Patrick Luck
@patrickluck.bsky.social
Historian of slavery in the lower Mississippi valley and early republic
Union president
Author of Replanting a Slave Society, https://upress.virginia.edu/title/5665/
Book review editor for H-Early-America
Union president
Author of Replanting a Slave Society, https://upress.virginia.edu/title/5665/
Book review editor for H-Early-America
Reposted by Patrick Luck
if Stephen Miller wasn’t currently supervising the ethnic cleansing of America, this would read as a bit
December 26, 2025 at 6:45 PM
if Stephen Miller wasn’t currently supervising the ethnic cleansing of America, this would read as a bit
Committees are Forever
Make a Bond movie academic
Tomorrow Never Hires
Tomorrow Never Hires
Make a Bond Movie academic
Best, Russia
Best, Russia
December 26, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Committees are Forever
Reposted by Patrick Luck
Make a Bond movie academic
No Time to Grade
Also:
The Syllabus Is Not Enough
No Time to Grade
Also:
The Syllabus Is Not Enough
December 26, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Make a Bond movie academic
No Time to Grade
Also:
The Syllabus Is Not Enough
No Time to Grade
Also:
The Syllabus Is Not Enough
Reposted by Patrick Luck
Make a Bond movie academic
Tomorrow Never Hires
Tomorrow Never Hires
Make a Bond Movie academic
Best, Russia
Best, Russia
Make a Bond movie casual
From Russia with Best Wishes
From Russia with Best Wishes
December 26, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Make a Bond movie academic
Tomorrow Never Hires
Tomorrow Never Hires
Reposted by Patrick Luck
See also the persistent anger among conservatives about seeing gay or interracial couples in TV commercials. The government doesn't decide what's on your TV, but to them "the government" is a parent-like concept that substitutes for anyone who runs anything in society
December 25, 2025 at 5:51 PM
See also the persistent anger among conservatives about seeing gay or interracial couples in TV commercials. The government doesn't decide what's on your TV, but to them "the government" is a parent-like concept that substitutes for anyone who runs anything in society
Reposted by Patrick Luck
Two stories side by side in WashPost
December 26, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Two stories side by side in WashPost
Academic freedom is functionally dead in Texas. Teach something the politicians don't like, and they'll fire you.
Texas A&M University will not reinstate a lecturer who was fired after a video of her teaching about gender identity in a children’s literature class went viral, despite a faculty appeals panel unanimously concluding that her dismissal was not justified.
Texas A&M won’t reinstate fired lecturer despite findings
A vice chancellor upheld the firing of Melissa McCoul, seen in a viral video being confronted by a student on her gender identity teachings, saying the termination was done with “good cause.”
www.texastribune.org
December 26, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Academic freedom is functionally dead in Texas. Teach something the politicians don't like, and they'll fire you.
Student response rates for end-of-term evaluations at our school have cratered over the last year or so. I wonder if that's true across higher ed.
December 26, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Student response rates for end-of-term evaluations at our school have cratered over the last year or so. I wonder if that's true across higher ed.
I worked in tech for a couple of years out of college. We had a woman who the managers loved b/c she worked all hours and churned out large amounts of product.
The rest of us spent a large amount of time cleaning up all the messes she made.
She got the promotion though!
The rest of us spent a large amount of time cleaning up all the messes she made.
She got the promotion though!
This, but also: people in tech know that every 10x developer has 10 people behind them cleaning up the mess they make.
People in tech talk about the idea of a “10x programmer” — someone whose work is worth that of 10 others. I get the impression Musk etc think they can apply it all over the federal workforce but like… there’s no such thing as a 10x ATC navigational aid maintenance worker. Some jobs just need people.
December 26, 2025 at 12:28 PM
I worked in tech for a couple of years out of college. We had a woman who the managers loved b/c she worked all hours and churned out large amounts of product.
The rest of us spent a large amount of time cleaning up all the messes she made.
She got the promotion though!
The rest of us spent a large amount of time cleaning up all the messes she made.
She got the promotion though!
Reposted by Patrick Luck
We have a big problem: the media and punditry are overrun by people who are driven almost entirely by a desire to appear "openminded" and "contrarian." In order to burnish that image, they seek out conservative takes to endorse, carefully choosing ones that don't seem too MAGA (and thus gauche).
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
Congratulations to Stephen Macedo & Frances Lee, whose book In Covid's Wake has been recognized as:
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
December 24, 2025 at 4:07 PM
We have a big problem: the media and punditry are overrun by people who are driven almost entirely by a desire to appear "openminded" and "contrarian." In order to burnish that image, they seek out conservative takes to endorse, carefully choosing ones that don't seem too MAGA (and thus gauche).
