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Reposted by Carl J

Olaf Falafel

@ofalafel.bsky.social

Trigger warning: This story about Caroll Spinney, the man inside Big Bird, might make the room dusty

Caroll Spinney inside his Big Bird costume operating the beak with his outstretched arm.

When asked about his most meaningful interaction with a fan, Spinney had this say:
"I got a letter from a fan who said his little boy, who was 5 years old, his name was Joey, he was dying of cancer. And he was so ill, the little boy knew he was dying.
So the man, in his letter, asked if I would call the little boy. He said the only thing that cheered him at all in his fading state was to see Big Bird on television.
So once in a while, he wouldn't see Big Bird on some days, because he wasn't necessarily in every show.
So he asked could I telephone him, and talk to the boy, tell him what a good boy he's been. So I took a while to look up a phone, because this was before cell phones. And they got a long cord to bring a phone to the boy.
And I had Big Bird say 'Hello! Hello Joey! It's me, Big Bird!'
So he said 'Is it really you, Big Bird?'
'Yes, it is!'

I chatted a while with him, about ten minutes, and he said 'I'm glad you're my friend Big Bird.'
And I said 'I'd better let you go now.'
He said 'Thank you for calling me Big Bird. You're my friend. You make me happy!
And it turns out that his father and mother were sitting with him when the phone call came. And he parents in, be il that day were t sure lew tong he id last.
And so his father wrote to me right away, and said
'Thank you, thank you' - he hadn't seen him smile since October, and this was in March - and when the phone was hung up, he said 'Big Bird called me! He's my friend.'
And he closed his eyes. And he passed away.
And I could see that what I say to children can be very important.
And he said 'We haven't seen our little boy smile in
MONTHS. He smiled, as he passed away. It was a gift to us. Thank you.'"

December 18, 2024 at 12:22 AM

Reposted by Carl J

Hetan Shah

@hetanshah.bsky.social

That is some graph on bus usage outside London after deregulation
on.ft.com/49PfLlV

Bus usage outside London has fallen since the market was deregulated, while London bus usage has grown

December 18, 2024 at 7:27 AM

Reposted by Carl J

Ryan Mac 🙃

@rmac.bsky.social

Big scoop from @kirstengrind.bsky.social, @ericlipton.nytimes.com and @sheeraf.bsky.social: There are at least 3 federal reviews into Elon Musk for failing to report the details of his foreign relations as required by his security clearance

www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/t...

Elon Musk and SpaceX Face Federal Reviews After Violations of Security Reporting Rules

Federal agencies have opened at least three reviews into whether the company and its leader complied with disclosure protocols intended to protect state secrets, people with knowledge of the matter sa...

www.nytimes.com

December 17, 2024 at 7:25 PM

Reposted by Carl J

excog

@excog.bsky.social

◻️

"Last week, a US federal judge handed America’s creative workers a huge labor win: Judge Beryl A Howell of the DC Circuit Court upheld a US Copyright Office ruling that works created by “AIs” are not eligible for copyright protection."

doctorow.medium.com/everything-m...

December 17, 2024 at 6:36 PM

Reposted by Carl J

Best for Britain

@bestforbritain.org

"Where will the money come from?" - Kate Andrews keeps asking, in order to press her attack on the NHS funding model.

Well, where will the money come from under ANY other model? Does adding a profit-making insurance layer make healthcare cheaper? No. It just makes it less fair. ~AA

December 17, 2024 at 1:33 PM

Carl J

@plus-haut.bsky.social

youtu.be/xssmXAkxGjk?...

THE FIRST DRIVE! Episode 83 of Locost 7 Kit Car FULL BUILD!! - (Project 7-UP)

YouTube video by Tools n Track

youtu.be

December 17, 2024 at 5:34 PM

Reposted by Carl J

Morgan J Freeman

@mjfree.bsky.social

I'm going to post this video every day so we never forget

December 16, 2024 at 12:40 PM

Reposted by Carl J

Alan Smithee DGA

@alansmitheedga.bsky.social

Elon being Elon

December 16, 2024 at 6:08 PM

Reposted by Carl J

George Takei

@georgetakei.bsky.social

We, too, could have nice things if we collectively demanded them.

A post from user @AnnieForTruth, states: "I live in Sweden. We have social security, affordable healthcare, strict gun laws, 5 weeks paid annual leave and a year maternity leave. A stay at the hospital for one night costs about $10. Prescription drugs have an annual cap of $210. We are not communists. We are socio-democratic, and our freedoms are not inhibited."

December 16, 2024 at 6:15 PM

Reposted by Carl J

MicheleWitchyPoo🦋🤍🐾🦋🤍🐾🦋🤍🐾🦋

@michelewitchypoo.bsky.social

December 14, 2024 at 11:50 PM

Reposted by Carl J

Patrick - Here for the craic 👍🏼

@paddyopatrick.bsky.social

Funny how Farage, Anderson & Tice made so much noise over Police officers assaulted at Manchester Airport 🤔

But stayed silent as 100’s of officers were injured across UK during #FarageRiots👇🏼

‘My colleague had heart attack as bricks hurled' - summer riots police speak out

Was like Reform approved🤷🏼‍♂️

'I've lost faith in humanity' : Officers recall summer riots trauma

Front-line police feared an officer could have be killed after a peaceful protest quickly turned violent.

www.bbc.com

December 13, 2024 at 6:46 PM

Reposted by Carl J

Sam Freedman

@samfr.bsky.social

New post just out:

My Books of the Year 2024

Ideas for late presents or just to keep yourself occupied while the terrible Christmas TV is on.

(Free to read)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...

Books of the Year 2024

It’s that time of year when I reveal my favourite books of the year and hopefully give a bit of help to late present buyers.

open.substack.com

December 14, 2024 at 9:10 AM

Reposted by Carl J

Ron Filipkowski

@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social

Polish PM Tusk & Macron mocking Trump’s ridiculous attempt to act tough while arm wrestling Macron during their handshake.

December 12, 2024 at 11:14 PM

Reposted by Carl J

Dan Sohege

@danielsohege.bsky.social

Simply put, the idea to free up spaces just created a never ending cycle of exploitation, where you keep arresting victims, putting them through courts, removing them, watching them be re-trafficked and starting all over again. That's not "freeing up spaces", it's creating a revolving door. 11/

December 13, 2024 at 12:05 PM