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Paul Ashby

@thepaulashby.bsky.social
164 followers 224 following 314 posts

Earth, water, air, fire, flora, fauna, books, film, photography, music, comedy, tech, demagoguery, critical thought, language, power, & people who use them. Professional gardener. Manzanar volunteer. Resting bemused face. Also: @paulashby@mastodon.world

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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
So many bits from which to choose, but I think one of my favorite lines is ""[A]n unorthodox break from traditional capital punishment norms."
military.com
'Public' Execution of Fort Hood Murderer Malik Hasan Scheduled for Dec. 3
The defense secretary made the remark in an interview on Thursday, in what would be an unorthodox break from traditional capital punishment norms.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
How much does Amazon Prime Video SUCK when trying to watch #WNBA games? Let me count the ways.
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Mono Lake Committee @monolake.org · 28/09/2026
Today is Mono Lake Day, the anniversary of the California State Water Resources Control Board's decision in 1994 mandating that Mono Lake be protected at a healthy level of 6,392 feet above sea level. The lake is still ten feet too low and long overdue in reaching the healthy level.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Not sure what to make of Alex Wagner stating on The Bulwark Daily that John Cornyn was "literally castrated by Donald Trump." After about 6 or 7 invocations of "literally" in the first 20 minutes, I signed off.
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Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox.com · 14/09/2026
I don't like Newsom but the idea that the only way to avoid dealing with him is to have Harris back underwhelms me to the extreme. www.politico.com/news/2026/09...
politico.com
Newsom says he won’t run for president if Harris runs again
“I don’t know if she runs but we’ll see,” Newsom told CNN in an interview posted Monday.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Swain isn't a scientist who's prone to hyperbole, but his warnings regarding California coastal heat & moisture (latter kicking in in December) are sobering. The data -- well-presented & clearly explained -- all point to a high possibility of one of the wettest California winters on record. #cawx
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
File under "Sit down. You're not helping."
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Name another country (or any genre of music) star who's used their status and fame as an influential platform to promote unity and inclusivity.... and basic human rights. #dolly
advocate.com
8 Times Dolly Parton Cemented Her Status as an LGBTQ+ Icon
<p>The queer community has plenty of reasons to love her.</p>
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I can't be bothered to follow (or even read posts by) folks who can't be bothered to put a period at the end of their sentences, or a question mark at the end of an interrogative. Be an adult. Communicate.
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Stellbound: Stellraiser II @antlervel.vet · 24/08/2026
The WNBA anti-trans protests are like seeing people with signs outside a Burger King saying they’re against Burger King workers having to serve food to Bigfoot. Like I don’t think you need to worry about that ma’am. I don’t think Bigfoot goes here
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Micah @rincewind.run · 19/08/2026
I'm not always right about politics but I will happily stand behind my longstanding "newsom isn't going to win the dem primary" take remember too that next year he will be out of office and no longer the governor of the biggest blue state in the country, and all we'll see is his awful podcast
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
IF FOOD WORKED YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO etc
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phoenix @phoenix-rights.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
WNBA players union leadership released a statement, I suggest everyone read it. This is the message of united union leaders: hate will not be tolerated and trans inclusion IS protecting women’s rights to play sports This is excellently crafted. Proud of Nneka, Phee and the rest of WNBPA leaders
 MESSAGE FROM
WNBPA PLAYER LEADERSHIP
To everyone who loves this game: The WNBPA represents 200+ individual people with different lived experiences, cultures, lifestyles, and opinions.
We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women's sports while creating transformational change.
Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns.
Support the Players. Support the Fans. At games, notify security if you witness hateful, violent, or abusive behavior. Online, report abusive posts and drown out the bots and bad actors. At home, tell your elected officials to strengthen Title IX.
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Leah Sottile @leahsottile.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The 37-person town of Antelope, Oregon has a rich, strange history. I wrote this essay for Portland Monthly about being drawn to its darkness: www.pdxmonthly.com/travel-and-o...
pdxmonthly.com
A Dark Sky Escape in Antelope, Oregon
Decades after a cult takeover, the tiny town looks to the stars.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
If anyone knows how to block posts containing the words "Sophie Cunningham" here, on Mastodon, and Instagram, I'd love to hear how to do it.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Let's compare and contrast the wildfires in Canada with the fires in the USA. This image is current as of 6pm PT Jul 17. Damn you, Canada; why don't you rake your forests!
A Watch Duty map showing current wildfires in the USA and southern Canada.
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Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
All this tells me is that we also have to also shut down the golf courses
A bar chart comparing annual water consumption in the US. It shows that US Data Centers use 17 billion gallons of water annually (direct on-site use, ~2023), while US Golf Courses use 531 billion gallons annually (irrigation water, 2024).
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Good night, Blueskysters.
youtube.com
Requiem for the Static King, Pt. 1
YouTube video by A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Topic
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow, Bluesky. PS: it's July, at least where I am.
youtube.com
Funharm - What Month Is It?
YouTube video by funharm
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Claire Vaye Watkins mulls over the final Sundance in Park City, "where the drinks were good, and the nature documentaries were, for the most part, sad."
thebeliever.net
One Last Run - Believer Magazine
Past Claire has fucked me again. Ignoring the Sundance Film Festival’s prudent advice not to drink alcohol until acclimated to the altitude, she enjoyed last night at a saloon a couple of beers and so...
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Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
I feel so bad for the dogs 😩
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Nihilist Arby's: a timeless July 4th tweet from 2020 just keeps on giving.
Screenshot of a 2020 tweet from Nihiist Arby's that reads:

