VR Trakowski
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vrtrakowski.bsky.social
VR Trakowski
@vrtrakowski.bsky.social
150 followers 170 following 820 posts
My muse wears bunny ears. I saw A New Hope in '77 so I'm old enough.
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vrtrakowski.bsky.social
VR Trakowski @vrtrakowski.bsky.social · Oct 21
This fellow's headshot may not look very prepossessing, but I can assure you he is a cuddly young boy with excellent beans, who will wrap himself around your neck and purrrrrrrrr. He has plenty of commentary to share with you, too.

www.petfinder.com/cat/sandy-hy...
Adopt Sandy Hyattsville on Petfinder
Sandy Hyattsville is an adoptable Cat - Domestic Short Hair searching for a forever family near Merrifield, VA. Use Petfinder to find adoptable pets in your area.
www.petfinder.com
Reposted by VR Trakowski
diane.dianeduane.com
Today at #Ebooks Direct it's #CyberMonday, and we've saved the best #sale deal for last: our "Whole Store" Bundle, at the lowest its price will ever get! Need 36 SF and fantasy ebooks at a bit less than $1 each? Grab the bundle now! (Offer not valid in the UK: sorry.) ebooks.direct/products/ebo...
Ebooks Direct Whole Store Bundle
This ebook bundle (not available in the UK: details below) contains our complete inventory of non-new-release* works. All our ebooks are DRM-free, and come with the usual EBD lifetime replacement guar...
ebooks.direct
December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
tkingfisher.com
Today! Yes, on a Monday! The official release of SNAKE-EATER! www.amazon.com/dp/B0DW4KNLR...
Snake-Eater
Amazon.com: Snake-Eater eBook : Kingfisher, T.: Kindle Store
www.amazon.com
December 1, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
rahaeli.bsky.social
Periodic reminder: if you care passionately about online privacy, security, anonymity, and not having to fear bullshit speech restrictions, one of the best US organizations to put your budgetary dollars for it is the Free Speech Coalition: www.freespeechcoalition.com/join
Join FSC — Free Speech Coalition
www.freespeechcoalition.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
diane.dianeduane.com
Over at #Ebooks Direct, on this "Whatever We're Supposed To Call The Sunday After Black Friday" Sunday: our #Pride package is on sale! Contains #LGBTQ & queer folk (mortal and immortal) of many kinds, stripes and varieties, all of them worth meeting at least for drinks! ebooks.direct/products/pri...
Ebooks Direct Pride Package
This package contains all our Middle Kingdoms material—some of the first LGBTQ-representing epic fantasy in the 20th-century fantasy field, now continuing into the 21st. It also contains the matter-of...
ebooks.direct
November 30, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
niq.aeli.net
Time sweeps dust of hope from his hands, and turns another page

but the Eagle has landed: tell your children when; Time won't drive us down to dust again
Filk Legend Leslie Fish Has Died
The nigh legendary singer-songwriter entered hospice care at home. The announcement was made on Saturday, November 29, 2025, that she had passed.
scifi.radio
November 30, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
diane.dianeduane.com
It's #SmallBusinessSaturday, and at #Ebooks Direct, our #sale continues! Here's one of the most ridiculously reduced offers in the store: the "All The #Wizardry" bundle—18 ebooks, today available for $14.99! (Seriously, we must need our heads felt.) So grab one now! ebooks.direct/products/you...
Young Wizards "All The Wizardry" Bundle
This bundle contains all the Young Wizards material in the Ebooks Direct inventory. That's nineteen ebooks, containing: The nine New Millennium Editions of the main-sequence Young Wizards novels The ...
ebooks.direct
November 29, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
tkingfisher.com
The only place to get my art these days, plus many other cool artists!
topa.to Topatoco @topa.to · 15d
Hello friends, foes, & lovers (?), we have our Holiday shipping deadlines for you! :) These deadlines will also be available to look at on our website too.
a graphic of TopatoCo holiday shipping deadlines on a yellow background. text is in red with some white background for key dates to heed. text: "!!! HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES!!! International (non-US): NOVEMBER 24TH usps ground advantage - 10th ups ground & usps priority - 12th usps express - 16th ups 3-day select & ups 2nd day air - 17th ups next day air - 18th after these dates we cannot guarantee your items will arrive on time! Happy holidays friends, stay safe out there :] "
November 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
diane.dianeduane.com
Just reminding everyone that it's #BlackFriday at #Ebooks Direct. Come take advantage of us! :) ebooks.direct/pages/our-20...
Outside of Jupiter's orbit: a monolith with the Ebooks Direct logo carved into it. Seriously, someone had some time to spare over their lunch hour...
November 28, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
neolithicsheep.bsky.social
Before the genocide in Gaza, the UN called the ongoing famine in Afghanistan "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world". Parents buy their children prescription sleeping meds to keep them unconscious through the pain of hunger because they can afford that but not food.
November 27, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
neolithicsheep.bsky.social
If you are in the National Guard and fear you may be deployed to violate the rights of US citizens, there is help. Call the GI Rights Hotline at 1-877-447-4487

