Teach Honest History

CPAC Head Says Iranian Schoolgirls Are Better Dead Than “in a Burqa” Leading Republicans don’t seem to care about the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran.

Matt Schlapp has attempted to justify the killing of more than 100 young girls at an elementary school in southern Iran, by claiming they were saved from religious extremism. trib.al/DJ8uEUJ

Operation #EpicFury in #Iran is Schrodinger's #War. It is both a war and not a war simultaneously, depending on who is answering and when they are asked. This ambiguity is intentional and is part of the larger war on language, truth, reality, and our collective sanity. #politics #USA

A juvenile ring-billed gull walks along a wooden pier, approaching a steal deck rope-tie cleat. There is soft out-of-focus rippled water in the background and sharp details and angles in the foreground.

Another of my rare sorties into B&W #photography. I hope the range of tones and variety of lines and shapes and the overall composition with the bird and deck cleat are good enough to hold viewers' interest, if only for a moment. Burke, Virginia, USA 28FEB2026. #birds #ClassicMono #monochrome

The head and neck of a ring-billed gull are seen in profile in this close-up view. The feathers are white with dark specs, the eye is pale yellow with a dark iris, surrounded by a red fringe. The wide open beak is yellow with the prominent dark ring that gives these birds their name. The back part of the mouth is a bright orange-red.

One last ring-billed gull photo, a side-view head shot. To my over-active imagination, this bird looks maniacal. I think it's the red-rimmed eyes and that hooked beak. I can almost hear a fiendish voice saying "All your fish are MINE!". Burke, Virginia, USA 28FEB2026. #birds

I suppose now that when a prominent person is diagnosed with terminal cancer, the PolyVulture gamblers will lay wagers on the date when the person dies. Yes, there is no bottom here.

Two ring-billed gulls are perched side-by-side on a bright metal railing. The nearer bird has its beak open very wide vocalizing. The other bird's beak is shut and its head is turned slightly away. The birds are mostly white with gray wings and there is an unfocused blue lake in the background.

Caption this! Male & female ring-billed gulls have identical plumage, though males are a tiny bit larger. In any case, there is clearly one loud bird in this pair, and a mate who looks entirely disinterested. Burke, Virginia, USA 28FEB2026. #birds

BREAKING: I-495 south shut down in Annandale following reports of mass stabbing All lanes of Interstate 495 southbound in Annandale were shut down Sunday afternoon following a state police incident reportedly involving multiple people stabbed following a crash.

Highly unusual mass stabbing incident on Capital Beltway in Virginia suburbs of DC. #news #breaking www.insidenova.com/headlines/br...

A young ring-billed bull perches facing the sun atop a large weathered wooden dock post, with the smooth waters of a lake in the out-of-focus background.

Would a serene bird photo help calm your nerves today? Here's a young ring-billed gull in 'First Winter' plumage. These birds nest in Canada and northern USA and visit my area in the Winter. Burke Lake Park, Burke, Virginia, USA 28FEB2026. #birds

Congrats to the United States for creating a brand new martyr-hero for the Islamic Republic of Iran. This will ensure yet another generation will learn to hate the #USA. A good summary I've heard of the US plan is "blow stuff up and kill lots of people and see what happens." #politics #iran

Head-on view of a ring-billed gull in flight. The eyes are very clear and appear to be looking directly at the photographer. The gull's yellow bill with its characteristic black ring are also very clear and prominent.

Ring-billed gull in flight, Burke, Virginia, USA, 28FEB2026. #Nikon #Z8 with 500PF lens. This is an extreme crop, but all I've done is some minor adjustments in LrC + a little sharpening in Topaz. The light was very good. First time I've seen the red around the eyes and the red 'lips'. #birds

Warner Bros. Discovery deems Paramount's takeover bid superior to Netflix deal Netflix is declining to raise its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming business.

The lights are going out all over the mainstream media landscape; will we see them lit again in our lifetime? Netflix has given up trying to match Paramount's offer, and Time Warner/Discovery (including CNN) has acknowledged Paramount has the better offer. #news abc7chicago.com/post/warner-...

Paris #photography #blackandwhite

Thanks.

Pied Kingfisher

#BirdsOfTheWorld image from an amazing chance I had to watch and photograph this beautiful Pied Kingfisher hunting in Vietnam #birds #thegardenjungle #wildlifephotography #birdwatching #shropshire #UKwildlife #birdphotography #canon #photography

A white-breasted nuthatch in flight with its wings tucked back moments after leaving a hanging cylindrical bird feeder.

I hate it when I grab my camera to get a quick shot, only to realize later my settings were way off. 1/400s is WAY too slow for BIF. But I hit it with Topaz SuperFocus and got something semi-usable. White-breasted nuthatch happy to get one of the big seeds. Clifton, Virginia, USA #birds

That is a classic pose and the lighting is soft and beautiful. Really nice to see that soft cream color of the underbelly.

If you are very, very lucky, you may be able to see the wood ducklings fledge, bravely leaping from the nesting box to join their mom on their first swim. They sometimes have big broods, in the range of 10 to 15. Predation is fierce though Snapping turtles are the worst culprits in our area.

Come for the wood ducks, get distracted by the cormorants. Typical. 🪶

📷 Leonard McCombe

📌🌐 Dublin, Ireland, ca. 1957
#photooftheday
#blueskyphotography
#photokind

Thanks!

A northern mockingbird is perched on the back rim of a hanging basket bird feeder. The bird is facing to the right giving a good view of the right eye. It has a sunflower kernel in its open beak.

I've never seen a Northern Mockingbird at my feeders, but I guess there is a first time for everything. Clifton, Virginia, USA 20-Feb-2026. #birds

Northern Shovelers
#birds #wildlifephotography #pnw

Very nice low-angle shot.

Hah, love it!

Here’s a #Black&White Downey woodpecker in a black and white photo braving a snowy winter day from a few years back for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme. #birds #nature #woodpeckers

A pair of American goldfinches are perching on the edge of a hanging basket style bird feeder. The male is nearer the camera while the female is immediately behind. Their bodies are both facing right but their heads are both facing directly toward the camera and they each have a sunflower kernel in their beaks.

Spring is on the way! (in the Northern Hemisphere at least). This American goldfinch pair is practicing for a new Olympic event called 'pairs synchronized sunflower eating'. Clifton, Virginia, USA 20-Feb-2026. #birds

May it ever be so.

An American goldfinch perches on a mound of snow facing the morning sun. There are icy snow crystals on and in the bird's open beak.

Do birds eat snow to get water? Yes they do, but it's not ideal, as they have to use precious body heat to melt it. Here's a male American goldfinch in subdued off-season colors having a snow-drink. Clifton, Virginia, USA 26-JAN-2026. #birds

Interestingly, my search results tell me that cows are typically 7.5' to 8'+, so an extra margin of safety I suppose.

Lower East Side,
NYC, 2025
#CameraObscura
#NYC
#lowereastside
#PhotographersUnited