LostInCalifornia

>Mr. Buria told Mr. Driscoll that President Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at military events, the officials said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/27/us/hegseth-promotion-list.html
https://archive.ph/r9Dkx#selection-871.0-871.143

2026-03-27 20:06:53 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/741e4b03a0dd5e9e9102919b75ab8c79e20819f2dea7232abc386c896d10789b.png

2026-03-27 19:43:30 UTC

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The new Spidey remake sux.
Accidental irony?

2026-03-27 19:09:22 UTC

Warning shot
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-green-fireballs-streaked-across-the-west-coast-sky-some-of-the-latest-in-a-string-of-dazzling-meteors-above-the-us-180988441/
https://media.spinster.xyz/791ff7f887f38197452000ce2d3125057419554c7aa368f122128432a08e50cf.png

2026-03-27 18:51:20 UTC

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Lines in some states can be hours long. Some of that is switching from neighborhood polling stations to voting centers (in general, that's a good thing). Some of it seems to be done on purpose in certain precincts (not a good thing).

2026-03-27 18:30:47 UTC

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When I voted in person, I wore it all day after.
Not now since I vote by mail, usually a week before. I keep them tho.

2026-03-26 17:26:00 UTC

(from 1987)
https://media.spinster.xyz/451d18939410698486665638c579c598b11856fc8e52aa8a7cb90f3f9836fc7b.png

2026-03-26 17:18:02 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/e8342e9f0d89dd309e527fd9b6dd5faaf33e9dc732770e6f8a4184b988cd40d5.png

2026-03-26 01:15:56 UTC

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Yw.

2026-03-26 01:08:56 UTC

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I didn't have quite that much coffee on hand :)
You could go less, I think. Also, you can throw in vanilla, or cocoa. I just went for the simplest.

2026-03-26 01:02:16 UTC

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Make a simple syrup with cold brewed coffee and brown sugar. Let cool. Add vodka, and let sit in the fridge for at least 3 days.
Syrup to vodka ratio is variable. I aim for 1 to 4.

2026-03-26 00:39:37 UTC

So, my homemade Irish cream is so so.
My homemade coffee liquer is jamming.

2026-03-26 00:28:09 UTC

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They are. They are also appalling.

2026-03-25 21:31:32 UTC

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I was thinking about Erin Brockovich, and how they went to arbitration rather than stay in court to make sure it was paid quickly. Smaller amounts may help with that, but they're planning to appeal. Tik Tok and other sm media companies settled out of court - eg, the other companies thought they'd lose.
Sidenote: I stopped reading Grisham when he mischaracterized a legal case I knew *really* well. No loss: I switched to Patricia Cornwell ;-)

2026-03-25 21:05:59 UTC

Ok, so the award is $3 million, plus $3 million in punitive damages for a total of $6 million.
Still seems low *but* it's to a single defendant, not a class and
>That trial will also enter a second phase, in May, in which a judge will decide whether Meta created a public nuisance and if the company must pay additional penalties to address harms.
https://www.kqed.org/news/12077549/meta-google-ordered-to-pay-6-million-in-social-media-addiction-trial
#note102m…6qv7

2026-03-25 19:49:31 UTC

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I'm not sure they care about destabilization so much as monetizing the US military's capability for their own benefit.
They've been doing that across the board -- using US power for personal gain. Ex, they cut off USAID's HIV program in Africa; now, they're demanding mineral rights to restart it, same thing they demanded in Ukraine for military assistance.

2026-03-25 19:42:47 UTC

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Ok, so punitive damages phase still to come. That's $3 mill for the plaintiff -- if the judgment holds, she gets around $1 million outright; the rest going to lawyers + experts.
Punitive damages should run up the costs. Do not know how much.

2026-03-25 18:11:17 UTC

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Well, it's early. I'm not sure the details, but yes. Pocket change for Zuck.

2026-03-25 17:41:12 UTC

$3 million. Pfft.
https://media.spinster.xyz/ad33c7c4b8f6325afb635dcb589ddf0890c525c0eb7acab83872533f5fa9b6c1.png

2026-03-25 17:40:51 UTC

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I know

2026-03-25 17:27:28 UTC

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Don't burn bridges.
My attitude is actually "I fucking hate being bored." I was doing everyone a favor by not being there 8 hours and 15 minutes and my boss knew it.

