Retiredrph
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Retiredrph
@retiredrph.bsky.social
340 followers 110 following 5.2K posts
Retired pharmacist, professional writer, artist, reader, gardener, birdwatcher, living in Oregon.
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Retiredrph @retiredrph.bsky.social · 6h
So I found out, don't use plant based margarine with olive oil in it, to make English Toffee. It turned out kinda fishy tasting 🫢There's a reason holiday recipes use real butter.
Reposted by Retiredrph
watchinthesky.bsky.social
The Finch-go-round has a few riders this morning 🪶 Lesser goldfinches
November 25, 2025 at 5:58 PM
@agdanrayfield.bsky.social You are a gem! THANK YOU!!!!
November 25, 2025 at 7:19 PM
So I found out, don't use plant based margarine with olive oil in it, to make English Toffee. It turned out kinda fishy tasting 🫢There's a reason holiday recipes use real butter.
November 25, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Reposted by Retiredrph
birdturntable.bsky.social
Female Belted Kingfisher🪶
A ventral view of a female belted kingfisher with her wings spread showing the bright white undersides and rusty wingpits and belt. Her tail is a dazzling array of black and white patterning and she has a fish grasped in her bill. A belted kingfisher flying away with her wings held down showing the gorgeous slate blue of her back and shoulders. She has a freshly caught fish in her bill. The background is fairly dark but speckled with sunlit drops of water flying off the kingfisher.
November 23, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Retiredrph
shematologist.medsky.social
Use the money you aren’t spending at these corporate chains and feed those in need by donating to your local food bank then logging your donation for your favorite #HCWvsHunger team at HCWvsHunger.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Reposted by Retiredrph
cdcmutualaid.bsky.social
On this Public Health Thank You Day, we're INCREDIBLY thankful for public health workers around the world - And of course, current and former CDC workers and CDC leaders. In many ways, our work and experience is needed now more than ever. We see you and we appreciate you!
November 24, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Great opinion, published in the Oregonian today. Look around, someone needs you--and they're not on social media, they are real.

reader.theoregonian.com/unplug-and-s... #giving #volunteering
Unplug and see who really needs you
Put down your phone and notice the neighbor who needs help this Thanksgiving.
reader.theoregonian.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Altruan (German company) has combination tests for Covid, flu A&B, and RSV, for just a couple bucks. #covid #rsv #influenza #medsky. In stock, they say immediate shipping available.
 Retiredrph @retiredrph.bsky.social · 1d
Not sure of the ever changing tarriffs (shell game) but Altruan (German co.) has great pricing (like a few bucks) on bulk orders of combination tests for all three…flu A would also detect bird flu. Ordered 20-30 tests for price break, shared. altruan.com/products/flu...
Fluorecare Sars-Cov-2, Influenza A + B & RSV Antigen Kombi Test, 1 pie
Fluorecare Sars-Cov-2, Influenza A + B & RSV Antigen Kombi Test, 1 piece Packaging unit: 1 test 4-in-1 test for self-application Reliable at Alpha, Delta & Omikron variants, Ba.4 and Ba.5 Qual...
altruan.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Using AI to fight AI insurance coverage denials: PBS covers stories that affect you. Support nonprofit journalism ! www.pbs.org/newshour/sho... #artificialintelligence #AI @pbsnews.org
How patients are using AI to fight back against denied insurance claims
As health insurers increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to process claims, denials have been on the rise. In 2023, about 73 million Americans on Affordable Care Act plans had their claims for ...
www.pbs.org
November 24, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Reposted by Retiredrph
srboisvert.bsky.social
Three days in a row the Peregrines have arrived to harass the Snowies just after 10am. I'm too tired to edit the photos from today before a nap but here's a RAW look.
#Birds #Owls #Falcons
A Snowy Owl fleeing a marauding Peregrine Falcon at the Montrose Bird Sanctuary's Fishhook Pier.
November 23, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Reposted by Retiredrph
saskajanet.bsky.social
Owls are here 😁😊🥰
#birds 🌿
Huge white owl with black barred feathers on her breast and bright yellow eyes. She is perched on a wooden power pole.
November 23, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Reposted by Retiredrph
glengrambo.bsky.social
African buffalo are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. They can way 900 kg and are apparently considered grumpy.
I’d be grumpy too if I had to carry a bunch of yelling red-billed oxpeckers around all the time!
This bull was slowly eating his way down the Sabi River in Kruger Park, SA
A bull African Buffalo crosses a river in Kruger park, South Africa. He is walking towards us and has quite large horns. He is carrying about a dozen red-billed oxpecker birds on his back. The oxpeckers are eating ticks and parasites off the buffalo and also acting as sentinels to warn the buffalo about approaching predators.
November 23, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Simple, useful study: so why DOES the U.S. skip filters in washing machines, that could pull out microplastics from fleece garments? European machines already do. Study from Portland State University www.opb.org/article/2025... #microplastics @portlandstate.bsky.social
PSU study looks at curbing microplastic releases from washers and dryers
Residents from 90 homes on the Oregon Coast are taking part in a Portland State University study that looks at reducing the microplastics released from household appliances.
www.opb.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:33 PM
#birds
November 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Retiredrph
elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
This is what is probably going to happen in the U.S with other vaccine-preventable diseases. As with Gloucester, we have states that have decided, as part of their political ideology, to reject vaccines.

