Michael Hobbes
@michaelhobbes.bsky.social
Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Ryan Grim has the occasional good take about various issues so it's important to consciously remember that he is, overall, absurdly credulous.
There is no possibility covid started in summer 2019, under *either* the wet market *or* lab leak theories, a truly idiotic argument.
There is no possibility covid started in summer 2019, under *either* the wet market *or* lab leak theories, a truly idiotic argument.
Redfield is a Trump appointee and known crank. If COVID was circulating in summer of 2019, the entire timeline of the pandemic would be different. Chinese authorities were not "pushing the wet market narrative," they actively covered it up.
What is happening to people's brains over there
What is happening to people's brains over there
February 10, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Ryan Grim has the occasional good take about various issues so it's important to consciously remember that he is, overall, absurdly credulous.
There is no possibility covid started in summer 2019, under *either* the wet market *or* lab leak theories, a truly idiotic argument.
There is no possibility covid started in summer 2019, under *either* the wet market *or* lab leak theories, a truly idiotic argument.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Just a reminder that despite doing a good thing on the Epstein Files, Thomas Massie is a deeply unserious person.
February 10, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Just a reminder that despite doing a good thing on the Epstein Files, Thomas Massie is a deeply unserious person.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
The republican faction that has most opposed Trump is neocons. Other factions like business execs or religious conservatives have reasons for, and examples of, opposition to Trump, but Libertarians had the easiest case and the weakest examples. Total frauds, still preoccupied with campus left.
February 9, 2026 at 3:12 PM
The republican faction that has most opposed Trump is neocons. Other factions like business execs or religious conservatives have reasons for, and examples of, opposition to Trump, but Libertarians had the easiest case and the weakest examples. Total frauds, still preoccupied with campus left.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Super Bowl viewers Sunday speculated that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos appeared in the halftime show. In fact, he has been in hiding with his family.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
‘He’s not the same’: Father of Liam Conejo Ramos says 5-year-old continues to suffer
Some people thought they say the 5-year-old during the Super Bowl halftime show. But Liam is still in hiding with his family, after he and his father were detained and then released from a Texas deten...
www.mprnews.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Super Bowl viewers Sunday speculated that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos appeared in the halftime show. In fact, he has been in hiding with his family.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Starmer claims the increase in migration during the pandemic - when much-needed health workers were brought in - was a “squalid chapter” in history, causing “incalculable” damage. How offensive to the essential workers who came to this country, risking their lives while helping a nation in need.
Starmer is also the person who put his signature and his picture on these pages. Not McSweeney, not Mahmood, not anybody else. Some of which is quoted in my bio because they apply to me 🤢
www.gov.uk/government/s...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821ae...
www.gov.uk/government/s...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821ae...
February 10, 2026 at 12:51 PM
Starmer claims the increase in migration during the pandemic - when much-needed health workers were brought in - was a “squalid chapter” in history, causing “incalculable” damage. How offensive to the essential workers who came to this country, risking their lives while helping a nation in need.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Gay was the easiest thing to explain to my son. I was literally just “sometimes two men or two women fall in love.” “Ok, cool. What’s a war?”
always so funny to me when people are like “how am I supposed to explain Gay to my kids?” my kid asks me way harder shit all the time. “why did they build the road this way? why are some people bad?” I don’t know. please ask me about Gay
February 10, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Gay was the easiest thing to explain to my son. I was literally just “sometimes two men or two women fall in love.” “Ok, cool. What’s a war?”
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
have never seen popular public opinion shift so fast about a surveillance product than the fallout from ring's super bowl "search party" ad. they'll teach this in advertising courses one day. chef's kiss baby www.404media.co/with-ring-am...
With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet
Ring's 'Search Party' is dystopian surveillance accelerationism.
www.404media.co
February 10, 2026 at 3:14 PM
have never seen popular public opinion shift so fast about a surveillance product than the fallout from ring's super bowl "search party" ad. they'll teach this in advertising courses one day. chef's kiss baby www.404media.co/with-ring-am...
