Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 21m

Also, yes. Suggesting Kamala Harris, former vice president of the United States, can’t “fight back” against critics is an especially funny thing to say about her being interrupted at a promotional stop for her globally published memoir.

7

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 23m

Again, the “why aren’t you protesting Trump instead?” people have always been lunatics, but they are especially insane doing this when we are three days away from what is possibly going to be the largest anti-Trump protest in history.

The issue isn’t criticizing Kamala Harris. The issue is why not come for the person that can change the situation in this current moment. You guys are cowards. You’re coming for someone that you know can’t fight back. You’re wasting and resources for coming for the wrong people.

1 1 11

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 3h

Perfect case in point: here is the vice president, who has spiraled into overt sociopathy thanks to Twitter, repeating a six year old racist “joke” about Elizabeth Warren and getting a quarter million likes for it. This is what constitutes conservative brain now. Trolling from the literal top down.

JD Vance: “The president told me he did this on Indigenous Peoples Day in honor of you.”

3 6

Reposted by August J. Pollak

onion person @junlper.beer · 3h

israel has already broken the ceasefire

70 780 3K

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 4h

Also, and not to diminish this point, but there's of course another reason conservatives are eternally upset with Colin Kaepernick and it's the same reason they feel that way about AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, Cynthia McKinney, and Barack Obama. I'm sure you can figure this one out.

1 8

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 4h

By extension, the grievance politics have to be repetitive. It's easier than coming up with something new and more conducive to their model. There's literally a meme about how conservatives only have one joke they say over and over again.

1 7

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 4h

My over-general, over-broad interpretation is conservatives are much more focused on bullying/trolling their ideological enemies, and a major element of that is repetition. "57 states" isn't funny. "57 states" said a dozen times in a single press conference is funny to them and annoying to us

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 5h

I'm generalizing, but why do conservatives remember political irritations for so much longer than liberals?

It's been 17 years since Obama said some voters "cling to their guns, to their religion" and I heard a senator denounce that last month.

Obvious theory: Media ecosystem puts it on repeat

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 5h

Imagine caring about Kaepernick in the year of our lord 2025

1 1 10

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 4h

Kamala Harris doesn't get to do this and then all her most insane blue MAGA followers scream that you have no right to criticize her on politics because she's a private citizen now. It simply doesn't work this way. You don't get both.

Kamala Harris @kamalaharris.com · 19h

My statement on the ceasefire in the Middle East.

Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris
October 13, 2025

I am thankful and deeply encouraged that this ceasefire has brought long-awaited moments of joy and reunion — as 20 Israeli hostages are finally reunited with their loved ones and Palestinian families and the people of Gaza begin to receive desperately needed relief from unimaginable suffering.

Through diplomacy and persistence, today is an important first step toward a more hopeful future. I commend the leaders and partners whose efforts made this agreement possible, including the President and his team.

There is still much more work to do to secure a lasting peace, ensure the safety and dignity of every innocent life, and build a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in freedom and security.

3 2 12

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 5h

For some reason during breakfast like three years ago every X-Men fan suddenly decided Magik is Marvel's Harley Quinn and is therefore Constitutionally required to be in everything now and just like Harley Quinn nothing has done more to make an incredibly fun character less enjoyable

X-Men Don't Need Britches 💙💛 @rphutch1975.bsky.social · 15h

What's an opinion about X-Men that'll get you sent to jail? Is Jean really interesting or really boring? Should Logan have stayed dead? Do you think a certain x-mens outfit is positively horrendous even though people seem to love it?

The Brood Saga is better than Dark Phoenix imo 🤷

5

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 6h

Universes Beyond (the branding name for the IP tie in cards) was introduced in 2021. Four years ago. They just announced their TWENTY-SIXTH tie-in. In four years. This is the game now and it's garbage

mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Univers...

Universes Beyond

Universes Beyond (abbreviated as UB[1]) is a “sub-brand” of Magic: The Gathering that exists in addition to, and alongside, the regular line of products.[2] Not unlike the original Deckmaster concept,...

mtg.fandom.com

2

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 6h

It's why games like Multiversus collapse. IP slop ruins thematic elements that are in reality a major part of game quality. I don't want to play a game about dueling wizards on ethereal magic planes where someone casts an Optimus Prime to fight another player's Hatsune Miku THOSE ARE REAL EXAMPLES

2 1

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 6h

It was fine when they had occasional jumps into other -fantasy- universes (LOTR, Final Fantasy, etc) but it's just constant slop now every two months. There's a Walking Dead tie-in set. There are now Magic cards for The Office. The sitcom The Office. There is no word to define this other than slop.

