Kris Gates
@krismgates.bsky.social
Scientist, atheist, educator. Proud PNW liberal; Oregon.
Striving to be a part of our more perfect union. Lover of birds, cats, baking & preserving. Facts Matter.
#Bird photos are mine unless noted otherwise.
Joined 4/24 Missing Post News!
She/her/pissed
Striving to be a part of our more perfect union. Lover of birds, cats, baking & preserving. Facts Matter.
#Bird photos are mine unless noted otherwise.
Joined 4/24 Missing Post News!
She/her/pissed
46 at the weekly corner protest. It was chilly, even though we're now an hour earlier to be done by sunset. Plenty of traffic still.
When the young checker at Trader Joe's today asked me what I'd be doing later, I paused for a beat & told him I'd be at the corner protesting as I am most Fridays. 🧵
When the young checker at Trader Joe's today asked me what I'd be doing later, I paused for a beat & told him I'd be at the corner protesting as I am most Fridays. 🧵
November 22, 2025 at 1:20 AM
46 at the weekly corner protest. It was chilly, even though we're now an hour earlier to be done by sunset. Plenty of traffic still.
When the young checker at Trader Joe's today asked me what I'd be doing later, I paused for a beat & told him I'd be at the corner protesting as I am most Fridays. 🧵
When the young checker at Trader Joe's today asked me what I'd be doing later, I paused for a beat & told him I'd be at the corner protesting as I am most Fridays. 🧵
Bouquet of the Day
Badger came and took a sniff but didn’t want to be in the photo this time.
Badger came and took a sniff but didn’t want to be in the photo this time.
November 22, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Bouquet of the Day
Badger came and took a sniff but didn’t want to be in the photo this time.
Badger came and took a sniff but didn’t want to be in the photo this time.
Have to quote my well-informed friend, @curtkipp.bsky.social, here:
“Just to be blunt, the president and his propaganda chief seem to think if you call yourself Frank, it gives you license to be Dick as well.
Nope.”
“Just to be blunt, the president and his propaganda chief seem to think if you call yourself Frank, it gives you license to be Dick as well.
Nope.”
November 21, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Have to quote my well-informed friend, @curtkipp.bsky.social, here:
“Just to be blunt, the president and his propaganda chief seem to think if you call yourself Frank, it gives you license to be Dick as well.
Nope.”
“Just to be blunt, the president and his propaganda chief seem to think if you call yourself Frank, it gives you license to be Dick as well.
Nope.”
Reposted by Kris Gates
#BREAKING: A student intern at Rhode Island Superior Court was briefly taken into custody by ICE this afternoon before a judge intervened, 12 News has learned. Story by @jusolyn.bsky.social and @timwhiteri.bsky.social: ⤵️
RI judge intervenes after ICE mistakenly detains Superior Court intern
A teenager was nearly taken into federal immigration custody in Providence Thursday afternoon before a Superior Court judge intervened, according to the Rhode Island Judiciary.
www.wpri.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:51 PM
#BREAKING: A student intern at Rhode Island Superior Court was briefly taken into custody by ICE this afternoon before a judge intervened, 12 News has learned. Story by @jusolyn.bsky.social and @timwhiteri.bsky.social: ⤵️
#Bird of the Day: Spotted Towhee (SPTO)
The distinctive scratchy caw of this large sparrow is common in my yard, and these birds visit my feeder. They were also a frequent sound in the scrubby habitats of Monterey, but I came home without a single photo of one! Perhaps I didn’t try that hard since
The distinctive scratchy caw of this large sparrow is common in my yard, and these birds visit my feeder. They were also a frequent sound in the scrubby habitats of Monterey, but I came home without a single photo of one! Perhaps I didn’t try that hard since
November 21, 2025 at 3:51 PM
#Bird of the Day: Spotted Towhee (SPTO)
The distinctive scratchy caw of this large sparrow is common in my yard, and these birds visit my feeder. They were also a frequent sound in the scrubby habitats of Monterey, but I came home without a single photo of one! Perhaps I didn’t try that hard since
The distinctive scratchy caw of this large sparrow is common in my yard, and these birds visit my feeder. They were also a frequent sound in the scrubby habitats of Monterey, but I came home without a single photo of one! Perhaps I didn’t try that hard since
Reposted by Kris Gates
When the President of the United States starts calling for lawmakers to be killed, he definitely needs to be REMOVED IMMEDIATELY!
