Tag / politics

by Lexine

Springtime Random Thoughts

It may be officially Spring, but after last week, I feel like California had its summer. At least the heatwave is over. (But not the rising gas prices here, sadly.)

And speaking of summer and spring, that song is divine. (I know there’s a shorter version of that song, but I’m more partial to the extended mix.)

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I did some work in San Francisco recently and here are some pretty pics from my work trip:

At Glen Park in SF
At the hills of Diamond Heights, which overlook downtown SF and beyond
A sunset from paradise. Taken from Esplanade Beach in Pacifica, CA

That was the Good. The Bad was leaving SF at night. I’ve had to do some work travels there lately, and I usually leave at night to escape traffic. Lately, there’s been some construction on north 101 and north 280 that starts at night (shortly after 9PM). Those two routes are the main routes to get out of the city and onto the Bay Bridge leading to the East Bay (where I live). I’ve had to go on the surface streets in Mission Bay to escape the traffic, but from my recent visit, it was chaotic. I also didn’t know there was a preseason Giants game, which added to me being STUCK stuck in the city. Did I mention some asswipe that drove a large Escalade-style SUV in front of me tried to back into a parking spot, almost hitting my car? That was the Ugly and I hope the driver of that SUV that tried it with me gets (redacted)

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It’s another busy time at the day job, plus I’m still doing my taxes. (My situation is always sticky as I work both employee and 1099 jobs–same profession, by the way.) Yet I managed to complete another chapter of my latest work-in-progress. There will be plenty of drama, and it is a little “darker” than The Playgirl, but don’t worry–there will be a nice ending! All the antagonists (or as the kids would say, the “opps”) get what they deserve in the end (none of this reward-the-assholes shit), and since I’m writing a love story this time, I intend to have a Happily Ever After ending.

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If you want to witness a masterclass in ruining your career and reputation with quickness, just be a “progressive” endorsing a Nazi. I give you Exhibit A:

Utterly loathsome and morally bankrupt.

— Andy Craig (@andycraig.bsky.social) 2026-03-19T17:58:52.308Z

It’s vile beyond belief to see “Democrats” like Warren and Gallego endorse Nazi Oyster Boy, and when they’re choosing the Nazi over a politician who’s highly qualified to be Senator, it’s even worse. Ignorance and antisemitism are running rampant on this planet, and shit like that is not helping, to say the least. That these dubious AF choices from “Democrats” (real Dems don’t endorse Nazis and are not Nazis at all, so fuck Platner and his supporters, too) are being made in another important election year is mind-boggling. Just fucking wow.

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File this under “Just Fucking Wow” too:

And I thought I did some dumb shit on Bluesky by following some of those large “anti-Trump”/”resist!” accounts a year ago that turned out to be lying grifters that blindly bash Schumer and Jeffries for attention. (In fairness, I honestly thought they were the real deal until I noticed them bashing “feckless Dems” in every other post of theirs. I’ve since unfollowed and muted them, then found some revealing tea on them.) This shit here, though, takes the fucking cake. No need to have a “Don’t Say Something So Damn Dumb, Leftist White Male” Challenge; it would’ve flopped after twenty seconds. That post is a sure-fire, first-ballot inductee into Bluesky’s Hall of Shame. It’s so bad, it would get flagged for moderation on Elon’s Twitter.

Also, if I see any of my followers following that Norman clown or even Liked his post, they will be added to my Block list that I believe is larger than my list of Followers. (There’s always going to be an account or five every day now that I just cannot with.)

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On the upside, this planet now has one less MAGA shithead thieving oxygen.

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I got PBS playing in the background right now and caught a glimpse of what’s on. There’s an ad for one of their new shows that will be narrated by George Clooney. Anytime I see his name, I get rabid and in a bad way. Dude could’ve just stayed away from politics and preserved his legacy as a handsome leading man from the 90s. But nope. From him wanting Biden to step down and saying Harris was a bad candidate, Clooney is forever on my shit list! Privileged ratfucker.