Neil but spoooooky @burghpunk.bsky.social · 6h

The Final Fantasy set was legitimately cool and (unfortunately) made a fuckton of money and now Hasbro will chase that dragon forever

2 3

Reposted by August J. Pollak

Mr Halloween @jarjarfan69.bsky.social · 7h

Alright, man. But a lot of us said this was happening at the time and got yelled at by people like Chris Jackson for not being sufficiently appreciative of Joe Biden's foreign policy genius.

Michael J. Stern @michaeljstern.bsky.social · 16h

This. And this again.

11 120 710

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 6h

I guess they're making money doing it but the last few years of just seemingly endless pop culture tie-in reference slop has killed any desire for me to get back into Magic.

leon @leyawn.bsky.social · 7h

mtg in 1997: this card is selenia, a guardian angel from the heavenly realm of serra. twisted by the phyrexians, she drove crovax of urborg insane with unrequited love

mtg in 2025: this card is spongebob. from spongebob squarepants

mtg in 2035: we ran out of ideas. this card is your coworker jeff

1 8

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 9h

Also, with no offense meant to Platner, he’s a no name who probably invokes no pressure on Collins to just see the writing on the wall and retire. Mills running makes it much more likely Collins will do that, and an open seat is much more advantageous for an unknown quantity.

17

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 9h

Serious response, this is not denial/cope: glad she’s doing this. It is probably very good for Graham Platner that he gets tested in a primary, and if he’s actually the right person for the job, he will curb stomp someone who has no business running for a 6 Year Senate term at 78 years old

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 10h

Breaking News: Janet Mills, the Democratic governor of Maine, is running for Senate, aiming to unseat Senator Susan Collins, a Republican.

Gov. Janet Mills of Maine to Run for Senate, Aiming at Senator Susan Collins

A two-term Democratic governor, Ms. Mills called herself “battle tested” in an interview. But she faces a Democratic primary before she can challenge the Republican incumbent.

nyti.ms

1 3 37

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 9h

Kamala Harris would be president right now if Biden supported the same deal that was on the table two years ago that Trump just did, and if you disagree you think Kamala Harris, who just -admitted to this in her own book-, is a liar

Consequences, indeed. Great talk, Professional Shitposter

“Professional Shitposter:” “Leftists cry about obvious and predictable consequences for their actions, news at 11”

1 23

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 19h

Condescendingly asking me if I’m aware of the particulars of this story seems especially overconfident while simultaneously implying you don’t know how passing laws works

1

Reposted by August J. Pollak

AdotSad @adotsad.bsky.social · 20h

Legitimately disgusting that were getting legal rigging of elections and nobody cares in the media or the electorate. This is not that functionally different than tossing out thousands of votes to help your side win.

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 1d

North Carolina Republicans announced today they’re going to pass a new congressional map to draw a Dem out of Congress; they already did last cycle, going from 7-7 to 10-4. Thus would be 11-3. t.co/XLJIhe8vZn

18 170 540

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 20h

Obama signed a bill passed by a Democratic controlled House and Senate that was literally called “the Defund ACORN Act”

1 3

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 1d

Barack Obama had this and used it to defund ACORN

To pass your agenda a Dem will need 60 votes in the Senate & a majority in the house. In every battleground state voters need to show up to give a Dem President the power to deliver without negotiating. If we fail to do that, we cant complain when what's delivered is watered down

22 220 1.2K

Reposted by August J. Pollak

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 1d

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

1.5K 4.8K 23K

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 1d

Actually kind of amazing how this is almost certainly going to lead to some form of agreement to maintain the cost reductions but Republicans insisted on doing it a way that made sure every American understood they very much didn't want to do it first, which is very Bold Strategy Cotton etc.

9

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 1d

On one side you will have the party that spent the previous six weeks maintaining an astonishingly disciplined message about how all that matters is preventing these exact price increases from happening and then on the other side you will have JD Vance's face, how do they see this ending honestly

1 1 15

August J. Pollak @augustjpollak.bsky.social · 1d

Other folks pointing this out but the Obamacare exchanges open up for enrollment on Nov. 1 and if GOP just keeps government closed past then and does nothing to extend the subsidies and all the rates go up threefold I genuinely don't understand what they think their plan is after that

3 2 16