To restore trust in government, this Belgian town opened a lottery that elects 30 random citizens to power. It's working.

In 2019, Ostbelgien, a town in Belgium with about 80,000 residents, took a gamble on a new approach to governing: The city’s parliament voted to establish a permanent Citizens’ Council and Assembly, giving randomly-selected citizens the power to make decisions.


Gosh, I never expected to see anything like that on Earth. It's something done on the Common Ground colony in my science fiction. They have elected seats too.  Now I have to wonder if politicians will start keeping fish to demonstrate their grasp of ecology.

Rats are snatching bats out of the air and eating them

Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) figured out how to get inside the kiosk and climb up to the bats’ landing platform at the entrance, using a curtain the researchers placed inside the kiosk for filming purposes. From August to October 2020, cameras captured the rodents — standing on their hind legs and using their tail to balance — grabbing bats mid-flight, killing them with a bite and dragging the carcasses away. The rats also caught bats as they landed on the platform.


Rats, especially brown rats, can be vicious little predators. It will be interesting to see if A) rats evolve further in predatory directions and B) bats learn to avoid them. Hats off to Dougal Dixon, you called it dude.

Note from birdhouse architecture: don't create a platform or perch near an entry hole that predators can stand on. Fliers can typically enter without it. Probably the rats can't climb upside down, but you might want to check that.

This poem is spillover from the June 3, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Aroace" square in my 6-2-25 card for the Pride Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred and librarygeek. It belongs to the Finn Family thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

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This poem is spillover from the May 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from fuzzyred and dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Power(ful)" square in my 5-1-24 card for the Superpower Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred and librarygeek. It belongs to the Finn Family thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

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This poem came out of the November 5, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Chamomile" square in my 11-1-24 card for the Sleepytime Bear Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred and librarygeek. It belongs to the Finn Family thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Warning: This poem contains some intense topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes digestive upset, reference to human trafficking, implied mayhem, emotional upheaval, exhaustion, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

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Today is cloudy and chilly.

I fed the birds.  I haven't seen much activity yet.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/24/25 -- We spent about an hour breaking down brush to shove in the chipper.  I think we got through about half the big pile of brush. It  made a surprisingly small pile of splinters on the tarp.  Some of what's left has berries on it, so those will have to go in the firepit along with the thorns.  The bigger branches will need to be hacked into kindling.  But we made great progress. \o/

I'm making Crockpot Xawaash Chicken Stew today.  When I came back in, the whole house smelled of African spices.  :D

EDIT 11/24/25 -- We put away the equipment.

EDIT 11/24/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/24/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

These are the notes for "A Sanctuary for the Homeless."

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These are the notes for "Worthy of Love and Belonging."

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These are the notes for "Indicative of the Extent."

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