Lesley M
@lesleymath.bsky.social
Fascinated by games, puppets, nature, crafting & random oddities
Reposted by Lesley M
The full reasoning is essentially “we heavily armed cops won’t get into a battle with heavily armed feds over this”
Make of that what you will, but it sounds to me like the LAPD is perfectly happy letting feds run wild through the community
they’ve got their own unarmed civilians to shoot anyway
Make of that what you will, but it sounds to me like the LAPD is perfectly happy letting feds run wild through the community
they’ve got their own unarmed civilians to shoot anyway
January 30, 2026 at 3:01 AM
The full reasoning is essentially “we heavily armed cops won’t get into a battle with heavily armed feds over this”
Make of that what you will, but it sounds to me like the LAPD is perfectly happy letting feds run wild through the community
they’ve got their own unarmed civilians to shoot anyway
Make of that what you will, but it sounds to me like the LAPD is perfectly happy letting feds run wild through the community
they’ve got their own unarmed civilians to shoot anyway
Reposted by Lesley M
In case anyone wants a little break, here are a few of my favorite facts that I learned in 2025, in no particular order.
Some trees benefit from, and may even encourage, getting struck by lightning because it kills their nearby competitors nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Some trees benefit from, and may even encourage, getting struck by lightning because it kills their nearby competitors nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
January 28, 2026 at 3:44 PM
In case anyone wants a little break, here are a few of my favorite facts that I learned in 2025, in no particular order.
Some trees benefit from, and may even encourage, getting struck by lightning because it kills their nearby competitors nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Some trees benefit from, and may even encourage, getting struck by lightning because it kills their nearby competitors nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Pics from a nice walk the other day.
January 28, 2026 at 4:38 AM
Pics from a nice walk the other day.
Reposted by Lesley M
The first time Charlie Chaplin spoke onscreen, he implored the people of the world to resist the rising tide of fascism.
Nearly 90 years later, it remains a timely message.
Nearly 90 years later, it remains a timely message.
January 8, 2026 at 9:05 PM
The first time Charlie Chaplin spoke onscreen, he implored the people of the world to resist the rising tide of fascism.
Nearly 90 years later, it remains a timely message.
Nearly 90 years later, it remains a timely message.
Reposted by Lesley M
One of Disney’s first acts after buying the Muppets was standardizing the character names across all languages.
This required a rather charming in-character explanation as to why Kermit the Frog had been known in Latin American Spanish as la Rana René (literally René the Frog) up to that point:
This required a rather charming in-character explanation as to why Kermit the Frog had been known in Latin American Spanish as la Rana René (literally René the Frog) up to that point:
January 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM
One of Disney’s first acts after buying the Muppets was standardizing the character names across all languages.
This required a rather charming in-character explanation as to why Kermit the Frog had been known in Latin American Spanish as la Rana René (literally René the Frog) up to that point:
This required a rather charming in-character explanation as to why Kermit the Frog had been known in Latin American Spanish as la Rana René (literally René the Frog) up to that point:
Reposted by Lesley M
"I'll speak today about the rupture in the world order, the end of the pleasant fiction and the dawn of a brutal reality in which great-power geopolitics is unconstrained."
An extraordinary speech from Canada's prime minister.
An extraordinary speech from Canada's prime minister.
Remarkable speech from Mark Carney today at Davos, worth reading in full. Thanks to Paul Wells for transcribing (and translating the French portion): paulwells.substack.com/p/the-carney...
The Carney doctrine
Open comment thread on the PM's Davos speech
paulwells.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:22 AM
"I'll speak today about the rupture in the world order, the end of the pleasant fiction and the dawn of a brutal reality in which great-power geopolitics is unconstrained."
An extraordinary speech from Canada's prime minister.
An extraordinary speech from Canada's prime minister.
Reposted by Lesley M
It was inevitable.
