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Driftless Dan

@driftlessregion.bsky.social

6.7K followers 12K following 2.9K posts

Perspectives on nature and culture from a scientist living in the Driftless Region. Damn...it turns out "may you live in interesting times" actually IS a curse. You can't spell revolution without evolution.

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · Mar 6

I joined Twitter 16 years ago, but (literally) never posted anything. I got enough enjoyment reading everyone else's posts.

I joined BlueSky a few months ago, planning to post but avoid politics (who needs the extra stress?)

I cannot in good conscience stay silent any longer.

This is the way.

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 7m

If you want to know what it feels like to be a MAGA voter try this: set your own house on fire some evening and then go to bed like there's nothing wrong. If you can manage that, then you understand.

Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 22m

If we believed that Mike Johnson doesn't know all the things he says he doesn't know, then he's the dumbest Speaker we've ever had.

Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 25m

How about adding "...and tax cuts for the rich and massive funding for ICE are removed"?

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 59m

Watching people who contributed to such massive death and suffering take a victory lap for 20 hostages being returned to their families is disheartening.

Yes, it's great news and I truly am happy for them and their families, but let's not lose the larger context in our longing for a positive story.

Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 3h

I think this is worth a listen.

The right spent a lot of time attacking MSM over the past few years for...exactly what they are doing to it now (as John Oliver explains in great detail).

Score another point for the "every accusation is a confession" argument.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 4h

Absolutely brutal.

Bari Weiss: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Driftless Dan

Diane @losarcos59.bsky.social · 4h

substack.com/home/post/p-...

Why I don't fear the Insurrection Act

We need to know what it is, and critically, what it isn't

substack.com

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 4h

This video will be used to teach debate students for generations to come.

The number of different techniques Vance used to avoid answering a very simple question is remarkable.

The pivot from "take money" to "take bribe." The ad hominem attack on questioner. Pleading ignorance. The list goes on.

Reposted by Driftless Dan

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

STEPHANOPOULOS: I didn't insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50k as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI in September 2024. You did not answer the question. Thank you for your time.

VANCE: No, George, I sai--

STEPHANOPOULOS: We'll be right back

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 14h

Will she be sworn in in 2027 or is that only a Congress thing?

Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 15h

World's most prolific liar says "Don’t worry about China, it will all be fine!"

...and stock market futures jump 358 points?

Welcome to the twilight zone.

Stock futures rebound from Friday’s rout after Trump says China situation ‘will all be fine’: Live updates

Those moves come after Trump's latest Truth Social post suggested to investors the president may not follow through on his threat to post a "massive increase of tariffs" on China.

www.cnbc.com

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 15h

"Magnified one time"?

To a scientist, do you realize that literally means not magnified at all?

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 16h

Maybe GOP will become the newest synonym for lie? As in:

"The GOPing GOPpers and the GOPs they tell."

Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 16h

I'm not sure that even historians writing books 20 years in the future with all the benefits of hindsight see the whole picture. It is important to try though, yes.

Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 1d

Who will the troops blame for this, when all the TVs on base are tuned to Faux News?

From the FedEmployees community on Reddit: A food bank lined up with military members who didn’t receive a paycheck this week

Explore this post and more from the FedEmployees community

www.reddit.com

Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 1d

These contraptions are marketed as perpetual motion devices, but often hide a mechanism that uses a hidden source of electricity to create an electromagnet or induce magnetism.

Even if it uses a natural magnet, the magnet will eventually degrade and lose power in a process called demagnetization.

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 1d

Trump: "Let them eat soybeans."

(OTOH, maybe this is not such a bad suggestion since he killed the Chinese market for U.S. soybeans so prices for domestic soybeans will plummet)

A lot at steak: US beef and cattle prices soar to record highs

From supermarkets to restaurants, rising meat costs amid tight supply and strong demand are hitting Americans hard

www.theguardian.com

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 1d

If he does, he'll be hurting a LOT of his own supporters, and he doesn't care because he doesn't need their votes anymore.

They've already given him everything he wanted (except the Nobel prize):

(1) "get-out-of-jail-free card"
(2) power to enrich himself
(3) power of retribution
(4) ego boost

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 1d

So, the precedent is clearly established for the next administration to cut only (and maybe all) Republican programs.

Hey Republicans: Qui tacet consentire videtur, right?

Reposted by Driftless Dan

nypapajoe.bsky.social @nypapajoe.bsky.social · 1d

Impeach and prosecute with extreme prejudice!

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Reposted by Driftless Dan

Bill Leibenguth @bill-leibenguth.bsky.social · 2d

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 1d

In my defense, they do have other things in common.

Both attack their own people if they dare stand up to their leaders.

Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 1d

Willie Horton committed violent crimes while on furlough from prison, which helped take down Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis in the 1988 U.S. presidential election.

But it's fine if Republicans do it.

Reposted by Driftless Dan

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 1d

The mainstream media loves making it seam like dysfunction in Washington is coming from both parties.

Hello?

Much of the GOP no longer accepts the rule of law, or the norms of democracy, or the legitimacy of the opposing party.

Enough of the false equivalence.

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Driftless Dan @driftlessregion.bsky.social · 1d

And after school too.