Larry Birdland
@gerscholem.bsky.social
PhD student at UChicago - I read Phoenician, Hebrew, Akkadian, and Greek poetry. I collect records and hail from the city-state of Bloomington, IN
“I’m stayin’ . . . I’m finishin’ my coffee.”
“I’m stayin’ . . . I’m finishin’ my coffee.”
Reposted by Larry Birdland
Just spoke to The Hill about how the dismantling of the NIH is impacting science in America. We still face a cliff of unfathomable heights, w easily 1000+ labs poised to close in the next year due to funding ending. A generation of young scientists lost because there is nowhere for them to train.
January 20, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Just spoke to The Hill about how the dismantling of the NIH is impacting science in America. We still face a cliff of unfathomable heights, w easily 1000+ labs poised to close in the next year due to funding ending. A generation of young scientists lost because there is nowhere for them to train.
" if The Wire used TV’s boundless canvas to push screen storytelling beyond pre-existing boundaries, then no show since has really sought to do the same."
I would argue that these shows do exist but were mostly canceled (e.g. Lodge 49, the OA, the peripheral, Westworld)
I would argue that these shows do exist but were mostly canceled (e.g. Lodge 49, the OA, the peripheral, Westworld)
TV brain rot: The real reason television shows are getting stupider www.the-independent.com/arts-enterta...
TV brain rot: The real reason television shows are getting stupider
It’s crazy for streamers to prioritise ‘second-screen viewing’, writes Louis Chilton – but that’s not the only way TV seems to have lost faith in its audience
www.the-independent.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:23 AM
" if The Wire used TV’s boundless canvas to push screen storytelling beyond pre-existing boundaries, then no show since has really sought to do the same."
I would argue that these shows do exist but were mostly canceled (e.g. Lodge 49, the OA, the peripheral, Westworld)
I would argue that these shows do exist but were mostly canceled (e.g. Lodge 49, the OA, the peripheral, Westworld)
Im still plumbing the depths of 16th century philology
January 16, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Im still plumbing the depths of 16th century philology
an interesting way to assess someone's actual political beliefs is to inquire about the US invasion of Afghanistan.
"Mark Peters is Danish. He lost his lower legs fighting in defense of the United States.
Denmark answered the call after the 9/11 attacks . . ."
"Mark Peters is Danish. He lost his lower legs fighting in defense of the United States.
Denmark answered the call after the 9/11 attacks . . ."
January 15, 2026 at 9:20 PM
an interesting way to assess someone's actual political beliefs is to inquire about the US invasion of Afghanistan.
"Mark Peters is Danish. He lost his lower legs fighting in defense of the United States.
Denmark answered the call after the 9/11 attacks . . ."
"Mark Peters is Danish. He lost his lower legs fighting in defense of the United States.
Denmark answered the call after the 9/11 attacks . . ."
This article focuses too much on rankings, quantifiable research output, and discusses stem to the exclusion of the humanities, but still points to the real effects of anti intellectual cultural shifts in the US. .
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/u...
Chinese Universities Surge in Global Rankings as U.S. Schools Slip
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 7:19 PM
This article focuses too much on rankings, quantifiable research output, and discusses stem to the exclusion of the humanities, but still points to the real effects of anti intellectual cultural shifts in the US. .
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/u...
Reposted by Larry Birdland
NEW: An original student debt report at the CFPB exposed loan servicers declining to answer consumer complaints + two private equity firms doing college tuition price-fixing + a giant default crisis.
Trump-CFPB didn't like the report. So they tried to erase it.
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Trump-CFPB didn't like the report. So they tried to erase it.
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Watchdog agency scales back student loan report
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said the initial report was not in the scope of what is required by federal law and called the author “disgruntled” and “incompetent.”
www.politico.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:51 PM
NEW: An original student debt report at the CFPB exposed loan servicers declining to answer consumer complaints + two private equity firms doing college tuition price-fixing + a giant default crisis.
Trump-CFPB didn't like the report. So they tried to erase it.
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Trump-CFPB didn't like the report. So they tried to erase it.
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
I forgot that when Clay Davis goes to trial in the Wire he's reading Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus.
Rest in peace to Isiah Whitlock
Rest in peace to Isiah Whitlock
January 14, 2026 at 4:11 AM
I forgot that when Clay Davis goes to trial in the Wire he's reading Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus.
Rest in peace to Isiah Whitlock
Rest in peace to Isiah Whitlock
I love this
as bad as people like Chavez and Maduro were, and they were bad, the alternative is often much, much worse.
The binary thinking of good versus evil doesn't work in the American context, so why would it work in South America, or Burma, or Gaza?
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
as bad as people like Chavez and Maduro were, and they were bad, the alternative is often much, much worse.
The binary thinking of good versus evil doesn't work in the American context, so why would it work in South America, or Burma, or Gaza?
