Nate Ledbetter
@nhledbetter.bsky.social
ABD, Princeton, East Asian Studies. Instructor, Asian History, Rider University. Perpetually writing my dissertation (warfare in 16th C. Kyushu, Japan). He/Him/あいつ/"That Nagashino Guy." At some point I'll start posting useful stuff here. Maybe.
Pinned
Since I've got double the followers from a week ago, guess it's time for an intro thread. A post per topic I habitually post about:
I'm a PhD candidate at Princeton, very slowly working on a dissertation on 16th C. warfare in southern Japan (centered around the Shimazu family). 1/
I'm a PhD candidate at Princeton, very slowly working on a dissertation on 16th C. warfare in southern Japan (centered around the Shimazu family). 1/
y'all laughing at this, but this isn't that unusual for a certain subset of Americans who travel. Not sure why you'd bother, eating new things is part of the experience, but they're out there and not uncommon.
Not only did they bring a small private army, but among the waste of taxpayer money was BRINGING A FULL PLANE OF FOOD.
To *Italy*.
To *Italy*.
February 7, 2026 at 6:43 PM
y'all laughing at this, but this isn't that unusual for a certain subset of Americans who travel. Not sure why you'd bother, eating new things is part of the experience, but they're out there and not uncommon.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
JD Vance going to Italy like Francis I in 1525, and with a similar result (humiliated in or around Milan)
Not only did they bring a small private army, but among the waste of taxpayer money was BRINGING A FULL PLANE OF FOOD.
To *Italy*.
To *Italy*.
February 7, 2026 at 5:18 PM
JD Vance going to Italy like Francis I in 1525, and with a similar result (humiliated in or around Milan)
"Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work."
"It's due Sunday at 11:59 PM"
"It's due Sunday at 11:59 PM"
Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work.
"Where are your citations?"
"Where are your citations?"
Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work.
"No, you can't leave that here."
"No, you can't leave that here."
February 7, 2026 at 6:25 PM
"Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work."
"It's due Sunday at 11:59 PM"
"It's due Sunday at 11:59 PM"
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
I just got 2 in the mail all set here in minneapolis
February 7, 2026 at 6:17 PM
I just got 2 in the mail all set here in minneapolis
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
All I can say is that the Department of Defense is an institution that put visiting Turkish and Armenian officers at The Basic School at the same time 20 years ago. You'd think it's because someone never read a book, but sometimes it's done so perfectly you'd swear it was intentional.
February 7, 2026 at 6:13 PM
All I can say is that the Department of Defense is an institution that put visiting Turkish and Armenian officers at The Basic School at the same time 20 years ago. You'd think it's because someone never read a book, but sometimes it's done so perfectly you'd swear it was intentional.
Of course these are all the types who, if they saw the Actual Helen of Troy, would post comments like "meh, 6/10, pointy elbows, would not smash."
The unspoken logic is "the 'most beautiful woman in the world' would have to be white"
That's it. That's the logic.
That's it. That's the logic.
February 7, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Of course these are all the types who, if they saw the Actual Helen of Troy, would post comments like "meh, 6/10, pointy elbows, would not smash."
The US Army recruiting commercial with the 10th Mountain Division during a Winter Olympics is fine.
Highlighting fighting in Italy, against Italians (and Germans), during an Olympics in Italy? I'd say that's A Choice but honestly not sure the Pentagon is smart enough to have connected those dots.
Highlighting fighting in Italy, against Italians (and Germans), during an Olympics in Italy? I'd say that's A Choice but honestly not sure the Pentagon is smart enough to have connected those dots.
February 7, 2026 at 6:04 PM
The US Army recruiting commercial with the 10th Mountain Division during a Winter Olympics is fine.
Highlighting fighting in Italy, against Italians (and Germans), during an Olympics in Italy? I'd say that's A Choice but honestly not sure the Pentagon is smart enough to have connected those dots.
Highlighting fighting in Italy, against Italians (and Germans), during an Olympics in Italy? I'd say that's A Choice but honestly not sure the Pentagon is smart enough to have connected those dots.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
We made a clone of Eisenhower but removed the "lavender scare" tumor and he hates the CIA now, who's in?
February 7, 2026 at 5:48 PM
We made a clone of Eisenhower but removed the "lavender scare" tumor and he hates the CIA now, who's in?
Amazing.
In Minneapolis ordinary people with no connection whatsoever to Mexico are now flying Mexican flags, so ICE officers will waste hours pulling them over and questioning them. They call it "ICE fishing." H/t Mayra
February 7, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Amazing.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
Alabama’s past is America’s future. Ever met anyone who brags they voted for George Wallace?
February 7, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Alabama’s past is America’s future. Ever met anyone who brags they voted for George Wallace?
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
lol I don't think a lot of white people believe that Black people are reliable narrators of our own stories.
And IMO this comes from white people wanting to downplay how much anti-Black racism shapes Black people's lives.
And IMO this comes from white people wanting to downplay how much anti-Black racism shapes Black people's lives.
How do white people delude themselves into believing that they can identify anti-Black racism better than a Black person? Enough to refute the validity of a Black person’s claim of anti-Black racism??? Like…how does one get to that level of ability to lie to themselves?
February 7, 2026 at 2:57 PM
lol I don't think a lot of white people believe that Black people are reliable narrators of our own stories.
And IMO this comes from white people wanting to downplay how much anti-Black racism shapes Black people's lives.
