etherjack.bsky.social
@etherjack.bsky.social
Veteran: Navy Nuc electrician | Data Scientist | (510), (312)
Repost= like/interesting; Heart= remember; bookmark= reference
Repost= like/interesting; Heart= remember; bookmark= reference
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
The US is not a liberal democracy, and hasn’t been since January. Constitution, rule of law, checks and balances, individual rights — all not in operation.
It’s now a mixed regime, autarky, competitive authoritarianism.
Not at risk. Not could be. Is.
Doesn’t mean that’s forever. But it is now.
It’s now a mixed regime, autarky, competitive authoritarianism.
Not at risk. Not could be. Is.
Doesn’t mean that’s forever. But it is now.
This whole NYT account about the weaponization of DOJ is beyond disturbing. Kinda feels like the US government fell in January.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
November 17, 2025 at 2:29 PM
The US is not a liberal democracy, and hasn’t been since January. Constitution, rule of law, checks and balances, individual rights — all not in operation.
It’s now a mixed regime, autarky, competitive authoritarianism.
Not at risk. Not could be. Is.
Doesn’t mean that’s forever. But it is now.
It’s now a mixed regime, autarky, competitive authoritarianism.
Not at risk. Not could be. Is.
Doesn’t mean that’s forever. But it is now.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Jamie Raskin endorsed Zohran Mamdani. jamieraskin.com/raskin-mamda...
This is not an endorsement of his MTG statement, personally I am very in favor of seeking converts not traitors but unwilling to extend that to MTG, I stop at Boebert or so. But the specific complaint in the quoted post is unfair
This is not an endorsement of his MTG statement, personally I am very in favor of seeking converts not traitors but unwilling to extend that to MTG, I stop at Boebert or so. But the specific complaint in the quoted post is unfair
November 17, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Jamie Raskin endorsed Zohran Mamdani. jamieraskin.com/raskin-mamda...
This is not an endorsement of his MTG statement, personally I am very in favor of seeking converts not traitors but unwilling to extend that to MTG, I stop at Boebert or so. But the specific complaint in the quoted post is unfair
This is not an endorsement of his MTG statement, personally I am very in favor of seeking converts not traitors but unwilling to extend that to MTG, I stop at Boebert or so. But the specific complaint in the quoted post is unfair
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
This is what you might call a non-denial non-denial.
Q: Massie says he's concerned the Epstein probe you're calling for could be a smokescreen. Is that the case?
TRUMP: I don't want to talk about it b/c fake news like you - you're a terrible reporter - they just keep bringing that up to deflect from the tremendous success of the Trump administration
TRUMP: I don't want to talk about it b/c fake news like you - you're a terrible reporter - they just keep bringing that up to deflect from the tremendous success of the Trump administration
November 17, 2025 at 2:39 PM
This is what you might call a non-denial non-denial.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
It drives me crazy watching these things play out where everyone knows the truth but lawyers and their 'culture' believe the process must play out a certain way. But in the end actual justice is left wanting.
November 17, 2025 at 4:03 PM
It drives me crazy watching these things play out where everyone knows the truth but lawyers and their 'culture' believe the process must play out a certain way. But in the end actual justice is left wanting.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
For the legal profession
Bribe-takers and lying ideologues on the Supreme Court, corrupt judges like Aileen Cannon, anti-law judges like Emil Bove, firms that appeased Trumps' extortion, prosecutors who defer to wealth and power, and tons of rationalizers are yours.
Get on the side of rule of law.
Bribe-takers and lying ideologues on the Supreme Court, corrupt judges like Aileen Cannon, anti-law judges like Emil Bove, firms that appeased Trumps' extortion, prosecutors who defer to wealth and power, and tons of rationalizers are yours.
Get on the side of rule of law.
November 17, 2025 at 3:35 PM
For the legal profession
Bribe-takers and lying ideologues on the Supreme Court, corrupt judges like Aileen Cannon, anti-law judges like Emil Bove, firms that appeased Trumps' extortion, prosecutors who defer to wealth and power, and tons of rationalizers are yours.
Get on the side of rule of law.
Bribe-takers and lying ideologues on the Supreme Court, corrupt judges like Aileen Cannon, anti-law judges like Emil Bove, firms that appeased Trumps' extortion, prosecutors who defer to wealth and power, and tons of rationalizers are yours.
Get on the side of rule of law.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Various state and lower court judges have worked to follow and enforce the law.
Numerous prosectors have resigned rather than follow corrupt instructions.
Many immigration lawyers are working especially hard, some pro bono.
There are good people in the legal profession doing the right thing.
But
Numerous prosectors have resigned rather than follow corrupt instructions.
Many immigration lawyers are working especially hard, some pro bono.
There are good people in the legal profession doing the right thing.
But
November 17, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Various state and lower court judges have worked to follow and enforce the law.
Numerous prosectors have resigned rather than follow corrupt instructions.
Many immigration lawyers are working especially hard, some pro bono.
There are good people in the legal profession doing the right thing.
But
Numerous prosectors have resigned rather than follow corrupt instructions.
Many immigration lawyers are working especially hard, some pro bono.
There are good people in the legal profession doing the right thing.
But
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
The legal profession needs to realize it failed and has to get better.
Coup plotters, Constitution-ignorers, rationalizers, enablers, the Supreme Court's calvinball rulings — all yours.
Your culture said move slowly, give benefit of the doubt, even treat it like a game. Far from all, but enough.
Coup plotters, Constitution-ignorers, rationalizers, enablers, the Supreme Court's calvinball rulings — all yours.
Your culture said move slowly, give benefit of the doubt, even treat it like a game. Far from all, but enough.
November 17, 2025 at 3:27 PM
The legal profession needs to realize it failed and has to get better.
Coup plotters, Constitution-ignorers, rationalizers, enablers, the Supreme Court's calvinball rulings — all yours.
Your culture said move slowly, give benefit of the doubt, even treat it like a game. Far from all, but enough.
Coup plotters, Constitution-ignorers, rationalizers, enablers, the Supreme Court's calvinball rulings — all yours.
Your culture said move slowly, give benefit of the doubt, even treat it like a game. Far from all, but enough.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Years of successful ref working and media uses the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt criminal trial standard for prominent Republicans' wrongdoing.
Plus they're afraid that straightforward coverage exposes them to bad faith lawsuits.
And, of course, don't want to be biased by telling the truth.
Plus they're afraid that straightforward coverage exposes them to bad faith lawsuits.
And, of course, don't want to be biased by telling the truth.
November 17, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Years of successful ref working and media uses the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt criminal trial standard for prominent Republicans' wrongdoing.
Plus they're afraid that straightforward coverage exposes them to bad faith lawsuits.
And, of course, don't want to be biased by telling the truth.
Plus they're afraid that straightforward coverage exposes them to bad faith lawsuits.
And, of course, don't want to be biased by telling the truth.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Am I happy that Google's ad revenues fell or sad that so many people are relying on the AI summaries?
But I suppose these days the ad revenue mostly comes from being directed to AI slop anyway...
But I suppose these days the ad revenue mostly comes from being directed to AI slop anyway...
Stereogum says Google's switch to AI Overviews reduced its ad revenue by *70 percent* www.theverge.com/entertainmen...
Stereogum soldiers on in the era of streaming and AI
Stereogum Founder Scott Lapatine on the importance of independent media in the age of AI slop and algorithms.
www.theverge.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Am I happy that Google's ad revenues fell or sad that so many people are relying on the AI summaries?
But I suppose these days the ad revenue mostly comes from being directed to AI slop anyway...
But I suppose these days the ad revenue mostly comes from being directed to AI slop anyway...
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
These people have never lived in an actual neighborhood where people have talked to one another while walking their dogs where you call someone to say, “Hey, my dog is missing,” and people talk to each other and find the damn dog!
November 17, 2025 at 5:41 PM
These people have never lived in an actual neighborhood where people have talked to one another while walking their dogs where you call someone to say, “Hey, my dog is missing,” and people talk to each other and find the damn dog!
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
100%. I absolutely would not be able to do what I do now if I didn't have a decade of great editors behind me whose voices are still constantly in my head. Even with that, I know that I often would benefit from an editor.
Editors have a really hard job, and the good ones can make something unreadable readable, and the great ones can make something unreadable into something good. But they're basically invisible, until someone tries to write without one.
November 17, 2025 at 5:43 PM
100%. I absolutely would not be able to do what I do now if I didn't have a decade of great editors behind me whose voices are still constantly in my head. Even with that, I know that I often would benefit from an editor.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
(if you're having a hard time, this is sarcasm)
November 17, 2025 at 5:46 PM
(if you're having a hard time, this is sarcasm)
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
strategists/consultants don't often talk about role of external factors like structural trends, incumbency and economic conditions because they can't control them so can't sell their services off them, but these things determine the vast majority of elections and **analysts** should still pay attn
November 17, 2025 at 6:07 PM
strategists/consultants don't often talk about role of external factors like structural trends, incumbency and economic conditions because they can't control them so can't sell their services off them, but these things determine the vast majority of elections and **analysts** should still pay attn
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Ds have overperformed in the Senate the past 15 years because R primary voters have put up candidates that are putrid. It's not something inherently sustainable.
November 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Ds have overperformed in the Senate the past 15 years because R primary voters have put up candidates that are putrid. It's not something inherently sustainable.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Senate is in many ways overpowered relative to the House, we're a huge outlier on that. But this whole argument that big states would gang up on small states is, despite its popularity as a pop theory claim, a weak and implausible argument for the Senate, much less the 60-vote filibuster.
November 17, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Senate is in many ways overpowered relative to the House, we're a huge outlier on that. But this whole argument that big states would gang up on small states is, despite its popularity as a pop theory claim, a weak and implausible argument for the Senate, much less the 60-vote filibuster.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Even the conventional narrative that the bicameral compromise at the constitutional convention was small states vs. large states isn't really true. The real dynamic there was largely along the lines of regional interests and blocs and proto-party alignments, as it always has been since.
November 17, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Even the conventional narrative that the bicameral compromise at the constitutional convention was small states vs. large states isn't really true. The real dynamic there was largely along the lines of regional interests and blocs and proto-party alignments, as it always has been since.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Delaware and Vermont on the one hand have no meaningful "small states" alignment of interests with Wyoming and North Dakota. Nor California and Texas as "large states." Federal policy makes no relevant distinction. No good example of it in American history, either. It's just not really relevant.
November 17, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Delaware and Vermont on the one hand have no meaningful "small states" alignment of interests with Wyoming and North Dakota. Nor California and Texas as "large states." Federal policy makes no relevant distinction. No good example of it in American history, either. It's just not really relevant.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
In the US right’s factional struggle between “of course we should welcome open Nazis” and “we should be cool with a lot of Nazi stuff and people adjacent to Nazis but not welcoming to outright Nazis,” the most influential Republican, Donald J. Trump, has sided with the open Nazi faction. Yes, again.
Q: Tucker had a friendly interview w/ antisemite Nick Fuentes. What role do you think Carlson should play in the GOP?
TRUMP: I've found him to be good. He's said good things about me. Will you let me finish my statement? You're the worst. You're with Bloomberg, right? I don't know why they have you
TRUMP: I've found him to be good. He's said good things about me. Will you let me finish my statement? You're the worst. You're with Bloomberg, right? I don't know why they have you
November 17, 2025 at 7:39 PM
In the US right’s factional struggle between “of course we should welcome open Nazis” and “we should be cool with a lot of Nazi stuff and people adjacent to Nazis but not welcoming to outright Nazis,” the most influential Republican, Donald J. Trump, has sided with the open Nazi faction. Yes, again.
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Mid to late 2026, you say?
Gee, is there anything significant happening in late 2026?
Gee, is there anything significant happening in late 2026?
the mother of all timestamps
*TRUMP: WILL ISSUE TARIFF DIVIDENDS PROBABLY MID TO LATE 2026
*TRUMP: WILL ISSUE TARIFF DIVIDENDS PROBABLY MID TO LATE 2026
November 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Mid to late 2026, you say?
