Where have I heard it before?

Oh right. From Trump. All the time.

My total injuries for this stunt were thigh-long road rash, a twisted ankle, some kind of plant rash, two tick bites and a case of moderate hypothermia but I 100% Do Not Regret It.

Birds in general unlock something primal and untamed in the Human mind but these guys are on another level.

*Andews and Right allegedly documented one in 1992, and while Upstanding Birders who put a lot of honor in the sport and would not falsify a report, their report lacks evidence like a photo or recording, and even they admit that this seemed improbable and that they may have been mistaken.

**Birding is a Sport with points, teams, training seasons, long-standing rivalries and some really spectacular drama and frankly I’m amazed more people on this site aren’t into it, or at least the secondhand drama.

***Part of the Point System is that you develop a Life List of all the bird species you’ve seen in your lifetime, and the rarer a bird is, or the more out of it’s usual range it is, the more points it’s worth (there’s like, six systems for awarding points, but the only real prize is Bragging Rights). Deedee (the neighbor I’ve accidentally thrown assorted wildlife and a shovel at) has been competitively Birding for 50 years now and Her Life List is Extensive and Very Highly Ranked.

I have been Casually Birding since kindergarten when Grandma got me a Copy of Sibley’s Guide To Birds becuase I liked the pictures in it, and only formally for about seven years and... Well, between having 20/20 perfect color vision, a tyrannosaur-like attantion for Movement, the urge to flee into the Mountains to avoid humanity and apparently, The Devil’s Own Luck, I blew past her point count with the Vagrant Woodcock, two rare grouses, a very Odd Duck, and a Condor.

As an apology, I promised we’d go on a mutual trip to the mountains this spring because she wanted to “Learn Your Secrets” but then the plauge happened, and i forgot about it until i got an email in march declaring “YOU OWE ME A WOODCOCK!!”

Me: but distractions

Partner: I have removed them

Me: but have you considered this?

People in M/F relationships shouldn’t only see representation painting their relationships as inherently unhealthy and bad, because it normalizes abuse and makes it easier for abusers to take advantage of others. If “that’s just how straight relationships are,” fewer people will be able to recognize the warning signs of a dangerous situation. Also, not every M/F relationship is “straight,” because queer people can absolutely be in M/F relationships, and deserve to see themselves represented, too.

On the flip side, queer people shouldn’t be led to assume their relationships will never be unhealthy and bad. The vast majority of my social circle is queer, and I have seen some truly vile things happen to my friends because they didn’t really get an education on what abuse in queer relationships can look like.

The teacher has provided a very thoughtful analysis of issues that must be addressed BEFORE we can SAFELY reopen PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

One of the big things my state has been championing for going back to school is using larger rooms such as theaters, gyms, etc.

My mother’s Theater seats 120 people, which is on the bigger side for a public high school. Here is what that 6 feet apart looks like in the seats.Each white X marks a seat that cannot be used. The blue post-its are where they can.

16 seats. Out of 120. We measured the stage as well, to try and find room for kids to sit on-stage. 15 seats. This is one of the biggest rooms on the campus, not including the gym. 30 students, not including the teacher.

Average class size in her school before the pandemic started is 35 at the lowest. I’ve been in high school classes that range closer to 45.

There is an extremely confusing schedule still being hammered out that would involve class sizes being shrunk and finagled around, the semesters changed to quarters etc. etc. The expectation is that the teachers will sanitize their classrooms between the classes. Which is a pain, but teachers will absolutely do that. Good teachers go way above and beyond for their students.

And then the district told them that they have to provide their own PPE.

I live in a big city. You still can’t find good masks around here, gloves are in short supply. Hand sanitizer has finally been swooping back in, lysol wipes or anything like that are not. As of 7/8/2020, their union is still fighting tooth and nail for PPE to be provided. All while our Covid-19 cases continue to explode up.

I’m in California. She’s in a really good district, with decent funding and a great facility. We’re literally in one of the best-case scenario areas. I can’t imagine how the fuck these negotiations are going elsewhere, places with less funding in states run by fucking idiots.