And IMO this comes from white people wanting to downplay how much anti-Black racism shapes Black people's lives.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
One of my favourite moments in a museum was the label underneath a neolithic pot: 'c.4000-2500 BCE. Artist unknown.'
i think we all need to step back and realize that peak art was made when neolithic pot in the shape of a pig was fired
February 7, 2026 at 2:57 PM
One of my favourite moments in a museum was the label underneath a neolithic pot: 'c.4000-2500 BCE. Artist unknown.'
Something something warfighters
Acive duty military are being ordered to buy a ticket to Melania and watch it, whether they want to, or not. www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/mil...
Military Pressured to See ‘Melania’ Against Their Will
A military group has evidence of troops being ordered into theater—the movie theater.
www.thedailybeast.com
February 7, 2026 at 7:18 AM
Something something warfighters
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
It really pays to remind ourselves frequently that this whole immigration "crisis" is made up out of whole cloth. There was no emergency,danger or problem, only a demagogue stirring up racist grievances for political advantage.
February 7, 2026 at 3:38 AM
It really pays to remind ourselves frequently that this whole immigration "crisis" is made up out of whole cloth. There was no emergency,danger or problem, only a demagogue stirring up racist grievances for political advantage.
Fozzie as the Jon Favreau character in "Rudy"
OK, Link had an interesting twist on the standard Muppet prompt:
You can add one Muppet to an otherwise human live-action film. What movie and what Muppet?
You can add one Muppet to an otherwise human live-action film. What movie and what Muppet?
TIRED: Muppet Show with celeb special guest
INSPIRED: Muppet Show Inside The NBA.
INSPIRED: Muppet Show Inside The NBA.
February 7, 2026 at 2:57 AM
Fozzie as the Jon Favreau character in "Rudy"
Office Space.
Sam the Eagle as Lumbergh.
Sam the Eagle as Lumbergh.
OK, Link had an interesting twist on the standard Muppet prompt:
You can add one Muppet to an otherwise human live-action film. What movie and what Muppet?
You can add one Muppet to an otherwise human live-action film. What movie and what Muppet?
TIRED: Muppet Show with celeb special guest
INSPIRED: Muppet Show Inside The NBA.
INSPIRED: Muppet Show Inside The NBA.
February 7, 2026 at 2:51 AM
Office Space.
Sam the Eagle as Lumbergh.
Sam the Eagle as Lumbergh.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
2LT Snowbird “No, 1SG I’m not doing the cleaning detail, I don’t have to listen to you”.
We sprinted out of that room so fast.
We sprinted out of that room so fast.
February 7, 2026 at 1:08 AM
2LT Snowbird “No, 1SG I’m not doing the cleaning detail, I don’t have to listen to you”.
We sprinted out of that room so fast.
We sprinted out of that room so fast.
Some of y'all engaging with this lady's food takes again and I'm tapping the sign.
People with bad opinions have bad opinions across the spectrum.
February 7, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Some of y'all engaging with this lady's food takes again and I'm tapping the sign.
Make a warship mid:
IJN Shōkaku (小角, "little angle," vs.the actual characters 翔鶴, "soaring crane")
IJN Shōkaku (小角, "little angle," vs.the actual characters 翔鶴, "soaring crane")
Make a warship mid:
USS Microsoft Enterprise
USS Microsoft Enterprise
Make a warship mid:
HMS Strategic Victory
HMS Strategic Victory
February 6, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Make a warship mid:
IJN Shōkaku (小角, "little angle," vs.the actual characters 翔鶴, "soaring crane")
IJN Shōkaku (小角, "little angle," vs.the actual characters 翔鶴, "soaring crane")
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
Guffo, Le Monde
February 6, 2026 at 10:31 PM
Guffo, Le Monde
Ok but to be fair, who is to say that Ted Nugent *didn't*?
Kid Rock looks like if Ted Nugent mated with a Coors Light
February 6, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Ok but to be fair, who is to say that Ted Nugent *didn't*?
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
"traditional Eurocentric perspectives .. have tended to focus primarily on empires & imperial agency as the dominant analytical category. [This book argues] instead that environmental factors played a much greater role in influencing the formation of trade routes." link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Long-Distance Trade in the Ancient World
This book presents a novel perspective on long-distance trade in the ancient world that integrates network theory and environmental analysis
link.springer.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:33 PM
"traditional Eurocentric perspectives .. have tended to focus primarily on empires & imperial agency as the dominant analytical category. [This book argues] instead that environmental factors played a much greater role in influencing the formation of trade routes." link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
the experience of having a dance spectacle narrated by the sports team always makes me want an option to go to a ballet where you have, like, John McEnroe in an ear saying “I’m being told that this is Drossel… Drosselmeyer? ominous cape there! watch how he jumps on the clock! no capes in my day”
February 6, 2026 at 7:37 PM
the experience of having a dance spectacle narrated by the sports team always makes me want an option to go to a ballet where you have, like, John McEnroe in an ear saying “I’m being told that this is Drossel… Drosselmeyer? ominous cape there! watch how he jumps on the clock! no capes in my day”
JD Vance is VERY confused at the IOC president being an African blonde woman.
February 6, 2026 at 9:46 PM
JD Vance is VERY confused at the IOC president being an African blonde woman.
@cjzero.bsky.social By any chance did you get the Mongolia walk-in? If not no worries.
Googled, and no pics yet from the actual walk but found an article about them and yeah, this is going in my slide deck for Monday.
February 6, 2026 at 9:43 PM
@cjzero.bsky.social By any chance did you get the Mongolia walk-in? If not no worries.