Michael Patterson
@proportionwheel.bsky.social
Old Grump, FKA Proportionwheel. I have decided the times require me to own what I say.
Artist who did graphic design for money, now making art again and bringing in no money. Grandpa, Left-liberal politics, amateur telescope maker, pretty decent cook.
Artist who did graphic design for money, now making art again and bringing in no money. Grandpa, Left-liberal politics, amateur telescope maker, pretty decent cook.
Pinned
Fair notice: I do not follow back accounts that follow thousands, have hundreds of “follow backs,” but no posts or replies.
I no way is this a criticism of the folks below.
But I hope someone is doing something for the guy who lives in his car.
But I hope someone is doing something for the guy who lives in his car.
@hollyanderson.bsky.social: would you be so kind as to send a DM? A kind hearted, but petite, neighbor agreed to foster a not quite 1 year old bloodhound. The owner is living in his car & it was take the dog or… I’ve just spent 90 minutes doing leash work & exercise, but he needs a real foster org.
January 13, 2026 at 2:41 AM
I no way is this a criticism of the folks below.
But I hope someone is doing something for the guy who lives in his car.
But I hope someone is doing something for the guy who lives in his car.
depending on the time period in my life here, the Winooski or the Black.
My favorite Twitter prompt was "RT this with your home river," so reskeet this with your home river.
Mine is the Patuxent.
Mine is the Patuxent.
January 13, 2026 at 2:14 AM
depending on the time period in my life here, the Winooski or the Black.
It amazes me that peoples’ life experience ought to teach them something about how change happens—i.e. NOT because you change one magic thing and everything falls into place, BUT because of a complex interacting social and political evolution. @jamellebouie.net gets this; his critics here don’t.
January 12, 2026 at 11:29 PM
It amazes me that peoples’ life experience ought to teach them something about how change happens—i.e. NOT because you change one magic thing and everything falls into place, BUT because of a complex interacting social and political evolution. @jamellebouie.net gets this; his critics here don’t.
The Powell statement strengthens my feeling that this weekend marks a turning point. I hope it encourages others in positions of respect and responsibility. But daunting, the work that will need to be done. Courage.
January 12, 2026 at 3:54 AM
The Powell statement strengthens my feeling that this weekend marks a turning point. I hope it encourages others in positions of respect and responsibility. But daunting, the work that will need to be done. Courage.
“He's stealing from the American people.”
This is the correct framing. I hope we hear a lot more of this from Democratic politicians.
This is the correct framing. I hope we hear a lot more of this from Democratic politicians.
WELKER: Has the president crossed the line of impeachment?
CHRIS MURPHY: I have common sense. I know this president has committed 10 times more impeachable offenses in his second term as he did in his first. He's stealing from the American people.
CHRIS MURPHY: I have common sense. I know this president has committed 10 times more impeachable offenses in his second term as he did in his first. He's stealing from the American people.
January 11, 2026 at 4:16 PM
“He's stealing from the American people.”
This is the correct framing. I hope we hear a lot more of this from Democratic politicians.
This is the correct framing. I hope we hear a lot more of this from Democratic politicians.
Reposted by Michael Patterson
Excellent thread
Every ICE agent I’ve seen has been a doughy insecure mess who needs to cosplay soldier to feel strong. If that’s what you think is “physically confident” or “masculine,” woo boy do we have some issues.
That actually kind of sounds like your fantasy, Naomi.
January 10, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Excellent thread
Reposted by Michael Patterson
There are Trump voters in "blue states" and Democrats in "red states."
Trump's actions against Minnesota are against all of us. Keep that in mind as things play out.
Trump's actions against Minnesota are against all of us. Keep that in mind as things play out.
January 10, 2026 at 4:11 AM
There are Trump voters in "blue states" and Democrats in "red states."
Trump's actions against Minnesota are against all of us. Keep that in mind as things play out.
Trump's actions against Minnesota are against all of us. Keep that in mind as things play out.
At some point months ago, I turned off autoplay and stopped watching videos of people getting killed, for my own self-preservation. I’ll take the word of stronger, smarter folks I’ve read online for decades. Thanks to those who could weather it, and a stink-eye to the posters of bloody screenshots.
January 9, 2026 at 11:32 PM
At some point months ago, I turned off autoplay and stopped watching videos of people getting killed, for my own self-preservation. I’ll take the word of stronger, smarter folks I’ve read online for decades. Thanks to those who could weather it, and a stink-eye to the posters of bloody screenshots.
Reposted by Michael Patterson
That's why they do campaigns, to make it look like they have a much stronger force. But there are far more decent people. Renee Nicole Good was one of the decent people.
The number of Gestapo in Germany was 32,000. The population was 70 million. That's one Gestapo for every 2200 citizens.
The number of ICE agents is 20,000. The population of the US is 348 million. That's one ICE agent for every 17,000 citizens.
There are more of us.
The number of ICE agents is 20,000. The population of the US is 348 million. That's one ICE agent for every 17,000 citizens.
There are more of us.
January 9, 2026 at 1:46 AM
That's why they do campaigns, to make it look like they have a much stronger force. But there are far more decent people. Renee Nicole Good was one of the decent people.
I looked up a word and on a sidebar at Merriam-Webster was this, which I thought was sort of interesting but also somewhat mystifying.
![MW Top Lookups [refreshes every 30 seconds or so]
1. Chargoggagoggmanchaug...
2. file
3. gaslighting
4. fah
5. fascism
6. Amerika
7. OK](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fnhiz7hxwagvu5elh6sojspx/bafkreiawsdlwfxshfzdvlmln73e44ntpa6nqfqgibouh3i3jhtmoq5t3la@jpeg)
January 8, 2026 at 11:25 PM
I looked up a word and on a sidebar at Merriam-Webster was this, which I thought was sort of interesting but also somewhat mystifying.
