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ysabetwordsmith

Oregon has passed a bill to protect school libraries from book bans.

Another win for freedom to read legislation on the West Coast this week, as Oregon’s state House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1098 on Monday, a bill that will protect access to books in school libraries. It’s great news: books can no longer be banned solely because they discuss sexuality, religion, or other topics, nor can books be removed because they are written by someone from a protected class. SB 1098 now goes to the governor, who is expected to sign it into law.

I'm delighted to see laws against book bans spreading. To promote this, point out that it will save lots of time and therefore money that is currently wasted dealing with attempt after attempt to tell other people what books they can't read. Most people love saving time and money, and will thus support the effort even if they don't care about books or freedom.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

How far should governments go to prevent its citizens from causing harm to themselves?

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ysabetwordsmith

Today we went up to Amish territory.

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ysabetwordsmith

A Rainbow of Queer Books for Pride 2025: Turquoise

HAPPY PRIDE 2025! For Pride this year, we’re changing up our usual rec lists. Instead of doing books with specific identities or themes, we’re focused this time on cover color! Throughout the month of June, we’ll be doing 8 rec lists, each with covers inspired by one of the colors of the original Gilbert Baker Pride Flag. We drew a little additional inspiration from the meaning behind the color and why it was included in the original LGBTQIA+ flag (in this case, turquoise = magic), but we prioritized color over meaning. The contributors to this list are: May Barros, Rhosyn Goodfellow, Linnea Peterson, Tris Lawrence, Sebastian Marie, Shannon, Rascal Hartley, and Nina Waters.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny, muggy, and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/21/25 -- Temperature when we went out shopping was 94°F. Temperature in our yard is currently 88°F. Trees sweat so you don't have to!

EDIT 6/21/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio. The evening has started to cool off a little.

I've seen a mourning dove.

EDIT 6/21/25 -- I watered the patio plants and the ones in the house yard including the old picnic table.

Fireflies are starting to appear.

EDIT 6/21/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and the savanna seedlings.

More fireflies are out. :D

EDIT 6/21/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and the septic garden.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

Harvard hired a researcher to uncover its ties to slavery. He says the results cost him his job: ‘We found too many slaves’
When the extent of the university’s involvement with slavery was unearthed, a scholar tracking descendants of enslaved workers was suddenly fired
Michela Moscufo
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jun/21/harvard-slavery-decendants-of-the-enslaved

The Minnesota shootings illuminate the character of the Trump era
Sidney Blumenthal
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/21/minnesota-shootings-trump-mike-lee-vance-boelter

Social success not about who you know – it’s about knowing who knows whom
Knowledge trumps popularity in the long haul of trying to be influential, researchers say
Nicola Davis Science Correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/20/social-climbing-stanford-university-research

Why the summer solstice is a ‘celestial starting gun’ for trees
Research suggests longest day is a cue for beeches and other species to launch their growth strategies
Linda Geddes
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/21/trees-summer-solstice-celestial-starting-gun

Week in wildlife: acrobatic dolphins, a lost baby raccoon and a pair of Bambis
The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world
Joanna Ruck
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2025/jun/20/week-in-wildlife-acrobatic-dolphins-a-lost-baby-raccoon-and-a-pair-of-bambis

Summer reading: the 50 hottest books to read now
From dazzling debuts to unmissable memoirs, prize-winning novels to page-turning histories … Plus our pick of paperbacks and children’s fiction
Justine Jordan, David Shariatmadari, Imogen Russell Williams and Guardian staff
https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2025/jun/21/summer-reading-the-50-hottest-books-to-read-now

Ghibli’s midlife crisis: as beloved Japanese studio turns 40 will the magic fade?
Much of Studio Ghibli’s success is down to one man: 84-year-old Hayao Miyazaki, a master animator whose presence towers over the studio’s output
Justin McCurry in Tokyo
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jun/21/ghiblis-midlife-crisis-as-beloved-japanese-studio-turns-40-will-the-magic-fade

'In every theatre, people would leave': How 'gay cowboy movie' Brokeback Mountain challenged Hollywood – and the US
Nick Levine
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250620-how-gay-cowboy-movie-brokeback-mountain-challenged-hollywood-and-the-us

'Miners showing solidarity at Pride 40 years ago was significant'
Miriam Barker
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpqnzp278lvo

China has millions of single men - could dating camp help them find love?
Helen Bushby
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1e0p9eg6gyo

Parties, pyres and pharaohs: Africa's top shots
Natasha Booty
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2r4lnwgwo

ysabetwordsmith

These pictures are from Thursday. I went foraging at the Charleston Food Forest. It's across the parking lot from the Coles County Community Garden.

