Dinosaur Beach Keith Laumer 1971 (cover by Kelly Freas) [reddit.com]

The Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez You Don’t Know [nytimes.com] — “… the coalition Democratic leaders could once rely on to defeat Mr. Trump is already falling apart, and their current strategy — to hammer the former president — may not be enough to win in November.”

Bill Gates, ousted for misconduct, is still pulling the strings at Microsoft

Business Insider:

Publicly, Gates has been almost entirely out of the picture at Microsoft since 2021, following allegations that he had behaved inappropriately toward female employees. In fact, Business Insider has learned, Gates has been quietly orchestrating much of Microsoft’s AI revolution from behind the scenes. Current and former executives say Gates remains intimately involved in the company’s operations – advising on strategy, reviewing products, recruiting high-level executives, and nurturing Microsoft’s crucial relationship with Sam Altman, the cofounder and CEO of OpenAI. In early 2023, when Microsoft debuted a version of its search engine Bing turbocharged by the same technology as ChatGPT, throwing down the gauntlet against competitors like Google, Gates, executives said, was pivotal in setting the plan in motion. While Nadella might be the public face of the company’s AI success – the Oz who built the yellow-brick road to a $3 trillion juggernaut – Gates has been the man behind the curtain.

Walter Molino 1915-1997, Italy, “Il Gatto Infuriato” 1967. The angry cat. [facebook.com]

Color illustration of a stray cat terrorizing a group of men. The cat is on one man's head, attacking the man, who does not seem to like it.

Get a room, you two!

Landscape of two tall sagouro cactuses in the desert growing side-by-side, their branches intertwined.
Black and white publicity photo of Eddie Munster lying in a bureau drawer smiling with a werewolf doll

Reading about James Clavell. We have two episodes left to watch in “Shogun.” [en.m.wikipedia.org]

Son: "I can't sleep, I think the bougie man's under the bed" Me: "don't you mean the boogeyman?" Voice from under the bed: "wow the thread count on these sheets is PATHETIC”

Barbaric: A Texas man filed legal action to scrutinize his ex-partner’s out-of state abortion.

[wapo.st]

If the woman proceeded with the abortion, even in a state where the procedure remains legal, Davis would seek a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the abortion and “pursue wrongful-death claims against anyone involved in the killing of his unborn child,” the lawyer wrote in a letter, according to records.

Vintage magazine cover for “The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction” featuring a woman with a surprised expression, a flower in her hair, and a man with a spear in the background. Text lists authors including James Blish, Gordon R. Dickson, Isaac Asimov, Fritz Lieber, Ron Goulart and Avram Davidson

White text on black background. Them: Are you going to be part of the problem or part of the solu Me: Oh problem, definitely Them: That wasn’t…it was a rhetorica Me: I have some ideas on how to make the problem even funnier than it is

A black and white photo of a building with a large vertical silo next to it that reads “Dairy Barn Stores.” There’s a vintage car parked in front of the building. Trees with no leaves in background.

Dairy Barn was a drive-through convenience store popular on Long Island when I was growing up.

Magazine cover titled “MICROCOMPUTING” featuring a young woman smiling, holding textbooks, and a man carrying an early model of a portable computer. Both are standing outdoors and chatting. Looks like a magazine cover ca. 1983. Subheading says “MICROCOMPUTERS IN EDUCATION”

Archie Goodwin on the joy of voting

From “A Family Affair,” a Nero Wolfe novel by Rex Stout:

I have never understood why anybody passes up that bargain. It doesn’t cost a cent, and for that couple of minutes, you’re the star of the show, with top billing. It’s the only way that really counts for you to say I’m it, I’m the one that decides what’s going to happen and who’s going to make it happen. It’s the only time I really feel important and know I have a right to. Wonderful. Sometimes the feeling lasts all the way home if somebody doesn’t bump me.

Something I wrote: Walmart scales stupendous global network on open source fierce-network.com

A small orange kitten sitting on a computer keyboard with text above that reads “The decoy keyboard is working,” and an arrow pointing to a second keyboard under the desk.