David Sewell

@davidsewell.bsky.social

455 Followers 382 Following

Native southern Californian, Swarthmore alum, former Tucsonan, retired UVA, live in Charlottesville. Interests include the greater Southwest, Lebanon/MENA, immigration policy/support, Quaker concerns.

Dislodged border buoys on the Rio Grande that have clustered apparently in a bend of the river. There are dozens of them bunched closed together, all of them fluorescent orange in color.
Graph showing the frequency of the word "tyrant" as a percentage of the Google Books modern corpus. From a low of less than 0.0002% in 1700 it rises to a high of 0.0020% in about 1780, up and down decline until 1825, then a slow decline to the 1700 level around 1910 and staying there. Then roughly doubling from 2000 to 2022.
Public Service Announcement, Sells AZ (in part): The Tohono O'odham Nation has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over its plans to take our reservation land and water to construct a border wall. The Nation is taking this action now because DHS plans to award contracts in the next few weeks for building a wall across our reservation. The Tohono O'odham Legislative Council voted unanimously to move forward with the lawsuit, which documents exactly how the border wall violates our rights as a sovereign tribe. First, DHS's construction of a border wall would illegally take the Nation's land and decrease the Nation's reservation. Second, DHS and its contractors would be trespassing on the Nation's land and violating the Nation's exclusive use of its reservation and resources. The Nation's lawsuit also explains how the wall would destroy sacred cultural sites and impact important ceremonies and religious practices. For decades, the Nation has cooperated with the federal government's border security measures. Together, we have been successful in protecting the U.S. homeland without resorting to a wall that would separate our people, desecrate sacred areas, and cause great harm to the natural environment. The current extensive border security measures already in place on the Nation have decreased unlawful border crossings by more than 95% in the last two years. The border wall is not a security asset; it is a multi-billion-dollar waste of taxpayer dollars. . . . DHS has chosen to disregard our sovereignty, ignoring proven border security strategies and dismissing the irreversible environmental and cultural destruction that will follow. We have already witnessed the desecration that border wall construction has caused with the blading of the thousand-year-old Las Playas Intaglio, both an O'odham and American treasure, and previous efforts to dynamite areas around the sacred Quitobaquito Springs.
"Meaning and use" tab from the Oxford English Dictionary for the noun "stupiditarian". Usage label is "rare"; the definition is "An unintelligent, undeducated, or foolish person". There are three citations: 1850: How often do history and the newspapers exhibit to us the spectacle of a heavy-headed stupiditarian in official station, veiling the sheerest incompetency in a mysterious sublimity of carriage! —E. P. Whipple, Lect. Lit. & Life iv. 143 1961: Most of them are either stupiditarians or grafters. —J. Waten, Time of Conflict iii. 157 1999: As soon as ‘true’ VP tools become widespread, some band of suit-clad stupiditarians will declare that there is no need for specialist programmers any more. —Re: Why is Software Development in comp.software-eng 1 April (Usenet newsgroup, accessed 14 Aug. 2018)
A bag branded as Really Great Cat Litter from Tuft & Paw, described as "clumping, odorstop blend, Mixed Tofu Cat Litter".
Panel from an old "Krazy Kat" cartoon: Ignatz Mouse has just hurled a brick at Krazy Kat, striking him in the head. The brick trajectory has word ZIP and above Krazy Kat's head is the word POW.
Tom Perriello for Congress pins and stickers
AI-generated illustration of a prison, showing two guard towers, a large horizontal three-story building, and a massive tower maybe 15 stories high. Behind the prison fence is a sign reading "26% Revenue Growth / 8.84% Dividand [sic] Yield". The style is comic-book realism, with a green lawn inside the fence and a blue sky with a cloud or two.
Two protest signs are displayed on chairs. One says "HUNDREDS killed in LEBANON since the 'Ceasefire'." The other one says "CEASEFIRE FOR LEBANON". Above them is a banner with colors and cedar tree from the Lebanese flag, and the name of Lebanon in Arabic, French, and English.
An AP news story about Israeli strikes in central Beirut posted by Abby Sewell, one of the authors, who added, "One strike hit the apartment building where I used to live, and another one hit one block over from my current apartment. Both in very normal residential neighborhoods. Israel strikes central Beirut without warning after saying Iran ceasefire doesn't apply there"
Photo of bomb strikes on Beirut as part of Israeli offensive hitting 100 sites in ten minutes
Very faded hand-painted sign reading "DRIVE SLOWLY", with the S illegible. F
Three paragraphs from "The Great Quillow". The text reads: “This other giant,” said Quillow, “suffered no pain. His symptoms were marvelous and dismaying. First he heard the word. For fifteen minutes one morning, beginning at a quarter of six, he heard the word.” “Harumph!” said Hunder, finishing his pie and reaching for his chocolate. “What was the word the giant heard for fifteen minutes one day?” “The word was ‘woddly’,” said Quillow. “All words were one word to him. All words were ‘woddly’.
