Andrea H
@vivaxcogitatio.bsky.social
Class factotum. History nerd. Constant reader. Liberal AF. It's Hobbits we shall be in 2025.
Reposted by Andrea H
James Talarico: The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.
Trans people aren't taking away our healthcare.
Muslims aren't defunding our schools.
Immigrants aren't cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends.
We are focused on the wrong 1%.
Trans people aren't taking away our healthcare.
Muslims aren't defunding our schools.
Immigrants aren't cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends.
We are focused on the wrong 1%.
December 8, 2025 at 7:46 PM
James Talarico: The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.
Trans people aren't taking away our healthcare.
Muslims aren't defunding our schools.
Immigrants aren't cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends.
We are focused on the wrong 1%.
Trans people aren't taking away our healthcare.
Muslims aren't defunding our schools.
Immigrants aren't cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends.
We are focused on the wrong 1%.
Absolutely worth the follow ! <3
Welcome to Reasons to be Cheerful, a place to stay informed about smart, effective solutions that make the world a better place. Stop by at reasonstobecheerful.world to stay informed about positive changes that don't always make the news.
December 8, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Absolutely worth the follow ! <3
Reposted by Andrea H
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
December 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
I plan to do this exercise tonight
I made the worksheet as I was putting this newsletter together, bc when I found myself writing the words "Everyone needs a long haul plan to keep themselves intact amid intensifying fascism ... and the escalating assaults on our humanity" — I thought, yeah, but maybe people need some help doing that
Must-Reads and Some Notes on Taking Action and Staying Whole in 2026
As we close out a year of crisis and courage, I’m thinking about what sustains us — and what comes next.
organizingmythoughts.org
December 7, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I plan to do this exercise tonight
Query: I've a vivid memory of sketch comedy skit- ? man flirting with a woman, "How de do?"
She walks past & ignores him, he turns to his pal and says, "And how de don't."
Tried multiple web and YT searches, to no avail.
Please note: didn't say /use Google because I no longer use le google.
She walks past & ignores him, he turns to his pal and says, "And how de don't."
Tried multiple web and YT searches, to no avail.
Please note: didn't say /use Google because I no longer use le google.
December 7, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Query: I've a vivid memory of sketch comedy skit- ? man flirting with a woman, "How de do?"
She walks past & ignores him, he turns to his pal and says, "And how de don't."
Tried multiple web and YT searches, to no avail.
Please note: didn't say /use Google because I no longer use le google.
She walks past & ignores him, he turns to his pal and says, "And how de don't."
Tried multiple web and YT searches, to no avail.
Please note: didn't say /use Google because I no longer use le google.
Reminder!
I can tell you this. The Supreme Court will not "ultimately decide" this question. We, the people will ultimately decide it, just as the Court did not ultimately decide on the question of slavery in the Dred Scott case.
The Supreme Court will ultimately decide whether to uphold the longstanding principle that grants citizenship to the children of non-citizens born in the U.S., following a legal challenge by the Trump administration. n.pr/48E1oko
December 6, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Reminder!
Tiny gods. It's a record for me; crying by page 12 of Travis Baldree's Brigands & Breadknives.
I've loved this series since the first book, which immediately made my Art of Extreme Self-Care checklist entry for Books-That-Always-Help-Me-Feel-Better.
bookshop.org/p/books/brig...
I've loved this series since the first book, which immediately made my Art of Extreme Self-Care checklist entry for Books-That-Always-Help-Me-Feel-Better.
bookshop.org/p/books/brig...
December 6, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Tiny gods. It's a record for me; crying by page 12 of Travis Baldree's Brigands & Breadknives.
I've loved this series since the first book, which immediately made my Art of Extreme Self-Care checklist entry for Books-That-Always-Help-Me-Feel-Better.
bookshop.org/p/books/brig...
I've loved this series since the first book, which immediately made my Art of Extreme Self-Care checklist entry for Books-That-Always-Help-Me-Feel-Better.
bookshop.org/p/books/brig...
