James daSilva
@jamesdasilva.bsky.social
Editor trying to figure it out. Amateur historian of The Onion from 20 years ago (onion20.substack.com and @onion20.substack.com).
Mostly on social to talk basketball.
Mostly on social to talk basketball.
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago, The Onion’s website shared audio of Dick Cheney explaining why he shot that guy — but added cannibalism.
Plus, so much more from The Onion’s web-only content of 20 years ago. onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-...
Plus, so much more from The Onion’s web-only content of 20 years ago. onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-...
February 18, 2026 at 10:23 PM
20 years ago, The Onion’s website shared audio of Dick Cheney explaining why he shot that guy — but added cannibalism.
Plus, so much more from The Onion’s web-only content of 20 years ago. onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-...
Plus, so much more from The Onion’s web-only content of 20 years ago. onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-...
Reposted by James daSilva
This seems shortsighted in so many ways. Gallup's polling is a go-to for my work covering The Onion’s past because of its long history in pinpointing, with reasonably certainty, how the public felt about issues at the time, including the president's performance.
www.cnn.com/2026/02/12/p...
www.cnn.com/2026/02/12/p...
Gallup ends its presidential tracking poll, the latest shift in the public opinion landscape | CNN Politics
Gallup, one of the country’s most well-known polling firms, announced Wednesday that they will no longer track presidential approval or favorability of political figures. The move ends the longest-run...
www.cnn.com
February 15, 2026 at 8:43 PM
This seems shortsighted in so many ways. Gallup's polling is a go-to for my work covering The Onion’s past because of its long history in pinpointing, with reasonably certainty, how the public felt about issues at the time, including the president's performance.
www.cnn.com/2026/02/12/p...
www.cnn.com/2026/02/12/p...
I know NBC wants to fill the air time, but the old guys went 2-0. Why do they need to play again?
February 16, 2026 at 12:29 AM
I know NBC wants to fill the air time, but the old guys went 2-0. Why do they need to play again?
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago, The Onion wrote about Hamas and Israel.
Let's revisit the least controversial topic possible. Plus, jokes about the Senate, dolphins, Denny's, podcasts, Millard Fillmore and more. onion20.substack.com/p/february-2... #theonion #satire
Let's revisit the least controversial topic possible. Plus, jokes about the Senate, dolphins, Denny's, podcasts, Millard Fillmore and more. onion20.substack.com/p/february-2... #theonion #satire
20 years ago, The Onion wrote about Hamas and Israel
Let's revisit the least controversial topic possible. Plus, jokes about the Senate, dolphins, Denny's, podcasts, Millard Fillmore and more.
onion20.substack.com
February 15, 2026 at 7:20 PM
20 years ago, The Onion wrote about Hamas and Israel.
Let's revisit the least controversial topic possible. Plus, jokes about the Senate, dolphins, Denny's, podcasts, Millard Fillmore and more. onion20.substack.com/p/february-2... #theonion #satire
Let's revisit the least controversial topic possible. Plus, jokes about the Senate, dolphins, Denny's, podcasts, Millard Fillmore and more. onion20.substack.com/p/february-2... #theonion #satire
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago, The Onion warned of death, romance and Wal-Mart.
What if Donald Rumsfeld hosted an informercial? Plus, jokes about Nancy Grace, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and much more. onion20.substack.com/p/february-2... #theonion #satire
What if Donald Rumsfeld hosted an informercial? Plus, jokes about Nancy Grace, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and much more. onion20.substack.com/p/february-2... #theonion #satire
20 years ago, The Onion warned of death, romance and Wal-Mart
What if Donald Rumsfeld hosted an informercial? Plus, jokes about Nancy Grace, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and much more.
onion20.substack.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:33 PM
20 years ago, The Onion warned of death, romance and Wal-Mart.
What if Donald Rumsfeld hosted an informercial? Plus, jokes about Nancy Grace, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and much more. onion20.substack.com/p/february-2... #theonion #satire
What if Donald Rumsfeld hosted an informercial? Plus, jokes about Nancy Grace, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and much more. onion20.substack.com/p/february-2... #theonion #satire
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago this week, The Onion mentioned Roger Federer for the 1st time.
Also, The Onion jokes that e-mail takes up 30% of the workday — 6 years before McKinsey confirmed this!
Much more in this look at The Onion’s web-only jokes from early February 2006.
open.substack.com/pub/onion20/...
Also, The Onion jokes that e-mail takes up 30% of the workday — 6 years before McKinsey confirmed this!
Much more in this look at The Onion’s web-only jokes from early February 2006.
open.substack.com/pub/onion20/...
