Liz Ditz Still masking

@lizditz.bsky.social

3289 Followers 4450 Following

Trans rights are human rights. None of us are safe until all of us are safe. Dyslexia, autism, vaccines work. She/her.

A tabby colored cat curled up on messy bedding.
My finish record, 101.313 miles with a gun time of 57 hours, 15 minutes, 31 seconds, to finish 72nd out of 113 (to date). My average pace was 33:55 minutes per mile, while gaining 12,020 feet in elevation. In the virtual ride, you can choose to compete in non-equestrian (as I did) -- any mile can be walking, running, swimming, biking, rowing -- anything as long as it is non-motorized. Not bad for a 74 year old lady with stubby legs.
Photo of a tall narrow green book, with my hand for scale.
Calochortus species, Mariposa lily, I’m not sure which one. A 3-petaled white flower speckled maroon at the base.
What 15 pounds of crushed peppermint looks like.
White woman dressed in a jacket and skirt, hands on hips and elbows held pointed away from the body. According to Etymology Online “akimbo” has been used since c. 1400, maybe from in kenebowe
The scene as described above.
A western fence lizard, aka blue belly, on a rock wall, behind a dandelion. The dandelion is called “pis en lit”, or pee the bed, in France, because it was used in tea as a diuretic.
A white and brown goat, standing on its hind legs, to browse the leaves of a live oak. You can see the white electric fence that’s enclosing the goats, which are meant to reduce the fuel load.
We, the Editor and Publisher of Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, have retracted the following article: Gallagher, C. M., & Goodman, M. S. (2010). Hepatitis B Vaccination of Male Neonates and Autism Diagnosis, NHIS 1997–2002. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 73(24), 1665–1677. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2010.519317 Following publication, concerns were raised regarding the methodology of the study and the reported conclusions. In accordance with our policies, we contacted the authors for an explanation and engaged an independent reviewer for a post-publication statistical review. The independent statistical reviewer concluded that due to fundamental methodological flaws the study’s conclusions are unsound. Key concerns identified: • Insufficient study design (cross-sectional) for the causal inferences suggested • Critically small number of autism cases (n=31) within a highly selective sample • Inadequate statistical analysis • Incomplete confounder adjustment resulting in likely biased effect size • The confounded association is not statistically significant • Overstated conclusion that inappropriately suggests causality The study’s main conclusion is “Despite these limitations, the results of the study indicate that U.S. male neonates vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine prior to 1999 incurred a threefold greater risk for autism diagnosis”. Based on the statistical review, it was determined that this conclusion is not supported by the data. Therefore, we no longer have confidence in the reported conclusions and have decided to retract the article. The authors listed in the publication have been informed. The authors do not agree with the retraction.
Two identical black cats facing off, separated by a fan of fortnight lily leaves. The one on the right has a fluffed-up tail and is crouched in “attack position”, and is The Cat In Residence. The one on the left is belly to the ground and is The Intruder. Too bad I didn’t video with audio—the sound was a lot of cat cursing and trash talk.
White shrub roses.
Closeup view of Brizia maximus, California rattlesnake grass, with orange sticky monkeflower in the background.
Two identical black cats, facing off over a fan of fortnight lily leaves. Much yodeling and puffy tail switching is in progress.
The names, listed alphabetically, of the 62 people who have filed to be on the ballot in the California June 2 primary election for Governor. It is a four column list, giving name and party affiliation. Here are all the names that fit. Akinyemi Agbede Democratic Mathematician Mohammad Arif Democratic Immigrants Organizer Larry Azevedo Democratic Businessman Xavier Becerra Democratic Voting Rights Attorney Carolina Buhler Democratic Civil Rights Advocate Louis A. De Barraicua Democratic Teacher/Business Owner Sophia Edum-a-Sam Democratic Project Manager Derek Grasty Democratic District Trustee/Educator Joel E. Jacob Democratic Business Owner/Entrepreneur Gary Howard Kidgell Democratic Building Consultant Matthew Chase Levy Democratic Entrepreneur/Physicist Matt Mahan Democratic Mayor, San Jose Barack D. Obama Shaw Democratic Business Owner Thunder Parley Democratic Market Analyst Katie Porter Democratic Consumer Protection Advocate Raji Rab Democratic Aviator/Educator/Entrepreneur Satish Rao Democratic Professor Scott P Shields Democratic Chief Executive Officer Tom Steyer Democratic Climate Advocate Eric Swalwell Democratic U.S. Representative, Tony K. Thurmond Democratic California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Antonio Villaraigosa Democratic Housing Affordability Advocate Betty T. Yee Democratic Family Care Navigator Erin "Zez" Zezulak Democratic Consultant/Nurse/Businesswoman James Athans Jr. Republican Real Estate Agent Chad Bianco Republican Riverside County Sheriff Patricia De Luca Basualdo Republican Real Estate Broker Randeep S. Dhillon Republican Economist/Farmer/Businessman Rafael M. Hernandez Republican Businessman/Songwriter/Author Steve Hilton Republican Small Business Owner Alicia Olivia Lapp Republican No Ballot Designation Leo Naranjo IV Republican Retired Military Sergeant Tim Nelson Republican Diplomat/Rights Advocate Gretha Solórzano Republican Retired Nuclear Engineer Leo Samuel Zacky Republican Farmer/Businessman/Broadcaster D…
Two identical black cats, one in profile, one head on, facing off across around 20 feet of pebbley concrete. The real Lulu is the cat in profile. You can’t tell from the picture but their eyes are the exact same color, and they both have about 10 white hairs on their chest. You can see a corner of a pool, and a little of green and black hoses, and one of the attached pumps. I guess I could put the backyard flood-handling equipment away now. The real Lulu has a narrow and elegant tail, and her whiskers have turned white. She also has a little middle aged belly. The faux intruder Lulu has a bulkier tail with a slight kink at the end, and a chunkier physique overall, but no belly flap. It’s been a good 10 minutes and they are still having a stare down. 15 minutes. The real Lulu is maintaining station. The faux Lulu has slunk into the house towards the cat feeding station. NOW WHAT? Drama resolution to come.
