ERTBen
@ertben.bsky.social
Figuring out where we go from here. Seeking community and new ways to engage people in progressive ideas. Weather, wildfire, wilderness and front-yard gardening. Midwest-born Californian. Exvangelical.
Reposted by ERTBen
finally, we're living through precedented times
January 4, 2026 at 6:56 AM
finally, we're living through precedented times
Reposted by ERTBen
absolutely bizarre to see a violent, rogue american regime, which is threatening military attacks on a bunch of major trading partners and close allies, and openly fantasizing about hitler-style wars of territorial conquest, covered in the tone of horse-race political commentary
January 4, 2026 at 3:14 AM
absolutely bizarre to see a violent, rogue american regime, which is threatening military attacks on a bunch of major trading partners and close allies, and openly fantasizing about hitler-style wars of territorial conquest, covered in the tone of horse-race political commentary
Reposted by ERTBen
I want to help make a government that isn’t evil and works so well that you don’t really think about it
I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for in a politician but not having every day be a nightmare of horrors would be pretty high up so someone should run on that
January 4, 2026 at 2:38 AM
I want to help make a government that isn’t evil and works so well that you don’t really think about it
Reposted by ERTBen
Members of Congress: stop posting online and APPEAR, PHYSICALLY on the steps of the Capitol to decry this unconstitutional violation of domestic & international law. SHOW THE PEOPLE the level of danger we are facing as a country.
@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social
@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social
January 3, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Members of Congress: stop posting online and APPEAR, PHYSICALLY on the steps of the Capitol to decry this unconstitutional violation of domestic & international law. SHOW THE PEOPLE the level of danger we are facing as a country.
@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social
@housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social
Reposted by ERTBen
I just have to say, if I were a Dem member of congress, I would have had an impeachment resolution sitting in my safe ready to madlibs this shit into looooooong before this morning. It’s never been a question of if, just when.
January 3, 2026 at 11:51 PM
I just have to say, if I were a Dem member of congress, I would have had an impeachment resolution sitting in my safe ready to madlibs this shit into looooooong before this morning. It’s never been a question of if, just when.
Reposted by ERTBen
he's just gonna keep doing illegal shit as long as everyone keeps letting him
January 4, 2026 at 12:08 AM
he's just gonna keep doing illegal shit as long as everyone keeps letting him
Reposted by ERTBen
the reality of what we’re really facing is starting to sink it. jesus fucking crisis.
January 4, 2026 at 12:27 AM
the reality of what we’re really facing is starting to sink it. jesus fucking crisis.
Reposted by ERTBen
This could be us but you playin
For those whose sudden expertise on Korean politics has waned: the opposition party has vowed to impeach Yoon EVERY SATURDAY until they basically shame him into resigning or his own party is shamed into voting against him. He's looking at a charge of treason or insurrection.
January 4, 2026 at 12:59 AM
This could be us but you playin
Reposted by ERTBen
Once again.
No Blood For Oil vs. Exactly How Much Oil Are We Talking About?
Contrary to what he would have you believe, President Bush’s plans to invade Iraq have nothing to do with such high-minded goals as liberating the Iraqi people or saving the world from terrorism. His ...
theonion.com
January 3, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Once again.
Reposted by ERTBen
Last night, Trump bombed Venezuela and kidnapped President Maduro and his wife. This is regime change, plain and simple, the kind of reckless military action that has dragged the United States into decades of endless war.
Demand accountability now: commondefense.us/actions/dema...
Demand accountability now: commondefense.us/actions/dema...
January 3, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Last night, Trump bombed Venezuela and kidnapped President Maduro and his wife. This is regime change, plain and simple, the kind of reckless military action that has dragged the United States into decades of endless war.
Demand accountability now: commondefense.us/actions/dema...
Demand accountability now: commondefense.us/actions/dema...
Reposted by ERTBen
Hey Siri, what is selection bias?
@wlrnnews.bsky.social
Venezuelans interviewed in Weston and Doral — cities with the largest concentration of Venezuelan-Americans in the U.S. — said they are ecstatic over Maduro’s ouster, and are hopeful of a promising future.
Venezuelans interviewed in Weston and Doral — cities with the largest concentration of Venezuelan-Americans in the U.S. — said they are ecstatic over Maduro’s ouster, and are hopeful of a promising future.
Jubilation. Joy. Hope. Venezuelans in South Florida celebrate Maduro's ouster with guarded optimism
Venezuelans interviewed in Weston and Doral — cities with the largest concentration of Venezuelan-Americans in the nation — said they are ecstatic over Maduro’s ouster from their beloved homeland, and...
www.wlrn.org
January 3, 2026 at 8:44 PM
Hey Siri, what is selection bias?
Reposted by ERTBen
Anyone opposed to impeachment needs to resign.
Full stop.
Full stop.
January 3, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Anyone opposed to impeachment needs to resign.
Full stop.
Full stop.
Reposted by ERTBen
It’s not about drugs. If it was, Trump wouldn’t have pardoned one of the largest narco traffickers in the world last month.
It’s about oil and regime change.
And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
It’s about oil and regime change.
