Melissa Vanden Bout
@docvanden.bsky.social
Ethicist and troublemaker. The only way out is through. The only way through is together. (she/her) 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈🇵🇸
“Cross the Starbucks picket line? Hell no. We’re outta here.” 🪶
November 13, 2025 at 7:08 PM
“Cross the Starbucks picket line? Hell no. We’re outta here.” 🪶
The Northern lights, from my front yard.
November 12, 2025 at 3:29 AM
The Northern lights, from my front yard.
Our de facto house rule: “but the kitty is sitting on my lap” gets you out of household chores.
November 10, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Our de facto house rule: “but the kitty is sitting on my lap” gets you out of household chores.
😂 I do love acting!
November 8, 2025 at 11:40 PM
😂 I do love acting!
More of a lefty, loosie, righty tighty kinda philosopher, personally.
November 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
More of a lefty, loosie, righty tighty kinda philosopher, personally.
Was responding to this. Screencap:
November 4, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Was responding to this. Screencap:
Then there was this surreal moment I accidentally captured—listen to them all holler at each other! Sounds like getting ready to leave on a family vacation.😆
November 2, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Then there was this surreal moment I accidentally captured—listen to them all holler at each other! Sounds like getting ready to leave on a family vacation.😆
@turn1proxy.bsky.social and I went for a walk at the local nature preserve. The light, the trees—everything was so beautiful I have to share with you.
November 2, 2025 at 11:29 PM
@turn1proxy.bsky.social and I went for a walk at the local nature preserve. The light, the trees—everything was so beautiful I have to share with you.
Pumpkin carving is a big deal for my crew. Here is this year’s batch. We’re all feeling pretty good about how these turned out.
My youngest even made one for our kitty, who adopted us just before Halloween some 10 years back. (His name, obviously, is Jack o’Lantern, “Jack” for short.)
My youngest even made one for our kitty, who adopted us just before Halloween some 10 years back. (His name, obviously, is Jack o’Lantern, “Jack” for short.)
October 26, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Pumpkin carving is a big deal for my crew. Here is this year’s batch. We’re all feeling pretty good about how these turned out.
My youngest even made one for our kitty, who adopted us just before Halloween some 10 years back. (His name, obviously, is Jack o’Lantern, “Jack” for short.)
My youngest even made one for our kitty, who adopted us just before Halloween some 10 years back. (His name, obviously, is Jack o’Lantern, “Jack” for short.)
With alt text.
October 14, 2025 at 1:41 AM
With alt text.
Mr. Jack here came to our door and demanded we let him in, 10 years ago tonight.
(Lucky, lucky us.)
(Lucky, lucky us.)
October 11, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Mr. Jack here came to our door and demanded we let him in, 10 years ago tonight.
(Lucky, lucky us.)
(Lucky, lucky us.)
Today called for strawberry rhubarb pie—the last of this year’s rhubarb, some frozen strawberries, and this standby recipe.
(In case you need something good to eat or good to look at, because it’s been a hell of a week. Wish I could hand deliver one to all the folks who particularly need it.)
(In case you need something good to eat or good to look at, because it’s been a hell of a week. Wish I could hand deliver one to all the folks who particularly need it.)
October 7, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Today called for strawberry rhubarb pie—the last of this year’s rhubarb, some frozen strawberries, and this standby recipe.
(In case you need something good to eat or good to look at, because it’s been a hell of a week. Wish I could hand deliver one to all the folks who particularly need it.)
(In case you need something good to eat or good to look at, because it’s been a hell of a week. Wish I could hand deliver one to all the folks who particularly need it.)
To Klein, only those willing to risk being “personally discomfit[ed]” (by moral qualms!) when they offer up someone else’s rights have truly grasped how dire things are.
When we are unwilling to treat *our lives* as acceptable losses, to him that is proof that *we* don’t understand the stakes.
When we are unwilling to treat *our lives* as acceptable losses, to him that is proof that *we* don’t understand the stakes.
September 20, 2025 at 9:48 PM
To Klein, only those willing to risk being “personally discomfit[ed]” (by moral qualms!) when they offer up someone else’s rights have truly grasped how dire things are.
When we are unwilling to treat *our lives* as acceptable losses, to him that is proof that *we* don’t understand the stakes.
When we are unwilling to treat *our lives* as acceptable losses, to him that is proof that *we* don’t understand the stakes.
No. The point of this is to limit the shots kids will actually get. If you make it harder to get vaccines (this doubles the trouble for no reason), fewer kids will get the vaccines. That means more kids will get sick, have long term health problems, or die.
I’m gonna go w/ PH experts here.
I’m gonna go w/ PH experts here.
September 19, 2025 at 3:37 AM
No. The point of this is to limit the shots kids will actually get. If you make it harder to get vaccines (this doubles the trouble for no reason), fewer kids will get the vaccines. That means more kids will get sick, have long term health problems, or die.
I’m gonna go w/ PH experts here.
I’m gonna go w/ PH experts here.
Ezra cannot imagine that these are efforts to kill us. Instead he’s sure we must all be exaggerating, that our current political “divide” is just a mental game rather than our lives and our futures.
(Also, he thinks he’s the parent in the picture below.)
(Also, he thinks he’s the parent in the picture below.)
September 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Ezra cannot imagine that these are efforts to kill us. Instead he’s sure we must all be exaggerating, that our current political “divide” is just a mental game rather than our lives and our futures.
(Also, he thinks he’s the parent in the picture below.)
(Also, he thinks he’s the parent in the picture below.)
Same. My two rose bushes give me so much joy.
August 31, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Same. My two rose bushes give me so much joy.
I hear you. Pull the thread near you, and I’ll do the same over here.
August 26, 2025 at 7:19 PM
I hear you. Pull the thread near you, and I’ll do the same over here.
Hey. I don’t know what kind of a day you’ve had but I can guess what kind of a week and month you’ve had.
So I hope this brings you a little peace and you can get some real sleep tonight. We’re not alone. We’re in this together.
So I hope this brings you a little peace and you can get some real sleep tonight. We’re not alone. We’re in this together.
August 22, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Hey. I don’t know what kind of a day you’ve had but I can guess what kind of a week and month you’ve had.
So I hope this brings you a little peace and you can get some real sleep tonight. We’re not alone. We’re in this together.
So I hope this brings you a little peace and you can get some real sleep tonight. We’re not alone. We’re in this together.
A picture of my childhood. This green porch swing used to sit on my grandparents’ front porch. For a little while, at least, all the cousins could fit across it. The sound instantly brings me back. Now it’s at my aunts’ place, where a second generation of cousins has new (old) adventures together.
August 17, 2025 at 12:29 AM
A picture of my childhood. This green porch swing used to sit on my grandparents’ front porch. For a little while, at least, all the cousins could fit across it. The sound instantly brings me back. Now it’s at my aunts’ place, where a second generation of cousins has new (old) adventures together.
My favorite picture of Jack, our big clumsy indoor kitty. He looks like he’s dreaming of epic outdoor adventures, doesn’t he?
August 8, 2025 at 8:50 PM
My favorite picture of Jack, our big clumsy indoor kitty. He looks like he’s dreaming of epic outdoor adventures, doesn’t he?
July 3, 2025 at 6:07 AM