Michael Clark
LightNews LightNews
smintheus.bsky.social
Michael Clark
@smintheus.bsky.social
1.1K followers 420 following 8.1K posts
Ancient historian, temple attendant for three dainty-pawed gods who sometimes make their epiphanies. Looking for more honesty and less malice in politics, but getting this thing instead.
Posts Replies Media Videos
smintheus.bsky.social
Scottish highway sign, edited by a fan of Gregory's Girl: Glasgow 20 Edinburgh 25 Caracus 9000 miles
November 25, 2025 at 2:02 AM
smintheus.bsky.social
The reason why Farage refuses to take responsibility is plain from the first sentence quoted. He's a sociopath. Normal ppl don't throw a switch from virulent abuse to charming bonhomie. Farage is extremely dangerous.

www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
"Farage could suddenly “switch from hostility and become disarmingly affable, even charming”, Ettedgui says. “But from my experience, there’s no doubt in my mind that he was a profoundly, precociously racist teenager … I’d like to know why he’s never owned up or shown the slightest contrition.” "“[Farage] did teach the younger members of the CCF the infamous ‘Gas ’em all’ song, or at least led the singing of it on CCF coaches to training areas,” he claimed. The song, variants of which were heard on English football terraces in the 1980s, is sung to the tune of George Formby’s Bless Em All. One version runs: “‘Gas em all; Gas em all; Gas em all; And into the showers they crawl; We’ll gas all the niggers; We’ll gas all the Jews; Come on you lads gas em all’."
November 18, 2025 at 4:47 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
Bazelon has a new book to flog after an election that absolutely dismantled most of his premises and straw men. I mean, what sort of person argues that Democrats should talk less about democracy and abortion?
From the executive summary of Simon Bazelon's book Deciding to Win: "Convince voters that we share their priorities by focusing more on issues voters do not think our party prioritizes highly enough (the economy, the cost of living, health care, border security, public safety), and focusing less on issues voters think we place too much emphasis on (climate change, democracy, abortion, identity and cultural issues)." The fact that James Carville blurbs the book as "common sense" tells you all you might need to know about the quality of its analysis. https://decidingtowin.org/
November 18, 2025 at 3:36 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
The toy soldier still loves his fascist juvenile novel.
A toy soldier depicting Mussolini striking one of his characteristically stupid poses looking imperiously at nothing and everything.
November 17, 2025 at 11:05 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
Ken Burns, historian. I can't even.
From an ABC interview with film maker Ken Burns: "BURNS: They did, you know, and they're writing to us. They're talking to you and to me. They are saying, you know, John Adams, her husband, is saying, you know, this is something that's going to affect untold millions that are yet born. You know, this is a big deal. For the first time in human history people are not going to be under authoritarian rule, subjects, ignorant, superstitious, distracted by conspiracies, but they're going to be citizens, which is going to require a lot of responsibility." https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-11-16-25-white-house-nec/story?id=127558501
November 16, 2025 at 10:19 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
Perhaps my 50+ years of experiences are unusual, but this has been true at almost every level. Consequences for atrocious behavior are v rare; accountability even more so. In fact it's not common for people even to confront or rebuke malefactors...maybe bc ime confrontations are just met w/ shrugs.
David Smith in The Guardian. The banality of evil: how Epstein’s powerful friends normalised him "The secrets of Epstein’s inbox do not reveal an overarching conspiracy but paints a more sobering picture: a world where immense wealth, privileged access and proximity to power can insulate individuals from accountability and consequences. For those inside the circle, the rules of the outside world do not apply." https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/16/jeffrey-epstein-powerful-friends
November 16, 2025 at 5:37 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
With DHS the threat continues to be the same: "We'll permanently detain you"

From Micah Ian Wright's book You Back the Attack! We'll Bomb Who We Want! (Seven Stories Press, 2003)
A postcard from 2004 portraying a faux poster from DHS. It depicts Uncle Sam's clenched fist breaking through a US flag, pointing a finger at the viewer. "Hey YOU Stop Asking Questions! Or Else We'll Permanently Detain You A Message From The Ministry of Homeland Security"
November 15, 2025 at 6:25 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
This has aged well.

www.justice.gov/opa/media/14...
Undated and unsigned FBI memo released in July 2025, explaining why the Bureau chose to do nothing further about the Epstein scandals. "This systematic review revealed no incriminating “client list.” There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties."
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
If you ask Republican Supreme Court justices, it's not illegal for them to collect bribes that are voluntarily given to them in the right way.

