Canary in the Coal Mine
@vaelis.bsky.social
GenXer who grew up on PBS in a small town & ended up in Fortune 5s. I have very strong feelings about our failed government, media, tech, fascism .. and video games. Not here for clout, just old and treat this like it’s a BBS 🙂
Pinned
One of my favorite things about Bluesky (or at least my little corner of it) is that people are always sharing resources for taking action.
So here's a pinned thread collecting those resources, some made by me and some made by others.
So here's a pinned thread collecting those resources, some made by me and some made by others.
This is an excellent compilation of resources for folks looking to take action. Thank you Laura for putting it together.
Reposted by Canary in the Coal Mine
timeline cleaning
November 26, 2025 at 8:41 PM
timeline cleaning
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not to put too fine a point on it but every one of these people—lizza and nuzzi, obviously, but also sundberg herself—are symptoms of the same problem, which is that larping as a journalist is orders of magnitude more lucrative than actually practicing journalism
a paywalled substack chat is an interesting marketing strategy
December 2, 2025 at 3:38 PM
not to put too fine a point on it but every one of these people—lizza and nuzzi, obviously, but also sundberg herself—are symptoms of the same problem, which is that larping as a journalist is orders of magnitude more lucrative than actually practicing journalism
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Jeff Bezos allegedly reluctantly bought the paper in 2013 at the behest of Don Graham, who inherited it, for only $250 million. At the time his worth was $25 billion.
Today he is worth $250 billion.
This is what he said of buying it at the time.
Today he is worth $250 billion.
This is what he said of buying it at the time.
December 2, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Jeff Bezos allegedly reluctantly bought the paper in 2013 at the behest of Don Graham, who inherited it, for only $250 million. At the time his worth was $25 billion.
Today he is worth $250 billion.
This is what he said of buying it at the time.
Today he is worth $250 billion.
This is what he said of buying it at the time.
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The real question is not "Why is Bluesky so left-coded," the real question is "Why can't the right exist in a social media environment without algorithmic assistance, where people can ignore them"
December 2, 2025 at 3:08 PM
The real question is not "Why is Bluesky so left-coded," the real question is "Why can't the right exist in a social media environment without algorithmic assistance, where people can ignore them"
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i'm actually struck by how pete hegseth isn't just a cowardly man but a capital-c Coward. a guy who gets off on abusing and hurting people he thinks are weaker than him and then tries to run and hide when there might be consequences
December 2, 2025 at 1:45 PM
i'm actually struck by how pete hegseth isn't just a cowardly man but a capital-c Coward. a guy who gets off on abusing and hurting people he thinks are weaker than him and then tries to run and hide when there might be consequences
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“Strong Floor No Ceiling!” chant all the people who say they can’t support Defund the Police or Black Lives Matter because “they’re bad slogans that nobody understands.”
December 2, 2025 at 2:28 AM
“Strong Floor No Ceiling!” chant all the people who say they can’t support Defund the Police or Black Lives Matter because “they’re bad slogans that nobody understands.”
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Please keep in mind – the instant they do not see you as with them or of them, this is what they will wish on you as well
And a whole lot of us are neither with them nor of them
And a whole lot of us are neither with them nor of them
December 2, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Please keep in mind – the instant they do not see you as with them or of them, this is what they will wish on you as well
And a whole lot of us are neither with them nor of them
And a whole lot of us are neither with them nor of them
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I simply do not believe, however much standards have deteriorated in specops, that admiral bradley was unaware of the implications of what he was doing and would have voluntarily done it without orders from hegseth
he chose this path and now he can choose if he goes down for it alone
he chose this path and now he can choose if he goes down for it alone
If Admiral Bradley didn’t realize before that these cowards were setting him up to take the fall, he knows it now. Time to hire a good lawyer.
December 2, 2025 at 1:12 AM
I simply do not believe, however much standards have deteriorated in specops, that admiral bradley was unaware of the implications of what he was doing and would have voluntarily done it without orders from hegseth
he chose this path and now he can choose if he goes down for it alone
he chose this path and now he can choose if he goes down for it alone
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“AI is clearly sticking around so you have to get used to it” wrong. I don’t have to get used to shit. I am a practiced hater and I can keep this going for decades if I am required to
December 1, 2025 at 11:29 PM
“AI is clearly sticking around so you have to get used to it” wrong. I don’t have to get used to shit. I am a practiced hater and I can keep this going for decades if I am required to
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Which wars were won due to little-to-no rules of engagement, and which wars were lost due to tighter rules of engagement?
