A.L.P. Hawg
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alphawg.bsky.social
A.L.P. Hawg
@alphawg.bsky.social
570 followers 3.3K following 680 posts
Ohioan/occasional New Mexican.
Former newspaper reporter.
Big nerd.

(I used to have my government name on here, you might actually know me...)
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alphawg.bsky.social
A year ago, I was learning how to use my left leg again. A year before that, I was using a wheelchair full time, after my fourth surgery.

Today (very slowly, and with my cane!) I climbed almost all the way to the summit of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.

This is the first spot I burst into tears 😭
Image is a photo of a shallow valley between, with two hills meeting in the distance. Beyond where the hills meet, if you zoom in, you can see snowcapped mountains.
February 14, 2026 at 3:28 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
Someone has managed to make this read like a hit piece on JD. This is brilliant.
A screenshot of the article where I've circled a "related link" FOX placed between two paragraphs. The link text says: "VARIETY'S FILM CRITIC WRITES 'HILLBILLY ELEGY' FILM 'MAY HAVE CREATED A MONSTER' LEGITIMIZING JD VANCE"
February 6, 2026 at 10:19 AM
alphawg.bsky.social
Princess Michael of Kent! The one who looks like she smells like mildew and menthol cigarettes
A two-image panel: on the left, Princess Michael of Kent and her racist brooch. On the right, a very nice photo of Meghan Markle, who is a better princess than mildew island deserves.
January 21, 2026 at 9:45 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
Ah, nice! I made a version of this a few years ago, thinking maybe for stickers or posters. It's a great bit of writing.
A posterized version of a manifesto from Star Wars: Andor. The text is black with some phrases highlighted in orange. It reads: Manifesto - by Nemik There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this, Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they’ve already enlisted in the cause. Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward. And remember this: the Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empires’s authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this: Try.
January 8, 2026 at 3:37 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
I went through this Jan. 6 WSJ story "Trump’s Push to Seize Greenland from Denmark Angers Some Republicans" and pulled out the things said by various Congress people on-the-record. Interesting to see who chose to speak publicly.

(hopefully the gift link still works)

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Rep. Blake Moore (R., Utah): “Sabre-rattling about annexing Greenland is needlessly dangerous.” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D., Md.): (Joint statement with Moore, co-chair of bipartisan Congressional Friends of Denmark Caucus): Denmark is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally and one of America’s closest partners and an attack on Greenland “would tragically be an attack on NATO.” “If the message is that ‘we need Greenland,’ the truth is that we already have access to everything we could need from Greenland.” Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.) (now retired): “…denigrating allies serves no purpose and there is NO up side. … Stop the stupid ‘we want Greenland.’ ” Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.): “You can’t annex Greenland. It would require an invasion or capitulation on the part of the Kingdom of Denmark. That’s why this scenario is never going to occur.” Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.): (H)e didn’t know “how much is bravado, how much is bombast (but) militarily taking Greenland obviously I would not support.” Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.): “Do I think he’s going to invade Greenland? No. The president likes to think out loud…Sometimes he does it just to aggravate you guys.” Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va.): “You’ve got to take any threat that he makes seriously.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.): “I’m not saying we’re going to go take over Greenland, I’m saying we’re going to build up our military presence, and we need to create a new relationship between the United States and Greenland to make sure our investment is secure.” Sen. John Thune (R., S.D.): “I don’t see military action being an option there. That to me is not something anybody has contemplated seriously.”
January 7, 2026 at 4:59 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
Yeah that very much depends on location. 20 years I go, I lived in Charlottesville, VA and was paying something like $10 for a pound of lunchmeat - it would have been maybe $3/lb here in OH.

Today where I live, GF bread is $8-12, but regular bread is $1.69-$7.49, which is the Dave's bread in ur pic
January 6, 2026 at 10:34 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
I set up a NACHO BAR for the Buckeyes game today. 10/10
A perfect plate of nachos. Crispy tortilla chips topped with homemade queso, refried beans (from scratch!! I love beans!!), taco meat, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro leaves, black olives, and a picture-perfect dollop of sour cream right in the middle. It was a good day.
November 29, 2025 at 10:27 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
Took this yesterday evening. I miss the Ohio sky when I'm not here, and I miss the New Mexico sky the rest of the time. I spend a lot of time looking up, I guess.
A picture of the northeast Ohio sky, the way it looks at this specific time of year when wind blows over Lake Erie in a certain way. The colors change from bright gleaming gold in the bottom right, to light purples and greyish blues radiating out from the setting sun. These colors play across the dappled bottoms of some type of cumulus clouds, with occasional wisps of soft streaming clouds that look like a Bob Ross brush stroke.
November 24, 2025 at 3:17 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
I took this at the 2016 RNC in Cleveland, right before security had to escort ol' Ted and his wife out due to screams and jeers of people who were really angry he hadn't endorsed Trump!

