Don Dechert
@dondechert.bsky.social
Lawyer, veteran. Ex-baby historian, current litigator, lapsed social scientist, still playing TTRPGs. Unabashedly pro-cat because cats are awesome. Various thoughts, some well articulated in 🇺🇲/🇩🇪.
📍Chicago, IL, Vereinigte Staaten, Terra
📍Chicago, IL, Vereinigte Staaten, Terra
Pinned
Don Dechert
@dondechert.bsky.social
· Dec 27
I'm a lawyer with a lot of interests. I went to law school after getting my MA in social science from U Chicago, which I got after transitioning from active duty Army to the Reserves. I still play TTRPGs (and have soft spot for Battletech). And cats are awesome. Manchmal auch auf Deutsch.
Reposted by Don Dechert
Could investors have been… wrong?
Did they put tons of money up not based on an actual existing product with limited use cases, but on hype that the technology would soon turn into magic?
Because that does not seem like a wise investment.
Did they put tons of money up not based on an actual existing product with limited use cases, but on hype that the technology would soon turn into magic?
Because that does not seem like a wise investment.
Three years into the generative-AI wave, demand for the technology seems surprisingly flimsy
Investors expect AI use to soar. That’s not happening
Recent surveys point to flatlining business adoption
econ.st
November 30, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Could investors have been… wrong?
Did they put tons of money up not based on an actual existing product with limited use cases, but on hype that the technology would soon turn into magic?
Because that does not seem like a wise investment.
Did they put tons of money up not based on an actual existing product with limited use cases, but on hype that the technology would soon turn into magic?
Because that does not seem like a wise investment.
Reposted by Don Dechert
This is a Very Specific NoVA type and it is as inscrutable as it sounds, but it is very real.
Sitting in my local NoVa bar listening to the evangelicals discuss the end times and how the Antichrist is supposed to be a really really smart guy and that Trump can’t possibly be it because of that
November 30, 2025 at 12:24 AM
This is a Very Specific NoVA type and it is as inscrutable as it sounds, but it is very real.
Reposted by Don Dechert
Hoo boy
Whole buncha folks about to have to face a choice between complying with a Congressional subpoena and getting fired because pete's mad at them
Also if anything is a "start the clock" moment on pete's tenure coming to an end, it's this
Whole buncha folks about to have to face a choice between complying with a Congressional subpoena and getting fired because pete's mad at them
Also if anything is a "start the clock" moment on pete's tenure coming to an end, it's this
There are now bipartisan investigations in both the House and Senate into the administration targeting and killing people in the Caribbean without due process.
November 30, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Hoo boy
Whole buncha folks about to have to face a choice between complying with a Congressional subpoena and getting fired because pete's mad at them
Also if anything is a "start the clock" moment on pete's tenure coming to an end, it's this
Whole buncha folks about to have to face a choice between complying with a Congressional subpoena and getting fired because pete's mad at them
Also if anything is a "start the clock" moment on pete's tenure coming to an end, it's this
Reposted by Don Dechert
A White House website with a dedicated Lügenpresse tab marks a pretty bleak moment in US history.
Don't know whether this is new or has been up for awhile. Either way, when the White House creates a hit list of journalists it doesn't like, the free press is in danger. www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
Media Offenders
Explore the Media Bias Tracker that fact checks and holds Fake News accountable. False claims debunked, Hall of Shame for serial offenders, Leaderboard of networks ranked by Repeated Lies. Stay inform...
www.whitehouse.gov
November 30, 2025 at 12:16 AM
A White House website with a dedicated Lügenpresse tab marks a pretty bleak moment in US history.
Reposted by Don Dechert
Do we … do “we” expect that?
When a cancelled performer reënters the culture, we expect them to offer us a great work, channelling their newfound clarity into the finest art they’ve ever made. With his new comedy show and début novel, has Louis C.K. met the bar?
www.newyorker.com/culture/crit...
www.newyorker.com/culture/crit...
Louis C.K.’s Next Chapter
In a new standup special, and a début novel, the comedian navigates murky, post-#MeToo terrain: not quite exiled, not quite welcomed back.
www.newyorker.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Do we … do “we” expect that?
