Jon Phillips
@jowiph.bsky.social
Historian of evolutionary biology and scientific racism who has somehow turned into a historian of the physical sciences. Expect lots of cat pictures and general miscellany. Baltimore.
Pinned
Jon Phillips
@jowiph.bsky.social
· Oct 5
I’ve shared these a few times on the other site, but since everything is new again, here’s a thread of extremist profiles on prominent scientific racists I wrote for @SPLC roughly 10 years ago:
The FBI may no longer be relying on SPLC, but their anti-extremist resources are still extremely worthwhile, especially these days. So in that spirit, time to re-up the thread of extremist profiles I wrote for them on scientific racists
Reposted by Jon Phillips
you can purchase Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right directly from my publisher here
Speculative Whiteness
Reveals the alt-right’s project to claim science fiction and—by extension—the future Fascists such as Richard Spencer interpret science fiction films a...
www.upress.umn.edu
April 27, 2025 at 3:23 PM
you can purchase Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right directly from my publisher here
Also, not the main point here, but was Vic Fontane's name a nod to this drama?
Wait, so the actor who played the singer who used the godfather's influence to get a movie role in "The Godfather" (1972) apparently got his role in "The Godfather" because of the intervention of his own real-life godfather???
![Pasted in quote from Wikipedia:
Johnny Fontane
Johnny Fontane, a mob-associated singer and Vito's godson, seeks Vito's help in securing a movie role; Vito dispatches his consigliere, Tom Hagen, to Los Angeles to persuade studio head Jack Woltz to give Johnny the part. Woltz refuses until he wakes up in bed with the severed head of his prized stallion.
Al Martino, a then famed singer in nightclubs, was notified of the character Johnny Fontane by a friend who read the eponymous novel and felt Martino represented the character of Johnny Fontane.[3][4] Martino then contacted producer Albert S. Ruddy, who gave him the part.[3] However, Martino was stripped of the part after Francis Ford Coppola became director and then awarded the role to singer Vic Damone.[3] According to Martino, after being stripped of the role, he went to Russell Bufalino, his godfather and a crime boss, who then orchestrated the publication of various news articles that claimed Coppola was unaware of Ruddy having given Martino the part.[3] Damone eventually dropped the role because he did not want to provoke the mob, in addition to being paid too little.[5][3] Ultimately, the part of Johnny Fontane was given to Martino.[3][6]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:d6lghffuwlinx22c2rtfbdwv/bafkreiau7qifl7tt7pnmjtjjfv3yaejlpct66frjtufm57yuga66fxjpqa@jpeg)
November 25, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Also, not the main point here, but was Vic Fontane's name a nod to this drama?
Reposted by Jon Phillips
The way Bluesky works is that everyone is from the country they say they are but all the accounts are operated by versatile actor Jeffrey Combs
November 25, 2025 at 1:06 AM
The way Bluesky works is that everyone is from the country they say they are but all the accounts are operated by versatile actor Jeffrey Combs
Reposted by Jon Phillips
📖 Exciting reading for today, the anniversary of the publication of On The Origin Of Species:
The Darwin Online project has just released Darwin's address book, filled with unique insights not found anywhere else. It has been transcribed and is now readable at the link below!
buff.ly/uqYc9IL
The Darwin Online project has just released Darwin's address book, filled with unique insights not found anywhere else. It has been transcribed and is now readable at the link below!
buff.ly/uqYc9IL
November 24, 2025 at 3:59 PM
📖 Exciting reading for today, the anniversary of the publication of On The Origin Of Species:
The Darwin Online project has just released Darwin's address book, filled with unique insights not found anywhere else. It has been transcribed and is now readable at the link below!
buff.ly/uqYc9IL
The Darwin Online project has just released Darwin's address book, filled with unique insights not found anywhere else. It has been transcribed and is now readable at the link below!
buff.ly/uqYc9IL
Tangential, but I love the fact that Planet of the Apes (the novel) and Bridge over the River Kwai (also the novel) are by the same guy
anyway the only film franchise i actually care about these days is THE PLANET OF THE APES (which i did write a column about)
November 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Tangential, but I love the fact that Planet of the Apes (the novel) and Bridge over the River Kwai (also the novel) are by the same guy
I know I'm getting old when my first reaction to this is "pull the fuck over to film your little movie, dude. you're gonna kill someone"
@rubengallego.bsky.social responds to Trump's threats on Sen. Mark Kelly: "This is fucking insane."
November 24, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I know I'm getting old when my first reaction to this is "pull the fuck over to film your little movie, dude. you're gonna kill someone"
Reposted by Jon Phillips
Ok, that's enough Star Wars discourse for today. Time to move on to more important things. Who should voice ART in Murderbot S2?
I cannot wait to meet ART on the next season of Murderbot. It's a real make-or-break casting.
“So, you have a relationship with this transport.” I was horrified. Humans are disgusting. “No!” Ratthi persisted, “You have a friendship.” I settled back in the corner and hugged my jacket. “No. Not—No.”
November 24, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Ok, that's enough Star Wars discourse for today. Time to move on to more important things. Who should voice ART in Murderbot S2?
