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Julia DeFranco

@juliadefranco.bsky.social
98 followers 122 following 98 posts

Chronically ill Unitarian Universalist and lover of fantasy novels. He/him or she/her.

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Reposted by Julia DeFranco
"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
This week on the blog: a few thoughts on the Declaration of Independence for its 250th birthday, with particular attention to "every act which may define a Tyrant." acoup.blog/2026/07/04/c...
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Julia DeFranco @juliadefranco.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
This is second hand, but my wilderness first aid teacher had a story about some German tourists hiking down into the Grand Canyon with no actual water. They had snow cones though, so I'm sure they were fine...
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Chris Vagasky @coweatherman.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Need to make sure @whysharksmatter.bsky.social’s new book becomes a NYT Bestseller bsky.app/profile/whys...
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Julia DeFranco @juliadefranco.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Excuse me while I go off a minute about art, this poem specifically, and living with a chronic illness. I. Art Art is creation, communication, deliberate choice -- and, often, collaboration. A composer writing a piece of music that gets played over and over again by different groups of musicians,
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Julia DeFranco @juliadefranco.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Robert Frost's "Nothing Gold Can Stay", with some words written with gold pen (the first but not final "gold", "flower", "leaf", "Eden", and "dawn".)

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.Same, but with the first golden words more legible.
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Sarah E. Bond @sarahebond.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Since it is National Brother's Day and my son is spending it by taunting his sister about donuts, I will leave you with much more peaceful siblings, namely the Romano-Egyptian tondo of the Two Brothers (Antinoopolis, 117-138 CE). egyptianmuseumcairo.eg/artefacts/po...
Gallery number: 14 – Upper Floor

Period: Roman Period, reign of Hadrian, (c. AD 117–138)

Size: H. 24 cm, W. 38.5 cm

Place of discovery: Middle Egypt, el-Sheikh Abada, (Antinoe)

Material: Wood (unspecified), encaustic, pigment (unspecified)
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julie khaner @juliekhaner.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
US, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Yemen, Liberia, and Belarus opposed the measure. all the best people 🙄
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Seattle Aquarium @seattleaquarium.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Sunday vibes with Sekiu ✌️😎
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Comics in the Spooky Age 🧛‍♂️🧟‍♀️🎃 @comicsinthega.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
I just donated to Trans Lifeline. The Trans community has been under attack for years now, it keeps getting worse, and they need help.
An email receipt.
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Joshua Libling @jjl.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Stunning from @forbiddenfae.com
Top of a bee themed D20Bottom of a bee themed D20 showing flowers
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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 18/05/2026
1. Incredible breaking news and a landmark ruling out of Colorado. The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that hospitals MUST not capitulate to Trump, and must continue offering trans youth care under state law. They found vague federal threats "speculative." Subscribe to support our journalism.
erininthemorning.com
Colorado Supreme Court Rules Hospitals Must Not Comply With Trump, Must Continue Offering Trans Youth Care
The ruling is a landmark ruling in keeping gender-affirming care legal and available in blue states.
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𝕳𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖚𝖑𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙 🇨🇦🦇🥀🕸 @horrorculturist.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
The "dark, scary raven" cliché is ridiculous to me. Like crows, ravens are social, playful, and diurnal. They love sunbathing, FFS. In Native cosmologies, Raven is a creator, healer, and agent of transformation. Tired of living in darkness, he brought sunlight to the world. bsky.app/profile/lori...
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John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 10/05/2026
I really wish people aspiring to write understood what a competitive advantage being able to write without AI will be in the coming years.
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Haymarket Books @haymarketbooks.org · 06/05/2026
COVER REVEAL 📚 How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention by @jwashing.bsky.social Releasing July 21st wherever good books are sold (or borrowed). Available for pre-order now.
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention by John Washington
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Kevin (Des) @jambodes.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Poverty and homelessness in society is a political choice.
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Dr. U. Whitcher (U. is for Bear) @yarntheory.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
For folks who prefer the lede less buried: here are enthusiastic/philosophical reviews of Fonda Lee's Last Contract of Isako and Ann Leckie's Radiant Star.
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Peri Pakroo @peripak.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
"This couldn’t be a simpler scandal to sum up for the American people, if anyone cared to do so: This is Donald Trump ordering the looting of the public treasury for his own benefit."
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The Onion @theonion.com · 30/03/2026
Trump’s War On Iran: Myth Vs. Fact theonion.com/trumps-war-on-iran-myt…
MYTH: These strikes could lead to a long war.