November 21, 2025 at 4:40 AM
When the President of the United States starts calling for lawmakers to be killed, he definitely needs to be REMOVED IMMEDIATELY!
Reposted by Kris Gates
He is dangerously insane. He needs to go...NOW.
November 20, 2025 at 4:27 PM
He is dangerously insane. He needs to go...NOW.
My parents were told that 3 construction workers at their senior facility were seized by ICE on Monday. No word on their status. I am just sick. Sick for the workers & families, sick of our new cruel reality where real criminals are celebrated as decent immigrants are targeted by the police state.
November 20, 2025 at 4:25 PM
My parents were told that 3 construction workers at their senior facility were seized by ICE on Monday. No word on their status. I am just sick. Sick for the workers & families, sick of our new cruel reality where real criminals are celebrated as decent immigrants are targeted by the police state.
Reposted by Kris Gates
Whistles are one of the most accessible tools in resisting ICE.
Here’s how to use them:
Here’s how to use them:
November 20, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Whistles are one of the most accessible tools in resisting ICE.
Here’s how to use them:
Here’s how to use them:
#Bird of the Day: White-faced Ibis (WFIB)
It’s going to take me a few weeks to sort through the ~9000 photos I brought home from my recent trip, but that’s just the sort of project I love! Here’s a bird from last April’s visit to eastern Oregon: the White-faced Ibis. This gives me a chance to share
It’s going to take me a few weeks to sort through the ~9000 photos I brought home from my recent trip, but that’s just the sort of project I love! Here’s a bird from last April’s visit to eastern Oregon: the White-faced Ibis. This gives me a chance to share
November 20, 2025 at 3:54 PM
#Bird of the Day: White-faced Ibis (WFIB)
It’s going to take me a few weeks to sort through the ~9000 photos I brought home from my recent trip, but that’s just the sort of project I love! Here’s a bird from last April’s visit to eastern Oregon: the White-faced Ibis. This gives me a chance to share
It’s going to take me a few weeks to sort through the ~9000 photos I brought home from my recent trip, but that’s just the sort of project I love! Here’s a bird from last April’s visit to eastern Oregon: the White-faced Ibis. This gives me a chance to share
Reposted by Kris Gates
💩 administration moves to roll back some Endangered Species Act protections www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Trump administration moves to roll back some Endangered Species Act protections
The proposed changes include the elimination of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “blanket rule” that automatically protects animals and plants when they are classified as threatened.
www.nbcnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:53 AM
💩 administration moves to roll back some Endangered Species Act protections www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Reposted by Kris Gates
Snows geese taking flight at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico today. Breathtaking!!! Turn up the volume! And they aren’t even at their peak numbers, they just started arriving. Photos later!
#birds #snowgeese #nature #wildlife 🪶
#birds #snowgeese #nature #wildlife 🪶
November 16, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Snows geese taking flight at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico today. Breathtaking!!! Turn up the volume! And they aren’t even at their peak numbers, they just started arriving. Photos later!
#birds #snowgeese #nature #wildlife 🪶
#birds #snowgeese #nature #wildlife 🪶
The pineapple sage is finally blooming, giving the hummingbirds sweet sips until we finally get our first hard frost of the season.
November 19, 2025 at 11:06 PM
The pineapple sage is finally blooming, giving the hummingbirds sweet sips until we finally get our first hard frost of the season.
Today begins the planning for Cookie Platters 2025!
November 19, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Today begins the planning for Cookie Platters 2025!
Reposted by Kris Gates
History books sold us this fantasy that dictatorships arrive with marching boots and a sudden blackout. In reality they slip in quietly while life keeps going—work, bills, errands. The danger is in how normal it all feels while our rights dissolve in plain sight. #Pinks #Momsky
November 19, 2025 at 5:34 PM
A skim of his speech reveals it's a toxic mixture of lies, addled dementia, sucking up to his rich Saudi pals & vengeful fantasies. This man is not (& has never been) fit to lead- & it's getting worse. The corruption is out in the open; the venality & cruelty are on full display. I weep for America.
