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@malacandra.me

789 Followers 600 Following

Grizzled software/web designer, graphic artist, and political activist. Former webmaster at Democracy for America. Online for >40 years & my soul hasn't been entirely crushed yet. He/him/his ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€โšง๏ธ

A vintage โ€˜60s-era television set displaying a smeary, low contrast, black-and-white image of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the surface of the moon with the lunar lander close behind them.
Mel Brooks, dressed in ancient Roman armor, lays on a couch reading "Variety" and smiling at the camera.
This is a Santa Rosa plum tree, replete with fruit.
Donald Trump is standing before an old-fashioned microphone waving a piece of paper in the pose of a famous photograph of Neville Chamberlainโ€™s โ€œPeace for our Timeโ€ speech after the Munich agreement ceding Czechoslovakia to Germany.
Still frame from the movie "1776" depicting Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard), Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva), and John Adams (William Daniels) sitting on the steps of the staircase in the lobby just outside the main congressional assembly chamber in Independence Hall.
Whippet is lying draped over the arm of a sectional sofa, looking boneless. It seems impossible that it could be comfortable.
Washington Post: The Trump administration is hosting an all-day prayer festival on the National Mall on Sunday that organizers say will reflect the country's Christian origins and, they hope, spark "a movement of renewal" in America. Photo of Trump supporters, heads bowed in prayer. Caption: White House aims to link U.S. history and Christianity in 9-hour prayer festival
Photograph of Claude Shannon standing in front of an early electronic computer.
POV classic alien abduction scenario: black and white illustration of two grey aliens peering down at you lying prone on an examining table as you look up into a round light. The background is filled with technical control panels and monitors vaguely suggestive of advanced medical equipment.
Painting of my dog Grace, a whippet, in the style of Modigliani.
The California state flag waves in front of the state capitol building in Sacramento.
Whippet and tabby cat cuddling on the sofa.
King Arthur and Guenevere wed as Sir Lancelot du Lac looks on in noble devotion to both. This will turn out swimmingly.
Composite of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin, both born on February 12, 1809.
A U.S. postal stamp design: Veronica, Archie,and Betty are each sitting very closely together while sipping out of a single chocolate malted with a straw. They are all smiling, and Archie and Betty are gazing at Veronica, whose eyes are closed. Valentine hearts hover over Betty's head.
Backyard cisterns for holding rooftop rainwater.
Photo of the Straw Man, the Tin Woodman, Dorothy, and the Cowardly Lion in the hall of the Wizard of Oz. Caption reads: "I WISH THERE WERE A WIZARD OF OZ TO GIVE THE GOP A HEART, DEMOCRATS COURAGE, AND THE MEDIA A BRAIN."
Two whippets next to each other on a couch, one of them has a ginger cat spooning with him.
Mockup of a Truth Social post by Pontius Pilate, reading: "Agitator, and perhaps, insurrectionist, Jesus of Nazareth's stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and kicking over the table of a very calm and under control moneychanger! MAKE JUDEA GREAT AGAIN." Accompanied by a mock photo of Jesus kicking over a moneychanger's table.
The Nazi Party's paramilitary organisation were the Sturm Abeilung, more commonly known as the SA. The SA were formed in 1921 and were known as 'brownshirts' due to their brown uniform. Initially most members were ex-soldiers or unemployed men. Violent and often disorderly, the SA were primarily responsible for the protection of leading Nazis and disrupting other political opponents' meetings, although they often had a free rein on their activities. If Hitler was to gain power democratically, he needed to reform the SA. He set out to change their reputation. A new leader, Franz von Salomon, was recruited. Rather than the violent free rein they had previously enjoyed, Salomon was stricter and gave the SA a more defined role. In 1925, Hitler also established the Schutzstaffel, otherwise known as the SS. The SS were initially created as Hitler's personal bodyguards, although they would go on to police the entire Third Reich. The SS were a small sub-division of the SA with approximately 300 members until 1929. In 1929, Heinrich Himmler took over the organisation, and expanded it dramatically. By 1933, the SS had 35,000 members. Members of the SS were chosen based on their 'racial purity', blind obedience and fanatical loyalty to Hitler. The SS saw themselves as the ultimate defenders of the 'Aryan' race and Nazi ideology. They terrorized and aimed to destroy any person or group that threatened this. The SA and the SS became symbols of terror. The Nazi Party used these two forces to terrify their opposition into subordination, slowly eliminate them entirely, or scare people into supporting them.