Reposted by Andrea H
I am working with Sen. Graham to pass legislation to help bring home thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. Standing with Ukraine means confronting the cruelty of taking kids from their families and making clear why we must stay united against Putin’s aggression.
December 6, 2025 at 2:22 PM
I am working with Sen. Graham to pass legislation to help bring home thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. Standing with Ukraine means confronting the cruelty of taking kids from their families and making clear why we must stay united against Putin’s aggression.
If I weren't so tired I could make a kickass joke about how food is end to end encrypted after you eat it and pooping is unencrypting...
NEW: Your "end-to-end encrypted" poop pictures taken by this $599 (+ subscription) smart toilet camera are actually not end-to-end encrypted.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
techcrunch.com/2025/12/03/e...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
techcrunch.com/2025/12/03/e...
‘End-to-end encrypted’ smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted | TechCrunch
Kohler, the makers of a smart toilet camera, can access customers' data stored on its servers, and can use customers’ bowl pictures to train AI.
techcrunch.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:38 PM
If I weren't so tired I could make a kickass joke about how food is end to end encrypted after you eat it and pooping is unencrypting...
Knowledge as currency that only the tech overlords are allowed to profit / benefit in any way from. Everyone else is just chattel to be manipulated and value extracted from
December 4, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Knowledge as currency that only the tech overlords are allowed to profit / benefit in any way from. Everyone else is just chattel to be manipulated and value extracted from
True.
There is no coming back from this persecution of people who just want to be themselves freely
There is no coming back from this persecution of people who just want to be themselves freely
The particular version of this which amuses me is the terfs who clearly think when they “win” the rest of us will shake hands, say “well played” and welcome them back into polite society?
the “when all this is over” idea some of them cling to is ridiculous - you’ve re-wired your brain for brief flashes of dopamine from performative cruelty, there is no “over” for you, you’ve robbed your life of joy
December 4, 2025 at 1:51 PM
True.
There is no coming back from this persecution of people who just want to be themselves freely
There is no coming back from this persecution of people who just want to be themselves freely
This is outrageous.
Also, in the tsunami of bad things this admin does, I missed somehow that the FL facilities are still open and full of migrants????!!!
Also, in the tsunami of bad things this admin does, I missed somehow that the FL facilities are still open and full of migrants????!!!
December 4, 2025 at 12:43 PM
This is outrageous.
Also, in the tsunami of bad things this admin does, I missed somehow that the FL facilities are still open and full of migrants????!!!
Also, in the tsunami of bad things this admin does, I missed somehow that the FL facilities are still open and full of migrants????!!!
Reposted by Andrea H
This is fucking brilliant @bencollins.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHYb...
1 Onion Subscriber vs 20 Non-Subscribers | Encircled
YouTube video by The Onion
www.youtube.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:50 AM
This is fucking brilliant @bencollins.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHYb...
Reposted by Andrea H
The phone number for the U.S. Capitol switchboard is (202) 224-3121.
December 4, 2025 at 4:32 AM
The phone number for the U.S. Capitol switchboard is (202) 224-3121.
Reposted by Andrea H
December 4, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Reposted by Andrea H
JOURNALIST REQUEST: I'm writing a story about how organizing/joining resistance movements can build community and fight loneliness, particularly in the US.
If you or someone you know has had this experience, I'd love to hear from you! whitney dot bauck @ gmail.
Signal boosts appreciated!
If you or someone you know has had this experience, I'd love to hear from you! whitney dot bauck @ gmail.
Signal boosts appreciated!
December 3, 2025 at 6:50 PM
JOURNALIST REQUEST: I'm writing a story about how organizing/joining resistance movements can build community and fight loneliness, particularly in the US.
If you or someone you know has had this experience, I'd love to hear from you! whitney dot bauck @ gmail.
Signal boosts appreciated!
If you or someone you know has had this experience, I'd love to hear from you! whitney dot bauck @ gmail.
Signal boosts appreciated!
