Rob von Thaden
@rvontha.bsky.social
Denizen of the North Coast who cogitates about cognition, sacred texts, and other sundries. Should be writing about Galatians. (Views are my own)
I‘m sorry if economists don‘t wanna read but if that‘s your attitude in the humanities may I suggest a career change
„In research, AI has begun to revolutionise the literature review process, potentially unlocking huge amounts of time for new discovery.“
November 11, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
In interviews w/ Black mediamakers for my forthcoming book the observation that “woke” was a new stand-in/scare word for “communist” came up a lot. I began those interviews in Jan 2021. This piece is important AND we have to acknowledge how much of the play book was already in play before Jan 2025.
Over the last 10 months, the federal government has cracked down on political expression with a persistence and viciousness reminiscent of some of the darkest periods of U.S. history. Welcome to the Third Red Scare.
The First Amendment Won’t Go Quietly
Welcome to the third Red Scare.
www.theatlantic.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:12 PM
In interviews w/ Black mediamakers for my forthcoming book the observation that “woke” was a new stand-in/scare word for “communist” came up a lot. I began those interviews in Jan 2021. This piece is important AND we have to acknowledge how much of the play book was already in play before Jan 2025.
Every time you capitulate to a bully, they'll come back at you twice as brutally.
If you didn't learn this life lesson in third grade, GTFO of the US Senate.
If you didn't learn this life lesson in third grade, GTFO of the US Senate.
November 10, 2025 at 11:06 PM
I got this useful bon mot from a middle school teacher recently.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
November 10, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
apparently the unprecedented wealth and inflcuence big tech is amassing at the cost of the most marginalised is not enough. big tech ceos are not that different from drug cartels
www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
EU set to water down landmark AI Act after pressure from big tech
European Commission proposes pauses to provisions in digital rule book amid concerns over implications for EU competitiveness
www.irishtimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:29 PM
apparently the unprecedented wealth and inflcuence big tech is amassing at the cost of the most marginalised is not enough. big tech ceos are not that different from drug cartels
www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
The University of California, Davis invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor of African American, African Diaspora and/or African Studies to begin July 1, 2026.
recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07406?utm...
recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07406?utm...
Assistant Professor of African American, African Diasporic, and/or African Studies,
University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ucdavis.edu
November 10, 2025 at 7:30 PM
The University of California, Davis invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor of African American, African Diaspora and/or African Studies to begin July 1, 2026.
recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07406?utm...
recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07406?utm...
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
It felt so good to have hope for... 5 minutes
November 10, 2025 at 1:25 AM
It felt so good to have hope for... 5 minutes
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
Hang on, when did reading become so performative?
November 10, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Hang on, when did reading become so performative?
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
I'm featured in Publisher's Weekly in the ramp-up to the #AARSBL book panel. If you're in Boston for the annual meeting, please come by.
AAR/SBL 2025: Changing People, Changing Worlds
Yale University religious studies scholar Yii-Jan Lin sees parallels between immigration stories and the Book of Revelation.
www.publishersweekly.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:11 PM
I'm featured in Publisher's Weekly in the ramp-up to the #AARSBL book panel. If you're in Boston for the annual meeting, please come by.
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
listen, you'll want this for sometime today, so here you go, a song of lost things lost, fortune's terrible deal:
youtu.be/FuzTkGyxkYI?...
youtu.be/FuzTkGyxkYI?...
Gordon Lightfoot - Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Gordon Lightfoot
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 1:38 PM
listen, you'll want this for sometime today, so here you go, a song of lost things lost, fortune's terrible deal:
youtu.be/FuzTkGyxkYI?...
youtu.be/FuzTkGyxkYI?...
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
I think a lot of the anger this morning stems from a feeling that we did our part, but they did not do theirs. This is an oversimplification, but my dudes, no wonder people are like, “OK, let’s try the democratic socialist, then.”
November 10, 2025 at 12:07 PM
I think a lot of the anger this morning stems from a feeling that we did our part, but they did not do theirs. This is an oversimplification, but my dudes, no wonder people are like, “OK, let’s try the democratic socialist, then.”
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
Our review forum of Yosefa Raz's _The Poetics of Prophecy_ continues with a contribution from Raphael Magarik. www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2025/11/2/review-of-yosefa-raz-the-poetics-of-prophec
Weak Prophecy As A Critique of Just-So Secularization Stories — ANCIENT JEW REVIEW
First, she argues that this distinction is not a historical shift from one sort of texts to another, but rather as a persistent, transhistorical tension, found both in biblical prophecies like Isaiah…
www.ancientjewreview.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Our review forum of Yosefa Raz's _The Poetics of Prophecy_ continues with a contribution from Raphael Magarik. www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2025/11/2/review-of-yosefa-raz-the-poetics-of-prophec
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
Remember when some of us said the Democratic leadership would take all the wrong lessons from the blue tsunami and squander all the goodwill?