Caption accompanying a photo of January 6th protesters surrounding and overwhelming a Capitol police officer: "You can believe that Alex Pretti and Renee Good deserved what happened to them because they interfered with law enforcement officers. You can believe that the January 6th protesters deserved to be pardoned. But you can't have it both ways."
Portion of the book cover illustration: a desert landscape with a portentous sky filled with billowing clouds. Two camels and riders appear in silhouette.
Headline from The Guardian 'I don't need international law': Trump says power constrained only by 'my own morality' President says morality 'the only thing that can stop me' in New York Times interview on limits to his authority
Whippet wrapped up in a hand-knitted blanket on a couch.
19th Century etching of the aftermath of the Tay Bridge collapse. A truncated bridge vanishes into the distance while debris and piling rise out of the tumultuous sea which violently tosses several rescue boats. In the foreground two men in rain gear and a dog watch the rescue efforts from a pier.
Illustration with a header that reads: "TEMU UNITED STATES" followed by a colorful NYC skyline and a caption that says "CLEARANCE", and "Everything must go!"
"Baby on Board" sign as seen through a car's rear window.
Photo of Christopher Reeves as Superman using his heat vision.
An illustration of Sir Isaac Newton seated behind a desk, holding up a prism that diffracts a white beam of light into its constituent colors. On the desk before him sit two large tomes, one is titled "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica". Also on the desk is a small telescope. Behind him, over his right shoulder, is an astronomical illustration of the sun being orbited by planets. Over his left shoulder is an apple tree, and the left portion of the illustration opens up to reveal a seascape with a prominent wave reflecting the light of a full moon, sized and positioned to imply a relationship to the apple in obeying the same gravitational laws.
Santa is airborne in his sleigh driven by eight reindeer in a Thomas Nast era illustration.
An ad for a hoodie with a massively disproportionate photo of the neck and head of a whippet peering out from it, looking both friendly and monstrous at the same time.
A jug of water with a โ€œBest Beforeโ€ date stamped on the container.
The Beatles standing closely in a row at the recording session for "All You Need is Love". In the background, above them, are an array of festive colorful balloons.
Donald Trump stands stiffly, facing forward as a group of pharmaceutical execs are gathered around to look after the welfare of a collapsed colleague.
Two whippets sleeping on a bed.
Trumpโ€™s demolition of the East Wing.
Female whippet sitting on the carpet looking alert and deceptively elegant.
A mug modeled after Captain Kirkโ€™s gold/green uniform from the original Star Trek. Its color precisely matches that of the golden milk beverage which it contains.
Headline: U.S. added 911,000 fewer jobs than first estimated in 2024-25, Bureau of Labor Statistics says
Tombstone of Emmet L. Till In Loving Memory July 25 1941 - August 28, 1955
Reuter's headline: "Trump's civil-fraud penalty is thrown out by New York appeals court"
Photograph of a Union Federal gun battery during the American Civil War. Attributed to Matthew Brady.
Comic book panels, Wonder Woman is narrating. Panel 1: Depicts Clark Kent talking to Lois Lane as they walk through the busy Daily Planet newsroom. "DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT SUPERMAN SEES WHEN HE LOOKS AT ORDINARY PEOPLE, LUTHOR? HE STANDS IN AWE WATCHING THEM GO THROUGH THEIR DAILY LIVES WITHOUT HIS POWERS, TAKING RISKS JUST BY CROSSING THE STREET OR CLIMBING A LADDER." Panel 2: Depicts Clark and Lois continuing their walk into another room where there is a banner that says "Welcome Back" and balloon decorations. A group of coworkers are greeting a colleague wearing a bandanna, apparently recovering from cancer treatment. "IN HIS EYES, YOU SOLDIER THROUGH THE DARKEST TIMES WITHOUT SUPER-STRENGTH. YOU FACE UNFATHOMABLE CHALLENGES WITHOUT INVULNERABILITY." Panel 3: Depicts Clark Kent's face reflected in the glass of a framed newspaper front page that reads "Men Walk on Moon." "YOU'RE MADE OF TISSUE PAPER AND YET YOU CAN DO ANYTHING." Panel 4: Depicts a tight close-up of Wonder Woman's face, earnest. "HE DOESN'T SEE YOU AS INFERIOR. IF ANYTHING, HE MARVELS AT YOUR BRAVERY." "YOU'RE HIS HEROES." Panel 5: Lex Luthor, bound by Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth looks indignant, and replies: โ€ขโ€ฆ YOU'RE LYING." Panel 6: Pulls back on Wonder Woman to show her forearm wrapped by her glowing lasso, revealing that she, too, is bound by it and compelled to be truthful. She replies: "NO, I'M NOT."
