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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 2h

Jesus yes. For some reason they got the platform for all our trainings and certifications and the goddamn thing was so bad for the purpose. It didn’t help that they couldn’t even port over our transcripts so we had to just download our own backup.

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GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 6h

i would not have predicted wanting to hear a new dancehall crashers record in [checks notes] 2025, but this sounds great

Simmerdown Productions, BlueSka Elder @simmerdownprod.bsky.social · 7d

New music video featuring Karina Denike of The Dancehall Crashers, next Wednesday!

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GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 5h

they’re callin’ it conkers, cap, it’s when the zoomers get all up on smashing the natural labubu, it’s sick

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 7h

So uh... think anyone at SASC or HASC is going to notice?

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 7h

So for humorous group chat reasons I was looking this up and realized that this is what our legacy media was doing a full court press on at about the same time in Biden's presidency (11/4) as we are in the second Trump administration (10/14). It's a hell of a comparison. slate.com/business/202...

Yes, 12 Gallons a Week Is a Ton of Milk

Even if you have nine children and are the subject of an irresponsible segment on CNN.

slate.com

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K. Chen @tznkai.bsky.social · 7h

Matt Levine remains the best media Matt

eggnog slut @deus01.bsky.social · 1d

postmodern finance theory

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 8h

I mean sure, but it isn't like he had a world leading Parkinson's specialist at the White House for an easily researchable reason!

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🎃 Trick or Pete 🎃 Lucier @peterlucier.bsky.social · 8h

So what’s left? Nothing lawful.
Paying salaries from RDT&E would be a purpose violation (wrong “color of money”) and an Antideficiency Act problem (spending without appropriation).

GAO and OMB guidance are clear: the CR’s transfer powers die when the CR dies.

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Patrick Hickey, MD @pwhickey.bsky.social · 8h

Live look at DFAS staff as they clear the final accounts for this pay period and then start thinking about how to move “donor money” to cover the next pay period

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 8h

No there is not. I mean, theoretically there wasn't this time either, so DFAS is probably on tilt at the moment already.

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GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 8h

relatedly, the reason this is illegal is because it would make the military beholden to the highest bidder, which we absolutely do not want, even if you like the idea of draining billionaires for it. it will not take them long at all to start giving the orders if they’re paying.

GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 9h

it’s illegal, but, also, this didn’t happen, and if someone *did* tell him this, they were lying

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Trump: "I had a very wealthy person who called -- a donor, a great gentleman -- and he said, 'if there's any money necessary, shortfall, for the paying of the troops, then I will pay it.' Meaning he will pay it. How about that?"

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 8h

Perhaps Grandpa can convince his Mystery Donor to kick in an extra $8bn a month to cover DoD civilians as well?

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 8h

BlueSky Revolutionaries learn about the Civil Rights Campaign challenge: impossible.

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Loren DeJonge Schulman @lorenraeds.bsky.social · 9h

"I want government to prioritize ___ so that in 2050 …”

My summer in a nutshell, and the series of findings kicks off today. One fascinating thing: over a dozen radical reimaginings of the role and design of government had several pretty basic ingredients in common!

fas.org/initiative/r...

Reimagining How Government Works, a Short Series

As we approach the 250th anniversary of our Constitution, we can build momentum toward such reforms by creating opportunity reimagine what sort of government we want, and to what end.

fas.org

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 9h

Right? Otoh we now have commanders telling their troops they’re gonna be taken care of through the shutdown but we’ve already blown the one dubiously legal method we had for one pay period and the only remaining methods mentioned are “Tariff Shelf” or “Mystery Donor.”

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 9h

I mean, assuming this person was even real (lol) how would the money even get to DFAS to be distributed? You can’t just cut a check to the DoD and have the money dropped into the MILPERS pot.

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 9h

So beyond the blatant illegality and impossibility of this, this would run about $15b a month. Even assuming a Musk or an Ellison, how long does said “great gentleman” feel obligated to cover the costs?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Trump: "I had a very wealthy person who called -- a donor, a great gentleman -- and he said, 'if there's any money necessary, shortfall, for the paying of the troops, then I will pay it.' Meaning he will pay it. How about that?"

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 10h

Lol @gigansprogress.bsky.social @mikeblack114.bsky.social

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Trump: "I had a very wealthy person who called -- a donor, a great gentleman -- and he said, 'if there's any money necessary, shortfall, for the paying of the troops, then I will pay it.' Meaning he will pay it. How about that?"

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The Fig Economy @figgityfigs.bsky.social · 10h

There is no appropriated money to make up any shortfall in troop pay compared to if there were no shutdown and if troops get paid anyway it is a pure and clear violation of the constitution. Simple as.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Trump: "I had a very wealthy person who called -- a donor, a great gentleman -- and he said, 'if there's any money necessary, shortfall, for the paying of the troops, then I will pay it.' Meaning he will pay it. How about that?"

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Ryan Musser @ryanmusser.bsky.social · 12h

Madagascar's top court on Tuesday invited Colonel Michael Randrianirina, an army commander who declared the military had taken power after leading a mutiny backing Gen Z demonstrators, to serve as the country's new president.

Madagascar's top court invites army colonel to serve as president after power grab

Madagascar's top court on Tuesday invited Colonel Michael Randrianirina, an army commander who declared the military had taken power after leading a mutiny backing Gen Z demonstrators, to serve as the country's new president.

www.reuters.com

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Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 14h

I'm sorry, is the Trump Administration talking to a tech platform?

Is it...requesting content moderation?

Today following outreach from @thejusticedept, Facebook removed a large group page that was being used to dox and target @ICEgov agents in Chicago.
The wave of violence against ICE has been driven by online apps and social media campaigns designed to put ICE officers at risk just for doing their jobs. The Department of Justice will continue engaging tech companies to eliminate platforms where radicals can incite imminent violence against federal law enforcement.

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 14h

I mean, the OOP then talked about building institutions and developing laws but that really rings hollow in an era where the opposition won an election and so is dismantling institutions and ignoring laws, you know?

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Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 15h

Showing up to No Kings with a sign reading “monarchy is an affront to human dignity but, when incorporated into a liberal democratic system, may nevertheless be a useful safety valve for nationalist and/or authoritarian impulses” and then getting clobbered by a Buttigieg-supporting grandmother

Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 16h

Incidentally, I’ve been chafing a bit at the “No Kings” thing, because there are loads of monarchies that have more limits on executive power than the US does, but it has the great advantage that it makes Americans who want to oppose it sound, well, unamerican….

Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com · 18h

one of the reasons they're so mad at "no kings" is that they thought they were going to get a different kind of protest. they *want* the black bloc to be out there fighting with the cops. those are the images they've been trying to generate from "go." instead--

newrepublic.com/article/2016...

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 14h

That was “provably” true, autocorrect.

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 14h

Who wants any of this?

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 15h

“Customers’ current Walmart or Sam’s Club accounts will get automatically linked to ChatGPT. Goods will also be available from third-party sellers.” 🙃

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