Stephen Michael Kellat
@alpacaherder.bsky.social
Current instructor of digital literacy. Multiple affiliations but I do not speak here on behalf of any of them nor do I speak at their direction here.
Special interests though not expert: PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome, AuDHD, TTRPG, Ashtabula & more
Special interests though not expert: PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome, AuDHD, TTRPG, Ashtabula & more
Pinned
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
If we're not at war, Pete Hegseth is a murderer. If we are at war, Pete Hegseth is still a murderer. He's a murderer. And you don't need to go to The Hague to hold him accountable because there are perfectly good, American laws AGAINST MURDER.
My latest in @thenation.com
My latest in @thenation.com
Pete Hegseth Should Be Charged With Murder
No matter how you look at the strikes on alleged “drug boats”—as acts of war or attacks on civilians—Hegseth has committed a crime and should be prosecuted.
www.thenation.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:18 PM
If we're not at war, Pete Hegseth is a murderer. If we are at war, Pete Hegseth is still a murderer. He's a murderer. And you don't need to go to The Hague to hold him accountable because there are perfectly good, American laws AGAINST MURDER.
My latest in @thenation.com
My latest in @thenation.com
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
I've been saying for the better part of a year that Trump is on a mission to decriminalize corruption. To make it the legal equivalent of jaywalking.
I feel that more strongly now than I ever had.
I feel that more strongly now than I ever had.
Trump announces a pardon of Henry Cuellar: "I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda. Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!"
December 3, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I've been saying for the better part of a year that Trump is on a mission to decriminalize corruption. To make it the legal equivalent of jaywalking.
I feel that more strongly now than I ever had.
I feel that more strongly now than I ever had.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
I can already hear the Matt Stoller quote in Politico about how this gamesmanship to help Larry Ellison buy Warner Brothers (by pretending to care about Netflix's market power) is a good faith example of useful populism
like clockwork
like clockwork
December 3, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I can already hear the Matt Stoller quote in Politico about how this gamesmanship to help Larry Ellison buy Warner Brothers (by pretending to care about Netflix's market power) is a good faith example of useful populism
like clockwork
like clockwork
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
yep yep yep
It's pretty obvious what's going to happen here.
Trump is going to "antitrust" his way toward making sure only Larry Ellison can acquire WB
Meanwhile, Matt Stoller will goon furiously to the faintest semblance of an idea that there is anything besides sheer kleptocracy at work in the proceedings
Trump is going to "antitrust" his way toward making sure only Larry Ellison can acquire WB
Meanwhile, Matt Stoller will goon furiously to the faintest semblance of an idea that there is anything besides sheer kleptocracy at work in the proceedings
these are all terrible options, and if we lived in a functioning democracy with working regulators we'd think nothing of putting a blanket end to pointless media consolidation
these deals are always terrible for product quality, consumers, art and labor, but this is always downplayed in coverage.
these deals are always terrible for product quality, consumers, art and labor, but this is always downplayed in coverage.
December 3, 2025 at 9:28 PM
yep yep yep
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
As to PURL
Italy is not formally withdrawing from NATO’s PURL program, but it has put its participation on hold.
Meaning - they pause US purchases until they see whom US aligns with.
I hate clickbait and "journalists" without any analytical sense.
Italy is not formally withdrawing from NATO’s PURL program, but it has put its participation on hold.
Meaning - they pause US purchases until they see whom US aligns with.
I hate clickbait and "journalists" without any analytical sense.
December 3, 2025 at 9:15 PM
As to PURL
Italy is not formally withdrawing from NATO’s PURL program, but it has put its participation on hold.
Meaning - they pause US purchases until they see whom US aligns with.
I hate clickbait and "journalists" without any analytical sense.
Italy is not formally withdrawing from NATO’s PURL program, but it has put its participation on hold.
Meaning - they pause US purchases until they see whom US aligns with.
