Vernon Thomson
@vthomson.bsky.social
Aspiring raconteur and bon vivant
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
47 days breaks down to less than half of the time required of portland police for *basic* training, which is only the first step. it matters — and it *should* matter — that these guys are practically untrained, unmanaged, and undisciplined, because *that's part of how all this shit happens*.
January 11, 2026 at 6:32 PM
47 days breaks down to less than half of the time required of portland police for *basic* training, which is only the first step. it matters — and it *should* matter — that these guys are practically untrained, unmanaged, and undisciplined, because *that's part of how all this shit happens*.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
AFAICT (and i'm not an expert), 47 days is less training than any police officer in the united states — and that's *excluding* the extensive field training and evaluation most police officers are required to complete. that's a point that can resonate with people who don't mainline ICE horror stories
it is both true that more training won’t fix the agency’s problems and also true that 47 days of training - picked corruptly and arbitrarily - is a scandal on it’s own that people should know about (i didn’t know this)
Chris Murphy: "The amount of training that's given to an ICE officer has been cut in half by this administration. The number of days of training they get are 47. You know why they get 47 days? As an homage to the vanity of POTUS. No wonder the number of violent incidents are going through the roof."
January 11, 2026 at 6:29 PM
AFAICT (and i'm not an expert), 47 days is less training than any police officer in the united states — and that's *excluding* the extensive field training and evaluation most police officers are required to complete. that's a point that can resonate with people who don't mainline ICE horror stories
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
paul giamatti and holly hunter being cast as regulars in a star trek show about star trek academy is some fucking monkey's paw shit
January 11, 2026 at 6:21 PM
paul giamatti and holly hunter being cast as regulars in a star trek show about star trek academy is some fucking monkey's paw shit
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
PPB basic training is 16 weeks followed by 10 weeks of advanced training and 18 months of field training and evaluation
January 11, 2026 at 6:11 PM
PPB basic training is 16 weeks followed by 10 weeks of advanced training and 18 months of field training and evaluation
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
it is both true that more training won’t fix the agency’s problems and also true that 47 days of training - picked corruptly and arbitrarily - is a scandal on it’s own that people should know about (i didn’t know this)
Chris Murphy: "The amount of training that's given to an ICE officer has been cut in half by this administration. The number of days of training they get are 47. You know why they get 47 days? As an homage to the vanity of POTUS. No wonder the number of violent incidents are going through the roof."
January 11, 2026 at 6:10 PM
it is both true that more training won’t fix the agency’s problems and also true that 47 days of training - picked corruptly and arbitrarily - is a scandal on it’s own that people should know about (i didn’t know this)
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Auchincloss: "When you have a badge & gun and you are interacting with a citizen who has committed no crime, the onus of responsibility is on you to exercise good judgment. Nobody watching that video will buy the argument that he had no other resort other than to shoot her in the face 3 times."
January 11, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Auchincloss: "When you have a badge & gun and you are interacting with a citizen who has committed no crime, the onus of responsibility is on you to exercise good judgment. Nobody watching that video will buy the argument that he had no other resort other than to shoot her in the face 3 times."
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
WELKER: Where is that $50,000? Did you keep it?
HOMAN: I didn't take $50k from anybody & that's a question for the FBI. Bottom line I did nothing illegal.
WELKER: But was there $50k in the bag?
HOMAN: I'm not addressing it
WELKER: But did you keep the money?
HOMAN: $50k is ridiculous
HOMAN: I didn't take $50k from anybody & that's a question for the FBI. Bottom line I did nothing illegal.
WELKER: But was there $50k in the bag?
HOMAN: I'm not addressing it
WELKER: But did you keep the money?
HOMAN: $50k is ridiculous
January 11, 2026 at 3:12 PM
WELKER: Where is that $50,000? Did you keep it?
HOMAN: I didn't take $50k from anybody & that's a question for the FBI. Bottom line I did nothing illegal.
WELKER: But was there $50k in the bag?
HOMAN: I'm not addressing it
WELKER: But did you keep the money?
HOMAN: $50k is ridiculous
HOMAN: I didn't take $50k from anybody & that's a question for the FBI. Bottom line I did nothing illegal.
WELKER: But was there $50k in the bag?
HOMAN: I'm not addressing it
WELKER: But did you keep the money?
HOMAN: $50k is ridiculous
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
(I'm aware there are some marginal differences, they're not allowed to use EBT to pay for hot prepared foods, nor for some other items.)
January 11, 2026 at 5:09 PM
(I'm aware there are some marginal differences, they're not allowed to use EBT to pay for hot prepared foods, nor for some other items.)
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
(I've spent a lot of time shopping at the downmarket Kroger that has a lot of EBT customers. They're only visible and distinct because the store gives them clear shopping bags for free, versus opaque bags with the store logo for people who pay for the bags. They're not buying different groceries.
January 11, 2026 at 5:09 PM
(I've spent a lot of time shopping at the downmarket Kroger that has a lot of EBT customers. They're only visible and distinct because the store gives them clear shopping bags for free, versus opaque bags with the store logo for people who pay for the bags. They're not buying different groceries.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Serious question: what is "whole food" and what would "doubling the amount" of it available in the store mean?
I genuinely don't know what this is supposed to mean. The only obvious way to do anything resembling this wording would be to remove options like cereal, bread, or frozen meals from EBT.
I genuinely don't know what this is supposed to mean. The only obvious way to do anything resembling this wording would be to remove options like cereal, bread, or frozen meals from EBT.
January 11, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Serious question: what is "whole food" and what would "doubling the amount" of it available in the store mean?
I genuinely don't know what this is supposed to mean. The only obvious way to do anything resembling this wording would be to remove options like cereal, bread, or frozen meals from EBT.