Amazon's Ring to partner with Flock, a network of AI cameras used by ICE, feds, and police | TechCrunch
Agencies that use Flock can request that Ring doorbell users share footage to help with "evidence collection and investigative work."
techcrunch.com
January 19, 2026 at 8:02 AM
It was inevitable.
Reposted by Lesley M
Coyotes are such fascinating, maligned animals. As generalists, they survive in every environment, from the wilds of Yellowstone and Yosemite to urban streets and suburban neighborhoods. Now they’re swimming to Bay Area islands. First it was Angel Island… now The Rock?
www.sfgate.com/local/articl...
www.sfgate.com/local/articl...
San Francisco coyote swims to Alcatraz for first time ever
"This was the first time our park biologists observed anything like this."
www.sfgate.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Coyotes are such fascinating, maligned animals. As generalists, they survive in every environment, from the wilds of Yellowstone and Yosemite to urban streets and suburban neighborhoods. Now they’re swimming to Bay Area islands. First it was Angel Island… now The Rock?
www.sfgate.com/local/articl...
www.sfgate.com/local/articl...
Reposted by Lesley M
BREAKING: This dog is named Susan From Accounting
January 17, 2026 at 3:49 AM
BREAKING: This dog is named Susan From Accounting
Reposted by Lesley M
THREAD.
A collection of random dogs I have met on my adventures in the British countryside.
You will find the captions to the photos in the alt text.
A collection of random dogs I have met on my adventures in the British countryside.
You will find the captions to the photos in the alt text.
January 15, 2026 at 3:08 PM
THREAD.
A collection of random dogs I have met on my adventures in the British countryside.
You will find the captions to the photos in the alt text.
A collection of random dogs I have met on my adventures in the British countryside.
You will find the captions to the photos in the alt text.
Reposted by Lesley M
Here's a weird question:
How do whales sleep without drowning?
These sperm whales are power-napping below the water's surface, hanging like cocoons in the ocean.
But whales evolved from land creatures: they breathe under *voluntary control*. What happens when the conscious mind shuts down?
How do whales sleep without drowning?
These sperm whales are power-napping below the water's surface, hanging like cocoons in the ocean.
But whales evolved from land creatures: they breathe under *voluntary control*. What happens when the conscious mind shuts down?
January 15, 2026 at 2:38 AM
Here's a weird question:
How do whales sleep without drowning?
These sperm whales are power-napping below the water's surface, hanging like cocoons in the ocean.
But whales evolved from land creatures: they breathe under *voluntary control*. What happens when the conscious mind shuts down?
How do whales sleep without drowning?
These sperm whales are power-napping below the water's surface, hanging like cocoons in the ocean.
But whales evolved from land creatures: they breathe under *voluntary control*. What happens when the conscious mind shuts down?
Reposted by Lesley M
How is the City of LA doing financially HALFWAY through the fiscal year? 🤔
General Fund Revenues are slightly up compared to this time last fiscal year BUT Expenditures are ALSO UP. We expect spending to continue to increase for the remainder. 💰
Visit revexp.lacontroller.app
General Fund Revenues are slightly up compared to this time last fiscal year BUT Expenditures are ALSO UP. We expect spending to continue to increase for the remainder. 💰
Visit revexp.lacontroller.app
January 14, 2026 at 5:31 AM
How is the City of LA doing financially HALFWAY through the fiscal year? 🤔
General Fund Revenues are slightly up compared to this time last fiscal year BUT Expenditures are ALSO UP. We expect spending to continue to increase for the remainder. 💰
Visit revexp.lacontroller.app
General Fund Revenues are slightly up compared to this time last fiscal year BUT Expenditures are ALSO UP. We expect spending to continue to increase for the remainder. 💰
Visit revexp.lacontroller.app
Reposted by Lesley M
They are building this massive new data science and AI institute (that will house 100 faculty) next door to the department that studies climate change (which, checks notes, has 15ish faculty) in a building that is non-functional most days.
Which says just about every fucking thing about 2026.
Which says just about every fucking thing about 2026.
