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John

@johnlk.bsky.social

1.1K followers 290 following 20K posts

@johnlk_80 on twitter. Comics, history, politics and such.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · Jan 15

Okay, starting my thread of comics threads. You can find the older threads (for now) on X/Twitter.

First thread: 5501-5594 is here, with Scott Summers fighting a giant octopus. bsky.app/profile/john...

John @johnlk.bsky.social · Dec 13

I'm moving my comics tweeting (skeeting?) over here to Bsky, with Cyclops and a giant octopus, I guess. This thread will be #5501-5600 of the Complete Marvel Reading Order (cmro.travis-starnes.com). I did the first 5500 (!) comics over on Twitter.

Anyway, Cyclops! Giant Octopus! Let's begin.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 1h

It's true: Luke used to bullseye womprats in his T-16 back home.

a man and a woman are standing next to each other and the woman is saying it 's true

ALT: a man and a woman are standing next to each other and the woman is saying it 's true

media.tenor.com

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 1h

Self deception, I think, more than active lying.

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 1h

Self deception too, I suspect.

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 2h

In a pre-modern setting, you get roughly one campaign a year. If it doesn't work out, maybe you make peace, maybe you start all over again. If it works, you probably can't press your advantage for months.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 2h

Sometimes he can do a Mediterranean operation in fall, as well.

This is basically a thing that drives me nuts about A Song of Ice and Fire. The military operations happen at this breakneck speed that is just basically impossible for late medieval/early modern armies.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 2h

Generally Charles will have time to plan to do roughly one thing, or maybe two, in a season. And the planning has to start like almost before campaigning season ends the previous year if he wants everything in place for next spring's campaign.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 2h

So this is a thing that frequently bugs me about fiction (not necessarily Star Wars, specifically). I've been reading a biography of Charles V, and one thing that strikes me is how slowly military operations move. Campaigning season is roughly May - September (at least north of the Alps).

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 2h

What's the time scale for wars like in the Galactic Republic/Empire? How long does it take to plan and do things?

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 2h

What's the time scale for wars like in the Galactic Republic/Empire? How long does it take to plan and do things?

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 2h

He might or might not know that, I guess?

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 2h

There's a Catholic to Evangelical ratchet, but that's mostly people who were not very religious as Catholics. The ratchet for "weird archaic Catholics" is to Eastern Orthodox.

Reposted by John

Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 3h

This is capitulation. It is not the "Department of War." If CNN concedes on this point, they'll concede on any point.

Jon Passantino @passantino.bsky.social · 4h

CNN is now using the Trump preferred “Department of War” name in its official statements

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

Didn't Obi-Wan discover them while investigating the assassination attempt on Padme, or something? Is Palpatine being alive necessary for all that working out?

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

The clone troops have already been created, right?

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

Dooku obviously not in a position to play the same inside game/outside game that Palpatine was working. So presumably he's going to try to get the separatist movement to actually work?

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

Well, yes, which is why I don't really believe the self-reported "I wish I could have more kids" data.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

I still don't get how they mandated extra VRA districts in Louisiana and Alabama like last year and are apparently now going to say VRA districts are unconstitutional.

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

The countries with high birth rates tend to be in Africa, so certainly not a function of generous welfare states.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

Low compared to replacement, and lower than the US.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

These are all lower than the US.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 3h

The thing is that, in spite of their very generous welfare states, birth rates in the Nordics are very low.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 4h

I mean revealed preference is a thing.

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 4h

Apparently the first governor of Liechtenstein was Gene Hackman.

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 5h

I think it is easier to make this argument in 2025 than any time in the last decade or so.

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 5h

POTENTIAL HOT TAKE: The whole second Trump administration is a bunch of idiots who've been hoarding gold making sure their investment pans out.

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 10h

I’ve been worried a lot that this is right. Gold is skyrocketing in value because the world is losing faith in the role of US as guarantor/backstop of global economy open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

Ingots We Trust

Are soaring gold prices telling us something important?

open.substack.com

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John @johnlk.bsky.social · 5h

I had ChatGPT make me a picture of Trump at Canossa. That was supposed to be Leo XIV but it just drew this beardo twice instead.

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