Reviewing The Onion's website: Feb. 1-7, 2006
Bush celebrates Groundhog Day in Iraq, plus jokes about Roger Federer, Roger Ebert, Ed Begley Jr., cartoons depicting Muhammad, and more.
open.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:17 AM
20 years ago this week, The Onion mentioned Roger Federer for the 1st time.
Also, The Onion jokes that e-mail takes up 30% of the workday — 6 years before McKinsey confirmed this!
Much more in this look at The Onion’s web-only jokes from early February 2006.
open.substack.com/pub/onion20/...
Also, The Onion jokes that e-mail takes up 30% of the workday — 6 years before McKinsey confirmed this!
Much more in this look at The Onion’s web-only jokes from early February 2006.
open.substack.com/pub/onion20/...
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago today, @TheOnion.com imagined a federal Department of Corruption.
Plus, we learn about the dangers of network-TV violence invading our real lives, black boxes for balloons, BlackBerry’s legal troubles, and much more from Feb. 1, 2006!
onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
Plus, we learn about the dangers of network-TV violence invading our real lives, black boxes for balloons, BlackBerry’s legal troubles, and much more from Feb. 1, 2006!
onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
February 2, 2026 at 4:09 AM
20 years ago today, @TheOnion.com imagined a federal Department of Corruption.
Plus, we learn about the dangers of network-TV violence invading our real lives, black boxes for balloons, BlackBerry’s legal troubles, and much more from Feb. 1, 2006!
onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
Plus, we learn about the dangers of network-TV violence invading our real lives, black boxes for balloons, BlackBerry’s legal troubles, and much more from Feb. 1, 2006!
onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago, The Onion created a Department of Corruption.
Plus, jokes about TV causing violence, Michael J. Fox, Al-Qaeda No. 2s, BlackBerry, rival "dead kid foundations" and the idea of a wife. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
Plus, jokes about TV causing violence, Michael J. Fox, Al-Qaeda No. 2s, BlackBerry, rival "dead kid foundations" and the idea of a wife. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
20 years ago, The Onion created a Department of Corruption
Plus, jokes about TV causing violence, Michael J. Fox, Al-Qaeda No. 2s, BlackBerry, rival "dead kid foundations" and the idea of a wife.
onion20.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:02 PM
20 years ago, The Onion created a Department of Corruption.
Plus, jokes about TV causing violence, Michael J. Fox, Al-Qaeda No. 2s, BlackBerry, rival "dead kid foundations" and the idea of a wife. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
Plus, jokes about TV causing violence, Michael J. Fox, Al-Qaeda No. 2s, BlackBerry, rival "dead kid foundations" and the idea of a wife. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago, The Onion redesigned its sports section.
Let's look at the web-only jokes from Jan. 25-31, 2006! onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-... #theonion #satire
Let's look at the web-only jokes from Jan. 25-31, 2006! onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-... #theonion #satire
20 years ago, The Onion redesigned its online sports section
Let's look at the web-only jokes from Jan. 25-31, 2006!
onion20.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:58 PM
20 years ago, The Onion redesigned its sports section.
Let's look at the web-only jokes from Jan. 25-31, 2006! onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-... #theonion #satire
Let's look at the web-only jokes from Jan. 25-31, 2006! onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-... #theonion #satire
Reposted by James daSilva
The internet's memory isn’t a cloud—it’s heat, power, and hard drives 🔥💾
Inside the Internet Archive’s trillion-page fight against digital forgetting, from PetaBox servers to legal battles over memory itself ⚙️📚
➡️ hackernoon.com/the-long-now...
#InternetArchive #DigitalPreservation #WebHistory
Inside the Internet Archive’s trillion-page fight against digital forgetting, from PetaBox servers to legal battles over memory itself ⚙️📚
➡️ hackernoon.com/the-long-now...
#InternetArchive #DigitalPreservation #WebHistory
January 28, 2026 at 12:00 AM
The internet's memory isn’t a cloud—it’s heat, power, and hard drives 🔥💾
Inside the Internet Archive’s trillion-page fight against digital forgetting, from PetaBox servers to legal battles over memory itself ⚙️📚
➡️ hackernoon.com/the-long-now...
#InternetArchive #DigitalPreservation #WebHistory
Inside the Internet Archive’s trillion-page fight against digital forgetting, from PetaBox servers to legal battles over memory itself ⚙️📚
➡️ hackernoon.com/the-long-now...
#InternetArchive #DigitalPreservation #WebHistory
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago in The Onion, snowmen protested global warming.
Plus, jokes about never retiring, Bush's ag secretary, Ariel Sharon, Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, zombies and more. onion20.substack.com/p/january-20... #theonion #satire
Plus, jokes about never retiring, Bush's ag secretary, Ariel Sharon, Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, zombies and more. onion20.substack.com/p/january-20... #theonion #satire
In 2006, The Onion imagined snowmen protesting global warming
Plus, jokes about never retiring, Bush's ag secretary, Ariel Sharon, Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, zombies and more.
onion20.substack.com
January 25, 2026 at 5:04 PM
20 years ago in The Onion, snowmen protested global warming.
