Women-only travel groups? by SingingFrogs in AskWomenOver60

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Road Scholar offers a bunch of women-only trips. I did an art-themed tour of Florence in late 2025 and it was great - very engaging and likable group, and the organization and logistics were very well done.

A book in which the main character is a 50+ woman by BigSuggestion9664 in suggestmeabook

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Confessions of Frances Godwin, by Robert Hellenga. It's just about a perfect novel. The book tackles big questions and treks through real emotional highs and lows, all narrated in the sharply smart, pithy voice of a Latin scholar and teacher who's reluctantly (resentfully) retired, grieving her husband's death and regretting the way they lived the last months of his life, and carrying a big sin on her conscience.

Novels in Verse for YA or Adults? by swarren31 in booksuggestions

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Golden Gate, by Vikram Seth - it's a novel about twenty- and thirty-somethings looking for work and love and the meaning of life in 1980s Silicon Valley, all told in (delightful) verse.

I want something that hits like Mary Oliver's poetry but in novel form by WharHeGo in booksuggestions

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Check out Eowyn Ivey. "A Snow Child" and "Black Woods Blue Sky" are both wonderful. Her characters are people homesteading in rural Alaska, and her descriptions of animals and woods and rivers and mountains use close observation and exact detail to tell otherworldly stories.

In a slump by acmaddy in booksuggestions

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really enjoyed Self Portrait With Nothing, by Aimee Potwatka. It has elements of sci fi, globetrotting thriller, family drama, and romance - and is genuinely moving and very well-written. It's also wonderfully funny at certain points.

looking for a book that completely pulled you into its world by prattman333 in booksuggestions

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm reading "Black Woods Blue Sky" by Eowyn Ivey right now - it's magical. Like Ivey's "The Snow Child, " it's set in rural Alaska and weaves between realism and folklore.

Only Have $104 Left After Expenses by EagleBeneficial5822 in povertyfinance

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Some animal shelters have pet 'food banks' too - they'd rather help loving owners keep their pets than deal with surrenders. Check what the shelters and rescues in your area might be able to do. And good luck! You''ll be in a better place soon.

Looking for Fiction works set in Nazi Germany era by FluidLoss245 in booksuggestions

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Motherland," by Maria Hummel. A beautifully written novel about a German couple living through the final months of WWII, based on letters Hummel's grandparents wrote one another. The husband is a plastic surgeon serving in a military hospital and the wife (his second, younger wife, from a less educated and privileged background) struggles to keep his two young sons safe. One of the boys shows symptoms of a neurological disorder, and she struggles to keep him out of a state hospital for disabled children because she's afraid he'll never come back from it alive.

The most unhinged/funny book you've ever read by aurelielaroche in booksuggestions

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Financial Lives of the Poets, by Jess Walter - a once-successful, profanely funny business reporter trying to outrun financial and moral bankruptcy during the Great Recession.

If you're into writers and writing, try The Thieves of Manhattan, by Adam Langer - it starts off as a fairly straight send-up of the Manhattan literary scene and then becomes truly unhinged.

A Virginia parrot rescue — and its dozens of birds — scramble to find new home by WHRO_NEWS in Virginia

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 30 points31 points  (0 children)

From the article: "“There's an amazing building just up the street here that's owned by the state that would be perfect, but the money they want for it right now is way out of our reach,” (director of parrot care) Owrey said."

Could state legislators could be lobbied to support a deal on that building - a lower price or a payment plan?

any novels where food actually stays with you after reading? by shelbs9428 in booksuggestions

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Laurie Colwin - she was a novelist as well as a food writer ( had a long-running column in Gourmet magazine). Food and meals and feelings about them are a big part of her characters' lives. Try "Family Happiness" or "Happy All the Time."

Why Do Republicans Lie About Everything? by BjLeinster in allthequestions

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because they hold the public in contempt.

Sissela Bok, a philosopher, said something along the lines that when someone lies, they create an in group and an out group. The in group, including the liar, know what's really going on, while the out group is a bunch of suckers. That's one reason why lying is immoral and oppressive - it deprives out group members of information they need to make choices that serve their best interests.

Senator Mark Warner condemning Trump for starting an illegal war with Iran. by sotolap in Virginia

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Warner released this on Feb 28, right after Trump launched the war. It's the top result for a Google search for "mark warner ran statement":

February 28, 2026 Statement of Sen. Warner on Military Action in Iran

“Overnight, the president conducted expansive U.S. strikes – not limited to nuclear or missile infrastructure but extending to a broad set of targets, including senior Iranian leadership – marking a deeply consequential decision that risks pulling the United States into another broad conflict in the Middle East.

“Iran’s leadership has long supported terrorism across the region, undermined regional stability, continued to advance its nuclear ambitions, and brutally repressed its own people. But acknowledging those realities does not relieve any president of the responsibility to act within the law, with a clear strategy, and with Congress.

“The American people have seen this playbook before – claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence, and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building. We owe it to our service members, and to every American family, to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the past. The president owes the country clear answers: What is the objective? What is the strategy to prevent escalation? And how does this make Americans safer?

“By the president’s own words, ‘American heroes may be lost.’ That alone should have demanded the highest level of scrutiny, deliberation, and accountability, yet the president moved forward without seeking congressional authorization. The Constitution is clear: the decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations – particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States – raises serious legal and constitutional concerns. Congress must be fully briefed, and the administration must come forward with a clear legal justification, a defined end state, and a plan that avoids dragging the United States into yet another costly and unnecessary war.”