"Whether you're crying about having to wear a mask in a store, stuck inside because you're terrified of any number of things, out on the street shooting off illegal fireworks or just simply being murdered by the pigs, please remember, America is a country that exists.

Eat Arby's
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Scott Galloway @profgalloway.com · 01/07/2026
If elected President, i will pardon this woman. 🇺🇸
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
"The US kills people who “need killing” all the time. We’re on a campaign of killing unidentified guys in boats in the Gulf of Dementia b/c the gov't claims they’re drug dealers. [...] We shoot protesters. We shoot people on the very thin pretense that they were “threatening” police officers."
popehat.com
A Bit of Tedious Drama At Bluesky
Bluesky Can Ban Whoever They Want! But They Won’t Stop Me From Saying What I Think. I Think The World Would Be A Better Place Without Elon Musk.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Friends don't let friends use #Siteground to host their WordPress blogs and email. Honestly, an AI "support" nightmare that just keeps on giving.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
All my Siteground-hosted websites are down, as are associated email accounts. Have been so for over an hour. Site Tools, WordPress Admin -- nothing works. How great would it be if this company had a System Status page after log-in? If there IS one, I can't find it. #siteground
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
My backyard, this morning. #orchids #bromeliads
youtube.com
60 seconds of orchid and tropical plant misting
YouTube video by Dobie Meadows gardening
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Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
I think people have an unrealistic, tv-based expectation of how a journalist should act in a good interview, just like they have an unrealistic idea of what a good cross-examination looks like. Your subject in either situation is never going to Perry Mason “you’re right I confess.”
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Darth Putin @darthputinkgb.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
The hard part about propaganda is that the past changes so quickly you have no idea what will happen yesterday.
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Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
The first thing I noticed in the video of 9th Circuit Judge Ryan Douglas Nelson attacking a dude and breaking his glasses is that Judge Ryan Douglas Nelson parks like an entitled asshole. The second thing is that he picks fights in parking lots which will get him killed. /1
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Bobby Allyn @bobbyallyn.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
George Santos called me after my story revealing federal investigations into his suspected market manipulation on Kalshi. And he said: "This story is going to get you a gun in your face." Then he lied about it. www.npr.org/2026/06/04/n...
npr.org
I wrote about George Santos. Then he made a violent threat and lied about it
NPR reported on new federal investigations examining the former Congressman's bets on the prediction market site Kalshi. Then he threatened the NPR reporter who broke the story.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Visited #Manzanar Natl Historic Site MemorialDay weekend & deadheaded/pruned the rose garden & shot this video before departing. There'd been a 75mph windstorm the week before; mangling many of the blooms, so the roses looked a bit bare when I was done. By now it's likely they're blooming profusely.
youtube.com
Merritt Park rose garden walk-through. May 26, 2026, Manzanar National Historic Site
YouTube video by Dobie Meadows gardening
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
YOU HAVE MEDDLED WITH THE PRIMAL FORCES OF NATURE! AND YOU. WILL. ATONE!
youtube.com
Network (1976) - The World Is a Business Scene | Movieclips
YouTube video by Movieclips
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Jed Brewer @jedbrewer.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Thank you.
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Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
However appalled you are by this, it’s not enough. It’s a frank statement that Trump and Trumpists are above the law and need not even plausible excuses to loot your tax dollars. It’s a total failure of our civic institutions.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Happy 78th birthday to this guy. Robert Fripp's 80th is tomorrow. Have a very May weekend. #brianeno #robertfripp #ambient #anothergreenworld
youtube.com