Gee, is there anything significant happening in late 2026?
Gee, is there anything significant happening in late 2026?
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Also, this graph seems weird to be anchored on -1? Like we have a GPA "spike" zero semesters after accommodations are provided
And the "boost" at max is only 0.4 points? That's what Barro is pissy about?
Clowns
And the "boost" at max is only 0.4 points? That's what Barro is pissy about?
Clowns
A lot of education discourse is at root an inability to decide whether the purpose of our education system is to 1) teach material and measure learning 2) reward students who work hard 3) separate the smart kids (destined for smart guy jobs) from the dumb kids (destined to serve the smart guys)
November 15, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Also, this graph seems weird to be anchored on -1? Like we have a GPA "spike" zero semesters after accommodations are provided
And the "boost" at max is only 0.4 points? That's what Barro is pissy about?
Clowns
And the "boost" at max is only 0.4 points? That's what Barro is pissy about?
Clowns
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Yes. A lot of this is downstream of educational outcomes becoming a status competition between parents, which I think has become significantly worse in part as a result of shrinking bourgeois family sizes bsky.app/profile/mort...
Yeah you would think the goal of education is to give important knowledge and techniques to as many people as possible but the way a lot of people (parents especially) want to approach it is a competition where the goal is to "win" and they get mad if you touch rankings or level the playing field
Not to lay my cards on the table but I think this narrow focus in online discourse on who deserves to be rewarded really elides the actual societal value of the education system (teaching members of society important stuff that it's valuable for them to know)
November 15, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Yes. A lot of this is downstream of educational outcomes becoming a status competition between parents, which I think has become significantly worse in part as a result of shrinking bourgeois family sizes bsky.app/profile/mort...
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
The trend of elite universities putting their lectures online for free was pretty useful for dispelling the idea that kids at like Harvard we're getting some kind of secret extra-good education that everyone else didn't (these schools have other advantages of course) bsky.app/profile/root...
when you actually look at the teaching that occurs at Harvard you realize real quick that this isn't about providing the brightest with the best teachers either
November 15, 2025 at 6:17 PM
The trend of elite universities putting their lectures online for free was pretty useful for dispelling the idea that kids at like Harvard we're getting some kind of secret extra-good education that everyone else didn't (these schools have other advantages of course) bsky.app/profile/root...
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Ya not to brag (because it turns out not to matter for anything) but I was an extremely quick test taker and would've personally benefited from a system with stricter time limits on testing. But I'd never advocate for that! Because - again - it turns out not to really matter bsky.app/profile/radg...
I would ask this asshole. "Hey Josh, how SHOULD time limits be decided?" I am an extremely quick tester. I doubt he would like a time limit based on MY ability to complete test.
Having an ability to quickly finish tests has helped me a lot..in taking tests. Rarely in actually at work.
Having an ability to quickly finish tests has helped me a lot..in taking tests. Rarely in actually at work.
November 15, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Ya not to brag (because it turns out not to matter for anything) but I was an extremely quick test taker and would've personally benefited from a system with stricter time limits on testing. But I'd never advocate for that! Because - again - it turns out not to really matter bsky.app/profile/radg...
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Yes. And I'm careful to say "online discourse" because actual educators typically do not think like Josh does. Unfortunately many politicians and powerful people listen more to guys like Josh than to actual educators! bsky.app/profile/cars...
I work at a university and this guy is a massive asshole who would be laughed out of any room with actual educators in it. Accommodations help people succeed and are available to every student. It’s GOOD that people do better when they have support.
November 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Yes. And I'm careful to say "online discourse" because actual educators typically do not think like Josh does. Unfortunately many politicians and powerful people listen more to guys like Josh than to actual educators! bsky.app/profile/cars...
Reposted by etherjack.bsky.social
Like centrists complaining that Harris ran a campaign focused on trans rights. They get their version of reality from Ted Cruz ads and Uncle Frank on Facebook, rather than from her actual campaign.
November 14, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Like centrists complaining that Harris ran a campaign focused on trans rights. They get their version of reality from Ted Cruz ads and Uncle Frank on Facebook, rather than from her actual campaign.