Isaac! At the Butler!
@isaacbutler.bsky.social
Cultural critic and historian, author, podcaster, non-Zionist Jew. Co-host: CHARM OFFENSIVE. Writer: THE METHOD: HOW THE 20TH CENTURY LEARNED TO ACT
Tatsuya Nakadai’s collaboration with Masaki Kobayashi produced three (or five) of my favorite films, all of which you can see right now on the Criterion Channel: Kwaidan, Hara Kiri, and The Human Condition Trilogy are all brilliant and all impossible to imagine without him.
hearing reports out of Japan that Tatsuya Nakadai has passed away at 92. RIP to a legit legend.
November 11, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Tatsuya Nakadai’s collaboration with Masaki Kobayashi produced three (or five) of my favorite films, all of which you can see right now on the Criterion Channel: Kwaidan, Hara Kiri, and The Human Condition Trilogy are all brilliant and all impossible to imagine without him.
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
I have to hand it to them, it's an incredible bit to publicly lose a game of chicken, admit that's what happened, and then spend the next day lecturing everyone about courage and tenacity
November 11, 2025 at 2:05 AM
I have to hand it to them, it's an incredible bit to publicly lose a game of chicken, admit that's what happened, and then spend the next day lecturing everyone about courage and tenacity
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
Lots of people comparing Senate Democrats to Charlie Brown trying to kick the football, but that analogy only works in a version where Lucy has told Charlie Brown she's going to pull it away, and also that afterwards she's going to have Snoopy executed in a foreign prison
November 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Lots of people comparing Senate Democrats to Charlie Brown trying to kick the football, but that analogy only works in a version where Lucy has told Charlie Brown she's going to pull it away, and also that afterwards she's going to have Snoopy executed in a foreign prison
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Not that he didn’t already know, but now Trump knows for sure he can roll the Dems every time and there’s no need to negotiate for anything
November 10, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Not that he didn’t already know, but now Trump knows for sure he can roll the Dems every time and there’s no need to negotiate for anything
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
::pouring a glass of water very slowly, taking a sip, and clearing my throat::
cuck schumer
cuck schumer
November 10, 2025 at 2:41 AM
::pouring a glass of water very slowly, taking a sip, and clearing my throat::
cuck schumer
cuck schumer
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Until the sun burns out
November 10, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Until the sun burns out
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2/2
You think Dem voters would have turned out in the numbers, and with the enthusiasm, they did JUST FIVE DAYS AGO if they thought the party was going cave like this? Jesus
You think Dem voters would have turned out in the numbers, and with the enthusiasm, they did JUST FIVE DAYS AGO if they thought the party was going cave like this? Jesus
November 10, 2025 at 2:40 AM
2/2
You think Dem voters would have turned out in the numbers, and with the enthusiasm, they did JUST FIVE DAYS AGO if they thought the party was going cave like this? Jesus
You think Dem voters would have turned out in the numbers, and with the enthusiasm, they did JUST FIVE DAYS AGO if they thought the party was going cave like this? Jesus
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
I’ve voted 7 times to reopen the government in a way that holds Trump accountable for his lawlessness and prevents a health care crisis.
I’m prepared to work toward a compromise, but this “deal” before us does not come close to meeting those terms. Voting NO.
Full statement:
I’m prepared to work toward a compromise, but this “deal” before us does not come close to meeting those terms. Voting NO.
Full statement:
November 10, 2025 at 12:48 AM
I’ve voted 7 times to reopen the government in a way that holds Trump accountable for his lawlessness and prevents a health care crisis.
I’m prepared to work toward a compromise, but this “deal” before us does not come close to meeting those terms. Voting NO.
Full statement:
I’m prepared to work toward a compromise, but this “deal” before us does not come close to meeting those terms. Voting NO.
Full statement:
While I’m glad laid off workers will get their jobs back, all this deal does is reward Trump’s hostage taking. We won an election And now we’re caving and getting nothing. What losers.
November 10, 2025 at 12:46 AM
While I’m glad laid off workers will get their jobs back, all this deal does is reward Trump’s hostage taking. We won an election And now we’re caving and getting nothing. What losers.
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#GOTB (get out [for] the book)
BAD LANGUAGE launches coming up SOON! Come speak dragon to power...