Plus, jokes about never retiring, Bush's ag secretary, Ariel Sharon, Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, zombies and more. onion20.substack.com/p/january-20... #theonion #satire
Plus, jokes about never retiring, Bush's ag secretary, Ariel Sharon, Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, zombies and more. onion20.substack.com/p/january-20... #theonion #satire
Reposted by James daSilva
As many of us await this apparently massive winter storm, it's funny to see that this Onion article turns 20 years old on Sunday.
We'll cover it in the next newsletter. theonion.com/nations-snow...
We'll cover it in the next newsletter. theonion.com/nations-snow...
Nation's Snowmen March Against Global Warming
WASHINGTON, DC—Braving balmy temperatures and sunny skies, millions of scarfless snowmen and snowwomen gathered in cities across the world Tuesday to raise public awareness about the heavy toll…
theonion.com
January 23, 2026 at 11:00 PM
As many of us await this apparently massive winter storm, it's funny to see that this Onion article turns 20 years old on Sunday.
We'll cover it in the next newsletter. theonion.com/nations-snow...
We'll cover it in the next newsletter. theonion.com/nations-snow...
Reposted by James daSilva
Welcome to 2006 in The Onion!
20 years ago in @TheOnion.com, Sean Penn was enraged because he couldn't register his name with Gmail.
Plus, jokes about the federal budget deficit, "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more.
onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
20 years ago in @TheOnion.com, Sean Penn was enraged because he couldn't register his name with Gmail.
Plus, jokes about the federal budget deficit, "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more.
onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
January 18, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Welcome to 2006 in The Onion!
20 years ago in @TheOnion.com, Sean Penn was enraged because he couldn't register his name with Gmail.
Plus, jokes about the federal budget deficit, "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more.
onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
20 years ago in @TheOnion.com, Sean Penn was enraged because he couldn't register his name with Gmail.
Plus, jokes about the federal budget deficit, "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more.
onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago in The Onion, Sean Penn raged at Gmail.
Plus, the U.S. holds "going-out-of-business" sale and jokes about "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
Plus, the U.S. holds "going-out-of-business" sale and jokes about "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
20 years ago in The Onion, Sean Penn raged against Gmail
Plus, the U.S. holds "going-out-of-business" sale and jokes about "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more.
onion20.substack.com
January 18, 2026 at 4:39 PM
20 years ago in The Onion, Sean Penn raged at Gmail.
Plus, the U.S. holds "going-out-of-business" sale and jokes about "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
Plus, the U.S. holds "going-out-of-business" sale and jokes about "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago this week, @TheOnion.com was still on holiday vacation. So they published this review of 2005 in Sports. I’ve included a few images from this issue.
Plus, @avclub.com interviewed Fred Armisen.
Plus, @avclub.com interviewed Fred Armisen.
January 13, 2026 at 1:23 AM
20 years ago this week, @TheOnion.com was still on holiday vacation. So they published this review of 2005 in Sports. I’ve included a few images from this issue.
Plus, @avclub.com interviewed Fred Armisen.
Plus, @avclub.com interviewed Fred Armisen.
Reposted by James daSilva
What was 2006 like? I'm sharing 50 great jokes that @TheOnion.com published in 2006
Plus, I preview The Onion's redesigned print newspaper and reflect on how American politics, culture and life have changed over the past 20 years. #theonion
onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50...
Plus, I preview The Onion's redesigned print newspaper and reflect on how American politics, culture and life have changed over the past 20 years. #theonion
onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50...
January 11, 2026 at 7:23 PM
What was 2006 like? I'm sharing 50 great jokes that @TheOnion.com published in 2006
Plus, I preview The Onion's redesigned print newspaper and reflect on how American politics, culture and life have changed over the past 20 years. #theonion
onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50...
Plus, I preview The Onion's redesigned print newspaper and reflect on how American politics, culture and life have changed over the past 20 years. #theonion
onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50...
I know sports announcers aren't journalists, and increasingly employees of the teams ... but the Unrivaled announcers are truly unmatched in their groveling before the league's sponsors.
You'd think Sephora and Samsung owned the league and employed them directly as PR reps.
You'd think Sephora and Samsung owned the league and employed them directly as PR reps.
January 12, 2026 at 2:16 AM
I know sports announcers aren't journalists, and increasingly employees of the teams ... but the Unrivaled announcers are truly unmatched in their groveling before the league's sponsors.
You'd think Sephora and Samsung owned the league and employed them directly as PR reps.
You'd think Sephora and Samsung owned the league and employed them directly as PR reps.