2026-03-25 17:23:52 UTC

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I once got laid off with a year's notice. (Then we got a memo that we'd be working an extra 15 minutes every day. LOL.)
I got my transfer my workload to the other office stuff done after 3 months, then showed up at noon, and left at 2...

2026-03-25 17:20:41 UTC

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You know, you have to keep working there until you have another job.

2026-03-25 17:19:09 UTC

Verdict is apparently in on Meta case in LA.
Meanwhile:
https://ktla.com/news/technology/high-schoolers-create-app-to-keep-students-off-their-phones/

2026-03-25 16:41:32 UTC

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You saw the outfit? How could you doubt the ending?

2026-03-25 02:31:25 UTC

The Babies Kept in a Mysterious Los Angeles Mansion
A wealthy couple obtained dozens of children through surrogates. Did they want a family, or something else?
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/16/the-babies-kept-in-a-mysterious-los-angeles-mansion

2026-03-25 00:52:27 UTC

Meta Must Pay $375 Million Over Allegedly Enabling Child Exploitation
>The jury started deliberations Monday and found Meta specifically breached New Mexico’s unfair practices act through alleged unethical business tactics that took advantage of children.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/03/24/meta-must-pay-375-million-over-allegedly-enabling-child-exploitation/

2026-03-25 00:33:57 UTC

Georgia woman charged with murder after police say she used pill to induce abortion
The case is one of the first in Georgia of a woman being charged for terminating a pregnancy since a law banning abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy was adopted in 2019.
>Local police took the 31-year-old Moore into custody March 4 using an arrest warrant with language that echoes a Georgia law banning abortions after embryonic cardiac activity can be detected. That’s generally at about six weeks’ gestation – before many women know they’re pregnant.
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/georgia-woman-charged-murder-abortion-pill-to-end-pregnancy/3865875/

2026-03-24 17:45:42 UTC

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https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/us/paolo-zampolli-ice-melania-trump-epstein.html
https://archive.ph/iE3jD

2026-03-24 17:45:16 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/0ce925704949b9a8099dad10600bca54a7391f9e319ad7919d14f8d35ff2b6f9.png

2026-03-24 01:31:24 UTC

>“They are shredding everything,” the inmate told one of the guards, adding that he was asked to give the officials, whom he did not recognize, a hand with the shredding.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article315131144.html?giftCode=9cb7587529ad1f71493037f418d265020a63c829f30fb7d49f43e62356d5a3aa

2026-03-23 22:33:41 UTC

>Mr. Epstein suggested ways to obscure millions of dollars that Mr. Black paid to women, as well as to Mr. Epstein himself. He brainstormed about how to avoid taxes on some of the payments. He took credit for defusing a government audit of a woman to whom Mr. Black had paid millions of dollars. He planned ways to surveil, intimidate and silence another woman who was threatening to publicly accuse Mr. Black of abuse. He even counseled Mr. Black to separate from his wife after she learned of his infidelity.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/business/jeffrey-epstein-leon-black.html
https://archive.ph/DYDId

2026-03-23 17:44:31 UTC

>“Do I think it’s still a widespread problem? Yes. Do I think that there are many survivors who do not feel like they can come forward? Yes," she said. “But farmworker women have exerted their power and shown their leadership on this issue, and I don’t want that to get lost.”
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/women-farmworkers-built-own-fight-against-sexual-assault-cope-with-chavez-allegations/3864986/

2026-03-23 17:27:15 UTC

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We get an "I voted" sticker sent in the mail. Miss the elderly ladies who used to put it on my shirt, tho.
Flip side, when I was a kid, all the bars were closed on election day (to prevent pols bribing voters with beer) and people got the day off work to vote.

2026-03-23 07:07:26 UTC

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No. We do not.
I think that would be illegal in some jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions have made it illegal to order pizza or water for voters in long voting lines. Apparently, helping people stay in line is a bad thing....
I wish we were sane, and had democracy sausages.

