Burke Gerstenschlager
@bleaktheology.bsky.social
Finishing a book on Joy Division, lament, & God. Former academic book editor. Religion & culture writer. Kierkegaardian. Anti-fascist. UT-Austin Classics BA. YDS MDiv. Episcolutheran. Your post-punk counterweight to joy in Brooklyn.
Pinned
A Bleak Theology Guide to Resistance
Everything is terrible everywhere all at once. What to do? How to respond? Here is a Guide of ten things to help weather this storm. I hope that you will find this Guide helpful. It is a longer read, but I believe it is worth it. Take your time. Ruminate on it. Share it. Peace be with you. First, for those who don't know, bleak theology is an…
www.bleaktheology.com
A Bleak Theology Guide to Resistance
Everything is terrible everywhere all at once. What to do? How to respond? Here is a Guide of ten things to help weather this storm. I hope that you will find this Guide helpful. It is a longer read, but I believe it is worth it. Take your time. Ruminate on it.…
Everything is terrible everywhere all at once. What to do? How to respond? Here is a Guide of ten things to help weather this storm. I hope that you will find this Guide helpful. It is a longer read, but I believe it is worth it. Take your time. Ruminate on it.…
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
God, you hate
December 10, 2025 at 4:30 AM
God, you hate
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
He knows he’s fraying and he’s thinking positively, as Norman Vincent Peale taught him, to stop it.
Never have I been quite so convinced that he's battling something.
December 10, 2025 at 3:53 AM
He knows he’s fraying and he’s thinking positively, as Norman Vincent Peale taught him, to stop it.
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
Code of Conduct for United States Judges, Canon 5: "A judge should not . . . attend or purchase a ticket for a dinner or other event sponsored by a political organization or candidate... A judge should not engage in any other political activity." (All judges receive training on this.)
Via MS NOW: Emil Bove is in attendance at Trump’s speech in Pennsylvania tonight.
December 10, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Code of Conduct for United States Judges, Canon 5: "A judge should not . . . attend or purchase a ticket for a dinner or other event sponsored by a political organization or candidate... A judge should not engage in any other political activity." (All judges receive training on this.)
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
"Networked misogyny is now firmly established as a key tactic in the 21st-century authoritarian’s playbook. This is not a new trend – but it is now being supercharged by generative AI tools that make it easier, quicker and cheaper than ever ... " www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
In this age of authoritarians, online abuse of women is soaring – and it’s leading to ‘real-world’ violence | Julie Posetti
Our UN report reveals the link between the online misogyny and offline crimes that are hounding women out of public life, says Julie Posetti, lead author of a new report published by UN Women
www.theguardian.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:05 AM
"Networked misogyny is now firmly established as a key tactic in the 21st-century authoritarian’s playbook. This is not a new trend – but it is now being supercharged by generative AI tools that make it easier, quicker and cheaper than ever ... " www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
After the DOJ went through the docs? Yeah. Right.
December 9, 2025 at 10:25 PM
After the DOJ went through the docs? Yeah. Right.
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
the mcdonald's AI ad was so telling, because the team admitted it took weeks of work to get even a few clips that looked like a commercial, and still you could see without looking closely that legs were bending the wrong way and stuff was levitating. garbage. complete scam.
December 9, 2025 at 10:00 PM
the mcdonald's AI ad was so telling, because the team admitted it took weeks of work to get even a few clips that looked like a commercial, and still you could see without looking closely that legs were bending the wrong way and stuff was levitating. garbage. complete scam.
I want to write a piece juxtaposing Paul Elie’s “The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s” with Trump’s 1980s mental zeitgeist. The Kennedy Center Honors w/ Stallone, Gaynor, Strait, et al., shows his “cultural” comfort zone and arts apex.
December 9, 2025 at 3:18 PM
I want to write a piece juxtaposing Paul Elie’s “The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s” with Trump’s 1980s mental zeitgeist. The Kennedy Center Honors w/ Stallone, Gaynor, Strait, et al., shows his “cultural” comfort zone and arts apex.
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
The ELCA needs to make a very strong statement. No more via media, that’s just playing with the devil. Lutheran theology does not allow this to go unaddressed - Small Catechism, Fifth Commandment.
ICE stormed a residence hall at Augsburg University, detained an undergrad, and aimed rifles at students and staff then admitted they had no warrant to be on campus.
This is state violence. This is terror. And this is exactly what Trump’s America unleashes on our communities.
This is state violence. This is terror. And this is exactly what Trump’s America unleashes on our communities.
December 9, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The ELCA needs to make a very strong statement. No more via media, that’s just playing with the devil. Lutheran theology does not allow this to go unaddressed - Small Catechism, Fifth Commandment.
This man’s brain exists mostly in 1988, at the very latest.
<<Trump says that he is going to be himself. That, he says, is what Johnny Carson did. He takes the opera-house stage and announces, “I’m going to try to act like Johnny Carson.”>>
<<Trump says that he is going to be himself. That, he says, is what Johnny Carson did. He takes the opera-house stage and announces, “I’m going to try to act like Johnny Carson.”>>
I went to the Trump Kennedy Center Honors Cursed By The Monkey’s Paw and all you got were these 1500 words of observations www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
Trump’s Very Weird Night at the Kennedy Center Honors
The president and I both got our heart’s desire. But something felt wrong.
www.theatlantic.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:52 PM
This man’s brain exists mostly in 1988, at the very latest.
<<Trump says that he is going to be himself. That, he says, is what Johnny Carson did. He takes the opera-house stage and announces, “I’m going to try to act like Johnny Carson.”>>
<<Trump says that he is going to be himself. That, he says, is what Johnny Carson did. He takes the opera-house stage and announces, “I’m going to try to act like Johnny Carson.”>>
That last answer is of a man drowning in the whirlpool of his mind, trying to grasp whatever recognizable flotsam he can to keep from being dragged down. God help us if he starts hallucinating there is flotsam to be grasped.