I hate clickbait and "journalists" without any analytical sense.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
And this adds to the story below
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Wednesday slammed European NATO allies for prioritizing their own defense industry over American arms suppliers, according to three NATO diplomats.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Wednesday slammed European NATO allies for prioritizing their own defense industry over American arms suppliers, according to three NATO diplomats.
As to PURL
Italy is not formally withdrawing from NATO’s PURL program, but it has put its participation on hold.
Meaning - they pause US purchases until they see whom US aligns with.
I hate clickbait and "journalists" without any analytical sense.
Italy is not formally withdrawing from NATO’s PURL program, but it has put its participation on hold.
Meaning - they pause US purchases until they see whom US aligns with.
I hate clickbait and "journalists" without any analytical sense.
December 3, 2025 at 9:34 PM
And this adds to the story below
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Wednesday slammed European NATO allies for prioritizing their own defense industry over American arms suppliers, according to three NATO diplomats.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Wednesday slammed European NATO allies for prioritizing their own defense industry over American arms suppliers, according to three NATO diplomats.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
Not trying to burst any bubbles; but Spotify is over.
They are airing ICE recruitment ads, the CEO has been investing in military/AI tech, they barely pay their artists; sometimes a percentage of a cent per stream, they promote “fake/AI artist” playlists, and there’s major concerns about data use.
They are airing ICE recruitment ads, the CEO has been investing in military/AI tech, they barely pay their artists; sometimes a percentage of a cent per stream, they promote “fake/AI artist” playlists, and there’s major concerns about data use.
December 3, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Not trying to burst any bubbles; but Spotify is over.
They are airing ICE recruitment ads, the CEO has been investing in military/AI tech, they barely pay their artists; sometimes a percentage of a cent per stream, they promote “fake/AI artist” playlists, and there’s major concerns about data use.
They are airing ICE recruitment ads, the CEO has been investing in military/AI tech, they barely pay their artists; sometimes a percentage of a cent per stream, they promote “fake/AI artist” playlists, and there’s major concerns about data use.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
One of the reasons I think it’s also essential to not call the boat strikes “war crimes” but “crimes against humanity,” is that it emphasizes that Trump and Hegseth are acting extra-constitutionally and are not entitled to any shield from the courts. This systematic murder of civilians is illegal.
December 3, 2025 at 9:29 PM
One of the reasons I think it’s also essential to not call the boat strikes “war crimes” but “crimes against humanity,” is that it emphasizes that Trump and Hegseth are acting extra-constitutionally and are not entitled to any shield from the courts. This systematic murder of civilians is illegal.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
That’s right — two thirds of the entire population of America was saved by the president’s brave war crimes.
But did they even say thank you?
But did they even say thank you?
Noem: You have saved hundreds of millions of lives with the Cocaine you’ve blown up in the Caribbean
December 3, 2025 at 9:02 PM
That’s right — two thirds of the entire population of America was saved by the president’s brave war crimes.
But did they even say thank you?
But did they even say thank you?
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
It’s 2027. You’re a lawyer arguing before the Supreme Court that the monthlong warrantless collection of the defendant’s poop data is not a 4th Amendment search
techcrunch.com/2025/12/03/e...
techcrunch.com/2025/12/03/e...
‘End-to-end encrypted’ smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted | TechCrunch
Kohler, the makers of a smart toilet camera, can access customers' data stored on its servers, and can use customers’ bowl pictures to train AI.
techcrunch.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:25 PM
It’s 2027. You’re a lawyer arguing before the Supreme Court that the monthlong warrantless collection of the defendant’s poop data is not a 4th Amendment search
techcrunch.com/2025/12/03/e...
techcrunch.com/2025/12/03/e...
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
please study this man's brain in a lab
December 3, 2025 at 5:38 PM
please study this man's brain in a lab
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
So when Sabrina Carpenter rips the Trump White House for using her song in a disgusting video that glorifies migrant arrests, there's a much bigger story here going on behind it:
Trump's white nationalist aides are churning out vile videos glorifying migrant suffering. But Trump-MAGA are *losing* the online culture wars over deportations, because the humane side is info-warring better.
