Mark Shore
@markshore.bsky.social
interests are politics, how states collapse, the media, and science, especially climate change, astronomy and geosciences
"A Republic, if you can keep it." Ben Franklin
photo: red sunset over the Pacific from the coast of Hawai'i
"A Republic, if you can keep it." Ben Franklin
photo: red sunset over the Pacific from the coast of Hawai'i
whai if Franklin is firing at something else out of frame - maybe a DEA boat - because he's working for the narcotraficantes??
December 1, 2025 at 1:33 AM
whai if Franklin is firing at something else out of frame - maybe a DEA boat - because he's working for the narcotraficantes??
and why is he smiling and why aren't the armed men in the boats firing at the helicopter?
December 1, 2025 at 1:29 AM
and why is he smiling and why aren't the armed men in the boats firing at the helicopter?
finishing my coffee, looking at the time, checking the traffic, deciding I can have another MRI before work
December 1, 2025 at 12:09 AM
finishing my coffee, looking at the time, checking the traffic, deciding I can have another MRI before work
1. would be a *great* way to wrap up the series
November 30, 2025 at 10:04 PM
1. would be a *great* way to wrap up the series
not much of a basketball fan, but I do remember the media being (or pretending to be) scandalized that Lebron signed with Cleveland straight out of high school, as if an athlete of his caliber, drive, and intelligence couldn't earn a university degree after playing professionally
November 30, 2025 at 10:03 PM
not much of a basketball fan, but I do remember the media being (or pretending to be) scandalized that Lebron signed with Cleveland straight out of high school, as if an athlete of his caliber, drive, and intelligence couldn't earn a university degree after playing professionally
Canadian news sources have reported that one LNG project that may receive billions in Canadian federal government subsidies and exemptions/fast tracking from environmental studies is owned and will be built and operated by a Houston company
November 30, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Canadian news sources have reported that one LNG project that may receive billions in Canadian federal government subsidies and exemptions/fast tracking from environmental studies is owned and will be built and operated by a Houston company
a cousin was a two-sport, overlapping season, varsity athlete all through high school, and the coaches resented it
so when he had a brain cramp in the middle of a key game, his hockey coach stood up and yelled "this isn't football [last name], you have to use your brain!"
so when he had a brain cramp in the middle of a key game, his hockey coach stood up and yelled "this isn't football [last name], you have to use your brain!"
November 30, 2025 at 9:51 PM
a cousin was a two-sport, overlapping season, varsity athlete all through high school, and the coaches resented it
so when he had a brain cramp in the middle of a key game, his hockey coach stood up and yelled "this isn't football [last name], you have to use your brain!"
so when he had a brain cramp in the middle of a key game, his hockey coach stood up and yelled "this isn't football [last name], you have to use your brain!"
that inspired me to look up the specs for the first vehicle I ever owned, an 87 F-150 4x4 300 inline-6 regular cab with a 8' bed, cloth seats, and manual transmission... payload was 2275 lbs and Ford didn't bother to list ground clearance
my current tough little Subaru SUV has a payload of 1420 lbs
my current tough little Subaru SUV has a payload of 1420 lbs
November 30, 2025 at 9:39 PM
that inspired me to look up the specs for the first vehicle I ever owned, an 87 F-150 4x4 300 inline-6 regular cab with a 8' bed, cloth seats, and manual transmission... payload was 2275 lbs and Ford didn't bother to list ground clearance
my current tough little Subaru SUV has a payload of 1420 lbs
my current tough little Subaru SUV has a payload of 1420 lbs
an interesting approach
would you prefer an expert in the subject of the essay grade it, or a theologian of your own denomination?
[mild panic] ...um, Jesus, my personal savior
we can do that, but He'll judge everything
[increasing panic] you know, an F isn't *that* bad
mm-hmm
I can learn from it
would you prefer an expert in the subject of the essay grade it, or a theologian of your own denomination?
[mild panic] ...um, Jesus, my personal savior
we can do that, but He'll judge everything
[increasing panic] you know, an F isn't *that* bad
mm-hmm
I can learn from it
November 30, 2025 at 9:20 PM
an interesting approach
would you prefer an expert in the subject of the essay grade it, or a theologian of your own denomination?
[mild panic] ...um, Jesus, my personal savior
we can do that, but He'll judge everything
[increasing panic] you know, an F isn't *that* bad
mm-hmm
I can learn from it
would you prefer an expert in the subject of the essay grade it, or a theologian of your own denomination?
