Michael

To build a “true meritocracy,” the Defense Department should look to the Marine Corps band, Plenzler said.

“...when they audition for that band, [they] step behind the screen and play the audition piece and the audience doesn’t see who’s playing it. They just hear the performance..."

I never saw this! Looking forward to seeing it.

Williams (died 2015)

Dec. 5, 1925: John A. Williams, a novelist whose books ruminated with sharpness and candor about the Black experience, is born in Jackson, Miss. His works included “The Man Who Cried I Am,” a bestselling roman à clef, and a controversial biography of Martin Luther King.

Marines reinstate photos in some review boards, but not for promotions The Marine Corps is bringing back photos to the selection boards that pick Marines for command, education, and special duty opportunities.

Marines reinstate photos in some review boards, but not for promotions trib.al/fE0YZ27

Former C-130 crew chief earns prestigious Rhodes Scholarship Hadi Kamara was a C-130 crew chief supporting the 86th Maintenance Squadron at Ramstein Air Base during Operation Allies Refuge in August 2021.

Two things...

I love when Black folks earn Rhodes scholarships... Cecil Rhodes is doing backflips in his grave every time we get one...

If @secdef.govpeeps.us quit eyeballing beards and kicking people out, maybe he could get a brotha like this to re-enlist.

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Thank you - I'm so tired reading about the post office and profits... It's a public service, not a money making scheme.

The Night When Charlie Parker Played for Igor Stravinsky (1951) It thrills to hear of the time in 1951 when Charlie Parker added one more story to the most storied jazz club of all by performing for Igor Stravinsky at Birdland.

#JazzSky #JazzMusic

Strength training among professional UCI road cyclists: Practices, challenges, and rationales In our study, we aimed to investigate professional road cyclists’ practices in strength training, as well as their challenges with and rationales for strength training. Employing a mixed-methods appro...

For my fellow #bikesky training nerds...

Revisiting the 16th Street Baptist Church This past summer, Keith Rice visited Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, and here he chronicles his experience in the third installment of his trip to the U.S.

Good read by Keith Rice and José Luis Benavides of the CSUN Tom and Ethel Bradley Center about the 16th Street Baptist Church and the bombing in 1963.

Two West Indian motorcyclists: Sapper Hibbert (left) and Corporal Simmons, both from Jamaica, serving with the Royal Engineers at Clitheroe, Lancashire, 28 November 1941. Corporal Simmons is on his motorcycle, Sapper Hibbert is kneeling next to his motorcycle making repairs.

West Indian troops in Britain: Two motor cyclists: Sapper Hibbert (left) and Corporal Simmons, both from Jamaica, serving with the Royal Engineers at Clitheroe, Lancashire, 28 November 1941.

www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

Skater/Biker Max Schaaf's beautiful panhead chop...
#chopper #4q

Props to @johnathanperk.bsky.social for reminding me about the the Project 2025 tracker. It's scary but essential to keep up with...

#project2025

A subscription toliet...

"The Dekoda (The toliet) costs $599 plus a mandatory subscription of at least $6.99 per month..."

This is not the future I was dreaming about as kid...

Brew your own at home, shop at an indy coffee spot, DON'T give Starbucks your $$$ until their workers get a contract.

#coffee #Starbucks #strike #union

"it's those damn video games..."

Le sigh...

They both had good lives...

www.marinij.com/obituaries/l...

www.legacy.com/us/obituarie...

Tonight - WKCR 89.9FM in the NYC area or wkcr.org. Dipping in their archive, Art Taylor and Charlie Rouse. Should be good - check it!

#WKCR #jazzsky #jazzmusic #PhilSchaap

The Conservative Grievance Business Is Always Hiring | Defector Given his age when he first came to the world’s attention and assuming continued good health in the intervening decade and change, Marine Todd would be in his late 30s today. That would be if he was a...

I wrote about the dirty, demeaning, absolutely booming business of turning something like a shitty bigoted college essay into a shitty public career as a bigot, and also estimated how old Marine Todd would be today. defector.com/the-conserva...

This is a good report but leaves out 1 important detail. This insulting and rude AF style started on the backs of Black women. April Ryan. Rachel Scott. Joy-Anne Reid. Many ignored it when happening to Black women. We keep telling you what you accept when he does to us, he will eventually do to you

❤️

Attire for the day... props to Jeff Wright over at Church of Choppers for printing this up years ago...
churchofchoppers.blogspot.com

"Gorjus" one of my favorite chops - Sugarbear!

