Chris Johnson
@ectowombat.bsky.social
Unitarian Universalist, humanist, lefty. Interests include linguistics and other cognitive sciences. Probably mostly reskeets. he/him/his
Pinned
Chris Johnson
@ectowombat.bsky.social
· Apr 17
Last year, inspired by perennial home decor discourse, I came up with perhaps the one good idea I’ve ever had. (Very much not a graphic designer)
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Had a liberal or leftist attempted anything 1% as headlong heedless of consequences as DOGE, it would have provided fodder for pious, ‘Chesterton’s Fence’ sermons about unintended consequences until the year 2400. It would have been the biggest argument for Burke since the Jacobins declared Year 1.
It remains insane to me that DOGE was treated at the time as an impressive shock and awe accomplishment - “you can’t deny he’s getting stuff done!” - and then instantly memory holed by the press once if became clear it was a total failure by every possible standard including Musk’s own
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
November 24, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Had a liberal or leftist attempted anything 1% as headlong heedless of consequences as DOGE, it would have provided fodder for pious, ‘Chesterton’s Fence’ sermons about unintended consequences until the year 2400. It would have been the biggest argument for Burke since the Jacobins declared Year 1.
Reposted by Chris Johnson
November 21, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Why are we punishing voters for the speed of the mail delivery system? SB 293 has passed the Ohio House and Ohio Senate, and is on its way to be signed by Gov. Mike DeWine.
🚨Take action NOW: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/stop-sb-293-protect-ohio-voters-0
🚨Take action NOW: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/stop-sb-293-protect-ohio-voters-0
November 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Why are we punishing voters for the speed of the mail delivery system? SB 293 has passed the Ohio House and Ohio Senate, and is on its way to be signed by Gov. Mike DeWine.
🚨Take action NOW: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/stop-sb-293-protect-ohio-voters-0
🚨Take action NOW: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/stop-sb-293-protect-ohio-voters-0
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Earlier today, I was notified that someone was at my door.
This is who it was:
This is who it was:
November 21, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Earlier today, I was notified that someone was at my door.
This is who it was:
This is who it was:
Reposted by Chris Johnson
ryan lizza is asking you to decide if you’re normal sick or willing to pay for this shit sick
November 22, 2025 at 6:05 AM
ryan lizza is asking you to decide if you’re normal sick or willing to pay for this shit sick
Reposted by Chris Johnson
I closed social media for like three hours and the Pope threw a rave, MTG resigned, and Trump endorsed Mamdani before Chuck Schumer did? Now accepting bribes to close social media for all of next week
November 22, 2025 at 2:54 AM
I closed social media for like three hours and the Pope threw a rave, MTG resigned, and Trump endorsed Mamdani before Chuck Schumer did? Now accepting bribes to close social media for all of next week
Reposted by Chris Johnson
they're saying there's a spectre haunting europe and it's very nice, we're looking into it strongly, it's beautiful, we love it and we think it means well
November 21, 2025 at 10:39 PM
they're saying there's a spectre haunting europe and it's very nice, we're looking into it strongly, it's beautiful, we love it and we think it means well
Reposted by Chris Johnson
They're also responsible for one of the best emails I've ever received, when the college office sent out a plea for sightings of Professor Biscuit while conveniently forgetting to mention that he was a cat...(I won't comment on how often a similar email might have gone out about human Professors...)
November 21, 2025 at 1:01 PM
They're also responsible for one of the best emails I've ever received, when the college office sent out a plea for sightings of Professor Biscuit while conveniently forgetting to mention that he was a cat...(I won't comment on how often a similar email might have gone out about human Professors...)
Reposted by Chris Johnson
The US-Russia deal for Ukraine, point by point with comments on each by me.
9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
Gee, wow, Poland can station its own fighter jets on its own territory, and can allow international partners to station there as well. Thanks for the permission, Moscow.
9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
Gee, wow, Poland can station its own fighter jets on its own territory, and can allow international partners to station there as well. Thanks for the permission, Moscow.
Trump and Witkoff Try to Get Russia a Win
The joint U.S.-Russia proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, taken point-by-point
www.arcdigital.media
November 21, 2025 at 4:55 PM
The US-Russia deal for Ukraine, point by point with comments on each by me.
9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
Gee, wow, Poland can station its own fighter jets on its own territory, and can allow international partners to station there as well. Thanks for the permission, Moscow.
9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
Gee, wow, Poland can station its own fighter jets on its own territory, and can allow international partners to station there as well. Thanks for the permission, Moscow.
I feel like I’ve learned and forgotten the meaning of sui generis multiple times of the course of my life.
completely outside of politics, this is so charming
November 21, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I feel like I’ve learned and forgotten the meaning of sui generis multiple times of the course of my life.
Reposted by Chris Johnson
![hayden
@haydendevs
this is who you're arguing with online
[stylised diagram of neural network architecture]
hayden
@haydendevs
there's too many people with "AI/ML" in their bio asking what this image is.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2aiipqemoobrrilfx4jbm6pb/bafkreignf5kigptgnlkkrkc4mu2dtri4m5clh46oikpu5bey327yg6cncq@jpeg)
Reposted by Chris Johnson
PSA to academics posting threads about your paper here: you can (and should) post the link to the paper in the first post. Your X/Twitter brain rot have have you thinking otherwise, but please free yourself of that. (Also you can call them 'blue-prints' if you want).
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 AM
PSA to academics posting threads about your paper here: you can (and should) post the link to the paper in the first post. Your X/Twitter brain rot have have you thinking otherwise, but please free yourself of that. (Also you can call them 'blue-prints' if you want).