Screen grab of a web advertisement. There is a photo of an elderly man with the caption "60 Minutes" in the lower left, implying that the ad has something to do with that TV show. Below the photo is the bold text "Alzheimer's Begins When You Can't Say This Word", and under it in lighter text "U.S. Brain Review".
Cover of the British first edition of "The Unicorn", with an illustration of a unicorn inside a small hexagonal pen.
Line drawing of a sexton in old-fashioned garb, carrying a lantern in his right hand and a spade over his left shoulder.
King Arthur being arrested (from the end of Monty Python and the Holy Grail)
Screenshot of email not addressed to me, subject "Settlement Confirmed – Receipt Issued" with text reading "Earnest Client, Our records exhibit associate in nursing rudimentary defrayment connected your chronicle. Delight resolve it quick. Defrayment Character: IB0ADAI3NU6C33~4ACXB"
Same screen grab, but where Rubio was before there is the National Archives logo instead of his photo, and the text reads only "Archivist of the United States".
Under heading "Management Team", the first entry has a photo of Rubio with the text "Archivist of the United States (Acting) - Marco Rubio
Planner section for recording person to notify in case of emergency. Its header reads, "in case of emergency (ice)".
Panel from old DC Superman comic. Bizarro Superman is addressing a crowd and shouting, "AND IF YOU VOTE FOR ME, ME PROMISE TO RAISE TAXES, ROB THE GOVERNMENT TREASURY AND GIVE ALL MY RELATIVES PLENTY GRAFT!" Someone in the crowd shouts, "HOORAY! THIS CANDIDATE SO DISHONEST ME VOTE FOR HIM SIX TIMES!"
Screen shot from Sunrise Times app of January 2026 sunrise and sunset times for Charlottesville
The video shows spectators milling about in the church courtyard as someone pulls vigorously on the bell rope to sound the bell.
A screen grab of an article from Yahoo Finance. The text reads: Noble Financial Remains Bullish on CoreCivic (CXW) Noor Ul Ain Rehman Mon, October 20, 2025 at 11:08 PM EDT • 2 min read CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE:CXW) is one of the best small cap stocks with the highest upside. CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE:CXW) reported on October 2 that it will announce its fiscal Q3 2025 results on November 5, after the market closes. Below that text there is a photo of a prison area showing male inmates all dressed in orange prison garb, standing in rows and photographed from behind. The caption reads: "Is CoreCivic, Inc. (CXW) The Stock With The Most Insider Sales In The Last Quarter?"
24-291 APACHE STRONGHOLD V. UNITED STATES, ET AL. The petition for rehearing is denied. Justice Gorsuch would grant the petition for rehearing. Justice Alito took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.
Photo of an aging Skeksis
A line of people facing the street, bearing signs. The one nearest the camera reads LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
Cover of Cville weekly newspaper, showing helmeted football players and a coach wearing a shirt saying “Respect all, fear none”.
ICE troops armed to the teeth on a transport truck near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles
Card showing a possum screaming "AAAAAAAAAA" at the moon.
Coffee mugs in a bookstore display with the message "THE WORLD NEEDS MORE CANADA"
18th-century Chinese painting depicting Confucius
Screen grab reading at the top "Brightspeed Assistant. Welcome to Brightspeed. I'm Cody the Brightspeed Assistant".
Below a photo of birds in flight, the poster has this text: faith & immigration AN INTERFAITH GATHERING AT NORTHSIDE LIBRARY THURSDAY, JULY 31 • 6:30PM - 8PM Immigration policies are tearing families apart and separating children from their parents. Members from many faith communities find that these actions challenge core religious values and are looking for a best way forward. We invite members of all faith communities who share these concerns to an evening gathering to meet one another, to hear very brief presentations on current responses to the immigration crisis, and to brainstorm about new possibilities for working together. What are your neighbors doing? How can you get involved? Organized by Charlottesville Friends Meeting (Quakers), welcoming people of all faiths.
More of the protest song
A large puppet moves past an extended sign reading DOJ HANDS OFF UVA as a protest song is being sung by the crowd.