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

The Coles County Community Garden is across the parking lot from the Charleston Food Forest. It's not the kind where you rent a bed and grow what you want. It's tended by the community and anyone can come pick things to try.

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

We made this tonight. It was delicious! We used some of the pretzel bread that we got at the Marshall Farmer's Market.

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ysabetwordsmith

We did our Litha ritual today. :D

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and muggy.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I also saw a male cardinal and a squirrel up in the trees.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/20/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden. I picked the first 'Chocolate Sprinkles' tomato and several 'Toscana' strawberries. I love the Toscanas and will definitely buy more if I see them next spring.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

readera has a post about heat precautions regarding the heat dome. These are my additions...

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Pandemic preparedness ‘dramatically eroding’ under Trump, experts say
With misinformation and murky details on bird flu and measles outbreaks, experts worry about the next pandemic
Melody Schreiber
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/20/us-pandemic-preparedness-dramatically-eroding-trump

Judge blocks Trump plan to tie states’ transportation funds to immigration enforcement
States argued US transportation secretary lacks authority to impose conditions on funding appropriated by Congress
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/19/transportation-funds-immigration-enforcement-trump-lawsuit

Fuel firms can challenge California’s emission limits, supreme court rules
Court votes to back challenge to state waiver that allows it to set tougher car emission standards than federal limits
Oliver Milman
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/20/supreme-court-ruling-california-emission-limits

‘My grandmother never used yuzu’: global gastronomy is out as Catalan chefs celebrate tradition
Top chefs in this year’s World Region of Gastronomy are looking back as they shift from avant-garde cuisine to something more homespun
Stephen Burgen in Barcelona
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/20/catalan-traditional-food-world-region-gastronomy

America made a catastrophic mistake with the Iraq war. Is it about to repeat it in Iran?
Stephen Wertheim
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/20/america-made-a-catastrophic-mistake-with-the-iraq-war-is-it-about-to-repeat-it-in-iran

‘True model of humility’: hundreds pay tribute to victims of Minnesota killings
Candlelight vigil honoring Melissa Hortman and husband at state capitol was attended by Tim Walz and couple’s son
Victoria Bekiempis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/19/minnesota-capitol-vigil-killings-melissa-hortman

The 12 best books of 2025 so far
Rebecca Laurence and Lindsay Baker
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250619-the-best-books-of-2025

'I swapped nursing for erotic fiction - but I won't let mum read my books'
Steven McKenzie
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dewy56n04o

The science behind brewing tastier non-alcoholic beer
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0ljxvlq/the-science-behind-brewing-tastier-non-alcoholic-beer

ysabetwordsmith

We visited the butterfly gardens at the Charleston Library, on June 19 although this is dated 20 because it's after midnight. They were filled with birds, although I didn't manage to catch any pictures of them.

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

Today's theme is Highlander.

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ysabetwordsmith

We went out today and visited several nature places.

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Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

We made this tonight. It turned out quite well. :D

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ysabetwordsmith

Today is Juneteenth.

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Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and mild. It rained yesterday.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/19/25 -- We went out for a while and saw the library wildflower meadow, Fox Ridge, and the Charleston Food Forest.

EDIT 6/19/25 -- I refilled the thistle feeder that was half empty.

EDIT 6/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/19/25 -- I sowed 5 pots with yellow raspberries.

EDIT 6/19/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 6/19/25 -- I picked up sticks from the south side of the driveway and dumped them in the firepit.

Lots of fireflies are coming out. :D

EDIT 6/19/25 -- I picked up sticks from the North side of the driveway and dumped them in the firepit.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

New butterfly species wows scientists: 'This discovery reveals a lineage shaped by 40,000 years of evolutionary solitude'

The Satyrium semiluna, or half-moon hairstreak, is a small gray butterfly that looks like a moth at first glance. The wildflower lovers are widespread across North America, from the Sagebrush steppe to the montane meadows of the Rocky Mountains.

But tucked away in the southeastern corner of Alberta, Canada, another colony of butterflies flaps across the Blakiston Fan landform of Waterton Lakes National Park.

Until now, they were thought to be a subpopulation of half-moon hairstreaks — until scientists made a phenomenal discovery: They were a new species of butterfly that had hidden in plain sight for centuries.

The researchers, who recently published their findings in the scientific journal ZooKeys, defined the new species as Satyrium curiosolus.

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