And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
January 3, 2026 at 3:34 PM
It’s not about drugs. If it was, Trump wouldn’t have pardoned one of the largest narco traffickers in the world last month.
It’s about oil and regime change.
And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
It’s about oil and regime change.
And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
Reposted by ERTBen
He's defied the War Powers Act. The next steps are clear & obvious, impeachment and removal.
January 3, 2026 at 3:14 PM
He's defied the War Powers Act. The next steps are clear & obvious, impeachment and removal.
Reposted by ERTBen
Im seeing discussions about consultations with congress, authorizations of force etc. I have to say this transcends any of what I would call sub constitutional technicalities. The president has gone to war with a foreign power and, it seems, kidnapped a foreign head of state on the basis of nothing.
January 3, 2026 at 9:43 AM
Im seeing discussions about consultations with congress, authorizations of force etc. I have to say this transcends any of what I would call sub constitutional technicalities. The president has gone to war with a foreign power and, it seems, kidnapped a foreign head of state on the basis of nothing.
Reposted by ERTBen
every reporter who covers AI should paste their latest piece into it and ask it to tell them if it’s good, and then when it offers obsequious praise, change the prompt to “tear it to shreds,” in order to understand on a personal level that it has no viewpoint and just responds to the prompt
It’s also time to start wondering if some of these reporters are a little cooked by the bots themselves. Reporters aren’t inured to chatbot psychosis. In fact, some of them may have drank too much of the kool aid from sources selling them stuff. We’re in a new world of stupid. Adjust your credulity.
January 3, 2026 at 3:22 AM
every reporter who covers AI should paste their latest piece into it and ask it to tell them if it’s good, and then when it offers obsequious praise, change the prompt to “tear it to shreds,” in order to understand on a personal level that it has no viewpoint and just responds to the prompt
Reposted by ERTBen
In the last half of 2025, the President of OpenAI donated $25 million to the SuperPAC MAGA, Inc — the single largest contributor
January 3, 2026 at 1:33 AM
In the last half of 2025, the President of OpenAI donated $25 million to the SuperPAC MAGA, Inc — the single largest contributor
Reposted by ERTBen
Watching Zohran speak and phew! Believing better things are possible is fundamental to my politics and I’m okay if that’s cheesy.
January 1, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Watching Zohran speak and phew! Believing better things are possible is fundamental to my politics and I’m okay if that’s cheesy.
Watching D'Angelo's 'Untitled', just to (How Does It Feel) something.
Selecting hyper parameters without grid search, just to anneal something
Playing the glocken, just to spiel something
January 1, 2026 at 1:12 AM
Watching D'Angelo's 'Untitled', just to (How Does It Feel) something.
Reposted by ERTBen
I do almost all my reading via audiobook because the amount of time I am available for uninterrupted holding and staring is much less than the amount of time I am available for listening
audiobooks are great and count as reading!! if you don't like visual books or have a schedule that makes them difficult, read an audiobook!
i am fully prepared to blame this on that thing where for decades anglo kids haven't been taught to read properly; to which the immediate fix would be to turn many more people onto audiobooks
December 31, 2025 at 5:18 PM
I do almost all my reading via audiobook because the amount of time I am available for uninterrupted holding and staring is much less than the amount of time I am available for listening
Reposted by ERTBen
there are probably 10 people in the entire country who voted for Kamala in 2024 and wish they voted for Trump so naturally one of them is featured by the New York Times
December 30, 2025 at 7:03 PM
there are probably 10 people in the entire country who voted for Kamala in 2024 and wish they voted for Trump so naturally one of them is featured by the New York Times
Reposted by ERTBen
With all this talk of how to end Russias war against Ukraine, and a cease fire, keep this in mind:
If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist.
If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist.
Pretty clear
If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist.
If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist.
Pretty clear
December 28, 2025 at 9:23 PM
With all this talk of how to end Russias war against Ukraine, and a cease fire, keep this in mind:
If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist.
If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist.
Pretty clear
If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist.
If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist.
Pretty clear
Reposted by ERTBen
i don’t think it’s a societal problem that young people tend to want to be able to write down things they aren’t ready to say to another person! that’s normal. it’s a societal problem that the place they’re likely to want to write them down might encourage them to kill themselves
December 29, 2025 at 1:56 AM
i don’t think it’s a societal problem that young people tend to want to be able to write down things they aren’t ready to say to another person! that’s normal. it’s a societal problem that the place they’re likely to want to write them down might encourage them to kill themselves
Reposted by ERTBen
young people have always looked for a safe place to put their secrets that can’t judge their feelings! it’s why kids like to keep diaries. the difference is that a notebook will never actively encourage mental illness or explicitly validate suicidal ideation
i wonder if anyone is going to ask the other question: why are kids confiding in AI how they feel about *insert mental health topic* and not confiding in a real person? or are we just going to use this as another “AI bad” thing and move on?
getting rid of AI won’t fix the problems that got us here
getting rid of AI won’t fix the problems that got us here
December 29, 2025 at 1:48 AM
young people have always looked for a safe place to put their secrets that can’t judge their feelings! it’s why kids like to keep diaries. the difference is that a notebook will never actively encourage mental illness or explicitly validate suicidal ideation