Reposted by Michael Patterson
I don't wanna hear another fucking word about Ashli Babbitt from you MAGA pukes.
January 7, 2026 at 10:41 PM
I don't wanna hear another fucking word about Ashli Babbitt from you MAGA pukes.
was just thinking I wonder what Adam Silverman thinks about [waves arms wildly in all directions] and went looking and…he’s no longer here? I must have missed something that happened.
January 7, 2026 at 3:53 PM
was just thinking I wonder what Adam Silverman thinks about [waves arms wildly in all directions] and went looking and…he’s no longer here? I must have missed something that happened.
I try not to be a doomer, but this nags at me: if Trumpists wanted to foment a world war, what would they do differently?
January 6, 2026 at 3:33 PM
I try not to be a doomer, but this nags at me: if Trumpists wanted to foment a world war, what would they do differently?
I finally got back to this tab and listened to this, and holy shit. Tapper has a lot of trouble controlling his facial expression.
MILLER: The US is using its military to secure our interests unapologetically in our hemisphere. We're a superpower. It's absurd we'd allow a nation in our backyard to become a supplier of resources to our adversaries
TAPPER: Sovereign countries shouldn't be able to do what they want?
M: *yells*
TAPPER: Sovereign countries shouldn't be able to do what they want?
M: *yells*
January 6, 2026 at 1:49 AM
I finally got back to this tab and listened to this, and holy shit. Tapper has a lot of trouble controlling his facial expression.
The crack in the asphalt that caught my bicycle tire
Introduce yourself with what almost killed you.
Hydrogen sulfide.
Hydrogen sulfide.
introduce yourself with what almost killed you.
The Haw river in Chatham county North Carolina
The Haw river in Chatham county North Carolina
January 5, 2026 at 5:21 PM
The crack in the asphalt that caught my bicycle tire
Reposting because it really is pretty interesting—and note: it was published in mid-October 2025.
And lo and behold, from the Miami Herald about how Rodriguez pulled off her coup and played Trump for a fool.
This also explains why Marco Rubio looks like such an ignorant, flailing little bitch right now. Because he is.
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
This also explains why Marco Rubio looks like such an ignorant, flailing little bitch right now. Because he is.
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
January 4, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Reposting because it really is pretty interesting—and note: it was published in mid-October 2025.
I only have mental bandwidth for one social media site; currently it’s this one. I only use my “following” feed, which is not indiscriminate, but I still must make allowances for the bubble aspect here. It is real and worrisome. Comforting or validating distortions get passed around endlessly.
So, I watched a lot more network news (CNN, CBS) yesterday than I normally do, and I am saddened to report that folks who get their impression of how the networks covered this attack from Bluesky are… badly misinformed.
January 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
I only have mental bandwidth for one social media site; currently it’s this one. I only use my “following” feed, which is not indiscriminate, but I still must make allowances for the bubble aspect here. It is real and worrisome. Comforting or validating distortions get passed around endlessly.
Reposted by Michael Patterson
No one believes this. We don't, they don't, even their supporters don't. There's no point on having these guys on to tell lies that no one believes and not push back.
WELKER: If the purpose of the operation was to capture Maduro and bring him to justice, why does the US need to take over the Venezuela oil industry?
RUBIO: Well, we don't *need* to. We have plenty of oil in the US. We want to see the oil proceeds of the country benefit the people of Venezuela.
RUBIO: Well, we don't *need* to. We have plenty of oil in the US. We want to see the oil proceeds of the country benefit the people of Venezuela.
January 4, 2026 at 3:50 PM
No one believes this. We don't, they don't, even their supporters don't. There's no point on having these guys on to tell lies that no one believes and not push back.
What are the chances of actually convicting the man? Shaky, I suspect. A little surprised they didn’t just extra-judicially pack him off to Guantanamo.
Clinton appointee Judge Alvin Hellerstein has Maduro’s case. Last spring, he barred the Trump admin from removing Venezuelans from the US under the Alien Enemies Act, which he said had been applied unlawfully
“These people are being thrown out of the country because of tattoos”
“These people are being thrown out of the country because of tattoos”
Happening now: From the bench, Judge Alvin Hellerstein indicates he’ll extend a TRO barring removals of Venezuelans detained in SDNY under the Alien Enemies Act. Detailing horrific conditions at CECOT, he partly cited the likelihood of irreparable harm.
“What way is that to treat a (human) being?”
“What way is that to treat a (human) being?”
January 3, 2026 at 6:49 PM
What are the chances of actually convicting the man? Shaky, I suspect. A little surprised they didn’t just extra-judicially pack him off to Guantanamo.
Each day a new challenge to my ability to maintain some sort of cognitive and emotional equilibrium.
January 3, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Each day a new challenge to my ability to maintain some sort of cognitive and emotional equilibrium.
Wood stove has achieved satori.
[no visible flame, just red glow, and radiating major heat]
[no visible flame, just red glow, and radiating major heat]
January 2, 2026 at 2:59 AM
Wood stove has achieved satori.
[no visible flame, just red glow, and radiating major heat]
[no visible flame, just red glow, and radiating major heat]
The next not-republican President, should we ever get one, should sign in on a copy of the Constitution, as amended.
Ok, everyone, what book is sacred enough to you to get sworn in on?
Strange takes on Mayor Zamdani swearing his oath on the Qu’ran. It has nothing to do with church & state. The point of the oath is for the person swearing in to do so upon some text that is sacred TO THEM. Some Presidents swore in w/o any book. John Quincy Adams was sworn on a law book. His choice.
January 2, 2026 at 2:34 AM
The next not-republican President, should we ever get one, should sign in on a copy of the Constitution, as amended.