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OK, time for some eye bleach, and I’m going back in time with this…

The fashion from Spring 1996 SERVED. I think this season birthed the Minimalist movement of the mid-late 90s, but it also wasn’t boring or drab. If anything, it was lively, yet modern. Lots of styles from then could still be worn today. The colors, the prints, the models!

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The Billboard Hot 100 30 years ago this week… Mariah’s “One Sweet Day” had just been dethroned by Celine and her latest ballad, and some of those other songs on that chart take me BACK. *sighs* What a time.

Speaking of 1996, I still on planning on doing a throwback post on how life was for me that year. (I may have been 11 for most of ’96, but I do remember some things from then.) I’ll get to it…after I’m done with my taxes.

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Lastly, since it’s Opening Day in MLB, the team that dethrones the Dodgers this year will get my merch money. (Unless if the Bums dethrone themselves, or if it’s the Yankees–I’ll never wear any of their trash!)

by Lexine

Pics From The 107 Days Book Tour (Oakland, CA)

I almost passed up on attending this event. It was two weeks ago when I found out MVP Kamala Harris scheduled an event in her hometown for her 107 Days Book Tour. My initial reason for not needing to attend was that I had already seen her, albeit for free and unexpectedly, and how could I beat that? In the two weeks since, well…plenty has happened here in the States. And I had a feeling Harris wanted to talk about all that, so I went!

 

It was a lot more packed at the event than this pic shows
A menu of the drinks served.

I didn’t get to see that drinks menu until after the event, and if I only knew they had mocktails, I would’ve gone for that!

Sign that tells attendees that our likeness can be used in any way for the event, that they may own it “for eternity”, and that we can’t sue the venue for this.
Our should-be First Gentleman, Doug Emhoff (Harris’ husband)
View of the stage from my balcony seats

 

She’s back! My President has returned!! If a smile was energy, hers could power all of the Bay Area for days.

Close-up of MVP Harris in discussion
Harris listening to Congressman Simon

Plenty was talked about. How Congressman Simon (who moderated the event) first knew Harris. MVP’s days as a prosecutor in SF and rising up all the way to Vice-President. The Orange guy (of course), his “totalitarian” regime, the new war he started, and his “feckless” ways. (I like how she said that feckless was the only “F” word she could say as there were kids present at the event. Now I wonder what would’ve been said had it been an 18+ over event 😆) She also spoke about voter suppression, ICE raids in Minneapolis and elsewhere, her experiences while touring the South in the past year, and how all this chaos we’re witnessing in real time has been decades in the making.

However, my favorite part of the event was when Harris answered questions from the audience. Two of them came from adolescents. The first teen recently lost her mother to cancer, and MVP told them while it’s always tough to lose a loved one, what can’t be taken away are the moments they’ve shared together. The second teen wants to organize his peers to vote when they can, and how to proceed with it. Everyone applauded him and Harris told that him to “remember” that applause, because there could be a time when his idea may be met with no support. 🥹

It’s that kind of encouragement to our youth alone that make me go…goddammit, she really should’ve been President. Like, she could’ve still done a book tour, but her book would’ve had a different ending and she would’ve held the tour four or eight years from now. Alas, the racism, misogyny, and willful ignorance that still plague this country…

One thing I’m glad I didn’t see were hecklers, as there were none (I’m pleased to report). I legit was ready to cuss them out! Didn’t even see any protestors outside, which was a relief because, mind you, Oakland is right next to both Berkeley and SF, both of which has its fair share of antisemitic idiots that still–in the year of our fascist 2026–think she and Biden are responsible for the mess in Gaza.

Now, go check your voter registration, everyone. MVP said so! If you want to restore democracy, make sure you’re still registered to vote for it!

by Lexine

Puck Those Guys

I’d leave it at this, but I feel like I need to put in my two cents, too (even if I already said enough about it on my Bluesky 😆)

I had been a fan of the pro men’s hockey league since 2009, and I tossed my fan card into the trash last summer when the pro-Trump Florida Panthers won another Stanley Cup. In between those times, I had witnessed some ugly things come out of an otherwise fun sport to watch. Tim Thomas skipping his White House visit during the Obama years when his Bruins won the Cup in 2011. The rampant racism that black players faced, despite the league promoting the message that “Hockey Is For Everyone”. (My grown ass!) Coaches harassing players, getting fired from their job, only to work as head coach again a few years later.  The sexual assault scandal that tainted the Blackhawks championship teams. Watching teams celebrate their Stanley Cup wins with Trump during the late 2010s, thinking it was no big deal. (Seeing the Penguins–my team–do that was a big blow, to say the least.) Seeing players, coaching staff, and even general managers out themselves as MAGA.

