Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Gerard Harbison

@gerardharbison.bsky.social

530 followers 550 following 3.2K posts

Emeritus Professor of Chemistry. Irish and American; raised in Dublin, though born in England. Happily married (hope my wife feels the same!) Travels, watching birds. Grows plants. Snarks. Lives in Melbourne Beach, on the Atlantic Coast of the stupid state

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 3h

When you sup with the devil, best bring a long spoon.

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 3h

It's lovely to watch the right-wing turn on itself.

Netanyahu thought he could play footsie with the American Right. But the Right's anti-semitism has always lurked under the surface. They love Bibi because he slaughters Muslims; in the end they'll turn on the Jews.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/o...

Opinion | Megyn Kelly Knows Which Way the Winds Are Blowing

www.nytimes.com

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 3h

"In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 9h

Written in the 1940s. A different world.

Funny that science fiction was able to conjure a slew of different worlds and realities, but gender equality was rarely one.

1 3

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 10h

Not a single one of those fuckers convicted, either. Yet.

Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, in action.

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 10h

I’ll forgive Israel as soon as it brings 68,000 (probably more like 100,000) Gazans back to life, and after it rebuilds Gaza.

Not before Until then, BDS.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/w...

A Test Now for Israel: Can It Repair Its Ties to Americans?

www.nytimes.com

1 1 2

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 10h

Totally missed that on the first reading (which, in my defense, was in the late 70s)

1 2

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 10h

At the time, I loved Catch 22, even though (in retrospect) it was variations on a single theme. Not a book I’ve ever re-read, though.

4 13

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 10h

I asked one of the the other day if he’s read Slaughterhouse Five (which I’d actually consider re-reading). Of course, there was no reply.

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 11h

Oh dear. That was in fact my reading in my late teens. Every single one of them.

I’ve never cracked any of them since, though. That must count for something.

2 27

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 12h

The libertarian in me says gambling should be legal. The rational person says this is a really bad idea.

Reposted by Gerard Harbison

Dragon Moll Z 🎃 @dopestatistics.bsky.social · 1d

I think it should be clear at this point that like the US federal government has collapsed.

There are no branches. There are no rules.

There is just one man and his truth social posts.

120 700 3K

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 15h

Never give them money. I’ve confronted a couple of bell-ringers about the homophobia, but it turns out those guys with pails and bells are just hobos they hired. The Sallies are too lazy to collect their own cash.

1 40

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 15h

Maybe it was ‘spiritual’ mold? Like the weird white dusty stuff in Stranger Things?

OMG, maybe Jordan is a demigorgon?

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 16h

No, we're not Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk is dead, so he can't read this.

(My Trumpkin neighbors are very silly)

A poster saying 'We are all Charlie Kirk'

Reposted by Gerard Harbison

Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 21h

(🚨) BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump No Longer Remembers That He Was President and Controlled the FBI on January 6, 2021, Confirming Americans' Worst Fears About His Advanced Dementia

180 1.3K 3.6K

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 1d

The major failure was UEFA's. I think they were counting on Norway and Italy to take care of the Israeli problem. (And Erling Haaland did that, almost single-handed). FiFa has delegated to UEFA, and Infantino is pond-scum.

Yeah, Norway should have boycotted, but UEFA put them in that position.

1 1

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 1d

If they served in Gaza, they are war criminals.

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 1d

Reported as spam.

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 1d

How many times are you going to post this, spammer troll?

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 1d

No, they don't. They've been collecting welfare so long they can't exist on their own.

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 1d

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 1d

Haaretz is the only Israeli institution I have any time for, but a boycott’s a boycott.

Apparently BDS is now cool

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Boycotting Israel has gone mainstream: ‘We’ve never seen such traction before’

After decades of being dismissed as fringe, the boycott call has been taken up by leading figures across arts, sports and politics

www.theguardian.com

1 3

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 1d

The report actually said ‘execrable’ health, but it was changed to ‘exceptional’ with a Sharpie.

Gerard Harbison @gerardharbison.bsky.social · 2d

How did a Harvard-educated physician with impeccable credentials turn into the quack we know Joseph Ladapo to be?

The fascinating story here..

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

From medicine to mysticism: the radicalization of Florida's top doc

Joseph Ladapo was a normie—until he met his wife and a guru into levitating and communicating with spirits.