2026-03-23 07:03:30 UTC

Jebus. It's family tradition.
>Kerri and Mike had been going through contentious divorce proceedings. Police say she was shot at a home they owned in Pinetop, Arizona, with the shot fired through a window from the backyard. The story is eerily similar to the death of Mike’s maternal grandmother Gertrude Studer, who was shot and killed by Mike’s grandfather John at their Imperial Valley home in 1950. Gertrude, too, had filed for divorce amid “marital difficulties,” according to the Calexico Chronicle.
https://www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/mike-abatti-colorado-river

2026-03-23 02:23:55 UTC

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I sewed covers for my latest set. I used old jeans, but you could use any cloth remnant you have lying around if you don't want denim.
Cool thing about using pants tho -- you can use a leg to make a lumbar cushion very easily.

2026-03-22 21:19:55 UTC

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that's not true. gay men who date "manly men" ask why all the time.

2026-03-22 21:17:50 UTC

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Someone else organizes, and if there is to be an office party, it's usually a surprise party.
Usually, however, the office takes the birthday person out to lunch. Everyone pays except that person.

2026-03-22 20:55:43 UTC

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No. It's been 15 years, tho.
(I used to buy the most expensive packs so I could remind myself of the cost it was taking on my body.)

2026-03-22 20:00:22 UTC

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I know. BUT lozenges are less nasty than cigs.
I don't know what your cravings are like. Mine were so bad I convinced myself buying a pack of Malboros was the healthy option...

2026-03-22 19:49:00 UTC

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Vape has nasty ingredients.
The mini lozenges, just pop under your tongue. Lessens the craving. (You're right, they're not fun. That's the point.)

2026-03-22 19:09:06 UTC

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Oh. Lozenges for cravings. Nicotine lozenges.

2026-03-22 19:06:53 UTC

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Welp, not sure if I'd be able to talk them into Cubans right away these days. Might take a while (one of the guys wanted to take me out on a date date). I'd have to hint around a bit.
Dirt as in rich and earthy.

2026-03-22 18:59:45 UTC

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Never did a pipe. I had a cigar when I was in Jamaica, and I know a local smokeshop that sells cigarettes to select clients.
I quit smoking after that, but Cubans might lure me back. Tastes like dirt.

2026-03-22 18:45:23 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/329edb5059a5edbf4a6df660c51065ded5d824e8f696d168fa08b6e5a687dd9e.png

2026-03-22 18:28:22 UTC

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Ever had a Cuban cig?
Tastes like dirt. Amazingly good.

2026-03-22 18:26:55 UTC

Next week's weather forecast:
https://media.spinster.xyz/67195cbd889b0f5e2934b924b13485b9d586e86e3030416cc162bdd0837d2064.png

2026-03-22 03:55:39 UTC

My, it has been a couple of days.

2026-03-21 20:00:59 UTC

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https://media.spinster.xyz/e290d028ca63525de9e3bbc227054453b9c62d4b7d58efac3876831bf579d9af.png

2026-03-21 18:55:37 UTC

>Russia’s Health Ministry is advising doctors to refer women who say they do not plan to have children for consultations with a therapist aimed at encouraging them to reconsider, the state-run news agency TASS reported Wednesday, citing updated clinical guidelines.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/03/18/health-ministry-advises-psychological-consultations-for-women-without-pregnancy-plans-a92255

2026-03-21 18:48:21 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/2126a4a4c155116e25e9f94a769ea365bd2807217ef8cc9360ee541f3859055c.png

2026-03-21 01:15:21 UTC

That's the thing about Maher. He pisses everyone off at times.
Still, this is government censorship.
>After this story was published, the White House called the Kennedy Center and made clear that Maher would not receive the prize.”
https://www.rawstory.com/kennedy-center-trump-2676469930/

2026-03-20 23:27:54 UTC

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Yer. Some people will do exceedingly well.

2026-03-20 23:02:57 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/ef54f21164f46fe96ba740073352b6b8bc1675b80f5fff5ed3cae396e2af1390.png

2026-03-20 22:01:08 UTC

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I know.

2026-03-20 20:18:27 UTC

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That was one weird story.

