JamesWNealhe/him/it. Old white bi guy. Currently in Raymore, MO. Looking to move back to #Arizona Retired. Former PR pro. Former state level PIO (Nebraska). Thick skin wearing thin online, but still hanging on.
Re-living first years as DJ by collecting more records than is healthy. #NowPlaying #Music #Vinyl
Surviving son of UNL Prof of #Journalism James M. Neal, Jr & Caroline Becker.
JamesWNealWhile I’ve not created any new images of this sort for some time, I did for a number of years really enjoy using records, album covers, CDs, and the occasional cassette as primary elements in scenes. In some cases, the scene was meant to complement or play off the artwork.
Translucent discs of various hues were also fun to backlight.
#NowPlaying #Vinyl #Music #introduction #Records #Cassette #CD #AlbumArt
JamesWNeal#TwitterMigration Yeah, me too. I've been on this platform for only a few hours, have already put up some background on me, just because (because I'm not famous so there's no Wiki), a bit about why I'm here, but in the event anyone's listening, I'll do some background in pictures, starting obviously with this one. #introduction
JamesWNealI worked at a state environmental agency in Democratic & Republican administrations, saw the good & bad of both. I saw people in both administrations trying to find solutions, but also people working hard to prevent solutions from being implemented.
I became the de-facto state spokesperson for a proposed regional low-level radioactive waste disposal facility, did the revolving door thing, became disillusioned, burned out, dropped out.
So yeah, I know about personal harassment. #introduction
JamesWNealEven today, some 30 years later, I shake when I talk about some of those years.
I honestly thought it possible to have civil discussions, mutually work out solutions, get them implemented.
I didn't know then the history of weaponizing misinformation, vilifying scientists, weaponizing people by leveraging & amplifying fear.
Why I ever thought social media would be the solution, not just another means of delivering payloads is beyond me.
But I'm still trying. #introduction
JamesWNealI'm not a scientist, but was too smart to try and play one on TV.
What I did was try to be a bridge between scientists and the public.
They'd say it their way. I'd say what I thought they'd said. They'd then tell me where I was wrong, eventually getting me to a point where what I'd tell the public was accurate, if not as complete, as nuanced as what they tried to convey to me in the first place.
I am not and never will be, an Elon.
#introduction
JamesWNealI worked at a state environmental agency in Democratic & Republican administrations, saw the good & bad of both. I saw people in both administrations trying to find solutions, but also people working hard to prevent solutions from being implemented.
I became the de-facto state spokesperson for a proposed regional low-level radioactive waste disposal facility, did the revolving door thing, became disillusioned, burned out, dropped out.
So yeah, I know about personal harassment. #introduction
JamesWNealI'm not a scientist, but was too smart to try and play one on TV.
What I did was try to be a bridge between scientists and the public.
They'd say it their way. I'd say what I thought they'd said. They'd then tell me where I was wrong, eventually getting me to a point where what I'd tell the public was accurate, if not as complete, as nuanced as what they tried to convey to me in the first place.
I am not and never will be, an Elon.
#introduction
JamesWNealThe Harvard-Trained Lawyer Behind Trump’s Fight Against Top Universities. May Mailman is credited as an animating force behind a strategy that has intimidated independent institutions and undercut years of medical and scientific research. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/us/politics/harvard-trump-may-mailman.html
JamesWNealThis is how it's done - "To understand the scope of Ms. Mailman’s influence, The Times reviewed emails and other government records surfaced in court cases targeting the Trump administration, mined her interviews on conservative podcasts and other media appearances and interviewed more than a dozen current and former colleagues." #journalism
JamesWNealThe Harvard-Trained Lawyer Behind Trump’s Fight Against Top Universities. May Mailman is credited as an animating force behind a strategy that has intimidated independent institutions and undercut years of medical and scientific research. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/us/politics/harvard-trump-may-mailman.html
JamesWNealAs someone who read newspapers as a kid (columns), then struggled with textbooks (full page text), then found many websites tolerable (columns) & for those that weren't, "reader view" with the window narrowed (1 column), I've always wondered what the hell the textbook formatting community had against those of us who . . .
Get to the end of a long sentence, forget what was at the beginning, start to read it over, rinse and repeat . . . providing they at least understood the purpose of leading.
JamesWNealA couple of things about this home for sale in Palm Springs. First, the Realtor did the photos the right way - showing us what the rooms really look like, in addition to how the photos were altered to make them more "sellable." Second, while I've seen 1,000s of listings with CGI furniture added, this is the first time I've seen them "paint" the walls. Third, we're 1/2 a step away from AI generated people in the pool. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2144-E-Rogers-Rd-Palm-Springs-CA-92262/18017382_zpid/
JamesWNeal(Politico) In light of Fetterman’s seeming estrangement from the Democratic Party and his evolution into “Trump’s favorite Democrat,” the left has reconciled with Lamb, wondering if maybe they were a little too tough on the once up-and-coming lawmaker who had shot to national attention by winning a deep red district in a 2018 special election.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/08/07/conor-lamb-john-fetterman-progressive-remorse-00493728
JamesWNealI'm just surprised Trump hasn't proposed a census that excludes every single American with enough sense not to support him.
JamesWNealJudge: They claim you ran from them and they had no choice but to tackle you and pin you to the ground.
Random Dude: So, if a bunch of masked guys jump out of a rental truck and come after you, judge, you're going to assume they're not terrorists or something and just go quietly?"
Judge: You have a point there.
JamesWNealCitizen to Masked ICEman: "You can't do that! Habeas Corpus is in the Constitution."
Masked ICEman whips out his copy of the King Trump edition, waves it at the Citizen and says, "sorry, we're not following the Old Constitution any more."
JamesWNeal"The Republican president said companies that make computer chips in the U.S. would be spared the import tax." (which is going to blunt the pain of this one a fair amount) .
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-tariff-computer-chips/507-05469f02-f283-432c-9657-4dcb44345778
JamesWNealI suspect most Americans are so involved in just going about their daily lives, Trump's free to do just about anything he wants because those chickens aren't coming to roost in their living rooms - yet.