MORE TREE-CUTTING- the big oak trees on the site of Johns Hopkins’ Data Science and AI Institute (DSAI) are coming down now…..
January 13, 2026 at 8:57 PM
They are building this massive new data science and AI institute (that will house 100 faculty) next door to the department that studies climate change (which, checks notes, has 15ish faculty) in a building that is non-functional most days.
Which says just about every fucking thing about 2026.
Which says just about every fucking thing about 2026.
Reposted by Lesley M
The wisdom of Mr. Rogers is eternal:
January 4, 2026 at 11:57 AM
The wisdom of Mr. Rogers is eternal:
Just a reminder that now is an excellent time to make your opinions known to your representatives. 5calls.org makes it extremely easy to do this, and they have an app for your phone as well as their website.
5 Calls
Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.
5calls.org
January 3, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Just a reminder that now is an excellent time to make your opinions known to your representatives. 5calls.org makes it extremely easy to do this, and they have an app for your phone as well as their website.
Reposted by Lesley M
More reaction to Maduro’s “arrest”
January 3, 2026 at 4:16 PM
More reaction to Maduro’s “arrest”
This is a really great summary of the issues at hand with the attack last night on Venezuela, well worth watching.
Stop the car. Turn off any live news feed you are watching. Back up, watch this lady first before anything else. Thanks for everything you're doing, @hcrichardson.bsky.social, you are the right voice for this moment. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JXQ...
Today's News, January 3, 2025
YouTube video by Heather Cox Richardson
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:21 PM
This is a really great summary of the issues at hand with the attack last night on Venezuela, well worth watching.
Reposted by Lesley M
A single crow flies in front of the 97.8% waxing gibbous moon tonight. 🪶
January 2, 2026 at 5:34 AM
A single crow flies in front of the 97.8% waxing gibbous moon tonight. 🪶
Reposted by Lesley M
Good luck to the homeowner, tenants have a lot of rights in California.
Black bear living underneath California house shows no sign of budging as homeowner mulls legal action
Black bear living underneath Altadena house shows no sign of budging as homeowner mulls legal action
The 550-pound black bear has taken up residence in the crawlspace underneath Ken Johnson's home in California for a month.
www.cbsnews.com
January 2, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Good luck to the homeowner, tenants have a lot of rights in California.
Reposted by Lesley M
Today's feel-good story (well, by 2025 standards): raccoon gets head stuck in a car wheel, rescued and successfully rehabbed by blueridgewildlife.bsky.social. Raccoon mad as hell, plans to sue manufacturer to include "pop off" button.
December 31, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Today's feel-good story (well, by 2025 standards): raccoon gets head stuck in a car wheel, rescued and successfully rehabbed by blueridgewildlife.bsky.social. Raccoon mad as hell, plans to sue manufacturer to include "pop off" button.
One coyote on the walk tonight. Usually there are up to 3 around the area in the evening. They get a steady supply of rabbits, rats, and fruit in the neighborhood.
December 31, 2025 at 6:12 AM
One coyote on the walk tonight. Usually there are up to 3 around the area in the evening. They get a steady supply of rabbits, rats, and fruit in the neighborhood.
Reposted by Lesley M
I've waited 3 years to make this post
December 30, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I've waited 3 years to make this post
Reposted by Lesley M
Great piece by @chuckwendig.bsky.social
Chuck Wendig had a great response:
My Open Letter To That Open Letter About AI In Writing And Publishing
The tl;dr before you get into this post is this: the SFWA came out, said that some AI usage was okay enough in books for the authors of those books to not to be disqualified from winning a Nebula a…
terribleminds.com
December 29, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Great piece by @chuckwendig.bsky.social
Reposted by Lesley M
My latest cartoon for @theguardian.com books.
December 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM
My latest cartoon for @theguardian.com books.
Reposted by Lesley M
Y’all might not appreciate it, but it took him 87 moves and 14 hours to get here
December 26, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Y’all might not appreciate it, but it took him 87 moves and 14 hours to get here