If you ask mobsters, it's not illegal for them to collect protection money that is voluntarily given to them in the right way.
“There’s zero question that this is abusive,” Walter D. Schwidetzky, a law professor at the University of Baltimore who focuses on partnership taxes, said of the ability for business owners to avoid self-employment taxes through limited partnerships. “No one of good faith would argue otherwise.” To those who defend the maneuver, its policy merit is irrelevant. What matters is that the law, in their view, allows for the tax avoidance. “Our job is to follow the law as written, not the law as we think it should have been written,” said Eric Sloan, a tax lawyer and partner at Gibson Dunn. By backing away from issuing regulations on limited partnerships, the Trump administration has left the policy question to appellate courts. And while the I.R.S. and Justice Department have so far, in court, continued to call for people like Mr. Bessent to pay more in taxes, even a victory on the legal question would be hard for the I.R.S. to actually translate into additional revenue. Under the Trump administration, the I.R.S. had, as of June, lost roughly a quarter of its work force, a decrease that current and former I.R.S. officials expect will weaken the agency’s ability to conduct time-intensive audits of investment funds. An infusion of funding to the I.R.S. enforcement budget has already been largely canceled, and new expertise at the agency has been lost. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/us/politics/scott-bessent-irs-loophole.html
November 12, 2025 at 2:47 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
Dick Martin smiling like a fool.
November 11, 2025 at 9:12 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
Simple fix!
a hanging utility lamp with electric cord
November 10, 2025 at 11:10 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
And then of course there's room for any number of TV shows on sharks and shark attacks on economic refugees who fled to Boca Raton.
Scott Singer, the Republican mayor of Boca Raton, Florida, said the city would welcome businesses moving from New York. He told the Daily Mail: 'I've been working with business leaders who are already trying to anticipate this move by planning for an exodus to Boca Raton. I've seen strong enthusiasm. 'With the prospect of more taxes and likely rises in crime and other problems coming, they're looking to come to our low tax, safe, vibrant business ecosystem.'
November 6, 2025 at 1:43 AM
smintheus.bsky.social
It's a grift. Trump's not sharing money w/ anyone. His ballroom will be furnished by Walmart. The 'triumphal' arch will be gypsum. While the courts let him extort, the parade of grifts will go on & on.

Axios pretends to know fictitious things about Dems, but not to understand the obvious about GOP.
" "The midterms are paid for," a source briefed on Trump's fundraising operations told Axios. "He's been at this since taking office and he's not stopping." Zoom in: Trump's second-term fundraising began with his inaugural ball, transitioned to his MAGA Inc. super PAC and Secure America political nonprofit, and then focused in recent months on the new ballroom and White House renovations. "He over-fundraised for the ballroom, about $350 million," a second source said." https://www.axios.com/2025/11/05/trump-2-billion-fundraising-binge
November 5, 2025 at 1:59 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
People have been asking what Trump means when he brags about his "statuary marble" so I'll try to clarify. It is a heavy, stiff off-white material from Italy that is most renowned for its use in creating life-like figures for public display, for example in the piazzas of Italy's most famous cities.
Pale dead bodies of Benito Mussolin and his mistress Clara Petacci, hanging from a gas station canopy in Milan, April 28, 1945.
November 1, 2025 at 8:07 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
This new movie sounds appalling. I don't want to think any further about Ruth Bader "Try befriending a sociopath who may end up manifesting your darkest desires and see how that plays out" Ginsberg.

