Ricky B
@ambivalentricky.bsky.social
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/
one flavor: butterscotch
December 11, 2025 at 2:14 AM
one flavor: butterscotch
Reposted by Ricky B
Sign the petition linked below to support higher ed workers at the UNC System in their fight against the requirement to create a searchable repository of all university syllabi, which will endanger students and instructors by inviting political actors to attack free inquiry across UNC campuses.
Protect Academic Freedom, Our Faculty, Our Communities
Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members: The UNC System is preparing to cave to political pressure from the Heritage Foundation, the Oversight Project, and the James Martin Center by ...
actionnetwork.org
December 10, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Sign the petition linked below to support higher ed workers at the UNC System in their fight against the requirement to create a searchable repository of all university syllabi, which will endanger students and instructors by inviting political actors to attack free inquiry across UNC campuses.
if soup is for poor people you can call me Oliver Twist
We all moved on because there is bigger news but it was really funny when that Campbell’s Soup Executive was like “fuck soup and anyone who eats it!”
December 11, 2025 at 1:04 AM
if soup is for poor people you can call me Oliver Twist
Reposted by Ricky B
I'm beginning to look back with nostalgia on the days when non-readers watched network news and Hollywood movies rather than conspiracy theory YouTube videos and TikTok brain rot.
As the literacy rate declines, you’ll ask yourself why the quality of life continues to deteriorate in ways large and small, and in almost every instance the answer will be: because people stopped reading.
December 10, 2025 at 1:04 AM
I'm beginning to look back with nostalgia on the days when non-readers watched network news and Hollywood movies rather than conspiracy theory YouTube videos and TikTok brain rot.
sign this NC-AAUP petition opposing the UNC System potentially forcing faculty to post their syllabi in an online searchable database whose only function would be as a right-wing harassment tool
actionnetwork.org/petitions/pr...
actionnetwork.org/petitions/pr...
Protect Academic Freedom, Our Faculty, Our Communities
Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members: The UNC System is preparing to cave to political pressure from the Heritage Foundation, the Oversight Project, and the James Martin Center by ...
actionnetwork.org
December 9, 2025 at 12:24 AM
sign this NC-AAUP petition opposing the UNC System potentially forcing faculty to post their syllabi in an online searchable database whose only function would be as a right-wing harassment tool
actionnetwork.org/petitions/pr...
actionnetwork.org/petitions/pr...
I've been banging my drum about the NYT's HRT fearmongering being identical to their Adderall fearmongering and anyone in the UK can tell you "ADHD isn't real" is a more mainstream position in the press there, just like transphobia
some significant part of this is just catch-all fear for “this is not the child I ordered” I think
Oh, here's a big surprise. The transphobes don't believe in ADHD either.
December 8, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I've been banging my drum about the NYT's HRT fearmongering being identical to their Adderall fearmongering and anyone in the UK can tell you "ADHD isn't real" is a more mainstream position in the press there, just like transphobia
When we talk about the obligation to disobey unlawful orders:
Thompson ordered his men to kill fellow American soldiers if they continued to shoot civilians.
Thompson's order was lawful because those soldiers were committing murder.
Thompson ordered his men to kill fellow American soldiers if they continued to shoot civilians.
Thompson's order was lawful because those soldiers were committing murder.
More than that, his crew threatened to open fire on the murderers. He rescued civilians, returned to base to refuel, flew back, and rescued more civilians. Then he denounced the crimes to his HQ.
For all this he received death-threats throughout his life.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Th....
For all this he received death-threats throughout his life.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Th....
December 8, 2025 at 10:25 PM
When we talk about the obligation to disobey unlawful orders:
Thompson ordered his men to kill fellow American soldiers if they continued to shoot civilians.
Thompson's order was lawful because those soldiers were committing murder.
Thompson ordered his men to kill fellow American soldiers if they continued to shoot civilians.
Thompson's order was lawful because those soldiers were committing murder.
most likely the only movie I've ever seen more than three times
December 8, 2025 at 5:04 AM
most likely the only movie I've ever seen more than three times
that was hard. hopefully day 6 is easier
***
Advent of Chess 2025
Day 1 ✔️
adventofchess.com/year/2025/da...
***
Advent of Chess 2025
Day 1 ✔️
adventofchess.com/year/2025/da...
Day 1 - Advent of Chess 2025
Solve the chess problem for Day 1 and earn a chance to win a chessboard signed by Magnus Carlsen.
adventofchess.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:34 AM
that was hard. hopefully day 6 is easier
***
Advent of Chess 2025
Day 1 ✔️
adventofchess.com/year/2025/da...
***
Advent of Chess 2025
Day 1 ✔️
adventofchess.com/year/2025/da...
I agree with the underlying point that not being able to buy a house has created widespread rage among people under 50. But this example...?
-It's ~$25 to fix a hole in your drywall if you DIY.
-What if you're a drywaller? It's bad for you to be in demand?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
-It's ~$25 to fix a hole in your drywall if you DIY.
-What if you're a drywaller? It's bad for you to be in demand?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
December 7, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I agree with the underlying point that not being able to buy a house has created widespread rage among people under 50. But this example...?
-It's ~$25 to fix a hole in your drywall if you DIY.