And yet I kept watching the sport. I was a sucker. But this sucker knew that the league wasn’t going to keep me as a fan for long if they kept staying ignorant to their white male privilege. Then the Panthers chose to celebrate their 2024 Cup win with the rapist pedo convicted felon in 2025, and then won another Cup months later. (They went back to visit the Fascist Grandpa again, by the way.) Not a single person in the league (not even broadcasters) spoke out against them. That summer of 2025, amidst ICE raids and blue cities like Los Angeles facing terrorism from Trump’s lackeys, I became a former fan of the men’s pro league.

Before everyone found out the US Men’s Hockey Team were a bunch of MAGA chuds, I had seen Bluesky posts from accounts that I thought were anti-MAGA being stoked over the men’s team winning Gold. (Because USA! USA!, y’know. 😒) I could tell who didn’t closely follow hockey, because if they knew about the Tkachuk goofies at least, they would not have given props to that team in the first place. But I knew. It’s why I chose not to root for them the entire time (a move that I think is aging well). I knew what would happen if the men’s team went all the way: they’d be insufferable, the closeted MAGAts would be out in the open, and they’d likely visit the Convicted Felon’s White House. What I didn’t know, however, was how quick they would all out themselves as MAGA to the rest of the world. Like, literally minutes after they got their Gold medals, when Psycho Eyes Patel started partying with them in the locker room. Even the “good guys” Hughes brothers laughed at that Trump phone call that mocked the women’s team. And just because a few of them chose not to go to the White House doesn’t absolve them from laughing at that phone call and getting drunk with Psycho Eyes. The Category 5 damage has been done. Every single person on that US men’s hockey team has shown who they are in 4K and what they support. And they support everything the Trump regime supports: fascism, bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia/transphobia, rape culture, tariffs, ICE raids, misinformation masked as “news”, the quackery of RFK Jr., the rich getting richer, the economy going to hell, the death of fact-based journalism, and the deaths of Keith Porter Jr., Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and others killed by ICE. Among many other vile things. That’s your Gold medalists US Men’s Hockey team, everyone.

I’m done with those incels on ice. If you still like the sport of hockey, the PWHL is back. Show them your support!

 

by Lexine

Sir Charles

Charles Barkley on George magazine, February/March 1996

I have this issue! Got it for $1 at Half Price Books a while back. Sir Charles looking like George Washington ready to hit the hardwood sans jersey caught my eye, but knowing Barkley and how opinionated he is, I had to read his (dated) interview. Here’s a snippet of it as he talks with the late John F. Kennedy Jr. about (among other things) wanting to run for Governor of Alabama (his home state), and what he thought about the OJ Simpson verdict:

Make what you will of this 30-year-old interview. Barkley has since been more critical of Repugs while supporting Democrats lately, but if there’s one constant, he’ll always have an opinion of whatever topic you throw at him.

This issue also has an article on how the possible presidential candidates of 1996 would benefit from some plastic surgery:

Never mind what their stance is on universal health care–let’s see how they’d look if they got an acid wash!

source for cover image, article pics are mine

by Lexine

Wednesday Random Thoughts

So….WordPress starting doing this for those who want to write using Classic Editor…

…and I’m not a fan of it! I have to use a pop-up window to write my nonsense here now?! Booooo! Bring back the full-page Classic Editor!