The Soviets had more permissive rules of engagement in Afghanistan than the US did, and killed more civilians. They still lost, and at greater cost to their country.
The Soviets had more permissive rules of engagement in Afghanistan than the US did, and killed more civilians. They still lost, and at greater cost to their country.
Pete Hegseth: "[Trump] changed the rules of engagement [and] untied the hands of war fighters…We don't need burdensome rules of engagement that make it impossible for us to win these wars."
December 1, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Which wars were won due to little-to-no rules of engagement, and which wars were lost due to tighter rules of engagement?
The Soviets had more permissive rules of engagement in Afghanistan than the US did, and killed more civilians. They still lost, and at greater cost to their country.
The Soviets had more permissive rules of engagement in Afghanistan than the US did, and killed more civilians. They still lost, and at greater cost to their country.
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It sucks that meeting a new class now involves not just going over the syllabus, setting expectations, and trying to establish a rapport, but also trying to deduce whether any of your new students are vigilante right wing operatives out to seek viral controversy at the expense of your job
If you are a chair of a department or supervise grad students, it might be important to collaborate with your colleagues on ways to strategize when a "problem essay" comes down the pike. It's one small way of protecting each other.
December 1, 2025 at 8:38 PM
It sucks that meeting a new class now involves not just going over the syllabus, setting expectations, and trying to establish a rapport, but also trying to deduce whether any of your new students are vigilante right wing operatives out to seek viral controversy at the expense of your job
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The combination of fascism covid more fascism genocide capitulation to fascism and the clear goal of AI tech bros to eradicate the workforce and make all jobs and future goals irrelevant as we all slide into poverty while eleven rich people become gods is really doing a number on us.
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
December 1, 2025 at 8:02 PM
The combination of fascism covid more fascism genocide capitulation to fascism and the clear goal of AI tech bros to eradicate the workforce and make all jobs and future goals irrelevant as we all slide into poverty while eleven rich people become gods is really doing a number on us.
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Look if you're running for office as a Dem and ever say you're working across the aisle, you're a white supremacist, or, at best, the person who wants to work with the white supremacists so you're a white supremacist. Anyway. Just a note for anyone running
Leavitt: "Refugee admissions into the country right now are essentially at 0, with the exception of Afrikaners fleeing persecution in South Africa."
December 1, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Look if you're running for office as a Dem and ever say you're working across the aisle, you're a white supremacist, or, at best, the person who wants to work with the white supremacists so you're a white supremacist. Anyway. Just a note for anyone running
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I understand that there are a lot of people out there who think they have good intentions and love to take their ideological opponents in good faith because it makes them seem fair and reasonable and I truly cannot overstate how dangerous this is to trans people and how much they should stop
December 1, 2025 at 7:46 PM
I understand that there are a lot of people out there who think they have good intentions and love to take their ideological opponents in good faith because it makes them seem fair and reasonable and I truly cannot overstate how dangerous this is to trans people and how much they should stop
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it would be nicer if we all lived in a world of debate club where everyone was free to express their opinions and never lied about their intentions or behaved in bad faith but that's not the world we live in and it is important to deal with reality as it is, not as we want it to be
December 1, 2025 at 7:48 PM
it would be nicer if we all lived in a world of debate club where everyone was free to express their opinions and never lied about their intentions or behaved in bad faith but that's not the world we live in and it is important to deal with reality as it is, not as we want it to be
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we are well past the point at which anyone who cannot identify bad faith like this is disqualified from commenting on it
the girl and her mother are basically screaming THIS IS A BAD FAITH ATTACK ON TRANS PEOPLE at the top of their lungs and if you can't see that you're stupid or lying
the girl and her mother are basically screaming THIS IS A BAD FAITH ATTACK ON TRANS PEOPLE at the top of their lungs and if you can't see that you're stupid or lying
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
December 1, 2025 at 7:40 PM
we are well past the point at which anyone who cannot identify bad faith like this is disqualified from commenting on it
the girl and her mother are basically screaming THIS IS A BAD FAITH ATTACK ON TRANS PEOPLE at the top of their lungs and if you can't see that you're stupid or lying
the girl and her mother are basically screaming THIS IS A BAD FAITH ATTACK ON TRANS PEOPLE at the top of their lungs and if you can't see that you're stupid or lying
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i’m genuinely so convinced all of this has been a planned operation by the student and her mother (who is commenting on this publicly, and associated closely with the republican party), and big far right propaganda account going all in on it. this is designed to oust trans people from public life
December 1, 2025 at 6:09 PM
i’m genuinely so convinced all of this has been a planned operation by the student and her mother (who is commenting on this publicly, and associated closely with the republican party), and big far right propaganda account going all in on it. this is designed to oust trans people from public life
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We have to talk about how this glorification of overwork is driving care downstream.