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Nobel Institute says Peace Prize cannot be transferred after Machado suggestion
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others.”
www.reuters.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:36 AM
I love this
as bad as people like Chavez and Maduro were, and they were bad, the alternative is often much, much worse.
The binary thinking of good versus evil doesn't work in the American context, so why would it work in South America, or Burma, or Gaza?
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
as bad as people like Chavez and Maduro were, and they were bad, the alternative is often much, much worse.
The binary thinking of good versus evil doesn't work in the American context, so why would it work in South America, or Burma, or Gaza?
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Off the top of my head I can't think of another country that spends this much time worrying about how accurately it's mimicking the beliefs of racists from the 18th century
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith claims that every single one of the Founding Fathers "by today's standards, would be labeled a far-right Christian nationalist."
January 12, 2026 at 4:23 AM
Off the top of my head I can't think of another country that spends this much time worrying about how accurately it's mimicking the beliefs of racists from the 18th century
The coach makes almost $12 million but the admin still won't recognize the grad union or pay instructors a living wage
Wild that Indiana is going to finally win a national football championship in the year that IU’s leaders & the state’s government decided it was no longer a serious research university.
So, here it is. Thanks to a new state law that was NEVER DEBATED, Indiana University has committed itself to abolishing majors in African-American/African Diaspora Studies: American Studies; Art History; French; Italian; Religious Studies etc. DOZENS of majors. www.ipm.org/news-section...
January 10, 2026 at 5:11 AM
The coach makes almost $12 million but the admin still won't recognize the grad union or pay instructors a living wage
Flying out to SF tomorrow morning for SCS
I haven't been to the bay since I left CA in August 2024
I'll be presenting a paper on sartorial creation in Pherekydes and Ps 104 on Thursday
I'm filled with a lotta nerves and excitement to be back in the bay and to be giving my first SCS talk
I haven't been to the bay since I left CA in August 2024
I'll be presenting a paper on sartorial creation in Pherekydes and Ps 104 on Thursday
I'm filled with a lotta nerves and excitement to be back in the bay and to be giving my first SCS talk
January 5, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Flying out to SF tomorrow morning for SCS
I haven't been to the bay since I left CA in August 2024
I'll be presenting a paper on sartorial creation in Pherekydes and Ps 104 on Thursday
I'm filled with a lotta nerves and excitement to be back in the bay and to be giving my first SCS talk
I haven't been to the bay since I left CA in August 2024
I'll be presenting a paper on sartorial creation in Pherekydes and Ps 104 on Thursday
I'm filled with a lotta nerves and excitement to be back in the bay and to be giving my first SCS talk
The weak European response is shameful, but it seems to be the other side of the Monroe Doctrine, in which other great powers accept US sovereignty over the Western Hemisphere
The weak response from Can, EU and UN to Trump's flagrant crimes in Venezuela is striking.
It exposes that much of the world has been cowed.
Most notable exception: the Latin American left.
That is why the Trump Admin has gone to enormous lengths to defeat the left across the continent. 1/3
It exposes that much of the world has been cowed.
Most notable exception: the Latin American left.
That is why the Trump Admin has gone to enormous lengths to defeat the left across the continent. 1/3
January 4, 2026 at 9:35 PM
The weak European response is shameful, but it seems to be the other side of the Monroe Doctrine, in which other great powers accept US sovereignty over the Western Hemisphere
23 years of listening to centrist liberals blather on about incremental progress and the art of the possible and we are arguably worse off now on many of the most important problems:
US Imperialism
Global Warming
Wealth Inequality
Healthcare
Abortion access
LGBTQ rights
Israel/Palestine
US Imperialism
Global Warming
Wealth Inequality
Healthcare
Abortion access
LGBTQ rights
Israel/Palestine
I'm copying and pasting this from 2003:
No Blood For Oil
No Blood For Oil
January 4, 2026 at 12:49 AM
23 years of listening to centrist liberals blather on about incremental progress and the art of the possible and we are arguably worse off now on many of the most important problems:
US Imperialism
Global Warming
Wealth Inequality
Healthcare
Abortion access
LGBTQ rights
Israel/Palestine
US Imperialism
Global Warming
Wealth Inequality
Healthcare
Abortion access
LGBTQ rights
Israel/Palestine
I'm copying and pasting this from 2003:
No Blood For Oil
No Blood For Oil
January 3, 2026 at 5:40 PM
I'm copying and pasting this from 2003:
No Blood For Oil
No Blood For Oil
Reposted by Larry Birdland
We should all be asking ourselves why it is that university leaders and even some members of the professoriate have been happy to jettison entire fields of humanistic scholarship on the grounds that "no one cares about the Middle Ages", when it is very clear that many members of the public DO care.
December 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
We should all be asking ourselves why it is that university leaders and even some members of the professoriate have been happy to jettison entire fields of humanistic scholarship on the grounds that "no one cares about the Middle Ages", when it is very clear that many members of the public DO care.
