Mercenary Apothecary
@mercapothecary.bsky.social
Political scientist focused on WI higher ed, elections & conspiracy theories during the day, Scotch and jazz after hours...
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
If you're in line to bat at Game 7 of the World Series STAY IN LINE
November 2, 2025 at 3:59 AM
If you're in line to bat at Game 7 of the World Series STAY IN LINE
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
The Louvre has been robbed the same week the new pope has talked about shutting down Opus Dei. Have the police interviewed Dan Brown yet? 🤔
October 19, 2025 at 2:17 PM
The Louvre has been robbed the same week the new pope has talked about shutting down Opus Dei. Have the police interviewed Dan Brown yet? 🤔
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
POLITICO: “.. They referred to Black people as monkeys and ‘the watermelon people’ and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies .. and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.
@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
October 14, 2025 at 5:25 PM
POLITICO: “.. They referred to Black people as monkeys and ‘the watermelon people’ and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies .. and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.
@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
@mattwisnefske.bsky.social So true.....
The UK is within spitting distance of having more murders portrayed annually on TV shows and movies set in the country than occur in real life
It's so incredible how low homicide rates are in Europe. The UK, with a population of 70 million people, had fewer than 600 murders in 2023.
www.connexionfrance.com/news/double-...
www.connexionfrance.com/news/double-...
October 7, 2025 at 1:44 PM
@mattwisnefske.bsky.social So true.....
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
SCOOP — Pennsylvania prosecutors were alerted to possible voting irregularities by one of MAGA's leading voices against voter fraud. A long paper trail shows Jack Posobiec has been living in Maryland but voting using his parents' PA address for years.
From @jsweetli.bsky.social, @slate.com + me:
From @jsweetli.bsky.social, @slate.com + me:
MAGA’s “Voter Fraud” Watchdog Votes in a Swing State. He Doesn’t Live There.
A long paper trail shows that Jack Posobiec casts a ballot in one state and lives in another.
slate.com
October 3, 2025 at 11:39 AM
SCOOP — Pennsylvania prosecutors were alerted to possible voting irregularities by one of MAGA's leading voices against voter fraud. A long paper trail shows Jack Posobiec has been living in Maryland but voting using his parents' PA address for years.
From @jsweetli.bsky.social, @slate.com + me:
From @jsweetli.bsky.social, @slate.com + me:
I haven't checked prices around here yet, but if they are anything like this in my neck of the woods, Halloween may not be a thing this year. These prices are insane.
October 1, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I haven't checked prices around here yet, but if they are anything like this in my neck of the woods, Halloween may not be a thing this year. These prices are insane.
This, honestly, had not even occurred to me as a reason for his post.... that would be phenomenally disturbing.
Trump deleted his bizarre post featuring an AI video of him endorsing “medbeds,” which raises the question of whether he’s so confused that he thought it was a real video of him talking
Trump tonight appears to have pushed the false "medbed" conspiracy theory, which has spread in the far-right internet over the years. www.yahoo.com/news/qanon-c...
September 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
This, honestly, had not even occurred to me as a reason for his post.... that would be phenomenally disturbing.
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
Now, today, this time, for everyone at the UN wondering about what they just saw there 👉
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
September 23, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Now, today, this time, for everyone at the UN wondering about what they just saw there 👉
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
so many dead canaries and we just keep on mining
September 17, 2025 at 11:10 PM
so many dead canaries and we just keep on mining
Post a movie you like with a terrible rotten tomatoes score
September 17, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Post a movie you like with a terrible rotten tomatoes score
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
Adrian Klenz, who works with deafblind adults in Wisconsin, said he was told the grant was apparently flagged bc of the words "transition" (as in, transitioning from childhood to adulthood) and "privilege" (one parent said it was a privilege to work with the program's staff).
...
...
BREAKING: Trump’s Education Dept. cancels grants that help students who are both deaf and blind.
“How low can you go?” said one person who works with DeafBlind students and their families.
W/ @jsmithrichards.bsky.social for @propublica.org
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
“How low can you go?” said one person who works with DeafBlind students and their families.
W/ @jsmithrichards.bsky.social for @propublica.org
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Programs for Students With Hearing and Vision Loss Harmed by Trump’s Anti-Diversity Push
Citing concerns about DEI, the U.S. Department of Education has halted funding for programs that support students with combined hearing and vision loss in eight states. “How low can you go?” one advoc...
www.propublica.org
September 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Adrian Klenz, who works with deafblind adults in Wisconsin, said he was told the grant was apparently flagged bc of the words "transition" (as in, transitioning from childhood to adulthood) and "privilege" (one parent said it was a privilege to work with the program's staff).
...
...
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
If professors can be fired for discussing topics not explicitly mentioned in the course description and/or not toeing the ideological line of elected political leaders, there is no academic freedom in Texas.
September 10, 2025 at 11:55 AM
If professors can be fired for discussing topics not explicitly mentioned in the course description and/or not toeing the ideological line of elected political leaders, there is no academic freedom in Texas.
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
Lemme speak with directness and a sense of urgency about our most important economic threats, and what history teaches us about moments like this.
