Misty woodland #trees #woodland #treeclub

This mono macro photo offers an intimate perspective of two echinops, commonly known as globe thistle flowers. The image employs a shallow depth of field, bringing the foreground flower into sharp, intricate focus while rendering the background in a soft, ethereal bokeh. The primary subject, positioned in the lower half of the frame, is a nearly perfect sphere of sharp, needle-like spines, which are actually the bracts surrounding the tightly clustered individual florets. The monochrome palette accentuates the complex geometric structure and the rich tonal range of the plant, from the bright white tips of the spines to the deep shadows nestled within the sphere. The texture is highly detailed, conveying a sense of prickliness and resilience. A secondary globe thistle is visible in the upper-right background. It is out of focus, appearing as a soft, textured orb, providing compositional balance and depth to the image without distracting from the main subject. This choice separates the subjects and guides the viewer's eye. The stems of the plants are visible, appearing dry and somewhat gnarled, adding to the natural, wild aesthetic. The overall background is a soft blur of various shades of grey and white, composed of other foliage, which creates a peaceful, almost dreamlike atmosphere around the sharply defined central flower. The lighting highlights the sculptural quality of the plant, emphasising its unique spherical form and thorny appearance. The image is a study in texture, form, and contrast, capturing the intricate beauty of the echinops in a timeless, artistic manner. The stark absence of colour forces the viewer to appreciate the delicate yet formidable architecture of the natural world. I have loosely utilised the rule of thirds to create a visually appealing and I think, balanced scene. The overall mood is one of quiet contemplation of nature's complex designs. The black and white processing adds a dramatic, graphic quality to the image.

'Ethereal Echinops'

Monochrome spheres of sharp radial light and shadow dance amidst a soft ethereal bokeh of silver and charcoal

Sparty🙏🏼🖤🤍

#EastCoastKin #Photography #BlueSkyArtShow #Two #BNWmacro #ClassicMono #Macro #Nature #thelittlethings #PhotographersofBluesky #BlueSkyPhotography #PhotoHour

Oaks at Sunrise, Sonoma County , CA
Golden hour light on the hills, Alexander Valley 2000’ below still in the shadows.

#photography #blackandwhite
#sonomacounty #landscape #bluesky #monochrome
#landscapephotography #naturephotography #blueskyartshow #two

"Western Continental Divide, Colorado, USA."

🙏🏼🌎🕊️

📷 Photo by Allen Carroll©️

The Fox News chyron reads "Latest Dem hoax" at the same time that Brendan Carr confirms that yes, the FCC would've "enforced the law" and gone after CBS had Colbert aired his interview with Talarico on TV

ICE OUT WEEKLY PROTEST IN THE EPICENTER OF Christo-fascists, Southlake.
Turn Tarrant AND Texas BLUE

#NoKings

The Convicted FElon is continuing to collapse the economy. Tourism is collapsing. The unemployment is skyrocketing. All because of the Epstein files.

Welp

H/T @bluegeorgia.bsky.social @jaredshult.bsky.social

Lots of folks asking me who I’d like to vote for in 2028 and my answer reminds the same: it’s AOC.

But I’ll vote for whichever Dem the primary voters choose as their candidate.

Old Skool #Audio Stack. #Audiophile

🙃

Exclusive: Secret Service will offer tailored suits to new protective detail agents | CNN Politics New Secret Service protective detail agents are about to get a wardrobe upgrade, courtesy of taxpayers.

What a waste of our money.

www.cnn.com/2026/02/20/p...

Oh?

people.com/jeffrey-epst...

Correct.

Rep. Jody Barrett (Left)
Sen. Mark Pody (Right)

A man in Oklahoma was arrested for speaking out against data centers

Two people walking toward the right hand side of the image, on a pebble beach. There is a snow-covered mountain in the background. The sky is dark. It is a black-and-white picture.

In Iceland

#BlueSkyArtShow #Two
#DireStraitsChallenge #YouAndYourFriend
#Monochrome
#classicmono

DoJ cases against protesters keep collapsing as officers’ lies are exposed in court String of embarrassing defeats for prosecutors as experts condemn DoJ effort to cast people as ‘violent perpetrators’

"In Chicago, of 92 people arrested for assaulting or impeding officers last fall, 74 cases have resulted in no charges; in 13 cases, charges were filed and dismissed; and five charged cases were still pending *** As of the end of January, there have been no convictions."

I’m shocked.

We voted! Texans please go vote! 🗳️

Texas U.S. citizen was fatally shot by an immigration agent last year during a stop, new records show The death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, would mark the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since the start of the Trump administration's nationwide immigration crackdown.

Our government shot & killed an American citizen during a stop last year. We’re only finding out about it now. Where’s the outrage ⁦‪from Senators Cornyn‬⁩ & ⁦‪Cruz‬⁩ ? This is their constituent.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

New polling says Jasmine Crockett has the best chances to beat Ken Paxton in Texas.

The “she can’t win” crowd might want to start updating their talking points because the voters know what’s up.

a large meadow runs the length of one part of the preserve, lined on both sides with forest and ending in a rocky beach with views across the large bay, here the meadow is covered in 1.5 feet of pristine snow, perfect conditions for snow shoeing!

