The Pedantic Professor
@pedanticprof.bsky.social
Pinned
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
Bigger than Teapot Dome in terms of scandals, but in the age of Trump, it doesn't even raise an eyebrow: Karen Budd-Falen, the No. 3 at the Interior Department, didn’t disclose a $3.5m water-rights contract between her husband and the developers of a Nevada mine approved by Interior.
The Trump Administration Approved a Big Lithium Mine. A Top Official’s Husband Profited.
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Bigger than Teapot Dome in terms of scandals, but in the age of Trump, it doesn't even raise an eyebrow: Karen Budd-Falen, the No. 3 at the Interior Department, didn’t disclose a $3.5m water-rights contract between her husband and the developers of a Nevada mine approved by Interior.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
The legal justification the WH gave us for attacking Venezuelan boats in int’l waters without Congressional approval was weak, and exposes the WH and military staff to domestic and international criminal prosecution. They have not even sought to justify strikes within Venezuela.
January 3, 2026 at 2:32 PM
The legal justification the WH gave us for attacking Venezuelan boats in int’l waters without Congressional approval was weak, and exposes the WH and military staff to domestic and international criminal prosecution. They have not even sought to justify strikes within Venezuela.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
Utterly shocking that the country that invaded Iraq for oil and suffered zero consequences internally or externally is doing it again.
January 3, 2026 at 11:24 AM
Utterly shocking that the country that invaded Iraq for oil and suffered zero consequences internally or externally is doing it again.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
White people solemnly intoning that WE must be ashamed of what America has become and that this war in Venezuela is the most indefensible thing WE have ever done.
Sit down, Peter.
This country was founded on kidnapping, rape, and genocide. This is who ✌🏾WE✌🏾 have been since this country’s inception.
Sit down, Peter.
This country was founded on kidnapping, rape, and genocide. This is who ✌🏾WE✌🏾 have been since this country’s inception.
January 3, 2026 at 1:56 PM
White people solemnly intoning that WE must be ashamed of what America has become and that this war in Venezuela is the most indefensible thing WE have ever done.
Sit down, Peter.
This country was founded on kidnapping, rape, and genocide. This is who ✌🏾WE✌🏾 have been since this country’s inception.
Sit down, Peter.
This country was founded on kidnapping, rape, and genocide. This is who ✌🏾WE✌🏾 have been since this country’s inception.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
1. Whether Maduro is a dictator
2. Whether Venezuelans deserve a better leader
3. This does not justify U.S. intervention
4. It is destabilizing & hostile
5. It has untold consequences
6. And WE are an unstable government currently run by a tyrant aligned with Putin - not the democratic west 🧵
2. Whether Venezuelans deserve a better leader
3. This does not justify U.S. intervention
4. It is destabilizing & hostile
5. It has untold consequences
6. And WE are an unstable government currently run by a tyrant aligned with Putin - not the democratic west 🧵
January 3, 2026 at 11:30 AM
1. Whether Maduro is a dictator
2. Whether Venezuelans deserve a better leader
3. This does not justify U.S. intervention
4. It is destabilizing & hostile
5. It has untold consequences
6. And WE are an unstable government currently run by a tyrant aligned with Putin - not the democratic west 🧵
2. Whether Venezuelans deserve a better leader
3. This does not justify U.S. intervention
4. It is destabilizing & hostile
5. It has untold consequences
6. And WE are an unstable government currently run by a tyrant aligned with Putin - not the democratic west 🧵
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
"the dynamic that defines reactionary centrism; the right must be understood but never blamed. The left can be blamed but must never be understood"
January 3, 2026 at 2:02 AM
"the dynamic that defines reactionary centrism; the right must be understood but never blamed. The left can be blamed but must never be understood"
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
I've been tracking the spread of nonconsensual deepfakes on X for more than two years. Here's a timeline of how Musk's leadership allowed the practice to flourish from a once-underground market to a viral trend, with little recourse for victims or legal enforcement.
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-csam-...
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-csam-...
How Grok's sexual abuse hit a tipping point
Nonconsensual deepfakes on X are nothing new, but now it's built into the platform.
spitfirenews.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:47 PM
I've been tracking the spread of nonconsensual deepfakes on X for more than two years. Here's a timeline of how Musk's leadership allowed the practice to flourish from a once-underground market to a viral trend, with little recourse for victims or legal enforcement.
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-csam-...
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-csam-...
