Dan Bongard
@danbongard.bsky.social
Software engineer, video game enthusiast, guinea pig owner, exiled Californian, anti-fascist. Pronouns he/him, or "that nerd" if you went to school with me.
Sounds like it would cover anyone who worked on porn filters, too, including age verification filters.
December 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Sounds like it would cover anyone who worked on porn filters, too, including age verification filters.
Every state has had no-fault divorce for the last 15 to 56 years (New York was the last, California the first).
It makes no sense for a guy to claim that no-fault divorce "breaks a contract" when the contract was entered into with the understanding that either party can end it for any reason.
It makes no sense for a guy to claim that no-fault divorce "breaks a contract" when the contract was entered into with the understanding that either party can end it for any reason.
December 8, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Every state has had no-fault divorce for the last 15 to 56 years (New York was the last, California the first).
It makes no sense for a guy to claim that no-fault divorce "breaks a contract" when the contract was entered into with the understanding that either party can end it for any reason.
It makes no sense for a guy to claim that no-fault divorce "breaks a contract" when the contract was entered into with the understanding that either party can end it for any reason.
In fairness, I'm pretty sure China surpassed us as the world's greatest superpower a few months ago, after we destroyed our soft power, trade relationships, and military allegiances.
December 8, 2025 at 5:27 PM
In fairness, I'm pretty sure China surpassed us as the world's greatest superpower a few months ago, after we destroyed our soft power, trade relationships, and military allegiances.
It is doubly annoying because these are many of the same people who used to yell about the evils of moral relativism and how only acceptance of the "unchanging" morality of Christianity kept us from descending into barbarism.
December 8, 2025 at 5:07 PM
It is doubly annoying because these are many of the same people who used to yell about the evils of moral relativism and how only acceptance of the "unchanging" morality of Christianity kept us from descending into barbarism.
If "you can outvote them" was a reliable tactic, Trump would have lost in 2016 and 2024.
It is not possible to maintain a stable democracy, long term, when one of the two major parties wants autocracy and fascism.
It is not possible to maintain a stable democracy, long term, when one of the two major parties wants autocracy and fascism.
December 7, 2025 at 11:57 PM
If "you can outvote them" was a reliable tactic, Trump would have lost in 2016 and 2024.
It is not possible to maintain a stable democracy, long term, when one of the two major parties wants autocracy and fascism.
It is not possible to maintain a stable democracy, long term, when one of the two major parties wants autocracy and fascism.
Personally I'm getting "zombies reaching up from the grave" vibes.
December 6, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Personally I'm getting "zombies reaching up from the grave" vibes.
I strongly disagree, but solely because I can't picture him staying awake -- let alone paying attention -- for four hours.
December 5, 2025 at 5:09 AM
I strongly disagree, but solely because I can't picture him staying awake -- let alone paying attention -- for four hours.
It came out when I was 16, and at the peak of the "man the Baby Boom generation sure is cool isn't it" period of pop culture nostalgia... that probably affected my reaction. 😑
December 5, 2025 at 4:41 AM
It came out when I was 16, and at the peak of the "man the Baby Boom generation sure is cool isn't it" period of pop culture nostalgia... that probably affected my reaction. 😑
I'm not going to slam people for liking a song. I like some things other people consider highly questionable at best (I will die on the "Joe vs the Volcano is a great movie damnit" hill).
But I hate that song with a burning passion. I love a lot of Billy Joel songs, but hoo boy.
But I hate that song with a burning passion. I love a lot of Billy Joel songs, but hoo boy.
December 5, 2025 at 4:34 AM
I'm not going to slam people for liking a song. I like some things other people consider highly questionable at best (I will die on the "Joe vs the Volcano is a great movie damnit" hill).
But I hate that song with a burning passion. I love a lot of Billy Joel songs, but hoo boy.
But I hate that song with a burning passion. I love a lot of Billy Joel songs, but hoo boy.
When you're working on the bike, does "Bad to the Bone" start playing on the radio? If so, run.
December 5, 2025 at 3:10 AM
When you're working on the bike, does "Bad to the Bone" start playing on the radio? If so, run.
I didn't get that impression from the Dems in 2024, but I'm still working on being more sensitive to transphobia so I quite probably just didn't pick up on it.
I fear you are right about a repeat of 2009 -- not just for trans issues, but for the concentration camps, murders, etc.
I fear you are right about a repeat of 2009 -- not just for trans issues, but for the concentration camps, murders, etc.
December 5, 2025 at 2:08 AM
I didn't get that impression from the Dems in 2024, but I'm still working on being more sensitive to transphobia so I quite probably just didn't pick up on it.
I fear you are right about a repeat of 2009 -- not just for trans issues, but for the concentration camps, murders, etc.
I fear you are right about a repeat of 2009 -- not just for trans issues, but for the concentration camps, murders, etc.
There is still a chance this may bite Republicans in the ass. They achieved this by splitting the district in ways that made "red" districts less reliably red. Given the massive +D swings we've seen special elections lately, that could actually wind up costing them seats.
