Minor Heretic
@minorheretic.bsky.social
Hydroelectric magnate. Energy wonk. History nerd. Politics geek. Former professional blacksmith.
On Nov 2, 2000, representatives of the Clinton admin and the Taliban, meeting in Germany, agreed to cooperate on the killing of Osama bin Laden. The Taliban would give us the coordinates for a cruise missile strike. Gore would have followed up on that.
December 12, 2025 at 3:20 PM
On Nov 2, 2000, representatives of the Clinton admin and the Taliban, meeting in Germany, agreed to cooperate on the killing of Osama bin Laden. The Taliban would give us the coordinates for a cruise missile strike. Gore would have followed up on that.
There's the classic about the man with chronic bronchial infections that disappeared when he went on vacation. He was a bagpiper.
December 11, 2025 at 11:19 PM
There's the classic about the man with chronic bronchial infections that disappeared when he went on vacation. He was a bagpiper.
80% of healthcare is already funded by the government. It's just that a lot of it is funneled through private insurance.
Start 5&5. Lower the Medicare age to 60 and cover kids from 0-5. Raise capacity, debug systems, and lower to 55, raise to 10. Repeat.
Start 5&5. Lower the Medicare age to 60 and cover kids from 0-5. Raise capacity, debug systems, and lower to 55, raise to 10. Repeat.
December 11, 2025 at 2:34 PM
80% of healthcare is already funded by the government. It's just that a lot of it is funneled through private insurance.
Start 5&5. Lower the Medicare age to 60 and cover kids from 0-5. Raise capacity, debug systems, and lower to 55, raise to 10. Repeat.
Start 5&5. Lower the Medicare age to 60 and cover kids from 0-5. Raise capacity, debug systems, and lower to 55, raise to 10. Repeat.
My father was a judge for 21 years. In all that time he never publicly expressed a political opinion. He considered that to be a violation of the canons of judicial ethics and an erosion of public confidence in judicial impartiality.
December 11, 2025 at 2:25 PM
My father was a judge for 21 years. In all that time he never publicly expressed a political opinion. He considered that to be a violation of the canons of judicial ethics and an erosion of public confidence in judicial impartiality.
Less AI, more AU.
December 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Less AI, more AU.
I am so sorry.
I'm going to suggest to my elected representatives that they dig out the Shumlin era single payer plan. Even some sub-Bronze version of that would be better than this.
I'm hoping that this event ends a lot of political careers.
I'm going to suggest to my elected representatives that they dig out the Shumlin era single payer plan. Even some sub-Bronze version of that would be better than this.
I'm hoping that this event ends a lot of political careers.
December 10, 2025 at 3:51 AM
I am so sorry.
I'm going to suggest to my elected representatives that they dig out the Shumlin era single payer plan. Even some sub-Bronze version of that would be better than this.
I'm hoping that this event ends a lot of political careers.
I'm going to suggest to my elected representatives that they dig out the Shumlin era single payer plan. Even some sub-Bronze version of that would be better than this.
I'm hoping that this event ends a lot of political careers.
In the right venue he could have sold it for a few hundred bucks. Then he could have gotten utterly rinsed on the good stuff without danger of arrest. Poor impulse control.
December 10, 2025 at 3:41 AM
In the right venue he could have sold it for a few hundred bucks. Then he could have gotten utterly rinsed on the good stuff without danger of arrest. Poor impulse control.
The impetus is that solving the state's problems would require them to change their worldview and abandon a lot of social and economic mythology that is considered common sense. Nobody wants to do that.
December 7, 2025 at 1:03 AM
The impetus is that solving the state's problems would require them to change their worldview and abandon a lot of social and economic mythology that is considered common sense. Nobody wants to do that.
A woman I know who got divorced after 20 years explained, "I got tired of the mediocrity." The guy never quite stepped up.
Men were taught the path of least resistance by their fathers and grandfathers.
Men were taught the path of least resistance by their fathers and grandfathers.
December 7, 2025 at 12:47 AM
A woman I know who got divorced after 20 years explained, "I got tired of the mediocrity." The guy never quite stepped up.
Men were taught the path of least resistance by their fathers and grandfathers.
Men were taught the path of least resistance by their fathers and grandfathers.
Focus on reducing the max political donation to under $100. High spenders win primaries 90% of the time, & 80% of the $ comes from rich people and corporations. Candidates who agree with Exxon/Chevron/GM get $$$ and are a perpetual majority. Until we fix that we're wasting our time.
December 5, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Focus on reducing the max political donation to under $100. High spenders win primaries 90% of the time, & 80% of the $ comes from rich people and corporations. Candidates who agree with Exxon/Chevron/GM get $$$ and are a perpetual majority. Until we fix that we're wasting our time.
Anti-trans panic is about ad revenue. Ad revenue is driven by engagement; people showing up and staying long enough to see the ads. Research has found that engagement is driven by fear and anger. Not enough people are afraid of LGB anymore, so T is now the go-to. It's just about money.
December 5, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Anti-trans panic is about ad revenue. Ad revenue is driven by engagement; people showing up and staying long enough to see the ads. Research has found that engagement is driven by fear and anger. Not enough people are afraid of LGB anymore, so T is now the go-to. It's just about money.
Most super rich guys are born rich and feel like they have to justify their wealth by being workaholics. They are working to funnel more money into their own accounts because the last billion didn't make them feel better about themselves. Maybe the next billion will.
December 4, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Most super rich guys are born rich and feel like they have to justify their wealth by being workaholics. They are working to funnel more money into their own accounts because the last billion didn't make them feel better about themselves. Maybe the next billion will.
