Norse Dog
@norsedog.bsky.social
A somewhat evolved ape curiously studying anthropology.
Reposted by Norse Dog
“The most damaging lesson of the Trump era is not that a demagogue can rise, but that the gatekeepers will step aside. … Democracy does not require heroic virtue from everyone. It does require baseline courage from those entrusted with power.”
By Marc Friedman (h/t @stuartpstevens.bsky.social)
By Marc Friedman (h/t @stuartpstevens.bsky.social)
The Silence That Remade The GOP
Views & Reviews
marcfriedmanesq.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
“The most damaging lesson of the Trump era is not that a demagogue can rise, but that the gatekeepers will step aside. … Democracy does not require heroic virtue from everyone. It does require baseline courage from those entrusted with power.”
By Marc Friedman (h/t @stuartpstevens.bsky.social)
By Marc Friedman (h/t @stuartpstevens.bsky.social)
Saw an Andrea Elias bit today where she pointed out that for women, often the least favorite aspect of their partners is that they are male (with the implication that this is just the opposite is typically true for men). Succinct.
December 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Saw an Andrea Elias bit today where she pointed out that for women, often the least favorite aspect of their partners is that they are male (with the implication that this is just the opposite is typically true for men). Succinct.
Reposted by Norse Dog
After Epstein's 2019 death "prosecutors produced a seven-page memo on co-conspirators they might consider charging and followed that with an 86-page update in December ... a 13-page memo of corporate prosecutions they might pursue and a 26-page memo regarding another target prosecutors considered."
New trove of apparent Epstein files posted on DOJ site disappear
The Justice Department didn’t respond to requests for comment on the new documents or the decision to remove them.
www.politico.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:05 AM
After Epstein's 2019 death "prosecutors produced a seven-page memo on co-conspirators they might consider charging and followed that with an 86-page update in December ... a 13-page memo of corporate prosecutions they might pursue and a 26-page memo regarding another target prosecutors considered."
Reposted by Norse Dog
The story is insane. The acting head of cyber security, a Noem crony, repeatedly demanded to see highly classified information he didn’t need access to, and when staff set up a lie detector test as a condition to grant him access, he failed it. So DHS suspended the staffers.
Acting CISA director failed a polygraph. Career staff are now under investigation.
Acting CISA director failed a polygraph. Career staff are now under investigation.
At least six career staff were placed on leave after DHS opened an investigation into whether they misled the agency’s acting director, Madhu Gottumukkala, into taking the test.
dlvr.it
December 22, 2025 at 3:20 AM
The story is insane. The acting head of cyber security, a Noem crony, repeatedly demanded to see highly classified information he didn’t need access to, and when staff set up a lie detector test as a condition to grant him access, he failed it. So DHS suspended the staffers.
Reposted by Norse Dog
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.
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🧵 1 of 9
December 21, 2025 at 2:51 AM
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.
🧵 1 of 9
🧵 1 of 9
Reposted by Norse Dog
This piece on Cassandras and anti-alarmists by @polphilpod.bsky.social is well done, and I bet some Bluesky users will see themselves in.
The Americans Who Saw All This Coming—but Were Ignored and Maligned
Call them the Cassandras: the people—mostly not white and male—who smelled the fascism all over Trump from jump street. Why were they “alarmists,” and how did “anti-alarmism” become cool?
newrepublic.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:44 PM
This piece on Cassandras and anti-alarmists by @polphilpod.bsky.social is well done, and I bet some Bluesky users will see themselves in.
Reposted by Norse Dog
Epstein Files Transparency Act:
"The Attorney General shall ... make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format."
NYT:
The DOJ "website also contains a search function, though it is unclear if it’s working properly. A query for 'Epstein' returned no results."
"The Attorney General shall ... make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format."
NYT:
The DOJ "website also contains a search function, though it is unclear if it’s working properly. A query for 'Epstein' returned no results."
December 19, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Epstein Files Transparency Act:
"The Attorney General shall ... make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format."
NYT:
The DOJ "website also contains a search function, though it is unclear if it’s working properly. A query for 'Epstein' returned no results."
"The Attorney General shall ... make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format."
NYT:
The DOJ "website also contains a search function, though it is unclear if it’s working properly. A query for 'Epstein' returned no results."
Reposted by Norse Dog
As others have noted, these redactions appear to be blatantly illegal (assuming Fox News' report is correct).
www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
December 19, 2025 at 10:14 PM
As others have noted, these redactions appear to be blatantly illegal (assuming Fox News' report is correct).
www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
Reposted by Norse Dog
Tapper: This is one of the documents the DOJ released. It’s 100 pages. It’s all black. That’s the transparency we’re getting.
December 19, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Tapper: This is one of the documents the DOJ released. It’s 100 pages. It’s all black. That’s the transparency we’re getting.