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
generally the biggest "conspiracy theories" are heavily promoted by respectable news outlets
QAnon is of course insane and bogus but nobody “serious” espouses it and lab leak is I think generally accepted by the public at this point as the likely origin. But there’s nothing there it’s become ingrained via repetition.
February 10, 2026 at 3:33 PM
generally the biggest "conspiracy theories" are heavily promoted by respectable news outlets
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
when he shows even the slightest modicum of interest in me
February 10, 2026 at 1:58 PM
when he shows even the slightest modicum of interest in me
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
I love reading up on conspiracy theories and have since I was a kid and I don’t think there’s a modern one based on less than lab leak. The entirety of the evidence is the lab being a half hour drive from the market. You can’t have lab leak without the market so this next evolution is even flimsier.
Redfield is a Trump appointee and known crank. If COVID was circulating in summer of 2019, the entire timeline of the pandemic would be different. Chinese authorities were not "pushing the wet market narrative," they actively covered it up.
What is happening to people's brains over there
What is happening to people's brains over there
February 10, 2026 at 3:27 PM
I love reading up on conspiracy theories and have since I was a kid and I don’t think there’s a modern one based on less than lab leak. The entirety of the evidence is the lab being a half hour drive from the market. You can’t have lab leak without the market so this next evolution is even flimsier.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
the wet market narrative is *bad for the Chinese government* and they have actively suppressed it at every turn! these people are incapable of the most basic understanding of the world.
Redfield is a Trump appointee and known crank. If COVID was circulating in summer of 2019, the entire timeline of the pandemic would be different. Chinese authorities were not "pushing the wet market narrative," they actively covered it up.
What is happening to people's brains over there
What is happening to people's brains over there
February 10, 2026 at 3:17 PM
the wet market narrative is *bad for the Chinese government* and they have actively suppressed it at every turn! these people are incapable of the most basic understanding of the world.
Redfield is a Trump appointee and known crank. If COVID was circulating in summer of 2019, the entire timeline of the pandemic would be different. Chinese authorities were not "pushing the wet market narrative," they actively covered it up.
What is happening to people's brains over there
What is happening to people's brains over there
February 10, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Redfield is a Trump appointee and known crank. If COVID was circulating in summer of 2019, the entire timeline of the pandemic would be different. Chinese authorities were not "pushing the wet market narrative," they actively covered it up.
What is happening to people's brains over there
What is happening to people's brains over there
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
we almost never saw pieces like this when the prevailing epstein accusations were based on totally made up claims from the right. now that the actual evidence in the files implicates trump and other right wing figures, we get 5 articles like this a day.
Last week the far right started peddling a narrative that the outrage over Epstein is a moral panic. Today, like clockwork, a more polite version of that narrative appears in the Atlantic.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
February 10, 2026 at 1:36 PM
we almost never saw pieces like this when the prevailing epstein accusations were based on totally made up claims from the right. now that the actual evidence in the files implicates trump and other right wing figures, we get 5 articles like this a day.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Chat bots give the wrong medical advice more than half the time. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/w...
Health Advice From A.I. Chatbots Is Frequently Wrong, Study Shows
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Chat bots give the wrong medical advice more than half the time. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/w...
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
It’s crazy how much of pundit culture is just “I have to engage with society in all its different forms, even in ways that I don’t like.”
Bari Weiss bravely invites us to focus on the real fascism in Minneapolis
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
February 9, 2026 at 11:24 PM
It’s crazy how much of pundit culture is just “I have to engage with society in all its different forms, even in ways that I don’t like.”