Visit girightshotline.org for more information
November 28, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
rosemarymosco.com
As the year comes to an end, I'm reposting some of the comics I made this year, including this ridiculous thing.
A six-panel comic. In the first panel, a yellow warbler says "Hey so I'm going to go out on a limb here." In panels two through five, the warbler hops along a long branch against a blue sky with clouds. In panel 6, it stops at the end of the branch and sings.
November 25, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
rosemarymosco.com
Looking for a gift for a birding friend or a kid who loves nature? I have 10 books for adults and kids, some bestselling and some award-winning, and you can see them all here: rosemarymosco.com/books
(Note: one of them, Birding Is My Favorite Video Game, is out of print but a new edition is coming!)
A book called The Birding Dictionary: A Tongue-in-cheek guide for people who find themselves obsessed, against all logic and reason, with birds by Rosemary Mosco, with a quote from Sibley: Best. Dictionary. Ever. And a quote from Ed Yong: laugh-out-loud funny A picture book called There Are No Ants in This Book A book called A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching A book called Flowers are Pretty Weird
November 25, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
dell.bsky.social
NEW: ICE has torn up its $180M cap on a proposed immigrant-tracking program and is now guaranteeing private surveillance firms at least $7.5M each, with potential payouts reaching $281M per vendor. The change signals a shift from “pilot” to full-scale outsourcing of street-level investigative work.
ICE Offers Up to $280 Million to Immigrant-Tracking ‘Bounty Hunter’ Firms
Immigration and Customs Enforcement lifted a $180 million cap on a proposed immigrant-tracking program while guaranteeing multimillion-dollar payouts for private surveillance firms.
www.wired.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
rahaeli.bsky.social
Minnesota-St Paul, urgent cat relocation need! Get these sweet babies!
wentrogue.bsky.social Stacey Burns @wentrogue.bsky.social · 10d
Urgent MSP #Caturday 🧵: these two handsome boys need a loving home as circumstances sadly force their person to part with them.

Bones & Basil are a bonded pair and need to stay together. Both are vaxxed, neutered, and very sociable. 1/
A tuxedo and a marmalade cat curl up blissfully napping together
November 25, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
rahaeli.bsky.social
Just dropped this elsewhere, so boosting, since the illegal-orders discussion is back in the news: there's some great GI Rights Hotline postcards and leaflets for printing and distributing, but here's one with the absolute basic message and phone number as a label template.
rahaeli.bsky.social rahaeli @rahaeli.bsky.social · Jun 15
I've seen a bunch of people sharing leaflet and postcard-sized versions of the GI Rights Hotline info, but I haven't seen any templates designed for label printing, so 30 seconds with the Avery template maker made the simplest possible version with the absolute basics (to be seen from a distance).
November 25, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
rahaeli.bsky.social
Periodic reminder: the vaccine efficacy of the pertussis vaccine drops below 50% at 4.5 years. You should be getting a Tdap booster every 5 years, not every 10. It is especially vital if you have contact with pregnant people or infants too young to be vaccinated.
jessdkant.bsky.social Jesspooka Kant 🎃 @jessdkant.bsky.social · 7d
After two infants died, the Louisiana Dept of Health under the leadership of the new incoming deputy director of the CDC, delayed notifying the public for months of a whooping cough outbreak. Instead, he ordered DOH to stop promoting vaccines. Pertussis is currently a national health crisis.
Louisiana officials waited months to warn public of whooping cough outbreak
After a whooping cough outbreak killed two infants, Louisiana health officials waited months to officially alert physicians or do public outreach. That's not the typical public health response.
www.npr.org
November 26, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
diane.dianeduane.com
There is NO FUCKING EXCUSE for this to be happening.

