John W Buaas
@johnwbuaas.bsky.social
Retired Prof. of English, living in Wichita KS. PhD in 20c. Am. Lit. Proud husband, father. Inordinately fond of Mexico City. Surname rhymes w/ Louis.
Books read in 2025: https://bsky.app/profile/johnwbuaas.bsky.social/post/3lerufociu22y
Books read in 2025: https://bsky.app/profile/johnwbuaas.bsky.social/post/3lerufociu22y
Reposted by John W Buaas
People are more interested in the welfare and sentience of ChatGPT than they are in the welfare of actual human beings and it’s so fucking bleak
November 25, 2025 at 10:32 PM
People are more interested in the welfare and sentience of ChatGPT than they are in the welfare of actual human beings and it’s so fucking bleak
Reposted by John W Buaas
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
Reposted by John W Buaas
Republican senator now publicly defending Mark Kelly
November 25, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Republican senator now publicly defending Mark Kelly
Reposted by John W Buaas
My aunt who famously can’t cook tried to make a pumpkin pie. She didn’t know what cloves were, so she put garlic cloves in it. Whole.
November 24, 2025 at 11:59 PM
My aunt who famously can’t cook tried to make a pumpkin pie. She didn’t know what cloves were, so she put garlic cloves in it. Whole.
Reposted by John W Buaas
Key context; this was not filed in the case in front of Judge Xinis in Maryland, this was filed in his criminal case in Tennessee, where they're saying that the new revelations that the admin lied about Costa Rica are yet another sign of a vindictive prosecution.
BREAKING:
Sorry to interrupt the football, but Kilmar Abrego Garcia has filed additional information claiming the feds misrepresented Costa Rica's position on accepting Abrego Garcia.
www.courtlistener.com/docket/70475...
Sorry to interrupt the football, but Kilmar Abrego Garcia has filed additional information claiming the feds misrepresented Costa Rica's position on accepting Abrego Garcia.
www.courtlistener.com/docket/70475...
November 23, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Key context; this was not filed in the case in front of Judge Xinis in Maryland, this was filed in his criminal case in Tennessee, where they're saying that the new revelations that the admin lied about Costa Rica are yet another sign of a vindictive prosecution.
Reposted by John W Buaas
Opinion by Max McCoy: In 1943 Norman Rockwell painted democracy’s portrait. An editor from Kansas helped make it possible. #ksleg kansasreflector.com/2025/11/23/i...
In 1943 Norman Rockwell painted democracy’s portrait. An editor from Kansas helped make it possible. • Kansas Reflector
When the Saturday Evening Post published an offensive antisemitic article in 1942, the furor threatened to sink the magazine. The Post's editor and much of the staff were sacked and a young former Kan...
kansasreflector.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Opinion by Max McCoy: In 1943 Norman Rockwell painted democracy’s portrait. An editor from Kansas helped make it possible. #ksleg kansasreflector.com/2025/11/23/i...
Yes.
What's causing MAGA to splinter now has been a rigid adherence to its ideology, no matter the particulars of a given constituency. MTG started noticing her people were/would be hurting from MAGA policies and spoke out. And has been punished.
What's causing MAGA to splinter now has been a rigid adherence to its ideology, no matter the particulars of a given constituency. MTG started noticing her people were/would be hurting from MAGA policies and spoke out. And has been punished.
I'll regret this one but here goes:
There is a tension between the argument that we are no longer in a time of "normal" so any signaling of a willingness to work with Trump is capitulation; and the argument that it was savvy and skillful of Mamdani to avoid alienating Trump by charming him.
1/x
There is a tension between the argument that we are no longer in a time of "normal" so any signaling of a willingness to work with Trump is capitulation; and the argument that it was savvy and skillful of Mamdani to avoid alienating Trump by charming him.
1/x
November 23, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Yes.
What's causing MAGA to splinter now has been a rigid adherence to its ideology, no matter the particulars of a given constituency. MTG started noticing her people were/would be hurting from MAGA policies and spoke out. And has been punished.
What's causing MAGA to splinter now has been a rigid adherence to its ideology, no matter the particulars of a given constituency. MTG started noticing her people were/would be hurting from MAGA policies and spoke out. And has been punished.
Reposted by John W Buaas
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
"Quentin Tarantino is interested in watching somebody's ear getting cut off; David Lynch is interested in the ear."
--David Foster Wallace, "David Lynch Keeps His Head"
--David Foster Wallace, "David Lynch Keeps His Head"
November 23, 2025 at 2:03 PM
"Quentin Tarantino is interested in watching somebody's ear getting cut off; David Lynch is interested in the ear."
--David Foster Wallace, "David Lynch Keeps His Head"
--David Foster Wallace, "David Lynch Keeps His Head"
Reposted by John W Buaas
No.
can anybody tell me whether the current position of the United States Government is 1) we wrote the Ukraine surrender plan we presented or 2) we did not write the Ukraine surrender plan we presented
November 23, 2025 at 2:43 AM
No.
Reposted by John W Buaas
The entire West comes together to reject the Dmiriev 28-point plan to which Trump affixed his name. This would appear to mark the absolute modern low point of US diplomatic influence on he world stage.
November 22, 2025 at 11:19 PM
The entire West comes together to reject the Dmiriev 28-point plan to which Trump affixed his name. This would appear to mark the absolute modern low point of US diplomatic influence on he world stage.