2026-03-20 20:17:55 UTC

>The so-called "cricket grannies" are bound together by a growing love of a game they initially knew nothing about but is now helping them manage age-related health conditions, stress and loneliness.
>Clad in floor-length dresses and mostly barefoot, the women, aged 50 to 90, gather weekly at a playground in Jinja district, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital, Kampala.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/bats-bonds-ugandas-cricket-grannies-023918585.html

2026-03-20 20:09:06 UTC

>“I’m endangering myself, my neighbor, his family, and the fire department by not doing seriously simple maintenance”
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/wildfire-evacuation-prep/

2026-03-20 19:56:29 UTC

The Predatory Hegemon
How Trump Wields American Power
>Under Trump, however, the United States has become a predatory hegemon. This strategy is not a coherent, well-thought-out response to the return of multipolarity; in fact, it is exactly the wrong way to act in a world of several great powers. It is instead a direct reflection of Trump’s transactional approach to all relationships and his belief that the United States has enormous and enduring leverage over nearly every country in the world.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/predatory-hegemon-walt
https://archive.ph/gGwGH

2026-03-20 19:54:28 UTC

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I would, but y'all would hate me

2026-03-19 19:58:28 UTC

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that filled my "oh my fuck gawd" quota for the week.

2026-03-19 01:01:10 UTC

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Bureaucracy is always bureaucratic :-)
She's a former PI, but she lost a race for county supervisor (open seat, no incumbent) by 30 points. Locals don't trust her.
Grain of salt.

2026-03-18 20:07:10 UTC

Aggressive petition signature collector at my door.
- He came to my door. Most just hang out in a parking lot or street corner.
- He kept trying to persuade me after I said I don't sign petitions. (I don't. I believe in referendums, but I don't believe in government by referendum, and that's what willy nilly signing petitions leads to.) He should have moved on. Did that in college. It's a numbers game; hit up as many folks as you can.
- And most important, when he began his spiel, I asked him if he was from such and such local group that's been around for 50 years and has a decent rep for working on the issue he mentioned. He said "Who?"
Fuck him. Still don't know if he was genuine or a scammer.

2026-03-18 17:01:02 UTC

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do you really need to be told why?

2026-03-18 16:56:05 UTC

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She's a wingnut. She has an interesting background, but a hardcore wingnut.

2026-03-17 23:00:42 UTC

People keep forgetting the Saudis also wanted the war with Iran.
And they're the ones who pay Jared.

2026-03-17 07:21:25 UTC

>The US is no longer a democracy. One of the most credible global sources on the health of democratic nations now says this outright.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2026/mar/17/trump-is-aiming-for-dictatorship-thats-the-verdict-of-the-worlds-most-credible-democracy-watchdog

2026-03-17 03:21:49 UTC

[Antiabortion policies are about controlling women's reproductive capabilities, ie her body, in case you haven't figured that shit out]
They Didn’t Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth.
- Unequal Rights: Pregnant women in some states have fewer rights than other mentally competent adults to refuse medical treatment, including surgery.
- Constitutional Questions: The rise of fetal personhood policies has some legal experts worried about an increase in court-ordered medical care.
- Florida Disparities: Florida has gone further than other states to guarantee medical freedom for those who decline vaccines, but it also has restricted the medical freedom of pregnant women.
https://www.propublica.org/article/florida-court-ordered-c-sections

2026-03-17 01:36:33 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/69941ec579c8086cccfdb0d076b203a50e72a2d6713052c858bd9cf193afd16a.png

2026-03-15 23:04:27 UTC

I never realized how much Conan O Brien looks like Guiliani

2026-03-15 22:11:34 UTC

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There has been a rise of religious nutter bots. Stuff carries over. IMO.

2026-03-14 21:04:53 UTC

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DWP in LA is staffed by ghouls with stolen lake water and bills. Chinatown, baby!
I think I still owed them $40 when I moved out of their service area.

2026-03-14 04:47:24 UTC

🎶 *George, George
This is my answer true
I'm not crazy
Just for the love of you
If you can't afford a carriage
You can't afford a marriage
And I'll be damned
If I'll be crammed
On a bicycle bulit for two* 🎶

2026-03-14 02:24:04 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/6798fa65f9b4cd90bfc7fdc4a6a0051acc0bff40ed099a71af99c2a788b2c3fa.png

2026-03-13 20:29:10 UTC

So, the fact that Iran would attack other nations if threatened and that they would shut down the Strait of Hormuz has been very well known for *decades*.
Hegseth's response: We need to censor CNN for reporting that!!