Reposted by Patrick Luck
This one is more about an archivist. When I first started researching my book I was at Tulane University and the archivist (a really old guy back in 2009) asked me what I was studying. I said "plantation agriculture." He responded, "Why would anyone want to study that?"
I think we need a mega thread of everyone's craziest archive stories.
December 24, 2025 at 11:13 AM
This one is more about an archivist. When I first started researching my book I was at Tulane University and the archivist (a really old guy back in 2009) asked me what I was studying. I said "plantation agriculture." He responded, "Why would anyone want to study that?"
What I think is unique about LLM-boosterism is how toxic it is. I honestly can't recall a tech where its supporters were so nasty towards skeptics.
AI critics: I don't think gAI is useful for x field/profession; in fact, it might be harmful, even
AI bros: you're just "stupid" "Anti-AI Luddites" who "can't read" and are "toxic" "troll brigades" (a selection of the fine epithets I have seen on here JUST THIS WEEKEND)
AI bros: you're just "stupid" "Anti-AI Luddites" who "can't read" and are "toxic" "troll brigades" (a selection of the fine epithets I have seen on here JUST THIS WEEKEND)
AI advocates: you really need to learn to stop coming off to subject matter experts in other fields as if you’re Kool-Aid manning into the room and going “you’re dumb not to use these tools for your trivially easy jobs”
you may think this is an unfair read on your intentions, but life is unfair.
you may think this is an unfair read on your intentions, but life is unfair.
December 24, 2025 at 11:03 AM
What I think is unique about LLM-boosterism is how toxic it is. I honestly can't recall a tech where its supporters were so nasty towards skeptics.
Reposted by Patrick Luck
Just the logical extension of "criticizing me is censorship" endorsed by the new york times, the atlantic, the Harper's letter writere, etc
The US State Department imposed visa sanctions on a former top European Union official and employees of organizations that combat disinformation for alleged censorship.
State Department imposes sanctions on former EU official, disinformation group leaders for ‘censorship’ | CNN Politics
The US State Department on Tuesday imposed visa sanctions on a former top European Union official and employees of organizations that combat disinformation for alleged censorship – sharply ratcheting ...
www.cnn.com
December 24, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Just the logical extension of "criticizing me is censorship" endorsed by the new york times, the atlantic, the Harper's letter writere, etc
It really is amazing what nonsense our elites are able to convince themselves of.
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
Congratulations to Stephen Macedo & Frances Lee, whose book In Covid's Wake has been recognized as:
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
December 24, 2025 at 10:44 AM
It really is amazing what nonsense our elites are able to convince themselves of.
Reposted by Patrick Luck
one of the worst things about this site are people who react to non-dooming as if it's helping Trump
like I don't work for the Democratic party. I just post. I'm not responsible for organizing political messaging against him. There's a whole ass party for that with millions of dollars
like I don't work for the Democratic party. I just post. I'm not responsible for organizing political messaging against him. There's a whole ass party for that with millions of dollars
December 23, 2025 at 3:56 PM
one of the worst things about this site are people who react to non-dooming as if it's helping Trump
like I don't work for the Democratic party. I just post. I'm not responsible for organizing political messaging against him. There's a whole ass party for that with millions of dollars
like I don't work for the Democratic party. I just post. I'm not responsible for organizing political messaging against him. There's a whole ass party for that with millions of dollars
This video shows that she doesn't even understand the purpose of an education. Just wild she would agree to say this on camera.
And all an indication that OU does not at all have its faculty back! She admits she didn't do the work!
And all an indication that OU does not at all have its faculty back! She admits she didn't do the work!
Worth noting that the student admits that she just threw the thing together in 30 minutes without reading the paper she was supposed to be responding to.
December 23, 2025 at 2:31 PM
This video shows that she doesn't even understand the purpose of an education. Just wild she would agree to say this on camera.
And all an indication that OU does not at all have its faculty back! She admits she didn't do the work!
And all an indication that OU does not at all have its faculty back! She admits she didn't do the work!
Not crazy, but amusing. I was working through some letters to Thomas Jefferson, and the handwriting was godawful.
The collection had a copy of a Jefferson response to the writer in which Jefferson basically wrote: "Your handwriting is godawful. You need to work on it!"
The collection had a copy of a Jefferson response to the writer in which Jefferson basically wrote: "Your handwriting is godawful. You need to work on it!"
