Castanea dentata
@threw.bsky.social
Authoritarianism doesn’t spare anyone. It feeds on passivity. The longer people wait, the stronger it gets.
Act now and everyday.
Act now and everyday.
Pinned
Castanea dentata
@threw.bsky.social
· Oct 30
Aestheticization of politics - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Maybe someone hipper than me can translate this Walter Benjamin quote into vibes era speak? For the good of the voters.
"The logical result of Fascism is the introduction of aesthetics into political life."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthet...
"The logical result of Fascism is the introduction of aesthetics into political life."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthet...
Reposted by Castanea dentata
These ridiculous mega-projects like "datacenters in space" (doomed by thermodynamics) make a LOT more sense when you realize they're massive Ponzi schemes designed to transfer wealth from pension funds to VC's through "fee stacking."
It's the old Assets Under Management con. It should be illegal.
It's the old Assets Under Management con. It should be illegal.
“.. Skeptics believe the technical risks are being underestimated and say space-based data centers won’t be competitive on cost, especially if power and other constraints ease on the ground.”
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/tech/bezos-a...
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/tech/bezos-a...
December 11, 2025 at 9:29 AM
These ridiculous mega-projects like "datacenters in space" (doomed by thermodynamics) make a LOT more sense when you realize they're massive Ponzi schemes designed to transfer wealth from pension funds to VC's through "fee stacking."
It's the old Assets Under Management con. It should be illegal.
It's the old Assets Under Management con. It should be illegal.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
the kids are alright
(wait for it)
(wait for it)
December 12, 2025 at 3:33 AM
the kids are alright
(wait for it)
(wait for it)
Reposted by Castanea dentata
There's a parallel to how Xi reasserted the CCP's primacy across Chinese society.
Not quite party commissars, but more like the equivalent of Confucius Institutes in every school.
Not quite party commissars, but more like the equivalent of Confucius Institutes in every school.
The Texas GOP orders that the TurningPoint USA Trump youth organization will be obligatory at all high schools and colleges in the Lone Star State.
Abbott says Turning Point USA will expand in Texas schools
Republican officials in Oklahoma and Florida have also launched plans to expand the presence of the conservative youth organization founded by Charlie Kirk.
www.texastribune.org
December 9, 2025 at 12:35 PM
There's a parallel to how Xi reasserted the CCP's primacy across Chinese society.
Not quite party commissars, but more like the equivalent of Confucius Institutes in every school.
Not quite party commissars, but more like the equivalent of Confucius Institutes in every school.
Yes plz
Ms. Rachel and Weird Al need to start the Vanguard Party
We got Weird Al out here singing Killing In The Name, the time for moderation is over
December 8, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Yes plz
Reposted by Castanea dentata
If Alan Moore did not exist, you probably couldn’t invent him. Here he is describing how he came up with V for Vendetta ceeeej-blog.tumblr.com/post/1240411...
December 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
If Alan Moore did not exist, you probably couldn’t invent him. Here he is describing how he came up with V for Vendetta ceeeej-blog.tumblr.com/post/1240411...
Reposted by Castanea dentata
When writing this piece, I kept thinking back to this Instagram post I saw from a trans woman the other day. This is what I'm talking about. Watch this:
December 3, 2025 at 12:35 AM
When writing this piece, I kept thinking back to this Instagram post I saw from a trans woman the other day. This is what I'm talking about. Watch this:
Reposted by Castanea dentata
2018, Russia: "Fuck this, I'm not watching a World Cup in a fascist country. I'll just wait four years."
2022, Qatar: "Fuck this, I'm not watching a World Cup in a fascist country. I guess I'll wait another four years..."
2026: So I guess the joke is on me.
2022, Qatar: "Fuck this, I'm not watching a World Cup in a fascist country. I guess I'll wait another four years..."
2026: So I guess the joke is on me.
December 5, 2025 at 6:39 PM
2018, Russia: "Fuck this, I'm not watching a World Cup in a fascist country. I'll just wait four years."
2022, Qatar: "Fuck this, I'm not watching a World Cup in a fascist country. I guess I'll wait another four years..."
2026: So I guess the joke is on me.
2022, Qatar: "Fuck this, I'm not watching a World Cup in a fascist country. I guess I'll wait another four years..."
2026: So I guess the joke is on me.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
I have decided to drop the paywall early on this piece.