In that universe, the US govt followed through on the Taliban's agreement to help us kill bin Laden and he was killed in a missile strike in February of 2001. No 9/11, no invasion of Afghanistan.
No Bush tax cuts for the rich, so reduced deficit/debt.
No Bush tax cuts for the rich, so reduced deficit/debt.
December 3, 2025 at 12:47 AM
In that universe, the US govt followed through on the Taliban's agreement to help us kill bin Laden and he was killed in a missile strike in February of 2001. No 9/11, no invasion of Afghanistan.
No Bush tax cuts for the rich, so reduced deficit/debt.
No Bush tax cuts for the rich, so reduced deficit/debt.
The question nobody wants to touch is, "Why do we still tax only real estate as if it was the 18th century, when land related to income and few people had stock portfolios?" We have a $100 billion grand list in VT and financial investment wealth of $147 billion.
December 3, 2025 at 12:34 AM
The question nobody wants to touch is, "Why do we still tax only real estate as if it was the 18th century, when land related to income and few people had stock portfolios?" We have a $100 billion grand list in VT and financial investment wealth of $147 billion.
The US is one of a handful of countries that don't mandate paid time off. The others are tiny Pacific island nations like Kiribati and Nauru.
Every other country on earth, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, requires paid time off.
Every other country on earth, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, requires paid time off.
December 1, 2025 at 4:09 PM
The US is one of a handful of countries that don't mandate paid time off. The others are tiny Pacific island nations like Kiribati and Nauru.
Every other country on earth, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, requires paid time off.
Every other country on earth, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, requires paid time off.
Now, six years in to the Covid pandemic, the most tragic thing is that if we had cooperated as a nation we could have snuffed it out in six weeks. A million deaths avoided.
Doomed by laziness, superstition, paranoia, and childish defiance.
Doomed by laziness, superstition, paranoia, and childish defiance.
December 1, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Now, six years in to the Covid pandemic, the most tragic thing is that if we had cooperated as a nation we could have snuffed it out in six weeks. A million deaths avoided.
Doomed by laziness, superstition, paranoia, and childish defiance.
Doomed by laziness, superstition, paranoia, and childish defiance.
There are many studies documenting brain damage from Covid. Orbitofrontal cortex (risk, consequences, emotional reg.), parahippocampal gyrus (making/retrieving memories), amygdala (anxiety/fear), plus general chronic inflammation. 25% increased chance of crashing your car (see "risk", above)
November 30, 2025 at 3:57 AM
There are many studies documenting brain damage from Covid. Orbitofrontal cortex (risk, consequences, emotional reg.), parahippocampal gyrus (making/retrieving memories), amygdala (anxiety/fear), plus general chronic inflammation. 25% increased chance of crashing your car (see "risk", above)
My favorite epithet for Miller is "Temu Goebbels." Compare video of the two speaking and it's uncanny.
November 29, 2025 at 1:57 AM
My favorite epithet for Miller is "Temu Goebbels." Compare video of the two speaking and it's uncanny.
I'd watch it.
The problem is that ad revenue depends on engagement - people showing up and staying through the ads. The ad industry studied engagement and found it was driven by anger and fear. Explains a lot.
The problem is that ad revenue depends on engagement - people showing up and staying through the ads. The ad industry studied engagement and found it was driven by anger and fear. Explains a lot.
November 29, 2025 at 1:36 AM
I'd watch it.
The problem is that ad revenue depends on engagement - people showing up and staying through the ads. The ad industry studied engagement and found it was driven by anger and fear. Explains a lot.
The problem is that ad revenue depends on engagement - people showing up and staying through the ads. The ad industry studied engagement and found it was driven by anger and fear. Explains a lot.
It's a speed *limit*, not a suggestion, designed by highway engineers to lower the death toll. The left lane is for going the speed *limit*. The right lane is for going below the speed limit.
Speeding is an attack on the environment and other drivers. A violation of basic driving etiquette.
Speeding is an attack on the environment and other drivers. A violation of basic driving etiquette.
November 29, 2025 at 1:28 AM
It's a speed *limit*, not a suggestion, designed by highway engineers to lower the death toll. The left lane is for going the speed *limit*. The right lane is for going below the speed limit.
Speeding is an attack on the environment and other drivers. A violation of basic driving etiquette.
Speeding is an attack on the environment and other drivers. A violation of basic driving etiquette.
Speeding wastes about one out of twenty barrels of oil that the US uses, increasing pollution and CO2 and causing thousands of extra pollution related deaths, Ecogrrl. It also directly kills about 10,000 people a year and injures 100s of thousands.
Also, Tesla drivers are a diverse lot.
Also, Tesla drivers are a diverse lot.
November 27, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Speeding wastes about one out of twenty barrels of oil that the US uses, increasing pollution and CO2 and causing thousands of extra pollution related deaths, Ecogrrl. It also directly kills about 10,000 people a year and injures 100s of thousands.
Also, Tesla drivers are a diverse lot.
Also, Tesla drivers are a diverse lot.
People *think* government is inefficient when it isn't corrupt just for them. Bureaucracy is the alternative to bribery.
The least efficient govt dept is the DOD, but it's sacred, because it funnels the most money to big business and the wealthy.
The least efficient govt dept is the DOD, but it's sacred, because it funnels the most money to big business and the wealthy.
November 26, 2025 at 6:37 PM
People *think* government is inefficient when it isn't corrupt just for them. Bureaucracy is the alternative to bribery.
The least efficient govt dept is the DOD, but it's sacred, because it funnels the most money to big business and the wealthy.
The least efficient govt dept is the DOD, but it's sacred, because it funnels the most money to big business and the wealthy.