#choppers

@obeygiant.bsky.social gallery show here in LA through Jan 11...

#Beyondthestreets #ShepardFairey

👏🏾✊🏾

Kentucky Public Health KENTUCKY HEALTH ALERT Increase in Pertussis in Kentucky Recommendations for Identification and Prevention November 21, 2025 Kentucky health officials are alerting providers that cases of pertussis ("whooping cough") have increased steadily across the Commonwealth in recent weeks. To date, 566 cases of pertussis have been reported in Kentucky in 2025, the highest number of cases in the Commonwealth since 2012. This follows a trend that was first announced in July 2024 when pertussis cases began increasing in Kentucky to levels not seen in over a decade. Health officials anticipate that pertussis will continue to increase during the winter months based on historic trends. Many U.S. states and other countries are also experiencing elevated levels of pertussis. Many of the recent cases have occurred in young infants, and health officials also recently confirmed the third pertussis-related death in a Kentucky infant within the last year. This follows two other infant deaths that were announced in June. These are Kentucky's first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy. Health officials urge all Kentuckians to remain up to date on recommended pertussis immunizations and emphasize the importance of maternal immunization during pregnancy, and for all infants beginning promptly at two months of age. Health officials also encourage providers to consider pertussis as a diagnosis in addition to circulating seasonal respiratory viruses such as influenza, RSV and COVID-19. A significant number of cases have also occurred in school-aged children, many of whom were up to date on pertussis vaccination. Immunity from vaccination or natural infection wanes over time so infections can occur in people who are fully vaccinated. However, the vaccine is known to reduce disease severity, and hospitalization among vaccinated individuals is rare. The Kentucky Dep…

Kentucky Public Health regularly in Kentucky, however an increase beyond the expected background rate has been reported in recent weeks. Though pertussis vaccination (DTaP or Tdap) is available and widely implemented, B. pertussis continues to spread in the U.S. due to lack of vaccination or timely boosters, the lack of lifelong immunity from vaccination or natural infection and the long duration of infectiousness in untreated cases. Symptoms of pertussis usually begin with a runny or congested nose, a low-grade fever, and mild coughing; apnea/stopping breathing can also occur in infants. After one to two weeks, the cough can progress to rapid, violent (paroxysmal) coughing fits that can cause the "whooping" sound, vomiting or labored breathing. Young children are the most severely affected; most teens and adults will have mild symptoms. People with preexisting health conditions that may be worsened by whooping cough are at high risk for developing a severe infection. Testing for Pertussis: The preferred methods for pertussis testing include nasal pharyngeal (NP) swab or nasal wash via PCR testing or culture. PCR has optimal sensitivity during the first three weeks of cough, is widely available at commercial laboratories and has a fast turnaround time. Culture is considered the gold standard due to excellent specificity but may take longer to complete. Serology for antibodies to B. pertussis is available at many commercial laboratories, however, serologic assays are not generally recommended for primary diagnosis of pertussis due to variability and unknown clinical accuracy. The most promising serologic assays are those that measure IgG antibodies against pertussis toxin only and are collected two to eight weeks following cough onset. Prevention of Pertussis: Prevention of pertussis is primarily achieved through routine vaccination with DTaP (ages two months to six years) and Tdap (ages seven years and older), followed by appropriate booster doses. Vaccination of pr…

Bordetella parapertussis B. parapertussis is a bacterium that is similar to B. pertussis and can cause pertussis-like illness but does not produce pertussis toxin. Symptoms of parapertussis are typically milder and infection may be asymptomatic. There is no vaccine for B. parapertussis and post-exposure prophylaxis is not recommended, however treatment recommendations for symptomatic patients are the same as those for B. pertussis. B. parapertussis is not reportable in Kentucky. Thank you for your attention to this alert and guidance. The KDPH pertussis website includes supplemental resources, including a pertussis quicksheet with additional information that providers may find useful. If you have questions regarding reporting, testing, or prevention of pertussis or other infectious diseases, please contact the Kentucky Immunization Branch at (502) 564-4478 or after hours by calling the KDPH Epidemiology on-call line at 888-9-REPORT (888-973-7678). Our Mission: To improve the health and safety of people in Kentucky through Prevention, Promotion, and Protection

A third infant has died in Kentucky, KYDPH adds:

“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”

s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...