Retired Mark
@marktheretired.bsky.social
Interested in Science, History, Fitness, Woodworking, Atheism, and much more.
If you have anything crypto, maga or "I love god" in your profile, I will not follow you. If you private msg me immediately after following, I will unfollow.
If you have anything crypto, maga or "I love god" in your profile, I will not follow you. If you private msg me immediately after following, I will unfollow.
"Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead." -Arundhati Roy, writer and activist (b. 24 Nov 1961)
Happy Birthday Arundhati
Happy Birthday Arundhati
November 24, 2025 at 12:41 PM
"Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead." -Arundhati Roy, writer and activist (b. 24 Nov 1961)
Happy Birthday Arundhati
Happy Birthday Arundhati
"To learn who rules over you, simply find out whom you are not allowed to criticize." -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778)
Happy Birthday Mr. Voltaire!
Happy Birthday Mr. Voltaire!
November 21, 2025 at 12:38 PM
"To learn who rules over you, simply find out whom you are not allowed to criticize." -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778)
Happy Birthday Mr. Voltaire!
Happy Birthday Mr. Voltaire!
"It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire." -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (13 Nov 1850-1894)
November 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
"It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire." -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (13 Nov 1850-1894)
"No one in this world, has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby." -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956)
November 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
"No one in this world, has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby." -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956)
"I really rebel against this idea that politics has to be a place full of ego and where you’re constantly focused on scoring hits against one another. Yes, we need a robust democracy, but you can be strong, and you can be kind." -Jacinda Ardern, 40th prime minister of New Zealand (b. 26 Jul 1980)
October 26, 2025 at 6:54 PM
"I really rebel against this idea that politics has to be a place full of ego and where you’re constantly focused on scoring hits against one another. Yes, we need a robust democracy, but you can be strong, and you can be kind." -Jacinda Ardern, 40th prime minister of New Zealand (b. 26 Jul 1980)
"I would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone." -Dwight D. Eisenhower, US general and 34th president (14 Oct 1890-1969)
Happy Birthday General Eisenhower!
Happy Birthday General Eisenhower!
October 14, 2025 at 4:47 PM
"I would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone." -Dwight D. Eisenhower, US general and 34th president (14 Oct 1890-1969)
Happy Birthday General Eisenhower!
Happy Birthday General Eisenhower!
"Keep going. Tyranny is eroded by a sea of small acts. Everything matters." -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Congress member (b. 13 Oct 1989)
Happy Birthday AOC!
Happy Birthday AOC!
October 13, 2025 at 7:13 PM
"Keep going. Tyranny is eroded by a sea of small acts. Everything matters." -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Congress member (b. 13 Oct 1989)
Happy Birthday AOC!
Happy Birthday AOC!
"Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace." -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980)
Happy Birthday John!
Happy Birthday John!
October 9, 2025 at 12:08 PM
"Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace." -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980)
Happy Birthday John!
Happy Birthday John!
"A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity." -Jimmy Carter
October 1, 2025 at 7:44 PM
"A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity." -Jimmy Carter
"The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for." -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990)
Happy Birthday, Laurence
Happy Birthday, Laurence
September 16, 2025 at 6:14 PM
"The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for." -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990)
Happy Birthday, Laurence
Happy Birthday, Laurence
Happy Birthday, Sydney.
September 14, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Happy Birthday, Sydney.
"USA has been called a melting pot, but it's better to call it a mosaic, for in it each nation, people, or race which has come to its shores has been able to keep its individuality, contributing to the unified pattern of a new nation. -King Baudouin of Belgium (7 Sep 1930-1993)
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
September 8, 2025 at 7:45 PM
"USA has been called a melting pot, but it's better to call it a mosaic, for in it each nation, people, or race which has come to its shores has been able to keep its individuality, contributing to the unified pattern of a new nation. -King Baudouin of Belgium (7 Sep 1930-1993)
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
"When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live." -Sarah Kendzior, author (b. 1 Sep 1978)
September 1, 2025 at 3:39 PM
"When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live." -Sarah Kendzior, author (b. 1 Sep 1978)
"When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money." -Alanis Obomsawin, filmmaker (b. 31 Aug 1932)
Happy Birthday Alanis!