September 7, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Lemme speak with directness and a sense of urgency about our most important economic threats, and what history teaches us about moments like this.
Every person that teaches a course on media and politics should be archiving all of these headlines as examples of how the media can frame the news to fit their existing narratives.
President Donald Trump has made significant headway toward his goal of weakening Congress’ centuries-old power of the purse — pushing the boundaries of executive authority.
Trump escalates battle to take control of spending away from Congress | CNN Politics
Just over seven months into his second term, President Donald Trump has made significant headway toward his goal of weakening Congress’ centuries-old power of the purse — pushing the boundaries of exe...
www.cnn.com
September 3, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Every person that teaches a course on media and politics should be archiving all of these headlines as examples of how the media can frame the news to fit their existing narratives.
I will doing an executive order requiring Star Trek 4 begin production no later than January 1, 2026! Thank you for your attention to this matter!
August 31, 2025 at 4:11 PM
I will doing an executive order requiring Star Trek 4 begin production no later than January 1, 2026! Thank you for your attention to this matter!
@radiofreetom.bsky.social might have something to say about this...
RFK Jr: We need to stop trusting the experts... Trusting the experts is not a feature of science or democracy, it's a feature of religion and totalitarianism.
August 31, 2025 at 3:03 PM
@radiofreetom.bsky.social might have something to say about this...
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
The thing about a lot of these never Trump Republicans is that, unlike a lot of institutionalist Dems who think the fever will break and we can all return to comity or whatever, these guys saw the rot up close and know the only appropriate response is to tear them out of government root and branch.
If you had told me in 2012 that Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign manager would be posting like this 13 years later i would not have believed you
August 31, 2025 at 2:22 AM
The thing about a lot of these never Trump Republicans is that, unlike a lot of institutionalist Dems who think the fever will break and we can all return to comity or whatever, these guys saw the rot up close and know the only appropriate response is to tear them out of government root and branch.
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
If you had told me in 2012 that Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign manager would be posting like this 13 years later i would not have believed you
August 30, 2025 at 3:27 PM
If you had told me in 2012 that Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign manager would be posting like this 13 years later i would not have believed you
Holy heck....
For those trivia buffs out there, real spending by foreign tourists in the U.S. has fallen at a 17.4% annual rate since Trump took office apps.bea.gov/iTable/?reqi... At least the national parks that are burning out of control will be less crowded.
BEA Interactive Data Application
apps.bea.gov
August 30, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Holy heck....
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
Back-to-school reminder: The market rewards education
Average earnings:
High school dropout | ### ($35k)
High school grad | ##### ($47k)
College degree | ######### ($87k)
Masters degree | ########### ($106k)
Professional degree | ##################($184k)
Average earnings:
High school dropout | ### ($35k)
High school grad | ##### ($47k)
College degree | ######### ($87k)
Masters degree | ########### ($106k)
Professional degree | ##################($184k)
August 30, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Back-to-school reminder: The market rewards education
Average earnings:
High school dropout | ### ($35k)
High school grad | ##### ($47k)
College degree | ######### ($87k)
Masters degree | ########### ($106k)
Professional degree | ##################($184k)
Average earnings:
High school dropout | ### ($35k)
High school grad | ##### ($47k)
College degree | ######### ($87k)
Masters degree | ########### ($106k)
Professional degree | ##################($184k)
This *should* be disqualifying for any national political aspirations. Time will tell.
NEW: RFK Jr's purge of CDC leadership isn't shaking Democratic Gov Jared Polis' enthusiastic support of Kennedy to lead America's health policy. Today, Polis praised his collaboration with Kennedy, saying "We hope to work on making America healthier." #copolitics
August 29, 2025 at 10:25 AM
This *should* be disqualifying for any national political aspirations. Time will tell.
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
remember folks, we cant have gun restrictions because if we do the federal government will occupy our streets, imprison people without due process, ship dissidents to foreign gulags and things of that nature
August 27, 2025 at 6:42 PM
remember folks, we cant have gun restrictions because if we do the federal government will occupy our streets, imprison people without due process, ship dissidents to foreign gulags and things of that nature
Reposted by Mercenary Apothecary
Turkey is the cautionary tale. Erdogan swapped economists for loyalists and forced low rates. Result: inflation peaked at 86%, still painfully high. That’s the movie you don’t want a sequel to.
Posting the full interview over on my fledgling youtube channel: youtu.be/faKG7dtmxtU
Posting the full interview over on my fledgling youtube channel: youtu.be/faKG7dtmxtU
Justin Wolfers: History Shows Politicizing the Fed Never Ends Well”
CNN News Central, August 26, 2025.
History provides ample evidence on what happens when governments kneecap their central banks. Wolfers warns that undermining the Fed’s independence could…
youtu.be
August 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Turkey is the cautionary tale. Erdogan swapped economists for loyalists and forced low rates. Result: inflation peaked at 86%, still painfully high. That’s the movie you don’t want a sequel to.
Posting the full interview over on my fledgling youtube channel: youtu.be/faKG7dtmxtU
Posting the full interview over on my fledgling youtube channel: youtu.be/faKG7dtmxtU