FACT: It depends how many decades you consider “long.”
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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
I don't know what SCOTUS will do on birthright citizenship case, it's anybody's guess. But if they endorse Trump's diktat, the only response is defiance. Outright, open defiance by the states. A decision not just erroneous but illegitimate, beyond their power, null and void from the day it's issued.
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Julia DeFranco @juliadefranco.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
And the voting rant: Voting is awesome. GOTV (get out the vote) is good. Discourse about the effectiveness of voting and whether not voting makes someone the scum of the earth/personally responsible for the wrong person getting elected, is not GOTV and is in fact prioritizing being "right"
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Julia DeFranco @juliadefranco.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Ok, I'm going to do *one* rant about this and then stop. The protest usefulness discourse is making me want to spit nails. This isn't how you do anything. 🧵
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Kit’s ancestors want better than this @littlefreekit.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Small children do not have tantrums to manipulate you into giving them what they want. They are years away from a theory of mind and can’t imagine what you are thinking. They may stop crying if you give them candy, but you would probably stop crying if someone dumped a winning lottery ticket on you.
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
"The third No Kings protests were an unmistakable display of political force..." "Two-thirds of participants live in suburban, small town or rural areas, a 40% increase over last time in protesters from outside big cities..." www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
usatoday.com
Red flare for Trump: 'No Kings' rallies a show of political force
With a Revolutionary-era slogan, the protests had an historic geographical reach across the country. What does that mean for November?
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Go Green @ecowarriorss.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
No need for deep sea mining China’s water battery breakthrough can last 120,000+ cycles, outlast lithium-ion by decades Chinese scientists unveil a non-toxic, water-based battery that delivers over 120,000 cycles without fire risks of lithium-ion systems interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
interestingengineering.com
China's water battery hits 120,000+ cycles, can beat lithium by decades
This new aqueous battery uses organic electrodes and a neutral electrolyte to combine safety, sustainability, and ultra-long lifespan.
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Daniel Brown @danjbrown97.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Blackthorn at Lakeside Country Park on Friday #TreeFlowers #WildflowerHour
White blackthorn flowers
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Donna Rainey @donnarainey4.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Beautiful Field speedwell,such gorgeous little flowers. #wildflowerhour
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Lana @lamijo.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Blackthorn blossom and daffodils #wildflowerhour #spring #PicturesOfSpring #Yorkshire #BlueSky
A blackthorn hedge at the side of a rural lane. There are pale yellow daffodils underneath. Blue sky.
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Moira O'Donnell @naturelark.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Arriving at Dawlish Warren I knew exactly where to find the Sand Crocus, Romulea columnae, as I just made a bee-line towards someone who was crouched down in typical botanist position! This turned out to be @ghostofdatura.bsky.social! Super to meet her, and the stunning Sand Crocus. #WildflowerHour
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Dr Jill Whitelock @jillwhitelock.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Red dead nettles looking pretty in the garden. #WildflowerHour
Pink flowers of Red dead nettle against a blurred green and pink background.
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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Happy to report the total count is now over 4.29 million and still growing!
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Micah @rincewind.run · 28/03/2026
thoughts on today: 1) the protests are good, actually 2) you should go to one of you can 3) it will do you good to see how many other people also hate this guy 4) you might meet people who you can organize with 5) there are more of us than there are of them 6) we are going to win
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Rise and Resist @riseandresist.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
#NoKingsNYC #HandsOffNYC No Kings, NYC 3.28.2026 WE THE PEOPLE MARCH AGAIN THE ABUSES HAVE NOT STOPPED NEITHER WILL WE! We affirm our right to speak freely, to publish the truth, and to gather in protest.
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Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 28/03/2026
Atlanta is showing up to say no ICE, no war, No Kings. #NoKings
A photo of the gigantic No Kings crowd in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 28/03/2026
"Son, we received your last words, you said tell my parents that I love them so much" www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Tumbler Ridge shooting victim's final words etched on gravestone | CBC News
The final words of one of the victims of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., have been shared by his family: "Tell my parents that I love them so much." The local MP says the message was deliver...
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Another good sign: “I would make a better president and I’m 3!” I mean … it wouldn’t take much.
I would make a better president and I’m 3!