Reposted by Norse Dog
I mean, you don't have to convince me, I do what an LLM is supposed to do, but much better, much cheaper and fueled almost entirely on snacks and Coke Zero. But then I want pesky things like human rights and a salary, so
You are right, but LLMs as technology are a BAD THING. Pure brute force crunching numbers to run a statistical token predictor. With datacenters consuming more power than medium sized cities. If their operating cost would be passed to the users they would be (as sold today) unsustainable
December 19, 2025 at 9:53 PM
I mean, you don't have to convince me, I do what an LLM is supposed to do, but much better, much cheaper and fueled almost entirely on snacks and Coke Zero. But then I want pesky things like human rights and a salary, so
Reposted by Norse Dog
This administration is so cruel & twisted that they force toddlers to defend themselves in #immigration court! Toddlers!
This is pure insanity.
I explained this as well as the horrifying conditions in detention & the #ICELawlessness & abuse to my MAGA neighbor & he said the kids deserved it.
This is pure insanity.
I explained this as well as the horrifying conditions in detention & the #ICELawlessness & abuse to my MAGA neighbor & he said the kids deserved it.
December 19, 2025 at 5:03 PM
This administration is so cruel & twisted that they force toddlers to defend themselves in #immigration court! Toddlers!
This is pure insanity.
I explained this as well as the horrifying conditions in detention & the #ICELawlessness & abuse to my MAGA neighbor & he said the kids deserved it.
This is pure insanity.
I explained this as well as the horrifying conditions in detention & the #ICELawlessness & abuse to my MAGA neighbor & he said the kids deserved it.
Reposted by Norse Dog
The Trump regime behaves exactly like predatory private equity. Buy a company for no money in, saddle the the company with the debt you borrowed to buy it (leveraged buyout) slash expenses while sucking out as much cash as possible. Then walk away with billions as the company heads for bankruptcy.
December 17, 2025 at 3:30 AM
The Trump regime behaves exactly like predatory private equity. Buy a company for no money in, saddle the the company with the debt you borrowed to buy it (leveraged buyout) slash expenses while sucking out as much cash as possible. Then walk away with billions as the company heads for bankruptcy.
Here's to my aunt, who died yesterday.
December 16, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Here's to my aunt, who died yesterday.
Reposted by Norse Dog
When we had society wide covid mitigations, we eliminated an entire strain of flu.
Now we’re in the “you do you” era and seeing an aggressive and early start to flu season.
Three children in Ottawa have died.
Wear a mask, ideally an N95. Get your vaccines. Clean the air. Stay home when sick:
Now we’re in the “you do you” era and seeing an aggressive and early start to flu season.
Three children in Ottawa have died.
Wear a mask, ideally an N95. Get your vaccines. Clean the air. Stay home when sick:
Flu blamed in deaths of 3 children in Ottawa area this month | CBC News
Three children between the ages of five and nine have died from complications of influenza this month, health officials in Ottawa and a neighbouring region said Monday.
www.cbc.ca
December 16, 2025 at 5:27 AM
When we had society wide covid mitigations, we eliminated an entire strain of flu.
Now we’re in the “you do you” era and seeing an aggressive and early start to flu season.
Three children in Ottawa have died.
Wear a mask, ideally an N95. Get your vaccines. Clean the air. Stay home when sick:
Now we’re in the “you do you” era and seeing an aggressive and early start to flu season.
Three children in Ottawa have died.
Wear a mask, ideally an N95. Get your vaccines. Clean the air. Stay home when sick:
Reposted by Norse Dog
Not all of the anti-vax influences in the US have been domestic or organic.
Russia ran an anti-vaccination messaging campaign on social media targeting a US audience for years as part of its active measures efforts, even before COVID hit (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...).
Russia ran an anti-vaccination messaging campaign on social media targeting a US audience for years as part of its active measures efforts, even before COVID hit (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...).
One of @pewresearch.org's "striking findings" from 2025 is relevant again as measles cases rise:
Republican support for requiring public school kids to get the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine has fallen sharply: 52% support it today, down from 79% in 2019.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Republican support for requiring public school kids to get the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine has fallen sharply: 52% support it today, down from 79% in 2019.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
December 13, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Not all of the anti-vax influences in the US have been domestic or organic.
Russia ran an anti-vaccination messaging campaign on social media targeting a US audience for years as part of its active measures efforts, even before COVID hit (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...).
Russia ran an anti-vaccination messaging campaign on social media targeting a US audience for years as part of its active measures efforts, even before COVID hit (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...).
Reposted by Norse Dog
25 years ago today, SCOTUS elected George W Bush president of the United States by blocking completion of a voting canvass in Florida. A subsequent canvass by the Associated Press showed that Bush's rival, Al Gore, had won the race in Florida—and thus the contest for the presidency—by 700 votes.
