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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 9h

I have now released the squirrel. The cat absolutely does not believe it.

William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 9h

My wife points out this means the cat isn’t nagging her for dinner while she cooks. So for that, thank you Mr. Squirrel.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 9h

Two hours later…

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 9h

In that phase of my life I once spent an hour gently tapping two glass paperweights together because it made the most delightful, ascending "schwooop!" noise.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 11h

My colleagues in China used to call one of the cats we had there the "看墙猫" because he would gaze at the wall or, as we theorized, into some universe only he could see. Occasionally, he would then freak out.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 11h

If you follow the Evangelical eschatology, that is not necessarily incompatible with what they think here. Except that it will ALSO apply to China.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 11h

Sometimes he gets worked up about literally nothing at all. A mote of dust or whatever. That's cats for you.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 11h

Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what he's worked up about.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 11h

Bucky (an indoor-only cat these days) is scandalized that he was not allowed out to commit murder.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 11h

We closed the door a moment later, but it’s been an hour and the squirrel is still frozen in the umbrella.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 11h

🚨There’s a squirrel in the patio umbrella!🚨

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

I had to work up to it. The first time I rode up King's Mountain I thought I was going to hurl.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

Lovely place to ride a bike. (Or a horse, I guess.)

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

But also, NIMBYism makes people a kind of crazy.

Disclaimer: My sister-in-law's parents also live in Woodside, and they are lovely.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

Maybe I just don't sufficiently appreciate the charms of horse country. I loved living in a high-rise with every conceivable amenity at ground level and a subway station next door in an eternally convulsing megacity of 20 million people.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

He had constructed an entire, elaborate fantasy of how this bill meant he and his family could burn to death because their egress was going to be blocked by a bunch of (non-horse owning) people shopping at Target.

It was, however, a really nice dinner!

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

As he put it, if there is a wildfire (a valid risk in that area!), we'll have to fight our way through all those people to get out!

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

It wasn't just the prospect of unsightly commerce that bothered my host. He lived on a lane with no outlet, and was worried that when all these (mythical) businesses were somehow constructed, it would pose a risk to the lives of his family.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

Woodside:
Larry Ellison, Joan Baez, etc.
Redwood City: Taquerias. Me. My cats.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

That seemed unlikely to me for a whole bunch of commercial and practical reasons. Were they going to eminent-domain a bunch of $10 million estates along Cañada and bulldoze them for a Target? It's one mile down Woodside Road to Redwood City, a thriving, exiting hub of commerce.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

Some YIMBY Assembly bill had been proposed or passed. I don't remember the details, but I do remember that my host was convinced that this bill would *mandate* development of a bunch of big box stores along Cañada road, one of the main thoroughfares in Woodside.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 14h

On the occasion of the signing of SB79, thinking back to a dinner I was at three years ago at the fabulous house of a very wealthy retired finance person who lives in Woodside, which is Silicon Valley horse country.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 1d

Salt’n’vinegar man since my childhood and we could only get that flavor in the UK. Everywhere now, but exotic back in the day.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 1d

I know a starfish that can help.

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William Moss @williammoss.bsky.social · 1d

Anyway, it doesn't matter. Give me bright orange Takis and shrimp-flavor infused mystery carbohydrate substrate any day.

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