London: Weds 12 Nov, 6.30 at @burleyfisher.bsky.social
Belfast: Tues 18 Nov, 6.15 at No Alibis
Bristol: Weds 26 Nov, 6 at @bookhaus.bsky.social
Deets👇🏻
www.somayer.net/2025/09/18/n...
BAD LANGUAGE launches coming up SOON! Come speak dragon to power...
London: Weds 12 Nov, 6.30 at @burleyfisher.bsky.social
Belfast: Tues 18 Nov, 6.15 at No Alibis
Bristol: Weds 26 Nov, 6 at @bookhaus.bsky.social
Deets👇🏻
www.somayer.net/2025/09/18/n...
November 9, 2025 at 4:43 PM
#GOTB (get out [for] the book)
BAD LANGUAGE launches coming up SOON! Come speak dragon to power...
London: Weds 12 Nov, 6.30 at @burleyfisher.bsky.social
Belfast: Tues 18 Nov, 6.15 at No Alibis
Bristol: Weds 26 Nov, 6 at @bookhaus.bsky.social
Deets👇🏻
www.somayer.net/2025/09/18/n...
BAD LANGUAGE launches coming up SOON! Come speak dragon to power...
London: Weds 12 Nov, 6.30 at @burleyfisher.bsky.social
Belfast: Tues 18 Nov, 6.15 at No Alibis
Bristol: Weds 26 Nov, 6 at @bookhaus.bsky.social
Deets👇🏻
www.somayer.net/2025/09/18/n...
This is such a weird peg to build an argument around. Who in the Democratic Party had rejected Josh Shapiro?
November 9, 2025 at 5:11 PM
This is such a weird peg to build an argument around. Who in the Democratic Party had rejected Josh Shapiro?
I was more okay with Schumer’s original offer than most people I know— bottle the issue up in committee and pass a one year clear CR is a time honored strategy!— but this is ridiculous.
prospect.org/2025/11/08/w...
prospect.org/2025/11/08/w...
Why Does Schumer Keep Trying to Cave? - The American Prospect
Most commentators, including me, concluded that the Tuesday election victory saved Democrats from capitulating to Republican demands to pass a simple continuing resolution to re-open the government, i...
prospect.org
November 9, 2025 at 2:58 PM
I was more okay with Schumer’s original offer than most people I know— bottle the issue up in committee and pass a one year clear CR is a time honored strategy!— but this is ridiculous.
prospect.org/2025/11/08/w...
prospect.org/2025/11/08/w...
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
Mamdani is going to implement Shipoopi law. No kissses until a third date.
Mamdani is going to implement Scaramouche law. Everyone will have to do the Fandango.
Mamdani is going to implement Sriracha law. Everyone will have to slather hot sauce on their scrambled eggs
November 9, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Mamdani is going to implement Shipoopi law. No kissses until a third date.
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
My god…it worked…every ride is coming back to me now…in a flood of memories…overwhelming my senses…some going up, some going down…some smelling like piss, some smelling less like piss…
November 7, 2025 at 2:46 PM
My god…it worked…every ride is coming back to me now…in a flood of memories…overwhelming my senses…some going up, some going down…some smelling like piss, some smelling less like piss…
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
SCHUMER is on the floor now making this offer to end the shutdown:
Clean CR
Bipartisan "minibus" of approps bills
1-year ACA funding extension
Bipartisan cmte to negotiate on health care
"This is a reasonable offer that reopens the government, deals with health care affordability."
Clean CR
Bipartisan "minibus" of approps bills
1-year ACA funding extension
Bipartisan cmte to negotiate on health care
"This is a reasonable offer that reopens the government, deals with health care affordability."
November 7, 2025 at 7:40 PM
SCHUMER is on the floor now making this offer to end the shutdown:
Clean CR
Bipartisan "minibus" of approps bills
1-year ACA funding extension
Bipartisan cmte to negotiate on health care
"This is a reasonable offer that reopens the government, deals with health care affordability."
Clean CR
Bipartisan "minibus" of approps bills
1-year ACA funding extension
Bipartisan cmte to negotiate on health care
"This is a reasonable offer that reopens the government, deals with health care affordability."
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
A family friend was telling us about what her husband shared about his experience in Broadview before he was deported back to Mexico. She's been sharing to friends and family because she's just in disbelief & horror what her husband told her. She wasn't able to talk to him until he was in Mexico.
