Morning coffee win: heard a louder-than-bumble buzz. Looked over to watch a hummingbird feed on the fading Cardinal Flower and then bop about checking on the asters, goldenrod, and ferns.

ok there would be a few more things in my platform

I think it’s been too long since we’ve had some rain. A couple just *skipped* down the road past my place, in the rain, dressed in swimming attire.

Once again the Gen Z staffer at my publisher says it in ways I literally could not. Because I don't know those idioms. But I understand them enough to know that this is a good thing.

Horned Lark Press@hornedlarkpress.com · 3d ago

The Gen Z staffer said we should post this so we are posting it because they know the Internets We know the stories and this is a very good story by @marissalingen.bsky.social Behold: hornedlarkpress.com/product/a-du...

Getting some needed rain near the U. Hope others are too.

Hey friends, especially Minnesota friends! Two weeks from today I am having a book launch party at @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social for A DUBIOUS CLAMOR, and you're invited! Conversation with @naomikritzer.bsky.social ! Free event, free cake! (books still cost money) Come on out and join us!

Trade xkcd.com/3290/

A small group of Common Yellowthroat are visiting as I have my coffee this morning. One even flew under the pergola where I’m sitting and flitted about in a vain search for a perch. I bet I’m scary to small birds; can’t blame them.

Tuesday phone-friendly version tinyview.com/this-modern-...

Future tech innovations

TMW cartoon for Sept. 1, 2026

tinyview.com

I’m well past University age, but remember being told to get an engineering degree because I was good at math and those are good jobs. I spent three years figuring out that didn’t fit and failed to find a better path. I agree with David that career thinking isn’t always the best plan for education.

David M. Perry@lollardfish.bsky.social · last wk.

Red State Universities: we believe in indoctrination and job training Students: we hate that is there another option? Blue State Universities: we promise to have no values except job training. It ain’t enough. My latest. Gift link.

Making dinner and look out the front window to see three St. Anthony cop squad cars (proudly serving Falcon Heights and Lauderdale) surrounding an SUV. They eventually get about five young Asian guys out of the car, impound it and take off with the guys. I’m guessing poor choices at the Fair.

This week's comic on the folly of triangulating with oligarchs

Following the rain, bees appear to have taken the morning off from visiting the flowers on the pergola. At some point the local orb weaver set up shop but has caught nothing but petals. She ducked into the superstructure when I went to grab this photo.

Hey Twin Cities, come hear me, Martin Law, and Cole Sarar at this fun event with both science fiction reading and music! Tickets available now! (September 10, Bryant Lake Bowl) www.bryantlakebowl.com/theater/scif...

Bryant Lake Bowl Theater

A live reading series featuring original science fiction from Cole and special guest writers, underscored with futurist soundscapes by accomplished musicians. Two writers spin original science fiction...

bryantlakebowl.com

My wife took this lovely photo that gives you another look at the epicness of the Virgin’s Bower growing on my pergola. As I sit here drinking my coffee it sounds like I’m inside a beehive there are so many pollinators visiting.

My latest @newscientist.com cartoon

the inevitable tuesday morning phone friendly version tinyview.com/this-modern-...

The manliest men

TMW cartoon for Aug. 25, 2026

tinyview.com

The only laureate to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes in two different scientific categories. The first Nobel Prize laureate to receive two prizes. The first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize. Her name was Marie Skłodowska Curie and she made history.

When bathing is so exhausting you forget to retract your tongue.

The monarch butterfly visiting the Virgin’s Bower flowers was being notoriously camera-shy (and/or large monkey avoidant), so here’s a shot of the cascade of flowers on one corner of my pergola (sans monarch).

For over 10 years, people have asked Karen & me about getting posters of the evolutionary tree of life in Grandmother Fish. Finally, it's here! Kids love poring over this tree and seeing how animals are related. Great for classrooms. Also, mugs! #evolution www.redbubble.com/i/poster/Gra...

"Grandmother Fish evolutionary tree" Poster for Sale by grandmotherfish

A poster version of the evolutionary tree of life found in the children's book Grandmother Fish: A Child's First Book of Evolution (Macmillan 2016). All life is related! Book by Jonathan Tweet, illust...

redbubble.com

A significant portion of my yard is the native cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum). Unfortunately, this has attracted a moth whose larvae eat the flowers. Today I cut back a lot of the affected flowers and found new buds forming. Could tell which were healthy by the red aphids on them.

Under the canopy of my pergola this morning I can hear the drone of bees visiting the Virgin’s Bower flowers over the hum of traffic and trilling of other insects.

the manliest men www.dailykos.com/stories/2026...

The manliest men

A cartoon by Tom Tomorrow.

dailykos.com

Saw the new “Jason Statham Punches, Shoots, and/or Explodes Bad Guys” film. It delivered on its premise. What threw me off was an early scene with Statham playing chess with his boss. He moves to make checkmate but the screen shows a placement of pieces where it was impossible to make check.

Living a couple hours from Atlas Games has its perks. My copy of the #ArsMagica definitive edition arrived with today’s mail. An unboxing thread:

ALT version.

On a perfect Streisand Effect moment, I hadn’t heard a word about this report from the Center for American Progress (released last month!) until the President decided to sue over it. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Trump threatens $5bn lawsuit over liberal national guard policy report

A report released by thinktank Cap argues the deployment of the national guard failed to have a measurable impact on crime, despite costing billions

theguardian.com

sparky's list subscribers, check your inbox. non-subscribers: join the ragtag band of miscreants and ne'er do wells who make it possible to keep this work going! And it's cheap -- a year's subscription for the price of what many newsletters charge monthly. thismodernworld.com/subscriptions

cis people please read this: www.sydney-bauer.com/just-call-me...

Just call me a man already and get it over with

I'm angry. I hate writing when I'm angry. I think it makes me too emotional, too attached to copy and most importantly makes my brain move too fast having ideas pop up and die before I can even get t...

sydney-bauer.com

Sydney Bauer@sydney-bauer.com · 2w ago

I wrote about how angry I feel watching people write columns about trans women in sports.