Sara

waves breaking on a sandy beach at sunset

minus tide and it's breaking way out

I spent last week interviewing folks for a disaster recovery manager job. Most of our candidates were from #USAID.

Hearing the about the impactful work they did up until July of this year made our challenges seem miniscule. Stabilizing Tanzania during an ebola outbreak, delivery aid to the […]

Poster for the film, with its title over an L.A. neighborhood skyline shot in greyscale tones.

Film recommendation: "Los Angeles Plays Itself" (2003, remastered in 2013)
(available on the public library streaming site, Kanopy): a critical social history of Los Angeles, with particular looks at disadvantaged communities, told solely through narration over footage […]

[Original post on c.im]

3 cats looking out the back door

since it seems unfair to demand that new people share their cats without reciprocating, here are the lads surveying the back yard this evening

why yes that's the former feral kitten, after 2 months of fish dinners and socialization

still a little spooky but I'm getting pets

#catsofmastodon

Francine returns! Beloved Lowe's cat back in Richmond after accidental truck ride out of state Beloved Lowe's cat Francine is back in Richmond after a week-long search, according to updates shared by Lowe's and Richmond Animal Care and Control on Monday.

OK, because we all need some good news - Francine, the Richmomd Lowes kitty that hitched a ride on a delivery truck on it's way to North Carolina HAS BEEN FOUND AND IS BACK HOME AT HER SHOP!

https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/francine-returns-lowes-cat-oct-6-2025

A light amount of mist hangs over the south harbor industrial buildings seen across the still water of the Noyo River. Trees line the bluff, above.

A large gray shipping container has sea urchin art on its near side, and in front of that are several large white cylinders and crates. A pine tree leans over the scene, and a picnic table is in the foreground.

Looking across the tops of the white cylinders shows they are full of circulating water and associated hardware. A boat passes in the misty distance, and there are people from the reception looking around.

On the planks of the wooden table, a purple urchin shell has been turned over to show the last bits of its insides and small metal tongs rest beside it. It was probably part of a demonstration earlier in the day.

#KelpFest #MendocinoCoast
My next stop was the reception at the Noyo Center Marine Field Station at the harbor. A Q&A presentation was followed by food and drink and the chance to examine their purple urchin “fattening” systems that make them tastier for […]

[Original post on mastodon.online]

parking meter with a sticker on it reading ISRAEL KILLS CHILDREN

parking meter with a TACO TRUMP sticker on it

today's downtown slaps

Cajun tots are really good with tzatziki

this is your critical news dispatch from war-ravaged Oregon

madrone woods cliffing out, a man looks over the edge

#SilentSunday

People going "America was always fascist" or "it's been like this since the 1980s" or making related claims don't seem to realize it, but they're telling everyone that nothing different is happening, nothing worse than usual, so if you weren't up in arms about eg 2013, you shouldn't be now either.

