Matthew J (is) Tired
@matthewjkuiper.bsky.social
Religion Prof. Islam, South Asia, Middle East. Fascinated by religious actors & movements in modernity. Two books on Islamic da'wa (mission, propagation). Other words in sundry other places. Opinions my own; not speaking for my employer.
13.1🏃🏼♂️✅, 26.2🏃♂️✅
13.1🏃🏼♂️✅, 26.2🏃♂️✅
Pinned
We are living in a time of massive underreaction.
Me no like. Says “big eye watching you”… Sauron?!
January 18, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Me no like. Says “big eye watching you”… Sauron?!
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Gen Z uses “that’s AI” as an insult to each other. Let the children lead the way.
From @civiqs.bsky.social:
Overall, do you think AI is having a positive or negative impact on the world? Neg 54%, Pos 17%.
That's hopeful, as is the fact that among 18-33 yr olds, Neg goes up to 65%
idk, maybe those of us teaching *about* AI & its terrible costs are having some impact
Overall, do you think AI is having a positive or negative impact on the world? Neg 54%, Pos 17%.
That's hopeful, as is the fact that among 18-33 yr olds, Neg goes up to 65%
idk, maybe those of us teaching *about* AI & its terrible costs are having some impact
Civiqs | AI: Impact on the World
Civiqs poll (National):
"Overall, do you think AI is having a positive or negative impact on the world?" Results through January 13, 2026: Positive 17%, Negative 54%, No impact 2%, Unsure 27...
civiqs.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Gen Z uses “that’s AI” as an insult to each other. Let the children lead the way.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Bill Cassidy will always be remembered for enabling kids' deaths to impress Trump & then getting stabbed in the back by the main kid killer's boss. It's a complicated plot you'll struggle to explain to your grandkids (should any of us survive the next pandemic — something Bill helped make possible).
January 18, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Bill Cassidy will always be remembered for enabling kids' deaths to impress Trump & then getting stabbed in the back by the main kid killer's boss. It's a complicated plot you'll struggle to explain to your grandkids (should any of us survive the next pandemic — something Bill helped make possible).
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
ICE and MAGA really did bet the farm on all of Minneapolis’s white people going “oh yes, please take away our disgusting, evil non-white-foreigner neighbors, oh thank you so much.”
it’s beautiful that they’ve been proven incredibly wrong about that - may the rest of the country do the same.
it’s beautiful that they’ve been proven incredibly wrong about that - may the rest of the country do the same.
January 18, 2026 at 2:39 AM
ICE and MAGA really did bet the farm on all of Minneapolis’s white people going “oh yes, please take away our disgusting, evil non-white-foreigner neighbors, oh thank you so much.”
it’s beautiful that they’ve been proven incredibly wrong about that - may the rest of the country do the same.
it’s beautiful that they’ve been proven incredibly wrong about that - may the rest of the country do the same.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
I wrote about my experiences being sexually exploited as a child, and what we need to do to make sure AI doesn’t make that a reality for millions of children.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
My picture was used in child abuse images. AI is putting others through my nightmare | Mara Wilson
I was a child actor, exploited by strangers on the internet. Now millions of children face the same danger
www.theguardian.com
January 18, 2026 at 2:20 AM
I wrote about my experiences being sexually exploited as a child, and what we need to do to make sure AI doesn’t make that a reality for millions of children.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
“The first veto of the president’s second term killed legislation that would have brought clean water to some of the most conservative parts of the state. Residents wonder why.”
They wonder why? Let me help you out here. Because he doesn’t actually care about you. Never has, never will.
They wonder why? Let me help you out here. Because he doesn’t actually care about you. Never has, never will.
A Trump Veto Leaves Republicans in Colorado Parched and Bewildered
www.nytimes.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:17 AM
“The first veto of the president’s second term killed legislation that would have brought clean water to some of the most conservative parts of the state. Residents wonder why.”
They wonder why? Let me help you out here. Because he doesn’t actually care about you. Never has, never will.
They wonder why? Let me help you out here. Because he doesn’t actually care about you. Never has, never will.
How gut wrenching for this family. Read to put a human face on otherwise faceless statistics coming out Iran.