Social security cards laid over a pay stub showing withholding amounts.
Vizzini from โ€œThe Princess Brideโ€, smirking.
Vocal anti-vaccine broadcaster dies from COVID-19 complications Friends say Dick Farrel encouraged them to get the vaccine after he was infected. Radio host Dick Farrel passed away from complications from the coronavirus. Former South Florida talk show host Dick Farrel, known and beloved by fans for his over-the-top right-wing opinions, has died from complications from COVID-19.
Anti-vaxxer sheriff's deputy dies from COVID-19 complications shortly after mocking the vaccine on Facebook Daniel Duke' Trujillo, 33, died on Wednesday. He had shared anti-vaccination posts on social media in the weeks prior to his death. The Denver Sheriff's deputy had shared a string of anti-vax posts just weeks before his death, MailOnline reported. "I have an immune system," read one of his Facebook posts.
Noted Unvaccinated Trump Supporter Who Spread Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Dies of COVID-19 Noted Donald Trump supporter Linda Zeurn of Bourne, Massachusetts, who spread numerous coronavirus-related conspiracy theories, has died of complications from COVID-19, the Cape Cod Times reports. Per the outlet, the 70-year-old was a member of the pro-Trump group United Cape Patriots, which had consistently helped propagate conspiracy theories throughout the pandemic.
The sister of a man who died from COVID-19 after calling vaccines 'poison' wants people to get shots in her brother's memory His sister, who was also initially vaccine-hesitant, is now urging people to get a shot in her brother's memory.
LA man who mocked Covid-19 vaccines dies of virus A California man who mocked Covid-19 vaccines on social media has died after a month-long battle with the virus. Stephen Harmon, a member of the Hillsong megachurch, had been a vocal opponent of vaccines, making a series of jokes about not having the vaccine. "Got 99 problems but a vax ain't one," the 34-year-old tweeted to his 7,000 followers in June.
"This is not a hoax': Family reveal tragic final words of anti-vaxxer, 28, who died of Covid. Mother says her son 'would have made sure everyone knew how serious this disease is' after admitting it was not a conspiracy while in an ICU The family of a 28-year-old anti-vaxxer who died from Covid have revealed how he regretted not getting vaccinated in his final days in an ICU unit, and admitted that it was "not a hoax".
"I was wrong'" Corsicana pastor regrets not getting vaccinated after contracting COVID-19 CORSICANA, Texas - A Corsicana pastor says his fight against COVID-19 has changed his perspective on getting the vaccine. The North Texas pastor has been battling the virus for more than 20 days. He admits he was not vaccinated but now plans to after his near-death experience.
Anti-vaxxer dies of Covid nine days after saying virus is 'nothing to be afraid of Leslie Lawrenson's partner says he 'paid ultimate price' for making a 'terrible mistake' over jab Leslie Lawrenson, 58, died at his home in Bournemouth on 2 July, after downplaying his symptoms and declining to go to the hospital. His long-term partner Amanda Mitchell, 56, who was severely ill with the virus at the time, said he believed the vaccines were too "experimental" and put his family at risk.
COVID-19: Family of anti-vaxxer nightclub boss who died from coronavirus urges people to get the jab. David Parker reportedly had no underlying health conditions and was fit and healthy but he had refused to get the coronavirus vaccine. Mr Parker had shared anti-vaccination content on social media.
News headline: A Texas Republican leader who repeatedly mocked masks and vaccines has died of COVID-19 Caption: Texas Republican Party activist H Scott Apley died Wednesday after frequently criticizing vaccines and facemasks during the pandemic. According to an online fundraiser, he died in the hospital while being treated for COVID-19.
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