TYRANNOSAURUS SMUDGE
@tyranosaurossmudge.bsky.social
Epiphanies and mundanities from a language arts type.
Don’t know anything about the E.U. of course, but maybe there needs to be a" U.S. of the E.U." A country willing to take the lead. Around that country, a real European continental power could begin to take form again.
February 13, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Don’t know anything about the E.U. of course, but maybe there needs to be a" U.S. of the E.U." A country willing to take the lead. Around that country, a real European continental power could begin to take form again.
Raskolnikov is a great example of a very smart, very moral person who talks himself into doing something only a dumb immoral person would do.... Useful to recall that this can be done.
February 13, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Raskolnikov is a great example of a very smart, very moral person who talks himself into doing something only a dumb immoral person would do.... Useful to recall that this can be done.
This was humbling from Mother Jones: “Trump Has Betrayed the People of Coal Country. They Love Him Anyway.”
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump has betrayed the people of coal country. They love him anyway.
“He thinks our people are idiots.”
www.motherjones.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:12 PM
This was humbling from Mother Jones: “Trump Has Betrayed the People of Coal Country. They Love Him Anyway.”
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Grandpa, though moving so slowly, has an uncanny ability to get in my way.
If I have tasks to complete at the sink, the stove and the fridge, he will first block my path to the sink (having his own mysterious tasks to complete)
If I have tasks to complete at the sink, the stove and the fridge, he will first block my path to the sink (having his own mysterious tasks to complete)
February 5, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Grandpa, though moving so slowly, has an uncanny ability to get in my way.
If I have tasks to complete at the sink, the stove and the fridge, he will first block my path to the sink (having his own mysterious tasks to complete)
If I have tasks to complete at the sink, the stove and the fridge, he will first block my path to the sink (having his own mysterious tasks to complete)
Remembering how dad could actually scare me by telling me there was "a man" in the house, so that I would actually go around the whole house looking for "the man," and keep a blunt object near my bed for self defense... But "the man" was always himself; he would encounter himself as another person.
February 5, 2026 at 2:03 AM
Remembering how dad could actually scare me by telling me there was "a man" in the house, so that I would actually go around the whole house looking for "the man," and keep a blunt object near my bed for self defense... But "the man" was always himself; he would encounter himself as another person.
GP: “Where am I supposed to be? The man said I was to get on the bus and travel West. Is there a place called So-and-So? No? Should I send a telegram? I’ll just say 'I accept the appointment,' and leave it at that."
February 5, 2026 at 1:56 AM
GP: “Where am I supposed to be? The man said I was to get on the bus and travel West. Is there a place called So-and-So? No? Should I send a telegram? I’ll just say 'I accept the appointment,' and leave it at that."
Under the heading of Mobility Issues, car coming to a full stop as they see Grandpa enter the crosswalk. By the way the car comes to a halt, you can almost see the driver’s mind turn from “I’ll just roll through this Stop” to “this is going to take a while.”
February 5, 2026 at 1:55 AM
Under the heading of Mobility Issues, car coming to a full stop as they see Grandpa enter the crosswalk. By the way the car comes to a halt, you can almost see the driver’s mind turn from “I’ll just roll through this Stop” to “this is going to take a while.”
I describe a house fly I've sequestered in a bathroom as being “the size of a fist” but it is really only my imagination that has made it to seem so gargantuan, only my imagination that makes me duck and run for cover whenever I encounter this “flying fist.”
February 3, 2026 at 8:51 PM
I describe a house fly I've sequestered in a bathroom as being “the size of a fist” but it is really only my imagination that has made it to seem so gargantuan, only my imagination that makes me duck and run for cover whenever I encounter this “flying fist.”
This seems like a good place to remark that as delusional and illogical as my dad could be at this time, not to mention physically weak, I was yet very afraid of him, of his moral censure. Exactly what you find in Kafka’s story “The Judgment.”