[mild panic] ...um, Jesus, my personal savior
we can do that, but He'll judge everything
[increasing panic] you know, an F isn't *that* bad
mm-hmm
I can learn from it
students knowing the marks were just as likely to go down as up *greatly* reduced the number of complaints
November 30, 2025 at 9:05 PM
students knowing the marks were just as likely to go down as up *greatly* reduced the number of complaints
a friend who taught courses as a graduate student and sessional lecturer had a policy that she would rescore tests - including those marked by TAs - if a student complained about their mark, but that she would review every answer and rescore them all, not just the one(s) the student complained about
November 30, 2025 at 9:04 PM
a friend who taught courses as a graduate student and sessional lecturer had a policy that she would rescore tests - including those marked by TAs - if a student complained about their mark, but that she would review every answer and rescore them all, not just the one(s) the student complained about
"it's useless as a slogan, since no one knows what it means"
yes, one of my main problems with it
the other is that it's a perfectly anodyne statement, like it was designed in a lab to be completely inoffensive to anyone, the baby shampoo of political slogans
yes, one of my main problems with it
the other is that it's a perfectly anodyne statement, like it was designed in a lab to be completely inoffensive to anyone, the baby shampoo of political slogans
November 30, 2025 at 9:00 PM
"it's useless as a slogan, since no one knows what it means"
yes, one of my main problems with it
the other is that it's a perfectly anodyne statement, like it was designed in a lab to be completely inoffensive to anyone, the baby shampoo of political slogans
yes, one of my main problems with it
the other is that it's a perfectly anodyne statement, like it was designed in a lab to be completely inoffensive to anyone, the baby shampoo of political slogans
when I was in university I never thought of arguing that "God says I deserve an A+ in this class and the professor is violating my religious beliefs and freedoms"
a failure of imagination on my part, I guess
a failure of imagination on my part, I guess
November 30, 2025 at 8:57 PM
when I was in university I never thought of arguing that "God says I deserve an A+ in this class and the professor is violating my religious beliefs and freedoms"
a failure of imagination on my part, I guess
a failure of imagination on my part, I guess
it would be funny if the essay was regraded and received an even lower mark, the original 0 but with additional penalties
November 30, 2025 at 8:54 PM
it would be funny if the essay was regraded and received an even lower mark, the original 0 but with additional penalties
Homer: Aha! Aww, twenty dollars, I wanted a peanut!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts.
Homer: Explain how.
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods, and services.
Homer: Woo-hoo!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts.
Homer: Explain how.
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods, and services.
Homer: Woo-hoo!
November 30, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Homer: Aha! Aww, twenty dollars, I wanted a peanut!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts.
Homer: Explain how.
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods, and services.
Homer: Woo-hoo!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts.
Homer: Explain how.
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods, and services.
Homer: Woo-hoo!
"which is why they shouldn’t put him on the air"
prerecord the interview, fact-check, and then kill the entire piece if he lies about anything, don't air any of it
you'd do it, I'd do it, but it's just too much work for news networks, the poor things
prerecord the interview, fact-check, and then kill the entire piece if he lies about anything, don't air any of it
you'd do it, I'd do it, but it's just too much work for news networks, the poor things
November 30, 2025 at 8:36 PM
"which is why they shouldn’t put him on the air"
prerecord the interview, fact-check, and then kill the entire piece if he lies about anything, don't air any of it
you'd do it, I'd do it, but it's just too much work for news networks, the poor things
prerecord the interview, fact-check, and then kill the entire piece if he lies about anything, don't air any of it
you'd do it, I'd do it, but it's just too much work for news networks, the poor things
not a subscriber so I only see the first photo and paragraph, but it's clear that "The owners wanted their Los Feliz home to have a space where they could make food and memories"
they *needed* this, plus all the marble* etc.
*not good for kitchens, IMO, being soft, permeable, and reactive to acids
they *needed* this, plus all the marble* etc.
*not good for kitchens, IMO, being soft, permeable, and reactive to acids
November 30, 2025 at 8:23 PM
not a subscriber so I only see the first photo and paragraph, but it's clear that "The owners wanted their Los Feliz home to have a space where they could make food and memories"
they *needed* this, plus all the marble* etc.
*not good for kitchens, IMO, being soft, permeable, and reactive to acids
they *needed* this, plus all the marble* etc.
*not good for kitchens, IMO, being soft, permeable, and reactive to acids
you're clearly not a native speaker of Ënglïsh then
November 30, 2025 at 6:40 PM
you're clearly not a native speaker of Ënglïsh then
"I mean a safety net to catch you when you fall," explains a frustrated Jeffries [audience nods in encouragement] "not netting that traps you when you rise, [audience stops nodding] you know, like a bird [audience looks at their phones and watches] or maybe a bat [audience leaves] or a balloon"
November 30, 2025 at 2:37 PM
"I mean a safety net to catch you when you fall," explains a frustrated Jeffries [audience nods in encouragement] "not netting that traps you when you rise, [audience stops nodding] you know, like a bird [audience looks at their phones and watches] or maybe a bat [audience leaves] or a balloon"
so it *is* possible... interesting
November 30, 2025 at 2:05 PM
so it *is* possible... interesting
also you can have detailed instructions on how to build a 1940s/1950s fission bomb...
that for anyone but an industrialized state would be about as useful as the full plans for the Saturn V rocket would be for a do-it-yourself backyard space program
that for anyone but an industrialized state would be about as useful as the full plans for the Saturn V rocket would be for a do-it-yourself backyard space program
November 30, 2025 at 1:56 PM
also you can have detailed instructions on how to build a 1940s/1950s fission bomb...
that for anyone but an industrialized state would be about as useful as the full plans for the Saturn V rocket would be for a do-it-yourself backyard space program
that for anyone but an industrialized state would be about as useful as the full plans for the Saturn V rocket would be for a do-it-yourself backyard space program
or laid flowers on their (fossil) graves
November 30, 2025 at 1:51 PM
or laid flowers on their (fossil) graves
I'm middle aged, and I've watched decades of news media shrinkage and consolidation under wealthy owners and their hand-picked publishers and senior editors or producers
these organizations rotted from the top down, and the damage is clear
these organizations rotted from the top down, and the damage is clear
November 30, 2025 at 1:48 PM
I'm middle aged, and I've watched decades of news media shrinkage and consolidation under wealthy owners and their hand-picked publishers and senior editors or producers
these organizations rotted from the top down, and the damage is clear
these organizations rotted from the top down, and the damage is clear