William Bennett
@wirab.bsky.social
Retired physician. Reading “Troilus and Cressida.” Somerville, Mass.
Reposted by William Bennett
Sunlight falls through windows, adding to the geometric pattern on floor. A woman is playing music. And a man listens from the shadowed bed. Painted by Emanuel de Witte, whose day is today.
November 25, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Sunlight falls through windows, adding to the geometric pattern on floor. A woman is playing music. And a man listens from the shadowed bed. Painted by Emanuel de Witte, whose day is today.
Reposted by William Bennett
First Secretary of Defense you could defeat by painting a tunnel on the side of a boulder.
November 25, 2025 at 1:55 PM
First Secretary of Defense you could defeat by painting a tunnel on the side of a boulder.
Reposted by William Bennett
Treehoppers are wild! Like someone hit the "random" button on the character creator.
Look at this weird bug, Cladonota apicalis. from Ecuador.
Now imagine a horse shaped like this, or a wolf!
Why do treehoppers have such weird shapes?
It's a mystery! But we have some ideas.
(📷: Philipp Hoenle)
Look at this weird bug, Cladonota apicalis. from Ecuador.
Now imagine a horse shaped like this, or a wolf!
Why do treehoppers have such weird shapes?
It's a mystery! But we have some ideas.
(📷: Philipp Hoenle)
November 25, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Treehoppers are wild! Like someone hit the "random" button on the character creator.
Look at this weird bug, Cladonota apicalis. from Ecuador.
Now imagine a horse shaped like this, or a wolf!
Why do treehoppers have such weird shapes?
It's a mystery! But we have some ideas.
(📷: Philipp Hoenle)
Look at this weird bug, Cladonota apicalis. from Ecuador.
Now imagine a horse shaped like this, or a wolf!
Why do treehoppers have such weird shapes?
It's a mystery! But we have some ideas.
(📷: Philipp Hoenle)
I had this momentary thought that Mamdani told Trump he had pictures . . .
November 25, 2025 at 3:14 AM
I had this momentary thought that Mamdani told Trump he had pictures . . .
I might have edited “in” to “against.”
Fixed it.
November 24, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I might have edited “in” to “against.”
Reposted by William Bennett
Come on, @nytimes.com. There is a massive scandal brewing that Russia authored the purported American "peace" plan and *these* are your headlines on what is happening?
November 23, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Come on, @nytimes.com. There is a massive scandal brewing that Russia authored the purported American "peace" plan and *these* are your headlines on what is happening?
Reposted by William Bennett
Prince Hall & his collaborators twice endeavored to pass legislation in the Massachusetts state senate to end slavery. In a 1777 petition they argued for “the Natural Right of all Men” & against “the inconsistency of [people] acting themselves the part which they condemn and oppose in others . . .”
November 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Prince Hall & his collaborators twice endeavored to pass legislation in the Massachusetts state senate to end slavery. In a 1777 petition they argued for “the Natural Right of all Men” & against “the inconsistency of [people] acting themselves the part which they condemn and oppose in others . . .”
Reposted by William Bennett
The Queens Daily Eagle remains undefeated.
Queens men meet — Queens Daily Eagle
The first man from Queens to be elected president and the first Queens resident to be elected mayor of New York City met for the first time in the Oval Office on Friday.
queenseagle.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:33 AM
The Queens Daily Eagle remains undefeated.
Wordle 1,617 2/6
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November 22, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Wordle 1,617 2/6
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Reposted by William Bennett
The Three Pashas running the empire are Miller, Vought, and Rubio.
JD is trying to find his fez but is mostly just a spoiler.
JD is trying to find his fez but is mostly just a spoiler.
November 21, 2025 at 3:16 AM
The Three Pashas running the empire are Miller, Vought, and Rubio.
JD is trying to find his fez but is mostly just a spoiler.
JD is trying to find his fez but is mostly just a spoiler.
Reposted by William Bennett
Reposted by William Bennett
Before the midterms of 1866, President Andrew Johnson called his congressional opponents traitors and said they should be hanged.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Before the midterms of 1866, President Andrew Johnson called his congressional opponents traitors and said they should be hanged.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Wordle 1,615 2/6
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November 20, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Wordle 1,615 2/6
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Reposted by William Bennett
'Face of the Moon.' (1797) John Russell was the finest British pastel artist of his time. One of his sitters, the astronomer William Herschel encouraged him to buy a telescope, and with this he produced a number of remarkable pastel drawings of the moon.
November 17, 2025 at 10:14 PM
'Face of the Moon.' (1797) John Russell was the finest British pastel artist of his time. One of his sitters, the astronomer William Herschel encouraged him to buy a telescope, and with this he produced a number of remarkable pastel drawings of the moon.
Reposted by William Bennett
We need to get real #mapoli. The state’s approach to reducing transport sector emissions is failing, was flawed from the start, & it’s time to correct it. We need to shift from our “EV only” policy toward a multimodal approach that encourages mode shift. commonwealthbeacon.org/energy/house...