February 2, 2026 at 11:33 PM
This seems like a good place to remark that as delusional and illogical as my dad could be at this time, not to mention physically weak, I was yet very afraid of him, of his moral censure. Exactly what you find in Kafka’s story “The Judgment.”
Dad: the food is poisoned.
Big argument today. Me: why don’t you just shoot me and put me out of my misery? GP: That wouldn’t be in my interest.
Big argument today. Me: why don’t you just shoot me and put me out of my misery? GP: That wouldn’t be in my interest.
February 2, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Dad: the food is poisoned.
Big argument today. Me: why don’t you just shoot me and put me out of my misery? GP: That wouldn’t be in my interest.
Big argument today. Me: why don’t you just shoot me and put me out of my misery? GP: That wouldn’t be in my interest.
Grandpa talking about a piece of junk mail that's arrived: my wife (Oh, what’s her name! Lydia, thank you!) she contributed a large amount of money to a black acting troupe. These people are very competitive both among themselves and outsiders.
February 2, 2026 at 12:07 AM
Grandpa talking about a piece of junk mail that's arrived: my wife (Oh, what’s her name! Lydia, thank you!) she contributed a large amount of money to a black acting troupe. These people are very competitive both among themselves and outsiders.
–You have to remember there are two Lydias.
– No, there’s just the one.
– I’m not so sure.
– Yes.
– Well, in any event….
– No, there’s just the one.
– I’m not so sure.
– Yes.
– Well, in any event….
February 2, 2026 at 12:03 AM
–You have to remember there are two Lydias.
– No, there’s just the one.
– I’m not so sure.
– Yes.
– Well, in any event….
– No, there’s just the one.
– I’m not so sure.
– Yes.
– Well, in any event….
However foggy her mental state Lydia had always been crystal clear on two points: no, she didn’t want to see a doctor, and, no, she didn’t want to leave this house... but she is doing the best I’ve seen now that she is in memory care. She should have been placed here a long time ago.
February 2, 2026 at 12:03 AM
However foggy her mental state Lydia had always been crystal clear on two points: no, she didn’t want to see a doctor, and, no, she didn’t want to leave this house... but she is doing the best I’ve seen now that she is in memory care. She should have been placed here a long time ago.
If I interpret GP's remarks correctly, someone from Health and Human Services stopped by the house today, while I was at work, to check up on him. Probably because of the incident of him having called 911 about his "stolen dog."
January 31, 2026 at 9:51 PM
If I interpret GP's remarks correctly, someone from Health and Human Services stopped by the house today, while I was at work, to check up on him. Probably because of the incident of him having called 911 about his "stolen dog."
@80incognito.bsky.social reminds me I took a photo of my hand lately. Can't recall why. Reminded me of Creature from The Black Lagoon.
January 30, 2026 at 1:41 AM
@80incognito.bsky.social reminds me I took a photo of my hand lately. Can't recall why. Reminded me of Creature from The Black Lagoon.
GP: “How many people here take pills?” Me (holding up a finger): “one – you.” GP: “Really? that surprises me. That tells me one of two things is true. You either have very few clients or they have a strong resistance to pills.” Me: ”I’ll let you sort that out.” GP: “Right.”
January 29, 2026 at 8:45 PM
GP: “How many people here take pills?” Me (holding up a finger): “one – you.” GP: “Really? that surprises me. That tells me one of two things is true. You either have very few clients or they have a strong resistance to pills.” Me: ”I’ll let you sort that out.” GP: “Right.”
Grandpa (looking at the flowers my sister brought him for his birthday): “Those flowers make me wonder how old I am.”
Something unusual about the folks is that they show no awareness at all that they are old. They may even think of *me,* 30 yrs their junior, as being the old guy.
Something unusual about the folks is that they show no awareness at all that they are old. They may even think of *me,* 30 yrs their junior, as being the old guy.
January 29, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Grandpa (looking at the flowers my sister brought him for his birthday): “Those flowers make me wonder how old I am.”
Something unusual about the folks is that they show no awareness at all that they are old. They may even think of *me,* 30 yrs their junior, as being the old guy.
Something unusual about the folks is that they show no awareness at all that they are old. They may even think of *me,* 30 yrs their junior, as being the old guy.
I'm not sure what the etiquette of linking to what was once Twitter is here, but this was quite striking: "you raise your voice, I erase your voice." It is as if the new ICE recruits are idiot J6ers --
x.com/ClaireMPLS/s...
x.com/ClaireMPLS/s...
claire de lune on X: "“you raise your voice, i erase your voice” is about as succinct of a description of a fascist government as i could possibly write, and i’m a professional writer" / X
“you raise your voice, i erase your voice” is about as succinct of a description of a fascist government as i could possibly write, and i’m a professional writer
x.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:15 PM
I'm not sure what the etiquette of linking to what was once Twitter is here, but this was quite striking: "you raise your voice, I erase your voice." It is as if the new ICE recruits are idiot J6ers --
x.com/ClaireMPLS/s...
x.com/ClaireMPLS/s...
I’ve read that the human body doesn’t have receptors for ‘wetness’; our idea of ‘wet’ is actually a function of our sensation of temperature.
January 28, 2026 at 9:03 PM
I’ve read that the human body doesn’t have receptors for ‘wetness’; our idea of ‘wet’ is actually a function of our sensation of temperature.
Lucid Grandpa: the peace corps was a great experience but didn’t leave the country (Niger) off any better. Likely made it worse. My wife (meaning my mother, who predeceased him) may have had more success, working in the medical field with vaccinations.
January 28, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Lucid Grandpa: the peace corps was a great experience but didn’t leave the country (Niger) off any better. Likely made it worse. My wife (meaning my mother, who predeceased him) may have had more success, working in the medical field with vaccinations.
@charlayn.bsky.social may I ask what you think of this Goya painting (fresco) The Dog? In particular, I've always wondered if the shadowy section in the bottom right quadrant might be construed as the imprinted shadow of a viewer of the painting... Plausible? Anyway, do you have a response to this?
January 28, 2026 at 1:12 AM
@charlayn.bsky.social may I ask what you think of this Goya painting (fresco) The Dog? In particular, I've always wondered if the shadowy section in the bottom right quadrant might be construed as the imprinted shadow of a viewer of the painting... Plausible? Anyway, do you have a response to this?
The idea that Grandpa somewhat thinks as Picasso painted – but Picasso *makes* abstract while dad *is* abstract.
January 27, 2026 at 8:08 PM
The idea that Grandpa somewhat thinks as Picasso painted – but Picasso *makes* abstract while dad *is* abstract.
This was pretty touching. Hard to know if Grandpa really recalled I had played music, and some distant idea of that was resurfacing, or if this had more to do with his and Lydia’s perpetual notion that I was the owner of “the bistro”
January 23, 2026 at 9:55 PM
This was pretty touching. Hard to know if Grandpa really recalled I had played music, and some distant idea of that was resurfacing, or if this had more to do with his and Lydia’s perpetual notion that I was the owner of “the bistro”
Hard to know if GP really recalled I had semi-professionally played music, or if this had more to do with his and Lydia’s perpetual notion that I was the owner of “the bistro” – compounded with the fact we were really enjoying Benny Goodman that night – but he asked me, “Did you ever play music?”
January 23, 2026 at 4:16 AM
Hard to know if GP really recalled I had semi-professionally played music, or if this had more to do with his and Lydia’s perpetual notion that I was the owner of “the bistro” – compounded with the fact we were really enjoying Benny Goodman that night – but he asked me, “Did you ever play music?”
Dad: what’s all that blood in the bathroom this morning about? Grandpa: “That’s what I’d like to know.”
January 23, 2026 at 3:54 AM
Dad: what’s all that blood in the bathroom this morning about? Grandpa: “That’s what I’d like to know.”