Twitter refugee & loving the Fediverse
Semi-retired in Tulsa, OK. I’ve been a mathematician, a geologist, a computer geek, a teacher, a caregiver, an artist and I still manage a little website business at www.zenlady.com. Currently enjoy volunteering at Tulsa Zoo and taking photos of nature and critters of all sorts.
Profile picture shows me with tiger Ava (we are separated by a thick pane of glass).
#nature #animals #photography #ClimateChange #geology #equality #liberal #HumanRights
And then — because the universe has a sense of humor so sharp it should arguably be registered as a weapon — someone knocked on the door.
Two FBI agents.
Real ones. With badges. With guns. With training. With what used to be promising careers.
Standing on a doorstep because somewhere, deep in the federal bureaucracy, a sentence had been typed that read something like:
“We may have a situation involving several thousand dildos.”
988: a lifeline to talk with someone who cares | KOSU
https://www.kosu.org/988-lifeline-oklahoma
Farm Bill could close the door on return of Fort Reno to Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes | KOSU
https://www.kosu.org/farm-bill-cheyenne-arapaho-fort-reno
The U.S. is also readying options for potential escalation. A U.S. official told Axios the command element of the Army's 82nd Airborne division had been directed to deploy to the Middle East with an infantry brigade consisting of several thousand soldiers, as Fox News first reported.
https://www.axios.com/2026/03/24/iran-peace-discussions-us-israel
Edit! A lot of people engaged with this and it's clear many are in the same/similar positions. I therefore thought it might be useful for me to share that Open University offer quite a few free online certified training courses - www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses
There is also a wealth of (free) training material (for learners and teachers) available from MIT at ocw.mit.edu and (free) certified online courses at openlearning.mit.edu/courses-programs/mitx-courses
Everything from HR and management to neurodivergence, aerodynamics and astrophysics, Python, genetics, diversity and inclusion, infosec, STEM, law, Black-centric courses, research methods, languages and education, Scottish Parliament, etc. 😊
If, like me, you've been actively seeking a job recently, you will likely be aware of the impact Ai has had on the job market. Virtually every other day is a msm news story about qualified and/or experienced people making hundreds of applications without getting anywhere.
Personally, although I've had a few interviews that didn't quite land (one I didn't really have enough experience, the others were pulled or lost funding), I've now applied for over 300 jobs over the past year. At this stage I'm quite philosophical about it and recognise it's not a reflection of my value.
Along with all the other current crises, there is now a looming employment and skills crisis. This is being framed as a benefits culture led by overdiagnosis of neurodivergence. Which makes me so very very cross it's difficult to put into words. I know that's not true. You know that's not true. *They* know that's not true. It's just a convenient demographic to throw under the bus to detract from the catastrophic damage being wrought by this new gold rush.
Urgh.
I've started typing this out a few times recently and always deleted. It's not something I feel very comfortable talking about. But I am really struggling with this and I figure that if I am there might be others. And I believe in visibility and not suffering in silence - been there and it was awful.
I know things will change at some point. And I know I've spoken to some of you separately irl about this (and thank you so much for your support), but just wanted to fire a beam out across Fedi to anyone else in this shitty situation. You are not alone. Always happy to chat offline if this is kicking your ass as much as it is mine! X
"The policy change directly contradicts military recruitment pledges. U.S. military recruiters continue promoting citizenship pathways for immigrant service members and promising temporary protection for their family members. Green-card holders joining the military have historically accessed expedited citizenship processes, and relatives can apply for temporary permission to remain in the country.”
The Trump administration has initiated deportation proceedings against 34 former military members over the past year and arrested 125 others for immigration violations, representing a dramatic reversal of previous policies that shielded service members and their families from enforcement action.Fede...
The same con artist who managed to bankrupt a casino where "the house always wins" just bankrupted the United States of America.
Everything Trump Touches Dies (ETTD) including empires, economies, and countries.
https://fortune.com/2026/03/23/us-government-insolvent-fiscal-crisis-fix/
A magpie story: two years ago in June, a wind storm blew a fledgling magpie out of the nest at the top of the neighbour’s towering blue spruce. Most of its siblings were able to flutter to a new roost, but this runt was left behind in our yard with an injured leg and not yet able to fly. It was a perilous week that included hazing from unrelated adult magpies, hiding from the other neighbour’s cat, the local coyotes, and crows.
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