Zawinul/Lava (2004 Remaster)
YouTube video by Brian Eno - Topic
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Was wondering what was taking them so long.
nytimes.com
Google Says Criminal Hackers Used A.I. to Find a Major Software Flaw
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Producer Jack Douglas (November 6, 1945 – May 11, 2026)
youtube.com
He's a Whore
YouTube video by Cheap Trick - Topic
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
The oddly ambiguous connotation of the neologism "Califordable" is hilarious. (Use in a sentence: "I've given up on this place being affordable. I don't know if I could even afford Califordable.") Only question now is how what level of humilation will Hilton experience on June 2nd?
theguardian.com
‘He’d be terrible!’ UK political veterans baffled by Steve Hilton’s run for California governor
Former David Cameron adviser says a vote for him will make California ‘Califordable’ – not everyone is convinced
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
More posts today about the economy-disapproval poll that don't cite who conducted the poll, or where the chart appeared.
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
#cawx
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Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
On Tuesday, May 12th at 3pm PT, I'll have a live virtual office hour devoted entirely to the rapidly-developing El Niño event, including the rising potential for a very strong event by late summer or autumn as well as regional to global implications.
youtube.com
Rising odds of very strong El Niño event in 2026: What might it mean for U.S. West & rest of world? - YouTube
The latest in a recurring series of live, virtual, & interactive #weather and #climate-focused "office hours" hosted by Dr. Daniel Swain. 5/12/2026 topic: I'...
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
When posting a chart, please give the source for the chart. I'm seeing charts that track Trump's poll numbers without citing the source. Don't be lazy.
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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Feeling helpless about politics? Then help us build power by meeting our community’s needs! This week, we got wiped out of 💥 diapers 💥 dental hygiene supplies 💥 toiletries 💥 period products 💥 pet food 💥 men’s clothes (pants!! shoes!!) Drop off or mail to 7016 N Clark St, Chicago IL 60626!
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NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Democrats may not have much chance in future elections, but at least they still have their norms.
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Mike Masnick @masnick.com · 06/05/2026
Call me crazy, but, you know, I sorta liked it better when federal law enforcement was not just a tool of political retaliation.
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Mike Masnick @masnick.com · 06/05/2026
After this person posted a bunch of incoherent nonsense at me a week ago, they blocked me. Then added me to two angrily named lists. But the real sign of a truly obsessive hater: they came back a week later to add me to another angrily named list. If I block you, I forget about you by the next day
From April 27th at 9:51 PM [REDACTED] has added you to the "LIL PISS BABY CRY BOYS" custom feed list.

From April 27th at 10:53PM [REDACTED] has added you to the "MASSIVE DUMBFUCKS" custom feed list.From today at 6:10 PM: [REDACTED] has added you to the "Corrupt Finance Bro Dumbasses 🤡" custom feed list
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
"Google installs Chrome & writes 4GB AI model in user's profile directory w/o auth. The binary is not Chrome. It's a separately-trained machine-learning model, w/a separate purpose, separate data-protection profile, separate consent footprint. User finds out about it later when their disk fills up."
thatprivacyguy.com
Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent. At a billion-device scale the climate costs are insane. — That Privacy Guy!
Google Chrome is downloading a 4 GB Gemini Nano model onto users' machines without consent, with no opt-in, no opt-out short of enterprise tooling, and an automatic re-download every time the user del...
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Paul Ashby @thepaulashby.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
This Fripp is now on Cameo. Prices start at $109.
cameo.com
Client Challenge
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Tim Heidecker @timheidecker.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
What a sad, sausage party of losers, con men and dupes. Bye bye!
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