Donald Trump Saudi Arabia Investment Forum | Rev
Donald Trump proposes a golden age for the Middle East in a speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum. Read the transcript here.
www.rev.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:05 PM
A skim of his speech reveals it's a toxic mixture of lies, addled dementia, sucking up to his rich Saudi pals & vengeful fantasies. This man is not (& has never been) fit to lead- & it's getting worse. The corruption is out in the open; the venality & cruelty are on full display. I weep for America.
My credit card just spiked my heart rate by sending me a fraud alert text-- telling me my card had been used for a purchase in a foreign country. I imagined the worst-- until I logged in and realized it was my annual auto-subscription to @theguardian.com , the British news media corp. Whew!
November 19, 2025 at 4:24 PM
My credit card just spiked my heart rate by sending me a fraud alert text-- telling me my card had been used for a purchase in a foreign country. I imagined the worst-- until I logged in and realized it was my annual auto-subscription to @theguardian.com , the British news media corp. Whew!
Bonus Wandering Tattler amid the rocks and surf in Pacific Grove, California. 🪶
November 19, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Bonus Wandering Tattler amid the rocks and surf in Pacific Grove, California. 🪶
#Bird of the Day: Wandering Tattler (WATA)
Among the birds I found on my travels in the Monterey, California, region, many were familiar to me—either because they’re also in Oregon or I’ve encountered them on previous trips. But I did see a handful of “lifers”, which always holds a special thrill.
Among the birds I found on my travels in the Monterey, California, region, many were familiar to me—either because they’re also in Oregon or I’ve encountered them on previous trips. But I did see a handful of “lifers”, which always holds a special thrill.
November 19, 2025 at 3:52 PM
#Bird of the Day: Wandering Tattler (WATA)
Among the birds I found on my travels in the Monterey, California, region, many were familiar to me—either because they’re also in Oregon or I’ve encountered them on previous trips. But I did see a handful of “lifers”, which always holds a special thrill.
Among the birds I found on my travels in the Monterey, California, region, many were familiar to me—either because they’re also in Oregon or I’ve encountered them on previous trips. But I did see a handful of “lifers”, which always holds a special thrill.
Reposted by Kris Gates
You may not be able to afford rent and groceries, and your health insurance may be about to skyrocket in 42 days, but the good news is that the Saudis got F-35s, nuclear tech, and security guarantees after putting hundreds of millions in Trump’s pocket.
November 19, 2025 at 11:20 AM
You may not be able to afford rent and groceries, and your health insurance may be about to skyrocket in 42 days, but the good news is that the Saudis got F-35s, nuclear tech, and security guarantees after putting hundreds of millions in Trump’s pocket.
Reposted by Kris Gates
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
The spiders have been busy.
November 18, 2025 at 6:34 PM
The spiders have been busy.
Reposted by Kris Gates
Parallels in History🤨
November 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Parallels in History🤨
I think this would make a fantastic puzzle!
California's Carmel Valley, but they obviously serve as an important food source for many animals.
November 18, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I think this would make a fantastic puzzle!
#Bird of the Day: Oak Titmouse (OATI)
Titmice are members of the Paridae family that also includes the tits and chickadees, and there are five distinct species of titmice, none of which are found in my part of Oregon. On my recent trip to California’s Monterey Bay region, I had my first sightings
Titmice are members of the Paridae family that also includes the tits and chickadees, and there are five distinct species of titmice, none of which are found in my part of Oregon. On my recent trip to California’s Monterey Bay region, I had my first sightings
November 18, 2025 at 2:38 PM
#Bird of the Day: Oak Titmouse (OATI)
Titmice are members of the Paridae family that also includes the tits and chickadees, and there are five distinct species of titmice, none of which are found in my part of Oregon. On my recent trip to California’s Monterey Bay region, I had my first sightings
Titmice are members of the Paridae family that also includes the tits and chickadees, and there are five distinct species of titmice, none of which are found in my part of Oregon. On my recent trip to California’s Monterey Bay region, I had my first sightings