Check out @paulwaldman.bsky.social and me on this:
newrepublic.com/article/2038...
Check out @paulwaldman.bsky.social and me on this:
newrepublic.com/article/2038...
December 3, 2025 at 3:14 PM
So when Sabrina Carpenter rips the Trump White House for using her song in a disgusting video that glorifies migrant arrests, there's a much bigger story here going on behind it:
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
It’s fitting that the most trusted person in podcasting is also the most credulous fool imaginable. “I was at Peter Thiel’s house for dinner the other night and he said the wine we were drinking was actually water that had been fed through Palantir’s servers and I was like whoa man, that’s so cool.”
December 3, 2025 at 3:28 PM
It’s fitting that the most trusted person in podcasting is also the most credulous fool imaginable. “I was at Peter Thiel’s house for dinner the other night and he said the wine we were drinking was actually water that had been fed through Palantir’s servers and I was like whoa man, that’s so cool.”
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
There was a time when professors warned students never to cite Wikipedia. Now it has become foundational knowledge for AI systems and a trusted resource for community fact-checkers who use it to make sense of information & settle debates. notetracker.socialmedialab.ca #FactChecking #DigitalLiteracy
December 2, 2025 at 5:48 PM
There was a time when professors warned students never to cite Wikipedia. Now it has become foundational knowledge for AI systems and a trusted resource for community fact-checkers who use it to make sense of information & settle debates. notetracker.socialmedialab.ca #FactChecking #DigitalLiteracy
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
THIS.
Lesson one: Yes, you can do a lot of things if you break the law.
Lesson two: Doing something is not the same as doing a good thing - it is harder to build than it is to destroy.
Trump has built nothing like the TVA. His lawbreaking is not "freeing the stuck wheels of bureaucracy."
Lesson two: Doing something is not the same as doing a good thing - it is harder to build than it is to destroy.
Trump has built nothing like the TVA. His lawbreaking is not "freeing the stuck wheels of bureaucracy."
December 3, 2025 at 2:50 PM
THIS.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
This is the "trans athletes are a problem" playbook, more or less, being deployed here against the disabled.
Balancing "no person with a disability should be denied accommodations" with "it's important to discourage non-disabled people from pretending to be disabled to take advantage of these accommodations" is really difficult and I don't have a great answer for what anyone should do about it.
December 3, 2025 at 2:50 PM
This is the "trans athletes are a problem" playbook, more or less, being deployed here against the disabled.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
NYT: The Trump administration wants its “no taxes on tips” rule to exclude money made from pornographic activity. It may soon fall to the I.R.S. to decide what constitutes porn.
December 3, 2025 at 1:57 PM
NYT: The Trump administration wants its “no taxes on tips” rule to exclude money made from pornographic activity. It may soon fall to the I.R.S. to decide what constitutes porn.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
Before I became a sex educator, I used to say I was "high maintenance" for having boundaries.
Stop apologizing for needing what you need. Seriously, stop it right now.
Stop apologizing for needing what you need. Seriously, stop it right now.
December 3, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Before I became a sex educator, I used to say I was "high maintenance" for having boundaries.
Stop apologizing for needing what you need. Seriously, stop it right now.
Stop apologizing for needing what you need. Seriously, stop it right now.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
NEW — RFK Jr.’s HHS sent out a survey asking employees to report instances of anti-Christian bias during the Biden administration, and the Dept. of Labor announced its inaugural prayer service. These are just the latest instances of Trump’s extreme Christian creep within the federal government.
RFK Jr. is very worried about anti-Christian bias at HHS...under Biden
Employees received a survey Monday asking them to rat on each other.
www.thehandbasket.co
December 3, 2025 at 1:04 AM
NEW — RFK Jr.’s HHS sent out a survey asking employees to report instances of anti-Christian bias during the Biden administration, and the Dept. of Labor announced its inaugural prayer service. These are just the latest instances of Trump’s extreme Christian creep within the federal government.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
Thank you @seattletimes.com for publishing.
