Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
@chemprofcramer.bsky.social
UMN ChemProf Emeritus. Army vet. MOOC vet. Cancer vet. Dad of 3(human)/2(feline). Chicagoan. Armed with a keyboard and eerily immune to shame. NOT speaking for UL Research Institutes here.
Pinned
I'm Chris. I'm a theoretical chemist who, as an academic, also took an early interest in online education. Traveling the admin path, I was privileged to serve as VPR for UMN for 3 yrs. Now I'm a higher-ed expat in Chicago thrilled to serve as CRO for non-profit UL Research Institutes. #SafetyScience
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
My cartoon in this weeks @newyorker.com
June 30, 2025 at 2:40 PM
My cartoon in this weeks @newyorker.com
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
This is the dynamic across most of America: Liberal cities generate revenue, which state governments then transfer to benefit conservative rural areas, whose residents despite city-dwellers and consistently vote to harm them. But politicians endlessly pander to rural voters and demonize cities.
Another critical piece of missing context in this story: tax dollars flow from the MSP metro to rural Minnesota. People in the city subsidize the lifestyles of people living in the country minnesotareformer.com/2023/12/04/t...
January 15, 2026 at 3:48 PM
This is the dynamic across most of America: Liberal cities generate revenue, which state governments then transfer to benefit conservative rural areas, whose residents despite city-dwellers and consistently vote to harm them. But politicians endlessly pander to rural voters and demonize cities.
huh. I'm not sure how many 5-letter words there are in the English language, but it seems like the odds that the same one would be the answer to both today's Wordle AND Nurdle are ... astronomical, absent human intervention!
January 15, 2026 at 11:30 AM
huh. I'm not sure how many 5-letter words there are in the English language, but it seems like the odds that the same one would be the answer to both today's Wordle AND Nurdle are ... astronomical, absent human intervention!
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
Can confirm. My brother's boss had to leave a meeting because they're terrorizing her kid's daycare. This is just what passes for normal now in the cities.
Apparently ICE goons in multi-car caravans are circling Spanish immersion preschools in the city taunting and photographing the parents and neighbors who are patrolling the school perimeter to keep kids safe.
January 14, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Can confirm. My brother's boss had to leave a meeting because they're terrorizing her kid's daycare. This is just what passes for normal now in the cities.
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
This is Minneapolis elementary school pick up:
The alert also recommends: "Bring your whistle & wear your hat. If you have a respirator or goggles bring them in a small backpack. We don't want to show up looking alarming for the kids but chemical weapons are being used widely in the area."
2/2
The alert also recommends: "Bring your whistle & wear your hat. If you have a respirator or goggles bring them in a small backpack. We don't want to show up looking alarming for the kids but chemical weapons are being used widely in the area."
2/2
January 14, 2026 at 12:45 AM
This is Minneapolis elementary school pick up:
The alert also recommends: "Bring your whistle & wear your hat. If you have a respirator or goggles bring them in a small backpack. We don't want to show up looking alarming for the kids but chemical weapons are being used widely in the area."
2/2
The alert also recommends: "Bring your whistle & wear your hat. If you have a respirator or goggles bring them in a small backpack. We don't want to show up looking alarming for the kids but chemical weapons are being used widely in the area."
2/2
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
The de facto position of the Trump administration is that it's occupying forces are allowed to mock and belittle American citizens, and also allowed to kill citizens who mock and belittle them.
She says ICE agents mocked her: “The ICE agent who had pepper sprayed into the vents of my car said ‘you guys gotta stop obstructing us, that’s why that lesbian b—— is dead,’ verbatim, speaking of Renee Good. Which filled me with absolute rage and shock..."
www.mprnews.org/episode/2026...
www.mprnews.org/episode/2026...
‘I was flooded with fear’: Minnesotans describe their encounters with ICE, being detained
From an Uber driver to a school drop off, MPR News spoke with Minnesotans who were stopped or detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
www.mprnews.org
January 14, 2026 at 4:13 PM
The de facto position of the Trump administration is that it's occupying forces are allowed to mock and belittle American citizens, and also allowed to kill citizens who mock and belittle them.
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
For my non Chicagoans, this is what we’re all complaining about
January 14, 2026 at 2:16 PM
For my non Chicagoans, this is what we’re all complaining about
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
Reporter Louis Krauss saw this. An agent apparently dropped a flash grenade that was left with the pin still in it on Park Avenue after driving away in a squad car.
January 13, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Reporter Louis Krauss saw this. An agent apparently dropped a flash grenade that was left with the pin still in it on Park Avenue after driving away in a squad car.
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
I really want ppl w/o Minneapolis connections to understand
You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen
*Everyone has stories like this*
You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen
*Everyone has stories like this*
January 13, 2026 at 6:06 PM
I really want ppl w/o Minneapolis connections to understand
You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen
*Everyone has stories like this*
You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen
*Everyone has stories like this*
My middle son's classmate. Minneapolis has descended into hell.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inn-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inn-...
Taken by ICE & Detained | Breaking the News Plus
YouTube video by KARE 11
www.youtube.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:44 PM
My middle son's classmate. Minneapolis has descended into hell.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inn-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inn-...
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
This is happening multiple times a day, all over the twin cities.
Regardless of citizenship status, we are under attack .
And the hardest pill to swallow is no one is coming to save us. We are on our own.
Regardless of citizenship status, we are under attack .
And the hardest pill to swallow is no one is coming to save us. We are on our own.
ICE just broke a woman’s windows and yanked her out of her car at Park and 34 in Minneapolis. This is after a crowd gathered while ICE raided a home.
January 13, 2026 at 4:31 PM
This is happening multiple times a day, all over the twin cities.
Regardless of citizenship status, we are under attack .