December 12, 2025 at 5:36 AM
25 years ago today, SCOTUS elected George W Bush president of the United States by blocking completion of a voting canvass in Florida. A subsequent canvass by the Associated Press showed that Bush's rival, Al Gore, had won the race in Florida—and thus the contest for the presidency—by 700 votes.
Reposted by Norse Dog
Australia's wild flu season keeps going:
"Influenza activity continued to increase...very unusual for this time of year...driven predominantly by influenza A and in particular a new variant of subtype H3N2, subclade K."
www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/c...
(highlight & red circle my additions)
"Influenza activity continued to increase...very unusual for this time of year...driven predominantly by influenza A and in particular a new variant of subtype H3N2, subclade K."
www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/c...
(highlight & red circle my additions)
December 11, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Australia's wild flu season keeps going:
"Influenza activity continued to increase...very unusual for this time of year...driven predominantly by influenza A and in particular a new variant of subtype H3N2, subclade K."
www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/c...
(highlight & red circle my additions)
"Influenza activity continued to increase...very unusual for this time of year...driven predominantly by influenza A and in particular a new variant of subtype H3N2, subclade K."
www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/c...
(highlight & red circle my additions)
Reposted by Norse Dog
The entire health insurance business model is built on taking your money and not giving it back to you/giving you anything for it. Hopefully people are starting to realize that this is not actually something that benefits us!
www.wonkette.com/p/medicare-f...
www.wonkette.com/p/medicare-f...
Medicare For All Starting To Look Pretty Good To People As Premiumpocalypse Looms
It's almost as if people don't want to spend half of their income on health care?
www.wonkette.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The entire health insurance business model is built on taking your money and not giving it back to you/giving you anything for it. Hopefully people are starting to realize that this is not actually something that benefits us!
www.wonkette.com/p/medicare-f...
www.wonkette.com/p/medicare-f...
Reposted by Norse Dog
And so the cycle continues: Trump wrecks the market with his own policies, then uses taxpayer money to bail out the damage, and somehow sells it back to voters as a win. Truly exhausting.
Trump is giving another $12 billion of taxpayer money to bail out farmers again from his disastrous policies. Just like he had to bail them out in his first term from his disastrous policies. But they will continue to vote Republican, as long as they keep getting their welfare checks.
December 8, 2025 at 7:22 PM
And so the cycle continues: Trump wrecks the market with his own policies, then uses taxpayer money to bail out the damage, and somehow sells it back to voters as a win. Truly exhausting.
So, Grandma's XMas presents for our daughter have just been returned to her, because "packages to the US currently cannot be forwarded due to the highly dynamic tariff situation".
Of course they charged her for transport and are not returning the fare.
Of course they charged her for transport and are not returning the fare.
December 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
So, Grandma's XMas presents for our daughter have just been returned to her, because "packages to the US currently cannot be forwarded due to the highly dynamic tariff situation".
Of course they charged her for transport and are not returning the fare.
Of course they charged her for transport and are not returning the fare.
Reposted by Norse Dog
There is no sight that more efficiently puts the lie to immigration “court” than the common sight of children “representing themselves.” Children too small to climb into the chair, children in pajamas who don’t know where they are, children not yet old enough to speak.
Three-year-old child forced to serve as her own attorney in Tucson immigration court
More than a dozen undocumented minors were forced to make their case in front of an immigration judge as the Trump administration ramps up removal proceedings.
coppercourier.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:18 PM
There is no sight that more efficiently puts the lie to immigration “court” than the common sight of children “representing themselves.” Children too small to climb into the chair, children in pajamas who don’t know where they are, children not yet old enough to speak.
Reposted by Norse Dog
A newly engineered catalyst with precisely positioned nickel and iron atoms significantly increases the efficiency and durability of hydrogen production through water splitting. doi.org/hbbmjw
Precise catalyst design boosts hydrogen gas production efficiency and affordability
A recent advance in the science of hydrogen fuel production could enable higher output and more sustainable production of this renewable energy source, researchers with Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology report.
phys.org
December 3, 2025 at 7:29 PM
A newly engineered catalyst with precisely positioned nickel and iron atoms significantly increases the efficiency and durability of hydrogen production through water splitting. doi.org/hbbmjw
Reposted by Norse Dog
The most precious commodity you have is your attention. You don’t have to waste it on poor-faith debates or arguments with strangers if you don’t think they’ll be productive. You can prioritize the things that matter to you and make your life richer.
November 30, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The most precious commodity you have is your attention. You don’t have to waste it on poor-faith debates or arguments with strangers if you don’t think they’ll be productive. You can prioritize the things that matter to you and make your life richer.
Reposted by Norse Dog
Senator Kelly is correct.
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
November 30, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Senator Kelly is correct.
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."