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
To the MAGA bigots angry that Zohran Mamdani is Mayor of NYC, please understand you will never achieve that level of success. And Remember: It was NOT because of DEI you didn't get that job, it's because you suck. Happy New Year! 🤣
January 1, 2026 at 9:58 PM
To the MAGA bigots angry that Zohran Mamdani is Mayor of NYC, please understand you will never achieve that level of success. And Remember: It was NOT because of DEI you didn't get that job, it's because you suck. Happy New Year! 🤣
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
New in PN: The blame for alleged fraud in Minnesota belongs to conservatives
"Republican policies have created a perfect vicious cycle: Privatize services, let private companies run amok, then declare that the government is the problem. And the Trump administration is turbo-charging it."
"Republican policies have created a perfect vicious cycle: Privatize services, let private companies run amok, then declare that the government is the problem. And the Trump administration is turbo-charging it."
The blame for alleged fraud in Minnesota belongs to conservatives
Privatization and a lack of oversight creates a vicious cycle.
www.publicnotice.co
January 2, 2026 at 2:58 PM
New in PN: The blame for alleged fraud in Minnesota belongs to conservatives
"Republican policies have created a perfect vicious cycle: Privatize services, let private companies run amok, then declare that the government is the problem. And the Trump administration is turbo-charging it."
"Republican policies have created a perfect vicious cycle: Privatize services, let private companies run amok, then declare that the government is the problem. And the Trump administration is turbo-charging it."
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
In this in-depth interview Billie Jean Sweeney — a former editor at The New York Times — details how the paper shifted towards openly promoting anti-trans hatred, why this was directed from the very top, how some staff pushed back and the immense damage done by the NYT legitimizing bigotry.
'A directive from above': Former NYT editor lays out how the paper pushes anti-trans bigotry
In this in-depth interview, former New York Times editor Billie Jean Sweeney details how the paper shifted towards openly promoting anti-trans hatred, how some staff tried to stop it, how it's directe...
transnews.network
January 1, 2026 at 6:32 PM
In this in-depth interview Billie Jean Sweeney — a former editor at The New York Times — details how the paper shifted towards openly promoting anti-trans hatred, why this was directed from the very top, how some staff pushed back and the immense damage done by the NYT legitimizing bigotry.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
Came across this on Instagram and was immediately annoyed - most people currently alive can’t read most historical documents for a myriad of reasons that far exceed handwriting. That’s why people who actually do read those documents (historians) learn palaeography!
January 2, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Came across this on Instagram and was immediately annoyed - most people currently alive can’t read most historical documents for a myriad of reasons that far exceed handwriting. That’s why people who actually do read those documents (historians) learn palaeography!
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
“Insofar as LLMs are used to avoid reading, thinking, and writing, their use is incompatible with liberal education. It is not more complicated than that.”
open.substack.com/pub/mattdina...
open.substack.com/pub/mattdina...
Permission Structures
How AI-skeptic Professors Can Still Help Students Write Papers
open.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:17 PM
“Insofar as LLMs are used to avoid reading, thinking, and writing, their use is incompatible with liberal education. It is not more complicated than that.”
open.substack.com/pub/mattdina...
open.substack.com/pub/mattdina...
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
the thing that strikes me about the Grok "apology" thing is that even those of us who are against "AI" as it is marketed to us have trouble not falling into the basic fallacy that they are trying to sell us, i.e. There's A Little Guy In There
January 2, 2026 at 3:19 AM
the thing that strikes me about the Grok "apology" thing is that even those of us who are against "AI" as it is marketed to us have trouble not falling into the basic fallacy that they are trying to sell us, i.e. There's A Little Guy In There
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
congratulations to the anti-porn and anti-sex work groups for helping create an internet where independent adult sex workers have been exploited, ripped off, and then run off and are now being replaced by on-demand CSAM
January 2, 2026 at 3:22 AM
congratulations to the anti-porn and anti-sex work groups for helping create an internet where independent adult sex workers have been exploited, ripped off, and then run off and are now being replaced by on-demand CSAM
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
Whem people say there's no legitimate use fo cryptocurrency, they forget bribing the president of the United States, a total legitimate thing to do, according to John Roberts.