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Something tells me this sort of piece doesn’t hit the way it used to
Bari Weiss bravely invites us to focus on the real fascism in Minneapolis
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
February 9, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Something tells me this sort of piece doesn’t hit the way it used to
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Downward-Punching Dog
Bari Weiss bravely invites us to focus on the real fascism in Minneapolis
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
February 9, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Downward-Punching Dog
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
After "this out of touch liberal multiculturalism will fail" didn't pan out - BB's show set ratings records and is the most talked-about part of the super bowl - they are desperately pivoting to a blatant lie that "it was successful because it wasn't political"
Analysis: Weeks before he set foot on the stage, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance had already become a media event.
But if you were looking for political commentary, the closest that you got was when he said “God bless America” in English.
But if you were looking for political commentary, the closest that you got was when he said “God bless America” in English.
Analysis | Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was expected to provoke. Did it?
The Bad Bunny Super Bowl show nodded to injustices in Puerto Rico but mostly evoked wholesome family values that meshed with the more sentimental commercials.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:28 PM
After "this out of touch liberal multiculturalism will fail" didn't pan out - BB's show set ratings records and is the most talked-about part of the super bowl - they are desperately pivoting to a blatant lie that "it was successful because it wasn't political"
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
I have two primary vehicles. One is an automobile, the other an e-bike.
Automobiles kill approximately 100 people a day in the US. E-bikes, fewer than 10 a year.
Guess which one has a speed limiter on it?
Automobiles kill approximately 100 people a day in the US. E-bikes, fewer than 10 a year.
Guess which one has a speed limiter on it?
This technology already exists and is widely used. It doesn't involve 'government surveillance' and would not allow ICE or any other government agency to stop individual cars.
Just say you think thousands of kids dying every year is worth it so you can speed!
www.autoweek.com/news/a615322...
Just say you think thousands of kids dying every year is worth it so you can speed!
www.autoweek.com/news/a615322...
Speed Limiters Now Mandatory in All New EU Cars
Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) isn't an ironclad speeding prevention system, but could be just annoying enough to spark a backlash.
www.autoweek.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:12 PM
I have two primary vehicles. One is an automobile, the other an e-bike.
Automobiles kill approximately 100 people a day in the US. E-bikes, fewer than 10 a year.
Guess which one has a speed limiter on it?
Automobiles kill approximately 100 people a day in the US. E-bikes, fewer than 10 a year.
Guess which one has a speed limiter on it?
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
For a great listen on why how centrism works in US media--and why it's a problem, this convo between @volts.wtf and @michaelhobbes.bsky.social is illuminating:
www.volts.wtf/p/all-about-...
www.volts.wtf/p/all-about-...
All about "reactionary centrism"
Michael Hobbes joins me to diagnose the pundit class's obsession with scolding the left while the right burns down the house.
www.volts.wtf
February 9, 2026 at 6:14 PM
For a great listen on why how centrism works in US media--and why it's a problem, this convo between @volts.wtf and @michaelhobbes.bsky.social is illuminating:
www.volts.wtf/p/all-about-...
www.volts.wtf/p/all-about-...
Bari Weiss bravely invites us to focus on the real fascism in Minneapolis
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
February 9, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Bari Weiss bravely invites us to focus on the real fascism in Minneapolis
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
www.thefp.com/p/mob-rule-c...
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
Conor Friedersdorf.
Not to be relentlessly negative, but let’s enjoy ourselves a bit.
Who is the Dumbest Guy That Has A Reputation For Being Smart?
Musk seems the clear winner, so let’s say: who else might be in the Top 10?
I’ll start the proceedings with Ezra Klein, the Abundance boy. Not impressive!
Who is the Dumbest Guy That Has A Reputation For Being Smart?
Musk seems the clear winner, so let’s say: who else might be in the Top 10?
I’ll start the proceedings with Ezra Klein, the Abundance boy. Not impressive!
February 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Conor Friedersdorf.
Reposted by Michael Hobbes
i like how british op-eds are just anti-woke madlibs now
February 9, 2026 at 5:34 PM
i like how british op-eds are just anti-woke madlibs now