June 26, 2026

"The Capture," on Peacock - excellent political/tech thriller based in the UK.

My partner and I have been watching a lot of UK-based spy shows, thrillers, etc., partly to have a bit of an escape from the current domestic clusterfuckery. (Plus we've seen most of the good ones set here.)

We tore through "The Capture," the third season of which was recently released. All episodes are out, so it's bingeable. I don't want to say too much, to avoid spoilers, but it deals with the influence of technology on law and politics, and information vs. misnformation. Across the three seasons, the show refrains from giving easy answers to some big questions. Strong female leads, diverse cast, and very clever plotting that kept us on our mental toes, yet without seeming gimmicky. A fair amount of violence, but it seemed relevant to the story line.

Anyone else seen it? I'm trying to think if there are other possible cautions to add into what is an enthusiastic recommendation -- please add (without spoilers) if any come to mind.

(Edited to add: oops - posted twice, not sure how that happened. I deleted the other one.)

April 15, 2026

Lucy Worsley's American Revolution

Lucy Worsley, British historian, has turned her attention to little-known facets of the American Revolution, as seen from the British perspective. In her usual quirky style, she covers quite a lot in this two- episode series filmed in the UK and the US.

Both episodes are showing this week on PBS, and are also streaming free, besides being accessible through the PBS app (for donors, I believe).

My partner and I will watch anything she does -- and she's done a lot! -- and we were thrilled to be able to watch this just before the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington.

The full title is "Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution." I have the best luck when searching under her name, if that's an option on your system.

https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/lucy-worsley-investigates-the-american-revolution/

April 14, 2026

Hungary's New Leader Reveals Viktor Orban Was Paying CPAC

Source: The New Republic

Peter Magyar called the payments a "crime" and said his government would stop the funds.

Turns out the Hungarian government has been bankrolling the Conservative Political Action Conference for years.

Peter Magyar, who unseated Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban Sunday in a landslide, told reporters Monday that the outbound leader had diverted Hungarian taxpayer funds toward financing the American Republican conference.

Magyar noted that his government will be investigating Orban's expenditures, and will no longer finance CPAC or other right-wing institutions abroad.

Read more: https://newrepublic.com/post/209035/hungary-prime-minister-victor-orban-paying-cpac

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No paywall: https://archive.ph/rwNXz
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Edited to fix subject line, because in the copying & pasting, my device omitted the "a"-with-accent from Orban's name, as spelled in the New Republic headline.
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Edited again because DU wasn't recognizing the "a"-with-accent either. Peter Magyar's name has a similar issue.

February 8, 2026

Thanks for the heart!

These times call for all the courage we can muster, and every little bit helps!

September 21, 2025

"Please, sir, save Chicago"

...is most certainly not what Charles Kirk said as his last words to Shitler.

Thank goodness his tells are so well-documented.

But at least Gov. Pritzker got the heads up.

(Just seen on the Nuremberg rally du jour.)

September 15, 2025

Heads up for Instagram users

I don't use Instagram, but many people do. If you have younger people in your life, it may be their primary social platform. In August, Instagram implemented real-time location tracking.

Instagram’s New Tracking Feature: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe 

https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/internet-security/instagrams-new-tracking-feature-what-you-need-to-know-to-stay-safe/

Meta has unleashed a groundbreaking feature that transforms Instagram from a photo-sharing platform into a real-time location broadcaster. While the company promises enhanced connectivity, cybersecurity experts are sounding alarm bells about potential dangers lurking beneath this seemingly innocent update.

Instagram’s freshly minted “Map” functionality represents a seismic shift in social media architecture. Unlike traditional posting where you deliberately choose what to share, this feature operates as an always-on location transmitter that continuously broadcasts your whereabouts to selected contacts whenever you launch the application.

I read the article as saying you can turn off sharing, but not the data collection (and use by Meta aka Facebook) itself. The article does include instructions for controlling what you can, so please read and share.

Unfortunately, once a "feature" becomes tolerated on one major social site, you can expect it will be picked up by others.