A 🤡 show indeed.
An image of a crowded arena, taken from high up in the nosebleed seats. At the center is a teeny tiny stage. The person on the stage, Ted Cruz, is shown on a large screen behind him, as well as on the jumbotron. You can't hear the shouts and boos in the photo, but there was a lot of it going on at the time.
November 17, 2025 at 9:15 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
🤔 Erik Prince? You don't say.
At the center of the scheme was an unusual cast: a former British spy *connected to the security contractor Erik Prince*, a wealthy heiress to the Gore-Tex fortune and undercover operatives like Mr. Maier and Ms. LaRocca who used Wyoming as a base to insinuate themselves into the political fabric of this state and at least two others, Colorado and Arizona.
October 27, 2025 at 2:22 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
This photo makes me sick to my stomach.

This is it. It's really over. This is really the end of America.

Maybe something better will come after. I hope so.
A photo published Oct 20 by the Washington Post showing the East Wing of the White House being demolished to make room for a new ballroom.
October 20, 2025 at 10:25 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
Yeah that "alt text" was worse than useless. Here it is with the actual words from the image (took literal *seconds* on my phone, I wish people would put in the effort...)
We are gravely concerned that American people will needlessly suffer and die as a result of policies that turn away from sound interventions. After careful consideration, we insist on Kennedy's resignation to restore the integrity, credibility and science-driven mission of HHS and all its agencies. Our country needs leadership that will promote open, honest dialogue, not disregard decades of lifesaving science, spread misinformation, reverse medical progress and decimate programs that keep us safe. We are speaking out because protecting public health is our responsibility as physicians, scientists and patient advocates. It is also the responsibility of our elected officials, and we call for their support at this critical moment to protect the health of the nation. It is time to reverse course and begin rebuilding the public health infrastructure overseen by CDC. Kennedy has proven himself unwilling and ill-prepared to lead that effort.
September 4, 2025 at 1:27 AM
alphawg.bsky.social
Maple syrup sticky buns. I bake to take my mind off the abyss.
A dozen homemade sticky buns with maple syrup caramel glaze cooling on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper
August 24, 2025 at 4:51 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
Especially if he said it with such LOW ENERGY, gosh, where is Jake
LOW ENERGY TRUMP falling asleep under his big beautiful hat while yapping about nationalizing Intel under his fascist dictatorship
August 22, 2025 at 5:55 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
It's like nobody remembers Ganymede...
Solar mirrors over Ganymede being destroyed during a battle that takes place in the TV show The Expanse.
August 21, 2025 at 9:56 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
This closing paragraph is 🔥
Speaking to a crowd at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, Hegseth claimed that "we don't do politics" at the Defense Department, while also saying that NATO was "freeloading off of America."
July 25, 2025 at 11:38 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
2025 Employer of the Year
my dog smiling whilst upside-down, in a way slightly and horrifically reminiscent of the hyenas in disney's the lion king (1994)
April 22, 2025 at 8:43 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
I keep thinking about this study on dollar stores displacing local grocers. When they all close, huge swaths of rural America will starve.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Abstract This paper examines the effects of dollar store entry on independent grocery retailers in the United States between 2000 and 2019. We utilized an establishment-level dataset comprising all grocery retailers and dollar stores in the country. Our findings indicate that dollar store entry is associated with a 5.7% decrease in sales, a 3.7% reduction in employment, and a 2.3% rise in the likelihood of independent grocery retailers quitting the business. These adverse entry effects are three times larger in rural than urban areas. Event studies indicate that the negative impact on sales and employment disappears gradually in urban areas but persists in rural communities. We document differences in treatment effects of dollar store entry across regions, retail formats, and time.
April 9, 2025 at 1:27 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
Yes! Loved this energy in smalltown Ohio
April 5, 2025 at 10:53 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
If true, maybe don't let the big guy know he's got the wrong guy 😂
Screenshot of two paragraphs from the military dot com article: "For 34 years, I've upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, and have never worn any political merchandise," Caine told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "l went back and listened to those tapes, and think the president was actually talking about someone else," Caine added later when pressed whether any part of Trump's story was true.
April 1, 2025 at 7:39 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
#SlavaUkraini
Two wide stripes - the top blue, the bottom yellow - representing the flag of Ukraine.
February 28, 2025 at 7:19 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
A clip from Arrested Development, in which Tobias Funke is telling Lindsay Bluth, "but it might work for us."
February 26, 2025 at 6:04 PM
alphawg.bsky.social
Ian Thornley of Big Wreck
Cleveland House of Blues
A man with a white guitar sings into a microphone in front of a purple backdrop with large pink dots on it
November 10, 2024 at 11:43 PM