My Week in Tweets (April 23-29)

If it’s Friday, it’s time for “My Week in Tweets”… Hope you enjoy another walk through my personal feed, annotated with a fair amount of “shade.”
- Friday, April 23rd-
An interesting perspective... https://t.co/CODcG13OFa
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 24, 2021
One of the great joys of Twitter is being able to highlight the work of important journalism. I kicked the week off by sharing an article written by my friend Dahlia Lithwick. It really seemed to hit a nerve as more than 17 thousand of you clicked to read it. I can understand why. It’s a thought-provoking framing of the current Supreme Court.
- Saturday, April 24th -
Today may be #IndieBookstoreDay. But everyday is INDIE BOOKSTORE DAY for me. These vital local businesses inspire, educate and center communities. Please help support them. They define WHAT UNITES US. Share your favorite bookstores and use #WhatUnitesUs and I'll try to retweet.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 24, 2021
First of all, thanks for not being the grammar police and noticing that every day should have been two words instead of one. I love promoting these vital local businesses. Many of you did indeed use the hashtag #WhatUnitesUs and shared your beloved booksellers, big and small, across the country. However, keeping these businesses up and running has to be a year-long exercise.
Here are steps to support your local bookstore:
Use the website IndieBound.org to find an independent bookstore in your area
Pre-order a book
Make a donation and/or support their fundraising campaign
Buy a gift card
Share on social media how much you love them
A moment of spring... "Flight of the Cardinal" pic.twitter.com/xf1pzhVjpg
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 24, 2021
In the rush of life, you can always count on nature to provide a reason to stop everything and pursue a moment of observation and awe, whether it’s the fluttering of a wing or a dramatic squall. To be honest, this is some of my favorite kind of content. Isn’t #NatureTwitter great?
Astounding. https://t.co/S0q4zSrSiU
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 25, 2021
- Sunday, April 25th -
You know the what is NOT the definition of being “silenced?” When millions of people have no choice but to hear about the bile you’re spewing.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 25, 2021
First of all, a typo. Oops, embarrassing but no edit on Twitter. Sadly, there’s nothing new about this phenomenon. As I’ve said before, “There’s a certain irony of those who broadcast to millions of followers their plight of being silenced. If a tree falls in the forest but it was #cancelled, does it still make a sound?”
- Monday, April 26th -
I like this... https://t.co/OJlDYi5QdB
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 26, 2021
A simple yet powerful reminder. Wherever you are reading this, in whatever place and whatever space, I hope that you are celebrated. And if you find a lack, know that with these words I am thinking of you and giving you a cheer as you go on your way.
Hmm. Did something change in January?https://t.co/2r94WdDzUc
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 27, 2021
What a difference a day makes. The change on January 20 was much more than a new leader-in-chief. In the battle against the coronavirus, the Biden administration has proven to be a return to effective governance, belief in science, and action towards the public good. Although we have made mistakes and we have a long way to go, at least we have seen improvement and what could prove to be a light at the end of this long pandemic tunnel.
- Tuesday, April 27th -
About this whole Biden burger brouhaha. Isn’t it about time that some people ketchup on reality?
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 27, 2021
This ridiculous notion that the Biden administration would ban hamburgers because of climate change was based on a lie that ricocheted around right-wing media for a day and I decided to type out this tweet. Simply put, Biden’s not coming to take your buns. I knew the use of a pun would bring a lot of calls for dad (Dan?) jokes but a lot of you jumped into the mood. Some of my favorites were:
- Lettuce face the facts
- They should sauce better information
- They got themselves in a pickle
- No bun intended
For those who are shaking their heads, while I relish your feedback I must admit that I mayo may not cut down on puns in the future.
- Wednesday, April 28th -
New York, New York, it’s a helluva town. One day you’re mayor but the next you might be going down.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 28, 2021
My apologies for butchering the works of Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green, but injecting a little sense of Gotham into the tragedy that is Rudy Giuliani was fitting.
- Thursday, April 29th -
With Joe Biden (not sleepy or in his basement) outlining a bold and vigorous blueprint for American action, I guess some people had to go to their “happy place.” Maybe he was dreaming about Cancun.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 29, 2021
The junior senator from Texas is no stranger to fleeing situations he dislikes. But whether he was actually sleeping or feigning a Congressional nap makes little difference. He would rather read the back of his eyelids (or an inflight magazine) than read the room.
- In Case You Missed It -
Here are some articles from this week of stories underreported or just plain interesting:
How Brick & Mortar Books has become a pillar of the Redmond community [Seattle Times]
In the Eastside suburb that tech companies like Microsoft made famous, the independent bookstore Brick & Mortar has become an invaluable part of the community.
Republicans Target Voter Access in Texas Cities, but Not Rural Areas [New York Times]
In Houston, election officials found creative ways to help a struggling and diverse work force vote in a pandemic. Record turnout resulted. Now the G.O.P. is targeting those very measures.
Statements on Passing of Astronaut Michael Collins [NASA]
"This trip of ours to the Moon may have looked, to you, simple or easy… All you see is the 3 of us, but beneath the surface are thousands and thousands of others, and to all those I would like to say, thank you very much." - Michael Collins, Apollo 11
Pope Francis Issues Law to Combat Corruption in the Vatican [New York Times]
Cardinals and other church officials will be required to make detailed financial disclosures and decline most gifts.
Well, that’s a walk through my Twitter week. I hope you enjoyed it.