Family of Iranian protester searched for her body in a pile of corpses and buried her on a roadside
The family of a 23-year-old Iranian college student believes she was killed by a bullet fired by Iranian security forces.
apnews.com
January 17, 2026 at 10:51 PM
How gut wrenching for this family. Read to put a human face on otherwise faceless statistics coming out Iran.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
This is actually the really simple story of the collapse of American democracy. You can explain America’s constitutional collapse in a single coherent sentence:
The Founders assumed that Members of Congress would jealously and zealously guard the powers and prerogatives of their branch of government against the grasping of an overweening Executive, and instead we got this supine GOP majority that yearns to lick the boot.
I would like to think the Mad King proclaiming “I will continue to illegally raise taxes on the American people until the NATO alliance collapses” would be the type of statement to cause Congress to act, but I’m not sure there’s any red line the GOP Congress has anymore.
January 17, 2026 at 7:39 PM
This is actually the really simple story of the collapse of American democracy. You can explain America’s constitutional collapse in a single coherent sentence:
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
What makes this statement by Emmanuel Macron so unprecedented is, for the first time, a leading European ally is equating Trump with Putin.
“No intimidation or threat will influence us - neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world.”
EVERYTHING has changed.
“No intimidation or threat will influence us - neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world.”
EVERYTHING has changed.
January 17, 2026 at 8:04 PM
What makes this statement by Emmanuel Macron so unprecedented is, for the first time, a leading European ally is equating Trump with Putin.
“No intimidation or threat will influence us - neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world.”
EVERYTHING has changed.
“No intimidation or threat will influence us - neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world.”
EVERYTHING has changed.
…until next year 😢
January 17, 2026 at 8:07 PM
…until next year 😢
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Selling pardons is a quintessential act of corruption. This is criminal behavior and should be prosecuted (which is why John Roberts’ heinous immunity decisions was such a disaster). We need 1) impeachment; 2) a new law authorizing criminal charges against lawless presidents; 3) a new Supreme Court.
January 17, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Selling pardons is a quintessential act of corruption. This is criminal behavior and should be prosecuted (which is why John Roberts’ heinous immunity decisions was such a disaster). We need 1) impeachment; 2) a new law authorizing criminal charges against lawless presidents; 3) a new Supreme Court.
At its root, anti-“woke” is just plain anti-intellectualism: Not wanting to know, or wanting others to know, the truth and facts of things, esp at the structural and systemic levels.
January 17, 2026 at 6:26 PM
At its root, anti-“woke” is just plain anti-intellectualism: Not wanting to know, or wanting others to know, the truth and facts of things, esp at the structural and systemic levels.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Iran: Growing Evidence of Countrywide Massacres
Iran: Growing Evidence of Countrywide Massacres
UN Member States Should Call for Human Rights Council Special Session
dlvr.it
January 17, 2026 at 5:22 AM
Iran: Growing Evidence of Countrywide Massacres
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
“Ukraine doesn’t need our pity. It needs persistence — and clear, direct support.” — Czech President Petr Pavel in Lviv, as winter deepens the war’s toll.
Nearly four years of daily russian aggression, and rows of graves for those who defended their families. This can’t be a one-day emotion.
Nearly four years of daily russian aggression, and rows of graves for those who defended their families. This can’t be a one-day emotion.
January 17, 2026 at 3:45 AM
“Ukraine doesn’t need our pity. It needs persistence — and clear, direct support.” — Czech President Petr Pavel in Lviv, as winter deepens the war’s toll.
Nearly four years of daily russian aggression, and rows of graves for those who defended their families. This can’t be a one-day emotion.
Nearly four years of daily russian aggression, and rows of graves for those who defended their families. This can’t be a one-day emotion.
An important read. "On Tuesday, researchers at Stanford and Yale revealed something that AI companies would prefer to keep hidden...None of the AI companies mentioned in this article agreed to my requests for interviews."
January 16, 2026 at 6:58 PM
An important read. "On Tuesday, researchers at Stanford and Yale revealed something that AI companies would prefer to keep hidden...None of the AI companies mentioned in this article agreed to my requests for interviews."
