Wes Stanton

In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” To which the more intelligent type of reformer will well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it. — G. K. Chesterton, 1929

Chesterton's fence is, in short, the principle that it is foolhardy to remove a fence without knowing why it was put there in the first place.

If I hadn't cancelled the WaPo subscription last month, I'd do it today.

btw: there IS truth to the rumor that WaPo has changed its motto from "Democracy dies in darkness" to "Democracy dies in broad daylight." Not literal truth, but truth nonetheless.

Gregg is a former Marine and Forest Service ranger. He's saved the lives of hikers dangling off a cliff or going through cardiac arrest, and he's bravely fought forest fires to save small rural towns.

100% of his salary is paid by WA state.

Elon fired him. Share his story.

Any speculation about what the prey is? Bee?

If you wanted to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, you would empower the inspectors general.

If you wanted more waste, fraud, and abuse, you would fire them.

As to complicity with empire and abusive systems ... do we pay taxes to Caesar? Do we have a net positive carbon footprint? So much of living and serving in this place & time involves complicity. But bend the arc.
Also: A FB memory today included a comment from Jane. I treasure this sort of thing.

It's not on my phone's homepage or my browser's favorites any more. The more clicks, the more intentional I need to be about going there. But I still go there.

Folks: I am NOT affiliated with the group that is using my name to support an economic boycott. Please spread this post, if you would.

One of our supporters shared this with us—people are getting creative tonight!

I don’t know why it took me so long to see this, but he’s in gamer mode.

He and his DOGE crew are on a World of Warcraft raid, slashing and burning as much of the federal government as he can manage, laughing and trolling the whole time.

He’s incapable of empathetically understanding the harm.

This is not a close question

Wet crow looking determined with a powerful beak, against a white background.

Yeah, it's rough weather right now.

Keep your head up.

And when they came for the Lutherans, I did nothing . . .

Stunning.

Black and white photo of Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado.

As Trump prepares to turn Guantanamo into a concentration camp, the front page for the Amache National Historical Site is down.

As if you could erase history by pretending a place doesn't exist. Stalin would blush.

www.nps.gov/amch/index.htm

Without DEI, it's just Nal.

Fire in Built Environments (Special Episode: LA Fires) with Alexandra Syphard - Golden State Naturalist Golden State Naturalist is a love letter to California's ecological past, present, and future. Come with Michelle Fullner as she climbs to the top of a beaver dam, descends into a tar pit, peers int...

Listening to a good conversation about the southern California fires. Hard to be levelheaded during a crisis, but for those with the luxury to listen, I commend this podcast, and this episode. pca.st/episode/e5f3...

Yeah, that on the one hand, and the thousands of panicky emails. Bad marketing, for the party of competence.

Jan 21 2025: 27 job openings listed at NIH.

Jan 22 2025: There are no postings at this time.

Communications shutdown. Travel ban. Canceled study sections. Now a hiring freeze?

Shutting down the NIH indefinitely without stated cause is literally an act of sabotage.

Left: yesterday. Right: today.

I don’t have a definitive source on this yet but it looks like NSF review panels have been canceled.

Sixty-some years ago, Eisenhower transformed higher education because he viewed a science education gap as the single greatest threat to national security.

This is absolutely an act of sabotage.

Ah, but the pictures weren't 20 inches across. (Did you at least turn your phone to landscape?)

For troublesome priests, we give thanks to the Lord.

Or set your VPN for the UK.

Busy Opuntia sp. blossom at Zion NP last summer. I was watching the four little green bees work it when suddenly the big bee dove into the middle of the anthers. The greenies were unphased by the commotion. #bees

YouTube video by Voices of Houston To Sit and Dream-By. Rosephanye Powell

Our community choir's going to be singing this in our spring concert series, and I'm thrilled. Rosephanye Powell's setting of Langston Hughes' poem, "To You."

All you who are dreamers too, help me make our world anew.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD4Q...

Sometimes I think, "Compared to geological time, living things exist for only little blinks," but other times I think, "actually, life is one continuous chemical chain that first formed billions of years ago and every mountain range that existed back then has long since crumbled away to dust."

This is a car spoiler with a Star Wars sticker.

Warning: This is a big Star Wars spoiler

A whole pile of fuzzy goslings the grass with flowers.

Every time you block a troll without engaging, God saves a fuzzy little gosling.

...

And that's why I can't walk from my office to my classroom these days without stepping in goose shit.

A List of Things People Blamed on Radio

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