@fivetonsflax.bsky.social
That’s the name of my favorite Tom Waits song
January 9, 2026 at 6:06 AM
That’s the name of my favorite Tom Waits song
They're easier to seal up than buckets. Where do you keep yours?
January 6, 2026 at 7:13 PM
They're easier to seal up than buckets. Where do you keep yours?
And read! That was fun.
January 3, 2026 at 11:42 PM
And read! That was fun.
I don’t understand the connection. Would you say more?
January 3, 2026 at 11:41 PM
I don’t understand the connection. Would you say more?
When we chanted “no blood for oil,” the Serious People rolled their eyes at our conspiracy theorizing. The war was about Freedom and Democracy! Today, as many have observed, there’s much less pretense and hypocrisy. It feels like a much later hour, fall-of-empire-wise.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 PM
When we chanted “no blood for oil,” the Serious People rolled their eyes at our conspiracy theorizing. The war was about Freedom and Democracy! Today, as many have observed, there’s much less pretense and hypocrisy. It feels like a much later hour, fall-of-empire-wise.
That contest existed, and had an effect on the discourse, but it didn’t occupy the center as it does now.
Later, it seemed more damaging to the careers of pundits and pols to have been *right* on the Iraq War than to have been *wrong*.
Later, it seemed more damaging to the careers of pundits and pols to have been *right* on the Iraq War than to have been *wrong*.
January 3, 2026 at 10:44 PM
That contest existed, and had an effect on the discourse, but it didn’t occupy the center as it does now.
Later, it seemed more damaging to the careers of pundits and pols to have been *right* on the Iraq War than to have been *wrong*.
Later, it seemed more damaging to the careers of pundits and pols to have been *right* on the Iraq War than to have been *wrong*.
The Iraq War was in many ways my (b. 1978) political awakening. I remember big performances of Seriousness and Credibility. Many in gov’t and media put on Churchillian rhetoric like kids playing WWII dress-up. Perpetrators wanted (and got) NYT, Western allies, elected Dems on-board.
January 3, 2026 at 10:38 PM
The Iraq War was in many ways my (b. 1978) political awakening. I remember big performances of Seriousness and Credibility. Many in gov’t and media put on Churchillian rhetoric like kids playing WWII dress-up. Perpetrators wanted (and got) NYT, Western allies, elected Dems on-board.
:facepalm: Trump! Oops
January 3, 2026 at 6:28 PM
:facepalm: Trump! Oops
> In March 2020, Mr. Maduro was indicted in the US on charges that he oversaw […] Cartel de los Soles. [… A]nalysts say the Cartel de Los Soles does not exist as a concrete organization. (NYT)
Biden Admin gave this a lot of cover. Good work, everyone.
Biden Admin gave this a lot of cover. Good work, everyone.
January 3, 2026 at 10:28 AM
> In March 2020, Mr. Maduro was indicted in the US on charges that he oversaw […] Cartel de los Soles. [… A]nalysts say the Cartel de Los Soles does not exist as a concrete organization. (NYT)
Biden Admin gave this a lot of cover. Good work, everyone.
Biden Admin gave this a lot of cover. Good work, everyone.
It would have the advantage of making everything *else* that has to happen marginally easier, by partially fixing the right-wing tilt of the federal government
December 31, 2025 at 11:17 PM
It would have the advantage of making everything *else* that has to happen marginally easier, by partially fixing the right-wing tilt of the federal government
All that war talk is projection as usual. They really are at war with the cities, so they pretend we’re making war on them.
December 31, 2025 at 11:06 PM
All that war talk is projection as usual. They really are at war with the cities, so they pretend we’re making war on them.
Good observation, but I quibble with “random”. It’s not incidental that these are Black children.
December 31, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Good observation, but I quibble with “random”. It’s not incidental that these are Black children.
I wrote EXACTLY THIS SENTENCE to a friend and then looked at the replies and gasped
December 31, 2025 at 8:33 PM
I wrote EXACTLY THIS SENTENCE to a friend and then looked at the replies and gasped
Shades of Gödel here
December 31, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Shades of Gödel here
There’s a guy with “[email protected]”, I like that one a lot
December 31, 2025 at 8:23 PM
There’s a guy with “[email protected]”, I like that one a lot
Mysterious! I would like to know more about the events you allude to.
December 31, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Mysterious! I would like to know more about the events you allude to.
Obviously he was self-conscious about his short fingers and obtained a prosthesis.
December 31, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Obviously he was self-conscious about his short fingers and obtained a prosthesis.
Oh I took it to mean lack of depth in the humanities, and agreed, lol
December 30, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Oh I took it to mean lack of depth in the humanities, and agreed, lol
What could be more colonial than calling colonized people non-human? (While also talking about granting moral status to computer programs, to complete the insult, of course.)
December 30, 2025 at 8:44 PM
What could be more colonial than calling colonized people non-human? (While also talking about granting moral status to computer programs, to complete the insult, of course.)
Borrowed! Thank you
December 30, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Borrowed! Thank you
Yes. Even a broad coalition (which we do need now) requires boundaries. And this isn’t even a tough call.
December 30, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Yes. Even a broad coalition (which we do need now) requires boundaries. And this isn’t even a tough call.
He’s the carney, they’re the mark?
December 30, 2025 at 6:42 PM
He’s the carney, they’re the mark?