Chris Braunsdorf
@vslacks.bsky.social
I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round.
Pinned
Chris Braunsdorf
@vslacks.bsky.social
· Nov 29
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien
There’s nothing better than finally feeling well after many days of being unwell. The world looks different when you’re healthy.
December 12, 2025 at 9:10 PM
There’s nothing better than finally feeling well after many days of being unwell. The world looks different when you’re healthy.
So the Trump plan for saving Western European culture is to allow it to be overrun by Russia. 4D chess.
December 11, 2025 at 4:53 PM
So the Trump plan for saving Western European culture is to allow it to be overrun by Russia. 4D chess.
Correction: Because of tariffs, this is necessary.
Trump on his farm bailout: "This money would not be possible without tariffs ... because of tariffs, this is possible."
December 8, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Correction: Because of tariffs, this is necessary.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
The restaurant for curmudgeons
December 8, 2025 at 5:46 PM
The restaurant for curmudgeons
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
the average person has no real idea what the fuck is being done in washington, so a "major announcement" for something we all take for granted is an opportunity to break through the noise. a lot of the time it wont work. but they should try it anyway.
December 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM
the average person has no real idea what the fuck is being done in washington, so a "major announcement" for something we all take for granted is an opportunity to break through the noise. a lot of the time it wont work. but they should try it anyway.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
The values of the United States of America as articulated in this latest National Security Strategy are the same as those of Russia and China. The only difference is blood (race) and soil (geography). Otherwise there's little for anyone to prefer one to the other.
December 7, 2025 at 6:03 AM
The values of the United States of America as articulated in this latest National Security Strategy are the same as those of Russia and China. The only difference is blood (race) and soil (geography). Otherwise there's little for anyone to prefer one to the other.
Re Hegseth’s murder on the high seas: Don Jr must be so sad to see all that cocaine* blown up and buried at the bottom of the sea. Kilos and kilos. Such a waste.
* So we’re told
* So we’re told
December 6, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Re Hegseth’s murder on the high seas: Don Jr must be so sad to see all that cocaine* blown up and buried at the bottom of the sea. Kilos and kilos. Such a waste.
* So we’re told
* So we’re told
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
Much of the right really did believe they won a referendum on the culture, and that 2024 proved the majority was obsessively anti-woke all along. That got reinforced not only by their bubble, but some media and corporate leaders too.
Their evident discomfort is because that’s crashing into reality.
Their evident discomfort is because that’s crashing into reality.
December 6, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Much of the right really did believe they won a referendum on the culture, and that 2024 proved the majority was obsessively anti-woke all along. That got reinforced not only by their bubble, but some media and corporate leaders too.
Their evident discomfort is because that’s crashing into reality.
Their evident discomfort is because that’s crashing into reality.
This article is utterly insane. He keeps feeding in different search terms about himself and Google’s AI just confidently spits out complete fabrications. Over and over again.
Vital Cat Update
It’s time to talk about my cat. To which you might be saying, “Chuck, I didn’t know you had a cat!” and I’d respond with, “I didn’t know I had a cat either…
terribleminds.com
December 6, 2025 at 1:02 AM
This article is utterly insane. He keeps feeding in different search terms about himself and Google’s AI just confidently spits out complete fabrications. Over and over again.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
What an ugly, unholy week of American news.
December 5, 2025 at 9:25 PM
What an ugly, unholy week of American news.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
"A Chinese hospital ship quietly docked in hurricane-hit Jamaica this week, projecting soft power into the heart of the Caribbean where a US armada is conducting a controversial anti-narcotics mission targeted at Venezuela."
Chinese Hospital Ship Visits Jamaica as US Gunboats Ply Caribbean
A Chinese hospital ship quietly docked in hurricane-hit Jamaica this week, projecting soft power into the heart of the Caribbean where a US armada is conducting a controversial anti-narcotics mission ...
www.bloomberg.com
December 5, 2025 at 8:02 PM
"A Chinese hospital ship quietly docked in hurricane-hit Jamaica this week, projecting soft power into the heart of the Caribbean where a US armada is conducting a controversial anti-narcotics mission targeted at Venezuela."
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
some days you just have to laugh at how unbelievably stupid everything is
December 5, 2025 at 6:17 PM
some days you just have to laugh at how unbelievably stupid everything is
One of my all time favorites.
A cartoon by Charles Barsotti, from 1994. Shop your favorite cartoons:
newyorkermag.visitlink.me/ZjVXum[…]id=...
newyorkermag.visitlink.me/ZjVXum[…]id=...
December 5, 2025 at 6:13 PM
One of my all time favorites.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
Nothing in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the drone campaign was like this, directly killing such unambiguously nonthreatening people on direct orders from the very top, who openly celebrated it after.
December 5, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Nothing in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the drone campaign was like this, directly killing such unambiguously nonthreatening people on direct orders from the very top, who openly celebrated it after.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
we're at a place where the vast majority of ppl in the US hate the Trump admin, he is losing elections regularly, there is much more resistance from other Rs, from the media, from other institutions.
and yet, Trump still commits atrocities every day.
and yet, Trump still commits atrocities every day.