LLMs Are Universal Translators, Not Universal Thinkers
Or: Why the AGI Skeptics Are Right But Missing the Deeper Point
www.notesfromthecircus.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I have decided to drop the paywall early on this piece.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
4m
Tilebreaker, by Polvo
from the album Today's Active Lifestyles
polvonc.bandcamp.com
November 30, 2025 at 6:48 PM
4m
Reposted by Castanea dentata
Reposted by Castanea dentata
WATCH: Speaker Johnson says he’s “deeply disappointed” the senate passed a bill he voted for 🤔
@rokhanna.bsky.social : “Johnson looks frazzled. He’s lost it, attacking a bill the survivors wanted without talking to them… that he voted for. He has lost the confidence of half his caucus.”
@rokhanna.bsky.social : “Johnson looks frazzled. He’s lost it, attacking a bill the survivors wanted without talking to them… that he voted for. He has lost the confidence of half his caucus.”
November 19, 2025 at 3:31 PM
WATCH: Speaker Johnson says he’s “deeply disappointed” the senate passed a bill he voted for 🤔
@rokhanna.bsky.social : “Johnson looks frazzled. He’s lost it, attacking a bill the survivors wanted without talking to them… that he voted for. He has lost the confidence of half his caucus.”
@rokhanna.bsky.social : “Johnson looks frazzled. He’s lost it, attacking a bill the survivors wanted without talking to them… that he voted for. He has lost the confidence of half his caucus.”
Reposted by Castanea dentata
Hey, remember this about #LarrySummers? www.pbs.org/newshour/sci...
It turns out that when someone makes gross sexist comments and reveals themselves to be a piece of shit, we should believe that yes, they really are a piece of shit, and treat them accordingly. #Harvard needs to fire him, now.
It turns out that when someone makes gross sexist comments and reveals themselves to be a piece of shit, we should believe that yes, they really are a piece of shit, and treat them accordingly. #Harvard needs to fire him, now.
Harvard President Summers' Remarks About Women in Science, Engineering
Harvard President Lawrence Summers faced intense criticism for remarks he made about the shortage of women in the sciences and engineering at a Jan. 14 closed-door conference.
www.pbs.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Hey, remember this about #LarrySummers? www.pbs.org/newshour/sci...
It turns out that when someone makes gross sexist comments and reveals themselves to be a piece of shit, we should believe that yes, they really are a piece of shit, and treat them accordingly. #Harvard needs to fire him, now.
It turns out that when someone makes gross sexist comments and reveals themselves to be a piece of shit, we should believe that yes, they really are a piece of shit, and treat them accordingly. #Harvard needs to fire him, now.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
Zohran Mamdani has a higher favorability rating than Donald Trump, JD Vance or Chuck Schumer. The most popular political figures in America are Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders www.gelliottmorris.com/p/new-poll-d...
November 18, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Zohran Mamdani has a higher favorability rating than Donald Trump, JD Vance or Chuck Schumer. The most popular political figures in America are Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders www.gelliottmorris.com/p/new-poll-d...
Reposted by Castanea dentata
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza goes on, extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank are attacking Palestinians with impunity, displacing them & disrupting the olive harvest. We must end our complicity. Opposing annexation isn't enough, we must demand an end to the occupation.
Israeli settler attacks in West Bank threaten vital olive harvest
Violent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank are at a record high, the United Nations says, making it perilous to carry out the economically crucial harvest.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:54 PM
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza goes on, extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank are attacking Palestinians with impunity, displacing them & disrupting the olive harvest. We must end our complicity. Opposing annexation isn't enough, we must demand an end to the occupation.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
November 16, 2025 at 11:43 PM
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
Do the same with fire departments: abolish them and give people the proceeds to protect themselves from fires. Fire fighters just sit around most of the day anyway. They’re leaches on society.
Reader: the actual solution is to make all insurance public rather than private, not to abolish it.
Reader: the actual solution is to make all insurance public rather than private, not to abolish it.
Cassidy: "The president is proposing that we take the $26b that would be going to insurance companies if we just do an extension and give it directly to the American people in which 100% of the money is used for them to purchase healthcare on their own terms. That makes them an informed consumer."
November 16, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Do the same with fire departments: abolish them and give people the proceeds to protect themselves from fires. Fire fighters just sit around most of the day anyway. They’re leaches on society.
Reader: the actual solution is to make all insurance public rather than private, not to abolish it.
Reader: the actual solution is to make all insurance public rather than private, not to abolish it.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
PBS NEWS WEEKEND has been cancelled and 34 jobs will be cut at WETA in Washington D.C.
The NEWS HOUR West Coast bureau will also close and the updated daily West Coast broadcast will end.