Reposted by Larry Birdland
Some of the responses to this are horrible.
Targeting civilians is terrorism, and a war crime. It has always been a central reason why I have criticized Israeli govt war crimes.
.
Targeting civilians is terrorism, and a war crime. It has always been a central reason why I have criticized Israeli govt war crimes.
.
When you’ve gone to this place, it’s time to just admit your only interest in antisemitism is claiming it doesn’t exist
December 25, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Some of the responses to this are horrible.
Targeting civilians is terrorism, and a war crime. It has always been a central reason why I have criticized Israeli govt war crimes.
.
Targeting civilians is terrorism, and a war crime. It has always been a central reason why I have criticized Israeli govt war crimes.
.
Reposted by Larry Birdland
A critic slammed the move to “seize borrowers’ wages instead of defending borrowers’ right to affordable payments.”
Trump Admin to Begin Garnishing Wages for Defaulted Student Loans in January
Wages could be garnished as early as 30 days after borrowers receive notice.
buff.ly
December 24, 2025 at 4:00 PM
A critic slammed the move to “seize borrowers’ wages instead of defending borrowers’ right to affordable payments.”
I finally saw Bugonia. I enjoyed much of it, although parts were just gratuitous and gross.
It also strikes me as another example of moderns trying to demonstrate cutting edge philosophical stances while essentially regurgitating unacknowledged biblical frameworks of collective divine punishment.
It also strikes me as another example of moderns trying to demonstrate cutting edge philosophical stances while essentially regurgitating unacknowledged biblical frameworks of collective divine punishment.
December 24, 2025 at 6:49 AM
I finally saw Bugonia. I enjoyed much of it, although parts were just gratuitous and gross.
It also strikes me as another example of moderns trying to demonstrate cutting edge philosophical stances while essentially regurgitating unacknowledged biblical frameworks of collective divine punishment.
It also strikes me as another example of moderns trying to demonstrate cutting edge philosophical stances while essentially regurgitating unacknowledged biblical frameworks of collective divine punishment.
These fools are parodies of Reagan parodies
From Scrooged
From Scrooged
December 23, 2025 at 2:53 AM
These fools are parodies of Reagan parodies
From Scrooged
From Scrooged
I love working with Greek fragments but Brill's New Jacoby Online is infuriating.
December 23, 2025 at 12:12 AM
I love working with Greek fragments but Brill's New Jacoby Online is infuriating.
Reposted by Larry Birdland
Congress’s three favorite lines:
1. Sorry we can’t do anything, we’re in the minority
2. Sorry we can’t do anything, we need a supermajority
3. Sorry we can’t do anything, our party’s in the White House and we have to support the president
1. Sorry we can’t do anything, we’re in the minority
2. Sorry we can’t do anything, we need a supermajority
3. Sorry we can’t do anything, our party’s in the White House and we have to support the president
December 22, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Congress’s three favorite lines:
1. Sorry we can’t do anything, we’re in the minority
2. Sorry we can’t do anything, we need a supermajority
3. Sorry we can’t do anything, our party’s in the White House and we have to support the president
1. Sorry we can’t do anything, we’re in the minority
2. Sorry we can’t do anything, we need a supermajority
3. Sorry we can’t do anything, our party’s in the White House and we have to support the president
I must return to the Ohio valley where I was born and raised and fulfill my destiny:
Finding a home for this glut of bourbon
I've been training my whole life for this
Finding a home for this glut of bourbon
I've been training my whole life for this
Canada was their top customer! And thanks to President Deals, we stopped buying bourbon months ago. Billions and billions of dollars in sales, gone www.kentucky.com/news/busines...
Major Kentucky bourbon maker Jim Beam shuttering distillery for 2026
The move comes as Kentucky’s $9 billion bourbon industry is dealing with a glut of supply and slipping sales.
www.kentucky.com
December 21, 2025 at 2:45 AM
I must return to the Ohio valley where I was born and raised and fulfill my destiny:
Finding a home for this glut of bourbon
I've been training my whole life for this
Finding a home for this glut of bourbon
I've been training my whole life for this
Reposted by Larry Birdland
What is the point of having a sprawling national security state if they can’t find out who did a mass shooting in broad daylight five days ago?
December 18, 2025 at 11:23 PM
What is the point of having a sprawling national security state if they can’t find out who did a mass shooting in broad daylight five days ago?
"Mr. Martin will instead keep the findings under seal. He believes that looking back so publicly and painfully at the past would prove counterproductive for the party"!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
The D.N.C. Is Scrapping Its Report on What Went Wrong in 2024
www.nytimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 10:12 PM
"Mr. Martin will instead keep the findings under seal. He believes that looking back so publicly and painfully at the past would prove counterproductive for the party"!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...