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Joe ❌👑

@not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy
39 followers 4 following 655 posts

(he/him) Aging tech nerd, living in Silicon Valley. I'm an avid hiker and geocacher. I've recently retired after 30+ years working in electronic design automation. After […] 🌉 bridged from ⁂ sfba.social/@not2b, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/10/2026
LLM-based agents don't have to be super-intelligent to cause massive damage. After all, the Black Death killed 1/3 of Europe and no one thinks it was conscious. It suffices to have large numbers of agents pounding away at the Internet, powered by millions of dollars in compute power, trying to […]
sfba.social
Original post on sfba.social
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Reposted by Joe ❌👑
Elena Brescacin @elettrona.poliversity.it.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026
I assumed that Fediverse could really be an open, progressive environment where to discuss ideas and grow up, with different points of view. But what I'm finding lately, is something different. Narration going from "pro AI / glasses" to "no AI / glasses" so if you don't maintain a position, you […]
poliversity.it
Original post on poliversity.it
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2026
RE: infosec.exchange/@0xabad1dea/117099… How could this be? Donald Trump insists that magnets don't magnet when they get wet. Fake news!
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026
This is from a recent hike at Long Ridge Open Space Reserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains, looking toward the sea. #sfba #hiking #photography
A view from a trail in the mountains. There is yellow high grass in the bottom right, a large fir tree on the left, smaller trees in the middle, a mountain ridge in the distance, a blue sky, and low white clouds in the far distance.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/07/2026
Yesterday I heard that a visitor to Big Basin Redwoods has spotted leopard lilies (Lilium pardalinum) blooming. As they are one of my favorite flowers, I had to check it out, and hiked out to the spot, about 2 miles/3 km from park HQ, which was described to me […] [Original post on sfba.social]
A group of dozens of vivid orange globular flowers in front of a very large log, with ferns and the edge of a hiking trail visible.An orange flower that looks like a Chinese lantern, with petals curving together to form a spherical shape, more of a yellow color near the base, and dark spots on the bottom. Six large pistils hang down from the base of the flower. The background is green and out of focus.Two vivid orange flowers. The one in the foreground has curving orange petals in a somewhat irregular shape, with pistils hanging down. In the background is a more perfectly formed flower, with the petals arranged to form a globe. The somewhat out of focus background is composed of green leaves and stalks.
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Reposted by Joe ❌👑
2 Spoopy 4 You @jcrabapple.dmv.community.ap.brid.gy · 06/07/2026
Trilobites saw the world through lenses made of actual rock - and solved an optical problem 400 million years before humans did. Their eyes were built from calcite, the same mineral in limestone and marble. Every other animal that ever lived uses soft protein lenses. Only trilobites evolved […]
dmv.community
Original post on dmv.community
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/07/2026
Argentina vs Cape Verde was an amazing game, the best one to watch that I have seen (though in fairness I haven't had time to see a lot of it). Congratulations to Cape Verde for doing so well. #WorldCup
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/06/2026
@paninid The thing that I think distinguishes Mamdani from other progressives, and that is a key factor in his success, is joy. He is having fun. His team is having fun. He loves and celebrates his city. And yes, he is fighting hard, and he isn't compromising his principles in any way, but to be […]
sfba.social
Original post on sfba.social
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026
I met this snowy egret on a short walk along Alamitos Creek in the Almaden neighborhood of San Jose. #egret #phtography #SanJoseCA
A large fluffy white bird with black stilt legs, a long black beak, and one yellow eye visible, at the edge of a creek, wading in very shallow water. The photo is framed by tree trunks on either side, barely visible in the shot; the creek bed is brown and there are some green grassy plants visible on the other side of the creek.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026
Today's hike was at Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve, on the San Francisco Peninsula. This scene was a pretty spot on the Whittemore Gulch Trail, with some lichen on the redwoods and lots of sword-hilt ferns below the trees. #redwoods #hiking #phtography #sfba
A trail with a redwood duff surface passing a stand of large second-growth redwoods on the left, just behind a hillside covered with ferns. There's some sun shining through ahead on the trail, and on the right there are some more slender redwoods.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/05/2026
I met this rough-skinned newt on a trail today at Nisene Marks park in the Santa Cruz mountains. We have two kinds of newts in the area that you see a lot: the rough-skinned newt has a flat head, the California newt has bulgy eyes that stick up a bit, so I've […] [Original post on sfba.social]
