ERTBen
@ertben.bsky.social
Figuring out where we go from here. Seeking community and new ways to engage people in progressive ideas. Weather, wildfire, wilderness and front-yard gardening. Midwest-born Californian. Exvangelical.
Reposted by ERTBen
there are probably 10 people in the entire country who voted for Kamala in 2024 and wish they voted for Trump so naturally one of them is featured by the New York Times
December 30, 2025 at 7:03 PM
there are probably 10 people in the entire country who voted for Kamala in 2024 and wish they voted for Trump so naturally one of them is featured by the New York Times
Reposted by ERTBen
With all this talk of how to end Russias war against Ukraine, and a cease fire, keep this in mind:
If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist.
If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist.
Pretty clear
If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist.
If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist.
Pretty clear
December 28, 2025 at 9:23 PM
With all this talk of how to end Russias war against Ukraine, and a cease fire, keep this in mind:
If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist.
If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist.
Pretty clear
If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist.
If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist.
Pretty clear
Reposted by ERTBen
i don’t think it’s a societal problem that young people tend to want to be able to write down things they aren’t ready to say to another person! that’s normal. it’s a societal problem that the place they’re likely to want to write them down might encourage them to kill themselves
December 29, 2025 at 1:56 AM
i don’t think it’s a societal problem that young people tend to want to be able to write down things they aren’t ready to say to another person! that’s normal. it’s a societal problem that the place they’re likely to want to write them down might encourage them to kill themselves
Reposted by ERTBen
young people have always looked for a safe place to put their secrets that can’t judge their feelings! it’s why kids like to keep diaries. the difference is that a notebook will never actively encourage mental illness or explicitly validate suicidal ideation
i wonder if anyone is going to ask the other question: why are kids confiding in AI how they feel about *insert mental health topic* and not confiding in a real person? or are we just going to use this as another “AI bad” thing and move on?
getting rid of AI won’t fix the problems that got us here
getting rid of AI won’t fix the problems that got us here
December 29, 2025 at 1:48 AM
young people have always looked for a safe place to put their secrets that can’t judge their feelings! it’s why kids like to keep diaries. the difference is that a notebook will never actively encourage mental illness or explicitly validate suicidal ideation
Reposted by ERTBen
and the ability to do such vaccine research was impossible. In 1918 it was not known what caused influenza; the influenza virus was not discovered until 1933. The bottom line is that a vaccine virus could never have been imagined in 1918. The influenza virus arose in
December 27, 2025 at 11:42 PM
and the ability to do such vaccine research was impossible. In 1918 it was not known what caused influenza; the influenza virus was not discovered until 1933. The bottom line is that a vaccine virus could never have been imagined in 1918. The influenza virus arose in
Reposted by ERTBen
Ladies and gentlemen... the weekend. (also: you are important and are not alone 🧡)
December 27, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Ladies and gentlemen... the weekend. (also: you are important and are not alone 🧡)
Reposted by ERTBen
I'm once again politely asking Bluesky developers to allow us to attach multiple photos and videos in one post.
December 26, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I'm once again politely asking Bluesky developers to allow us to attach multiple photos and videos in one post.
Reposted by ERTBen
AI is providing a benefit for executives here: providing a convenient excuse to engage in layoffs. Probably saves money vs the typical route of hiring a consultant to shoulder the blame.
Why, yes, I'm a bit cynical...
Why, yes, I'm a bit cynical...
August 20, 2025 at 5:07 AM
AI is providing a benefit for executives here: providing a convenient excuse to engage in layoffs. Probably saves money vs the typical route of hiring a consultant to shoulder the blame.
Why, yes, I'm a bit cynical...
Why, yes, I'm a bit cynical...
Reposted by ERTBen
That privilege--the privilege to speak of your religious beliefs as certainties that are incontestable--is given to Christians alone in America. And anyone else knows this and tiptoes around it, reflexively.
But what if we stopped doing that, like this guy did in North Dakota?
But what if we stopped doing that, like this guy did in North Dakota?
December 25, 2025 at 5:48 PM
That privilege--the privilege to speak of your religious beliefs as certainties that are incontestable--is given to Christians alone in America. And anyone else knows this and tiptoes around it, reflexively.
But what if we stopped doing that, like this guy did in North Dakota?
But what if we stopped doing that, like this guy did in North Dakota?
Reposted by ERTBen
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
Reposted by ERTBen
I've always loved this illustration depicting Joseph and Mary looking for a room. I am finding it especially powerful this year
December 23, 2025 at 8:09 PM
I've always loved this illustration depicting Joseph and Mary looking for a room. I am finding it especially powerful this year
Reposted by ERTBen
Reminder that Bari Weiss held the 60 Minutes piece on migrant gulags with the suggestion that Stephen Miller (whose number she has) should comment. Maybe if 60 Minutes could just post this video alongside the story, it would meet Weiss's vaunted editorial standards.
White House Senior Advisor Stephen Miller has spent years weaponizing hatred to become the mastermind of Trump’s crackdown on marginalized groups.
Zeteo traces his most hateful, strange, and downright cringey moments along the way.
Zeteo traces his most hateful, strange, and downright cringey moments along the way.
December 24, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Reminder that Bari Weiss held the 60 Minutes piece on migrant gulags with the suggestion that Stephen Miller (whose number she has) should comment. Maybe if 60 Minutes could just post this video alongside the story, it would meet Weiss's vaunted editorial standards.