December 5, 2025 at 3:30 AM
we're at a place where the vast majority of ppl in the US hate the Trump admin, he is losing elections regularly, there is much more resistance from other Rs, from the media, from other institutions.
and yet, Trump still commits atrocities every day.
and yet, Trump still commits atrocities every day.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
Fritolaysia Cuts Off Chiplomatic Relations With Snakistan. “Relations between the two countries grew stale in 1994, when Fritolaysian rufflelutionaries crossed zestablished borders and forced Snakistan to dispatch cheesekeeping forces.” [theonion.com]
Fritolaysia Cuts Off Chiplomatic Relations With Snakistan
KARUNCHI, SNAKISTAN—Citing crumbling relations due to years of protracted french-onion diplomacy, the president of the Central Asian doritocracy Fritolaysia withdrew the country’s ambassadors from Snakistan Monday.
theonion.com
December 4, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Fritolaysia Cuts Off Chiplomatic Relations With Snakistan. “Relations between the two countries grew stale in 1994, when Fritolaysian rufflelutionaries crossed zestablished borders and forced Snakistan to dispatch cheesekeeping forces.” [theonion.com]
Excellent piece on Apple management specifically, but UX design leadership more generally. Also contains good insights on the fundamental differences between designing for iOS vs Mac OS.
Bad Dye Job
It might have made some sense to bring someone from the fashion/brand world to lead software design for Apple Watch, but it sure didn’t seem to make sense for the rest of Apple’s platforms. And the de...
daringfireball.net
December 4, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Excellent piece on Apple management specifically, but UX design leadership more generally. Also contains good insights on the fundamental differences between designing for iOS vs Mac OS.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
said this irl a bunch so might as well post it: i do often wonder what world we're living in today had jan. 6 trials just been televised.
December 1, 2025 at 8:05 PM
said this irl a bunch so might as well post it: i do often wonder what world we're living in today had jan. 6 trials just been televised.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
“I think you’re in my seat”
November 29, 2025 at 1:24 PM
“I think you’re in my seat”
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
My takeaway from this story is that it's becoming ok again in Republican circles to express at least mild disgust at Trump's ever-growing crudity. And that's a good thing. www.newsweek.com/republican-t...
Republican to oppose Trump's redistricting due to "derogatory" remark
A Republican Indiana state senator said on Friday he will vote against a redistricting plan supported by the president.
www.newsweek.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:32 PM
My takeaway from this story is that it's becoming ok again in Republican circles to express at least mild disgust at Trump's ever-growing crudity. And that's a good thing. www.newsweek.com/republican-t...
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
As a son of Appalachia, I understand the opioid crisis better than anyone. That's why I'm proud to stand with the Honduran president who delivered drugs to needy Americans with such efficiency.
by JD Vance
by JD Vance
November 29, 2025 at 5:35 AM
As a son of Appalachia, I understand the opioid crisis better than anyone. That's why I'm proud to stand with the Honduran president who delivered drugs to needy Americans with such efficiency.
by JD Vance
by JD Vance
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
The president and the speaker are scrambling to promote a candidate in a gerrymandered Tennessee district Trump won by 22 points last year.
That’s the smell of panic in the air.
That’s the smell of panic in the air.
Trump and Mike Johnson plan to hold a Monday evening tele-rally to boost Matt Van Epps in the #TN07 special election. www.axios.com/2025/11/28/t...
November 28, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The president and the speaker are scrambling to promote a candidate in a gerrymandered Tennessee district Trump won by 22 points last year.
That’s the smell of panic in the air.
That’s the smell of panic in the air.
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
This would be a war crime even if there were an actual war and these people were actual combatants, which there isn't and they weren't.
It's unquestionably an unlawful homicide under any form of law you wish to apply: military or civilian, domestic or international, federal or state. ...
It's unquestionably an unlawful homicide under any form of law you wish to apply: military or civilian, domestic or international, federal or state. ...
Textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:12 PM
This would be a war crime even if there were an actual war and these people were actual combatants, which there isn't and they weren't.
It's unquestionably an unlawful homicide under any form of law you wish to apply: military or civilian, domestic or international, federal or state. ...
It's unquestionably an unlawful homicide under any form of law you wish to apply: military or civilian, domestic or international, federal or state. ...
Reposted by Chris Braunsdorf
👏 Hegseth did not commit a war crime👏
👏There are no war crimes without war👏
👏 Hegseth ordered mass murder 👏
👏There are no war crimes without war👏
👏 Hegseth ordered mass murder 👏
November 28, 2025 at 8:16 PM
👏 Hegseth did not commit a war crime👏
👏There are no war crimes without war👏
👏 Hegseth ordered mass murder 👏
👏There are no war crimes without war👏
👏 Hegseth ordered mass murder 👏