Under the Volcano
@bfbnk.bsky.social
Historian: ritual and culture, fraternal groups, symbols in culture, art, politics, etc. Writer of textbooks, college educator.
Reposted by Under the Volcano
“Come-to-America-spend-your-money-then-get-out” is some next-level, smooth salesmanship. 🤡
November 12, 2025 at 5:27 PM
“Come-to-America-spend-your-money-then-get-out” is some next-level, smooth salesmanship. 🤡
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Former VA Del. Mark Levine (D): "I’m really surprised a Senator I know personally and have long respected is this naive. Kaine isn’t stupid. But his justification for bowing down to King Donald is so illogical that it insults any thinking Virginian." bluevirginia.us/2025/11/sen-...
November 10, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Former VA Del. Mark Levine (D): "I’m really surprised a Senator I know personally and have long respected is this naive. Kaine isn’t stupid. But his justification for bowing down to King Donald is so illogical that it insults any thinking Virginian." bluevirginia.us/2025/11/sen-...
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Great job, @schumer.senate.gov. You've changed the story from "GOP hurting millions of Americans to please unpopular, failing, delusional despot who's destroying his party" to "Dems are too weak and divided in the face of Trump's strength to take a stand and protect Americans"
November 10, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Great job, @schumer.senate.gov. You've changed the story from "GOP hurting millions of Americans to please unpopular, failing, delusional despot who's destroying his party" to "Dems are too weak and divided in the face of Trump's strength to take a stand and protect Americans"
Not even pretending to hide the corruption: the wealthiest will henceforth pay no federal taxes under the Trump regime: "The administration is rapidly gutting a 2022 law intended to ensure that a sliver of the country’s most profitable corporations pay at least some federal income tax."
NYT: The tax cuts come amid “steep cuts to health care for the elderly and food stamps for the poorest Americans.”
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
November 8, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Not even pretending to hide the corruption: the wealthiest will henceforth pay no federal taxes under the Trump regime: "The administration is rapidly gutting a 2022 law intended to ensure that a sliver of the country’s most profitable corporations pay at least some federal income tax."
Reposted by Under the Volcano
ah, perhaps instead of pumping millions into endless factional infighting Dem donors could invest in making local Dem organizations genuine civic spaces that can reach people during and between elections
November 5, 2025 at 12:49 PM
ah, perhaps instead of pumping millions into endless factional infighting Dem donors could invest in making local Dem organizations genuine civic spaces that can reach people during and between elections
Reposted by Under the Volcano
If nothing else (and there is much else), the Mamdani campaign has reintroduced Americans to the names Eugene Debs, Dorothy Day, and Fiorello LaGuardia, people they sure as hell aren't learning about in school any more. Who knows where ths might lead?
November 5, 2025 at 11:23 AM
If nothing else (and there is much else), the Mamdani campaign has reintroduced Americans to the names Eugene Debs, Dorothy Day, and Fiorello LaGuardia, people they sure as hell aren't learning about in school any more. Who knows where ths might lead?
Reposted by Under the Volcano
i think the president has an inherent inability to conceptualize an organization larger than the Trump Organization, and so does not value the existence of a bureaucracy. in fact he cannot imagine that any such thing exists. this is why the government is now run by one hundred guys who you can name.
November 4, 2025 at 7:15 AM
i think the president has an inherent inability to conceptualize an organization larger than the Trump Organization, and so does not value the existence of a bureaucracy. in fact he cannot imagine that any such thing exists. this is why the government is now run by one hundred guys who you can name.
Reposted by Under the Volcano
It's stupid's economy.
Iconic outdoors retailer in business since 1856 closing 40 locations due to tariffs www.pennlive.com/nation-world...
Iconic outdoors retailer in business since 1856 closing 40 locations due to tariffs www.pennlive.com/nation-world...
Iconic outdoors retailer in business since 1856 closing 40 locations due to tariffs
The chain is overhauling the way it does business.
www.pennlive.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:09 PM
It's stupid's economy.
Iconic outdoors retailer in business since 1856 closing 40 locations due to tariffs www.pennlive.com/nation-world...