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
The Insurrection Act is not "martial law." It doesn't displace civilian law, it doesn't suspend habeas corpus, it doesn't alter or suspend state and local government, and it doesn't make anything newly illegal. It allows using the military to enforce existing law, it doesn't change what the law is.
January 15, 2026 at 7:16 PM
The Insurrection Act is not "martial law." It doesn't displace civilian law, it doesn't suspend habeas corpus, it doesn't alter or suspend state and local government, and it doesn't make anything newly illegal. It allows using the military to enforce existing law, it doesn't change what the law is.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
The Virgin Ideologue: "It was always Israel!"/"It was always Palestine!"
The Chad Neo-Assyrian Emperor: "I crushed Israel, Palestine, Judah, Tyre, Sidon, Moab, Que, and Damascus. I saw them driven before me and heard the lamentations of their women."
The Chad Neo-Assyrian Emperor: "I crushed Israel, Palestine, Judah, Tyre, Sidon, Moab, Que, and Damascus. I saw them driven before me and heard the lamentations of their women."
January 15, 2026 at 9:11 PM
The Virgin Ideologue: "It was always Israel!"/"It was always Palestine!"
The Chad Neo-Assyrian Emperor: "I crushed Israel, Palestine, Judah, Tyre, Sidon, Moab, Que, and Damascus. I saw them driven before me and heard the lamentations of their women."
The Chad Neo-Assyrian Emperor: "I crushed Israel, Palestine, Judah, Tyre, Sidon, Moab, Que, and Damascus. I saw them driven before me and heard the lamentations of their women."
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
I spent the summer of 2024 in Leuven on a LECTIO fellowship, and I highly recommend it. Fabulous libraries, delightful town, great colleagues. Plus they put you up in the Beguinage! #earlymodern 🗃️
Interested to work on our collections? The Call for applications of the LECTIO – KU Leuven Visiting Fellowships 2026–2027 is now open. As in previous years, Special Collections offers a joint fellowship. We will be happy to welcome you!
Call for applications: LECTIO Visiting Fellowships 2026–2027
www.kuleuven.be
January 16, 2026 at 1:39 PM
I spent the summer of 2024 in Leuven on a LECTIO fellowship, and I highly recommend it. Fabulous libraries, delightful town, great colleagues. Plus they put you up in the Beguinage! #earlymodern 🗃️
Today in history 🗃️. Yeah yeah the miracle on the Hudson, but what about Boston Jan 15, 1919? “A tank containing an estimated 2.3 million gallons (8.7 million liters) of molasses burst, flooding the city’s North End and killing 21 people.” And Wikipedia’s debut, Jan 15, 2001.
Today in History: January 15, US Airways jet makes emergency landing in Hudson River
1919: Great Molasses Flood in Boston 1929: Martin Luther King Jr. born in Atlanta 1967: Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl I
apnews.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:06 AM
Today in history 🗃️. Yeah yeah the miracle on the Hudson, but what about Boston Jan 15, 1919? “A tank containing an estimated 2.3 million gallons (8.7 million liters) of molasses burst, flooding the city’s North End and killing 21 people.” And Wikipedia’s debut, Jan 15, 2001.
Check out this (long)🧵for ways religion is "in the news" at present. As always, I get the most out of the assignment since I read all submissions. But it provoked a great discussion, not only a/b the obvious (look, religion is everywhere), but also on meta questions like what get's coverage & why.
It's that time again. Students are doing my "Religion in the News" assignment (which helps them see that, yes, studying religion academically is relevant, if for nothing else, to be a more intelligent reader of the news (many others too!)). I'll be posting some of what they found in this🧵. First up:
Priest by day, DJ by night: Padre Guilherme's rave in Beirut draws cheers and controversy
In Beirut, a sold-out nightclub event featured an unusual DJ — Padre Guilherme, a priest from Portugal.
apnews.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:28 AM
Check out this (long)🧵for ways religion is "in the news" at present. As always, I get the most out of the assignment since I read all submissions. But it provoked a great discussion, not only a/b the obvious (look, religion is everywhere), but also on meta questions like what get's coverage & why.