November 7, 2025 at 3:08 AM
A family friend was telling us about what her husband shared about his experience in Broadview before he was deported back to Mexico. She's been sharing to friends and family because she's just in disbelief & horror what her husband told her. She wasn't able to talk to him until he was in Mexico.
Okay, I have reached my limit with Duolingo's AI-first bullshit (they now want to harvest user's voices, and "Lily" is beginning to remember things about me from our conversations).. is there another language learning app you use that you like? Why do you like it?
November 7, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Okay, I have reached my limit with Duolingo's AI-first bullshit (they now want to harvest user's voices, and "Lily" is beginning to remember things about me from our conversations).. is there another language learning app you use that you like? Why do you like it?
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
I was thinking about Zohran’s transition team and today’s anti-feminist piece in the New York Times, and my mother’s book on the first generation of women to work in the city government in New York City.
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
November 6, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I was thinking about Zohran’s transition team and today’s anti-feminist piece in the New York Times, and my mother’s book on the first generation of women to work in the city government in New York City.
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
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accusing Zohran’s famous Hindu mother of advocating for Pakistan’s right to oppress all non-Muslims is some galaxy brain nonsense.
No, it's antisemitic - the reason he gave was that he doesn't recognize the right of any country who treats groups preferentially to exist, but he recognizes many such nations. Take Pakistan (who his mom is accused of being an apologist for): officially Muslims, Christians can only practice (cont)
November 5, 2025 at 11:31 PM
accusing Zohran’s famous Hindu mother of advocating for Pakistan’s right to oppress all non-Muslims is some galaxy brain nonsense.
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
Brazil on Thursday is due to announce the establishment of an ambitious multibillion-dollar fund designed to pay countries to keep their tropical forests standing, hoping for success where earlier forest-protection ideas have struggled.
Brazil Proposes a New Type of Fund to Protect Tropical Forests
The multibillion-dollar fund would essentially pay countries to keep forests standing, hoping for success where earlier forest-protection ideas have struggled.
nyti.ms
November 5, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Brazil on Thursday is due to announce the establishment of an ambitious multibillion-dollar fund designed to pay countries to keep their tropical forests standing, hoping for success where earlier forest-protection ideas have struggled.
Reposted by Isaac! At the Butler!
The Democrats won several VA House seats where winning looked like a pipe dream going into the election. The Dems won these seats because they recruited candidates and actually campaigned. Important lesson for 26--the electorate is pissed--but you can only win when you run. Run everywhere!
Democrats contested all 100 Virginia House of Delegates races. Part of the party’s statewide success is due to the synergies between the legislative and statewide campaigns—even the losing ones. This is a big reason why Jay Jones won comfortably. This is a model the Dems should emulate everywhere
November 5, 2025 at 3:19 PM
The Democrats won several VA House seats where winning looked like a pipe dream going into the election. The Dems won these seats because they recruited candidates and actually campaigned. Important lesson for 26--the electorate is pissed--but you can only win when you run. Run everywhere!
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i closed out my column this week with this preemptive jab at basically every commentator currently looking for ways to say that last night didn’t count
November 5, 2025 at 3:21 PM
i closed out my column this week with this preemptive jab at basically every commentator currently looking for ways to say that last night didn’t count
Big loser energy
Trump to Republican senators: "I thought we'd have a discussion after the press leaves about what last night represented and what we should do about it and also about the shutdown and how that relates to last night. If you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for Republicans."
November 5, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Big loser energy
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About to mail these to three of my drumming heroes. One originally from Melbourne (Aus), one from Brighton (UK), and one from San Francisco. First person to guess any of them wins a copy for themselves.
November 5, 2025 at 3:13 PM
About to mail these to three of my drumming heroes. One originally from Melbourne (Aus), one from Brighton (UK), and one from San Francisco. First person to guess any of them wins a copy for themselves.
pretty clear that a lot of the Klein et al soul searching was the result of reading too much into one very weird election. We shouldn’t do the same based on tonight of course but it’s worth saying: the Dems can pretty easily become a big successful tent right now.
November 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM
pretty clear that a lot of the Klein et al soul searching was the result of reading too much into one very weird election. We shouldn’t do the same based on tonight of course but it’s worth saying: the Dems can pretty easily become a big successful tent right now.