An reddish-brown amphibian with a long tail and four limbs visible, crawling across forest debris: leaves, fir needles, and soil.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/05/2026
This is a Mariposa lily (Calochortus venustus) I encountered in my hike yesterday in Mount Madonna Park, between Gilroy and Watsonville in the Santa Cruz mountains of North Central California. #wildflowers #photography #mariposalily . The common name is actually […] [Original post on sfba.social]
A beautiful wildflower with three white petals, red at the center, six pistils coming up from the center, and an insect perched on one petal
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/05/2026
I recently heard that there is a wildflower that lives in a small preserve north of San Francisco, and nowhere else in the world, and also heard that it is blooming right now. It is the Tiburon mariposa lily (Calochortus tiburonensis). So today I paid a visit. A […] [Original post on sfba.social]
A very unusual looking wildflower. It has a platform with hairs and six stamens rising from the middle.An unusual looking wildflower. It looks vaguely like a monster from Stranger Things in this shot, but less scary.An unusual looking wildflower. It has kind of a triangular greenish platform with hairs rising from it, three petals growing outward, and a group of six red-orange stamens in the middle.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/05/2026
The Santa Cruz Mountains are just exploding with California tortoiseshell butterflies right now. The reason is that their favorite plant, ceanothus (aka California lilac) is also exploding since the huge fire of five years ago. Today at Big Basin park there were […] [Original post on sfba.social]
An orange butterfly with black edges and black spots on its wings; it has landed on a white book which is on a wooden bench.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/05/2026
I met up with this beautiful mariposa lily on a hike I did last Friday between the main peak of Mount Diablo and two neighboring peaks. It's my favorite local wildflower. #MariposaLily #wildflowers #hiking #photography
A beautiful bowl shaped white flower, looking down into the flower, with red markings on each of its three overlapping petals and in the base of the bowl, with yellow stamens in the middle, against a blurred background of soil, rocks, and grass.A beautiful bowl shaped white flower, looking from the side, with red markings on each of its three overlapping petals and at the base of the bowl, against a blurred background of soil, rocks, and grass.
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Prof. Sam Lawler @sundogplanets.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/04/2026
I guess if I take enough pictures of the baby goat snuggle pile, eventually one will be sorted by colour. Cute!
A pile of seven snuggly baby goats using each other as pillows, laying on straw in the corner of a barn.  The white goats are at the top of the photo, with brown and grey in the middle, and black at the bottom.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/04/2026
This is Joanie, whose favorite thing is coming up from behind and jumping on my shoulders when I am not expecting it. It is much better for me if I have a shirt with a collar on, so she doesn't stab me with her claws in an effort to hold on. #CatsOfMastodon
A tuxedo cat perched precariously on the shoulder of a man with a gray beard and a flannel long sleeved shirt. A wooden cabinet with glass windows is in the background.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/04/2026
I haven't posted a #caturday photo in a while, and there's still a bit of Saturday left in my time zone. Sebastian (tabby) and Joanie (tuxedo) say hi. Or, they will if they think you're about to feed them.
A tabby cat and a tuxedo cat sitting contentedly on a lumpy blue blanket
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/04/2026
I noticed a ladybug (ladybird for UK friends) crawling on a sticky monkey flower, on a recent hike. #hiking #photography #wildflowers
An orange beetle with black spots crawling on the stem of a yellow flower, with a blurred background
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/04/2026
The headline at the top of the New York Times web site says "US and Iran fail to reach deal after marathon peace talks". 21 hours. Marathon, they say. Carter, Begin, Sadat and their teams spent 13 continuous days negotiating the Camp David accords. The negotiations the produced the Iran deal […]
sfba.social
Original post on sfba.social
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/04/2026
I guess I mean that if someone has a good sha1 attack, like producing collisions, then this is not the target that they would choose.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/04/2026
Here is a pair of Douglas irises I passed on a hike yesterday in Wunderlich Park on the SF Peninsula. #wildflowers #photography #sfba
Two purple Douglas irises. The flowers each have three main petals, pale purple with a pattern of white lines on them, and three smaller petals in between the large petals (so, a large triangle with a rotated smaller triangle inside). The leaves of the plant are in the background, they are flat strips a bit more than a cm wide.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/03/2026
I am on a light rail train full of protesters, headed to the #NoKings event in downtown #SanJose. I have my last minute lame ass sign.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/03/2026
Ceanothus (aka California lilac) blooming along Skyline to the Sea Trail in Big Basin. Since the big fire, this plant, a fire follower, is all over the place.