Happy Birthday Alanis!
August 30, 2025 at 5:45 PM
"When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money." -Alanis Obomsawin, filmmaker (b. 31 Aug 1932)
Happy Birthday Alanis!
Happy Birthday Alanis!
"No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots." -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (26 Aug 1941-2022)
Happy Birthday Barbara
Happy Birthday Barbara
August 26, 2025 at 4:03 PM
"No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots." -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (26 Aug 1941-2022)
Happy Birthday Barbara
Happy Birthday Barbara
"Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things." -Russell Baker, columnist and author (14 Aug 1925-2019)
Happy Birthday Mr. Baker
Happy Birthday Mr. Baker
August 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
"Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things." -Russell Baker, columnist and author (14 Aug 1925-2019)
Happy Birthday Mr. Baker
Happy Birthday Mr. Baker
"It has always seemed strange to me that in our endless discussions about education so little stress is laid on the pleasure of becoming educated, the enormous interest it adds to life. Caught up into the world of thought -- that is to be educated." -Edith Hamilton, educator (1867-1963)
August 12, 2025 at 12:19 PM
"It has always seemed strange to me that in our endless discussions about education so little stress is laid on the pleasure of becoming educated, the enormous interest it adds to life. Caught up into the world of thought -- that is to be educated." -Edith Hamilton, educator (1867-1963)
"The President is not only the leader of a party, he is the President of the whole people. He must interpret the conscience of America. He must guide his conduct by the idealism of our people." -Herbert Hoover, 31st US President (10 Aug 1874-1964)
Happy Birthday President Hoover
Happy Birthday President Hoover
August 10, 2025 at 12:30 PM
"The President is not only the leader of a party, he is the President of the whole people. He must interpret the conscience of America. He must guide his conduct by the idealism of our people." -Herbert Hoover, 31st US President (10 Aug 1874-1964)
Happy Birthday President Hoover
Happy Birthday President Hoover
"When I can look Life in the eyes, / Grown calm and very coldly wise, / Life will have given me the truth, / And taken in exchange -- my youth." -Sara Teasdale, poet (8 Aug 1884-1933)
Happy Birthday Sara!
Happy Birthday Sara!
August 8, 2025 at 3:15 PM
"When I can look Life in the eyes, / Grown calm and very coldly wise, / Life will have given me the truth, / And taken in exchange -- my youth." -Sara Teasdale, poet (8 Aug 1884-1933)
Happy Birthday Sara!
Happy Birthday Sara!
"One of the primary tests of the mood of a society at any given time is whether its comfortable people tend to identify, psychologically, with the power and achievements of the very successful or with the needs and sufferings of the underprivileged. -Richard Hofstadter, historian (6 Aug 1916-1970)
August 6, 2025 at 9:45 PM
"One of the primary tests of the mood of a society at any given time is whether its comfortable people tend to identify, psychologically, with the power and achievements of the very successful or with the needs and sufferings of the underprivileged. -Richard Hofstadter, historian (6 Aug 1916-1970)
Babysitting Ronan the Grandrabbit for a couple of weeks. He best be on his good behavior!
August 3, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Babysitting Ronan the Grandrabbit for a couple of weeks. He best be on his good behavior!
"A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business." -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983)
Happy Birthday Mr. Hoffer
Happy Birthday Mr. Hoffer
July 25, 2025 at 4:53 PM
"A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business." -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983)
Happy Birthday Mr. Hoffer
Happy Birthday Mr. Hoffer
"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph." -Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975)
July 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM
"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph." -Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975)
"Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" -Emma Lazarus, poet and playwright (22 Jul 1849-1887)
Happy Birthday Emma!
Happy Birthday Emma!
July 22, 2025 at 3:59 PM
"Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" -Emma Lazarus, poet and playwright (22 Jul 1849-1887)
Happy Birthday Emma!
Happy Birthday Emma!