Whatever else you have to say about Rogue One, it's criminal that we haven't gotten a Donnie Yen-led Star Wars: Zatoichi In Space yet
rogue one is bad folks. i have believed this since i saw it in theaters and no subsequent rewatch has changed my mind. basically a chop job until the final sequence, which is good (for star wars)
November 24, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Whatever else you have to say about Rogue One, it's criminal that we haven't gotten a Donnie Yen-led Star Wars: Zatoichi In Space yet
Almost invariably, the absolute worst passengers I ever had on flights were wearing suits
Duffy on his demand that air travelers not wear slippers or pajamas: "It honors our country ... don't take your shoes off and put your feet on the chair ahead of you"
November 24, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Almost invariably, the absolute worst passengers I ever had on flights were wearing suits
This is going to be a hard one to beat
Tilda Swinton
November 24, 2025 at 8:40 PM
This is going to be a hard one to beat
Ok, that's enough Star Wars discourse for today. Time to move on to more important things. Who should voice ART in Murderbot S2?
I cannot wait to meet ART on the next season of Murderbot. It's a real make-or-break casting.
“So, you have a relationship with this transport.” I was horrified. Humans are disgusting. “No!” Ratthi persisted, “You have a friendship.” I settled back in the corner and hugged my jacket. “No. Not—No.”
November 24, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Ok, that's enough Star Wars discourse for today. Time to move on to more important things. Who should voice ART in Murderbot S2?
Reposted by Jon Phillips
This is like learning "Do you think God stays in heaven because he too lives in fear of what he's created?" came from a goddamn Spy Kids movie.
The damned in hell are not more powerful for the fact that the fires do not consume them; it is part and parcel of their torment.
November 24, 2025 at 11:20 AM
This is like learning "Do you think God stays in heaven because he too lives in fear of what he's created?" came from a goddamn Spy Kids movie.
Guess it's time to start looking for alternatives to Venmo
![Screenshot of a Venmo popup: "You sent a payment to [redacted]
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November 24, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Guess it's time to start looking for alternatives to Venmo
I don't know who bought what set of personal data, but I've been getting 3-4 spam calls an hour for the last few days, and I'm seriously starting to consider the pros and cons of just not having a phone anymore
November 24, 2025 at 6:49 PM
I don't know who bought what set of personal data, but I've been getting 3-4 spam calls an hour for the last few days, and I'm seriously starting to consider the pros and cons of just not having a phone anymore
Tbh, I think phones ate them, just like mp3 players. I have a kindle, but when I read a ebook, I just end up reading on my phone
Why do you think eReaders never took off? They're kind of like VR for me. Amazing in principle, but I just find myself wandering back to the old tech. I just like books. Also, not incidentally, I kept breaking kindles.
November 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Tbh, I think phones ate them, just like mp3 players. I have a kindle, but when I read a ebook, I just end up reading on my phone
Reposted by Jon Phillips
haven’t seen ROS or Solo but this seems like a pretty ball-knowing list from Pritzker, particularly if he volunteered the name “Star Wars” rather than “A New Hope”
November 24, 2025 at 4:51 PM
haven’t seen ROS or Solo but this seems like a pretty ball-knowing list from Pritzker, particularly if he volunteered the name “Star Wars” rather than “A New Hope”
This, but Waitrose. I honestly think every Brit I heard complain about the prices at Waitrose would die upon first setting foot in a Whole Foods
the average American cannot imagine the luxury of a Tesco Express.
November 24, 2025 at 4:28 PM
This, but Waitrose. I honestly think every Brit I heard complain about the prices at Waitrose would die upon first setting foot in a Whole Foods
Reposted by Jon Phillips
amazing opportunity to be stuck on an incebreaker with Lawrence Krauss
November 24, 2025 at 2:57 PM
amazing opportunity to be stuck on an incebreaker with Lawrence Krauss
It's morbin' time, Charlie Brown
This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass, Charlie Brown
Nobody trusts anyone anymore, Charlie Brown
November 24, 2025 at 1:49 AM
It's morbin' time, Charlie Brown
Fallout 4 (2015)
A colonial Fallout Shelter Sign. Faneuil Hall, Boston. 11/23/25.
November 23, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Fallout 4 (2015)
What's a good movie to watch while hopped up on cough syrup?
November 23, 2025 at 11:12 PM
What's a good movie to watch while hopped up on cough syrup?
I think if you're going to be stuck in bed all day because you're sick you should at least get to control your immune system like a real-life RTS game
November 23, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I think if you're going to be stuck in bed all day because you're sick you should at least get to control your immune system like a real-life RTS game
This post and the threads it spawned are giving me hope for this site
Home Alone makes changes to the Die Hard formula that render it hard for me to enjoy. The McClain character should feel overawed. And in theory having Kevin be a child versus adults achieves that. But the thing is: Kevin is a god. It's not just Tom & Jerry. This is some random punks versus Anansi.
November 23, 2025 at 6:39 PM
This post and the threads it spawned are giving me hope for this site
This but for that new Ralph Lauren USPS bag
"This bag will fix me: A memoir"
November 22, 2025 at 7:36 PM
This but for that new Ralph Lauren USPS bag
As much as I desperately wish I hadn't seen those screenshots, it is revealing to see how completely porn-poisoned the brains of *everyone* on the right is, not just the younglings.
November 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM
As much as I desperately wish I hadn't seen those screenshots, it is revealing to see how completely porn-poisoned the brains of *everyone* on the right is, not just the younglings.