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That Harp Guy

@thatharpguy.bsky.social
1K followers 259 following 3.8K posts

Lullabies & laments, harp & gourmet balladry. For over 35 years, Gaffer has been owned by a 26-string Dusty Strings folk harp; Best Friend, Longest Roommate, Harshest Critic. Fort Collins, Colorado [Photo: Patrick Stephenson, Artwork: Autumn Haynes]

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Reposted by That Harp Guy
Dread Pirate Zed @dreadpiratezed.bsky.social · 12h
One anti-pattern that I really, really hate is - when "offering" a feature or upgrade - only presenting a choice between Do It Now and Ask Me Again Later. I would guess that 90% of users, if given their druthers, would actually choose Fuck Off And Never Bother Me Again.
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Go Green @ecowarriorss.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Is your pension setting the world on fire? “With over USD 46 trillion in assets worldwide, pension funds are among the largest institutional investors in fossil fuels,” thinklandscape.globallandscapesforum.org/106844/pensi...
thinklandscape.globallandscapesforum.org
Is your pension supporting fossil fuels?
Pension funds have invested $46 trillion in fossil fuels – and they’re facing growing pressure to divest. What difference could they make?
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Evening swim. #MoonOfTheNow
Bad tablet photo of the Moon amidst clouds.
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Alex @dancinghedgie.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I'm sorry to have to do this - but an unexpected expense today emptied my bank account. ASSUMING I get to start my new job...I won't get paid until October 15th. gofund.me/22d544fa7
gofund.me
Donate to A Little Help for Alex’s Fresh Start, organized by Alex von Hochtritt
Hi. I'm Alex. I used to work in technology—software quality assurance testin… Alex von Hochtritt needs your support for A Little Help for Alex’s Fresh Start
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Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
My latest @newscientist.com cartoon. many more here: www.newscientist.com/author/tom-gauld/
Image: A graph with lots of red dots clustered together in a curve. The are all looking upwards at a single red dot wearing sunglasses. 

Caption: Mike was an outlier and would probably be excluded from the study, but all the other data points secretly thought he was really cool.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I had that dream again.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Few things in life scud. Clouds are among them. #MoonOfTheNow
Bad tablet photo of the Moon amidst scudding clouds.
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Kenneth W Lewis 🇺🇦 🇬🇱 @doctorotaku.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
@hickenlooper.senate.gov, @bennet.senate.gov: How important is repairing our standing with our neighbors and allies if we continue to brush off the very international body we should be a part of? Even if we have to send people to trial for war crimes and other acts of evil?
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
@thealmostbear.bsky.social ; One for you.
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C40 Cities @c40cities.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
On Car Free Day, people around the world are encouraged to walk, cycle, take the bus or train.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Erato, Euterpe, Kalliope, Klio, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania. Named muses for @cashlin.bsky.social In alphabetical order no less!
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Centered.
The half-moon during daylight, framed by two pine trees.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Yes, young man, there are 65-year-olds out here who cannot manage an app. That's why they came to you. You told her to call the number and they told her to go to you at the store. I don't care how you figure out it, but YOU figure it out; it's neither my problem nor hers.
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 17/09/2026
The United Nations chief is urging global competitors in artificial intelligence to cooperate in addressing threats from the technology, warning that "the world cannot afford a race to the bottom on AI safety."
bit.ly
UN chief urges global AI cooperation saying world can't afford 'a race to the bottom on AI safety'
The United Nations chief is urging global competitors in artificial intelligence to cooperate in addressing threats from the technology, warning that “the world cannot afford a race to the bottom on AI safety.”
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
If they're not going to be working again until January, perhaps they shouldn't get paid again until January. Life in the real world, and all that.
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Twonks @twonks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Wow
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
A (sugarless) German Chocolate Cake, with ground walnuts on top. It suitsin a white plate on a towel. The background (salt, pepper, toaster) is all standard kitchen stuff.
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Haus of Decline @hausofdecline.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Suffering does not necessarily make your art better, but as long as you're suffering, you may as well get some art out of it.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Name a Disney Princess, wrong answers only.
The gynedroid from the film Metropolis, at her charging station.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Oh, Elissa... I'm pasty white but was subject to harassment simply because I have a rather long beard. The only "unity" experienced in the U.S. after 9/11 was a new bent toward Islamophobia from the (already racist) white folk. You cannot paint a pretty picture of =that= experience for *everyone*.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
On and on.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Grilled cheese with pesto, and New England Clam Chowder, to change up an old classic just a little, tonight. It's a cool night; not cold, but certainly only warm when snuggled into the blankets. I'll still leave the window open.
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Edmonds Scanner @edmondsscanner.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Your daily affirmation: We all make mistakes. As long as you don't split the moon in half with a homemade raygun though, you'll probably be ok.
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rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
it's probably better to trust the experts on the topics of their expertise, except people who do machine learning, who have all gone insane
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post malone ergo propter malone @proptermalone.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
ez mode solidarity opportunity you might not have been aware of. No Starbucks till the union gets a contract.
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Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Chinook salmon have recolonised 88% of their historic range on the Klamath River, with more than 13,000 fish passing the old Iron Gate Dam site in 2025, up from 7,700 the year before. Two years after the dams’ removal, it’s going better than anyone predicted. buff.ly/pToC9gB #ShareGoodNewsToo
nature.com
Rewilding the upper Klamath River Basin: rapid recolonization of Chinook salmon following the world’s largest dam removal - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Rewilding the upper Klamath River Basin: rapid recolonization of Chinook salmon following the world’s largest dam removal
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PapaJ @michiganpapa.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
When the Democrats are attacked for [inciting class warfare] they shrink back. They don't say what obviously should be said, "Yes, there is class warfare. There has always been class warfare in this country." The reason the Democrats shrink back is because the Democrats and the Republicans are on the same side of the class war. They have slightly different takes. The Democrats are part of the upper class that is more willing to make concessions to the lower class in order to maintain their power.

