald cypress is at Wikipedia.

DWweiskopf.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 5:34pm

This is one of many examples of conservative bias among elected Dems, especially in higher office. The easiest way to understand this is that they are, on average, much older and richer than most ppl. Younger electeds in lower offices risk making higher-ups look bad by challenging these positions.

DMprettyliltakemachine.is-extremely.gayOct 12, 2024 5:26pm

democrats uniquely struggle on trans rights because they have to differentiate themselves from republicans without talking about trans people, saying the word ‘trans,’ or pretending they see us as human beings at all

MSjobcreator.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 4:30pm

Person that sat a couple offices from me got fired this past week and I’m starting to feel like if I don’t go on a vacation in the next few weeks I’m gonna go insane

BKtheendismeh.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 4:23pm

In 2021, @zitron.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Remote work lays bare many brutal inefficiencies and problems that executives don’t want to deal with because they reflect poorly on leaders and those they’ve hired. Remote work empowers those who produce and disempowers those who have succeeded by being excellent diplomats and poor workers, along with those who have succeeded by always finding someone to blame for their failures. It removes the ability to seem productive (by sitting at your desk looking stressed or always being on the phone), and also, crucially, may reveal how many bosses and managers simply don’t contribute to the bottom line.

The reason working from home is so nightmarish for many managers and executives is that a great deal of modern business has been built on the substrate of in-person work. As a society, we tend to consider management a title rather than a skill, something to promote people to, as well as a way in which you can abstract yourself from the work product. When you remove the physical office space—the place where people are yelled at in private offices or singled out in meetings—it becomes a lot harder to spook people as a type of management. In fact, your position at a company becomes more difficult to justify if all you do is delegate and nag people.

These petty fiefdoms are far harder to maintain when everyone is remote. Although you may be able to get away with multiple passive-aggressive comments to colleagues in private meetings or calls, it’s much harder to be a jerk over Slack, email, and text when someone can screenshot it and send it to HR (or to a journalist). Similarly, if your entire work product is boxing up other people’s production and sending it to the CEO, that becomes significantly harder to prove as your own in a fully digital environment—the producer in question can simply send it along themselves. Remote work makes who does and doesn’t actually do work way more obvious.

LAlaurenmeidasa.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 4:09pm

After being targeted by three different shootings over a three-week period, Arizona Democratic Party has decided to close one of their field offices in a must-win swing state out of concern for the safety of staff and volunteers. www.rawstory.com/tempe-arizona/

Democrats close field office in must-win swing state after 3 shootings

After being targeted by three different shootings over a three-week period, Democrats have decided to close one of their field offices in a must-win swing state out of concern for the safety of staff ...

Ssmadin.netOct 12, 2024 3:06pm

god bless state AG offices that don't know how to correctly redact text in a PDF, and public radio reporters who always try to copy and paste the redacted text just in case

RPrhacodactylus.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 2:25pm

yea, i also vote. i understand why people don't, and i will never vote shame someone for not voting; only for voting republican. the down ballot races are actually important for our politics. but votes for national offices? very rarely are there actual choices, just the illusion of choice

NInikkiiswriting.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 2:15pm

No, I honestly don't, or at least not with tattoos and blood draws. However, I am allergic to certain vaccines. I wouldn't say my reaction is an allergy, but my body definitely doesn't handle it well. I only get them done in the drs offices for this reason.

LHhouseoflife.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 1:53pm

🧵Good Meowning, Bluesky! Today in #KemeticLore #AncientEgyptian #horoscope fur Oct 12/II Akhet 12 is 𓄤𓄤𓄤 Efurrything will work out favorably wif patience. Kahun 𓈋 (Moar below)/1

An image of hieratic text on papyrus on top and hieroglyphic transcription on the bottom. Title and source text is included: Source: Bakir, A.M. (1966). The Cairo Calendar: No. 86637. Egypt. General Organization for Government Printing Offices. Image provided by @SaganandLoki. I Akhet 26 to II Akhet 3

CNcarlnyberg312.bsky.socialOct 12, 2024 1:51pm

Hypothesis: white make elected Democrats don't like the implications of Kamala Harris winning in 2024 after Obama won in 2008, because it suggests the door is closing on white guys getting elected to the highest offices.