Reposted by Don Dechert
Plow tracker is live:
Plow Tracker
An ArcGIS Hub site used by transportation and public works organizations to share winter weather plans, snow routes, and parking restrictions.
plow-tracker-chicago.hub.arcgis.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Plow tracker is live:
Reposted by Don Dechert
chat are we cooked
November 29, 2025 at 3:42 PM
chat are we cooked
Reposted by Don Dechert
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
deer
armadillo
bison
cottonmouth
rattlesnake
deer
armadillo
bison
cottonmouth
rattlesnake
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
deer
armadillo
sea lion
cottonmouth
possom
deer
armadillo
sea lion
cottonmouth
possom
from my own socal backyard edition:
coyote
fox
deer
mountain lion
rattlesnake
coyote
fox
deer
mountain lion
rattlesnake
November 29, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:
deer
armadillo
bison
cottonmouth
rattlesnake
deer
armadillo
bison
cottonmouth
rattlesnake
Reposted by Don Dechert
Did you know that letters mailed to Santa go on the USPS Operation Santa page where you can read them, adopt one and send them their wished for gift? (Anonymity is protected all around) www.uspsoperationsanta.com
USPS Operation Santa® Program
Adopt a child's letter to Santa this holiday season with the USPS Operation Santa® program. Spread holiday cheer and help make a child's holiday wish come true.
www.uspsoperationsanta.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Did you know that letters mailed to Santa go on the USPS Operation Santa page where you can read them, adopt one and send them their wished for gift? (Anonymity is protected all around) www.uspsoperationsanta.com
I don't invoke blasphemy all that often, but something about the Walmart commercials with the Grinch probably fits. Totally missing the point of the story in pursuit of profits while also showing the soulless nature of marketing.
November 29, 2025 at 9:02 PM
I don't invoke blasphemy all that often, but something about the Walmart commercials with the Grinch probably fits. Totally missing the point of the story in pursuit of profits while also showing the soulless nature of marketing.
Reposted by Don Dechert
> winter 25-26: joint patrols
> summer 2026: advisor teams
> fall 2026: “as MPD stands up, we stand down”
> 2027: The Year Of The Police
> FY2028 Posture Statement: “we are turning a corner in the DC AOR”
> summer 2026: advisor teams
> fall 2026: “as MPD stands up, we stand down”
> 2027: The Year Of The Police
> FY2028 Posture Statement: “we are turning a corner in the DC AOR”
November 29, 2025 at 2:44 PM
> winter 25-26: joint patrols
> summer 2026: advisor teams
> fall 2026: “as MPD stands up, we stand down”
> 2027: The Year Of The Police
> FY2028 Posture Statement: “we are turning a corner in the DC AOR”
> summer 2026: advisor teams
> fall 2026: “as MPD stands up, we stand down”
> 2027: The Year Of The Police
> FY2028 Posture Statement: “we are turning a corner in the DC AOR”
Let's see some follow through. There's an unfortunate role of social media as inadvertent safety value that allows pols to make low cost statements without any action. So maybe it's potentially a big deal, but I'd need to see some follow-through beyond a mere statement.
November 29, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Let's see some follow through. There's an unfortunate role of social media as inadvertent safety value that allows pols to make low cost statements without any action. So maybe it's potentially a big deal, but I'd need to see some follow-through beyond a mere statement.
Reposted by Don Dechert
These are not people who make this kind of statement lightly.
Former US military lawyers speak out:
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
November 29, 2025 at 8:19 PM
These are not people who make this kind of statement lightly.
Reposted by Don Dechert
MERIDIAN: A world of unsuspected terrors, lifeless and deathless. Homeless, desperate youths gather at a secret church under an inexplicable light in the Missouri sky. Their salvation may show the Agents new meaning in madness. DEAD DROPS: 50% OFF TIL MONDAY. shop.arcdream.com/collections/...
November 29, 2025 at 8:21 PM
MERIDIAN: A world of unsuspected terrors, lifeless and deathless. Homeless, desperate youths gather at a secret church under an inexplicable light in the Missouri sky. Their salvation may show the Agents new meaning in madness. DEAD DROPS: 50% OFF TIL MONDAY. shop.arcdream.com/collections/...