September 13, 2025

Resource: Trans Legal Survival Guide, 2025 edition

Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) has updated their legal survival guide, available for free download from their site.

Trans Legal Survival Guide, 2025 edition

Hosted here:
https://transequality.org/resources/trans-legal-survival-guide-20

Direct download of PDF, 33 pages, 260kb:
https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/2025-08/Trans%20Legal%20Survival%20Guide%202.0_v2_web.pdf

June 3, 2025

7pm Eastern: Trans Law Center Supreme Ct Skrmetti case live discussion

7pm, on the Transgender Law Center's YouTube channel. (I don't know whether it's available after the broadcast.)

It's about trans health care access, specifically youth, but with potential to impact all trans people. (And potentially, any medical care that is stigmatized, depending on how the court decides.)

Here's the youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/live/yWaiaw_Zu1o


Here is the whole invite:
Queer and trans communities have always come together to protect, care, and fight for each other. Care is not just how we’ve survived, it’s our legacy and our future. On Tuesday, June 3, we invite you, our community, to come together for a critical community briefing on U.S. v. Skrmetti, a significant case on transgender rights. We’ll break down what’s at stake, what this decision could mean for trans people and overall healthcare access, and how we can organize and mobilize in the days ahead.

In the streets, in the courts, and in our own doctor’s offices, trans people are boldly resisting the administration’s latest attacks on our access to safe, affirming, and dignified healthcare. And we are not the only ones. From proposed anti-trans registries to Medicaid bans, from vaccine access to reproductive healthcare, these aren’t isolated assaults against a single community—they’re part of a broader effort to dismantle healthcare and strip all of us of our bodily autonomy. We may be among their first targets, but when anyone’s fundamental rights are called into question, we are all at risk.

We remember what our transcestors knew—our strongest asset is one another. Join seven powerful voices from Transgender Law Center, Lambda Legal, and community in an urgently needed conversation on the landmark Supreme Court case challenging Tennessee’s categorical ban on gender-affirming hormonal therapies for transgender youth.

WHAT: Care is Our Legacy: Preparing Our Community for the Skrmetti Decision
WHEN: Tues. June 3 4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET
WHERE: Live on Transgender Law Center’s Youtube Channel

Whether this case sets a legal precedent to challenge Trump’s attacks on transgender people or opens the floodgates for new attacks on healthcare and bodily autonomy, the June decision will inform the landscape in which we fight. No matter the outcome, we’re ready to activate and build power—for trans youth, for disabled and immuno-compromised people, for low-income families; for elderly and sick individuals, for queer and trans families, and for anyone who needs access to reproductive healthcare.

Whether we’re celebrating or grieving come June, one thing is certain: we will keep fighting for the lifesaving, liberatory healthcare that all of us deserve—care that is for everyone, and that lets each of us shape our own future. For trans people, care is both our legacy and our future. Standing alongside and in defense of one another might just be what saves us.

With gratitude and determination—we hope you will join us at Care is Our Legacy: Preparing Our Community for the Skrmetti Decision on Tuesday June 3 at 4pm PT/6pm CT/7pm ET. Join here! (Link posted above.)

May 23, 2025

Queer activism boards/networks?

I'm looking for LGBTQ activism boards similar to the DU format (not too many bells and whistles), but which require a log-in to read, and don't allow search engines to crawl and report out site content for anyone's searches. As has been shown already by the trumpist investigations into Act Blue, rethugs are looking into patriotic networks.

I would prefer DMs, for reasons which should be obvious. I'm active on another very large site (default white text on black, NSFW, not web-crawled, and private groups within that system), but it's not very focused. Happy to share that info via DM if anyone wants it, though.

Thanks for any tips!

May 21, 2025

C-Span going live around 1AM to cover Trump bill

Check your TV - one of the C-Span channels will be keeping an eye on the House. It's supposed to be on now live, but broadcasting hasn't started so it's a rerun of rethigs from earlier today. Update: they're live now.

I looked for it showing live online, but evidently the live streaming requires a sign-in through your TV provider. No thanks.

They also have an app (android and iOS), which is free with free coverage, according to this page:
https://www.c-span.org/c-span-now/