-What if you're a drywaller? It's bad for you to be in demand?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
-It's ~$25 to fix a hole in your drywall if you DIY.
-What if you're a drywaller? It's bad for you to be in demand?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Reposted by Ricky B
I regret every joke I’ve made about how our elected officials were so old they didn’t know how to use a computer. I would give anything for another administration that doesn’t know how to use a computer
November 29, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I regret every joke I’ve made about how our elected officials were so old they didn’t know how to use a computer. I would give anything for another administration that doesn’t know how to use a computer
1) if SCOTUS does anything to change the plain meaning of the 14th Amendment, they have no legitimacy as an institution anymore
2) independent of that, I haven't seen anyone point out the extreme difficulty of implementing a two-tier citizenship system for children. Birthright citizenship's simpler
2) independent of that, I haven't seen anyone point out the extreme difficulty of implementing a two-tier citizenship system for children. Birthright citizenship's simpler
December 6, 2025 at 5:13 PM
1) if SCOTUS does anything to change the plain meaning of the 14th Amendment, they have no legitimacy as an institution anymore
2) independent of that, I haven't seen anyone point out the extreme difficulty of implementing a two-tier citizenship system for children. Birthright citizenship's simpler
2) independent of that, I haven't seen anyone point out the extreme difficulty of implementing a two-tier citizenship system for children. Birthright citizenship's simpler
When I was 30 and renovating a house, I wound up catching a 100-pound AC unit that was pushed down to me from a couple of feet above my head. I didn't sustain an obvious injury then but I do have to wonder if that brought my back a couple of years closer to senior citizen status.
December 6, 2025 at 4:35 PM
When I was 30 and renovating a house, I wound up catching a 100-pound AC unit that was pushed down to me from a couple of feet above my head. I didn't sustain an obvious injury then but I do have to wonder if that brought my back a couple of years closer to senior citizen status.
This is really true. You go to about three school board meetings and the school board will know who you are. Maybe a few more for county commissioner meetings.
I really can't emphasize enough that if you care about local politics, all you gotta do is show up. Just a regular schmegular person showing up. Literally just show up consistently in person and within a remarkably short amount of time, you will have a shocking amount of influence.
December 6, 2025 at 4:15 PM
This is really true. You go to about three school board meetings and the school board will know who you are. Maybe a few more for county commissioner meetings.
big divorced energy: ordinarily exuded by men but not always
i wrote about why exactly i love ran-thru bald men so much
www.patreon.com/posts/145164...
www.patreon.com/posts/145164...
December 6, 2025 at 4:22 AM
big divorced energy: ordinarily exuded by men but not always
I'm seeing teenagers get upset about encountering news stories about topics they don't want to know about. They count on the algorithm to keep these things away and view their appearance as a failure in the system.
I feel like there's a lot of insight to be gleaned about current attitudes toward transgressive or disturbing art if you know how often people's response to something delivered to them algorithmically is basically, "Who the fuck are you, and why are you in my feed?"
I think it’s also worth noting that a huge part of what changed is algorithmic feeds
Back then, we curated things ourselves. It’s not that there was NO chance we’d accidentally see something awful but the chances were monumentally lower
Back then, we curated things ourselves. It’s not that there was NO chance we’d accidentally see something awful but the chances were monumentally lower
December 6, 2025 at 2:37 AM
I'm seeing teenagers get upset about encountering news stories about topics they don't want to know about. They count on the algorithm to keep these things away and view their appearance as a failure in the system.
"Bridging the digital divide" wound up giving all kids the same opportunity to have their ability to concentrate erased by Silicon Valley
December 6, 2025 at 1:51 AM
"Bridging the digital divide" wound up giving all kids the same opportunity to have their ability to concentrate erased by Silicon Valley
This is the time of year when I am tormented by my long-ago discovery that the second verse of "Minor Threat" by Minor Threat can be sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells"
genius.com/Minor-threat...
genius.com/Minor-threat...
Minor Threat – Minor Threat
[Intro] / Play it faster / [Verse 1] / We're not the first, I hope we're not the last / 'Cause I know we're all heading for that adult crash / The time is so little, the time
genius.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:56 AM
This is the time of year when I am tormented by my long-ago discovery that the second verse of "Minor Threat" by Minor Threat can be sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells"
genius.com/Minor-threat...
genius.com/Minor-threat...
and we all want Bill Belichick to share in the bounty
This year, universities are giving $228 million to football coaches who failed at coaching football so that they won't coach football anymore.
December 2, 2025 at 10:53 PM
and we all want Bill Belichick to share in the bounty
well that's the best I'm going to manage today after losing a bunch of blitz games
December 2, 2025 at 4:01 AM
well that's the best I'm going to manage today after losing a bunch of blitz games
I got a Real ID a few months ago before the crackdown was supposed to start and it took 2-3 hours at a small town DMV. You go, get a number, go somewhere else to wait, come back when they text you that your number is up, then you wait there to be called. Get started planning now!
In NC, there are often 0 appointments available at the DMV - to the point where people trade availability in the local mom’s Facebook group.
December 1, 2025 at 11:58 PM
I got a Real ID a few months ago before the crackdown was supposed to start and it took 2-3 hours at a small town DMV. You go, get a number, go somewhere else to wait, come back when they text you that your number is up, then you wait there to be called. Get started planning now!