Andrew Amster
@andrewamster.bsky.social
Retired developer of science education stuff. Basically, just a liberal, snarky old man who wanted to be less outraged this year. Nope. Boston area. #Writer #Poet (He/him/his)
My favorite creation myth is one where existence begins with thought or dream of a divine being. Something existed. Something pondered and in that pondering something else appeared. It doesn't matter if it was well-intentioned or intentional at all. It happened like a unchecked burp.
#vss365 - MYTH
#vss365 - MYTH
November 12, 2025 at 6:31 PM
My favorite creation myth is one where existence begins with thought or dream of a divine being. Something existed. Something pondered and in that pondering something else appeared. It doesn't matter if it was well-intentioned or intentional at all. It happened like a unchecked burp.
#vss365 - MYTH
#vss365 - MYTH
November 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Recording the number of times our eyes met during the day became a bedtime ritual. If the number held steady, then I still hadn't fucked things up. I didn't measure progress. I didn't contemplate even saying hello. This coward's limbo lasted most of spring semester.
#vss365 - MEASURE
#vss365 - MEASURE
November 11, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Recording the number of times our eyes met during the day became a bedtime ritual. If the number held steady, then I still hadn't fucked things up. I didn't measure progress. I didn't contemplate even saying hello. This coward's limbo lasted most of spring semester.
#vss365 - MEASURE
#vss365 - MEASURE
November 11, 2025 at 5:52 PM
"It's hard to take your literature review section seriously when the first four out of five references were completely fabricated by a large-language model with the common sense of a three-speed kitchen blender. Lie down. I'm going to ask ChatGPT how to remove your spleen."
#vss365 - LITERATURE
#vss365 - LITERATURE
November 10, 2025 at 9:02 PM
"It's hard to take your literature review section seriously when the first four out of five references were completely fabricated by a large-language model with the common sense of a three-speed kitchen blender. Lie down. I'm going to ask ChatGPT how to remove your spleen."
#vss365 - LITERATURE
#vss365 - LITERATURE
November 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by Andrew Amster
Dems backed Trump into a corner where he’s advocating for starving Americans and hemorrhaging support. If they vote to let him off the hook in exchange for nothing it’s a cataclysmic failure. I know people are in pain but insulating Republicans from political consequences is not the answer.
November 9, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Dems backed Trump into a corner where he’s advocating for starving Americans and hemorrhaging support. If they vote to let him off the hook in exchange for nothing it’s a cataclysmic failure. I know people are in pain but insulating Republicans from political consequences is not the answer.
FFS, Senate Democrats. Don't cave now! You are in a strong position. Only an idiot surrenders when they're winning. @democrats.senate.gov @schumer.senate.gov
November 9, 2025 at 9:34 PM
FFS, Senate Democrats. Don't cave now! You are in a strong position. Only an idiot surrenders when they're winning. @democrats.senate.gov @schumer.senate.gov
The email from Community Standards was formal and vaguely threatening: "We ask that you refrain from language outside of the norm" and "We find that users who write about these topics tend to vanish from both this platform and their homes." Maybe not so vague.
#vss365 - LANGUAGE
#vss365 - LANGUAGE
November 8, 2025 at 5:41 PM
The email from Community Standards was formal and vaguely threatening: "We ask that you refrain from language outside of the norm" and "We find that users who write about these topics tend to vanish from both this platform and their homes." Maybe not so vague.
#vss365 - LANGUAGE
#vss365 - LANGUAGE
"Reading their old correspondence was more surprising than he had expected. It didn't take him more than five or six letters to realize just how much he had rewritten their history over the years. He'd made the mistake of thinking of that time as idyllic. It was anything but."
#vss365 - HISTORY
#vss365 - HISTORY
November 7, 2025 at 6:52 PM
"Reading their old correspondence was more surprising than he had expected. It didn't take him more than five or six letters to realize just how much he had rewritten their history over the years. He'd made the mistake of thinking of that time as idyllic. It was anything but."
#vss365 - HISTORY
#vss365 - HISTORY
November 7, 2025 at 6:51 PM
November 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
November 4, 2025 at 5:26 PM
November 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Andrew Amster
if there was a rich person with the will, you could build the most incredible news organization that has ever existed just from the wreckage of this year alone.