About six pale purple flower puff balls on a bush.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/03/2026
Going tomorrow. www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/903676
mobilize.us
NO KINGS San Jose (50501/Indivisible) · No Kings
**We have the power and are claiming it together. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.** What began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy. Our peaceful movement is bigger than ever. When our families are under attack and costs are pushing people to the brink, silence is not an option. We will defend ourselves and our communities against this administration’s unjust and cruel acts of violence. On March 28th, rise up, take to the streets, and say it loud: no thrones, no crowns, no kings. We’re not watching history happen—we’re making it. Join us. *A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.*
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/03/2026
This is Sebastian, as photographed by my daughter just now when she got home from work. He looks surprised to see her. #CatsOfMastodon
A tabby cat with a surprised expression, looking out of a kitchen window. The photo is taken from the other side. A vertical bar in the center kind of splits The cat in two, his head is on the right, the rest of him is on the left. The cat is on the sink, and wooden cabinets, a counter, and a stool are in the background.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/03/2026
This is a valley oak that acorn woodpeckers have been using as acorn storage. It's from a hike today at Henry Coe state park. #hiking #photography #AcornWoodpeckers
A large tree trunk that has many circular holes in the bark, just the right size to store acorns, though the holes all appear to be empty. Behind the tree, green grass, a smaller tree, and bushes are visible, along with a bit of blue sky.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/03/2026
These are Henderson's shooting stars, which I saw many examples of on today's hike at Henry Coe state park, in the mountains to the southeast of Silicon Valley. #hiking #wildflowers #photography #HenryCoe
Closeup of a group of four magenta wildflowers, plus one dried up flower, with out-of-focus plants and grass in the background.
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Doctor M. Popular @docpop.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/03/2026
One block in Noe Valley is covered with these incredible crocheted creatures. I'm not sure who the artist is, but I love this. #SanFrancisco #NoeValley
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/03/2026
RE: mathstodon.xyz/@csk/116162797629337… This is a fun one. Be sure to click the link.
mathstodon.xyz
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Prof. Sam Lawler @sundogplanets.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/02/2026
There are lots of satellites here in the southern skies too. But the stars behind the satellites are absolutely incredible! The Milky Way was absurdly bright! The Magellenic Clouds were so easy to see! WOOOOWWWWW
Looking up at the Milky Way stretching across the sky, with the Magellenic Clouds appearing as two easily visible cloudy spots nearby.  The sky is ringed by silhouetted trees.Looking up at the Milky Way with the Magellenic Clouds nearby, and a couple of very bright satellite streaks passing over everything.Looking toward the northern part of the Milky Way, Orion is buried in there if you look carefully, though it's hard to see because there are so many stars (and it's upside down from how I'm used to see it in the Northern hemisphere).  There are a whole lot of faint satellite streaks across the lower part of the sky, and there are silhouetted trees all around the edges of the photo.The two Magellenic clouds, with silhouetted trees on either side of the photo, and an obnoxiously bright satellite streak.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/01/2026
I haven't posted hiking pictures in a while. Today's hike was in Joseph Grant Park, in the mountains to the east of San Jose, California. Because all of our rain falls in the winter and early spring, this is the green time for us. It was unusually warm (high 60s […] [Original post on sfba.social]
A selfie of a man with a grey beard and a green cap, on a green grassy mountain ridge, with a few bare oak trees in the middle distance, a valley below on the right, and a mostly blue sky with a few white cloudy streaks
 Grassy rolling hills on a mountain ridge, with multiple ridge lines and valleys in the distance, with a drop-off to a valley on the right.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/12/2025
These photos are from a short walk I did yesterday at Bair Island, on the San Francisco Bay near Redwood City. I've never seen so many snowy egrets together, often egrets are solitary. #protography #egrets #SnowyEgrets
A long legged, fluffy white bird with kind of a hunchback and a long straight bill walking in very shallow water on a brown mud flat. A rock is in front of the bird.
Ten white birds (snowy egrets) wading in very shallow water (perhaps a centimeter or two deep). Many of them have eyes and bills looking downward, perhaps hunting for grubs or other food in the mud.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/12/2025
I did a hike on Monday at La Honda Creek Open Space Reserve, near La Honda, California. It's a beautiful place with varied terrain: open fields, redwood groves, and Douglas firs. While the lower entrance is freely accessible, I started from the permit-only lot at […] [Original post on sfba.social]

