Gus Orviston
@orviston.bsky.social
Bibliophile, perpetual grad student, fan of democracy, cats, and the Oxford comma. Episcopalian, but not great at it. Foxes over hedgehogs.
Pinned
Gus Orviston
@orviston.bsky.social
· Nov 7
Do not stop trying to be a good person just because you see bad people winning. Virtue matters.
Remains amazing to me that it seems to be the people that are most disillusioned w/ the US involvement in Iraq that were most on board with voting for the moron that's doing this.
Rep. Salazar on Venezuela: "We're about to go in ... we need to go in ... Venezuela for the American oil companies will be a field day"
November 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Remains amazing to me that it seems to be the people that are most disillusioned w/ the US involvement in Iraq that were most on board with voting for the moron that's doing this.
No matter how bad I think this administration is, somehow they still find ways to surprise me
Pretty convincing evidence here that the Trump administration was planning to jailbreak and provide asylum for Bolsonaro -- and that Trump inadvertently revealed the plan.
And this, as the now-cliche goes, would have been a paralyzing scandal for any other administration.
And this, as the now-cliche goes, would have been a paralyzing scandal for any other administration.
Trump appears to blurt out secret plan, not knowing it's already a bust
YouTube video by MS NOW
www.youtube.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:16 PM
No matter how bad I think this administration is, somehow they still find ways to surprise me
There's a pretty good chance this is true, and we should be having a conversation about how dangerous it is that the most powerful man in the world has no idea what reality is like.
At this point, I wonder if he isn't lying when he says he has "my highest Poll Numbers, ever" since it's entirely possible that's what his aides are telling him. It's quite likely that there's an entire Potemkin village built around Trump right now.
Trump responds to a detailed report about his waning energy and propensity to sleep through on-camera events by calling the New York Times's Katie Rogers ugly
November 26, 2025 at 2:43 PM
There's a pretty good chance this is true, and we should be having a conversation about how dangerous it is that the most powerful man in the world has no idea what reality is like.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Reposted by Gus Orviston
I hope folks realize that between Trump, Kushner, Hegseth, Witkoff, Noem, RFK, Jr., Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard, this country is almost entirely undefended.
Q: Have you heard this audio that Bloomberg has of Witkoff coaching the Russians on how to appeal to you?
TRUMP: That's a standard thing. He's gotta sell this to Ukraine, he's gonna sell Ukraine to Russia. That's what a dealmaker does. I haven't heard it but I heard it was standard negotiation.
TRUMP: That's a standard thing. He's gotta sell this to Ukraine, he's gonna sell Ukraine to Russia. That's what a dealmaker does. I haven't heard it but I heard it was standard negotiation.
November 26, 2025 at 1:28 AM
I hope folks realize that between Trump, Kushner, Hegseth, Witkoff, Noem, RFK, Jr., Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard, this country is almost entirely undefended.
This is a good take and is also my approach to most meals.
i only have one true pie take: 99% of the time i'd rather eat more dinner than save space for dessert because i am not a child
November 25, 2025 at 9:29 PM
This is a good take and is also my approach to most meals.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Seriously, what are we doing, America? We’re helping Russia destroy a democratic country it illegally invaded, one amateur phone call at a time.
Someone (Rubio?) is MEGA pissed at the Ukraine peace plan situation if they leaked a full on *recording* of this Witkoff call (with transcript, lol).
November 25, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Seriously, what are we doing, America? We’re helping Russia destroy a democratic country it illegally invaded, one amateur phone call at a time.
Congratulations, Randall, and wishing much happiness to you and Megan.
Just having a little cry reading the latest xkcd how about you xkcd.com/3172
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Congratulations, Randall, and wishing much happiness to you and Megan.
Thread worth your time to read.
There's a part of learning, which generative AI completely turns into dogshit, which is *doing something you could not have done before*
Whether it's drawing, playing an instrument, solving a physics problem, organizing an essay, you find yourself doing easily what previously you found overwhelming
Whether it's drawing, playing an instrument, solving a physics problem, organizing an essay, you find yourself doing easily what previously you found overwhelming
November 25, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Thread worth your time to read.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
This person is in this position because of Bill Cassidy by the way.
CDC’s new top deputy had ordered his state health department to stop promoting mass vaccinations amid a flu surge www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Louisiana health official who halted state vaccine campaign tapped as CDC’s No. 2
Ralph Abraham, a Louisiana health official who stopped promoting mass vaccination vaccines, has been appointed as the CDC's principal deputy director
www.washingtonpost.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:39 PM
This person is in this position because of Bill Cassidy by the way.
Just amazing times that we live in
November 25, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Just amazing times that we live in
Lotta fun stuff, here.
