The Questionable Authority
@questauthority.bsky.social
Father, Army Husband (Ret.), lawyer. KUSK alum; public servant. Litigation disaster tour guide. Odd Fellow (and odd fellow). Proud member of the terminally online community since 1993. he/him
Pinned
Jn 11:35
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
I've seen a bunch of this online, mostly from people less credible than Stancil. I've been a union organizer for almost 30 years and worked on every election in that time period. (I also voted for Harris and protested the genocide.) Posts like this fail to grasp 3 universal truths about elections.
The reason people are concerned about lefties saying “I won’t vote for a moderate Dem” isn’t because they want Newsom. It’s because lefties keep not voting for moderate Dems!
I think all the scolding about it being years til the primary would hit a little harder if WE DIDN’T JUST GO THROUGH THIS
I think all the scolding about it being years til the primary would hit a little harder if WE DIDN’T JUST GO THROUGH THIS
February 17, 2026 at 2:49 AM
I've seen a bunch of this online, mostly from people less credible than Stancil. I've been a union organizer for almost 30 years and worked on every election in that time period. (I also voted for Harris and protested the genocide.) Posts like this fail to grasp 3 universal truths about elections.
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
2) Voters are ideologically incoherent. The number of voters who vote on the basis of anything that could be called a Leftist ideology is negligible. Overly loud, but tiny. The bigger block is people who will vote for Democrats or not at all. Those people aren't leftists.
February 17, 2026 at 2:51 AM
2) Voters are ideologically incoherent. The number of voters who vote on the basis of anything that could be called a Leftist ideology is negligible. Overly loud, but tiny. The bigger block is people who will vote for Democrats or not at all. Those people aren't leftists.
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
My favorite part…
February 17, 2026 at 1:12 AM
My favorite part…
Weird is an understatement on this one.
The law is weird!
Here’s a Brooklyn judge saying murder isn’t a “crime of violence.”
It’s always a wild ride when a ruling has a subsection, “The History of Murder.”
Thanks to @kenwhite.bsky.social for providing the expert quotes to help pull this together.
www.nydailynews.com/2026/02/16/m...
Here’s a Brooklyn judge saying murder isn’t a “crime of violence.”
It’s always a wild ride when a ruling has a subsection, “The History of Murder.”
Thanks to @kenwhite.bsky.social for providing the expert quotes to help pull this together.
www.nydailynews.com/2026/02/16/m...
Murder not a ‘crime of violence,’ Brooklyn federal judge rules in terrorism case
Because the federal first-degree murder statute allows for unintentional and accidental killings, murder can’t strictly be called an act of violence, the judge ruled.
www.nydailynews.com
February 17, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Weird is an understatement on this one.
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
Only if you let it.
I know that people see “folks just want a break” as a political/social question, but longtime followers are gonna know where my pivot is: this is very much a technology issue!
if the telegram caused global news, and radio caused global human community, the Internet has functionally erased “breaks”
if the telegram caused global news, and radio caused global human community, the Internet has functionally erased “breaks”
I think it is a real struggle for the modern moment, in that the push for progress over the centuries has mostly been done by people who were “existentially involved” in matters, but we have a baseline expectation that political life is not to be existentially demanding.
February 16, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Only if you let it.
Only if you let it.
I know that people see “folks just want a break” as a political/social question, but longtime followers are gonna know where my pivot is: this is very much a technology issue!
if the telegram caused global news, and radio caused global human community, the Internet has functionally erased “breaks”
if the telegram caused global news, and radio caused global human community, the Internet has functionally erased “breaks”
I think it is a real struggle for the modern moment, in that the push for progress over the centuries has mostly been done by people who were “existentially involved” in matters, but we have a baseline expectation that political life is not to be existentially demanding.
February 16, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Only if you let it.
Book reviews are quintessential opinion. It is very difficult to create plausible scenarios in which a book review becomes actionable defamation.
I think any future negative review of Sanford's book that Sharp writes or publishes will plausibly be actionable.
I think any future negative review of Sanford's book that Sharp writes or publishes will plausibly be actionable.
Book club scams are now threatening authors who don't fall for their BS. In December, I received an email from Herry Sharp, so-called CEO of "Super Book Lover Curator" praising my novella We Who Hunt Alexanders.
Totally AI-generated and a scam so I didn't respond.
Now Herry is threatening me. 1/
Totally AI-generated and a scam so I didn't respond.
