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Ricky B

@ambivalentricky.bsky.social

670 followers 480 following 8.2K posts

Music, puzzles, writing, politics I guess. Future former lawyer. Beginner chess player. Disdained as an "egghead" by Matt Taibbi. Banned from Great Clips 7/20/24. He / him. https://billingsgate.neocities.org/

billingsgate.neocities.org

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Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 32m

It's wrong to send your kid to school, day care or another person's house if the kid's sick.

Sure, it's a pain in the ass for you as a parent, but you're pushing the consequences off on at least one other family, if not more. I might have to miss work because you wouldn't.

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 41m

If you have small children, I believe you're fully entitled to park in "parents with small children" parking spaces even if you don't have them with you. The sign doesn't say they have to be there. Shopping without them is a rare opportunity. Let me get in and out of a store quickly for once.

Zach Weinersmith @zachweinersmith.bsky.social · 3d

Do you have any extremely niche, but serious, ethical stances?

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1h

It was the main story on the WSJ site yesterday, believe it or not

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1h

There's a ton of this ableist bias in the US in which the virtuous elderly are the ones who are "still active" and take up surfing at 73 or whatever. Never mind the people who, due to disability or poverty, simply can't live that particular lifestyle but are still living meaningful lives

Jason "Lich Language Model" Sullivan @jason0x21.bsky.social · 2h

Dad is walking at a slow amble with a cane towards the protest.

White hippy woman somewhere between mine and dad's age: "The faster you walk the longer you live!"

Me, ten minutes later: "Wait, that sounded pretty fucking ableist."

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1h

Was in the NYer crossword I think last week

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 6h

CTFO NYT

NYT website landing page with mention of the largest US mass protest in history below several other less important stories and a photo of Mike Johnson

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 6h

Well, that's also where Popper came out. But I hadn't considered the possibility that it's unhelpful to even refer to it as a paradox, which is interesting

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 7h

I always appreciate it when Willy Staley writes about skating; his asides about being a middle-aged skater are a bonus. I still get out there a couple times a year, but it used to be that if I fell down once I had to go home. Now if I fall down once I need to go to the doctor.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 3d

Philadelphia's Love Park was one of the defining spots of '90s skate culture. Now, it's been recreated in Malmo, Sweden. Editor Willy Staley traveled across the Atlantic to see — and skate — it for himself. nyti.ms/4n6YJ7O

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 7h

The idea that tolerance requires intolerance of intolerance is commonly referred to as the "paradox of tolerance," that's all

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Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 21h

screenshots that speak for themselves

WSJ front page screenshots about No Kings protests with last lede sentence "Republicans cast the events as un-American" under photos of people wearing American flags (screenshot 1) and an elderly woman waving a small American flag (shot 2)

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Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 22h

Bh4+ Kf3 Nxe5#

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 22h

Going off the signs I saw at the last No Kings protest, Democratic base voters who probably would have toed the 2010s party line of "a better path to legal immigration" are now saying "we know they're undocumented, they belong here, don't touch them." There's a difference.

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 22h

Even though immigration is a huge turnout issue for far-right parties globally, I have to wonder if here in the US the right has fucked up by forcing a lot of middle Americans who didn't want to think about it to pick a side between people they see every day and masked police squads

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Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 22h

I think this might be one of the best games I've ever played against an opponent of similar ability. Most days it doesn't, but some days my brain just fires on all cylinders #chess

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1d

so cool

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1d

wait for the full camera pan

David A. Graham @dgraham.bsky.social · 1d

No Kings march, Durham, N.C.

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Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1d

One thing about the Triangle in NC (that I bet is true elsewhere; curious to know where else) is there are several blue cities / towns basically right next to each other. To assess the full area turnout you have to know there were separate rallies in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and Pittsboro

Seth LaJeunesse @sethlaj.bsky.social · 1d

No Kings Carrboro / Chapel Hill NC

No Kings rally at Carrboro town commons on October 18, 2025

Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1d

lichess.org/UZ3nPz2Y

This is the kind of game where I ordinarily blunder and give up my advantage at some point but today I didn't #chess #englishopening

Rapid Chess • rchrdlln vs vdolivei

rchrdlln (1123) played vdolivei (1107) in a casual Rapid (9+0) game of chess. rchrdlln won by checkmate after 29 moves. Click to replay, analyse, and discuss the game!

lichess.org

Reposted by Ricky B

Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · 1d

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

#nokings

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Reposted by Ricky B

Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · 1d

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

#nokings

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Reposted by Ricky B

Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · 1d

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. #nokings

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Reposted by Ricky B

Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · 1d

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. #nokings

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Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1d

It

a) shows people who are worried about speaking out that they have many allies

b) alerts people who aren't paying enough attention that there are things going on that are driving people into the streets

c) forces the media all across the country to explain why this many people are this angry

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Reposted by Ricky B

Enough! @disallusioned.bsky.social · 1d

www.ncleg.gov/requestforco...

Request For Comments - North Carolina General Assembly

www.ncleg.gov

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Ricky B @ambivalentricky.bsky.social · 1d

I didn't realize how quickly memes appear and mutate on TikTok. In order to get all the jokes you need to have seen every step of the mutation. So it actually reflects a prestige hierarchy of who watches the most TikTok. It's their current events except it's literally nonsense.

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