I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."

HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
jessdkant.bsky.social Jesspooka Kant 🎃 @jessdkant.bsky.social · 7d
A third infant has died in Kentucky, KYDPH adds:

“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”

s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
Kentucky Public Health KENTUCKY HEALTH ALERT Increase in Pertussis in Kentucky Recommendations for Identification and Prevention November 21, 2025 Kentucky health officials are alerting providers that cases of pertussis ("whooping cough") have increased steadily across the Commonwealth in recent weeks. To date, 566 cases of pertussis have been reported in Kentucky in 2025, the highest number of cases in the Commonwealth since 2012. This follows a trend that was first announced in July 2024 when pertussis cases began increasing in Kentucky to levels not seen in over a decade. Health officials anticipate that pertussis will continue to increase during the winter months based on historic trends. Many U.S. states and other countries are also experiencing elevated levels of pertussis. Many of the recent cases have occurred in young infants, and health officials also recently confirmed the third pertussis-related death in a Kentucky infant within the last year. This follows two other infant deaths that were announced in June. These are Kentucky's first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy. Health officials urge all Kentuckians to remain up to date on recommended pertussis immunizations and emphasize the importance of maternal immunization during pregnancy, and for all infants beginning promptly at two months of age. Health officials also encourage providers to consider pertussis as a diagnosis in addition to circulating seasonal respiratory viruses such as influenza, RSV and COVID-19. A significant number of cases have also occurred in school-aged children, many of whom were up to date on pertussis vaccination. Immunity from vaccination or natural infection wanes over time so infections can occur in people who are fully vaccinated. However, the vaccine is known to reduce disease severity, and hospitalization among vaccinated individuals is rare. The Kentucky Dep… Kentucky Public Health regularly in Kentucky, however an increase beyond the expected background rate has been reported in recent weeks. Though pertussis vaccination (DTaP or Tdap) is available and widely implemented, B. pertussis continues to spread in the U.S. due to lack of vaccination or timely boosters, the lack of lifelong immunity from vaccination or natural infection and the long duration of infectiousness in untreated cases. Symptoms of pertussis usually begin with a runny or congested nose, a low-grade fever, and mild coughing; apnea/stopping breathing can also occur in infants. After one to two weeks, the cough can progress to rapid, violent (paroxysmal) coughing fits that can cause the "whooping" sound, vomiting or labored breathing. Young children are the most severely affected; most teens and adults will have mild symptoms. People with preexisting health conditions that may be worsened by whooping cough are at high risk for developing a severe infection. Testing for Pertussis: The preferred methods for pertussis testing include nasal pharyngeal (NP) swab or nasal wash via PCR testing or culture. PCR has optimal sensitivity during the first three weeks of cough, is widely available at commercial laboratories and has a fast turnaround time. Culture is considered the gold standard due to excellent specificity but may take longer to complete. Serology for antibodies to B. pertussis is available at many commercial laboratories, however, serologic assays are not generally recommended for primary diagnosis of pertussis due to variability and unknown clinical accuracy. The most promising serologic assays are those that measure IgG antibodies against pertussis toxin only and are collected two to eight weeks following cough onset. Prevention of Pertussis: Prevention of pertussis is primarily achieved through routine vaccination with DTaP (ages two months to six years) and Tdap (ages seven years and older), followed by appropriate booster doses. Vaccination of pr… Bordetella parapertussis B. parapertussis is a bacterium that is similar to B. pertussis and can cause pertussis-like illness but does not produce pertussis toxin. Symptoms of parapertussis are typically milder and infection may be asymptomatic. There is no vaccine for B. parapertussis and post-exposure prophylaxis is not recommended, however treatment recommendations for symptomatic patients are the same as those for B. pertussis. B. parapertussis is not reportable in Kentucky. Thank you for your attention to this alert and guidance. The KDPH pertussis website includes supplemental resources, including a pertussis quicksheet with additional information that providers may find useful. If you have questions regarding reporting, testing, or prevention of pertussis or other infectious diseases, please contact the Kentucky Immunization Branch at (502) 564-4478 or after hours by calling the KDPH Epidemiology on-call line at 888-9-REPORT (888-973-7678). Our Mission: To improve the health and safety of people in Kentucky through Prevention, Promotion, and Protection
November 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
neolithicsheep.bsky.social
Which is why instead of just fucking yapping about what servicemembers "should" be doing we need to be hooking them up with resources like girightshotline.org to enable them to follow their consciences when that conflicts with the orders they have received.
GI Rights Hotline: Military Discharges and Military Counseling
Are you in the military or thinking about joining? Are you unsure of where to get reliable answers? Call the GI Rights Hotline at 1-877-447-4487. Call for yourself or someone you care about Free and c...
girightshotline.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
neolithicsheep.bsky.social
Everywhere, all over the country, people are stepping up.
gothamist.com Gothamist @gothamist.com · 11d
A U.S. postal worker on Long Island is accused of trying to help a man escape from ICE custody earlier this month, according to a federal criminal complaint: https://gothamist.visitlink.me/YNagDp
US postal worker charged with breaking man out of ICE custody on Long Island
Police arrested the worker and the man she tried to free.
gothamist.visitlink.me
November 21, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
diane.dianeduane.com
Thread.
kenwhite.bsky.social Popehat of Serious Proportion @kenwhite.bsky.social · 12d
Let’s talk about sedition and treason, because the most powerful yet inadequate man in the world is having a tantrum about it, and his soulless, spineless sycophants are boosting his message.