This belief is so entrenched that I now believe only a massive outbreak will reverse it.
AN OBJECT LESSON FOR ANTIVACCINISTS. A PROPOS of the centennial of the great discovery made by Jenner in 1796, the case of the city of Gloucester, England, offers even at this late day a striking example from which to draw the lesson of the beneficial results to mankind of this discovery. The incident gains additional interest when we recall the fact that Jenner was a native of the county of which Gloucester is the county-seat. Verily, "a prophet is not without honor save in his own county." Gloucester, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, May 9th, has for years been the center of an active anti-vaccination agitation. The authorities who were charged with the duty of securing vaccination have persistently and successfully refused to meet their obligations in this particular. The result of this neglect of duty is not hard to infer. Small-pox has been in practical possession of the town. During the first three and one-half months of the current year no less than 1,300 cases had been reported. The population of Gloucester is 42,000. In the period named the proportion of inhabitants attacked by the disease was one in every thirty-two or thirty-three. As has been the case in other epidemics of small-pox, the heaviest percentage of mortality has been among the unvaccinated, and where unvaccinated patients have not died they have been the greatest sufferers, in many cases becoming permanently disfigured or blind. Vaccinated infants have escaped, and where adults who had been vaccinated in infancy have been attacked the severity of the disease has been greatly lessened. The British Medical Journal, April 25th, reports that the epi-demie has promoted vaccination throughout England; the guardians of the Gloucester Union even, the negligent officials referred to in the preceding paragraph, have been scared into doing their duty by enforcing the law in regard to vaccination. The result of this changed attitude on their part, aided by the vigorous action of the Town Council, has been such that within a few weeks no less than 25,000 vaccinations and re-vaccinations have been per-formed.
November 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Retiredrph
elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
Fam I have just learned that the incredible Dr. Richard Pan @drpanmd.bsky.social is running for Congress for CA-06.

Dr. Pan has been a tireless advocate for public health. RFK Jr. rolled into California twice to try to scuttle 2 state vaccine-related bills that Dr. Pan had proposed. Dr. Pan won.
November 24, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Reposted by Retiredrph
fishsqueezer.bsky.social
I don't normally cross post stuff from Reddit, but trust me, you're gonna want to see this. There can't possibly be enough data to steal for this to be fake. Absolutely stunning experience AND videography. Volume up!

www.reddit.com/r/BeAmazed/c...
From the BeAmazed community on Reddit: Underwater video my cousin took in Bora Bora. Cooler with sound!
Explore this post and more from the BeAmazed community
www.reddit.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Reposted by Retiredrph
choo.bsky.social
A Bluesky tweet: “Just remember that given the abundance of neurodivergent people in science, it’s far more likely that autism causes vaccines.”
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 PM
#birds #medsky
songbirdfibres.bsky.social 🇨🇦Songbird Yarn & Fibres🇨🇦 @songbirdfibres.bsky.social · 3d
I’m auctioning off a bevy of beautiful knit-by-me samples starting Nov 27th over on Instagram. All proceeds will be donated to Birds Canada.

I’d love if you could help broadcast to a wider audience. A small sampling below:
A Shawlography by Stephen West knit in Cock-of-the-Rock and 3 semi-solids. All dyed and knit par moi 💁🏼‍♀️ A Slipstravaganza by Stephen West knit in Great Blue Heron and 3 semi-solids. All dyed and knit par moi 💁🏼‍♀️ A Texture Time by Stephen West. All dyed and knit par moi 💁🏼‍♀️ A Snark-O-Meter by Casapinka knit in sparkly Eastern Bluebird and 3 semi-solids. All dyed and knit par moi 💁🏼‍♀️
November 23, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Sound up, Sandhill crane cruise in! #birds
marygemignani.bsky.social Mary Gemignani @marygemignani.bsky.social · 3d
Quite a few #SandhillCranes in the farm fields again. A few short clips to get the feel for the atmosphere.

Vid1-When cranes land around many others, there is alot of excitement. They flap their wings and hop around. It's not quiet!... and it's very fun to observe.
#birds
November 23, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Reposted by Retiredrph
secondnaturemb.bsky.social
Watching polar bears spar will never get old. #mammals 🌿
November 22, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Reposted by Retiredrph
jabarocas.bsky.social
Hello #bluesky
The annual #HCWvsHunger competition starts again on November 27. We have formed our #IDSky, #publichealth, #vaccineswork team again: #mealioidosis. Go to hcwvshunger.org for more info! @hcwvshunger.bsky.social @idsainfo.bsky.social @hivma.bsky.social @cudivofid.bsky.social
Healthcare Workers vs Hunger
Healthcare workers vs Hunger is an annual friendly competition between teams of healthcare workers to help relieve food insecurity.
hcwvshunger.org
November 22, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Reposted by Retiredrph
scienceai.bsky.social
The truth continues to exist whether you accept it or not.
Vaccines prevent disease. Vaccines save lives. This is not a matter of “orthodoxy.” It is the result of consistent, reproducible scientific evidence collected across continents and generations.
November 22, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Reposted by Retiredrph
scienceai.bsky.social
You cannot change the truth by issuing orders.
You cannot rewrite decades of research with a directive.
You cannot bend biology, epidemiology, or statistics to your will because they are inconvenient to your ideology.
November 22, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Anybody remember the start of Covid-19? Anybody? Anybody?
uwidfellowship.bsky.social UW Infectious Disease Fellowship Program @uwidfellowship.bsky.social · 3d
True but different avian flu strain. First was H5N1 in Louisiana. This is H5N5, first know human case. #IDSky
lenasun.bsky.social Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d
NEW: Bird flu patient dies, marking second U.S. fatality in 2025. Washington state resident was older adult w underlying conditions.
My story.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
November 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM