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Larry Winfield

@merlot56.bsky.social
31 followers 17 following 112 posts

Artist, Writer, Poet, Sculptor, Aspiring Bike Nomad...

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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 98 - A Post-Midterms Civics Primer Before getting cynically weary, let's remember how the normal post-election sequence plays out... sites.libsyn.com/556971/a-pos...
AI image of election-related file folders arranged like a maze, with the Capitol Bldg. in the background...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 97 - The Swing Chasers Party The Democratic Party Leadership keeps chasing mythical persuadable swing state Republicans while treating its own coalition with disdain, again... sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-s...
AI Image of people chasing a butterfly with nets...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 96 - The Erstwhile President Krasnov It's a familiar rumor that Cheeto is a compromised Russian stooge following orders, but he's more like a self-dealing Russian oligarch... sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-e...
AI image of The Orange One as a Russian oligarch...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 95 - The World 9/11 Created The aftermath of 9/11 hits differently for those who lived through it vs. the 100 million Americans who only know it as history... sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-w...
Empty Sky Memorial. 2016 photo, Timothy P. Sutphen, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 94 - A New Kind of Rabbit Hole When 21st Century technology accelerates age-old geopolitics, the game starts playing us... sites.libsyn.com/556971/a- new-kind-of-rabbit-hole
AI Image of a man standing in front of an open doorway. Inside is a pitch-black room...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 93 - The Game Above the Game sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-g... The Greenland Energy kerfuffle may be much more complex than geopolitical chess - what if it's part of a very old game of insulated wealth and power, played with updated rules?
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 92 - Taking A Greenland Mile At first glance it's another ham-fisted geopolitical scenario, but taking a sideways view, there's something else going on here... sites.libsyn.com/556971/takin...
AI image of chess pieces on a board. A knight is centered - it looks like a Trojan Horse. In the background is a blurry map of Greenland...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 91 - Smug Sabotage The Informed Non-Voter vs The Midterms: When confidently cynical disengagement becomes indistinguishable from political surrender... sites.libsyn.com/556971/smug-...
AI Image - A middle aged man standing outside a polling place with arms folded and a smug scowl on his face...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 90 - It's Time For The Pre-Obituary This is not a premature celebration - it's an assessment of the political culture the Orange asshole will leave behind... sites.libsyn.com/556971/its-t...
AI Generated Image of a burnt orange funeral wreath...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 89 - This Pandemic Decade Public health is just one pillar of democracy made progressively less resilient throughout the 2020s by this fascist regime... Resistance Spotlight - Right Wing Watch sites.libsyn.com/556971/this-...
Cyclospora.  Image: Melanie Moser, provided by the CDC in 2014...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 88 - Panopticon Politics The modern panopticon isn't just surveillance cameras and AI algorithms. It's also millions of people voluntarily feeding and maintaining it, one upload at a time... Center Stage - Pounding Punk sites.libsyn.com/556971/panop...
AI image - A mass surveillance nightmare: drones, ASLR cameras, and an 'Eye of Sauron' looking down on America...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 87 - Theory War The war of competing theories within the Democratic Party is heating up, making the future of the party - and the country - a lot more interesting... sites.libsyn.com/556971/theor...
Two Democratic Party donkeys - one dressed in a suit representing corporate Centrist Dems, the other dressed like a college student protester, representing progressive Dems...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 86 - Turning Scandalous Into S.O.P. How our democracy became accustomed to behavior that once was totally unacceptable... Center Stage - Psychedelic Borders sites.libsyn.com/556971/turni...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 85 - Not in a MAGA-Spangled Mood America's 250th birthday should be joyful and meaningful, not a grim acknowledgement of the desecration being committed against the nation's soul... sites.libsyn.com/556971/not-i...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 84 - Fixing the Invisible Machinery If we actually hold the many treasonous grifters accountable this time, we'll also have to simultaneously focus on repairing the broken institutions that hold everything together... sites.libsyn.com/556971/fixin...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 83 - The Cost of Looking Away It's one thing to not learn from history. It's a whole other thing to just burn the damn history books... sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-c...
AI Generated Image
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 82 - Historical Études History shows that a society's recovery after a crisis is not about a single sunrise after a storm, but the long, often uncomfortable process of learning how to live in daylight again... sites.libsyn.com/556971/histo...
AI Image of a cityscape triptych - post-war devastation to rebuilding to a beautiful urban plaza with children playing...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 81 - The Sunrise We Eventually Will See How do democracies talk about rebuilding while the fire is still burning? The Front Line - The Taboo of Hope Resistance Spotlight - The Mechanics of Holding the Line sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-s...
AI image of a stormy sky with a barely visible rainbow behind it...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 80 - Betting on 2nd Place In obnoxious horse-race terms, second place is the focus of this dumpster fire jungle primary... sites.libsyn.com/556971/betti...
AI Image of a racetrack betting window with California state flags on the sign...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 79 - When Nobody Commands the Room As June 2nd approaches, the most irritating reality of this Democratic primary is that none of these candidates inspires enough authentic enthusiasm to clear the field... Music: Primarily Punk sites.libsyn.com/556971/when-...
AI Generated Image - A podium with no one standing behind it. An official-looking seal on the front says 'Pending'...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 78 - Jim Crow 3.0 - Reanimating the Ancien Régime SCOTUS gutting the Voting Rights Act is just another transition point in the de-evolution of democratic legitimacy and voter power... Resistance Spotlight - Jessie Gender sites.libsyn.com/556971/jim-c...
The Supreme Court building as a plantation big house with slaves in a cotton field out in front. AI generated image.
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 77 - Undecided Voters - The Sleepless Giant The undecided vote is larger than any single candidate’s base. What was a sleeping giant becomes restless and hyper-focused... Resistance Spotlight - Southern Coalition for Social Justice sites.libsyn.com/556971/undec...
AI Generated Image. A large TV screen showing faceless candidates begging for votes, as a California bear lies before it with a bored look. A voting booth is next to the bear. A sign below the TV reads "23% Undecided."
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 76 - The MAGA Governor Nightmare Scenario Under a MAGA Governor and a heavily Democratic legislature, we'd have four years of Sacramento being a daily battlefield, among other pains in our asses... Music: Experimental Beats sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-m...
Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, the two MAGA chuds hoping to freeze out the Democratic candidates for Governor in the June Primary Election...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 75 - Handicapping The June Primary Eric Swalwell's exit has shaken up - but not sorted - the pack of remaining Dems running for Governor... Resistance Spotlight - Comparative Analysys of Metin Pekin's Breaking Democracy’s Chains sites.libsyn.com/556971/handi...
Image: Washington Examiner 04/21 - "California Democrats aim to steal a march on rivals with first debate since Swalwell shocker"
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 74 - Ambiguously Explicitly Cheeto's increasingly disturbing rhetoric is only getting worse - the pattern recognition is long overdue... Music: Strictly Shoegaze and Dreampop sites.libsyn.com/556971/ambig...
Image: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 73 - The Jungle Primary Reality Check Walking myself back from the political precipice of a MAGA Governor... Resistance Spotlight - League of Women Voters of California sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-j...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 72 - The Circular Pie Fight Primary A 'jungle primary' system with multiple Dem candidates for Governor could, under the wrong conditions, let a unified GOP minority outmaneuver a divided majority - and put a MAGA Chud in control of California... sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-c...
A generic image of political candidates engaged in a circular pie fight...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 71 - Civilization See Saw Right now the world teeters between an incoherent tyrant's callous Middle Eastern conflict, and a mad AI arms race that may end in a real-world 'Skynet'... sites.libsyn.com/556971/civil...
AI image of a 'War Room' with two sets of monitors, each set showing one large and several smaller ones. One set shows images of war in the Middle East; the other set shows a fantasy image of evolving AI...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 70 - The Paywall Problem This week's rant: paywalled access to public-interest information and reporters saving major revelations for books instead of publishing them immediately. What can we do about it besides boycott? sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-p...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 69 - Waiting For It Calling out Cheero's callous incompetence of the Iran War that paints a target on the country for power and profit... Music: Winter Smoker Party IV sites.libsyn.com/556971/waiti...
AI Generated Image
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 68 - 90 Days and Counting The continued secrecy around Cheeto's health only fuels speculation that he's swirling the drain, and wants to take us down with him... sites.libsyn.com/556971/90-da...
Image: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty...
The continued secrecy around Cheeto's health only fuels speculation that he's swirling the drain, and wants to take us down with him...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 67 - Didn't Earn It Cheeto's DEI is more than racist placement of unqualified loyal cronies in positions of power - it's also strategic sabotage... sites.libsyn.com/556971/didnt...
AI generated image of blind justice holding a scale with one side weighed down by binders labeled 'Voter Laws' 'DEI Bans' 'Employment' and 'Policies'...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 66 - A Backup Internet? Considering an alternative internet so Cheeto can't cut our access to each other and the outside world... Resistance Spotlight - Algorithmic Justice League sites.libsyn.com/556971/a-bac...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 65 - Cyber Anxiety Misc. feelings around my PC, AI, social media, and politics all blurring together.. Resistance Spotlight - Open Technology Fund sites.libsyn.com/556971/cyber...
AI Generated Image
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
All I can say about the racist 'Obamas' video posted by President TACO is it sure made me forget about the Epstein Files! /s
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 64 - Blood and Circuses The 'Epstein was a spy' narrative distracts from why so many elites protected him despite his criminal history... Resistance Spotlight - Mobile Fortify Music: Winter Smoker Party III sites.libsyn.com/556971/blood...
The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sailing with its escort ships as part of a carrier strike group. Image: US Navy...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 63 - Ok, Let's Get Serious About the Midterms Too many citizens are falling for this 'cancelled election' BS - we need to beat it down... Music: Winter Smoker Party II sites.libsyn.com/556971/ok-le...
We gotta stop imagining this scenario... AI Generated Image.
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 62 - The Other Putrid Playbook It's time to stop debating the merits of Velveeta Voldemort's threats (whether or not they're bluffs) and take back the initiative... Music: Hip Hop, Etc sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-o...
Image: The International News. Denmark announced plans to increase its military presence in and around Greenland, coupled with military exercises joined by Germany, France, Sweden and Norway...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 61 - If Kamala Was President This bit of political daydreaming has a year of context and consequences to float on - cause she effing told ya... sites.libsyn.com/556971/if-ka...
Then-Vice President Kamala Harris on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on Aug. 22, 2024. (Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call via AP file)
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 60 - Cheeto's Body Count The one thing Ghengis Don shares with autocrats throughout history is the racking up of bodies - what's his 2nd term tally so far? Music: Sharp Tunes For Miasma News sites.libsyn.com/556971/cheet...
View of a destroyed truck at La Carlota air base in Caracas on January 3, 2026. Image: Juan Barreto / AFP...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Magnetofunky: WWT 59 - The Zero Party Solution The Founding Fathers feared tribal governance, assuming leaders would act from civic virtue. They were wrong. A zero-party solution is even less feasible today... sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-z...
AI Generated Image...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 58 - Inflation BS The usually purported causes of inflation is a smokescreen for deceptive corporate practices, tariff effects, and lazy media repeating the official blather... Music: Winter Smoker Party I sites.libsyn.com/556971/infla...
AI Generated Image..
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 57 - No Permanent Majority Considering the hard task of bringing about a multi-party system in the US, and the benefit it could bring... Music: Xmas With A Bite sites.libsyn.com/556971/no-pe...
ChatGPT Generated Image. A true multi-party system in the US could rightly be viewed as a rainbow, but that term is just too loaded, isn't it?
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 56 - No Due Respect It's not illegal to call this President a sick, murderous and demented SOB - do your job, press corps! Resistance Spotlight - Amnesty International Music: Globe-Hopping Political Mix sites.libsyn.com/556971/no-du...
Image: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 55 - Wildcards Democrats and Republicans don’t just tolerate third-parties — they quietly rely on them as a catalyst for change, or a tool one side uses to weaken and defeat the other... Music: Pre-Winter Smoker Party sites.libsyn.com/556971/wildc...
ChatGPT Generated Image
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 54 - The Three Party Problem The Founding Fathers called opposing factions 'the greatest political evil under our Constitution', yet they were practically baked in... Music: Tunes For Cutting Through The Tryptophan sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-t...
AI Generated Image of the Founding Fathers facepalming at the two-party system they couldn't prevent from happening...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 53 - The Rotating Villain Scam Just how many Dems can we count on, and why continue playing this game anyway? Resistance Spotlight - Flock Safety Cameras - The Public Panopticon Music: Very Eclectic Beat and Flow sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-r...
AI Generated Image...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 52 - The 20 Epstein All Stars Just who was compromised at Epstein's Virgin Islands flesh pit? Resistance Spotlight - COP30 Climate Summit sites.libsyn.com/556971/the-2...
Little Saint James Island in the Virgin Islands, when it was owned by Jeffrey Epstein from 1998-2019. Image by Navin75 cc-by-sa-2.0
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 51 - Pre-Midterms Blowout The Big Blue Tsunami of 2025 wouldn't have been possible without the massive overreach of Cheeto Mussolini... Music: Math Rock Plus... sites.libsyn.com/556971/pre-m...
AI Generated Image of a big, beautiful blue wave...
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Larry Winfield @merlot56.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
Magnetofunky: WWT 50 - Pandemic Prospects With the federal US health system decimated, another epidemic/pandemic is almost inevitable... Resistance Spotlight - Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy sites.libsyn.com/556971/pande...
5/27/2020 US Covid map. Image - Johns Hopkins Univ, BBC...
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