The exclusion of nursing as a professional degree will impact the future pipeline of advanced practice nurses, educators, & future leaders. We must demand inclusion of nurses in the Dept of Education's proposed rule
The exclusion of nursing as a professional degree will impact the future pipeline of advanced practice nurses, educators, & future leaders. We must demand inclusion of nurses in the Dept of Education's proposed rule
We must speak up and ask the Department of Education to include nurses on the federal list of professional degrees. Read WSNA President @justin-gill.bsky.social's op-ed in @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social and sign the petition at ana.quorum.us/campaign/professionaldegreepetition/
Include nursing on the federal list of professional degrees | Op-Ed
I am alarmed by the Department of Education’s proposal to remove nursing from its list of “professional degree” programs, limiting what students can borrow.
www.seattletimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Thank you @seattletimes.com for publishing.
The exclusion of nursing as a professional degree will impact the future pipeline of advanced practice nurses, educators, & future leaders. We must demand inclusion of nurses in the Dept of Education's proposed rule
The exclusion of nursing as a professional degree will impact the future pipeline of advanced practice nurses, educators, & future leaders. We must demand inclusion of nurses in the Dept of Education's proposed rule
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
this book banning shit is *infuriating* to me, not only as a writer and a human being, but as a parent. I do not give a tiny rat’s ass what you allow or don’t allow your own kids to read. but how fucking dare you decide what MY kid gets to have access to. parent your own kids, you loser weirdos!!!
If you don't want to read a book about a magnificent unicorn who accidentally sits in some paint and feels silly (and then discovers he's still lovable in his mistake), then that's fine. But to ban this book (for 10 years!) to make sure no one else can read it because of the word "heinie"? SMH. 8/
December 2, 2025 at 11:30 PM
this book banning shit is *infuriating* to me, not only as a writer and a human being, but as a parent. I do not give a tiny rat’s ass what you allow or don’t allow your own kids to read. but how fucking dare you decide what MY kid gets to have access to. parent your own kids, you loser weirdos!!!
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
Trump administration will expand travel ban to around 30-32 countries per Noem’s advice. The countries to be announced soon.
December 2, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Trump administration will expand travel ban to around 30-32 countries per Noem’s advice. The countries to be announced soon.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
Damn, messing up on day one.
Pentagon spox confirmed that all strikes in Caribbean are "directed by the President". Congrats.
Pentagon spox confirmed that all strikes in Caribbean are "directed by the President". Congrats.
December 2, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Damn, messing up on day one.
Pentagon spox confirmed that all strikes in Caribbean are "directed by the President". Congrats.
Pentagon spox confirmed that all strikes in Caribbean are "directed by the President". Congrats.
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
Where are all those "but academic freedom!" folks? Harper's Letter signatories? What's up?
This is insane. Any material a prof thinks is necessary but isn’t for formal licensing has to get the signoff of the chair, then dean, then provost?
This is an absolutely mockery of academic freedom.
I feel like Texas Tech HAS to lose its accreditation for this, no? It’s preposterous.
This is an absolutely mockery of academic freedom.
I feel like Texas Tech HAS to lose its accreditation for this, no? It’s preposterous.
TX Tech has a flow chat for guidance on what can be taught in the university system. Two things:
1. Very little content seems to be permitted. This is partisan control of the curriculum.
2. I would not enjoy teaching under these conditions, but I really would not want to be a Chair or Dean.
1. Very little content seems to be permitted. This is partisan control of the curriculum.
2. I would not enjoy teaching under these conditions, but I really would not want to be a Chair or Dean.
December 2, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Where are all those "but academic freedom!" folks? Harper's Letter signatories? What's up?
Reposted by Stephen Michael Kellat
Honestly the REAL recession indicator is how my TikTok FYP suddenly took a hard left turn into just showing me instant ramen upgrade recipes out of nowhere
how did it know
how did it know
December 2, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Honestly the REAL recession indicator is how my TikTok FYP suddenly took a hard left turn into just showing me instant ramen upgrade recipes out of nowhere
how did it know
how did it know