Iconic outdoors retailer in business since 1856 closing 40 locations due to tariffs www.pennlive.com/nation-world...
Welcome to Trumpville. Like Pottersville in "It’s a Wonderful Life", only with more fake gold and sociopathic billionaires.
The luxury gap: Trump builds his palace as Americans face going hungry
The luxury gap: Trump builds his palace as Americans face going hungry
Schmoozing the super-rich to fund a $300m ballroom while cutting food aid for those on low incomes threw the president’s architectural folly into sharp relief
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Welcome to Trumpville. Like Pottersville in "It’s a Wonderful Life", only with more fake gold and sociopathic billionaires.
Just occurred to me that if Trump thinks he can run for a third term, so can this guy.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Obama shreds Trump administration - ‘It’s like every day is Halloween’
Obama laid into Trump during a speech in support of Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger
www.independent.co.uk
November 2, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Just occurred to me that if Trump thinks he can run for a third term, so can this guy.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Schedule for today's VA General Assembly special session on redistricting bluevirginia.us/2025/10/virg...
October 29, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Schedule for today's VA General Assembly special session on redistricting bluevirginia.us/2025/10/virg...
Firesign Theater, the '60s comedy group, used to introduce Ben Franklin as "the only President of the U.S. who was never President of the U.S." Michael Luttig can likewise be characterized as "the only Supreme Court Justice who was never a Supreme Court Justice"
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
President for Life
Donald Trump is trying to amass the powers of a king.
www.theatlantic.com
October 28, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Firesign Theater, the '60s comedy group, used to introduce Ben Franklin as "the only President of the U.S. who was never President of the U.S." Michael Luttig can likewise be characterized as "the only Supreme Court Justice who was never a Supreme Court Justice"
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Trump's good at manipulating media (& MAGA) using clear, compelling & simple imagery/messaging constantly. Also known as symbols. IOW he's good at symbolic warfare. Dems & left need to understand the importance of symbols and how to use them effectively.
October 24, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Trump's good at manipulating media (& MAGA) using clear, compelling & simple imagery/messaging constantly. Also known as symbols. IOW he's good at symbolic warfare. Dems & left need to understand the importance of symbols and how to use them effectively.
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Leftists saying the White House thing doesn’t matter are demonstrating the classic leftist misunderstanding of symbols and the role emotion plays in politics. Sometimes they can be as tone deaf as dumb centrist liberals.
October 24, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Leftists saying the White House thing doesn’t matter are demonstrating the classic leftist misunderstanding of symbols and the role emotion plays in politics. Sometimes they can be as tone deaf as dumb centrist liberals.
Reposted by Under the Volcano
All of the pilfering, vandalism, and outright death caused by DOGE cuts, and all of the thefts from the future by illegally stopping research grants, didn't save a penny, Trump spent the money and more on corruption and incompetent ICE goons.
Total federal spending is up +7% in 2025 over 2024 year-to-date to Oct 20.
The story that the fed govt is tightening its belt is contradicted by its own real-time expenditure data. Admin spectacularly hammering some things but raising spending elsewhere.
Was -7% just after Inauguration Day.
The story that the fed govt is tightening its belt is contradicted by its own real-time expenditure data. Admin spectacularly hammering some things but raising spending elsewhere.
Was -7% just after Inauguration Day.
October 23, 2025 at 3:15 PM
All of the pilfering, vandalism, and outright death caused by DOGE cuts, and all of the thefts from the future by illegally stopping research grants, didn't save a penny, Trump spent the money and more on corruption and incompetent ICE goons.
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Chris Murphy: "There's a lot of history that has taken place in the East Wing & it was just destroyed without any conversation in the public, without any consent of Congress. It's absolutely illegal. That visual is powerful b/c you're watching destruction of the rule of law as those walls come down"
October 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Chris Murphy: "There's a lot of history that has taken place in the East Wing & it was just destroyed without any conversation in the public, without any consent of Congress. It's absolutely illegal. That visual is powerful b/c you're watching destruction of the rule of law as those walls come down"
Where are the poll questions? "Do you support the destruction of the East Wing of the White House and the construction of a 90,000 sq foot ballroom proposed by President Trump?"