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For those on Bluesky: has anyone noticed an uptick in angry/ignorant accounts lately? Especially when it comes to politics? This past weekend alone, in regards to the second murder by ICE (let’s call it for what it is–a murder) in Minneapolis, there was so much ignorance coming from so many accounts (many of whom claim to be “anti-Trump”, and some coming from countries that have their own issues), I swear, the amount of accounts I blocked may have surpassed the amount of followers I currently have. It was *that* bad. There was even one account stirring up antisemitic bullshit on the victim (read it if you dare); that’s the kind of stupid shit you’d expect to see on Elon’s Nazi Bird app. But, nope, that’s Bluesky today, and it blows chunks. Did I mention that if you call out the Dem-bashers or the “watermelon crowd” (as I like to call them, IYKYK) on their bullshit, your account could get tagged labels and placed on block lists that could suppress your engagement/visibility? I’ve seen two accounts of this vein get unfairly suspended. Christ almighty. The site wasn’t this bad a year ago. 

Safe to say, I plan on not posting there as much from here on out. (My work-in-progress just yelled out “yaaay!”) It helps that I can’t be on the internet when I’m at my day job and that I’ve hit a busy period with work and non-work stuff. It also helps that I don’t see social media as a big necessity in my life. If you can believe this, I’ve only been doing SM for the past three-and-a-quarter years, and I’ve witnessed the births and enshittifications of Twitter, TikTok, IG, and Snapchat throughout my adulthood. (I signed up for Twitter in the summer of 2022, and IG shortly after, and I initially used both platforms to promote my book.) With the site seeing an uptick in ignorance, antisemitism, and Dem-bashing for clicks, could I be witnessing the enshittification of Bluesky in real time?

Also, if they block you, block ’em back. ‘Nuff said!

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Saw this recently…

Source

I’m sad to see this. Just eight years ago, the brand was valued at a billion dollars, and given the quality of her products then, I saw why. PMG has some top-quality stuff. Motherships 1 and 5 (which I own) are my desert island palettes, their lip glosses are divine, and their OpuLust lip glosses and LustTrance lipsticks remain two of my most-missed discontinued products. I first saw the brand at the Third Street Promenade Sephora in Santa Monica nine years ago, and I balked at the $125 (?) price tag of her eyeshadow palette (in this case, Mothership 1). Then I tried it on for myself, and…I kinda got why it was pricey. (I still don’t believe eyeshadow palettes, no matter how high-quality they are, should not cost that much. I think $80 would’ve been a more reasonable selling price for her Motherships.) 

By the way, how is PMG filing for bankruptcy, but not that flopping brand from that plastic lesser (I’m not saying her name here) that’s sold at Ulta, Macy’s and Nordstrom? Or is her family suppressing those stories from the public? No one I know doesn’t wear or buy shit from that brand that’s collecting dust in stores these days. 

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I attended some MLK Day events in SF last week: 

A speech at Yerba Buena Gardens. I’m unclear over who the speaker in the center is, as I just arrived in the area when this was happening (Nancy Pelosi, maybe?)
Rally signs
KCSM Jazz 91’s MLK event, “Music and The Movement”, featuring some of the radio station’s personalities
An MLK Jr. quote sign outside Oracle Park

I originally went there to see the KCSM event. They first showed a documentary on the radio station’s 60th anniversary, and while it was pretty interesting, I felt like it went on longer than it should. I can always watch the doc at home; it’s not often do I get to see a live, informative discussion on jazz music and how its messaging & history ties to the principles that MLK Jr. stood for. 

Tiffany Austin, who performed after the discussion, is a very good singer, by the way! 

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I need to go watch Netflix soon. Not only for Heated Rivalry, but now for this: 

The trailer for "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model," a docuseries about the controversial reality competition series, is out:

— Phil Lewis (@phillewis.bsky.social) 2026-01-26T21:34:22.994Z

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The Macarena. Independence Day. The 72-10 Chicago Bulls team. Mariah’s “One Sweet Day”. They all turn 30 this year! And I was there to witness it all when it originally happened! *pops a Werthers* 

Nowadays, doing the Macarena would trigger those ICE fuckers. 

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Another throwback: Google Photos showed me that seven years (and two days) ago, I was at the NHL All-Star Game and events! 

At SAP Center in San Jose, CA, for the 2019 NHL All-Star Game! Taken 1/26/2019.
The ginormous Shark head seen in Sharks home games
Sharks collectible swag (all featuring former Sharks player Brent Burns)
My seats for the game
Close-up of the players. The Metropolitan Team (white jerseys) beat the Central team (black jerseys).
Old me with the Stanley Cup!

