Michael Sims

In our new house, I admired a bowl glorified by sunlight on the old bureau we reincarnated as a sideboard. Then I saw the still almost empty china cabinet hosting a 17th-century Dutch still life. Sadly, Clara Peeters and Brueghel the Elder lacked cocktail shakers and their playful way with sheen.

What fun to see this pop up again. Thank you!

More than 200 health professionals say Trump has ‘malignant narcissism’ in open letter George Conway-led Pac questions Republican nominee’s mental fitness for office in full-page New York Times ad

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024...

Anti-Trump Protests Get Underway Across the Country Demonstrators packed the streets in several cities to bemoan what they considered a lack of strong opposition to the president and his policies.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/05/u...

This is exactly the attitudes I grew up around.

Apparently our godforsaken excuse for a government is happily planning to rack up all kinds of warnings from other nations about the dangers of having anything to do with the U.S.

A typically smart, humane, and helpful piece by the great @nytimes.com columnist Margaret Renkl.

Opinion | Why I Got the Measles Vaccine at Age 63 Cases have now popped up in at least 19 states, including Kentucky and Georgia. That’s near enough to home for me to start worrying.

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/o...

Working on my next book, about the always fadcinating #charlesdarwin and #emmadarwin, at the dining table to be near the springy view at the big window. Five whitetail deer just paraded along the ridge trail right behind the apartment. Nature is just as creative today as it was a million years ago.

#bloodoranges and #roastedchickpeas on my desk. That’s all.

Of course.

The 12-year-old deciding he is not at all too old to covet what he calls “museum-quality models.”

#monarchcaterpillar in western Pennsylvania, from September

Lemons, blood oranges, and, yes, avocados, not limes. Every day of this evil coup I remind myself that the world is also still full of beauty.

I’m reading it now and enjoying it very much.

Another thoughtful and compelling book by Lee Dugatkin.

Dr. Calhoun’s Mousery By Lee Alan Dugatkin -- Review A compelling biography about a groundbreaking scientist and his controversial work, using rodent cities to examine the potential catastrophes that might befall human overpopulation.

www.forbes.com/sites/grrlsc...

Ohio sunset, October 2024, before the coup

Canada geese in a wintry river and their tracks in snow beside it.

Canada geese in a wintry river & their tracks in snow beside it. I thought the 3-toed tracks might be from other birds such as coots or rails. But an ornithologist I consulted said no, those tracks are by geese. in deeper snow, not and thus show only toes, not webbing. #Canadageese, #tracksinsnow.

How Spain’s radically different approach to migration helped its economy soar As immigration has increased, GDP has surged and unemployment has fallen to lowest level since 2008

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

“Not o good look.” Good God.

Amelia Island, Florida

Know Your Rights | Immigrants' Rights | ACLU Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Learn more here about your rights as an immigrant, and how to express them.

www.aclu.org/know-your-ri...

That one was quite some time ago. I hope to combine some of these into something larger.

And this line:

“Active, informed, iron-willed wonder is a skill, not a gift: you have to work at it.”

—Katherine Rundell