The linked essay was written by theoretical astrophysicist and science communicator Ethan Segal (@startswithabang.bsky.social)

Instead of holodecks and teleportation beams, we get a federal government run by sociopaths, grifters, and lying robots promoting colloidal silver enemas and other dubious quackery that any rational human knows is total horseshit. Lucky us!

Thanks, I’ll check it out ☑️

The whole ecosystem, while imperfect, helped drive decades of progress. I don't understand the societal disconnect that's led so many to not recognize or appreciate the role it played in creating their relatively comfortable, safe lives. Actually I do understand: the destruction of a shared reality.

Eventually, even the most mundane federal services, like park permits, will become an unpredictable shitshow of political theater, bribery, coercion, and dysfunction. If this new reality is fully entrenched, institutionally and culturally, the effects will cascade down into state & local government.

The FAA and HHS/CDC are the "canaries in the coal mine" in terms of how the transformation of the federal workforce from a professional civil service to an army of true believers and loyalists will begin to affect people in a very real and visceral way. And it's already begun.

Not to mention, thousands and thousands of contractors who work side-by-side with the federal workforce—from program support to facility management—and consider it another avenue of public service.

Also, someone needs to invent a leash that doesn’t tangle up with other leashes when a group of dogs convenes. It’s menacing.

Here’s the clip.

I should add the lineup featured Enforced, Drop Dead, Midnight, Toxic Holocaust, and Municipal Waste. Every band slapped—here’s Midnight performing one of my favorites, “Satanic Royalty” 🤘

It was just an awesome show with great energy; we had so much fun and are fortunate to be a part of the experience.

Behold, the circle pit 🔄

Launching “smoke rings” into the crowd 😲

The air was buzzing with (harmless) projectiles 🙂‍↔️