It was my first time seeing the Stanley Cup in person! And to see my guys Crosby, Letang, and Lundqvist on the ice at the same time? 😍 They all played for the Metropolitan team, which won the All-Star game. 

Ya know, every time I see these throwback pics of me from the 2010s, two things come to mind. One: I sorta-kinda miss my natural black hair (it’s been dyed red for the past six years). And two: I really don’t miss how big I was then. 

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the first 3 words you see will define your 2026 😭MoneyNew car Pussy

— Uncle pablo from Miami (@pablostjohn.bsky.social) 2025-11-24T20:47:50.488Z

I got “money”, “ass”, and “travels”. So far, this is eerily accurate. Right now, I’m making good money working my ass off from my work travels.  (I’ll eventually post about my day job here; I’m approaching 15 years into my profession this summer.)

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I can’t bring myself to eat let alone buy Dubai chocolate. It’s not sugar-free, for one. And after reading a wild article on (I kid you not) “Dubai port-a-potties” a few years ago, I refuse to touch that sh-,er, stuff!

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Some of my most memorable life events took place in a year that ended in a 6. I plan on doing some throwback posts throughout this year on what was up with me in the years 1996, 2006, and 2016. (Not 1986, though–I was only 1 going on 2 then.) I got some stories to tell! And may 2026 give me something fun and memorable. 

by Lexine

Tuesday Random Thoughts

I had to move this little rant from my previous entry as I feel like it distracts from the poem, but I still stand by this:

I’m pretty disappointed over the absence of posts condemning the attacks from some so-called “pro-Democracy”/”anti-Trump” accounts on Bluesky. Not even a repost from those accounts that condemned the attacks! I work Sundays and had a long, busy AF day at work, yet I managed to repost some things (I legit didn’t have the words at the time), throw up this entry, and also check in on a very good friend of mine who happens to be Jewish. Those same accounts were more eager to repost about the hero of the shooting and the awful deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife. Reiner is a legendary director no question, and his death was horrific…but–and you’ll hate me for reminding you this awful truth–he also called for Biden to step down last year. (And Biden still gave him grace.) Those accounts can keep blabbering about how shitty Trump is (what’s new) and demand to “release the Epstein files now!”, but them staying silent on the latest antisemitic incident in Australia says a LOT. You cannot be “for peace” or “kindness” in your bios and straight-up ignore the senseless murders of a community that continues to go through more hell thanks to your blatant/low-key antisemitism.

***Not from the rant, but it’s a sad coincidence that the Democratic party’s two biggest voting blocs (black people and Jewish people) have also been two of the most-targeted communities this year, whether it’s in the job market, vile malpractice in healthcare, or from more violent attacks. Going into 2026 and the midterms, I’m making sure the candidate I vote for fully supports (among other things) the black and Jewish (and the LGBTQ+) communities.

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My latest Bluesky gripe: those same “pro-Democracy”/”anti-Trump” accounts bashing “feckless” Democrats on the regular while praising “progressives” like that oyster boy with the Nazi tattoo in Maine and the new NYC mayor who surrounds himself with abusers and antisemites. I used to follow some of those accounts, but no longer! And I can’t help but notice all those accounts barking “do something!” to the likes of Jeffries and Schumer are qwhite something. 😒 Pro-tip: the real pro-Dem/anti-Trump accounts on Bluesky are those run by those who are the base of the Democratic party aka black and Jewish voices. They may not have a six-figure follower count or a podcast, but they’re all legit.

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If I could give pop culture a New Year’s resolution for 2026, it’s to stop making Sydney Sweeney happen. She’s unapologetically MAGA and I hear she’s wooden in her acting. I am not surprised another mid AF blonde girl has gotten more shine than deserved, but couldn’t Hollywood hype up a boring blonde who’s not MAGA?

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It’s now less than 10 days till Christmas?!