Reposted by James daSilva
Preview: 50 great jokes The Onion published in 2006.
The Onion redesigns its print edition! Plus, 2006 kind of sucked? Let's explore what I'll be covering from a year where seemingly everything got worse. onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50... #theonion #satire
The Onion redesigns its print edition! Plus, 2006 kind of sucked? Let's explore what I'll be covering from a year where seemingly everything got worse. onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50... #theonion #satire
Preview: 50 great jokes The Onion published in 2006
The Onion redesigns its print edition! Plus, 2006 kind of sucked? Let's explore what I'll be covering from a year where seemingly everything got worse.
onion20.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Preview: 50 great jokes The Onion published in 2006.
The Onion redesigns its print edition! Plus, 2006 kind of sucked? Let's explore what I'll be covering from a year where seemingly everything got worse. onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50... #theonion #satire
The Onion redesigns its print edition! Plus, 2006 kind of sucked? Let's explore what I'll be covering from a year where seemingly everything got worse. onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50... #theonion #satire
Reposted by James daSilva
20 years ago today, @TheOnion.com published an issue of old stories under the banner “Re-Breaking News.”
Here are a few of the pages from that print issue. #theonion
Here are a few of the pages from that print issue. #theonion
January 4, 2026 at 7:23 PM
20 years ago today, @TheOnion.com published an issue of old stories under the banner “Re-Breaking News.”
Here are a few of the pages from that print issue. #theonion
Here are a few of the pages from that print issue. #theonion
Reposted by James daSilva
Reviewing The Onion's website: Jan. 4-10, 2006.
Bush defends NSA wiretapping, plus jokes about veal, venison, Olympic skiers and Kwanzaa sales onion20.substack.com/p/revisiting... #theonion #satire
Bush defends NSA wiretapping, plus jokes about veal, venison, Olympic skiers and Kwanzaa sales onion20.substack.com/p/revisiting... #theonion #satire
Reviewing The Onion's website: Jan. 4-10, 2006
Bush defends NSA wiretapping, plus jokes about veal, venison, Olympic skiers and Kwanzaa sales
onion20.substack.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Reviewing The Onion's website: Jan. 4-10, 2006.
Bush defends NSA wiretapping, plus jokes about veal, venison, Olympic skiers and Kwanzaa sales onion20.substack.com/p/revisiting... #theonion #satire
Bush defends NSA wiretapping, plus jokes about veal, venison, Olympic skiers and Kwanzaa sales onion20.substack.com/p/revisiting... #theonion #satire
Struggled to find much analysis of the Unrivaled jerseys, but this is a helpful comparison. Liked last year's but these are mostly an upgrade.
buzz.uni.edu/designinthep...
buzz.uni.edu/designinthep...
Jersey Talk: Ranking the 2026 Unrivaled Jerseys - Design in the Paint
Ranking the design choices and overall effectiveness of the Unrivaled League's 2026 jerseys from the perspective of a design student.
buzz.uni.edu
January 6, 2026 at 3:50 AM
Struggled to find much analysis of the Unrivaled jerseys, but this is a helpful comparison. Liked last year's but these are mostly an upgrade.
buzz.uni.edu/designinthep...
buzz.uni.edu/designinthep...
Really enjoy Unrivaled, but the court design this year is boring and the lighting is very strange, at least on camera.
January 6, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Really enjoy Unrivaled, but the court design this year is boring and the lighting is very strange, at least on camera.
Reposted by James daSilva
An instrument will allow people to hear and see each other over long distances
January 1, 2026 at 6:12 PM
An instrument will allow people to hear and see each other over long distances
Reposted by James daSilva
A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026
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January 1, 2026 at 5:13 PM
A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026
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Reposted by James daSilva
30 year ago this month, apropos of nothing:
“For a long time, we have said we don’t need another Viet-nam,” Clinton told a joint session of Congress. “But now, more than ever, America needs to be divided. We need another Vietnam.”
theonion.com/u-s-invades-...
“For a long time, we have said we don’t need another Viet-nam,” Clinton told a joint session of Congress. “But now, more than ever, America needs to be divided. We need another Vietnam.”
theonion.com/u-s-invades-...
U.S. Invades Vietnam
Clinton: ‘We need another Vietnam’
theonion.com
January 4, 2026 at 4:12 AM
30 year ago this month, apropos of nothing:
“For a long time, we have said we don’t need another Viet-nam,” Clinton told a joint session of Congress. “But now, more than ever, America needs to be divided. We need another Vietnam.”
theonion.com/u-s-invades-...
“For a long time, we have said we don’t need another Viet-nam,” Clinton told a joint session of Congress. “But now, more than ever, America needs to be divided. We need another Vietnam.”
theonion.com/u-s-invades-...