Reposted by John W Buaas
Idea for a long poem:
The Yard Waste Land
The Yard Waste Land
November 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Idea for a long poem:
The Yard Waste Land
The Yard Waste Land
Reposted by John W Buaas
Don Jr. and Eric watching the presser between Zohran Mamdani and their dad:
November 21, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Don Jr. and Eric watching the presser between Zohran Mamdani and their dad:
Reposted by John W Buaas
Reupping for no reason (and absent all hope).
Everyone posting clips from the book and new info about Nuzzi's past should consider that not everything needs to be shared with unsuspecting innocent bystanders just going about their everyday business. Please remember, some things just can't be unseen.
November 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Reupping for no reason (and absent all hope).
Reposted by John W Buaas
President Zelensky: "We are facing one of the most dangerous periods in Ukrainian history, a choice between losing our dignity and freedom and losing US support. We choose dignity. My answer is my oath of office. I did not betray Ukraine in Feb 2022 and we won’t betray in now."
November 22, 2025 at 12:43 PM
President Zelensky: "We are facing one of the most dangerous periods in Ukrainian history, a choice between losing our dignity and freedom and losing US support. We choose dignity. My answer is my oath of office. I did not betray Ukraine in Feb 2022 and we won’t betray in now."
Reposted by John W Buaas
Hello Saturday.
🖼️Olivia Beaumont
🖼️Olivia Beaumont
November 22, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Hello Saturday.
🖼️Olivia Beaumont
🖼️Olivia Beaumont
FB reminded me of a dream I had: I was playing a board game called The Two Laredos. The board was a stylized map of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, with the Rio Grande dividing the towns. All I remember about playing it was, there was a challenge to see how fast you could get your car through customs.
November 22, 2025 at 2:02 PM
FB reminded me of a dream I had: I was playing a board game called The Two Laredos. The board was a stylized map of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, with the Rio Grande dividing the towns. All I remember about playing it was, there was a challenge to see how fast you could get your car through customs.
Reposted by John W Buaas
Zohran flip your hair again we need healthcare get him to give us healthcare.
November 21, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Zohran flip your hair again we need healthcare get him to give us healthcare.
Trump has finally found that toilet powerful enough to flush away bad news.
Trump has found a terrifyingly effective way to eliminate bad news: delete the data.
From hunger and poverty stats to foreign investment numbers, federal agencies are being gutted—making it harder to measure the impact of his policies.
@crampell.bsky.social reports:
From hunger and poverty stats to foreign investment numbers, federal agencies are being gutted—making it harder to measure the impact of his policies.
@crampell.bsky.social reports:
November 21, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Trump has finally found that toilet powerful enough to flush away bad news.
Reposted by John W Buaas
I’m sorry that I don’t have anything intelligent to say right now because I am so fucking angry
www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-...
www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-...
Nursing is no longer counted as a 'professional degree' by Trump admin
The Department of Education has excluded nursing as a "professional degree" program as it implements various changes to student loans.
www.newsweek.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I’m sorry that I don’t have anything intelligent to say right now because I am so fucking angry
www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-...
www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-...
Reposted by John W Buaas
"Why do you keep on fighting, Demetrio?"
Demetrio frowned deeply. Picking up a stone absentmindedly, he threw it to the bottom of the canyon. Then he stared pensively into the abyss, watching the arc of its flight.
"Look at that stone; how it keeps on going . . . "
--Mariano Azuela, The Underdogs
Demetrio frowned deeply. Picking up a stone absentmindedly, he threw it to the bottom of the canyon. Then he stared pensively into the abyss, watching the arc of its flight.
"Look at that stone; how it keeps on going . . . "
--Mariano Azuela, The Underdogs
November 20, 2025 at 2:10 PM
"Why do you keep on fighting, Demetrio?"
Demetrio frowned deeply. Picking up a stone absentmindedly, he threw it to the bottom of the canyon. Then he stared pensively into the abyss, watching the arc of its flight.
"Look at that stone; how it keeps on going . . . "
--Mariano Azuela, The Underdogs
Demetrio frowned deeply. Picking up a stone absentmindedly, he threw it to the bottom of the canyon. Then he stared pensively into the abyss, watching the arc of its flight.
"Look at that stone; how it keeps on going . . . "
--Mariano Azuela, The Underdogs
Reposted by John W Buaas
I'm editing an anthology about unlikable characters and seeking work from younger writers, 15-21. If you know of one such writer who might want to submit their work for consideration, please share this call for submissions: audacity.substack.com/p/acquired-t...
Acquired Tastes: A Call for Submissions
For younger writers, ages 15-21
audacity.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I'm editing an anthology about unlikable characters and seeking work from younger writers, 15-21. If you know of one such writer who might want to submit their work for consideration, please share this call for submissions: audacity.substack.com/p/acquired-t...
Reposted by John W Buaas
when I was young, i used to wonder how people like this would fare in life, as they didn't seem suited for gainful employment. it turns out, the internet allowed them to accumulate a massive audience of similar idiots, enriching them and turning them into a presidential advisor
November 20, 2025 at 12:58 AM
when I was young, i used to wonder how people like this would fare in life, as they didn't seem suited for gainful employment. it turns out, the internet allowed them to accumulate a massive audience of similar idiots, enriching them and turning them into a presidential advisor