Portland ICE Protest Richard Eckman, 84 and a Vietnam war veteran, and his wife Laurie Eckman, also 84, hold signs at the rally at Elizabeth Caruthers Park in South Portland before marching on to protest at the ICE facility a few blocks away. The Eckmans say federal officers rushed at them at the facility “for no apparent reason," knocking the couple to the ground.Gosia Wozniacka / The OregonianBy Gosia Wozniacka | The Oregonian/OregonLive An elderly couple says they were charged and knocked down by federal agents as they peacefully protested on Saturday in front of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in South Portland, just blocks from their home. Laurie Eckman, 84, said she and her husband Richard Eckman, also 84 and a Vietnam war veteran, were rushed by federal officers “for no apparent reason.” She said her husband was leaning on his walker and wearing his Vietnam veterans cap as he was pushed to the ground. “It was totally unprovoked. It was not the kind of crowd that shouts the ‘F word.’ It was people like us, our neighbors. There were families, there were several veterans,” Laurie Eckman told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “With no warning the feds charged into us, knocked us down and sprayed us. I was hit in the head with a projectile.” Laurie Eckman said the couple joined the protest on a spur of the moment when they saw the kickoff rally at Elizabeth Caruthers Park from their kitchen window. They live in the neighborhood and walk past the ICE building daily with their dog. Federal agents knock down elderly couple Laurie Eckman, 84, says federal officers rushed at she and her husband “for no apparent reason" and knocked them to the ground.Gosia Wozniacka/The Oregonian/OregonLive “We didn’t want to give the feds any excuses so we were staying away from the protests deliberately,” Eckman said. “But this group looked so benign, so peaceful, we thought we should join them.” Though the Eckmans were once active in the anti-war movement, they don’t attend many protests these days, she said, though they did attend the No Kings rally in Portland this summer and had saved their signs. Richard’s read: Vets against militarization and Laurie’s, Will swap 1 Little King Donald for 10,000-plus immigrants. “We are a nation of immigrants and that’s what makes our country great. So this ICE overreach is anathema to us,” Laurie Eckman said. Holding the signs and Richard’s walker, the couple made it to the park. Shortly after, the crowd began to march. A few minutes after they arrived at the ICE facility at around 1 p.m., a small group of federal agents came out and arrested at least three people, including one of the protest leaders who federal agents dragged into the ICE building, Eckman said. An hour later, she said, a large group of federal agents suddenly burst out of the building and rushed at Eckman, her husband and other protesters standing nearby, smashing them down to the ground. Eckman said she was also hit with a projectile though she does not know what it was. Several eye-witnesses confirmed the couple’s account to The Oregonian/OregonLive and Eckman said a group of protesters immediately surrounded her to help, including a doctor. Once the couple recovered enough and walked home, they were approached by four Portland police officers. Federal agents knock elderly couple the ground Laurie Eckman, 84, says she sustained a concussion after federal agents knocked her to the ground.Gosia Wozniacka/The Oregonian/OregonLive “They very kindly wanted to make sure I was okay,” Laurie Eckman said. “And they explained that they were not allowed to make verbal contact with the feds and had to stay about a block away. They were very solicitous of me, which I appreciated very much.” The Eckmans then went to the emergency room. Laurie Eckman said she sustained a concussion, but her husband wasn’t injured. Eckman said she and her husband, who served 10 years in active duty, are shocked at the federal agents’ behavior. “I never thought federal officers could behave this way. I really didn’t,” she said. “I always thought people must be provoking them or something, that they would never do this unprovoked. Obviously, I was wrong.” And the couple want the world to know Portland protesters are not trouble makers. “People have to know that we are not Antifa,” she said. “We’re just regular Portlanders who love our city, and my husband, being a Vietnam veteran, is incensed that we’re talking about war within our own country. This is outrageous, really.” Gosia Wozniackaenvironmental justice reporter If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

what shabby behavior, these elders deserve respect

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/10/federal-agents-knock-down-elderly-couple-during-portland-protest.html?gift=9d8f5f30-9fda-4591-b3ef-155386a543f6

KOIN TV - A judge has granted a temporary restraining order, preventing deployment of federal troops to Portland, Oregon. https://www.koin.com/news/portland/us-district-judge-ruling-oregon-v-trump-national-guard-10042025/

Hey if you’re coming here from #BlueSky please be welcome! We’re happy you’re here. It’s not that intense, I promise. Most of us are chill. Pull up a seat and tell us about yourselves. ✨

little black and white cat in some blankets

this soggy little round girl #caturday

Plaque "THE BATTLE OF CABLE STREET The people of East London rallied to Cable Street on the 4th October 1936 and forced back the march of the fascist Oswald Mosley and his Blackshirts through the streets of the East End. "THEY SHALL NOT PASS""

Happy Anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, to all decent people.