Now Herry is threatening me. 1/
February 16, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Book reviews are quintessential opinion. It is very difficult to create plausible scenarios in which a book review becomes actionable defamation.
I think any future negative review of Sanford's book that Sharp writes or publishes will plausibly be actionable.
I think any future negative review of Sanford's book that Sharp writes or publishes will plausibly be actionable.
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
James, you twerp! What part of William Gibson’s ouvre left you thinking he yearns for simple, techno-optimistic tales where markets and scientists produce a future of abundant human flourishing?
DO YOU EVEN READ SCIFI, BRO?
DO YOU EVEN READ SCIFI, BRO?
February 16, 2026 at 3:57 PM
James, you twerp! What part of William Gibson’s ouvre left you thinking he yearns for simple, techno-optimistic tales where markets and scientists produce a future of abundant human flourishing?
DO YOU EVEN READ SCIFI, BRO?
DO YOU EVEN READ SCIFI, BRO?
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
I’m not misunderstanding him. I’m just choosing not to think like a fucking child here.
“Up Wing” isn’t actually about optimistic vibes and innovation. It’s about who should wield power, and who should be rendered powerless.
He wants us to give “innovators” free rein to do whatever they want.
“Up Wing” isn’t actually about optimistic vibes and innovation. It’s about who should wield power, and who should be rendered powerless.
He wants us to give “innovators” free rein to do whatever they want.
February 16, 2026 at 3:39 PM
I’m not misunderstanding him. I’m just choosing not to think like a fucking child here.
“Up Wing” isn’t actually about optimistic vibes and innovation. It’s about who should wield power, and who should be rendered powerless.
He wants us to give “innovators” free rein to do whatever they want.
“Up Wing” isn’t actually about optimistic vibes and innovation. It’s about who should wield power, and who should be rendered powerless.
He wants us to give “innovators” free rein to do whatever they want.
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
James Pethokoukis makes Bret Stephens look like a deep and original thinker.
This is just so bleak.
This is just so bleak.
February 15, 2026 at 3:26 AM
James Pethokoukis makes Bret Stephens look like a deep and original thinker.
This is just so bleak.
This is just so bleak.
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
(If you’re thinking “hey, that sounds kind of Abundance-coded,” you are not wrong.)
February 14, 2026 at 7:14 PM
(If you’re thinking “hey, that sounds kind of Abundance-coded,” you are not wrong.)
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
#lawsky we need your help. The deluge of insane legal news is hard to keep up with and we could really use more senior level people willing to donate 3-5 hours a week editing profiles so we can build this out.
If you're willing, please reach out
If you're willing, please reach out
We are looking for volunteer Senior Legal Editors/Researchers to help us expand the Government Lawyers Database.
Please check out the call for volunteers here:
www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...
Please check out the call for volunteers here:
www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...
GLOW - Government Lawyers Oversight Watchdog hiring Senior Legal Editors/Researchers (volunteer position) in United States | LinkedIn
Posted 9:08:36 PM. Company DescriptionGLOW - Government Lawyers Oversight Watchdog is dedicated to enhancing public…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.
www.linkedin.com
February 15, 2026 at 10:37 PM
#lawsky we need your help. The deluge of insane legal news is hard to keep up with and we could really use more senior level people willing to donate 3-5 hours a week editing profiles so we can build this out.
If you're willing, please reach out
If you're willing, please reach out
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
BlueAnon (the putatively liberal version of QAnon) is 100% a thing and it’s important for us to acknowledge that and try to root it out.
February 16, 2026 at 1:45 PM
BlueAnon (the putatively liberal version of QAnon) is 100% a thing and it’s important for us to acknowledge that and try to root it out.
Ok, so for clarity - the issue here was use by the client, not use by the attorneys.
Hi attorneys! Want to not be able to get to sleep tonight? Here's Judge Rakoff (probably the single most well-respected judge in SDNY) saying that the use of AI destroys both attorney-client privilege and work-product privilege.
incamera.ai
February 14, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Ok, so for clarity - the issue here was use by the client, not use by the attorneys.
Ohboy
Hi attorneys! Want to not be able to get to sleep tonight? Here's Judge Rakoff (probably the single most well-respected judge in SDNY) saying that the use of AI destroys both attorney-client privilege and work-product privilege.
incamera.ai
February 14, 2026 at 5:33 AM
Ohboy
The Flying Honu apparently isn't today. #avgeek #planespotting
February 14, 2026 at 1:58 AM
The Flying Honu apparently isn't today. #avgeek #planespotting
Bluesky.