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Today is Trans Day Of Remembrance
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
November 20, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Today is Trans Day Of Remembrance
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Fish have committed credit card fraud
November 19, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Fish have committed credit card fraud
Reposted by Chris Johnson
idea for people who celebrate christmas:
1. use tinsel to divide your tree into differently shaped sections with roughly similar numbers of ornaments
2. say it's "treedistricting"
1. use tinsel to divide your tree into differently shaped sections with roughly similar numbers of ornaments
2. say it's "treedistricting"
November 19, 2025 at 9:15 PM
idea for people who celebrate christmas:
1. use tinsel to divide your tree into differently shaped sections with roughly similar numbers of ornaments
2. say it's "treedistricting"
1. use tinsel to divide your tree into differently shaped sections with roughly similar numbers of ornaments
2. say it's "treedistricting"
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Every day we stray further etc
November 19, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Every day we stray further etc
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Does anyone have like... a list of discourse markers? (asking for a student looking at UM + discourse, and is wanting to know what all counts: e.g. um but, um and, um yeah)
@joshuaraclaw.com ?
@joshuaraclaw.com ?
November 19, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Does anyone have like... a list of discourse markers? (asking for a student looking at UM + discourse, and is wanting to know what all counts: e.g. um but, um and, um yeah)
@joshuaraclaw.com ?
@joshuaraclaw.com ?
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Katelyn comes to the conclusion that “olivia nuzzi was failed by a misogynistic society that pimps young women off to old powerful men” and “olivia nuzzi just seems plainly an awful person” are both true, and yeah that is true
For my newsletter, I wrote about Olivia Nuzzi and the older men who have taken advantage of her her whole life. www.burnsnotice.com/olivia-nuzzi...
Olivia Nuzzi is an Embarrassment to Journalism
She seamlessly landed a plum role at Vanity Fair and got a sweetheart book deal after breaking a fundamental journalistic ethics rule.
When my co-host Christine Grimaldi and I recorded our October 20...
www.burnsnotice.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Katelyn comes to the conclusion that “olivia nuzzi was failed by a misogynistic society that pimps young women off to old powerful men” and “olivia nuzzi just seems plainly an awful person” are both true, and yeah that is true
Reposted by Chris Johnson
when all the lawyers on your timeline go off at once
November 19, 2025 at 4:53 PM
when all the lawyers on your timeline go off at once
Reposted by Chris Johnson
I grow frustrated with local news-- by focusing so much on stories of violence, they inadvertently promote the idea that the world is more violent than it is (leading voters to candidates who promise security at all costs).
But holding up a mic to a cow is incredible
www.10tv.com/article/news...
But holding up a mic to a cow is incredible
www.10tv.com/article/news...
November 19, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I grow frustrated with local news-- by focusing so much on stories of violence, they inadvertently promote the idea that the world is more violent than it is (leading voters to candidates who promise security at all costs).
But holding up a mic to a cow is incredible
www.10tv.com/article/news...
But holding up a mic to a cow is incredible
www.10tv.com/article/news...
Reposted by Chris Johnson
‼️ Bad things are brewing at the Statehouse. From attacks on abortion to undermining democracy and voting, these bills would strip Ohioans of rights we've all fought so hard for.
Find your member of the Ohio House at AbortionForward.org/OHLeg and call them immediately! House session starts at 2PM.
Find your member of the Ohio House at AbortionForward.org/OHLeg and call them immediately! House session starts at 2PM.
November 19, 2025 at 5:13 PM
‼️ Bad things are brewing at the Statehouse. From attacks on abortion to undermining democracy and voting, these bills would strip Ohioans of rights we've all fought so hard for.
Find your member of the Ohio House at AbortionForward.org/OHLeg and call them immediately! House session starts at 2PM.
Find your member of the Ohio House at AbortionForward.org/OHLeg and call them immediately! House session starts at 2PM.
Reposted by Chris Johnson
A 1984 article about the right wing trying to take over the schools of Sarasota, Florida in 1966 that reads like it was written yesterday, complete with bathroom weirdness, Northern ideological transplants enamored of Dixie, an imaginary Unitarian conspiracy, and more.
digitalcommons.usf.edu
November 19, 2025 at 4:30 PM
A 1984 article about the right wing trying to take over the schools of Sarasota, Florida in 1966 that reads like it was written yesterday, complete with bathroom weirdness, Northern ideological transplants enamored of Dixie, an imaginary Unitarian conspiracy, and more.
Reposted by Chris Johnson
one thing about this is that in the wake of all of this kirk is basically forgotten. he was barely cold in the ground before his allies — before his *wife* — started scheming over what they could take for themselves. a real life parable.
New: Reuters has tallied job losses, suspensions and investigations stemming from the reaction to Charlie Kirk's Sept. 10 assassination. Its findings: More than 600 Americans have been punished, and the figure is likely to be an under-count.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
November 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
one thing about this is that in the wake of all of this kirk is basically forgotten. he was barely cold in the ground before his allies — before his *wife* — started scheming over what they could take for themselves. a real life parable.
Reposted by Chris Johnson
Starting shortly, Ohio House Health Committee is voting on House Bill 324, to restrict abortion medication based on a flawed "study" from an anti-abortion organization. The bill may be voted on in House session this afternoon.
Live video: ohiochannel.org/live/ohio-ho...
Live video: ohiochannel.org/live/ohio-ho...
Ohio House Health Committee LIVE | The Ohio Channel
ohiochannel.org
November 19, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Starting shortly, Ohio House Health Committee is voting on House Bill 324, to restrict abortion medication based on a flawed "study" from an anti-abortion organization. The bill may be voted on in House session this afternoon.
Live video: ohiochannel.org/live/ohio-ho...
Live video: ohiochannel.org/live/ohio-ho...