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News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Wow. Thousands already gathered in DC for today’s #NoKings protest! 👏 Poetically, they have gathered at the sight of Trump’s proposed new arch. @50501movement.bsky.social (📸 Andrew Leyden)
View above head height of thousands with placards standing under the blue sky
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Indivisible East Bay @indivisibleeb.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Plenty of No Kings options in the East Bay Tomorrow. Pick your Protest!
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 27/03/2026
We have 50,000 troops around Iran, with more on the way, as the possibility of boots on the ground in Iran looms. We've lost 13 American service members with hundreds wounded, nearly 1500 civilians have been killed, & we are less safe. We need to END this war, not escalate it.
axios.com
Pentagon weighs sending 10,000 more combat troops to the Middle East
The consideration is the latest signal that a U.S. ground operation in Iran is being prepared.
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"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Well, I am not sure what my analysis here is worth, but here is my 7,500 word primal scream of a military historian's take on the War in Iran. My best summary: this war is dumb as hell. acoup.blog/2026/03/25/m...
acoup.blog
Miscellanea: The War in Iran
This post is a set of my observations on the current war in Iran and my thoughts on the broader strategic implications. I am not, of course, an expert on the region nor do I have access to any spec…
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maia arson crimew 🏴 @crimew.gay · 13/03/2026
the precedent this sets is absolutely horrible
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Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin @ecmclaughlin.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
MAKE AN EMERGENCY DONATION to Trans Continental Pipeline right now. They are a Colorado based org that helps trans people relocate there and they are overwhelmed with requests. CO borders KS, and TCP has the infrastructure to help get people out. GO DONATE. tcpipeline.org
tcpipeline.org
Trans Continental Pipeline
Queer Relocation Nonprofit in Denver, Colorado
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Natacha @natacha.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
The EU has just voted, by a VERY wide margin, for the full recognition of trans women as women…!
Disclose.tv
@disclosetv
NOW - EU Parliament votes to accept a report, that calls for "the full recognition of trans women as women" as part of the EU priorities for the UN CSW on "women's rights and gender equality."
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I| 0:14
12:31 pm • 12 Feb 2026 • 174K Views
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Andrew Karre @andrewkarre.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
This is the aftermath of an ICE kidnapping a few blocks from my home in St. Paul—an hour ago. A quiet street full of broken glass and at least three wrecked cars. The target of the kidnapping was taken away by ambulance. He was on a stretcher and covered by a sheet, though a cop said he was alive.
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Bolts @boltsmag.org · 11/02/2026
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger endorsed a constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights to people with felony convictions when they leave prison. State lawmakers passed the amendment and it will now appear on the state ballot.
boltsmag.org
“It’s Time”: Virginia Lawmakers Ask Voters to Repeal Jim Crow-Era Lifetime Ban on Voting
Voters will decide this year whether to end Virginia’s uniquely harsh felony disenfranchisement rules. They
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Congresswoman Lateefah Simon @replsimon.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
I voted against funding for ICE today for the second time. The East Bay has made clear at the Alameda County and city level that we will hold the line against a violent ICE force and support our immigrant communities – I will continue to hold the line and our values with my votes in Congress.
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Congresswoman Lateefah Simon @replsimon.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
I recently introduced the RIDER Safety Act! We all know that safe and reliable public transit keeps our communities connected --getting people to work, school, and more... (1/2)
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Mark DeSaulnier @repmarkdesaulnier.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Proud to co-lead the innovative RIDER Safety Act with @replsimon.bsky.social to help ensure public transit in the Bay Area is safe and reliable (1/2).
simon.house.gov
Congresswoman Simon Introduces RIDER Safety Act, Legislation to Support Transit Ambassadors and Public Safety on Transit
OAKLAND, CA – On January 30, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) announced her new legislation, H.R. 6069, the Rapid Intervention and Deterrence for Enhanced Rider Safety Act, or the RIDER Safety A...
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Scoutprime @scoutprime.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
LOL.... i wanted to hear JD getting booed at the Olympics and when i searched for it on YouTube i got this
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Joaquin Castro @joaquincastrotx.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning. Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
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M. Belanger @sethanikeem.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
If anybody out there is like, “kids so young would never do this without adult prompting!“ 1) you really don’t know kids 2) when Reagan met with Gorbachev, I was in 5th grade & still managed to get my class to sign an anti-nuke petition Don’t underestimate how much the kids are paying attention
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