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American police are out of control — 2/10
Alabama: Marshall County deputy resigns after domestic violence arrest Arizona: It’s hard to put into perspective how truly massive is the warehouse that’s about to become a concentration camp California: ICE detention center captives are throwing lotion bottles wrapped with notes to organizers outside facility California: Pregnant woman abducted by ICE, disappeared Connecticut: Woman who…
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A moment of violence
I was almost out the door, on my way to another day selling fish on the Avenue, when Jay stopped by and invited me to breakfast. From Pathetic Life #21 Saturday, February 10, 1996 She’s the boss and a friend and I could eat three breakfasts every day, but she’s also a talker, and she’s…
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My browser history, minus the porn — 2/9
As America’s 250th anniversary approaches, Trump wants to control the country’s future by bulldozing its past Excerpt: America250 and the White House insist they are planning nonpartisan festivities for all Americans, rather than creating a slush fund to throw the president militarized birthday parties and advance hard-right ideology. But in reality, American history is being…
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Paranoia runs deep
It’s Carnival, emphasis on the last syllable, so Mission Street was closed for the parade. I don’t know what Carnival celebrates, except pretty women not wearing much, and I’m all for that, but I needed to get down the stairs and into the BART station to ride to my job in Berkeley. From Pathetic Life…
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At Pike Place Market
The only thing I like about football is telling people that I don’t like football, so when the local team earned a berth in the Super Bowl, my thoughts were not of first downs and sweaty jocks. Nah, I wanted a few hours of quiet across the city. Which usually-crowded place could I go to,…
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Feds fund fascism worldwide, dildos fly in Minneapolis, Trump says America should move on from Trump-Epstein files…
US funds MAGA-aligned think-tanks and charities across Europe, under the pretense of protecting free speech Europeans banned from the US for fighting misinformation: ‘Elon Musk has pushed the nuclear button. He doesn’t like us’ AND NOW THE NEWS #581 FEBRUARY 8, 2026 ICE plans to build mega warehouses — concentration camps — for immigration detention…
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Heat simmers, and U/A sucks
From Pathetic Life #21 Thursday, February 8, 1996 A reader of the zine called and wanted to meet me, not to freak me out by being sociable but to hire me, which is awesome. Said his name is Saul, he’s in a wheelchair, and he needs me to drag his furniture down a flight of…
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One of the best and most liberating things
“Can you drive?” was the first question the man asked, when I returned his call from my voice mail. “Sure, I can drive,” I said, “but not legally.” From Pathetic Life #21 Wednesday, February 7, 1996 To that, a long silence. “Your license is suspended?” the voice finally asked. “No, it doesn’t exist. I moved to…
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Anything goes — 2/7
our 66th weekly open mike Let’s see what happens when your host (me) has nothing to say. Step right up, speak your mind, tell a story, sing a song, whatever. 2/7/2026 Anything goes itsdougholland.com ← PREVIOUS NEXT →
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Consider yourself nudged
Well, now I’ve done it — spent every penny of the money Bill paid me yesterday, and more, on printing, postage, and envelopes, getting the January issue of the zine into the mail. It ain’t great, but at least it’s out. And now my grand total net worth is $21.71. From Pathetic Life #21 Tuesday,…
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American police are out of control — 2/6
State prisons in the United States became more violent and nearly 50% deadlier over the past five years Justice Department unit on police misconduct sees staffing plunge and probes scaled back, sources say Alabama: Collinsville police chief Stephen Malone resigns following aggravated assault arrest ‘You’re going to kill me!’: Black man pleads for his life…
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The Lord works in mysterious ways — 2/6
Arkansas: Lawsuit filed against Jonesboro Assembly of God, pastor for allowing sexual abuse of children Arkansas: Lawsuit accuses Assembly of God pastor, church of sexual assault over 20 year span Note: These first two pervy pastors are from two different Assemblies of God churches in Arkansas. Arkansas: Lawsuit alleges negligence by Little Rock church in…
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Juno, and a few more movies