One weird way I stay sane during the holidays: not listening to almost all Christmas songs! Having worked in retail a long time ago, an Xmas song during the holidays can be triggering. I feel for those who work in retail and have been subjected to non-stop Xmas-themed aural assaults since November (on top of dealing with rude/foolish customers and demanding bosses/supervisors and working long hours).

I say “almost all” as there are some Xmas songs I truly enjoy, but I’ll post them in another entry.

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Yes, I’ve been doing Duolingo for a year now, please clap. No, I doubt I’ll make it two years. My subscription ends in a few weeks, and with the app’s admitted use of AI and inconsistencies with translations, I’m most likely going to delete that damn owl off my phone. I originally used it to brush up on my Spanish that I thought I’d be using for a job opportunity I was interested a year ago, but those plans fell apart. Yet I still kept using the app–the game-ification of it can be addicting. While sé cómo hablar algo de español, it’s not something I need to use in my day job right now, and it’s also been cutting into my book-writing time.

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Speaking of my work, my eBook is still on sale at Smashwords! Now until Jan. 1st!

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Controversial opinion, but Sephora >>> Ulta because Ulta carries some brands associated with toxic, shitty celebs. I went to an Ulta yesterday and the very first things I saw were displays of perfumes featuring a plastic grifter and that groomer Drake. I ended up going to a Sephora (who have their own controversies, I know) for eye bleach. I saw on the Ulta app that I’m $80-something away from being a Platinum member, but after being reminded of the trash-ass celeb brands they sell, I’d rather keep my money.

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Of course I did not win Powerball’s billion-dollar jackpot yesterday. If I did, I wouldn’t be writing this entry, but in my 20th straight hour of doing this around my apartment:

I did win $4–got the Powerball number right. #blessed

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I got 17–I saw #2, #6, and #13 in my household and elsewhere as a wee one, but I never used them. I think us elder millennials were the very last group to have at least seen all these things and use most of them. *pops a Werthers* My childhood bestie had a waterbed and sleepovers were fun…until we jumped on her bed, of course.

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The last installment of my Toronto trip will be up…when I get to it and I’m aiming for it to be soon, I swear. In the meantime, here are some pics of my recent visit to the Bancroft Gardens’ “Garden of D’Lights” holiday event:

Lit-up trees and plants at the Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA
Plants basking in the holiday lighting at the Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA
Lights and more seen at the Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA

Rocks in holiday lights at the Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA
A garden pathway
Holiday palm tree

Going to Garden of D’Lights has been a holiday tradition of mine since 2022, and there’s always something new with every visit. For instance, this is the first time I’ve seen this there:

A poisonous grape plant at the Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA
close-up of the poisonous plant’s warning sign

TIL there’s a grape plant in existence that bites you back!

by Lexine

By George

Cindy Crawford on the debut issue of George magazine, October/November 1995. 

There was something both fun yet absurd about George magazine. I understood why the magazine wanted to marry politics with celebrity/pop culture stuff of the time, but given what became of politics since its debut issue 30 years ago, maybe they should’ve left politics as usual aka boring, but functional and for the people. I have one back issue (the February/March 1996 issue, to be exact, and I’ll try to find a scan/post on this soon) that talked about how each of the 1996 would-be presidential candidates would benefit from some plastic surgery. Only in this country did (and still do) we need our politics to go the sensationalist, tabloid-esque route to get people’s attention, even if the issue at hand does not benefit the average American. Like, OK, Bob Dole would look better with “$6K veneer caps”. And what was his stance on universal health care again? 

However, I cannot tell a lie: George had some fire covers, their debut issue included. Cindy Crawford as George Washington in a midriff-baring outfit is just genius. Her wig game was even on-point! 

by Lexine

Quotes Of The Moment 9.10.25

You are under no obligation to mourn the death of people who would’ve celebrated yours.

— Derek Powazek (@fraying.bsky.social) 2025-09-10T20:56:40.309Z

and

Violence is always wrong and so is promoting harmful ideologies such as racism, misogyny, homophobia/transphobia, and white supremacy (and promoting it all for profit). Thus, I send my condolences to those affected in the Colorado school shooting (a news story that is heinously being buried by mainstream media) and that’s it. If one wants my respects in their death, simply put: don’t be a disgusting asshole in life.