“[Trump’s] family’s crypto empire is now its most lucrative venture.” www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Trump’s Tangled Web of Deal-Making, Policy and Riches (Gift Article)
The president, his family and some of their closest associates have engaged in a sprawling campaign of deals that stretches across industries and the globe.
www.nytimes.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Whem people say there's no legitimate use fo cryptocurrency, they forget bribing the president of the United States, a total legitimate thing to do, according to John Roberts.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
People who embraced cruelty have caused tremendous death and suffering in 2025, but those opposed to cruelty have banded together, gaining so much strength across the year. We will continue to rise, and our power increases each time we do.
January 1, 2026 at 4:35 AM
People who embraced cruelty have caused tremendous death and suffering in 2025, but those opposed to cruelty have banded together, gaining so much strength across the year. We will continue to rise, and our power increases each time we do.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
here’s hoping 2026 is just one year
January 1, 2026 at 4:02 AM
here’s hoping 2026 is just one year
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
Resisting him almost always works, trying to bargain with him never ever works
BREAKING: After legal setbacks, President Trump says he's dropping push for the National Guard in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland for now.
Trump says he's dropping push for National Guard in Chicago, LA and Portland, Oregon, for now
President Donald Trump says he’s dropping — for now — his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon.
bit.ly
December 31, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Resisting him almost always works, trying to bargain with him never ever works
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
Yeah, man, the only difference between your career and Mark Rufallo’s career is the political stuff.
December 29, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Yeah, man, the only difference between your career and Mark Rufallo’s career is the political stuff.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
At the 2022 NY Young Republicans gala, Marjorie Taylor Greene said about the attempted coup and January 6th attack on the Capitol:
“…If Steve Bannon and I organized that, we would have won. Not to mention, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ARMED.” [Emphasis added.]
www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...
“…If Steve Bannon and I organized that, we would have won. Not to mention, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ARMED.” [Emphasis added.]
www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...
White Nationalists, Other Republicans Brace for ‘Total War’
A collection of radical right figures including white nationalists and ultranationalist European leaders gathered in Manhattan for the New York Young Republican Club’s (NYYRC) annual gala Saturday nig...
www.splcenter.org
December 30, 2025 at 11:13 PM
At the 2022 NY Young Republicans gala, Marjorie Taylor Greene said about the attempted coup and January 6th attack on the Capitol:
“…If Steve Bannon and I organized that, we would have won. Not to mention, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ARMED.” [Emphasis added.]
www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...
“…If Steve Bannon and I organized that, we would have won. Not to mention, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ARMED.” [Emphasis added.]
www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
“The tech industry has run out of hypergrowth ideas, and in its desperation hitched itself to the least-profitable hardware and software in history, then spent three straight years lying about what was possible to the media, analysts and shareholders.” — @edzitron.com
The Enshittifinancial Crisis
Soundtrack: Lynyrd Skynyrd — Free Bird
This piece is over 19,000 words, and took me a great deal of writing and research. If you liked it, please subscribe to my premium newsletter. It’s $70 a year, ...
www.wheresyoured.at
December 29, 2025 at 11:38 PM
“The tech industry has run out of hypergrowth ideas, and in its desperation hitched itself to the least-profitable hardware and software in history, then spent three straight years lying about what was possible to the media, analysts and shareholders.” — @edzitron.com
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
An entire feature-length profile about her in the New York Times, the paper of record, that not *one single time* mentions that she's a rabid antisemite.
When she does her real apology for that wake me up.
When she does her real apology for that wake me up.
December 29, 2025 at 1:58 PM
An entire feature-length profile about her in the New York Times, the paper of record, that not *one single time* mentions that she's a rabid antisemite.
When she does her real apology for that wake me up.
When she does her real apology for that wake me up.
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
Rift Widens Between Elon Musk, Anyone Who Ever Met Him https://theonion.com/rift-widens-between-elon-musk-anyone-who-ever-met-him/
December 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Rift Widens Between Elon Musk, Anyone Who Ever Met Him https://theonion.com/rift-widens-between-elon-musk-anyone-who-ever-met-him/
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
You were moved to do this by pride and by hate. Is it any wonder the result was ruin?
December 29, 2025 at 3:05 PM
You were moved to do this by pride and by hate. Is it any wonder the result was ruin?
Reposted by The Pedantic Professor
Men will literally invent a billion dollar, suicide inducing, hallucinogenic therapist to avoid going to therapy.
Don't forget that Ilya cited this as THE
usecase he was most excited about.
usecase he was most excited about.
December 29, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Men will literally invent a billion dollar, suicide inducing, hallucinogenic therapist to avoid going to therapy.