I now have people asking me how dare I insult Ilia and ALSO why I’m calling Ilia out for his hubris but not Donald Trump so that’s cool.
February 14, 2026 at 1:52 AM
Bluesky.
My son does airplane turnaround servicing work. Its a way harder job than you'd think, especially given how short turnaround times are.
On the seat is better for them than in the seatback pocket, but throwing away your own trash is by far the best choice you can make.
On the seat is better for them than in the seatback pocket, but throwing away your own trash is by far the best choice you can make.
may have just scolded the lady next to me on this flight for leaving her trash in the seat right before we deplaned. “i don’t think you should leave your trash.” “who cares what you think” [observes she has a copy of the new york times in her hands]
February 13, 2026 at 10:00 PM
My son does airplane turnaround servicing work. Its a way harder job than you'd think, especially given how short turnaround times are.
On the seat is better for them than in the seatback pocket, but throwing away your own trash is by far the best choice you can make.
On the seat is better for them than in the seatback pocket, but throwing away your own trash is by far the best choice you can make.
A beautiful aloha Friday morning.
February 13, 2026 at 5:10 PM
A beautiful aloha Friday morning.
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
kind of funny that an olympian said they are here to represent "compassion, respect, and love for others" and some people automatically knew that was a statement against them
February 7, 2026 at 10:25 PM
kind of funny that an olympian said they are here to represent "compassion, respect, and love for others" and some people automatically knew that was a statement against them
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
The people of Minnesota demonstrate that compassion is the foundation of true courage.
That's why I wrote my book--the political is a consequence of the spiritual formation of people:
wipfandstock.com/979838525620...
That's why I wrote my book--the political is a consequence of the spiritual formation of people:
wipfandstock.com/979838525620...
February 13, 2026 at 3:52 PM
The people of Minnesota demonstrate that compassion is the foundation of true courage.
That's why I wrote my book--the political is a consequence of the spiritual formation of people:
wipfandstock.com/979838525620...
That's why I wrote my book--the political is a consequence of the spiritual formation of people:
wipfandstock.com/979838525620...
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
My takeaway is the artist was told to draw painstakingly draw each hair in Platner's beard and then what they thought someone called Jasmine Crockett would look like
A base that has long made pragmatic, sober decisions appears increasingly attracted to charismatic outsiders who promise to break from the party’s failures of the last decade. They see their party’s leaders as feckless and inept.
It’s the Democratic Tea Party, with a twist. trib.al/mC5cBDA
It’s the Democratic Tea Party, with a twist. trib.al/mC5cBDA
February 13, 2026 at 2:11 PM
My takeaway is the artist was told to draw painstakingly draw each hair in Platner's beard and then what they thought someone called Jasmine Crockett would look like
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
a very persistent thing on here is
poster a: untrue claim about a political figure - often a justly dislikable or objectionable one
poster b: correction of untrue claim
poster a: oh so you support them
it's part of the general comprehension collapse but it's a distinct dynamic.
poster a: untrue claim about a political figure - often a justly dislikable or objectionable one
poster b: correction of untrue claim
poster a: oh so you support them
it's part of the general comprehension collapse but it's a distinct dynamic.
i have never supported Gavin Newsom in any election and hopefully i never will
February 13, 2026 at 3:43 PM
a very persistent thing on here is
poster a: untrue claim about a political figure - often a justly dislikable or objectionable one
poster b: correction of untrue claim
poster a: oh so you support them
it's part of the general comprehension collapse but it's a distinct dynamic.
poster a: untrue claim about a political figure - often a justly dislikable or objectionable one
poster b: correction of untrue claim
poster a: oh so you support them
it's part of the general comprehension collapse but it's a distinct dynamic.
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
At Law Dork, a big report on documents filed by DOJ in the Minnesota refugee case overnight: www.lawdork.com/p/uscis-refu...
Exclusive: DHS based its newest refugee attack on a Trump proclamation that stated it would not apply to refugees
New documents filed in a key refugee case in Minnesota shed light on a broad, aggressive plan to review all refugees admitted since the start of the Biden administration.
www.lawdork.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:17 PM
At Law Dork, a big report on documents filed by DOJ in the Minnesota refugee case overnight: www.lawdork.com/p/uscis-refu...
Reposted by The Questionable Authority
I mean this is just like the time somebody misplaced Pete Hegseth’s special sippy cup
February 13, 2026 at 3:16 PM
I mean this is just like the time somebody misplaced Pete Hegseth’s special sippy cup