Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
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tomh4.bsky.social
Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
@tomh4.bsky.social
Trying to stay focused on higher ed, but someone always seems to be wrong on the internet.
Reposted by Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
NEW: The next US Census likely won’t be good for New York. The state is projected to lose two congressional seats, and with them, two electoral votes for president.

One reason why blue states are losing ground: The red states build far more housing than they do.
New York Could Lose Seats in Congress Because It Won’t Build Housing
As housing construction booms in red states, blue states are falling behind. That will likely boost Republicans in federal politics.
nysfocus.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:07 PM
💯%. Don’t know how he keeps it up!
Every single day, Aaron Rupar watches broadcasts of these horrible, stupid people just so we can have clips of them and I think Aaron legit deserves some kind of award for not pouring acid into his eyes by now.
"Sir, to show our appreciation, the trophy says 'the undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal'"
February 12, 2026 at 1:19 PM
What changed due to Bezos’ review? Completely fine with paywalls, but there should be some useful info in front of the paywall. This just sounds like gossip.
February 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Haha, Foresta finally got around to blocking me.
February 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Also, I’d forgotten that Foresta actually quote-forwarded my thread with his characteristic wit and razor-sharp logic. bsky.app/profile/math...
February 11, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Thought I recognized that name. bsky.app/profile/tomh...
Always inspiring to see opinion journalists lecturing activists on how to be better activists. Never gets old.
February 10, 2026 at 11:05 PM
Great catch. Also, who is "the frog"?
February 10, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Let me guess: The pot boiled over. That’s what always happens to me, because years of western coffee intake has lulled me into expecting the cezve to magically turn off. But no, I have to watch and turn off the burner myself as the foam rises.
February 10, 2026 at 1:53 PM
I’m not saying @analilia-mejia.bsky.social came in first because her ballot line said “unbought, unbossed“ or that Brendan Gill came in fourth because his ballot line said “endorsed by Essex County Democratic Committee“ but I don’t think it’s irrelevant either.
February 9, 2026 at 2:42 PM
There’s a whole literature about this link between isolation and vulnerability to conspiracy theories and violent radicalization. It’s not especially hopeful, on the whole, because of macro social trends toward declining connectivity. But it does point the way for countervailing activism.
February 8, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Banality of Evil meets Bowling Alone.
February 8, 2026 at 5:13 PM
To be clear, I have no evidence on the impact of the AIPAC ad campaign one way or the other. Just saying we should pull back on our human tendency to form narratives based on what we personally find most satisfying.
February 7, 2026 at 3:30 PM
He's actually waiting for a manic pixie dream girl of his own to pepper spray and harass.
February 6, 2026 at 6:36 PM
Wait a minute, I thought the Essex County Democrats were the kingmakers! Gill‘s endorsements were supposed to sweep away all obstacles. Post-line, they don’t seem to carry much weight.
February 6, 2026 at 11:51 AM
It would be a delightful irony given Mejia’s pro-Palestinian sympathies, but the ad campaign got so much press coverage that it may actually have boosted Malinowski.
February 6, 2026 at 3:46 AM
You think the goal of recording the arrests is gathering evidence for criminal RICO prosecutions? That’s a take, I guess. But not one I’ve heard of from MN activists.

Divinity Original Sin is a popular video game. Nvm! divinity.fandom.com/wiki/Sourcer...
Sourcerer
Sourcerers are individuals with the innate ability to wield Source energy. Predominantly they have been considered a danger by society, however there have been exceptions throughout the ages, includin...
divinity.fandom.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:26 AM
It’s an organizational judgement question. Stancil argues that certain activists set boundaries that are so strict they endanger the press coverage the MN resistance needs. It’s hard to know as an outsider, but seems plausible.

Also, Divinity Original Sin callout?
February 6, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Note clause 32, where Kelley's client was forced to sign papers promising not to be a part of any "groups," which violates the judge's order for unconditional release. Quite possible that delays in release stemmed from unlawful conditions & pressure tactics.
‘One officer told me that I "had no chance of returning to Minnesota" and that "the best thing for (me] is self-deportation." …
She offered me $2600 to self-deport.
I refused.
I wanted to talk to my attorney.
They didn't tell me the judge had already ordered my release and return to Minnesota.’
February 5, 2026 at 10:53 PM
That may be what you think, but you really can’t speak for other folks on Bluesky. As an immigration enforcement activist in South Jersey, the question of how to balance opsec with the need for national media coverage is important to me.
February 5, 2026 at 6:49 PM
We're all here replying to Ryan Grim's post. Evidently lots of people care, so blaming this on Stancil's ego is disingenuous. If Minneapolis activists are becoming paranoid about journalists, that's alarming and important to know. It could happen in my community too.
February 5, 2026 at 6:30 PM
That’s not why. Anyone can get on social media to contradict Stancil’s account. God bless our medium, it’s as local as anyone wants it to be. The fact that no one has suggests that there’s no argument over what happened, only whether it was justified.
February 5, 2026 at 6:07 PM
I don’t think anyone has disputed Stancil’s account of the expulsion, which genuinely seems pretty absurd. On-the-ground press coverage of the Minnesota occupation has thrown the Trump administration‘s messaging into complete disarray. Freaking out about reporters’ ride-alongs is self-destructive.
February 5, 2026 at 5:09 PM
I am intrigued by “you should only suffer a terrible death,” which sounds directly translated from Yiddish.
February 5, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Not sure a lead within the margin of error can be described as “reliably winning a general election matchup. “
February 5, 2026 at 3:16 AM