'Morning on the Preserve' (2026) -- Woodward Point Preserve, Brunswick, ME

'Not all those who wander are lost' -- J.R.R. Tolkien

#ForestFriday ✨ #Scape ✨ #BlueSkyArtShow #Two ✨ #ImageAndVerse ✨ #Stunday ✨

#Photography #Landscape
#Monochrome #ClassicMono
#EastCoastKin #JayceeCrawford

Photograph taken looking along the deep oak windowsill of a long row of leaded glass windows at Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire. The Tudor hall was built in stages between 1504 - 1610. Image was taken in a room off the Long Gallery on the top most layer of the property. Monochrome filter used to focus on the shadows and pattern. Thick wood-framed windows, all tall rectangles, filled with clear leaded glass in a repeating pattern of diamond, lozenge and rectangle shapes. The windows are three layers tall and many more wide (only some caught in the image). Sunlight has created amazing shadow patterns on the wide windowsill from the leaded glass. The windowsill has been made with two oak boards for depth. Wonderful property to visit and run very well by the National Trust.

Shadows of History
for #ClassicMono
and #WindowsOnWednesday

#EastCoastKin #photography #monochrome #blackandwhite #Tudor #C16 #C17 #leadedglass #shadows #surfacepattern #LittleMoretonHall #Cheshire
(iPhone camera)

London in the rain for a soggy #stunday
#EastCoastKin

B/W image of a stream in the Gran Paradiso National Park flowing between rocks and snow-capped banks, with the peaks of the mountain massif in the background partially covered by clouds.

Cogne • Valeille
From the #Alps with 🖤
#ClassicMono
#Landscape #Winter
#Mountain #Stream
#EastCoastKin

Three quick looks at the voters so far in the Tarrant County Primaries Early Vote.

1. Voters in each Primary since 2018.
2. Voters by Age in the 2026 Primary.
3. Voters by Vote History.

I’ll probably write something soon with a deeper breakdown. #seeitnameitfightit #tarrantcounty

Ruben Martinez (credit: Getty Images & Newsweek)

According to Newsweek Reporters Dan Gooding & Billal Rahman, ICE Homeland Security Investigations officers shot & killed 23-year-old Ruben Martinez in South Padre Island, Texas on March 15, 2025. ICE/HSI refused to publicly admit their involvement in his death.

On February 13, 2026, Petitioner [REDACTED] filed a Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus. Dkt. 1. The same day, the Court issued an Order to Show Cause requiring Respondents to respond to the Petition no later than February 17, 2026. Dkt. 4 at ¶ 1. That order also required Respondents to file all their supporting documentation by February 17, 2026. Id. at ¶ 2. On February 18, 2026, Respondents late-filed their response to the Petition along with a declaration and single exhibit. Dkts. 5–6. Around two hours later, the Court issued an order requiring Respondents to file a declaration and exhibits references in the late-filed Response but not filed with the court, along with a declaration explaining the reason for filing late, within 24 hours. Dkt. 7. Respondents finally filed the balance of their supporting documentation by 4:06 P.M, February 18.1 Dkt. 9. Respondents never moved the Court for an extension of time to file their response or supporting documentation. Third Declaration o f[REDACTED] in Response to Text-Only Order ECF No. 7, Dkt. 10, at ¶ 9 (hereinafter “3d. [REDACTED] Decl.”). They never even contacted Counsel for Petitioner to inform him of the late filing. In the declaration, of 1 The declaration explaining the cause for late filing was not filed until 11:06 P.M. that night. Dkt. 10.

Assistant U.S. Attorney [REDACTED], Counsel for Respondents offers a host of limp excuses for filing late. First, AUSA [REDACTED] admits he was fine with violating the Court’s scheduling order, instructing his staff that it was okay to “file before midnight if possible or early Wednesday morning.” 3d. [REDACTED] Decl. at ¶ 3. His excuse for the late filing of the response itself is risible: support staff was offline and, in [REDACTED] own words, “I do not know how to file documents through CMECF.” Id. This is no excuse. The Court’s order makes no exception for staff unavailability or the failure of an attorney to know the basic functions of their profession.2 See Order to Show Cause, Dkt. 3. Further, Counsel for Respondents admits he was not prepared to file all of the documentation the Response relied upon even at that late date. As he points out, he only requested a copy of the travel document after the Court’s order to respond further. 3d. [REDACTED] Decl. at ¶ 6 (“Upon receipt of the Court’s Order, ECF No. 7, I immediately contacted ICE and requested the travel document referenced in the [REDACTED] Declaration as it had not been provided to me earlier.”). It is troubling that Counsel for Respondents knowingly referenced documents he did not have, had not seen, and seemingly had no plans to see until the Court ordered them produced. See, e.g., Response to Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Dkt. 5 at 2, 4 (hereinafter “Response”). Besides the potential ethical issues that filing without ever seeing relied-up evidence raises,3 it evinces a total lack of respect for Petitioner’s rights and the Court’s order. Counsel for Respondents apologies to the Court and below-signed counsel for the late filing. 3d. [REDACTED] Decl. at ¶ 10. Wherefore Petitioner, who has been unconstitutionally detained for two months? 2 Counsel for Petitioner will note that he can somehow manage to file documents through CM/ECF himself without the resources and might of the Federal Government…

Feds blew a deadline in one of my habeas cases. Didn't file everything until 4pm the next day. Court ordered the AUSA to explain why he filed late. His response? It was 11:30pm and “I do not know how to file documents through CMECF.”

My response below:

I covered cross-border human trafficking for years and I'm not sure a headline has ever made me madder