Jeannette Smyth 🌻

Braver now since she's been to the beach.
O brave new world, Sophie. Swimming will thrill you.

New York Times editorial board has compiled "a list of 12 markers of democratic erosion." www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

This is what "not the odds, but the stakes" was all about.

During the 2024 campaign, those 12 markers could have been in place and operating to guide news coverage everywhere.

Jam Sandwiches in the Rain Dear Readers, when I was in St Pancras and Islington Cemetery last week, I noticed a fox resting on a mossy mound in the late winter sunshine. The foxes here are truly wild creatures, apt to melt a…

One of my favorite internet blog posts of all time was the London Bug Woman who started treating the foxes who live in Saint Pancras cemetery for mange by making them medicated jam sandwiches. Love wins.
bugwomanlondon.com/2016/03/05/j...

Some of my best observations took place walking dogs in all weathers. One, the right foot- and outer- wear makes all the difference. Two, winter and spring colors so much more vibrant in the rain.
Sophie the wise, wise as always.

Zohran Mamdani is showing Democrats how to interact with the media.

Watch the full episode of Power Lines: youtu.be/xRpE9E7GQTM?...

Or listen via a podcast app: link.chtbl.com/PowerLines_S...

Grrrrl power.

God bless, and keep, Elon Musk....far away from us.

The love ears as she rests her chin on you are killing me. Sophie Derriere Le Canapé---->love ears.
Love wins. After all evidence to the contrary.

He’s cleared 35,000 pounds of trash from Miami’s mangroves and isn’t done yet We accompanied Andrew Otazo on a trip to the mangroves. To date, the Miami man has cleared more than 17 tons of trash, mostly from the islands around Biscayne Bay.

38yo Andrew Otazo is a South Florida legend who wanders into the mangroves that line the coast and retrieves literally tons of garbage...then hauls it out by hand.

The Washington Post recently shadowed Otazo and documented some of his incredible work.

wapo.st/4hDuxjF 🎁🔗

I've had two rescues, both much traumatized. They did grow feistier as they recovered. It took them years. I did not begrudge them, and taught them various commands like "Cease, and sit." Which both understood as not being a judgement about being naughty, but a hint as to now to read the room.

Huge news - Parliament is going to debate the #parkypetition on November 17th

A merry dog truly fills up a house.

Me too. I knew I liked her.

What an adorable dog. I'd call that spumoni coloration, too cute.

Love to see Sophie, not only out from behind the sofa, but upstairs, on a piece of soft furniture, staring down the cheeky monkeys for some breakfast and a walk.
Love wins.

MacKenzie Scott triples down on DEI with $40 million donation to African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund | Fortune In 2021, the billionaire donated $20 million to the same organization, dedicated to preserving U.S. sites associated with Black history.

MacKenzie Scott triples down on DEI with $40 million donation to African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund

YouTube video by tirnamae The Rain in Spain - My Fair Lady

Absolutely loved seeing what's got to be one of the top 10 dog videos, Sophie and the prof doing their back exercises.
*She's got it. By George, I think she's got it.*
The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain.
youtu.be/aTYTxdVfF4o?...

Her coat is so good. That diet of eggs, bacon and grilled tomato is suiting her. I remember when anxiety made her spikey and rumpled. Nothing is so life-affirming as a good breakfast. Glad your back is better.

Poynter launches public editor project to serve news audiences in Indianapolis - Poynter Partner newsrooms will publish the editor’s independent analysis of local news coverage across the market.

Interesting idea. A entire news market will get a public editor.

Indianapolis will be the first local media market to get its own Public Editor, who will monitor all the newsrooms in town. tinyurl.com/2s44zxe8

Opinion: Why I'm handing in my Pentagon press pass Tom Bowman has held his Pentagon press pass for 28 years. He says the Pentagon's new media policy makes it impossible to be a journalist, which means finding out what's really going on behind the scen...

"Why I'm handing in my Pentagon press pass" by Tom Bowman of NPR. www.npr.org/2025/10/14/g... Recommended.

A thing frequently forgotten or ignored is that journalism is one of the few professions people will die for. [Via @brianstelter.bsky.social ]

MAGA Implodes over Kristi Noem’s “Stare Down” with Man in Chicken Suit A good New York Times piece on Portland nevertheless demonstrates how the conventions of objective reporting fail to accurately capture the bad faith driving pro-Trump propaganda.

Careful and powerful analysis by @gregsargent.bsky.social of the New York Times treating Trump's propagandists as "provocateurs" and decision to treat MAGA's ideologically-driven lies as part of a legitimate clash of perspectives in describing Portland.
newrepublic.com/article/2016...

Small win: #CDC privacy office survived the weekend chaos. Big concerns remain about how HHS, Palantir & others may use STLT data. If agencies must share, we recommend the bare minimum—aggregate if possible—and use high caution and good judgement to protect residents against unsanctioned data use.

CREW files Hatch Act complaint against Trump administration officials - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Trump officials likely violated the Hatch Act by making partisan statements about Zohran Mamdani’s campaign in their official capacities.

NEW: We just filed a Hatch Act complaint against several Trump administration officials, including Karoline Leavitt, Scott Bessent, Kristi Noem and Peter Navarro, for making partisan statements about New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign.

Courage of address is everything. And Bibi is clearly a professional.

Sic semper CBS goons, obeying long in advance.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general...

I still haven't seen any answer that makes sense to me. Why is an opinion journalist running CBS News as editor in chief? How did that happen, and what is the logic of that appointment? It still isn't clear to me.

Love to think of behind-the-sofa-Sophie not only upstairs but voicing opinions in the manorial bed. Love wins.

A stretchy girl is a happy grrrrrrl.

"Republicans estimate that 32% of Democrats are LGBT when in reality it is 6%; Democrats estimate that 38% of Republicans earn over $250,000 per year when in reality it is 2%"

Reading an academic article on "political sectarianism.:"

Still thinking about how she comes up on the sofa and rests her paw and chin on your leg while you watch Strictly. She's taking care of you. Hope your back feels better soon.