To compete, men are incentivized to dump care onto women in their families. And women in privileged positions are then incentivized to push care onto others more vulnerable than them.
www.cnbc.com/2025/10/25/b...
To compete, men are incentivized to dump care onto women in their families. And women in privileged positions are then incentivized to push care onto others more vulnerable than them.
www.cnbc.com/2025/10/25/b...
Billionaire Jimmy John’s founder: Work-life balance for entrepreneurs ''is the biggest line of bulls--- that’s ever been created’
Jimmy John Liautaud says launching a successful business requires an immense amount of dedication and persistence, leaving no room for work-life balance.
www.cnbc.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:39 PM
We have to talk about how this glorification of overwork is driving care downstream.
To compete, men are incentivized to dump care onto women in their families. And women in privileged positions are then incentivized to push care onto others more vulnerable than them.
www.cnbc.com/2025/10/25/b...
To compete, men are incentivized to dump care onto women in their families. And women in privileged positions are then incentivized to push care onto others more vulnerable than them.
www.cnbc.com/2025/10/25/b...
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“The only people who get angry when hearing service members being told to ignore illegal orders are people who intend to issue illegal orders.”
November 30, 2025 at 7:58 PM
“The only people who get angry when hearing service members being told to ignore illegal orders are people who intend to issue illegal orders.”
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A college student complaining about a grade on a paper is not national news. Not even close. The details have minimal import outside the class itself.
Well-funded political activists targeting profs and TAs—in this case because they're trans—with the help of elected state officials? National issue.
Well-funded political activists targeting profs and TAs—in this case because they're trans—with the help of elected state officials? National issue.
December 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM
A college student complaining about a grade on a paper is not national news. Not even close. The details have minimal import outside the class itself.
Well-funded political activists targeting profs and TAs—in this case because they're trans—with the help of elected state officials? National issue.
Well-funded political activists targeting profs and TAs—in this case because they're trans—with the help of elected state officials? National issue.
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the media went on and on about the price of eggs and milk under biden, meanwhile trump is conducting an illegal war in south america that he says he doesnt know anything about and the media's big concern is their invite to the white house christmas party
December 1, 2025 at 3:58 PM
the media went on and on about the price of eggs and milk under biden, meanwhile trump is conducting an illegal war in south america that he says he doesnt know anything about and the media's big concern is their invite to the white house christmas party
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This is not true. Musk is endorsing (again) a version of the white nationalist great replacement theory, as told by Stephen Miller.
It is a conspiracy theory and it was confined to the fringes of the Internet until 10 or so years ago.
If true, Harris would’ve easily won in 2024.
It is a conspiracy theory and it was confined to the fringes of the Internet until 10 or so years ago.
If true, Harris would’ve easily won in 2024.
December 1, 2025 at 11:36 AM
This is not true. Musk is endorsing (again) a version of the white nationalist great replacement theory, as told by Stephen Miller.
It is a conspiracy theory and it was confined to the fringes of the Internet until 10 or so years ago.
If true, Harris would’ve easily won in 2024.
It is a conspiracy theory and it was confined to the fringes of the Internet until 10 or so years ago.
If true, Harris would’ve easily won in 2024.
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Politicians love to talk about "kids safety" until you ask them to do something that would actually keep kids safe like fund housing, healthcare, education, outdoor spaces, arts programs, etc.
That's because most of them use "safety" as a euphemism for surveillance, control and domination.
That's because most of them use "safety" as a euphemism for surveillance, control and domination.
November 30, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Politicians love to talk about "kids safety" until you ask them to do something that would actually keep kids safe like fund housing, healthcare, education, outdoor spaces, arts programs, etc.
That's because most of them use "safety" as a euphemism for surveillance, control and domination.
That's because most of them use "safety" as a euphemism for surveillance, control and domination.
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Same with the current corrupt Supreme Court which is also illegitimate
December 1, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Same with the current corrupt Supreme Court which is also illegitimate
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We all should start saying that Trump is an illegitimate president due to the 14th Amendment’s plain text and his pardons are null and void
dems should start saying that presidential pardons dont apply to international war crimes and in fact implicate the president, no idea if thats true but they should start saying it
December 1, 2025 at 1:39 PM
We all should start saying that Trump is an illegitimate president due to the 14th Amendment’s plain text and his pardons are null and void