What Trump said about the Fed to Politico: the transcript www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
December 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
That last answer is of a man drowning in the whirlpool of his mind, trying to grasp whatever recognizable flotsam he can to keep from being dragged down. God help us if he starts hallucinating there is flotsam to be grasped.
This evening I had a great convo with my 12yo about the Constitutional checks/balances, SCOTUS, how a case gets up to/decided by SCOTUS, why 2/3 of SCOTUS sucks these days, Dred Scott, Gideon v. Wainwright, and Miranda rights. Phew. He was very interested!
a cartoon drawing of a man holding a piece of paper that says " the constitution "
ALT: a cartoon drawing of a man holding a piece of paper that says " the constitution "
media.tenor.com
December 9, 2025 at 4:18 AM
This evening I had a great convo with my 12yo about the Constitutional checks/balances, SCOTUS, how a case gets up to/decided by SCOTUS, why 2/3 of SCOTUS sucks these days, Dred Scott, Gideon v. Wainwright, and Miranda rights. Phew. He was very interested!
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
Every legal story now is either
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
October 3, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Every legal story now is either
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
Television - 1976-12-27 - CBGB, New York City, NY AUD] [https://archive.org/details/television1976-12-27.unk
Television - 1976-12-27 - CBGB, New York City, NY [AUD] : Television : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
TelevisionCBGB, NYC 1976/12/2746:141. Fire Engine2. Prove It3. Elevation4. Little Johnny Jewel5. Friction6. Satisfaction7. Marquee Moon
archive.org
December 9, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Television - 1976-12-27 - CBGB, New York City, NY AUD] [https://archive.org/details/television1976-12-27.unk
I just finished Paul Elie’s The Last Supper. It is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s strange to read about history you’ve lived through. I was 15 in 1989 & that part of the book was triggering to live it all again compressed. We never had a chance.
us.macmillan.com/books/978037...
us.macmillan.com/books/978037...
The Last Supper
This enthralling group portrait brings to life a moment when popular culture became the site of religious strife—strife that set the stage for some of the ...
us.macmillan.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:52 AM
I just finished Paul Elie’s The Last Supper. It is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s strange to read about history you’ve lived through. I was 15 in 1989 & that part of the book was triggering to live it all again compressed. We never had a chance.
us.macmillan.com/books/978037...
us.macmillan.com/books/978037...
I’m really, really pissed that the Jerusalem cross is being used this way.
Southcom is lost. It is gone.
Like its counterparts in places like Venezuela, El Salvador, Nicaragua, or Cuba, the Command has completely lost track of the difference between "civilian control of the military" and "foul subservience to a political agenda."
Like its counterparts in places like Venezuela, El Salvador, Nicaragua, or Cuba, the Command has completely lost track of the difference between "civilian control of the military" and "foul subservience to a political agenda."
December 9, 2025 at 3:09 AM
I’m really, really pissed that the Jerusalem cross is being used this way.
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
As 2025 comes to a close, almost everyone I talk to is in agreement that the book business is really weird rn
December 9, 2025 at 2:27 AM
As 2025 comes to a close, almost everyone I talk to is in agreement that the book business is really weird rn
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
constantine: will you people _please_ just establish a single hermeneutic and stop killing each other over punctuation
first council of nicaea:
first council of nicaea:
December 8, 2025 at 8:26 PM
constantine: will you people _please_ just establish a single hermeneutic and stop killing each other over punctuation
first council of nicaea:
first council of nicaea:
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
“AI models not only point some users to false sources but also cause problems for researchers and librarians, who end up wasting their time looking for requested nonexistent records…”
AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that artificial intelligence models are making up research papers, journals and archives
www.scientificamerican.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:30 PM
“AI models not only point some users to false sources but also cause problems for researchers and librarians, who end up wasting their time looking for requested nonexistent records…”
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
The President of the United States unilaterally levied a tax on all of us and is redistributing our taxes to a core segment of his supporters.
Trump: "I'm delighted to announce this afternoon that the US will be taking a small portion of the hundreds of billions of dollars we receive in tariffs ... and we're going to be giving and providing it to the farmers in economic assistance. We love our farmers. The farmers like me ... $12 billion"
December 8, 2025 at 7:48 PM
The President of the United States unilaterally levied a tax on all of us and is redistributing our taxes to a core segment of his supporters.
They can’t even Catholic right, these Christofascists.
ok it’s legitimately funny that they can’t even throw red meat to Catholics without falling into heresy
December 8, 2025 at 8:48 PM
They can’t even Catholic right, these Christofascists.
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
Oh, here's a big surprise. The transphobes don't believe in ADHD either.
then, the transphobes , feeling victorious at how many people they have made unhappy and despairing in the previous week, move on to anything else that has a spectrum and the possibility of more colours than they can conceive - such hateful people - they cannot understand anything that is not THEM
December 8, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Oh, here's a big surprise. The transphobes don't believe in ADHD either.
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
BBC Radio 6 Music
Craig Charles
Now Playing
Pet Shop Boys
Paninaro
Craig Charles
Now Playing
Pet Shop Boys
Paninaro
December 8, 2025 at 1:33 PM
BBC Radio 6 Music
Craig Charles
Now Playing
Pet Shop Boys
Paninaro
Craig Charles
Now Playing
Pet Shop Boys
Paninaro
Reposted by Burke Gerstenschlager
After much research and development I have made an offline version of ChatGPT.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
December 5, 2025 at 4:03 PM
After much research and development I have made an offline version of ChatGPT.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.