Reposted by Don Dechert
our media is so obsessed with the five famous assholes who unapologetically fucked up instead of all the people who didn't
what about everyone who doesn't "need" a second chance because they didn't expose themselves or assault anyone or move a former student into their house right after graduation?
what about everyone who doesn't "need" a second chance because they didn't expose themselves or assault anyone or move a former student into their house right after graduation?
November 29, 2025 at 8:12 PM
our media is so obsessed with the five famous assholes who unapologetically fucked up instead of all the people who didn't
what about everyone who doesn't "need" a second chance because they didn't expose themselves or assault anyone or move a former student into their house right after graduation?
what about everyone who doesn't "need" a second chance because they didn't expose themselves or assault anyone or move a former student into their house right after graduation?
Reposted by Don Dechert
Former US military lawyers speak out:
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
November 29, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Former US military lawyers speak out:
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
Reposted by Don Dechert
this is actively antisocial behavior, especially since there's an area for larger vehicles off to the side.
November 29, 2025 at 8:08 PM
this is actively antisocial behavior, especially since there's an area for larger vehicles off to the side.
Reposted by Don Dechert
Pot your favorite "Lord of the RIngs" character. Wrong answers only.
November 29, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Pot your favorite "Lord of the RIngs" character. Wrong answers only.
Reposted by Don Dechert
before and after getting fussed at for trying to eat an ornament
November 29, 2025 at 8:06 PM
before and after getting fussed at for trying to eat an ornament
Reposted by Don Dechert
I kinda love how deranged this feels — “your shoes are uncomfortable? Just apply a local anesthetic!”
www.glamour.com/story/lidoca...
www.glamour.com/story/lidoca...
I Used Lidocaine Spray on My Feet for Pain-Free High Heels
The topical anesthetic is a longtime Hollywood styling secret—but does it actually work?
www.glamour.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I kinda love how deranged this feels — “your shoes are uncomfortable? Just apply a local anesthetic!”
www.glamour.com/story/lidoca...
www.glamour.com/story/lidoca...
Reposted by Don Dechert
Post your favorite "Lord of the Rings" character. Wrong answers only.
November 29, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Post your favorite "Lord of the Rings" character. Wrong answers only.
Reposted by Don Dechert
Professor Jack Goldsmith, head of George W. Bush Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC):
"I do not believe that even the Bondi OLC could legally justify the events the Post reported."
"There can be no conceivable legal justification for what the Washington Post reported."
"I do not believe that even the Bondi OLC could legally justify the events the Post reported."
"There can be no conceivable legal justification for what the Washington Post reported."
A Dishonorable Strike
Indulging all assumptions in favor of the administration’s boat strikes, killing helpless men is murder
www.execfunctions.org/p/a-dishonor...
Indulging all assumptions in favor of the administration’s boat strikes, killing helpless men is murder
www.execfunctions.org/p/a-dishonor...
A Dishonorable Strike
Indulging all assumptions in favor of the administration’s boat strikes, killing helpless men is murder
www.execfunctions.org
November 29, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Professor Jack Goldsmith, head of George W. Bush Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC):
"I do not believe that even the Bondi OLC could legally justify the events the Post reported."
"There can be no conceivable legal justification for what the Washington Post reported."
"I do not believe that even the Bondi OLC could legally justify the events the Post reported."
"There can be no conceivable legal justification for what the Washington Post reported."
Reposted by Don Dechert
A thread on the baking of this pie. Follow along with me to see if this ends in disaster!
Here’s a giant can of fruit cocktail. When’s the last time I’ve had canned fruit cocktail? No idea. 1/x
Here’s a giant can of fruit cocktail. When’s the last time I’ve had canned fruit cocktail? No idea. 1/x
November 29, 2025 at 5:43 PM
A thread on the baking of this pie. Follow along with me to see if this ends in disaster!
Here’s a giant can of fruit cocktail. When’s the last time I’ve had canned fruit cocktail? No idea. 1/x
Here’s a giant can of fruit cocktail. When’s the last time I’ve had canned fruit cocktail? No idea. 1/x
Reposted by Don Dechert
Pot your favorite "Lord of the RIngs" character. Wrong answers only.
November 29, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Pot your favorite "Lord of the RIngs" character. Wrong answers only.