Not that you asked, but here's a thread of intriguing (real!) food facts to amuse/bore your friends and family.
Great for gatherings when you need to change the subject!
Great for gatherings when you need to change the subject!
November 25, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Lotta fun stuff, here.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Propaganda works
November 25, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Propaganda works
This is such a great cartoon.
Few things make me happier than having a wordless cartoon in the @newyorker.com , like I do this week. Today’s Noth Things is about purely visual cartoons, and I share some never seen before. Link in the bio/comments.
November 24, 2025 at 8:06 PM
This is such a great cartoon.
Hadn't noticed this. Fascinating.
I want to point out something very important.
The DOD is *announcing* that they have received allegations. That’s (I believe) insane. They aren’t even (I think) announcing an investigation. But a “review”. Thinly later say “they won’t announce anything else about this, to preserve the integrity”
The DOD is *announcing* that they have received allegations. That’s (I believe) insane. They aren’t even (I think) announcing an investigation. But a “review”. Thinly later say “they won’t announce anything else about this, to preserve the integrity”
If you dare to displease the despot, you will be declared an enemy of the state and every lever of it will be deployed against you.
November 24, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Hadn't noticed this. Fascinating.
Wondering if the best way to think about this administration is that they're aspirational fascists. They're trying to pull it off, but they're being constrained by judges, the structure of the American government, and (most of all) their own incompetence.
November 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Wondering if the best way to think about this administration is that they're aspirational fascists. They're trying to pull it off, but they're being constrained by judges, the structure of the American government, and (most of all) their own incompetence.
This general level of competence from this administration is why Mark Kelly should not be overly concerned.
November 24, 2025 at 5:42 PM
This general level of competence from this administration is why Mark Kelly should not be overly concerned.
That's "fewer requirements," not "less requirements."
Linda McMahon: "The states will have less requirements because more money will go in block grants to the states ... I have called for a hard reset of education because we have failed our students."
November 24, 2025 at 5:41 PM
That's "fewer requirements," not "less requirements."
Counterpoint: that is not the oath that they took.
BLITZER: I want to be precise. Should members of the US military obey clearly illegal orders?
McCLAIN: You're asking an enlisted person for their opinion on what they think is legal. That's a pretty slippery slope. Follow your commander in chief. That's the oath that you took
(Not a no!)
McCLAIN: You're asking an enlisted person for their opinion on what they think is legal. That's a pretty slippery slope. Follow your commander in chief. That's the oath that you took
(Not a no!)
November 24, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Counterpoint: that is not the oath that they took.
This is an absurd question, and Brown should be smart enough to know it. Bringing it up as if it is a valid point that Raskin has to argue against is absolutely egregious. Huge bias for the Trump administration's talking points.
CNN's Pamela Brown to Jamie Raskin: "Are Democrats losing the moral high ground on the Epstein issue by defending Stacey Plaskett?"
November 24, 2025 at 4:54 PM
This is an absurd question, and Brown should be smart enough to know it. Bringing it up as if it is a valid point that Raskin has to argue against is absolutely egregious. Huge bias for the Trump administration's talking points.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
His base is the 36% that doesn't think he needs to explain.
I like how even the GOP base is universally fucking confused by what we're doing in Venezuela
November 24, 2025 at 5:58 AM
His base is the 36% that doesn't think he needs to explain.
This'll be an uphill battle in Alabama, but all the best to Doug.
( . . . who should have been Biden's pick for AG, just bringing that up again)
( . . . who should have been Biden's pick for AG, just bringing that up again)
It’s official. @dougjones.bsky.social will run against Tommy Tuberville for Alabama governor. www.al.com/life/2025/11...
Doug Jones will enter 2026 Alabama governor’s race
Campaign paperwork is to be filed this week.
www.al.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:07 PM
This'll be an uphill battle in Alabama, but all the best to Doug.
( . . . who should have been Biden's pick for AG, just bringing that up again)
( . . . who should have been Biden's pick for AG, just bringing that up again)
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Reporters sticking with X because they get so much engagement from Nigerian America First MAGA accounts.
November 23, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Reporters sticking with X because they get so much engagement from Nigerian America First MAGA accounts.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
For over 300 years now, it is a bedrock principle in Anglo-American constitutionalism that obedience is owed according only to law. Refusal to follow an illegal command is not only a moral choice but an absolute duty.
November 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM
For over 300 years now, it is a bedrock principle in Anglo-American constitutionalism that obedience is owed according only to law. Refusal to follow an illegal command is not only a moral choice but an absolute duty.
Every so often this pops into my head, and yep, it’s still one of my favorite jokes of all time.
November 23, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Every so often this pops into my head, and yep, it’s still one of my favorite jokes of all time.