House punts on sweeping energy bill that would dial back state climate commitments - CommonWealth Beacon
After intense blowback to a draft House bill to weaken the state’s 2030 clean energy target, the chamber’s budget chief says the topic is on hold until next year.
commonwealthbeacon.org
November 18, 2025 at 11:43 AM
We need to get real #mapoli. The state’s approach to reducing transport sector emissions is failing, was flawed from the start, & it’s time to correct it. We need to shift from our “EV only” policy toward a multimodal approach that encourages mode shift. commonwealthbeacon.org/energy/house...
Reposted by William Bennett
Small boy in totally A+ green outfit, at the Spanish court in the 1560s. By Sofonisba Anguissola, whose day is today.
November 16, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Small boy in totally A+ green outfit, at the Spanish court in the 1560s. By Sofonisba Anguissola, whose day is today.
Reposted by William Bennett
Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
And recks not his own rede.
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
And recks not his own rede.
November 15, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
And recks not his own rede.
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
And recks not his own rede.
Reposted by William Bennett
Just finished “What We Can Know.” If it were half the length, it would be three-quarters as tedious.
November 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Just finished “What We Can Know.” If it were half the length, it would be three-quarters as tedious.
Reposted by William Bennett
📍Senator Fetterman had a VFIB—the leading cause of cardiac arrest—he almost died if not for his implanted defibrillator, which can cost $34,000 to over $51,000. Days ago, he also just voted with GOP to gut health insurance tax credits for millions. Hope he has a change of heart.
November 14, 2025 at 12:07 PM
📍Senator Fetterman had a VFIB—the leading cause of cardiac arrest—he almost died if not for his implanted defibrillator, which can cost $34,000 to over $51,000. Days ago, he also just voted with GOP to gut health insurance tax credits for millions. Hope he has a change of heart.
Reposted by William Bennett
"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat, but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
November 14, 2025 at 9:18 PM
"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat, but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
Reposted by William Bennett
There's a weird etymology here.
In the 11th century, a pre-arranged army command was 'CRIER HAVOT', which means in Old French: "order to pillage."
This was corrupted to "cry havoc" in English.
Wreak, meanwhile, is Old English for "punish/avenge".
So "wreaking havoc" is revenge pillaging.
In the 11th century, a pre-arranged army command was 'CRIER HAVOT', which means in Old French: "order to pillage."
This was corrupted to "cry havoc" in English.
Wreak, meanwhile, is Old English for "punish/avenge".
So "wreaking havoc" is revenge pillaging.
November 14, 2025 at 1:27 PM
There's a weird etymology here.
In the 11th century, a pre-arranged army command was 'CRIER HAVOT', which means in Old French: "order to pillage."
This was corrupted to "cry havoc" in English.
Wreak, meanwhile, is Old English for "punish/avenge".
So "wreaking havoc" is revenge pillaging.
In the 11th century, a pre-arranged army command was 'CRIER HAVOT', which means in Old French: "order to pillage."
This was corrupted to "cry havoc" in English.
Wreak, meanwhile, is Old English for "punish/avenge".
So "wreaking havoc" is revenge pillaging.
Reposted by William Bennett
Lots of folks captioning aurora photos like "for a few minutes we didn't think about politics"
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
November 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Lots of folks captioning aurora photos like "for a few minutes we didn't think about politics"
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
Reposted by William Bennett
Tax the rich -> use the money to improve QOL -> rich people live here to enjoy the QOL -> tax the rich
NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
Millionaire Tax That Inspired Mamdani Fuels $5.7 Billion Haul in Massachusetts
A millionaire levy in Massachusetts that New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani holds up as a model for taxing the rich has generated $3 billion more in revenue than expected without forcing...
www.bloomberg.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Tax the rich -> use the money to improve QOL -> rich people live here to enjoy the QOL -> tax the rich
Reposted by William Bennett
As Mark Hertling predicted, Venezuelan armed resistance would be highly decentralized - and so very hard to break. The country is quite large, with widely varied terrain, and Maduro has for over a decade been preparing for an asymmetrical war with the US.
In short, another dumb & disastrous war.
In short, another dumb & disastrous war.
Trump, who has criticized America’s past “forever wars” and spent much of this year focused on ending major foreign conflicts, might be about to start one in his own backyard. The Atlantic reports on the president’s endgame in Venezuela:
Why Venezuela?
The United States is amassing an armada in the Caribbean as Trump figures out his endgame with Maduro.
bit.ly
November 14, 2025 at 12:41 PM
As Mark Hertling predicted, Venezuelan armed resistance would be highly decentralized - and so very hard to break. The country is quite large, with widely varied terrain, and Maduro has for over a decade been preparing for an asymmetrical war with the US.
In short, another dumb & disastrous war.
In short, another dumb & disastrous war.