And the hardest pill to swallow is no one is coming to save us. We are on our own.
Regardless of citizenship status, we are under attack .
And the hardest pill to swallow is no one is coming to save us. We are on our own.
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
Last week, I looked into the record of the federal prosecutor in Minnesota who was leading the work on the Somali daycare fraud case.
He struck me as a straight shooter, not a partisan hack.
Well here's confirmation: He has quit after DOJ pressure to investigate Renee Good's widow. (#giftlink 🎁)
He struck me as a straight shooter, not a partisan hack.
Well here's confirmation: He has quit after DOJ pressure to investigate Renee Good's widow. (#giftlink 🎁)
3 Prosecutors Quit After Push to Investigate ICE Shooting Victim’s Widow
www.nytimes.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Last week, I looked into the record of the federal prosecutor in Minnesota who was leading the work on the Somali daycare fraud case.
He struck me as a straight shooter, not a partisan hack.
Well here's confirmation: He has quit after DOJ pressure to investigate Renee Good's widow. (#giftlink 🎁)
He struck me as a straight shooter, not a partisan hack.
Well here's confirmation: He has quit after DOJ pressure to investigate Renee Good's widow. (#giftlink 🎁)
So proud of my erstwhile home, Minneapolis. Chicago was solid, but in the face of fascism taking it up to 11, Bold North residents have shown their unstinting resolve. 🙇♂️
January 13, 2026 at 2:53 AM
So proud of my erstwhile home, Minneapolis. Chicago was solid, but in the face of fascism taking it up to 11, Bold North residents have shown their unstinting resolve. 🙇♂️
I went to use our building gym at my usual time on a Sunday and found it packed with people, none of whom I recognized as regulars! Must be January...
a woman is making a funny face and says it 's almost time to repeat the whole new year , new me thing
Alt: a woman is making a funny face and says it 's almost time to repeat the whole new year , new me thing
media.tenor.com
January 11, 2026 at 5:14 PM
I went to use our building gym at my usual time on a Sunday and found it packed with people, none of whom I recognized as regulars! Must be January...
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
My TL has been unremittingly dark, lately. Guessing I'm not alone. Got to visit Lisbon's zoo, yesterday. An exemplar of good animal stewardship (lots of enrichment props/activities in large spaces for the animals) while allowing awesome viewing. So, a TL cleanse of animal pics follows, if you need.
January 9, 2026 at 12:57 PM
My TL has been unremittingly dark, lately. Guessing I'm not alone. Got to visit Lisbon's zoo, yesterday. An exemplar of good animal stewardship (lots of enrichment props/activities in large spaces for the animals) while allowing awesome viewing. So, a TL cleanse of animal pics follows, if you need.
My TL has been unremittingly dark, lately. Guessing I'm not alone. Got to visit Lisbon's zoo, yesterday. An exemplar of good animal stewardship (lots of enrichment props/activities in large spaces for the animals) while allowing awesome viewing. So, a TL cleanse of animal pics follows, if you need.
January 9, 2026 at 12:57 PM
My TL has been unremittingly dark, lately. Guessing I'm not alone. Got to visit Lisbon's zoo, yesterday. An exemplar of good animal stewardship (lots of enrichment props/activities in large spaces for the animals) while allowing awesome viewing. So, a TL cleanse of animal pics follows, if you need.
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
So a CBS Evening News reporter actually did a pretty solid breakdown of the ICE murder video, talking to a former agent who details all the ways Ross messed up. And yet: It didn’t air on the actual show tonight. CBS did post it to YouTube—and it has nearly 800k views already youtu.be/6ywLEESFDu0?...
Retired ICE agent breaks down deadly Minneapolis shooting
YouTube video by CBS Evening News
youtu.be
January 9, 2026 at 7:04 AM
So a CBS Evening News reporter actually did a pretty solid breakdown of the ICE murder video, talking to a former agent who details all the ways Ross messed up. And yet: It didn’t air on the actual show tonight. CBS did post it to YouTube—and it has nearly 800k views already youtu.be/6ywLEESFDu0?...
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
how do flamingo legs even work???
January 8, 2026 at 3:30 PM
how do flamingo legs even work???
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
what this should make clear to everyone in this country is that it does not matter who you are, there's no "it could never happen to me"
you can be a white woman who drives around with stuffed animals in her car, and they will still kill you in cold blood and call you a domestic terrorist
you can be a white woman who drives around with stuffed animals in her car, and they will still kill you in cold blood and call you a domestic terrorist
The murdered woman's glove compartment is filled with stuffed animals.
January 7, 2026 at 8:54 PM
what this should make clear to everyone in this country is that it does not matter who you are, there's no "it could never happen to me"
you can be a white woman who drives around with stuffed animals in her car, and they will still kill you in cold blood and call you a domestic terrorist
you can be a white woman who drives around with stuffed animals in her car, and they will still kill you in cold blood and call you a domestic terrorist
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
Never forget.
January 6, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Never forget.
Reposted by Well-tarred Flask 🇮🇹🇺🇦🇨🇦
Twitter is owned by a fascist, Facebook and the Washington Post have gone MAGA, and now CBS News is about to be turned into far-right state TV. Here’s why America has a liberal media bias problem.
January 5, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Twitter is owned by a fascist, Facebook and the Washington Post have gone MAGA, and now CBS News is about to be turned into far-right state TV. Here’s why America has a liberal media bias problem.
Introduce yourself with what almost killed you.
(sigh) me.
(sigh) me.
Introduce yourself with what almost killed you.
Hydrogen fluoride
Hydrogen fluoride
Introduce yourself with what almost killed you.
Hydrogen sulfide.
Hydrogen sulfide.
January 5, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Introduce yourself with what almost killed you.
(sigh) me.
(sigh) me.