[Current size of White House with 132 rooms is 55,000 square feet]
[Current size of White House with 132 rooms is 55,000 square feet]
Slam dunk litmus test for any Dem candidate in 2028: will you tear down the Trump ballroom?
October 21, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Where are the poll questions? "Do you support the destruction of the East Wing of the White House and the construction of a 90,000 sq foot ballroom proposed by President Trump?"
[Current size of White House with 132 rooms is 55,000 square feet]
[Current size of White House with 132 rooms is 55,000 square feet]
Raping history: This is the same view from the Treasury department--2025 and 1905 (Library of Congress)
October 21, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Raping history: This is the same view from the Treasury department--2025 and 1905 (Library of Congress)
No Kings continues:
Monday, 10/20, downtown Roanoke: In search of missing congressmen Ben Cline (R), who hasn't held a public town hall since 2019 in the largest city in SW Virginia and in his district.
Monday, 10/20, downtown Roanoke: In search of missing congressmen Ben Cline (R), who hasn't held a public town hall since 2019 in the largest city in SW Virginia and in his district.
October 21, 2025 at 10:27 AM
No Kings continues:
Monday, 10/20, downtown Roanoke: In search of missing congressmen Ben Cline (R), who hasn't held a public town hall since 2019 in the largest city in SW Virginia and in his district.
Monday, 10/20, downtown Roanoke: In search of missing congressmen Ben Cline (R), who hasn't held a public town hall since 2019 in the largest city in SW Virginia and in his district.
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Check out this book (& accompanying videos on YT) for William Whyte's insights into the importance of benches and other public seating, pedestrian behavior, 'schmoozing patterns,' the actual use of urban plazas, etc.
www.amazon.com/City-Redisco...
www.amazon.com/City-Redisco...
City: Rediscovering the Center
City: Rediscovering the Center [Whyte, William H., Underhill, Paco] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. City: Rediscovering the Center
www.amazon.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Check out this book (& accompanying videos on YT) for William Whyte's insights into the importance of benches and other public seating, pedestrian behavior, 'schmoozing patterns,' the actual use of urban plazas, etc.
www.amazon.com/City-Redisco...
www.amazon.com/City-Redisco...
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Gift link.
TBH,there are barely benches in most outdoor places in America, and it's tiresome.
TBH,there are barely benches in most outdoor places in America, and it's tiresome.
The Slow Death of the New York City Public Bench
www.nytimes.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Gift link.
TBH,there are barely benches in most outdoor places in America, and it's tiresome.
TBH,there are barely benches in most outdoor places in America, and it's tiresome.
"Candidate Trump promised that prices would begin falling on his first day as president but prices have climbed since he returned to office..He promised blue-collar Americans he'd increase manufacturing jobs, but factory activity has declined for 7 straight months & factory employment has fallen"
Troops on the streets, Ice thuggery – and prices still climbing: welcome to Trump’s ‘golden age’ | Steven Greenhouse
Troops on the streets, Ice thuggery – and prices still climbing: welcome to Trump’s ‘golden age’ | Steven Greenhouse
The president has repeatedly proclaimed a shining moment. Meanwhile, he’s taking a wrecking ball to truth and democracy
www.theguardian.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:52 AM
"Candidate Trump promised that prices would begin falling on his first day as president but prices have climbed since he returned to office..He promised blue-collar Americans he'd increase manufacturing jobs, but factory activity has declined for 7 straight months & factory employment has fallen"
Reposted by Under the Volcano
Those with sharp eyes might detect a subtle difference in NYT play last month of an event in one city, w 100,000+ attendees, versus play this morning of some 2500+ events w many millions of attendees, in all 50 states.
See if you can spot it! /s
Then you can find today's story on p A23
See if you can spot it! /s
Then you can find today's story on p A23
October 19, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Those with sharp eyes might detect a subtle difference in NYT play last month of an event in one city, w 100,000+ attendees, versus play this morning of some 2500+ events w many millions of attendees, in all 50 states.
See if you can spot it! /s
Then you can find today's story on p A23
See if you can spot it! /s
Then you can find today's story on p A23