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chordeiles.bsky.social
Dr. Pepper Peeps 🏳️‍⚧️
@chordeiles.bsky.social
420 followers 1.7K following 1.2K posts
life lists are better than bucket lists
Birding, parenting, old school/current video games, nature, disability advocacy & cats.
(trans, he/him, hard of hearing)
pfp: pixelated white guy with grey hair wearing glasses and a red shirt with brown jacket
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chordeiles.bsky.social
Another potato quality photo, but there's been a pair of juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons hanging out at the dam in my hometown. County lifer! They've been vying with the local Great Blue Heron for the prime fishing spot. #birder
a large slate-blue bird with very long legs and a long thin bill is standing on a stone dam. The photo is very poor quality but there is a smaller bird with very long legs standing on the dam as well. There is an area of water pouring from the dam between where the two birds are standing.
August 13, 2025 at 9:49 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
Oh hi! Birding has completely consumed me this year (when not working full time and then some). I wandered away from bluesky awhile back because too much doomscrolling, but wanted to reconnect with the #birder community here especially. This Glossy Ibis juvenile hung around my hometown for 2 weeks!
A beautiful black bird with long stilt-like legs and a curved bill is silhouetted against green foliage and raindrops in a river. It is bent over as it forages.
August 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
I got a creemee today at lunchtime with an extra helping of snowflakes.
a paper cup filled with maple soft serve ice cream also known as a "creemee" with a spoon sticking out of it. There are a few snowflakes on the creemee. The cup is sitting on the dashboard of a car with a view of a wet windshield looking out at a red building with a metal roof.
February 28, 2025 at 12:14 AM
chordeiles.bsky.social
Went out to the lake for some potential winter birding. No particularly cool sightings but a gorgeous day. Spring really is coming, slowly but surely.
a photo of frozen lake ice that is somewhat broken up with a large chunk of frozen water in the foreground. There are trees and a partially cloudy sky far off in the distance. A frozen lake with the surface separated in different chunks that fit together like a puzzle. Small animal tracks going through deep snow with little twigs sticking out of the ground. Sunlight shining against trees and casting shadows on a snowy path.
February 22, 2025 at 11:43 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
Just a little snowy here. I went out for a trudge to count robins and waxwings for #GBBC today. A couple of Hairy woodpeckers too.
Very deep snow surrounding an outdoor metal bench. Only part of the back of the bench and one arm rest is visible.
February 16, 2025 at 6:07 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
I don't feel comfortable posting personal pics on social media, but my heart is with the folks at Stonewall this afternoon. Thank you so much for showing up today. 🏳️‍⚧️
A close up of a cork board with a note that reads "What can you appreciate in this moment?" and a pin of a fox with its eyes closed in contentment. The fox is colored in the blue, white and pink colors of the trans flag.
February 14, 2025 at 5:52 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
Made my call to my Senator, even though I had to slog through RTTY. It's worth it and kudos to the office for not hanging up on the operator. (the "ga" stands for "go ahead" in TTY speak)
a screenshot of a TTY call with speech bubbles. One says "Umm yeah I can definitely take a message for the sen ga" and the other says "I would like to register my disappointment for his vote for Brook Rollins. I am also"
February 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
Throwback Thursday to the time I saw the whale movie at the Castro. Every time Sulu or the Golden Gate Bridge appeared on screen, everybody cheered. One of the best movie experiences of my life.
The Castro theater in San Francisco with a movie marquee that says "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" "Time After Time."
February 13, 2025 at 10:50 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
The only feedback I could think of in the moment.
A screenshot from the Stonewall National Monument photo page where the "T" in LGBTQ has been removed. Text follows: As one of the only public open spaces serving Greenwich Village west of 6th Avenue, Christopher Park has long been central to the life of the neighborhood and to its identity as an LGBQ-friendly community. The park was created in 1837 after a large fire in 1835 devastated an overcrowded tenement on the site. By the 1960s, Christopher Park was a destination for LGBQ youth, many of whom had run away from or been kicked out of their homes. Christopher Park served as a gathering place, refuge, and platform to voice demands for LGBQ civil rights. Christopher Park continues to be an important place for the LGBQ community to assemble for marches and parades, including the annual NYC Pride; expressions of grief and anger; and celebrations of victory and joy. A smaller box reads "How can we improve this page." The text inside the box reads "Put transgender people back in Stonewall's history. WE WERE THERE." There is a submit button to submit the feedback.
February 13, 2025 at 10:09 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
alt text
What Democrats Did Today February 11, 2025 Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation to stop the Trump administration from eliminating USAID House Democrats joined union members at a rally to protect civil service workers Washington Governor Bob Ferguson began returning lost earnings to more than 2,000 auto workers The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced their 10 target states for the 2025 and 2026 elections Senator Mark Warner and Senate Democrats forced the Trump administration to back down on the hiring freeze for some federal employees
February 12, 2025 at 12:36 AM
chordeiles.bsky.social
www.c-span.org/event/news-c...
a screenshot of live captioning from a press conference: "Advocacy in Jamaica. Two million for sex changes and lgbt activism in Guatemala. 1.5 million to advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities. The list of absurdities bankrolled by hard-working U.S. taxpayers goes on and on but no more present. Donald Trump is delivering on his promise to shake up, the status quo in Washington, by ensuring the federal government is accountable to the American people who actually fund it. Through DOGE millions of wasted and mismanaged tax"
February 11, 2025 at 3:23 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
Weirdly enough, when I zoomed in and out, a couple of frames still had it as Gulf of Mexico.
a screenshot of Google maps that shows a large body of water correctly labeled as Gulf of Mexico
February 10, 2025 at 10:59 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
#alttext
What Democrats Did Today and Over The Weekend February 10, 2025 Senate Democrats launched a new whistleblower portal for public servants seeking to report corruption in the Trump administration Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her $3 million road funding plan to improve the state's roads, bridges and transit Democratic attorneys general are suing the Trump administration for defunding medical and public health research Maryland Democrats showed up at the Social Security Headquarters to demand Elon Musk stop interfering with Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed Karina's law to protect survivors of domestic violence and ensure their abusers won't have easy access to firearms.