The happy squee that I just squeed. Loudly.
A blast from my past - the Medieval Soldier database takes nearly 300,000 military service records from 1369-1453 and makes them available as a searchable database.
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
We built a database of 290,000 English medieval soldiers – here’s what it reveals
We created the database in order to challenge assumptions about the lack of professionalism of everyday soldiers.
theconversation.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:56 AM
The happy squee that I just squeed. Loudly.
The Dead South
CAKE
The Swell Season
John Prine
Hocus Pocus
CAKE
The Swell Season
John Prine
Hocus Pocus
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve seen
Depeche Mode
Le Tigre
Underworld
Scissor Sisters
LCD Soundsystem
Orbital
Depeche Mode
Le Tigre
Underworld
Scissor Sisters
LCD Soundsystem
Orbital
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve seen
Pixies
Breeders & Nirvana
Bikini Kill
Sonic Youth
Shonen Knife
Pixies
Breeders & Nirvana
Bikini Kill
Sonic Youth
Shonen Knife
December 3, 2025 at 6:34 AM
The Dead South
CAKE
The Swell Season
John Prine
Hocus Pocus
CAKE
The Swell Season
John Prine
Hocus Pocus
sesquipedalian
Let’s all go around the table and say one word we’re thankful for.
December 3, 2025 at 6:31 AM
sesquipedalian
Corruscate
Let’s all go around the table and say one word we’re thankful for.
December 3, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Corruscate
Reposted by Andrea H
Yeah, one of the many nightmare scenarios facing us is that a badly led and mostly destroyed intelligence infrastructure fails to prevent a major terrorist attack and that attack is then used as justification to speed up the fascism.
I do in fact stay awake at night sometimes thinking about how the MAGA ghouls are destroying actually-essential counterterrorism efforts in favor of directing resources towards brutalizing elderly taco truck workers
NEW: Oregon could lose nearly $18 million worth of terrorism prevention and emergency funding.
In the past, the money has paid for bomb detectors, law enforcement training and barriers that prevent cars from plowing into crowds.
In the past, the money has paid for bomb detectors, law enforcement training and barriers that prevent cars from plowing into crowds.
December 2, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Yeah, one of the many nightmare scenarios facing us is that a badly led and mostly destroyed intelligence infrastructure fails to prevent a major terrorist attack and that attack is then used as justification to speed up the fascism.
This is doubly infuriating
This is something.
A police stop is enough to make someone less likely to vote, recent research has found. "Voting is a reflection of our belief that we’re part of the system, that our voice matters."
December 2, 2025 at 2:18 AM
This is doubly infuriating
Reposted by Andrea H
PLEASE I can't stress enough how important this is.
PRO TIP
If you have YouTubers you like and follow and watch their videos a lot
leave innane/positive comments on their videos. The algo is all fucked up for YT creators and a lot of videos get sent to the void for whatever reason.
I hate doing it, but I've been trying to do it.
If you have YouTubers you like and follow and watch their videos a lot
leave innane/positive comments on their videos. The algo is all fucked up for YT creators and a lot of videos get sent to the void for whatever reason.
I hate doing it, but I've been trying to do it.
December 2, 2025 at 1:57 AM
PLEASE I can't stress enough how important this is.
Reposted by Andrea H
Reposted by Andrea H
It’s World AIDS Day, and as the government is pretending it doesn’t exist, I’d like to tell you a story about growing up queer in the 80s/90s when powerful men also liked to pretend AIDS didn’t exist.
It’s about the day I saw the AIDS quilt.
🧵
It’s about the day I saw the AIDS quilt.
🧵
19930918 The AIDS Quilt Comes to Fort Worth
www.rondougherty.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:23 PM
It’s World AIDS Day, and as the government is pretending it doesn’t exist, I’d like to tell you a story about growing up queer in the 80s/90s when powerful men also liked to pretend AIDS didn’t exist.
It’s about the day I saw the AIDS quilt.
🧵
It’s about the day I saw the AIDS quilt.
🧵