Howard Zinn
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This day in 1966, I was brought home from the hospital at the age of five days. My mother says I screamed all through the news, but quieted the moment the Star Trek pilot aired. She says I was glued to the television, & any time thereafter she wanted me quiet, she knew when that time would come.
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 08/09/2026
Black bears in the Rockies are getting into far more trouble than usual. As drought cuts down on their natural food supplies, bears are wandering into urban areas and getting trapped in cars, raiding trash cans and sometimes attacking people.
bit.ly
Parched summer in the Rockies sends hungry bears into urban areas and confrontations with people
Wildlife officials in the Rocky Mountain region are reporting far more trouble than usual between black bears and people this summer.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Water Law is another area which needs addressing, and soon. There are places in (arid) Colorado where you are not permitted to capture rainwater, because every drop "belongs" to Kansas. Unreal.
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John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Pre-AI, at least bad managers had to employ a lackey or two, who'd validate their terrible ideas. it created those jobs at least. Now they can just ask a toaster who'll confirm their genius for free.
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Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
“Fascism always fails!!” Is less comforting than I’d like it to be given that it also usually kills several million people first.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
We must end the lobby system. While health insurance companies can buy politicians, we will never have universal health coverage. While fossil fuel companies can buy politicians, we will never have sustainability. While digital surveillance companies can buy politicians, we will never have freedom.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
One cannot select 'Lake America' on Google Maps, so one cannot leave a review. Durnit.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Hahaha ha. No, Lisa, I cannot flex my vocal muscles and practice at home. Preferably in a sound-dampening room. You see, I wish to be allowed to have neighbors, still, when I'm done practicing. 😆 My neighbors cannot withstand 3 hours of my Belle Voce. And some work nights. I'm kind.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
This is wonderful news. ❤
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Old Wolf has eaten the Moon. No good photographs, unfortunately. #MoonOfTheNow
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
What could =possibly= go wrong?
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William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 25/08/2026
[Exit Queen.]
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More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
BREAKING: The union of Starbucks workers is officially calling for a boycott of the chain. @sbworkersunited.org has over 12,000 unionized baristas, and they're calling on customers to stop visiting Starbucks until they get a fair union contract.
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Satyros Phil Brucato @satyrosphilbrucato.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Dragons’ daughters. Rock-star gods. A lawyer with a literal Faerie Godfather. 27 tales of music, magic and mayhem. Amazon: www.amazon.com/Valhalla-Twi... Kindle: www.amazon.com/Valhalla-Twi... Bookshop: bookshop.org/p/books/valh... #UrbanFantasy #DarkFantasy #FantasyCollections #Shortfiction
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Yes, your majesty. #MoonOfTheNow
Bad tablet photo of the moon amidst clouds.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
I don't take in much passive media; most is just too overstimulating for me. I don't watch films or television, generally. I've started watching Farscape (or trying); two five-minute intervals per day is about all I can tolerate. It's all being a very odd experience.
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Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫 @lookitup.baby · 22/08/2026
BUTLERIAN JIHAD NOW
LIVE
BREAKING NEWS

JUDITH BUTLER BEGINS HOLY WAR

QUOTED AS SAYING "THE AGE OF THINKING MACHINES IS AT AN END"
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Sanho Tree @sanho.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Happy #Caturday to these heroes.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Marmots are one of a very few species which harbor The Plague. They are very special to me. If you can support, please do.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Lovely subject, bad photo. #MoonOfTheNow
The Moon amongst clouds.  Bad tablet photo.
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That Harp Guy @thatharpguy.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Colorado Community Health Alliance said I need to switch my Regional Accountable Entity to Region 2. They changed it effective Sep. 1, but said NE Health Alliance (Region 2's version of CCHA) would help me regardless. No. I must wait until September 1 to find a new primary care. Grumpety-grump.
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Andrea Zanin @andreazanin.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
We can fix spelling and grammar, we can rework structure. What we can't do is enrich a text with an author's humanity, insight, vulnerability, sense of humour, cultural references, personal experience, quirks and so on. Gen-AI can't do that, and editing can't do that. It MUST come from the writer.
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