“We cannot fully compensate for the scope of the federal funding loss.”
current.org/2025/11/weta... #PBS
The NEWS HOUR West Coast bureau will also close and the updated daily West Coast broadcast will end.
“We cannot fully compensate for the scope of the federal funding loss.”
current.org/2025/11/weta... #PBS
WETA to cut staff, cancel ‘PBS News Weekend’ and close News Hour West bureau
The restructuring includes the elimination of 34 positions, following another round of cuts made in September.
current.org
November 16, 2025 at 12:36 AM
PBS NEWS WEEKEND has been cancelled and 34 jobs will be cut at WETA in Washington D.C.
The NEWS HOUR West Coast bureau will also close and the updated daily West Coast broadcast will end.
“We cannot fully compensate for the scope of the federal funding loss.”
current.org/2025/11/weta... #PBS
The NEWS HOUR West Coast bureau will also close and the updated daily West Coast broadcast will end.
“We cannot fully compensate for the scope of the federal funding loss.”
current.org/2025/11/weta... #PBS
Reposted by Castanea dentata
In this paragraph, we have a heartbreakingly bleak portrait of American society as it actually exists.
November 13, 2025 at 7:01 PM
In this paragraph, we have a heartbreakingly bleak portrait of American society as it actually exists.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
my takeaway from this letter is that glenn youngkin, rector sheridan and their flunkies on the board are deeply dishonest people who are engaged, with the trump administration, in a mob-style shakedown against the university of virginia
Former UVA president Jim Ryan, who resigned over the summer due to pressure from the Trump Administration, just shared this 12-page letter with the Faculty Senate, detailing his experience with the Board of Visitors and DOJ.
It's a surreal--and troubling--read.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
It's a surreal--and troubling--read.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
November 14, 2025 at 2:47 PM
my takeaway from this letter is that glenn youngkin, rector sheridan and their flunkies on the board are deeply dishonest people who are engaged, with the trump administration, in a mob-style shakedown against the university of virginia
Reposted by Castanea dentata
Priests being arrested
November 14, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Priests being arrested
Reposted by Castanea dentata
Frog and Toad ate many cookies, one after another.
“You know, Toad,” said Frog, with his mouth full, “I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick.”
“You know, Toad,” said Frog, with his mouth full, “I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick.”
November 15, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Frog and Toad ate many cookies, one after another.
“You know, Toad,” said Frog, with his mouth full, “I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick.”
“You know, Toad,” said Frog, with his mouth full, “I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick.”
Reposted by Castanea dentata
i don't mean this in terms of hypocrisy, i mean it in literal, linguistic terms: what is this if not censorship by the state
not "what about!"
just this, taken on its own, wherein the government must approve what you teach adults. we literally have a word for it.
not "what about!"
just this, taken on its own, wherein the government must approve what you teach adults. we literally have a word for it.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M adopts policy requiring professors to get OK from school president to discuss certain race and gender issues.
November 13, 2025 at 11:28 PM
i don't mean this in terms of hypocrisy, i mean it in literal, linguistic terms: what is this if not censorship by the state
not "what about!"
just this, taken on its own, wherein the government must approve what you teach adults. we literally have a word for it.
not "what about!"
just this, taken on its own, wherein the government must approve what you teach adults. we literally have a word for it.
Reposted by Castanea dentata
November 12, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Reposted by Castanea dentata
instead of saying this was good strategy, maybe senate dems should say: "the republicans were going to kill people by starving them to death, and because we aren't monsters, we decided to let this fight go. We'll keep fighting. Stop electing monsters."
November 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
instead of saying this was good strategy, maybe senate dems should say: "the republicans were going to kill people by starving them to death, and because we aren't monsters, we decided to let this fight go. We'll keep fighting. Stop electing monsters."
Reposted by Castanea dentata
What was the damn point of the shutdown? People missed paychecks, families went without SNAP, and Democrats walked away with nothing.
This isn’t about moderates versus the far left. It’s about who’s actually fighting for people who are struggling.
She nails where so many of us are right now.
This isn’t about moderates versus the far left. It’s about who’s actually fighting for people who are struggling.
She nails where so many of us are right now.
November 11, 2025 at 3:58 AM
What was the damn point of the shutdown? People missed paychecks, families went without SNAP, and Democrats walked away with nothing.
This isn’t about moderates versus the far left. It’s about who’s actually fighting for people who are struggling.
She nails where so many of us are right now.
This isn’t about moderates versus the far left. It’s about who’s actually fighting for people who are struggling.
She nails where so many of us are right now.