I genuinely don't know what this is supposed to mean. The only obvious way to do anything resembling this wording would be to remove options like cereal, bread, or frozen meals from EBT.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
If Michelle Obama had suggested this as a policy approach, we would have a much better country.
Not because it would have passed Congress or ultimately worked or anything, just because a lot of very deeply shitty people would have had strokes.
Not because it would have passed Congress or ultimately worked or anything, just because a lot of very deeply shitty people would have had strokes.
RFK Jr: "One of the things we're doing is Brooke Rollins is requiring that any facility, and store that accepts food stamps will have to double the amount of whole food that is now available to recipients. So that will change the marketplace around the country."
January 11, 2026 at 4:58 PM
If Michelle Obama had suggested this as a policy approach, we would have a much better country.
Not because it would have passed Congress or ultimately worked or anything, just because a lot of very deeply shitty people would have had strokes.
Not because it would have passed Congress or ultimately worked or anything, just because a lot of very deeply shitty people would have had strokes.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Frey on Noem: "That was some wild and crazy stuff. It sounds like she doesn't believe a single word she's saying right now. And I don't know if Donald Trump was drinking a glass of water if she'd actually be able to speak."
January 11, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Frey on Noem: "That was some wild and crazy stuff. It sounds like she doesn't believe a single word she's saying right now. And I don't know if Donald Trump was drinking a glass of water if she'd actually be able to speak."
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
I don't think you have to hand it to him yet. It's less bad perhaps, but it's not good yet, not exactly *right* as in correct, yet.
January 11, 2026 at 5:14 PM
I don't think you have to hand it to him yet. It's less bad perhaps, but it's not good yet, not exactly *right* as in correct, yet.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Noah Smith, smart enough to recognize the Naxi's are in control of the government and are using it to make a bunch of Triumph of the Will bullshit medias, but dumb enough to then hang up on, "Who is to blame for Nazi Great Replacement trolling? The Left."
January 11, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Noah Smith, smart enough to recognize the Naxi's are in control of the government and are using it to make a bunch of Triumph of the Will bullshit medias, but dumb enough to then hang up on, "Who is to blame for Nazi Great Replacement trolling? The Left."
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Exactly right. It's never persuasion, always performance.
January 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Exactly right. It's never persuasion, always performance.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
It’s really striking the extent to which everyone in this administration is always just performing to create sound bites for a very specific audience, rather than engaging in any sort of communication with the people trying to talk with them. This wasn’t an interview, just a backdrop for the clips.
January 11, 2026 at 3:21 PM
It’s really striking the extent to which everyone in this administration is always just performing to create sound bites for a very specific audience, rather than engaging in any sort of communication with the people trying to talk with them. This wasn’t an interview, just a backdrop for the clips.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
And zero connection between those answers and any kind of logic.
She keeps surprising me by being even dumber than I'd previously assumed.
She keeps surprising me by being even dumber than I'd previously assumed.
January 11, 2026 at 3:17 PM
And zero connection between those answers and any kind of logic.
She keeps surprising me by being even dumber than I'd previously assumed.
She keeps surprising me by being even dumber than I'd previously assumed.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Man, there’s just zero connection between the questions and her answers. It’s like she’s in a different room.
January 11, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Man, there’s just zero connection between the questions and her answers. It’s like she’s in a different room.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Tapper: "By this standard, would any of these officers be justified in shooting and killing the people causing them physical harm?"
Noem: "Every single situation is going to rely on the situation those officers are on."
It only gets dumber from there.
Noem: "Every single situation is going to rely on the situation those officers are on."
It only gets dumber from there.
Tapper to Noem: "I just showed you video of people attacking law enforcement officers on J6. Trump pardoned them all. You said Trump is enforcing all the laws equally. That's just not true. There's a different standard for LEOs being attacked if they're being attacked by Trump supporters."
January 11, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Tapper: "By this standard, would any of these officers be justified in shooting and killing the people causing them physical harm?"
Noem: "Every single situation is going to rely on the situation those officers are on."
It only gets dumber from there.
Noem: "Every single situation is going to rely on the situation those officers are on."
It only gets dumber from there.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
I mean, to be fair, the sort of subnormal droogs who infest ICE now do very much experience a woman laughing at them as being like murder, and murder triggers a right to self defense.
It was probably going to be either Renee Good or some girl at a bar with these thug scum.
It was probably going to be either Renee Good or some girl at a bar with these thug scum.
The message from the White House this morning is that, once again, it falls on ordinary American citizens to remain calm and professional when dealing with the heavily armed agents of the government because they are very emotional and might fly off into a murderous rage at the slightest insult.
January 11, 2026 at 5:17 PM
I mean, to be fair, the sort of subnormal droogs who infest ICE now do very much experience a woman laughing at them as being like murder, and murder triggers a right to self defense.
It was probably going to be either Renee Good or some girl at a bar with these thug scum.
It was probably going to be either Renee Good or some girl at a bar with these thug scum.
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
Frey: "There is deep mistrust because so many of the things that we are hearing are not true. Obviously people can come to different conclusions, but when there is debate about baseline facts like, for instance, did the ICE agent get run over? Guys, the answer is no. It didn't happen."
January 11, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Frey: "There is deep mistrust because so many of the things that we are hearing are not true. Obviously people can come to different conclusions, but when there is debate about baseline facts like, for instance, did the ICE agent get run over? Guys, the answer is no. It didn't happen."
Reposted by Vernon Thomson
The catalog of ICE abuses in Noah Smith’s article is staggering.
January 11, 2026 at 5:19 PM
The catalog of ICE abuses in Noah Smith’s article is staggering.