I think we need a mega thread of everyone's craziest archive stories.
December 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Not crazy, but amusing. I was working through some letters to Thomas Jefferson, and the handwriting was godawful.
The collection had a copy of a Jefferson response to the writer in which Jefferson basically wrote: "Your handwriting is godawful. You need to work on it!"
The collection had a copy of a Jefferson response to the writer in which Jefferson basically wrote: "Your handwriting is godawful. You need to work on it!"
It feels like they are so enamored by celebrity that they can't actually identify competent, talented people.
The things is, I'm sure there are plenty of competent, talented people who are willing to do what they want.
The things is, I'm sure there are plenty of competent, talented people who are willing to do what they want.
i think this is exactly right. she was hired to be a regime censor but that requires a bit of real skill and finesse to pull of successfully and she has neither.
Weiss is simply not talented enough to pull this off.
December 23, 2025 at 2:26 AM
It feels like they are so enamored by celebrity that they can't actually identify competent, talented people.
The things is, I'm sure there are plenty of competent, talented people who are willing to do what they want.
The things is, I'm sure there are plenty of competent, talented people who are willing to do what they want.
As a point of clarity, growing up in the small town South in the 1980s I honestly hardly ever encountered anti-Semitism. I did encounter anti-Catholicism and a lot of anti-Mormonism.
One has to wonder when they will feel comfortable enough to start expressing their anti-Catholicism. There's no way the evangelicals have truly moved on from that.
Or anti-Mormonism for that matter.
Or anti-Mormonism for that matter.
Folks, you can’t have Christian Nationalism without the antisemitism. It’s a central tenet of the ideology. The fact some of these Jewish Heritage folks are just realizing this is wild to me.
December 23, 2025 at 2:13 AM
As a point of clarity, growing up in the small town South in the 1980s I honestly hardly ever encountered anti-Semitism. I did encounter anti-Catholicism and a lot of anti-Mormonism.
One has to wonder when they will feel comfortable enough to start expressing their anti-Catholicism. There's no way the evangelicals have truly moved on from that.
Or anti-Mormonism for that matter.
Or anti-Mormonism for that matter.
Folks, you can’t have Christian Nationalism without the antisemitism. It’s a central tenet of the ideology. The fact some of these Jewish Heritage folks are just realizing this is wild to me.
December 23, 2025 at 2:11 AM
One has to wonder when they will feel comfortable enough to start expressing their anti-Catholicism. There's no way the evangelicals have truly moved on from that.
Or anti-Mormonism for that matter.
Or anti-Mormonism for that matter.
It's gauche to be associated with the pig people.
A corollary to this is that they assume since "someone like me" believes some conservative belief it must be the case that the pig people do even if they actually don't.
A corollary to this is that they assume since "someone like me" believes some conservative belief it must be the case that the pig people do even if they actually don't.
A bit of a detour, but this made me think about what endlessly fascinates me about Weiss and people like her is how they take conservative positions on most things and yet refuse to describe themselves as conservatives— out of what I suspect is mainly classism
The most impressive thing about Bari is her ability to violate ethical principles while indignantly claiming to defend them.
December 22, 2025 at 9:58 PM
It's gauche to be associated with the pig people.
A corollary to this is that they assume since "someone like me" believes some conservative belief it must be the case that the pig people do even if they actually don't.
A corollary to this is that they assume since "someone like me" believes some conservative belief it must be the case that the pig people do even if they actually don't.
I thought the first Avatar was too long and boring, and I'm not particularly interested in seeing more. That's all I really have to say about that.
December 22, 2025 at 6:06 PM
I thought the first Avatar was too long and boring, and I'm not particularly interested in seeing more. That's all I really have to say about that.
Reposted by Patrick Luck
The entire american "free speech" panic was about elites being criticized, which is why anyone who ever took it seriously should be ignored forever
Freedom of speech, in the liberal ideal, was about limiting the power of the elites.
Now, in this twisted form, it is about forcing us to listen to elites and silencing the masses.
Now, in this twisted form, it is about forcing us to listen to elites and silencing the masses.
Total gaslighting. Anti-trans activist; chooses to speak in person, provoking students who want to protect trans rights; they exercise their freedom of speech to tell her she isn't wanted; she gets to speak anyway; the BBC dutifully platforms her again; and now she threatens to sue everyone.
December 22, 2025 at 8:22 AM
The entire american "free speech" panic was about elites being criticized, which is why anyone who ever took it seriously should be ignored forever