a little buzz in the borage

hey PDX, the Watermellon Man is here! This brother drives out to Hermiston just about every morning for field fresh Hermiston melons, IYKYK. Hes at the corner of NE prescott & 67th by redemption park and Scott elementary.

and while you’re here, ready my story today: 8 weeks under siege in Minnesota minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/23/8...

8 weeks under siege in Minnesota • Minnesota Reformer

Frank has a hard time explaining to his 8-year-old daughter why they rarely leave their home in the Twin Cities. Why she can’t go to school, and why he can’t work. “The only thing we tell her is that ...

minnesotareformer.com

PDX, if you are losing SNAP, Heretic Coffee is covering breakfast if you need it. Hell yea, Heretic.

Miranda 🖤🤍💜@doomscroling.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Heretic Coffee in Portland, Oregon has announced that starting Nov 1st they will provide breakfast to those in the community who will be facing hunger due to SNAP benefits not being sent out in November. "we know it’s not much, but we’ll do our best to keep you fed" - Heretic Coffee #Pinks

Exactly right. This is an incredible threat to our nation, and @merkley.senate.gov has been holding the Senate floor for hours to call it out. Tune in ⬇️ www.youtube.com/live/ymDt1Xe...

Merkley STILL Holding the Senate Floor to Protest Trump’s Threats to Democracy

YouTube video by Senator Jeff Merkley

youtube.com

Senator Jeff Merkley@merkley.senate.gov · 10mo ago

THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I'm holding the floor to protest Trump dragging us further into authoritarianism. www.youtube.com/shorts/Lm26u...

Police riot staged in Portland to fake justification to bring in the military. Senator Merkely is telling this treason it like it is.

I Resist Fascist Trump@harrypotterresists.bsky.social · 10mo ago

WOW... JUST WOW... In order to justify invoking the insurrection act in Portland, Oregon, trump faked a riot with professional videographers, the military and hired extras. Sen. Jeffrey Merkley tells us what happened :

WOW... JUST WOW... In order to justify invoking the insurrection act in Portland, Oregon, trump faked a riot with professional videographers, the military and hired extras. Sen. Jeffrey Merkley tells us what happened :

Kristi Noem confronts enemy combatants in the Portland war zone today.

@skpawlicki.bsky.social was, until the Trump administration canceled the program, working as a Mellon fellow for the National Parks Service. She created the most incredible women's history programming, and now, she's recreated it entirely separately: storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/...

Women's History Illuminated

Women's History and the National Historic Landmarks Program

storymaps.arcgis.com

We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.

Trump just ordered the military into Portland, and he’s giving them the green light to use lethal force on American citizens. Authoritarianism is an abstract concept but Trump is making its impacts real and tangible. Let’s be real about it: This is the beginning of dictatorship in America.

The imaginary ANTIFA army in the move.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.gov · 11mo ago

Taken just a few minutes ago outside the ICE facility in Portland that Trump claims is under siege. My message to Donald Trump is this: we don’t need you here. Stay the hell out of our city.

Time to remind people about the Commercial Pattern Archive — it doesn’t have instructions and search is a bear but there’s two hundred years’ worth of clothing patterns in here including all the big names new and old: copa.apps.uri.edu

This one is only for Blueskyers of a certain age.

I can't shake the feeling that we are at a very unpleasant turning point where a lot of the Trump administration members are starting to get their bearings and realize just what an impossible position they have put themselves in. There isn't a clear next phase of this. And he will die before them.

Illinois is launching a first-of-its-kind legal hotline for LGBTQ+ individuals — Illinois Pride Connect. As the only state in the nation that will provide free legal advice to protect the LGBTQ+ community, we'll help fight ignorance with information and cruelty with compassion.

1/ Quick update on #fallvaccines: Flu and RSV vaccines remain business as usual this fall: if you’re eligible, you should be able to get them without issue. Vaccinations should start in September. Covid-19 vaccines are another story. There will be three key developments this week 👇

The transgender “issue” is not a distraction for Democrats. It’s an opportunity to speak clearly about human rights and morality, and the path is simple: Follow the facts and the Golden Rule. My latest at @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/transgende...

The Transgender “Issue” Is Not a Distraction for Democrats

It’s an opportunity to speak clearly about human rights and morality. Follow the facts and the Golden Rule.

thebulwark.com

The scale of the rally in Portland is MASSIVE. Simultaneously crossing the Morrison and Hawthorne Bridges in one long parade of democracy. Tens of thousands of people. #NoKings

Today is the last day to register to vote in Oregon for the May elections. Register or check your registration here: sos.oregon.gov/voting-elect...

1/3 Here’s your mission, if you choose to accept it: Wherever you are—coffee shop, gas station, grocery store—talk LOUDLY about how Trump’s tariffs are draining your wallet. Say it clearly. Say it often. Be the voice that breaks the silence. #Voices4Victory #DemVoice1 #USDemocracy #ProudBlue

A lot of the political discourse I see on here forgets something essential. The unilateral agency shutdowns, mass firings, ethics rule flouting, etc. are politically acceptable to so many Americans. There’s a reason. You might know it.

Many Medicaid recipients do not know they receive it because Medicaid is called different things in different states. The public narrative of Medicaid focuses on a distant other, but 40% of US children and 60% of nursing home residents receive Medicaid. Just SOME of the names by state are below:

This is how you do it

Marisa Kabas@marisakabas.bsky.social · last yr.

This morning at Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HQ in DC as mandatory return to office began, this video played on loop for ~5 mins on screens throughout the building, per agency source. Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.

Reminder: "Not My Presidents Day" protest today at 12pm. Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Avenue. And at state capitols in all 50 states. Stop the Coup. #PNW

This is important to realize, and a small but real thing we/teachers can do to help create context for students who are making big decisions and commitments based on last years expectations.

Jeff Sharlet@jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 2y ago

With the NIH cuts, there’s no longer any excuse for any professor, in any discipline, to not address the moment in their classes. You don’t even have to be “political” if that’s how you roll; this changes everything. You need only observe reality. 1/

Another thing re antidotes... the people you love, who you value... be in the moment with them. Not distracted, not on your phone, but fully present. Open to them. So you can see them and be seen. This feels even more important right now.

Jeff VanderMeer@jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 2y ago

Destabilization of reality in the US is about to reach surreal heights. Protect your mind. Monitor stress levels. Do not doomscroll--it does not help. Be selective about when and how long you expose your brain to this. Do what you can when you can.

You are not immune to propaganda. #art

JINXX! It's the Looney Pyramid game in black, white, gray, & clear that will have you fighting for position on the tight 3 by 3 game board. Will you be able to maneuver your pyramids into a 3 in a row line through the center space before they're destroyed?

🥁 Announcing the Public Domain Image Archive! 🥁 We are v excited to share our new sister-project, the Public Domain Image Archive (PDIA), a curated collection of 10k+ out-of-copyright historical images, all free to explore and reuse: pdimagearchive.org @pdimagearchive