every movie ever made, in alphabetical order (we’re in the J’s, with anti-alphabetical cheats) Junior (2011) Junior High School (1978) Junk Mail (2024) Junk Shop (1965) Junkopia (1981) Juno (2007) Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) Jupiter (2018) Deep Space Nine: “Past Tense” (1995) — — — Junior (2011) An adolescent girl is sickened by her own…
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Hegseth threatens Boy Scouts, DHS hunts down 67-year-old US citizen who criticized them in email, hell continues in Minnesota…
Trump calls for Republicans to “take over” elections States and individual counties run American elections, but Trump wants Republicans — not even the federal government, but Republicans — to run elections. When that happens, there might as well be no elections. House Speaker welcomes Trump call to ‘take over’ elections, claims Dem wins appear ‘fraudulent’…
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Eye on AI 👁️2/5
Microsoft, Google, Cisco and Adobe agree to make Barnsley the UK’s first AI ‘tech town’ Yoshua Bengio, Turing Award winner: ‘There is empirical evidence of AI acting against our instructions’ Exposed Moltbook database let anyone take control of any AI agent on the site Excerpt: O’Reilly said that he reached out to Moltbook’s creator Matt…
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Two bad rides on BART
Not quite often enough to be often but also not rarely enough to be rarely, a chunk of yellowed white or an old filling chips off my teeth when I’m chewing something chewy — popcorn, licorice, a peanut butter sandwich, etc. This morning, though, a filling came out intact in my sleep. I awoke choking…
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Weekly dead — 2/4
Being old, death gets my attention, so I read the obituaries. This is a collection of recent obits for people whose work touched my life, because I want to say thanks, or maybe give ’em a final fuck you. There’ll be a roundup like this once weekly, until I’m on the list myself. Roger Allersartist,…
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Listening to pirate radio
From Pathetic Life #21 Sunday, February 4, 1996 Telegraph Avenue was rained out today, so I stayed home and started editing the next issue of the zine. There’s no wringing an interesting story out of that. The radio was on in the background, though, and the only station that’s not a 24/7 insult to anyone’s…
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My browser history, minus the porn — 2/3
ICE pretends it’s a military force. Its tactics would get real soldiers killed. Excerpt: In Iraq and Afghanistan, 20 years of counterinsurgency operations demonstrated that escalating combat for no reason often just creates more violence. Units found that de-escalation often created fewer civilian casualties, which in turn meant that those civilian’s families were less prone…
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Diary, 2/3/2026
For thirty years I was far away, but now I’m back, living again in Seattle. It’s the city where I grew up. In my 20s and 30s, I lived in half a dozen houses and apartments all over the city — north, south, Queen Anne, south again, the U district, and downtown — but never…
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The Lord works in mysterious ways — 2/3
Alabama: Church security guard accused of raping child in playhouse Alabama: Daycare worker at Trinity United Methodist Church arrested for child sexual abuse California: Bethel Church apologizes for failing to take appropriate action after alleged sexual misconduct by Christian ministry leader Shawn Bolz Florida: Baptist minister pleas down to two counts of lewd of lascivious…
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Not today, thanks.
In my dream, I was hanging from a window sill very near the top of the TransAmerica Pyramid, not quite ready to let go and get cheese-gratered all the way down, but considering it. From Pathetic Life #21 Saturday, February 3, 1996 Awake again, whoa! I don’t like suicide dreaming, and have no idea where…
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Ignoring the climate emergency — 2/2
Era of ‘global water bankruptcy’ is here, UN report says Suppressed climate report warned of mass migration and nuclear war Excerpt: “This government is hiding the true danger of climate change from the people,” a source close to the development of the report claimed. “We need to have an honest conversation about the risks we…
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Inspected and invited
It was overcast in downtown Berkeley, and no vendors were set up on the side of the street where I’m supposed to sell. From Pathetic Life #21 Friday, February 2, 1996 Being a loner and introvert, I’d probably prefer to have no vendors near me, but it’s a practical mater — if no other vendors…
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The Jungle, Jungle, and a few more movies
every movie ever made, in alphabetical order (we’re in the J’s, with anti-alphabetical cheats) Jumper (2008) Jumping (1984) Jumping the Blanket (1895) The Jungle (1952) Jungle (2017) Jungle (2024) Jungle Hell (1956) Jungle Jitters (1938) Jungle Woman (1944) — — — Jumper (2008) This opens with believable high school hijinks and cruelty that would’ve led…
