Torberg M. Tonnessen
@tmtonnessen.bsky.social
Torberg M. Tonnessen ("Tor") (he/him/his)
Got tired of using "Antisocial Misanthrope" as my display name; sorry for any confusion.
NYC origin; Baltimore resident
Husband of @lynbelzer.bsky.social
Got tired of using "Antisocial Misanthrope" as my display name; sorry for any confusion.
NYC origin; Baltimore resident
Husband of @lynbelzer.bsky.social
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
Most weak-kneed phrase in journalism right now?
“Critics say…”
“Critics say…”
December 19, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Most weak-kneed phrase in journalism right now?
“Critics say…”
“Critics say…”
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
YOU DUMB FUCKS. THIS IS ME.
I have a scooter. I can walk. I can't, however, walk through 80 miles of airport. I can walk onto an airplane or through hallways. I can't walk the .5 mile to the convention center.
People, get smarter, it's embarrassing at this point.
I have a scooter. I can walk. I can't, however, walk through 80 miles of airport. I can walk onto an airplane or through hallways. I can't walk the .5 mile to the convention center.
People, get smarter, it's embarrassing at this point.
Travelers bemoan a rise of able-bodied passengers who game the system to skip the lines. on.wsj.com/3N6apva
They Get Wheeled on Flights and Miraculously Walk Off. Praise ‘Jetway Jesus.’
Travelers bemoan a rise of able-bodied passengers who game the system to skip the lines.
on.wsj.com
December 19, 2025 at 1:39 AM
YOU DUMB FUCKS. THIS IS ME.
I have a scooter. I can walk. I can't, however, walk through 80 miles of airport. I can walk onto an airplane or through hallways. I can't walk the .5 mile to the convention center.
People, get smarter, it's embarrassing at this point.
I have a scooter. I can walk. I can't, however, walk through 80 miles of airport. I can walk onto an airplane or through hallways. I can't walk the .5 mile to the convention center.
People, get smarter, it's embarrassing at this point.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
periodic reminder that in the bluesky you do not have to engage bad faith accounts that smell like they don't have a "human in the loop"
you can block and move on
like deet for your mentions
you can block and move on
like deet for your mentions
December 19, 2025 at 4:57 AM
periodic reminder that in the bluesky you do not have to engage bad faith accounts that smell like they don't have a "human in the loop"
you can block and move on
like deet for your mentions
you can block and move on
like deet for your mentions
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
For no particular reason...
Reminding everyone for no particular reason that Section 230 is one of the last things standing between free speech online and Trump having control over everything you see and say on the internet
December 18, 2025 at 10:51 PM
For no particular reason...
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
if the mta sold F/M swap merch they'd be funded for the next decade
December 18, 2025 at 3:50 AM
if the mta sold F/M swap merch they'd be funded for the next decade
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
The Vanity Fair photographer knew what he was doing. (I doubt I’m the first to notice this but it hasn’t graced my TL)
December 18, 2025 at 1:11 AM
The Vanity Fair photographer knew what he was doing. (I doubt I’m the first to notice this but it hasn’t graced my TL)
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
Art. I, Sec. 9: "No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequences of Appropriations made by Law." Yet he claims he's already sending out his supposed "Warrior Dividend" without an appropriation from Congress. He simply doesn't care about Constitutional limits on his power.
December 18, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Art. I, Sec. 9: "No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequences of Appropriations made by Law." Yet he claims he's already sending out his supposed "Warrior Dividend" without an appropriation from Congress. He simply doesn't care about Constitutional limits on his power.
When your kid's technical theater teacher has to write up a hall pass for her and grabs the first thing at hand:
December 17, 2025 at 3:22 PM
When your kid's technical theater teacher has to write up a hall pass for her and grabs the first thing at hand:
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
It's so funny--but also annoying--when people make sweeping generalizations about the academic job market by talking about the Ivies, when so many of the actual jobs are at public schools who have hiring rubrics overseen by and dependent upon conservative state legislatures.
December 17, 2025 at 12:31 AM
It's so funny--but also annoying--when people make sweeping generalizations about the academic job market by talking about the Ivies, when so many of the actual jobs are at public schools who have hiring rubrics overseen by and dependent upon conservative state legislatures.
He's practicing to see if he can lean forward like Trump does all the time.
When not in use, the Rubio is powered down and placed in a corner.
December 17, 2025 at 12:30 AM
He's practicing to see if he can lean forward like Trump does all the time.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
We have only done a few movies twice on Historians At The Movies, but I think Rob Reiner’s work should be on that list. Join us on Disney+ this Sunday, December 21 at 8pm eastern for THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
Keep #HATM growing by sharing and we’ll see you soon!
Keep #HATM growing by sharing and we’ll see you soon!
December 16, 2025 at 6:14 PM
We have only done a few movies twice on Historians At The Movies, but I think Rob Reiner’s work should be on that list. Join us on Disney+ this Sunday, December 21 at 8pm eastern for THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
Keep #HATM growing by sharing and we’ll see you soon!
Keep #HATM growing by sharing and we’ll see you soon!
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
getting kids up at the asscrack of dawn is bad for them! we’ve had actual research on this shit! it doesn’t build character, it just means they’re tired and cranky and don’t learn as well
No it's because for some of us it is more convenient to drive our kid to school than to have to get them up at 530 in the morning to be able to make the bus at 615 and then have them sit on the bus for an hour and a half on the way home too. 8 year old should not have a 530am-430pm day
What should I have expected from the hand wringing was website but people who are smothering their kids in the hope that their kid will never ever develop the independent skills to actually leave. If you're going to do this, get a dog, it's less cruel.
December 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
getting kids up at the asscrack of dawn is bad for them! we’ve had actual research on this shit! it doesn’t build character, it just means they’re tired and cranky and don’t learn as well
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
It hasn't even been twelve hours, but all three of us have been overwhelmed with requests from media for comment and I'm mostly writing this now so they'll leave me alone.
this is such a painful loss. my heart is broken.
“The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them — words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they’re brought out. But it’s more than that,...
wilwheaton.net
December 15, 2025 at 10:14 PM
It hasn't even been twelve hours, but all three of us have been overwhelmed with requests from media for comment and I'm mostly writing this now so they'll leave me alone.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
the entire Takes Industrial Complex has spent a decade trying to come up with something more sophisticated and savvy than Orange Man Bad but it will never be topped
the orange man is bad, that’s it, that’s the singular political theory of the Trump era
sometimes two plus two equals four
the orange man is bad, that’s it, that’s the singular political theory of the Trump era
sometimes two plus two equals four
Donald Trump is so easily graspable that it befuddles the mind. You want to stare at him because he simply *cannot* be exactly what he seems to be, and the longer you stare, the more horrifying and alien that irreducible simplicity becomes. Surely it can't just be "orange man bad." But it is! He is!
December 16, 2025 at 4:06 PM
the entire Takes Industrial Complex has spent a decade trying to come up with something more sophisticated and savvy than Orange Man Bad but it will never be topped
the orange man is bad, that’s it, that’s the singular political theory of the Trump era
sometimes two plus two equals four
the orange man is bad, that’s it, that’s the singular political theory of the Trump era
sometimes two plus two equals four
Huh. I wasn't expecting that argument.
But, you know the rules.
But, you know the rules.
I don't know, Aaron. I think we need to take this seriously. In fact, after surveying hundreds of years of history in the past few days, I've written an article assessing the originalist case here:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
December 16, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Huh. I wasn't expecting that argument.
But, you know the rules.
But, you know the rules.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
One way that the reaction to Rob Reiner's murder mirrors Charlie Kirk's is that the best way to eulogize each of them is to quote their words, and in both cases, doing so pisses off conservatives.
Rob Reiner: “Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people."
December 15, 2025 at 8:52 PM
One way that the reaction to Rob Reiner's murder mirrors Charlie Kirk's is that the best way to eulogize each of them is to quote their words, and in both cases, doing so pisses off conservatives.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
Just so I'm clear on this, computer memory has tripled in price because a bunch of it that hasn't been produced yet has been ordered to populate GPUs that aren't installed in data centers that aren't built yet in order to service a demand that doesn't exist to make profits that don't happen.
December 15, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Just so I'm clear on this, computer memory has tripled in price because a bunch of it that hasn't been produced yet has been ordered to populate GPUs that aren't installed in data centers that aren't built yet in order to service a demand that doesn't exist to make profits that don't happen.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
(If doing that stuff is fun for you, that's fine. It was fun for me until it wasn't, so now I don't. But the suggestion one *must* wallow in the mire because the mire is where the right likes to be, is nonsense. They can sit in their own shit. No one else is required to cover themselves in it.)
December 15, 2025 at 6:12 PM
(If doing that stuff is fun for you, that's fine. It was fun for me until it wasn't, so now I don't. But the suggestion one *must* wallow in the mire because the mire is where the right likes to be, is nonsense. They can sit in their own shit. No one else is required to cover themselves in it.)
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
Apropos to a post I'm not going to quote: no, you are not fucking obliged to battle the fucking right on fucking social media, or go to where they are. Why make yourself miserable shouting at bots (who don't care) or trolls (who get off on your misery). Make your fucking social media enjoyable, FFS.
December 15, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Apropos to a post I'm not going to quote: no, you are not fucking obliged to battle the fucking right on fucking social media, or go to where they are. Why make yourself miserable shouting at bots (who don't care) or trolls (who get off on your misery). Make your fucking social media enjoyable, FFS.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
This is your occasional reminder that attention is literally their business model, and when you don’t give it to them, they fail.
Elon's little serfs are quite literally begging journalists to come back because every publicly available source of data shows people have fled the platform and young people won't use it.
They are literally begging regular people to come back. Don't do it! It is a website by and for actual Nazis!
They are literally begging regular people to come back. Don't do it! It is a website by and for actual Nazis!
December 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM
This is your occasional reminder that attention is literally their business model, and when you don’t give it to them, they fail.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
From the Larchives.
December 14, 2025 at 11:30 PM
From the Larchives.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
This.
Jews are no more to blame for the actions of Israel than Muslims are to blame for the actions of ISIS. Collective blame is bigotry.
Jews are no more to blame for the actions of Israel than Muslims are to blame for the actions of ISIS. Collective blame is bigotry.
No, Jews around the world don't suffer because of the actions of the government of Israel. Jews around the world suffer because antisemites use the actions of the government of Israel to justify attacks on Jews. And if you make the same association, you're also an antisemite.
December 14, 2025 at 4:54 PM
This.
Jews are no more to blame for the actions of Israel than Muslims are to blame for the actions of ISIS. Collective blame is bigotry.
Jews are no more to blame for the actions of Israel than Muslims are to blame for the actions of ISIS. Collective blame is bigotry.
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
Why do my party leaders insist on humiliating me in front of my friends
"We will do nothing to hold Trump and his regime accountable for the next two years if you put us in charge" is not an inspiring message. This isn't 2017. Replacing the GOP House was *by itself* enough to derail much of Trump's agenda in 2019.
cc: @senategabe.bsky.social @owillis.bsky.social
cc: @senategabe.bsky.social @owillis.bsky.social
December 14, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Why do my party leaders insist on humiliating me in front of my friends
Reposted by Torberg M. Tonnessen
Kind of fucking sucks that my reflexive reaction to any “animal doing a cute thing” video now is “is this AI?“
December 14, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Kind of fucking sucks that my reflexive reaction to any “animal doing a cute thing” video now is “is this AI?“