Ben Adlin
LightNews LightNews
banner
badlin.bsky.social
Ben Adlin
@badlin.bsky.social
440 followers 220 following 210 posts
i used to have more to say
Posts Replies Media Videos
badlin.bsky.social
i was super curious about the origin of this, and some (admittedly quick) searching says it had to do with the “brasstown possum drop,” a new year’s eve celebration that involved lowering a live possum at midnight. it apparently ended a few years after the law was enacted after pressure from peta
screenshot of a google mobile search result for “brasstown possum drop.” the screenshot includes two photos of the event, one showing a possum hanging by its tail in a lighted ball, à la the ball drop in times square, and the other showing a man posing with a possum. below the photos is the following text and cut-off image from a video of the event. included text: “The Brasstown Possum Drop is a formerly annual,, unconventional New Year's Eve celebration in North Carolina a where, from 1990 until roughly 2019, an opossum in a clear container was lowered at midnight. Held at Clay's Corner convenience store, the event featured music, a "Miss Possum" contest, and a, satirical "possum drop" to mark the new year. “This video shows the 2014 New Year's Eve celebration in Brasstown:”
February 12, 2026 at 8:58 AM
badlin.bsky.social
a cat with its chin rested on the arm of a chair, eyes mostly closed
February 6, 2026 at 12:35 AM
badlin.bsky.social
brazen
screenshot of an excerpt from the article linked above: A Homeland Security spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, said that if the ICE recruiting post were actually about the song, it “would be a problem” and “morally repugnant.” But, she said, the post had no relation to the white-supremacist anthem. “There are plenty of references to those words in books and poems,” she said, adding that she was “in charge of everything” posted on the department’s social media accounts. But when the post was opened on Instagram’s mobile app, audio from the chorus of the song played in the background. After a reporter pointed this out, Ms. McLaughlin said The Times was participating in a left-wing conspiracy theory. “I’m telling you it’s not there,” she said. Less than 40 minutes after the interview on Thursday, the Instagram post — including audio from the song — disappeared from social media. Posts on X and Facebook, which did not include an audio component, are still visible.
January 29, 2026 at 5:21 AM
badlin.bsky.social
great question. he’s on message
January 24, 2026 at 8:30 PM
badlin.bsky.social
December 31, 2025 at 5:50 AM
badlin.bsky.social
is this drivel supposed to mean something?
November 27, 2025 at 11:16 PM
badlin.bsky.social
also relevant, imo: aggression in late capitalism
(marcuse, eros and civilization)
November 3, 2025 at 1:49 AM
badlin.bsky.social
feels like covid really sealed the deal
screenshot of tweet from april 20, 2022 that says, "2022 is the year of anomie"
November 3, 2025 at 1:44 AM
badlin.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 10:07 PM
badlin.bsky.social
dear god
October 26, 2025 at 6:19 AM
badlin.bsky.social
i’m sort of those things too, no
worries! fwiw, though, it looks like a regular-ish jacket to me
the photo of elizabeth holmes from earlier in the thread that’s been cropped to show the detail in her jacket
October 26, 2025 at 2:24 AM
badlin.bsky.social
call me robert d. putnam because tonight i’m
cover image of book “bowling alone”
August 14, 2025 at 1:59 AM
badlin.bsky.social
some personal news:

tomorrow is my last day at marijuana moment
a screenshot of my current boss bragging about heavy traffic on the Marijuana Moment website, to which someone has replied: “Give @badlin a raise!”
July 31, 2025 at 2:01 AM
badlin.bsky.social
July 28, 2025 at 11:20 PM
badlin.bsky.social
the face of a labubu, closely cropped
July 27, 2025 at 5:46 PM
badlin.bsky.social
May 13, 2025 at 7:17 AM