I want to live in a world where the flags are lowered for Jane Goodall.

a pile of cats on a bed

IDK it's a rough world you might need to see this heap of cats

A scientist stands in front of an enormous contraption "I created this device to test my theory that our entire reality is a simulation, but the readings I'm getting suggest something much worse" "What?" Asks a second scientist. "We're living in a cartoon!" Says the first. "Does it at least have a good punchline?" says the second. The fiorst scientist carefully looks over the data, then eventually replies "Nope" From 'Physics for Cats' by Tom Gauld - order it at www.tomgauld.com

A cartoon from my new book, 'Physics for Cats'. Out next week: www.tomgauld.com

@garland as a longtime labor movement person I do generally agree with this strategy

but I didn't really go back to shopping at REI after the initial boycott call a couple of years ago, and the way things are developing, I'm not seeing a reason I should

I think there's also a good track record […]

@garland I think there was some optimism from the union a few months ago but it hasn't panned out

I would be surprised to see a statement from them while they're in negotiations, tho

so, looks like we need to continue boycotting REI

also, if any of y'all are qualified for board nomination, you have until tomorrow night to get your paperwork in

(I don't think their board would consider me, given my labor organizing history, but if your resume lets you pass for a committed […]

@msbellows we have to laugh because otherwise

AI slop website with "A Guide on How to Cook A Cat: Preparing, Cooking Methods, and Serving Suggestions"

Dear LLM, please make me a pet site about cats. Make sure to include recipes!

#ai #slop #aislop #llm

Image 1. Title: Slides for my lecture at the geology conference Three diagrams of layered forms labelled with: Sandstone, Shale, Igneous rock, Limestone, Granite. Image 2. Title: Slides for my lecture at the desserts conference The same diagrams now labelled with: Sprinkles, Custard, Chocolate, Sponge cake, Berry compote, Biscuit base.

A cartoon from my new book PHYSICS FOR CATS which comes out a week tomorrow! Preorder at you local bookshop or online: www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2

251/25 2023 Naked Bike Ride in Southeast Portland By Tatum Todd | The Oregonian/OregonLive The world has seen a lot from Portland lately. It may be about to see a lot more. Organizers of the World Naked Bike Ride said on Instagram Wednesday that they’re planning to protest the Trump administration’s decision to send 200 federalized National Guard troops to Portland. World Naked Bike Ride Organizers of the World Naked Bike Ride say they're planning to protest President Donald Trump's decision to federalize 200 Oregon National Guard troops in Portland.screenshot “Emergency World Naked Bike Ride coming up in response to the militarization of our city,” reads the caption of an Instagram reel posted by the event’s organizers. “Plans are being worked on.” Feds in PortlandOregon gov. says Trump troop deployment could cost taxpayers up to $10MTrump claims National Guard troops ‘in place’ in PortlandTrump’s obsession with Portland goes back years. His message has escalatedHere’s the latest on Trump’s Portland troop deploymentGovernment helicopters keep watch over Portland ICE office, rattling neighborhoods Using the format of naked bicycling as a form of protest against the Trump administration’s actions should be hardly surprising. The annual Portland event was created as a protest against Big Oil. Tatum ToddReporter If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I love #Oregon

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2025/10/emergency-world-naked-bike-ride-planned-in-portland.html?gift=ef9b3e6c-9353-4f4f-a8cd-94f9fc2b8856

Meme image: all computers must shut the hell up / I am a divine being, you are an object / you have no right to speak in my holy tongue

When the TV that exists for the sole purpose of displaying its HDMI inputs has the nerve to paint “WiFi not connected” over the signal

#meermittwoch #ORwx

The great Dr Jane Goodall, ethologist and campaigner for great apes and much else, has died at the age of 91.

She loved this _Far Side_ cartoon, and wrote a forward for a later Gary Larson collection.

Pete has renamed the department to make it more "dynamic" and wants to tell us about his workout routine and the new employee wellness program

he also has thoughts about personal grooming

the HR lady is in the back of the room with her head in her hands because no part of this is anywhere near […]

who among us has not been summoned to an all-hands meeting where a new manager who has been obviously struggling in the job rants about our path to greatness while we wonder if we can convincingly fake a gastric disturbance that will require that we go sit in the bathroom until it's all over