Reposted by ERTBen
The spiked 60 Minutes story, one of several archive sites now being posted
December 23, 2025 at 12:04 AM
The spiked 60 Minutes story, one of several archive sites now being posted
Reposted by ERTBen
Get your copy today!
iCloud, Mega, and as a torrent. Archivists have uploaded the 60 Minutes episode Bari Weiss spiked.
Archivists Posted the 60 Minutes CECOT Segment Bari Weiss Killed
iCloud, Mega, and as a torrent. Archivists have uploaded the 60 Minutes episode Bari Weiss spiked.
www.404media.co
December 23, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Get your copy today!
Reposted by ERTBen
Mr. Beast is fucking evil.
And he's training up his followers to find cruelty amusing.
And he's training up his followers to find cruelty amusing.
December 22, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Mr. Beast is fucking evil.
And he's training up his followers to find cruelty amusing.
And he's training up his followers to find cruelty amusing.
Reposted by ERTBen
Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
December 22, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
Reposted by ERTBen
Debt that isn't worth anything and nothing bad happens when you just write it off, huh? Sounds like we are running out of excuses to just not erase certain debts across the board.
December 21, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Debt that isn't worth anything and nothing bad happens when you just write it off, huh? Sounds like we are running out of excuses to just not erase certain debts across the board.
Reposted by ERTBen
The actor Michael Sheen used all his money to start a fake debt collecting business, buy 900 people in Wales's debt, and excused it. If Musk bought ALL $194 billion in medical debt in the U.S. and excused it in the same way, he'd still be the world's riches man by hundreds of billions of dollars.
Michael Sheen spent his own money to write off $1.3 million of neighbors’ debts | CNN
Actor Michael Sheen has bought $1.3 million of his neighbors’ debts and written them off using $129,000 of his own money.
www.cnn.com
December 21, 2025 at 3:07 PM
The actor Michael Sheen used all his money to start a fake debt collecting business, buy 900 people in Wales's debt, and excused it. If Musk bought ALL $194 billion in medical debt in the U.S. and excused it in the same way, he'd still be the world's riches man by hundreds of billions of dollars.
Reposted by ERTBen
tech oligarchs want a 21st century economy with a (barely) 20th century infrastructure that they refuse to support or help upgrade by paying taxes…just the biggest fucking losers
Much of SF lost power last night. Waymos blocked intersections across the city, even though they are Wayless than 1% of cars on the roads. They accumulated at their failure points--intersections with no green lights, in busy areas, and shut down traffic there.
December 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM
tech oligarchs want a 21st century economy with a (barely) 20th century infrastructure that they refuse to support or help upgrade by paying taxes…just the biggest fucking losers
Reposted by ERTBen
For example: “In 1987, NCAR began testing a new Doppler radar that predicted dangerous wind shear events and alerted pilots…There has not been a microburst-induced crash of a commercial airplane in the United States since 1994.”
December 20, 2025 at 4:52 PM
For example: “In 1987, NCAR began testing a new Doppler radar that predicted dangerous wind shear events and alerted pilots…There has not been a microburst-induced crash of a commercial airplane in the United States since 1994.”
Reposted by ERTBen
It’s a single-blind study in a country where hepB is highly prevalent, where some children will be given placebos and a painful death rather than a safe, effective vaccine.
Complaining this isn’t “America First” because American researchers aren’t getting the money is…. that’s not the problem here.
Complaining this isn’t “America First” because American researchers aren’t getting the money is…. that’s not the problem here.
CDC Gives Danish Researchers $1.6M to Study Hep B Vaccine Birth Dose in Africa
'I don't see that as America First,' one researcher says
www.medpagetoday.com
December 20, 2025 at 4:52 AM
It’s a single-blind study in a country where hepB is highly prevalent, where some children will be given placebos and a painful death rather than a safe, effective vaccine.
Complaining this isn’t “America First” because American researchers aren’t getting the money is…. that’s not the problem here.
Complaining this isn’t “America First” because American researchers aren’t getting the money is…. that’s not the problem here.
Reposted by ERTBen
this is a good reminder of how things that are shitty but have been accepted as normal and inevitable can actually turn out to be abnormal and evitable with some science, time, education and political will
December 19, 2025 at 8:44 PM
this is a good reminder of how things that are shitty but have been accepted as normal and inevitable can actually turn out to be abnormal and evitable with some science, time, education and political will
Reposted by ERTBen
you don't need to watch the trump speech unless it is literally your job to watch the trump speech. it is not good for you to watch the trump speech.
December 18, 2025 at 1:27 AM
you don't need to watch the trump speech unless it is literally your job to watch the trump speech. it is not good for you to watch the trump speech.
Reposted by ERTBen
NEWS: We now have 218 signatures on this discharge petition to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies by three years.
I look forward to voting for this bill as soon as possible to save access to affordable, quality health care for over 20 million Americans.
I look forward to voting for this bill as soon as possible to save access to affordable, quality health care for over 20 million Americans.
Every single House Democrat has signed a discharge petition to force a vote on extending ACA subsidies.
We only need FOUR Republicans to stand up to Speaker Johnson and join us in protecting access to affordable, quality health care for over 20 million Americans.
We only need FOUR Republicans to stand up to Speaker Johnson and join us in protecting access to affordable, quality health care for over 20 million Americans.
December 17, 2025 at 3:13 PM
NEWS: We now have 218 signatures on this discharge petition to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies by three years.
I look forward to voting for this bill as soon as possible to save access to affordable, quality health care for over 20 million Americans.
I look forward to voting for this bill as soon as possible to save access to affordable, quality health care for over 20 million Americans.