Brian Vastag
@brianvastag.mas.to.ap.brid.gy
Occasional science reporter at The Washington Post and elsewhere. Disabled by complex chronic post-viral illness. Living on #Kauai #Hawaii. Sometimes SCUBA diver.
🌉 bridged from https://mas.to/@brianvastag on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/
🌉 bridged from https://mas.to/@brianvastag on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/
I'm an honorary Jew on Christmas, I used to do Chinese food and a movie with friends in DC...watching this was mandatory, natch.
https://youtu.be/BGzO1ghRKp4?si=qZz885BKT274PoS5
https://youtu.be/BGzO1ghRKp4?si=qZz885BKT274PoS5
December 25, 2025 at 2:03 AM
I'm an honorary Jew on Christmas, I used to do Chinese food and a movie with friends in DC...watching this was mandatory, natch.
https://youtu.be/BGzO1ghRKp4?si=qZz885BKT274PoS5
https://youtu.be/BGzO1ghRKp4?si=qZz885BKT274PoS5
Hawaii's 'green fee' set to begin Jan. 1. It adds 11% tax on cruise ship passengers among other visitors fees. I hope the funds are used wisely to adapt and mitigate.
#travel #climate #hawaii
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/court-decision-allows-hawaiis-green-fee-to-take-full-effect/
#travel #climate #hawaii
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/court-decision-allows-hawaiis-green-fee-to-take-full-effect/
December 25, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Hawaii's 'green fee' set to begin Jan. 1. It adds 11% tax on cruise ship passengers among other visitors fees. I hope the funds are used wisely to adapt and mitigate.
#travel #climate #hawaii
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/court-decision-allows-hawaiis-green-fee-to-take-full-effect/
#travel #climate #hawaii
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/court-decision-allows-hawaiis-green-fee-to-take-full-effect/
I appreciate this even-handed piece that describes some of the civilian/scientific efforts underway to study #uap. The main takeaway is that the military has the sensors (and probably the data) to help make sense of this phenomenon, but they aren't sharing much, if any, of it. A few networks of […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
December 24, 2025 at 7:29 PM
I appreciate this even-handed piece that describes some of the civilian/scientific efforts underway to study #uap. The main takeaway is that the military has the sensors (and probably the data) to help make sense of this phenomenon, but they aren't sharing much, if any, of it. A few networks of […]
Welp, my cat Heidi developed sudden ataxia yesterday evening...taking her to the clinic today (I'm grateful they're open...) but it's pretty concerning.
#cats
#cats
December 24, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Welp, my cat Heidi developed sudden ataxia yesterday evening...taking her to the clinic today (I'm grateful they're open...) but it's pretty concerning.
#cats
#cats
This is such a good story about the year WaPo reporter Hannah Natelson had as the 'government whisperer' as Musk & Trump took an axe to federal agencies. Thousands of Signal messages, some of them very worrisome, and not much sleep. Say what you want about billionaire owners, there are still […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
December 24, 2025 at 7:06 PM
This is such a good story about the year WaPo reporter Hannah Natelson had as the 'government whisperer' as Musk & Trump took an axe to federal agencies. Thousands of Signal messages, some of them very worrisome, and not much sleep. Say what you want about billionaire owners, there are still […]
Nene, the Hawaiian goose, endangered & closely related to Canadian geese (some of whom must've gotten way off course about 60,000 years ago). I saw these on the east side bike path on Kauai, which I've ridden 1,000 times and this was my first encounter with Nene there […]
[Original post on mas.to]
[Original post on mas.to]
December 23, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Nene, the Hawaiian goose, endangered & closely related to Canadian geese (some of whom must've gotten way off course about 60,000 years ago). I saw these on the east side bike path on Kauai, which I've ridden 1,000 times and this was my first encounter with Nene there […]
[Original post on mas.to]
[Original post on mas.to]
My neighbor's palm trees are festive this year. I guess the red berries are one source of palm oil.
December 23, 2025 at 2:10 AM
My neighbor's palm trees are festive this year. I guess the red berries are one source of palm oil.
December 23, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Reposted by Brian Vastag
In case the limewire link goes down, here's a copy I'm hosting on my own Mastodon server (which you should be able to view inline in your own client?)
60 Minutes report on El Salvador's CECOT prison
#cecot #60minutes
60 Minutes report on El Salvador's CECOT prison
#cecot #60minutes
[Video] Original post on mastodon.benpettis.ninja
mastodon.benpettis.ninja
December 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
In case the limewire link goes down, here's a copy I'm hosting on my own Mastodon server (which you should be able to view inline in your own client?)
60 Minutes report on El Salvador's CECOT prison
#cecot #60minutes
60 Minutes report on El Salvador's CECOT prison
#cecot #60minutes
Hooboy it looks like no flights are available on Hawaiian Airlines...like ever. The merger with Alaska Air is going great, I see.
#travel
#travel
December 22, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Hooboy it looks like no flights are available on Hawaiian Airlines...like ever. The merger with Alaska Air is going great, I see.
#travel
#travel
Just attended the westernmost menorah lighting, the last in the world (or so the rabbi said). Princeville, Kauai. Beautiful night. And a tiki torch menorah to boot.
#hanukkah
#hanukkah
December 22, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Just attended the westernmost menorah lighting, the last in the world (or so the rabbi said). Princeville, Kauai. Beautiful night. And a tiki torch menorah to boot.
#hanukkah
#hanukkah
[In memoriam]
Beth Mazur left the world two years ago. She experienced what I would call severe episodic depression pretty much her entire life. But she also had this childlike capacity for joy & wonder. She got excited about seeing turtles and whales and seals, she […]
[Original post on mas.to]
Beth Mazur left the world two years ago. She experienced what I would call severe episodic depression pretty much her entire life. But she also had this childlike capacity for joy & wonder. She got excited about seeing turtles and whales and seals, she […]
[Original post on mas.to]
December 21, 2025 at 5:29 PM
[In memoriam]
Beth Mazur left the world two years ago. She experienced what I would call severe episodic depression pretty much her entire life. But she also had this childlike capacity for joy & wonder. She got excited about seeing turtles and whales and seals, she […]
[Original post on mas.to]
Beth Mazur left the world two years ago. She experienced what I would call severe episodic depression pretty much her entire life. But she also had this childlike capacity for joy & wonder. She got excited about seeing turtles and whales and seals, she […]
[Original post on mas.to]
Level 2 achieved. Folks on mastodon helped me decide on a 240v splitter to install above my dryer, which is next to the garage. No electrical work required; total parts for splitter and charger were less than $400 and about 45 minutes of my time. My electric utility […]
[Original post on mas.to]
[Original post on mas.to]
December 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Level 2 achieved. Folks on mastodon helped me decide on a 240v splitter to install above my dryer, which is next to the garage. No electrical work required; total parts for splitter and charger were less than $400 and about 45 minutes of my time. My electric utility […]
[Original post on mas.to]
[Original post on mas.to]
Reposted by Brian Vastag
LeoLabs says they see hundreds of debris objects from the Starlink failure event
December 20, 2025 at 3:13 AM
LeoLabs says they see hundreds of debris objects from the Starlink failure event
State of US healthcare: I've been stockpiling of one of my prescription drugs for next year. It's an expensive injectable monoclonal antibody prescribed to take every two weeks, but I found that it's just as effective if I take it every three weeks. And I may try […]
[Original post on mas.to]
[Original post on mas.to]
December 20, 2025 at 2:27 AM
State of US healthcare: I've been stockpiling of one of my prescription drugs for next year. It's an expensive injectable monoclonal antibody prescribed to take every two weeks, but I found that it's just as effective if I take it every three weeks. And I may try […]
[Original post on mas.to]
[Original post on mas.to]
Happy 24th anniversary to the day I took a date to see "Fellowship of the Ring" and she turned to me after the film and said, "Gandalf lives, right?" to which I was tongue-tied because there's no one good answer to that question.
December 20, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Happy 24th anniversary to the day I took a date to see "Fellowship of the Ring" and she turned to me after the film and said, "Gandalf lives, right?" to which I was tongue-tied because there's no one good answer to that question.
December 19, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The best response to the TikTok deal is to never use it.
December 19, 2025 at 7:59 PM
The best response to the TikTok deal is to never use it.
December 18, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Kauai Coffee is a 3,000-acre farm on the south side of the island, the largest coffee farm in the US. Its lease is being threatened by the landowner and they may have to close shop.
I have mixed feelings about this because, a) The company provides jobs for the island, but b) Their coffee is […]
I have mixed feelings about this because, a) The company provides jobs for the island, but b) Their coffee is […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
December 18, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Kauai Coffee is a 3,000-acre farm on the south side of the island, the largest coffee farm in the US. Its lease is being threatened by the landowner and they may have to close shop.
I have mixed feelings about this because, a) The company provides jobs for the island, but b) Their coffee is […]
I have mixed feelings about this because, a) The company provides jobs for the island, but b) Their coffee is […]
All I want for Christmas is for Windows to stop re-arranging my icons when I switch monitors.
December 18, 2025 at 12:24 AM
All I want for Christmas is for Windows to stop re-arranging my icons when I switch monitors.
My fantasy football league is running a toilet bowl contest for the last few weeks and I finally have chance to win. Or lose. Or at least get my $20 back.
December 17, 2025 at 10:04 PM
My fantasy football league is running a toilet bowl contest for the last few weeks and I finally have chance to win. Or lose. Or at least get my $20 back.
Reposted by Brian Vastag
Here's our reporting on the proposed dismantling of the jewel of US atmospheric science, @ncar-ucar.bsky.social.
The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AGU25 #climate
The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AGU25 #climate
Trump team plans to break up ‘global mothership’ of climate science
Much of the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s non-climate portfolio will be dispersed, the White House says.
www.nature.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Here's our reporting on the proposed dismantling of the jewel of US atmospheric science, @ncar-ucar.bsky.social.
The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AGU25 #climate
The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AGU25 #climate