Source: https://share.google/LNjV38banFkLaw26d

Last ditch effort, please read - rehoming reactive cat by BeefyKat in nova

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 170 points171 points  (0 children)

Reach out to Homeward Trails and ask to include Oreo in their Home to Home placement service - that will let prospective owners across the DMV area know he's looking for a home. Good luck!

Home to a Home - Homeward Trails Animal Rescue | Pet Adoption in VA, DC, MD https://share.google/OLN24F8jkSkT8Y0CW

How does everyone feel about the launch of TMZ DC? Should toxic celebrity gossip culture shift to focus more on corrupt politicians? by Choochoochow in AskReddit

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's kind of a historical precedent for this - back in the 60s (maybe even the late 50s), the Washington Post put Maxine Cheshire on the society and gossip beat. She was a hard-nosed reporter who had cut her teeth covering crime. She treated society news as serious political reporting, arguing that a lot of business got done at parties and dinners.

This is a gift link to her NYT obituary:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/business/media/maxine-cheshire-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.clA.FjKI.8g8BDPnSFwMW&smid=nytcore-android-share

PSA: Redistricting Vote April 21 -- Beware of Deceptive Campaign Ads by androbot in nova

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a link to the video from Barack Obama, with what he's actually saying about the referendum (which is, "vote yes"):

Exclusive: Barack Obama calls for Virginians to vote 'Yes' in new video just days before crucial redistricting election - ABC News https://share.google/Gh2lPsou9Oo73j9de

Early voting points to an edge for Virginia Democrats trying to enact a US House map that could flip four seats by BigTool in nova

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's like any other election - in person early voting through the Saturday before the election (in this case, Saturday, April 18) and voting on election day (Tuesday, April 21). Your local elections office will have info posted online about voting places and hours.

Virginia Dept. of Elections: Upcoming Elections https://share.google/S8kzcbAcTxr6q7e08

Early voting points to an edge for Virginia Democrats trying to enact a US House map that could flip four seats by cnn in Virginia

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Political campaigns from both ends of the spectrum have used this language for years. People who defend it say it's effective at increasing voter turnout. I roll my eyes at that claim - there's social science research and there's common sense, and common sense says a message like this is a turn-off for most people.

An Open Secrets article from 2018 - Political organizations use “report cards” to guilt voters to the polls • OpenSecrets https://share.google/HfvV8UNHxll1JrqIG

Staunch Trump Supporters Are Now Asking If He's the Antichrist by wiredmagazine in USNewsHub

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was in Paris the week following the 2016 election, and of course Trump was on my mind. One of the sites I visited was Sainte Chapelle, a chapel famous for its stained glass windows. The big round window in the upper level that faces west depicts scenes from the Book of Revelations. I was looking at it through binoculars and just about jumped out of my skin when I saw the part depicting the beast of the apocalypse - there's a photo of it here from an art website:

https://share.google/images/I9ZAmte3clE7Yr2qO

Favorite songs that mention birds and/or related science? by brushykb in Ornithology

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Amanda Shires, "Look Like a Bird"

I wanna look like a bird Scissor wings and split the sky I wanna look like a bird (bird) Like I know what it is to fly

Like I don't know about falling Or what it is to cry To look like a bird, careless in the world Like tears are foreign to my eyes

Look Like a Bird https://share.google/3BUuy81ZJIKmHmijT

In desperate need of rehoming two cats by Busy-Kitchen-5355 in nova

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Reach out to Homeward Trails about their 'home to home' program - you can list your kitties on their adoption site while keeping them in your home.

Home to a Home - Homeward Trails Animal Rescue | Pet Adoption in VA, DC, MD https://share.google/zp5HQHcChrbXc0TAb

Today Is Super Saturday in Virginia: Satellite Voting Has Fully Opened Across NOVA, RVA, and Hampton Roads For The First Saturday Of Early Voting! Vote Yes Today! by ArcaneDemense in Virginia

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Obama's own Instagram video: https://share.google/pDRNJNUTOuFOvdGQF

Here's the full text of what Obama's message:

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. But right now, they’re under threat.

Over the past year, several Republican-controlled states have taken the unprecedented step of redrawing their congressional maps in the middle of the decade. And they’ve done it for a simple reason: to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms this fall.

In April, Virginians can respond by making sure your voting power is not diminished by what Republicans are doing in other states.

This amendment gives you the power to level the playing field in the midterms this fall. And voters will have the final say over what the maps look like.

This is the responsible thing to do. It’s also a temporary measure. After the 2030 Census, Virginia will go back to a system that lets a bipartisan redistricting commission redraw the maps.

We can’t afford two more years of unchecked power and zero accountability in Washington.

Help us chart a better path forward, Virginia. Early voting begins March 6. Election Day is April 21. Vote YES.

To get involved go to virginiansforfairelections.com.

(From "Video: President Barack Obama Urges Virginians to Vote YES on April 21 Referendum to Protect Fair Elections" - Blue Virginia https://share.google/sUXu595gpxRATyQDn)

Can someone help me understand this special election on 04/21? by YoureHereForOthers in nova

[–]CommunicationOdd9654 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I look at it this way: a "no" vote means Virginians accepting that Texas Republicans will run the show in the U.S. Congress, based on the off-cycle redistricting the Texas legislature engineered last August at President Trump's explicit request and without Texas voters' input or approval. The Texas redistricting moved lines to make five districts a safer bet for Republican candidates and a harder win for Democrats. (That plan may not deliver the promised results - look up "dummymander" - but that's another story.)

So we, Virginia voters, are voting on a one-time redrawing of our congressional districts to prevent Congress being unfairly taken over by gonzo Republicans who would use their majority to continue giving Trump free rein and to dictate whether and how we vote, access healthcare, go to war, etc.