[University of Virginia logo on letterhead] To the University community: I am writing, with a very heavy heart, to let you know that I have submitted my resignation as President of the University of Virginia. To make a long story short, I am inclined to fight for what I believe in, and I believe deeply in this University. But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job. To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld. This is especially true because I had decided that next year would be my last, for reasons entirely separate from this episode—including the fact that we concluded our capital campaign and have implemented nearly all of the major initiatives in our strategic plan. While there are very important principles at play here, I would at a very practical level be fighting to keep my job for one more year while knowingly and willingly sacrificing others in this community. If this were not so distinctly tied to me personally, I may have pursued a different path. But I could not in good conscience cause real and direct harm to my colleagues and our students in order to preserve my own position. It has been an honor to be your President. Thanks for the outpouring of support over the last few days and weeks. My deepest gratitude to all of the faculty, staff, students, and alumni, who make this University and this community both great and good. This was an excruciatingly difficult decision, and I am heartbroken to be leaving this way. Best, Jim Jim Ryan
Poster showing a small red crown labeled "Kings" followed by a plus sign, a large simple depiction of an army tank, and a question mark. Below that, an equals sign followed by the text "NO THANKS!"
Photo of the story in question, entitled "ICE in the desert", with the word ICE in huge type. To the right, a portion of a helmet worn by a hockey player with the university's Wildcat mascot.
Humorous cartoon with the caption "The LLM giveth and the LLM taketh away", referencing the Book of Job. Instead of God there is a computer monitor with a bearded face and the designation "LLM", and a robed arm with finger pointing to the sky. "Job" is looking at the monitor in dismay. (Cartoon generated by an AI of course.)
Footage of two adult Canada geese and two goslings at the edge of a pond.
A black t-shirt with the wording RESISTANCE IS FERTILE surrounding an image of a cactus-like clenched fist with two thistle flowers in the background.
Cartoon of a farmer in a tractor in front of the White House. The tractor draws a cart with a load of manure. A security guard is speaking into his radio: "Mr. President, there's a farmer here to share his thoughts on your trade war with China..."
Photograph of a "possible bust of Heraclitus, from the Hall of Philosophers in the Capitoline Museums" (from Wikipedia)
Reproduction of a mural saying CHOOSE KINDNESS, made up of multicolored tiles and containing small peace symbols, flowers, and hand imprints.
Color photo of a wooden crucifix with a highly stylized representation of a human figure nailed to it, outdoors. In the foreground are various cacti. The crucifix is perhaps two feet in height.
An old magazine ad for Scot paper towels, apparently original. The main heading reads "Is your washroom breeding Bolsheviks?" and the subhead reads "Employees lose respect for a company that fails to provide decent facilities for their comfort". Next to the head is a large picture of a scowling mustachioed man wiping his hands with what must be an inferior paper towel.
Some holding a large sign with the state seal of Virginia, as described in Wikipedia: "The standing allegorical female figure of virtue is shown having vanquished tyranny, symbolized by a fallen king at her feet. She has an exposed breast in the manner of classical depictions of Amazons. The motto Sic semper tyrannis means 'Thus always to tyrants.'" In the original version of the seal, a crown lies next to the fallen tyrant; here it is a red MAGA cap.
Photograph of the book cover: "Gandhi on Non-Violence: A Selection from the Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Edited and with an Introduction by Thomas Merton". A photograph of Gandhi in middle age, smiling and dressed in white robes, fills the cover.
Comic book art representing a protest march. One protester is holding a sign reading "Some people are Trans – Get over it!" while another wears a t-shirt saying "Trans Lives Matter"
Photo of a mural. Underwater, an imposing older man who might be Poseidon is enveloping a clownfish in his hands. The clownfish is bright orange with white stripes; all the rest of the mural is in shades of blue. (From "Harboring Beauty" by Joe Pagac)
Hand-lettered metal sign reading "DRIVE SLOWLY". The sign and lettering are quite faded. Prickly pear cactus and desert scrub in the background.
Scan of the letterpress page mentioned in the post
"The explosion in Tyr Harfa, which killed four people, was caused by a mine placed in an armchair, according to a mukhtar of the village contacted by L'Orient Today's correspondent. This explosive was placed during the Israeli occupation of the village. One of the victims, Abbas Haidar, was clearing the rubble of his house, partially destroyed by an Israeli strike before the ceasefire, and was carrying the booby-trapped armchair with one of his friends, when the explosion took place. Two of his daughters who were present at the scene, aged seven and eight, were killed, as was the adult who was helping him carry furniture. His third daughter was injured. "
Surrealist painting by Remedios Varo, showing a bearded man wearing a fantastical cloak riding a bicycle too slender to support his weight. His face appears from behind a pair of wooden shutters; a cat lies curled up at his feet. Atop his hat is an odd fan contraption. He is riding on a path through woods.
On the right, a young saguaro cactus, about three feet (1m) in height. To its left, a somewhat larger cholla cactus that seems to be "hugging" it. Some yellow annual flowers in the background, along with low hill peaks.
Parked cars covered with several inches of snow. It is morning but a sidewalk lamp is still illuminated.
Photo of a desert landscape at sunset, with a few young saguaros in the foreground. A large boulder is at the right of the photo a few meters away. On the horizon to the north are the ridges of the Tucson Mountains.