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
A Guardian interview with Claire Danes. "Aggie is experiencing writer’s block on her new book, a worthy analysis of the friendship, across the political divide, of the US supreme court justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Antonin Scalia. “I think it’s a story that could offer hope,” Aggie says, uncertainly, over lunch with Nile (Matthew Rhys), her sinister new friend. “No one wants hope,” he snaps back. “People want gossip and carnage.” Sadly, he’s not wrong, but then what we want and what we need are rarely the same thing. Try befriending a sociopath who may end up manifesting your darkest desires and see how that plays out (it’s not a spoiler to say: not ideal)."
October 31, 2025 at 5:11 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
Ask for one of these and the tatt guy likely as not will say 'No that's too morbid.'
A winged soul rising through clouds above a globe, with well combed hair parted in the middle, eyes alert, a closed mouth with perhaps a stoic expression. From an 18th century grave in Chester, NH. Photo by Nancy Graham.
October 29, 2025 at 10:54 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
A reminder that CPB falsely claims it has statutory power almost unlimted by the 4th Amendment w/in 100 miles of any border. In fact the 100 mile zone refers just to vessels & vehicles it can board. Their access to private property for border patrols is limited to 25 miles, & dwellings are excluded.
"Customs and Immigration-Related Inspections and Searches CBP may conduct warrantless inspections and searches at or near the border to detect contraband and other federal customs violations. Title 19 of the U.S. Code and implementing regulations authorize an "officer of the customs" (defined to include CBP officers) to inspect persons, baggage, cargo, and merchandise arriving in the United States from abroad; and to board a vehicle or vessel within the United States or "customs waters" (i.e., within 12 nautical miles of the U.S. coast) to examine documentation, and to inspect and search the vehicle or vessel (the U.S. Coast Guard, another DHS component, shares customs enforcement authority on the high seas and U.S. waters). CBP also may conduct warrantless inspections and searches at or near the border to enforce federal immigration laws. Under INA provisions and DHS regulations, an immigration officer may inspect (e.g., examine passports) all persons entering the United States, potentially search aliens who appear to be inadmissible, and collect aliens' biometric data. Under INA § 287(a)(3) and DHS regulations, certain designated officers (e.g., Border Patrol agents) may board "any vessel, railway car, aircraft, conveyance, or vehicle" mostly within an area of 100 air miles from a U.S. "external boundary" to search for unlawfully present aliens. The statute also authorizes designated officers "to have access to private lands," but not "dwellings" (including, in some jurisdictions, a home's backyard and crawlspace) within 25 miles from a U.S. external boundary for "patrolling the border" to prevent the unlawful entry of aliens. CBP's inspection and search powers are subject to Fourth Amendment constraints, but the degree of those limits may turn on whether the search occurred at the border or further into the interior of the United States." https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB10559
October 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither
"...having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in…
October 28, 2025 at 2:58 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
Casino owners are NEVER your friends.
Op ed: "It is Trump's Casion Economy Now. You'll Probably Lose. Oct. 26, 2025" https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/opinion/trump-economy-casino.html
October 26, 2025 at 2:29 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
The throne room of the imperial palace on the Palatine in ancient Rome. Nothing subtle or democratic about what Trump is doing.
Reconstruction of the Aula Regia of the Flavian Palace in Rome. Drawing by Jean-Claude Golvin. His gallery is here: https://jeanclaudegolvin.com/en/gallery
October 25, 2025 at 6:13 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
The stupidest thing yet said by Trump's boot lickers. The NYT bc of course.
Ross Douthat: Why Trump's East Wing Demolition Needed to Happen Oct. 25, 2025
October 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
We already knew Whitmer has decided to play the loyal opposition with Trump back in the WH, but this is such a tin ear. Nobody (?!) cares about the lawless demolition of the people's house? Who would ever try to persuade the public of something that implausible?
Whitmer: 'No one is worried about building a ballroom' https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5571198-whitmer-shrugs-off-white-house-ballroom/
October 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM
smintheus.bsky.social
I have questions.

The utter absurdity of First Street's flood maps & the harm they're inflicting on random ppl selling their homes is manifest on threads like this at Better Business Bureau.

But what's most striking is the cruel indifference of First Street's responses to desperate pleas for help.
One of a long list of complaints at the Better Business Bureau about a sketchy firm called First Street. "I am writing to you today with an urgent plea for assistance regarding a matter of significant concern impacting my family and countless others nationwide. This involves the demonstrably inaccurate and potentially fraudulent environmental data being disseminated by First Street, a company whose flawed flood risk assessments are causing widespread damage to the real estate market.First Street, utilizing artificial intelligence, is providing demonstrably false flood risk assessments that are appearing on major real estate websites such as Zillow...This misinformation is directly preventing the sale of my home... Despite repeated attempts to contact First Street via email, postal mail, and their website we have received no response. This silence is echoed by thousands of others who have reported similar issues online. The inaccurate flood zone designation assigned to my property not only blocks the sale of my home but also prevents me from securing flood insurance, despite my home being situated at the highest point in my county. Adding insult to injury, a realtor has informed me that First Street demands a $37.00 fee from realtors to correct these errors a practice that strongly suggests extortion. Costing me $359,000 on the sale of our home because of their fraudulent information. This has deterred homeowners from buying our property. Now the market has slowed yet we havent even had a showing. The inaccuracies perpetuated by First Street are creating significant, nationwide problems within the housing market, particularly exacerbated by current high interest rates. The combination of these factors is creating a perfect storm of financial hardship for thousands of homeowners. It is imperative that this issue receives immediate and decisive attention to prevent further financial ruin and injustice for countless families."
October 24, 2025 at 4:35 AM
smintheus.bsky.social
"Mr. Perry, who served in the U.S. Army and retired with the rank of brigadier general, added: 'They don’t care about the Constitution or the nation’s defense.'"

This traitor joined Trump's failed coup against the elected US government & even tried to throw out his state's election results in 2020.
NYT: "Perry Says Democrats 'Hate the Military,' Echoing Trump's Attacks. The remarks by Representative Scott Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican, align with efforts by the president and G.O.P. leaders to portray the political left as un-American." The Times is reluctant to tell readers that Perry aggressively tried to overthrow the US government and help Trump seize dictatorial power in 2020 and 2021.
October 21, 2025 at 2:02 AM
smintheus.bsky.social
Johnson nodding his head like a dashboard doggie.
Dashboard dog looking eager to please.
October 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM