Torbjörn Björkman
@torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
520 followers 370 following 4.2K posts
He/him. Swede living in Finland. Physics lecturer, violinist, genealogist, generalist, in that order, perhaps. Posting will continue until morale improves.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
aricohn.com
Some weirdo on Twitter has been absolutely melting down for like 36 straight hours because I posted:

When this is over, do not forget what ICE did, and what ICE is. And do not make room for them in society. Make sure they know that they are, and will continue to be, reviled and beneath contempt.
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
Funny how it's much less taxing on my brain to see a French movie with subtitles in English rather than my native Swedish.

My French is bad enough that I need the crutch of subtitles in a language I know *something* of to get it. With English, it's like the subtitles aren't even there. Weird.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
halftongue.bsky.social
Current Republicans' great-grandchildren will deny they were "really" Republicans. They just joined the party to get a job, or because their parents were Republicans, etc.

Guess how I know this now.
stevenbeschloss.bsky.social
Let’s not forget that every single Republican who stands by and enables Donald Trump could stop this recklessness today, tomorrow or any damn day of the week. Their failure—their refusal—to do so makes them complicit in his crimes and the crimes of his corrupt, lawless regime.
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
I felt genuinely terrible about that. You could practically see how much he resented himself for doing it, but nope, that really was the only sensible thing to do.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
jlalibs.com
What an absolute treasure Diane Keaton was. Her wit never tired, nor did her style.
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
Too bad it's not Marvel, I'd have loved to see him go a few rounds with the Hulk.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
sardonicus.eu
Letter from the advertising department at The Lady magazine, 1977


Our Ref: Sit/QC         
22nd March 1977
Mrs A. Miconi, 
Flat 17, Lyncourt, The Orchard, 
Blackheath, 
London SE3 
Dear Madam, 
We thank you for your letter and payment of £3.80, received on 21st March. 
Before proceeding, we must whether you would agree to a slight wording amenament  of the wording in order that the advertising conforms to our normal style. The words "Socialist feninist" we would prefer to read "Friendly, motherly," thereby allowing the wording to conform.
 We now look forward to your further instructions, whilst advising you that our next issue is 7th April for which we close for press upon receipt of the first post Tuesday 29th March.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social
What the fuck happened to this future and which absolute shitbag stole it from us?
dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social
'A Modern Country House’ - from Ladybird’s The Story Of Houses And Homes (1963)
A lovely illustration of a cool modernist house by a river
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
georgepenney.bsky.social
🧵Spotted on Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand:

A small human (4?) is strutting along next to Dad, gripping a cheese scone that's almost as big as his face, munching on it like an apple.
Bare feet.
The sun's shining.
Crumbs flying everywhere and no one cares.
He's having a GOOD day. (1)
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
vermontgmg.bsky.social
America needs, at some point, to start prosecuting white collar crime.
thenvindy.com
Nevada could’ve fined Elon Musk’s Boring Co. more than $3 million, but regulators are seeking a reduced penalty of $242,800, citing an “extraordinary number of violations.”

Via ProPublica: thenevadaindependent.com/article/elon...
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
smsaideman.bsky.social
Anne Frank, here in the US. FFS.
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
My first thought was “wow I hope this guy didn’t give out his name because he could absolutely be charged” and yup, he is correct to stay anonymous.

This man’s account is shocking. His neighbors’ situation is shocking. The entire Chicago raid is shocking.
On the other side was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for his help.
"I wasn't planning on letting her stay, but I didn't know what the hell was going on," the man said of his Venezuelan migrant neighbors. But he quickly relented. The little girl was inconsolable and hid under his bed.
"I didn't want them to take her," said the man, who didn't want to be named because he fears he'll be targeted by federal authorities for his actions.
"I gave her my bedroom, and I just told her,
'Just stay there. Don't open, don't, shh, just stay quiet," he recalled telling the mom and daughter as he choked back tears.
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
Any footage of the sitting US president looks like an AI slop parody of him. Is that a problem or nah?
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
banalplay.bsky.social
non euclidean ass cat
Bampy contorting herself and looking at the camera while Pishi minds her business behind her
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
Oh, is that what he looks like? He's one of those things that even advanced US study Europeans like myself aren't required to really know about.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
reverendjesus.com
Blessed are the frogs, for they keep making authoritarians look incredibly stupid
Three persons in inflatable frog costumes. One of them is holding a nicely painted sign with two little cartoon frogs holding hands, below the text "FROGS TOGETHER STRONG"
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
I'd just file this under "most of the world is not debilitatingly online, and mostly don't even understand their own media landscape very well".
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
opinionhaver.bsky.social
Yeah I’m going to keep hammering this drum: who the armed men in the employ of the state are loyal to is consequential, they are not an undifferentiated mass, and specifics matter a lot here. Blue state govs and big city mayors need to be quietly looking through FEC records and making staff changes
theophite.bsky.social
i think this fundamentally misstates the constraint: if he uses the police to directly obstruct ICE operations, he gets hit with the Insurrection Act. if he puts the cops in a position where they have to choose which orders to follow, they will currently not pick the governor.
posts-cards.bsky.social
this kind of wishcasting around pritzker ignores that he hasn't once wielded the power of the state in a creative way since DHS and ICE invaded us

the rhetoric's good and he plays a governor on TV very well, but there's no evidence of a capacity for clever use of power, unfortunately
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
opinionhaver.bsky.social
Yeah we are in Regime Politics territory now and everyone of these people needs to be hired by organizations like CA DOJ fucking ASAP. You need people with guns and the legal authority and training to use them who are not predisposed towards the regime, and you need them now.
pb102.bsky.social
And hiring damn near every FBI guy booted by Trump and his enablers they can get their hands on
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
(Bits have gotten renewed significance, since we're once more living in a time period when "artificial intelligence" is in vogue.)
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
At the risk of doing the "history of" bit wrong . . . Newton's Flaming Laser Sword by Mike Alder.

But even if I got it wrong, you won't regret reading it, he's managing to strike that perfect balance of hilarious and deeply thoughtworthy.

philosophynow.org/issues/46/Ne...
Newton’s Flaming Laser Sword | Issue 46 | Philosophy Now
Mike Alder explains why mathematicians and scientists don’t like philosophy but do it anyway.
philosophynow.org
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
stephaniedegooyer.bsky.social
Reading request! If you could recommend one text that explored the history of an idea/concept in a riveting and surprising way what would it be? Please re-skeet if you can. I know this is a niche ask.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
How to comprehensively lose a rap battle:

Step 1: Lose on your own terms
Step 2: Lose on everyone else's terms
Step 3: Lose on the terms of NFL
Step 4: Lose on the terms of the Federal Judiciary of the United States of America
Step 5: IDK find extra-terrestrial life and lose on their terms too?