A scenic landscape at sunset, looking out from a mountain ridge, with layers of rolling hills that descend toward the ocean in the distance.

On the left is a towering cluster of dark green Douglas firs. Below these tall trees and stretching across the bottom of the image is a dense canopy of varied vegetation.

Beyond the immediate forest, the landscape opens up into a series of rolling hills and ridges.

In the far distance, a wide expanse of ocean stretches horizontally across the photo.

A band of  golden light reflects off the water's surface, indicating where the sun is breaking through the clouds above. 

The sky is dramatic and filled with textured clouds.

Above the horizon, there is a band of warm colors: oranges, peaches, and pale yellows.

The gray cloud layer has a large opening where sunlight shines through.

(I asked AI for help in describing this image but heavily re-wrote the result to be more accurate and less over-the-top).
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/12/2025
A couple of days ago I hiked up to Mission Peak, east of the San Francisco Bay. It was foggy in the valley that morning but it didn't take long to climb above the fog layer. This hike can be very crowded on weekends with mild weather, but far less so on a Tuesday. #hiking #photography #MissionPeak
A man with a gray beard, sunglasses, a black jacket and a green cap, in a selfie with green hills, a blue sky, overlooking a valley with a layer of fog below. His hand holding his cell phone is visible as a reflection in the sunglasses.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/12/2025
He's talking to you, Chuck and Dick. About time. #uspol #BarackObama www.salon.com/2025/12/02/get-out-of…
salon.com
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/12/2025
Me on a hike today at Henry Coe Park, on the Bowl Trail above the Hunting Hollow valley. It was perfect hiking weather. Northern California is good for that. #hiking #photography #HenryCoe
A 60 something year old man with a beard and a green baseball cap taking a selfie on a hike on a mountain ridge. The immediate background is grass, just starting to turn green. A valley is behind, and there is a tree covered slope on the other side of the valley. The sky is blue with a few scattered white clouds.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/11/2025
It's that time of year for banana slugs. Here's a pair that is preparing to mate. They have a ritual that can take hours. They are hermaphrodites, with both male and female organs, and both of these slugs might wind up pregnant and lay eggs. This was in Big Basin […] [Original post on sfba.social]
A pair of vivid yellow banana slugs, curved towards each other. Each has its head positioned by the other slug's body. A burnt log is to their right, on the ground below is redwood duff, sticks, and small green plants.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/11/2025
Sunlight through second growth redwood trees on a hazy morning at Mount Madonna Park. #redwoods #photography
Beams of sunlight on a hazy morning in a redwood forest. A large trunk is on the right, a stump with leaves and duff on top is below, and slender young redwood trunks are on the left. A bit of blue sky is visible through the trees.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/11/2025
RE: sfba.social/@not2b/1155809420878418… I wonder what happens if I quote myself recursively.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/11/2025
RE: sfba.social/@not2b/1155809401018041… I wonder what happens if I quote myself recursively.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/11/2025
I wonder what happens if I quote myself recursively.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/11/2025
Our cats, Joanie (tuxedo) and Sebastian (tabby). Joanie has licked herself bald on her sides and is on meds for that, but otherwise seems happy. Looks like they want a treat. #CatsOfMastodon
Two cats, a tuxedo cat and a tabby cat, sitting on a leather covered stool in a kitchen. There are wooden counters and a linoleum floor in the background. They are looking at the camera with expressions that say "please feed us". The tuxedo cat has a bald spot on her side.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/11/2025
It is is that time of year when the toyon trees sprout bright red berries here in Northern California, which is why "Christmas berry" is a nickname. The berries appear in November and peak in late December. #toyon #sfba #photography
A tree with clumps of hundreds of bright red berries backed by small green leaves, with a blue sky at the top.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/11/2025
Oyster mushrooms (I think) from a hike yesterday in Pescadero Creek park, near La Honda, California. #mushrooms #hiking #photography
A group of about ten mushrooms growing on the trunk of a tree. They are off-white in color and conical shaped.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/10/2025
I met this tarantula today at Henry Coe Park. This is the time of year to see them. #tarantula #hiking #photography #HenryCoe
A large spider with black and tan markings with front legs extended, on a dirt trail next to some rocks.
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/10/2025
At #NoKings in Mountain View, CA.
Man with gray beard, sunglasses, and baseball cap holding a sign with a cartoon frog, caption is: Rosie the Ribbiter says We Can Do It!Man with gray beard, sunglasses and cap, holding a sign saying No One Paid Us! We Hate Trump For Free! No Kings!
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Joe ❌👑 @not2b.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/10/2025
I am going to #NoKings tomorrow. mobilize.us/s/NtWbWR
mobilize.us
NO KINGS on El Camino Real, 8 Miles, 16 Intersections, from Sunnyvale to Palo Alto · No Kings
No Kings on June 14 brought 20,000 people together on El Camino Real in a solid line of democracy lovers. We are doing it again, from Sunnyvale to Palo Alto, with an improved route and high visibility intersection focus. IdaRose Sylvester, Sally Lieber, Together We Will and partners are back on El Camino from Sunnyvale to Palo Alto, back to say NO KINGS, and YES to getting out the vote this November! Unlike our previous two El Camino Real events, we are not forming a solid line along the 8 mile route. We are focusing on standing at 16 high visibility intersections, on all corners and both sides of the street. This is a stand in place protest, without marching. (Although, please note, we also have options for people to sign up for biking or driving the route). Sign up for your location! We really need your support to balance the intersections and assign resources: https://tinyurl.com/NKD2locationsignup The main theme of our event is NO KINGS! This is a peaceful, pro-Democracy theme that unites us all. Given the proximity to a very important election, we are also encouraging signs reminding people to vote. From 2pm onward, we will be at Gateway Plaza at Castro and El Camino, providing information about how you can get involved in the upcoming election, and encourage you to stop by! Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1c7KY-ax1rnpH6AkOnCpBqoUFQ3-6OBM&usp;=sharing Intersections: - Remington/Fair Oaks SV - Sunnyvale-Saratoga/Sunnyvale SV - Mathilda SV - Hollenbeck/Pastoria SV - Mary Ave SV - Bernardo SV - Grant/237 MV - Phyllis/Calderon MV - Castro MV - Miramonte/Shoreline MV - Rengstorff MV - San Antonio MVLA - Arastradero/W Charleson PA - California PA - Page Mill/Oregon Expy PA - Serra/Park PA **In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings.** Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together. The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us. _A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events._
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Liam Proven @lproven.social.vivaldi.net.ap.brid.gy · 01/10/2025
The great Dr Jane Goodall, ethologist and campaigner for great apes and much else, has died at the age of 91. She loved this _Far Side_ cartoon, and wrote a forward for a later Gary Larson collection.
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