I was laid off from Teen Vogue today along with multiple other staffers, and today is my last day.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 8:11 PM
if there was a rich person with the will, you could build the most incredible news organization that has ever existed just from the wreckage of this year alone.
Even the most domestic cat still dreams of his days as a tiger. In truth, he never was a tiger. That was another time, another age, another creature entirely, passing his hunger on to a species that didn't even exist. This cat has evolution's attitude, but not its teeth.
#vss365 - DOMESTIC
#vss365 - DOMESTIC
November 3, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Even the most domestic cat still dreams of his days as a tiger. In truth, he never was a tiger. That was another time, another age, another creature entirely, passing his hunger on to a species that didn't even exist. This cat has evolution's attitude, but not its teeth.
#vss365 - DOMESTIC
#vss365 - DOMESTIC
November 3, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Reposted by Andrew Amster
Reposted by Andrew Amster
it's time for journos to start asking Johnson meta questions
"Speaker, on 5 occasions last week you said 'I haven't seen it' when asked about news events w/big implications for public policy. Do you ever read the news, and do you agree it's problematic for the Speaker to be so woefully uninformed?"
"Speaker, on 5 occasions last week you said 'I haven't seen it' when asked about news events w/big implications for public policy. Do you ever read the news, and do you agree it's problematic for the Speaker to be so woefully uninformed?"
November 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
it's time for journos to start asking Johnson meta questions
"Speaker, on 5 occasions last week you said 'I haven't seen it' when asked about news events w/big implications for public policy. Do you ever read the news, and do you agree it's problematic for the Speaker to be so woefully uninformed?"
"Speaker, on 5 occasions last week you said 'I haven't seen it' when asked about news events w/big implications for public policy. Do you ever read the news, and do you agree it's problematic for the Speaker to be so woefully uninformed?"
November 1, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Reposted by Andrew Amster
F. Scott Fitzgerald: In my book I invented Gatsby lifestyle as a cautionary tale
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
November 1, 2025 at 4:48 AM
F. Scott Fitzgerald: In my book I invented Gatsby lifestyle as a cautionary tale
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
"I'm just saying..."
"That it's not fair. I heard you."
"Well, it isn't."
"It's not my fault, Jeff. It's never gonna be even. Once I have one, I'm going to have a couple more."
"They're not all yours."
"Wait. Are we talking about orgasms or Halloween candy?"
#vss365 - HALLOWEEN
"That it's not fair. I heard you."
"Well, it isn't."
"It's not my fault, Jeff. It's never gonna be even. Once I have one, I'm going to have a couple more."
"They're not all yours."
"Wait. Are we talking about orgasms or Halloween candy?"
#vss365 - HALLOWEEN
October 31, 2025 at 3:30 PM
"I'm just saying..."
"That it's not fair. I heard you."
"Well, it isn't."
"It's not my fault, Jeff. It's never gonna be even. Once I have one, I'm going to have a couple more."
"They're not all yours."
"Wait. Are we talking about orgasms or Halloween candy?"
#vss365 - HALLOWEEN
"That it's not fair. I heard you."
"Well, it isn't."
"It's not my fault, Jeff. It's never gonna be even. Once I have one, I'm going to have a couple more."
"They're not all yours."
"Wait. Are we talking about orgasms or Halloween candy?"
#vss365 - HALLOWEEN
October 31, 2025 at 3:25 PM
October 30, 2025 at 4:59 PM
"What can I help you with today? I've got shrink rays and death rays, tractor beams and all-natural sun beams in a can. Over there is a slightly-used black light chandelier with its own white noise generator. I have transparent mirrors and opaque windows. What'll it be?"
#vss365 - RAY
#vss365 - RAY
October 30, 2025 at 4:53 PM
"What can I help you with today? I've got shrink rays and death rays, tractor beams and all-natural sun beams in a can. Over there is a slightly-used black light chandelier with its own white noise generator. I have transparent mirrors and opaque windows. What'll it be?"
#vss365 - RAY
#vss365 - RAY