February 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
So, we’ve got a little snow here.
A picnic table covered in about a foot of snow. There is a kiosk and trees off in the distance.
February 9, 2025 at 8:20 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
Still coughing and sneezing a lot, so I took a snowy trudge through the graveyard to get some fresh air.
A set of tracks, both human and animal, winding through a snowy path
February 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
I went down a rabbit hole of misattributed quotes and, of course, Quotable has one of the most infamous. I'm sure someone who worked in a bookstore has seen this one.
a card with a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln that he never said. "It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
February 8, 2025 at 12:02 AM
chordeiles.bsky.social
A comic of a guy in a toga. 1st frame: "Hey Orion, you've got a package" He looks toward the door 2nd frame: He smiles and opens the package "Oh, my new belt!" 3rd frame: He tries on the belt and frowns. "Not as good as I expected." 4th frame: He is posting a review on his phone and says "Three stars."
February 7, 2025 at 10:22 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
#alttext
What Democrats Did Today February 7, 2025 Democrat attorneys general filed a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk from accessing Americans' data House Democrats showed up at the Department of Education to demand answers from the Acting Secretary on Trump's illegal order to abolish the department The DNC filed an amicus brief against Republicans' voter suppression case in Georgia Senate Democrats launched an investigation into DOGE's actions at the Department of Education The Democratic Women's Caucus came together to call out Trump and Elon Musk for putting women and families' access to care at risk
February 7, 2025 at 10:03 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
#alttext
Three photos of Vermont Rep. Becca Balint, a white woman with black hair and glasses wearing a dark-colored suit while gesturing with the words "The Trump administration is treating our federal workforce as if they are the enemy. It is a well worn tactic used by authoritarians and dictators like Orban in Hungary and Bolsonaro and Brazil. They do it to destroy government services so that they create chaos and confusion and then we turn against each other."
February 6, 2025 at 10:48 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
the alt text is a bit unsettling, but telling:
Alt text that reads "Senator Markey and colleagues are denied angry into the EPA headquarters."
February 6, 2025 at 10:10 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
#alttext
I'm a current employee at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This is a throwaway account for obvious reasons. I'm posting this because people need to know what's going on at OPM. I've been an OPM employee for nearly a decade and a Federal Employee for almost 20 years. (text in bold) I've never witnessed anything even remotely close to what's happening right now. In short, there's a hostile takeover of the federal civil service. Let me say this in no uncertain terms - OPM has been compromised and taken over. The very backbone of American Government, the HR of all HR in the U.S. Government has been taken over by outside politicals. In just five days, they managed to push aside dozens of non-political, career civil servants who were there specifically to prevent the civil service from becoming the President's henchmen. (end bold text) The current Acting Director, Charles "Chuck" Ezell is a low-level branch chief. He's the friendliest 'yes man' you'll ever meet. He never says no. It's clear they pushed aside all the high-level non political civil servents who refused to do Donald Trump's bidding, until they found Chuck. Under his name, they've sent numerous requests to all the agencies to collect information on gov't employees that they see as a threat to their agenda. Instructions say to send these lists to Amanda Scales. But Amanda is not actually an OPM employee, she works for Elon Musk. She wasn't even properly cleared by OPM Personnel Security. Our CIO, Melvin Brown (also a non political career public servant) was pushed aside just one week into his tenure because he refused to setup email lists to send out direct communications to all career civil servants. Such communications are normally left up to each agency. Instead an on-prem (on-site) email server was setup. [bold text] Someone literally walked into our building and plugged in an email server to our network to make it appear that emails were coming from OPM. It's been the one sending out those various "test" emails you've all seen. We think they're building a massive email list of all federal employees to generate mass RIF notices down the road. [end bold text] The non-political civil servants here at OPM are watching helplessly as our government is being systematically dismantled bit by bit. Even the IGs are being fired to prevent them from investigating the numerous whistleblower complaints we've filed.
February 3, 2025 at 1:43 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
So, I found where AI might have gotten its info about the ironed ballsack. We're living in the future!
A reddit post from r/github from 6 years ago that says "What's the best way to get the wrinkles out of my scrotum? I've tried chocolate milk and antifreeze but that didn't work." One comment replies "a hot iron."
February 2, 2025 at 11:59 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
Don’t forget to get some sleep.
A blissfully sleeping tabby lies on a large pillow on a countertop at a hardware store.
February 2, 2025 at 3:46 AM
chordeiles.bsky.social
A steel tunnel with snowshoe tracks leading out from the gravel into the deep snow in the distance. The tunnel is dark and foreboding while the sunshine and nature forms a beautiful near-circle of peaceful serenity.
February 1, 2025 at 8:51 PM
chordeiles.bsky.social
I had the good fortune to be near a science museum today that not only loans out free snowshoes to visitors, but has $3 passes for folks with an EBT card (which I still have for at least another month). A peaceful and serene trudge was just what I needed today.
snowshoe tracks in deep snow across a small bridge connecting two areas of a wooded area. There are trees in the background and foreground.
February 1, 2025 at 8:48 PM