Linda Arbuckle

@lindaarbuckle

Lapsed potter, sewist, owned by a dog, 3 cats, and flock of hens. Knitter, gardener. Vegan liberal atheist feminist. Retired. Living in N Central FL. YES to LGBTQ+ and trans rights. YES to WOKE, DEI. Pronouns: she/her

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Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· 18d

Ceramics Mudtools sale! GREAT studio tools. Some of my favs. Mudtools was destroyed in the hurricane/floods a while back, and clawed their way back. A lot of Asheville-area small bsn didn't. Yay, Mudtools! mudtools.com #ceramics

Back to school season is almost here, and we're getting ready to celebrate with our SECOND BIGGEST sale of the year. Starting Thursday, July 31st at 10AM EST, every tool in the Mudtools lineup will be 20% off!
Use the discount code: BTS20
Ribs, trimming tools, throwing tools, all of it. The sale runs through Friday, August 7th at midnight, so you'll have a full week to stock up.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· 21d

I voted! I spent a couple of hours yesterday looking up all the candidates. Ballotpedia and the League of Women Voters VOTE411 sites were both very helpful. You put in your address, and you get your local races, with links to candidate web sits and other useful info. Non-partisan info. Vote informed

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· 24d

Still celebrating Wash's 7th anniv of our gotcha day. He was an adorable youth. My old lady kitty never wanted to socialize, so Wash made friends with Niccolo the dog. Happy Caturday!

Cat and dog enjoying lying down together.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· 25d

One of my friends requested more cat pictures. in 2019 Wash (short for Washburn, the nav in the Firefly series - see pic) came to live with me. He's one of a kind: likes bath tub water, cool and aloof like James Bond, Edge (of Darkness)'s wrestling partner. I think they look alike around the eyes.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· 29d

The US is becoming a rogue nation. No rule of law at home or abroad. "Trump Administration Announces New Attack on the International Criminal Court" Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/u...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that the United States plans to “systematically disable” the International Criminal Court, an overt attack on a body that investigates some of the gravest crimes in the world.

Officially established in 2002 and based in The Hague, the court has a mission to investigate and prosecute genocide, war crimes and other serious offenses. The United States never ratified the main treaty establishing the institution, and Mr. Rubio raised the possibility that the court could prosecute Americans as reason to dismantle it.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· 29d

Remember, NO DEI, only merit should count according to Republicans. Lindsay Graham's sister has been nominated to finish his term in the senate. NO experience. I asked the internet about her background. Party of hypocrisy AGAIN.

Darline Graham Nordone does not have a background in elected office, but she possesses professional leadership credentials in public service and state agency management. Following the passing of her brother, longtime U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed her to temporarily fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat until January 2027.Her primary professional, educational, and political qualifications include:Professional Leadership & Public ServiceState Agency Commissioner: She serves as the commissioner for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, leading an agency that manages vocational rehabilitation and independent living services.National Council President-Elect: She was elected the incoming president of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB).Public Information Director: She spent years working as the director of public information for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department.EducationAdvanced Degree: She holds a Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University, earned in 2009.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 12

The story behind Alligator Alcatraz: costs to taxpayers, perks to Republican friends. Another travesty. So much squandered. I don't want to hear another word from the Repubs about govt waste & fraud. They are IT. Fight the Fire fightthefire.substack.com?r=37ja5n&utm...

Gov. DeSantis shifted $250 million from funding for hurricane recovery to pay for the facility, which was built in eight days. Much of that time, it appears, was devoted to awarding no-bid contracts to what Norman describes as “politically connected firms.”

The cost ballooned to four times that amount. About $219 million of it went to Doodie Calls, a vendor taking care of the facility’s toilets and hauling away its sewage.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 11

New maker toy. I figured there was room in my overcrowded office/library/sewing room/craft space for a small tool. I needed to make a giftwrap design for the new Alachua Women Build homeowner's gift of a battery drill - dedication 7/23. Fun to do on the Cricut Joy 2, the size of a loaf of bread.

Laptop computer with a Cricut Joy 2 and cutout project.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 10

Supporters of the law said they sought to halt teachings that supported racial discrimination, while opponents in the Legislature, mostly Democrats contended it was really an attempt to quash candid teaching about historic racial horrors in the U.S., including slavery and the Jim Crow era.

Other parts of the law sought to ban workplace training at companies regarding racial, gender and sexual orientation issues, but those provisions have been struck down by federal courts.

Judge Barbara Lagoa, also a Trump appointee, wrote a dissent arguing the state had the right to restrict the speech of professors in the classroom.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 10

OMG, DeSantis really wants to whitewash history if he thinks he can do this. What would be left to discuss?

DeSantis pushed for the law as a bulwark against “indoctrination” in university classrooms. It bars professors from endorsing precepts of critical race theory, including eight specific tenets.

For example, the law bans instruction that causes students to “feel guilt, anguish or other forms of psychological distress because of actions, in which the person played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, national origin or sex.”

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 10

Oh, FL: define what WOKE instruction is. Education is the gateway drug to being a progressive citizen. NO to Republican control of thought. Federal court halts Florida law banning ‘woke’ instruction in universities www.wuft.org/politics/202...

TALLAHASSEE – A federal appeals court Tuesday kept in place a district court’s preliminary injunction on Florida’s law banning “woke” instruction at public universities.

A 2-1 ruling from the three-judge panel on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found Florida’s assertion it could control the speech of its employees, including college professors, to be “a breathtaking assertion of power to ban unpopular ideas from public discourse in the very places the state’s own statutes recognize as centers of inquiry.”

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 9

Yeah. Imagine Obama saying this. What would have happened?

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 6

Doggie Day Out program from the Humane Society of N Central FL let me check out a dog for a park walk. My senior dog can no longer manage long walks. Mud Budd has impeccable leash manners, and is a calm, laid-back guy, looking for a forever home. 2 thumbs up www.humanesocietyncfl.org/adopt/dogs-p...

Woman making a face while being licked by a dog.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 5

From the NY Times this morning. I'm more worried about people with mental issues or poor impulse control with guns than I was about Iran before the war, or someone who wants sanctuary not being white. But Trump wants to tell his base "they're coming for your guns!"

The Trump administration is scrapping more than three dozen firearms regulations, abandoning a crackdown on illegal sales, restoring gun rights to some people with mental illness and loosening oversight of private weapons transactions.

The drastic retrenchment at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s gun laws, was not entirely unexpected: President Trump campaigned as a champion of gun rights.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jul 3

State of FL law that just went into effect. Again, trampling on local rule. Republicans are NOT the party of the people, but the party of special interests.

HB 919 - Renaming Airports
House Bill 919 allows the state to override local governments in naming airports. It paves the way to rename Palm Beach International Airport to Donald J. Trump International Airport.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 30

Happy Birthday Edge (of Darkness). Being short a hind foot has never slowed you down. 3, and still very in touch with his inner kitten.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 28

From Heather Cox Richardson's daily newsletter. Does this modus operandi sound familiar? So many things have gone this way. With predictable results.

Observers are noting that the reflecting pool fiasco, in which Trump created the idea there was an emergency, ignored experts, bypassed normal procedures to give a wildly inflated contract to a crony, bragged about his success, ignored the problems, claimed his enemies had sabotaged him, and finally stationed troops around the landmark he had turned into a swamp, represents the Trump administration perfectly.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 24

Fence and tarps to spare Trump embarrassment over his big FAIL on getting the pool cleaned up. It would have helped all around if he'd talked to people of SCIENCE about the problems. No better at cleaning the pool than draining the swamp. He's the problem.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 23

Interesting post from Schaller Gallery (Ceramics) for students and educators. Use the Contact link on the Schaller web site to ask about this. schallergallery.com #Ceramics

ATTENTION EDUCATORS!

We wanted to reach out about a resource we currently have available to university classes, guilds, and ceramics students of any age and level nationwide. Through our non-profit, we offer cups and other vessels starting at $15 to students, professors, and staff. There are always new pieces being added, and students are welcome to make purchases at any time. We love the idea of getting ceramics in student hands, and thank you for your help in reaching that goal!

Reach out to Jordyn HERE to get the link for these pieces. jordyn@schallergallery.com

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 21

By David Lay Williams, professor of political science who studies the role of economic inequality in the history of political thought. "Elon Musk Confirms Ancient Concerns About the Superrich" Gift article from NY Times. Read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/21/o...

For Plato, the source of inequality was a disease of the soul that the Greeks called pleonexia — a kind of insatiable greed. In Plato’s “Gorgias,” Socrates likened this condition to a leaky jug: No matter how much water one pours into it, it will demand more. For some, the desire for money extends only so far as is necessary to cover their needs; for others, the desire is infinite. Plato likened those insatiable souls to slaves who are ruled by their desires.