2026-03-13 20:05:14 UTC

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His mistress will be, but he can afford a plane ticket for her to parts more civilized.
12 year old girl died in Texas from "complications of pregnancy". No chill for these assholes.

2026-03-13 19:42:28 UTC

because egg goo is important (until it is born), but women are not
https://media.spinster.xyz/507e9b58d7c0257627f32810716697cb39e376f745d6a598f234fa583cce7874.png

2026-03-13 19:39:35 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/b642dcc273aae576b58cf8524ec3316b77136aa0949463a425e6c5a1926c6166.png

2026-03-12 23:46:08 UTC

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You forgot roads, fire departments and police.

2026-03-12 23:45:05 UTC

Lost's shitlist has grown.
Bag boys who decide they don't need to do their job when you pick up in store. I bring my own bags. They're still supposed to help -- doesn't matter if you didn't stand in line with the other peasants.

2026-03-12 21:42:03 UTC

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I know. There's a vast need to people to grow TF up.
(I include myself in that category at time).

2026-03-12 21:10:32 UTC

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You just described every teenager, ever.

2026-03-12 20:42:51 UTC

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Almost as if there is a subset of humans with a vested interest in making sure women are an inferior species created to serve that subset.

2026-03-12 20:06:06 UTC

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You left out my fave way of being transphobic: Women are human.
Last one gets close, but not quite.
(K, I admit it. Lots of men, and some women, not just TIMs and TRAs have issues with that one.)

2026-03-12 19:28:57 UTC

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>“If I was a guy, maybe I’d still be on the right,” she tells me. “It’s much easier if you’re a white guy not to feel any of this pain. There’s no one planning to disenfranchise you. It’s all upside. It’s all this big program for how you should live a better life and be surrounded by nubile women.”

2026-03-12 19:27:19 UTC

The Women Leaving the New Right
Defectors say the movement has dropped the pretense of protecting women and is now openly “cruel and fickle.”
>When you look for it, at the center of every problem diagnosed by the MAGA right there is a woman with too much power.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/young-women-leaving-maga-new-right.html
https://archive.ph/BWnyz#selection-1723.0-1723.119

2026-03-11 23:44:40 UTC

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It can be caused by injury. I'm not diagnosing, tho.

2026-03-11 20:38:41 UTC

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That's a shame. Doctors for people (here) love zoom.
Could just be arthritis but you don't want to take chances.

2026-03-11 19:55:44 UTC

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Is there a vet who can do a zoom evaluation? You probably have to take her in, but it could help if a vet lets you know.

2026-03-10 17:09:00 UTC

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There's a cure for that.
https://featheredfarmlife.com/can-chicken-poop-make-you-sick-risks-prevention-tips/

2026-03-10 05:21:34 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/0d5f5bfcd9e26614f6355e87f38afaf73734a170a75374141a0988eeb5b53f59.png

2026-03-09 23:08:35 UTC

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NB: He said "the war is almost over" just before the market closed.

2026-03-08 09:12:17 UTC

https://media.spinster.xyz/f51299e18ea0a111cdae3e404c4534e703fa057d0c9bcd0c07c3beaa183406a1.png

2026-03-08 07:33:11 UTC

Happy Daylight Savings Time to Those who celebrate.
https://media.spinster.xyz/47f3b3c17c65b35ca477081ca609b8a70c32d6eb4fe398b99886d072b1d23bf4.png

2026-03-08 07:24:09 UTC

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(things I am clueless about, I am usually very clueless. MK or Alex?)

2026-03-08 07:22:52 UTC

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Not sure, but I did a quick search and found the spinster xyz account, so I don't think it's blocked.
I use desktop, and since I have 3 or 4 other sm accounts, I haven't investigated other instances (I am thinking about setting up a NOSTR eventually), but MK posted that you can use the mastodon app for spinster. I'd try that.