December 5, 2025 at 1:05 AM
There is still a chance this may bite Republicans in the ass. They achieved this by splitting the district in ways that made "red" districts less reliably red. Given the massive +D swings we've seen special elections lately, that could actually wind up costing them seats.
Sure, but if prison officials ignore the law, the DoJ does nothing about it, and SCOTUS refuses to step in, what does it matter what the law or Constitution actually say?
Best-case scenario is we can prosecute the prison officials four years from now, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Best-case scenario is we can prosecute the prison officials four years from now, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
December 5, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Sure, but if prison officials ignore the law, the DoJ does nothing about it, and SCOTUS refuses to step in, what does it matter what the law or Constitution actually say?
Best-case scenario is we can prosecute the prison officials four years from now, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Best-case scenario is we can prosecute the prison officials four years from now, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
As I understand it, it is highly unusual for grand juries to not indict. Are there any actual statistics on this?
I'm curious what % of all failed federal grand jury indictments in, say, the last five years, have happened in Trump "weaponized DoJ" cases.
I'm curious what % of all failed federal grand jury indictments in, say, the last five years, have happened in Trump "weaponized DoJ" cases.
December 5, 2025 at 12:37 AM
As I understand it, it is highly unusual for grand juries to not indict. Are there any actual statistics on this?
I'm curious what % of all failed federal grand jury indictments in, say, the last five years, have happened in Trump "weaponized DoJ" cases.
I'm curious what % of all failed federal grand jury indictments in, say, the last five years, have happened in Trump "weaponized DoJ" cases.
And at least the old spoils system operated when the federal government was much smaller and less powerful.
December 4, 2025 at 10:56 PM
And at least the old spoils system operated when the federal government was much smaller and less powerful.
If he had said he was pardoning people who committed *offenses* related to 1/6/21 then sure, but the pardon says "convicted". Is there any precedent for applying that language to convictions that hadn't happened yet when the pardon was issued?
December 4, 2025 at 10:34 PM
If he had said he was pardoning people who committed *offenses* related to 1/6/21 then sure, but the pardon says "convicted". Is there any precedent for applying that language to convictions that hadn't happened yet when the pardon was issued?
I don't see how a happy outcome is possible. We know, now, that at least a third of Americans support what we might as well call "fascist dictatorship". You can't have a stable democracy when a huge chunk voters don't want stable democracy.
December 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
I don't see how a happy outcome is possible. We know, now, that at least a third of Americans support what we might as well call "fascist dictatorship". You can't have a stable democracy when a huge chunk voters don't want stable democracy.
So you're saying I can update my brother in law's contact information AND fix spellcheck in one go?
December 4, 2025 at 10:20 PM
So you're saying I can update my brother in law's contact information AND fix spellcheck in one go?
If the Coast Guard finds contraband, it is allowed to seize it. But no sane person thinks the Coast Guard can stop a ship, find contraband, and summarily execute the crew.
But this dolt thinks you can summarily execute the crew *without* finding contraband first. That is next-level crazy.
But this dolt thinks you can summarily execute the crew *without* finding contraband first. That is next-level crazy.
December 4, 2025 at 10:18 PM
If the Coast Guard finds contraband, it is allowed to seize it. But no sane person thinks the Coast Guard can stop a ship, find contraband, and summarily execute the crew.
But this dolt thinks you can summarily execute the crew *without* finding contraband first. That is next-level crazy.
But this dolt thinks you can summarily execute the crew *without* finding contraband first. That is next-level crazy.
Maybe, but IMO it makes more sense that this is the openly antisemitic plurality of the Republican Party expressing its displeasure at the USA's continued support of a Jewish state.
December 4, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Maybe, but IMO it makes more sense that this is the openly antisemitic plurality of the Republican Party expressing its displeasure at the USA's continued support of a Jewish state.
At least it is from the godawful Stallone version and not the criminally underrated Karl Urban version.
December 4, 2025 at 10:10 PM
At least it is from the godawful Stallone version and not the criminally underrated Karl Urban version.
The bit that catches my eyes is about 43% of them thinking Evangelical Christian Americans are more loyal to another country. That has to mean Israel, right? It isn't like Evangelical Christianity is a "foreign" religion. It was invented here.
December 4, 2025 at 9:59 PM
The bit that catches my eyes is about 43% of them thinking Evangelical Christian Americans are more loyal to another country. That has to mean Israel, right? It isn't like Evangelical Christianity is a "foreign" religion. It was invented here.
I had not heard about the Gibson Games reprint! I'll have to chase down a copy even though the odds of me ever playing it again are... low.
December 4, 2025 at 9:36 PM
I had not heard about the Gibson Games reprint! I'll have to chase down a copy even though the odds of me ever playing it again are... low.
Trump's popularity is currently declining, even among Republicans. The Clinton and Trump (x2) impeachments teach us that impeachment improves Presidential popularity in their own party. So impeaching him without a chance of actually removing him would be counterproductive political theater.
December 4, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Trump's popularity is currently declining, even among Republicans. The Clinton and Trump (x2) impeachments teach us that impeachment improves Presidential popularity in their own party. So impeaching him without a chance of actually removing him would be counterproductive political theater.