Someone consumed with his unquenchable desires comes to love himself far beyond what he can feel for the rest of humanity. He was, for Plato, “a poor judge of what is just and good and noble,” because he would always treat his desires as more valuable even than the truth. As a consequence, Plato wrote, “it is impossible that those who become very rich also become good.”

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 21

Celebrating Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. From here, every day will be a bit shorter until Winter Solstice.

The Summer Solstice
The summer solstice occurs at the moment the earth's tilt toward/from the sun is at a maximum. Therefore, on the day of the summer solstice, the sun appears at its highest elevation with a noontime position that changes very little for several days before and after the summer solstice. The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, which is located at 23.5° latitude North and runs through Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, and southern China. For every place north of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky and this is the longest day of the year.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 20

League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization. LWV Florida recently put out this position statement on the gov's move to do away with many property taxes (which would negatively impact local govt and local rule)

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to the LWVFL office for information about the League's position on Amendment 3, the Homestead Tax Exemptions, Property Assessments, and Spending Restrictions Amendment. Placed on the ballot by the Florida Legislature in June 2026, it seeks to overhaul the state's property tax system and would heavily impact local governments throughout the state.

During its meeting on Monday, June 8, 2026, the LWVFL Board voted to formally oppose Amendment 3 in light of the League's long-held position that there should be no increase or extension of homestead exemption. Furthermore, LWVFL believes that no tax sources or revenue should be specified, limited, exempted or prohibited in the Constitution. We also support home rule by municipalities and counties in the administration of local issues, and a state fiscal structure that is equitable in its distribution of the tax responsibility and responsive to public needs.

Please stay tuned for guidance from LWVFL over the coming weeks on how we can help Florida voters understand the potential impacts of Amendment 3 so they are prepared to cast an informed vote in November.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 19

From Robert Reich: The Juneteenth Truth About Trump open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

From Robert Reich
Friends,

In December 2025, Trump axed today’s holiday — Juneteenth, the official celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation — from the free admission days at the more than 100 national parks across America. He also axed Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a free admission day.

Instead, he substituted his own birthday, June 14, as a free admission day.

There you have it: the venal combination of Trump’s white supremacy and his malignant narcissism.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 19

Happy Juneteenth! Celebrating a great day.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 16

From Heather Cox Richardson today. Like so many other Trump promises, the Reflecting Pool renovations ended up costing us a lot of money (way more than promised), and fell way short of the promises. So Trump. Failed again.

June 15, 2026
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 16

READ IN APP

President Donald J. Trump’s remaking of Washington, D.C., to reflect his personalized approach to power rather than the American people and their government has become a little too on-the-nose over the past week.
After weeks of hyping the idea that he would restore the Reflecting Pool by the Lincoln Memorial to “SPECTACULAR” condition after it had been “destroyed by Barack Hussein Obama and Sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump today reposted an article from the right-wing site Breitbart, titled: “‘Thank You President Trump’: Reflecting Pool in D.C. Wows After Trump Renovations.”
In fact, as Kinnia Cheuk of Politico reported today, the renovations Trump said would cost $1.5 million appear from federal contracting records to have cost almost $16 million, and the pool is now fouled with green algae.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 15

My sister volunteers for Meals on Wheels. People in real need. Trump cut Community Block Grants $$ (which many M of W groups get), only to spend $$$$ on ICE, a ceremonial arch, and cage fights. What a low excuse for a human being. Thank you, Mackenzie Scott.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 15

Gainesville twice voted to take back local control of the GNV Regional Utility from the grabby state. State keeps making up barriers to going back to local control. Now this. DeSantis is trying to destroy local rule. "DeSantis signs bill that preempts GRU Authority"

Key Points

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1451 on Friday, creating new parameters for municipal utilities operating outside city limits and seeming to cement the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority.
Established in 2023, the GRU Authority has been a dividing point and Gainesville residents voted twice to dissolve it and the DeSantis-picked members.
Local officials seem divided on whether the bill will actually change the situation and end ongoing litigation or if the status quo will continue.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 14

Everyone needs a house panther! I have a tuxedo. Edge (of Darkness).

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 14

The two teenage owls were back at the bird bath this morning. Hope they learn how to owl fast. I worry if they're getting enough to eat. They seem kind of clueless.

Linda Arbuckle@lindaarbuckle· Jun 14

Started w a slab, women did framing, OSB, Hardie siding, constructed the porch, soffit, installed windows and doors, baseboards, assembled and installed cabinets, loads of caulking and painting, and ever so many details. Women worked in teams, including with the homeowner. Great program. #habitat