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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 7h

Yes, and this is why calling them "weird" has such an outsized effect on them.

J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 10h

For example, and relevant to the Harari quote that set off this round of discourse, West Mexico had very close ties to the west coast of South America, most famously documented through the spread of metallurgical technology.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 10h

West Mexico in general has a really fascinating history, including much closer ties to areas both north and south than Central Mexico, which was densely populated but relatively insular compared to other parts of Mesoamerica.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 10h

The circumstances of the Spanish conquest ended up resulting in the Tarascan Empire being much less well-documented than the Aztec one, which is unfortunate because it's a fascinating contrast.

rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 12h

it is extremely funny that the Aztecs were legitimately scared and offended by the Purepecha's attempts to murder as many Aztecs as possible every time Aztec warriors showed up to fight Tarascan soldiers

☀️ Starshine @starshine.bsky.social · 13h

the transformation of the Aztec religion over 90 years or so is really fascinating stuff

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 20h

bsky.app/profile/jsam...

J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · Aug 17

Columbus was older than Richard III.

J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 20h

Anyway, much more about Guillotin here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph-...

Joseph-Ignace Guillotin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 20h

Another guy coincidentally also named Guillotin was executed by guillotine at one point, which may be the source of the story. The famous Guillotin came to regret his proposal when stories emerged that it wasn't actually as humane as he had intended.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 20h

Turns out he was an opponent of capital punishment in general, and only proposed the concept of a beheading machine when he realized that there wasn't political support for abolishing execution entirely. Another guy developed the actual machine. Guillotin died peacefully many years later.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 20h

I clicked through to see if Guillotin was on it, and he is, but only to note that the story that he both invented and was killed by the guillotine is false!

Ryan Nanni @celebrityhottub.bsky.social · 1d

If you need a go-to Wikipedia page this is a great one

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

List of inventors killed by their own invention - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

Wow, it's not even midnight yet.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

The abyss declines to respond.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

"There is more to Judaism than suffering! It has positive content!" I scream into the abyss.

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Reposted by J. Sam Drolet

I forgor my name lol @cheesecakechik.bsky.social · 1d

If your entire argument for why a genocidal apartheid state shouldn’t exist boils down to blood and soil, you have failed at being an anti-Zionist. You are indistinguishable from a fucking Nazi. And these people deserve to be mocked

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

It's difficult!

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

Judaism: endlessly prying joy from the jaws of despair.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

It's interesting (though unsurprising) that that's where your mind immediately went, though.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

Not the fast days! The other holidays.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

We've been talking about starting to host parties for the more obscure Jewish holidays, so a list of relative merits would actually be pretty useful.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

Be the change.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 1d

Apparently a lot of people are interpreting this as a sincere appeal for blood-and-soil nationalism as applied to Israel? The reading-comprehension crisis seems to be dire indeed.

Arieh Kovler @ariehkovler.com · 2d

This joke is funny because it's saying Israelis are fake, rootless people who steal all their culture, see? Not a real ethnicity whose material culture is rooted in their blood and soil. No, some kind of sub-people.

This meme was heavily pushed by an influencer who claims Israel killed Charlie Kirk

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 4d

Good thread on Fairbanks politics, which is getting some national attention with the recent election results there.

Ivan Hodes @chugachmtnblues.bsky.social · 4d

Fairbanks, AK has been in the news for ousting its asshole bigot Republican mayor and outsiders seem to think that Alaska in general and Fairbanks in particular are "deep red." I'd like to push back on that

tl;dr: Fairbanks has a strong liberal/progressive community.

A 🧵

By Ivan Hodes

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 4d

Maybe that's why he picked Bad Bunny.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 4d

Yes. She responded by praising Trump and expressing her support for his airstrikes on fishing boats.

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 4d

Plus the timing of it to just after he brokered an actual ceasefire in an actual war (which, of course may or may not hold or lead to further progress toward peace). "Nah, we prefer your fake war. We're just unwilling to give you any credit for it."

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J. Sam Drolet @jsamdrolet.bsky.social · 4d

"We actually have no problem with your random murderous rampage; we just hate you, personally."

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