/1
November 20, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
jackjenkins.me
NEW: Churches in Charlotte are hosting trainings on how to response to ICE agents — with *hundreds* filling pews.

At one training, a child led those gathered in "This Little Light of Mine" — but changed the words to “All around Border Patrol, I’m gonna let it shine" religionnews.com/2025/11/20/a...
As ICE descends on Charlotte, faith leaders draw on other cities' actions to aid immigrants
(RNS) — As many as 500 people, a mix of clergy and other volunteers, have appeared at the training sessions on how to counter ICE.
religionnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
neolithicsheep.bsky.social
@octopusgallery.bsky.social beware the fish
mikebarthelauthor.com Mike Barthel @mikebarthelauthor.com · 13d
Fish have committed credit card fraud
Credit card fraud Black neon tetras committed credit card fraud during a 2023 livestream by "Mutekimaru Channel" on YouTube. The owner was using motion-tracking software to turn the fish's movements into Nintendo Switch inputs, letting them "play" video games. 8 In 2020, the fish beat Pokemon Sapphire after 3,195 hours, a feat that takes about 30 hours for a typical human. 9/ 181 On January 14, 2023, Pokémon Violet crashed at 1,144 hours, giving the fish free access to the main menu. They entered inputs that opened Nintendo eShop, added 500 yen ($3.85 USD) to their owner's account, and exposed his credit card details on the livestream. 10) 11) Mutekimaru later requested a refund of the 500 yen from Nintendo. l12) "Fish eagerly read the terms and conditions. Many of us humans don't read the terms of service, but fish are smarter than we are" - caption from Mutekimaru in a video about the incident 12) The fish also downloaded an N64 emulator, set up PayPal, used reward points to buy an avatar, and changed Mutekimaru's Nintendo account name to "ROWAWAWA*". 13, After about seven hours, their movements shut down the Switch. 14)
November 19, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
canadianry.bsky.social
#Bluesky now complying with US DoJ subpoenas to target dissenting Americans.

Way to go @bsky.app - this is some fucking bullshit. 🤬💔
theanarchistturtle.bsky.social Alex 🏴Ⓐ🔆 (The Anarchist Turtle) @theanarchistturtle.bsky.social · 15d
Getting subpoenaed by the US government over bluesky posts
November 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
rosemarymosco.com
velöcicheëp
albluu.bsky.social Albluu @albluu.bsky.social · 28d
Molting Velociraptor 👎
November 17, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Reposted by VR Trakowski
neolithicsheep.bsky.social
I don't want to hear shit about how Newsom is standing up to Trump. A judge has issued a stay preventing the feds from yanking the CDLs of legal immigrants but @governor.ca.gov is going forward with it anyway. Just like he's persecuting trans people anyway.
November 15, 2025 at 3:32 PM