A black cat fully stretched out on a pebbly concrete patio.
Four young children in their pajamas, staring out a sliding glass door, waiting for a rare deluge to slacken so they can go back outside again to play in the rain.
Four small children, preschool to 7 years old, standing in front of a sliding glass door in their pajamas, looking at the torrential rain outside. They are waiting for the rain to slacken so they can go back outside to play and get delightfully dirty.
A black cat fully stretched out on a pebbled concrete patio.
A post on Xitter from Captain Dan touting Bitcoin, obviously not from him.
On X/Twitter, Rep. Ogles posted on 3/9/26 “Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie “.
Sol was a proud U.S. Airforce veteran: Airman’s Prayer Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew - And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God. Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee No 412 squadron, RCAF died in service 11 December 1941
Solomon, a handsome, grey-haired man with a mustache, wearing a green and white shirt, leans into his sweetie, a sweet-faced blonde woman wearing a bright cerise turtleneck shirt. Both are smiling into the camera, sitting at a picnic bench in a leafy green patio.
Troll installation at Filoli
Paper white narcissus, the most fragrant
Dough frying for the Czech fair dish, lángos. Pictureis of the vat of hot oil with golden discs of fried yeast dough draining on the side
Closeup of Trump standing up to give fist pump minutes after being injured in assassination attempt. cropped from image The New Yorker published about the incident. There’s a modest amount of blood around the top rim of his ear, and two thin trails of blood across his cheek to his mouth. His collar is still completely white and there does not appear to be any blood matting his hair.
Picture of a ballot going into an official California ballot drop box. I did so on Sunday October 27. Got an acknowledgment that my vote was received by Tuesday. I’ve been a vote by mail voter since ? Probably 1998.
A sample tweet from @juliethecranky, dissing Camilla in 2021.
Image of a ballot sticking out of an California official ballot drop box
Two hikers, seen from the back, on a trail bordered by ferns. The trail is in shade, moving into full sun.
Bad Bunny in the October 4, 2025, Saturday night live sketch, a homage to El Chavo del Ocho ("The Kid/Boy from Number Eight") -- a Mexican television sitcom series created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito) and produced by Televisa. It premiered on February 26, 1973, and ended on January 7, 1980, after 8 seasons and 312 episodes, and aired across Latin America and Spain. 
Two copies of Jonathan Howed MD’s new book, “Everyone Else Is Lying To You”. The subtitle is “How the medical establishment weaponized doubt to spread COVID, normalize quackery, and undermine public health “.
A recent photo of FCC commissioner Brenda. Carr, showing a grizzled beard.
A sunny oak studded hillside with towering clouds of gray-white smoke in the middle distance.
A farm homestead with a fire burning some miles distant, as the August full moon shines on.
Annotated map of Los Angeles County with labels on neighborhoods.
Annotated map of Los Angeles County with neighborhood labels and freeways shown.
Screenshot of Malone's Substack article, text reads: Drug Repurposing for Measles Disease Treatment Once again, Frontline Physicians discover and test what appears to be an inexpensive, off-patent treatment for a virus that causes lung disease ROBERT W MALONE MD, MS APR 08, 2025 [picture of Richard Bartlett MD] An Off-patent, Off-label Measles Disease Treatment Dr. Richard Bartlett and his close colleagues have been very actively involved in treating patients who have developed measles infection and disease during the current West Texas outbreak. They have discovered that an off-patent drug, Budesonide, when administered by inhaler, can provide remarkable clinical responses in patients suffering from Measles disease. This is another example of an “off-label” use of an existing drug to treat symptoms caused by an infectious viral agent. •
The lighthouse from about step 100 of the 315 steps down, showing the cliff and the restless ocean below.
Screenshot of my query string showing the 403 forbidden response.
20. Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
19. Be a patriot. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. Modern tyranny is terror management. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that authoritarians exploit such events in order to consolidate power. Do not fall for it. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
17. Listen for dangerous words. Be alert to the use of the words extremism and terrorism. Be alive to the fatal notions of emergency and exception. Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
16. Learn from peers in other countries. Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present difficulties in the United States are an element of a larger trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
15. Contribute to good causes. Be active in organizations, political or not, that express your own view of life. Pick a charity or two and set up autopay. Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny
14. Establish a private life. Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the Internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
13. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
12. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
11. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on the internet is there to harm you. Learn about sites that investigate propaganda campaigns (some of which come from abroad). Take responsibility for what you communicate to others. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny
10. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
9. Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
8. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.
7. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds
Timothy Snyder: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017), https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny 6. Be wary of paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching around with torches and pictures of a Leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come. Superimposed on a red-gold sunset over a sea of clouds.