Here you go.
Here you go.
November 10, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Remember when some of us said the Democratic leadership would take all the wrong lessons from the blue tsunami and squander all the goodwill?
Here you go.
Here you go.
the minute flights got canceled, Dems folded like a house of cards, leaving me to wonder why the fuck this post made some of you so angry
not enough chatter about how frequently members fly and how attacking airport capacity directly affects them in a way that cutting SNAP does not
November 10, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
I don’t think this is chess. I think this is as straight forward as it looks.
November 10, 2025 at 1:45 AM
I don’t think this is chess. I think this is as straight forward as it looks.
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
Who could have possibly predicted that when major sports sacrificed their credibility to cash in on gambling, it would lead to betting scandals?
MLB pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz charged with taking bribes to rig pitches for bettors
Two Major League Baseball pitchers have been indicted on charges they took bribes to give sports bettors advance notice of the types of pitches they’d throw and intentionally tossed balls instead of s...
apnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Who could have possibly predicted that when major sports sacrificed their credibility to cash in on gambling, it would lead to betting scandals?
I spent a good chunk of the past 11 months angry, angry at what this regime is doing to this country.
But im feeling levels of unbridled rage that I have not felt in years after watching the democrats negate their biggest win in years with a deal that gives the regime an even bigger victory
But im feeling levels of unbridled rage that I have not felt in years after watching the democrats negate their biggest win in years with a deal that gives the regime an even bigger victory
November 10, 2025 at 3:35 AM
The model of holding individual senators responsible is broken here. The retirees clearly agreed to take the fall. Which is why the nos should get no credit for voting no unless they move to oust Schumer
November 10, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
I can only speak for myself here, but let me be clear. IDGAF about your career or its longevity as a pol. I just don’t. I am hiring you to do a job. I am voting for policy, not for you personally. You can either deliver on that, or at least endeavor to, or you can fuck all the way off
Real talk
Real talk
The Cave Caucus could’ve just given Trump everything he wanted from the start and millions of federal workers wouldn’t have missed paychecks, SNAP beneficiaries wouldn’t have been scrounging for food, travelers wouldn’t be stranded. They just wasted everyone’s time and made shit worse for everyone
Let’s be real here. The senate Dem Cave Caucus just dragged the entire country for 40 days for nothing. Zero. They helped Trump and the GOP wreak much havoc and misery upon millions of federal workers, SNAP dependents, etc for bullshit
They didn’t even get the 3 magic beans
They didn’t even get the 3 magic beans
November 10, 2025 at 3:04 AM
I can only speak for myself here, but let me be clear. IDGAF about your career or its longevity as a pol. I just don’t. I am hiring you to do a job. I am voting for policy, not for you personally. You can either deliver on that, or at least endeavor to, or you can fuck all the way off
Real talk
Real talk
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
Trump is executing people in the Caribbean and sending others to El Salvador to be tortured and raped.
This is the party that Chuck Schumer is making a shutdown deal with.
@schumer.senate.gov @democrats.senate.gov
This is the party that Chuck Schumer is making a shutdown deal with.
@schumer.senate.gov @democrats.senate.gov
Trump kidnapped 200 Venezuelan men in the US and sent them to the gulag in El Salvador.
The New York Times interviewed 40 of them imprisoned there.
They described being beaten, sexually assaulted by guards, and driven to the brink of suicide.
Trump will end up right there with Pol Pot.
The New York Times interviewed 40 of them imprisoned there.
They described being beaten, sexually assaulted by guards, and driven to the brink of suicide.
Trump will end up right there with Pol Pot.
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Trump is executing people in the Caribbean and sending others to El Salvador to be tortured and raped.
This is the party that Chuck Schumer is making a shutdown deal with.
@schumer.senate.gov @democrats.senate.gov
This is the party that Chuck Schumer is making a shutdown deal with.
@schumer.senate.gov @democrats.senate.gov
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
The politicians of the world’s wealthiest nation are failing to provide healthcare for its citizens because they serve the financial interests of those who already have more money than they could possibly spend
The rest get the scraps
The rest get the scraps
If Chuck Schumer was a stronger leader, he would have been able to convince most of these senators to hold the line.
I’m terribly disappointed in him.
I’m terribly disappointed in him.
November 10, 2025 at 3:01 AM
The politicians of the world’s wealthiest nation are failing to provide healthcare for its citizens because they serve the financial interests of those who already have more money than they could possibly spend
The rest get the scraps
The rest get the scraps
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
Democratic organizers did our fucking part. We gave Democrats a clean sweep on Tuesday so Chuck Schumer have leverage to negotiate.
Instead, either because of malice or sheer fucking incompetence, he is letting his caucus fold like fucking cowards.
Instead, either because of malice or sheer fucking incompetence, he is letting his caucus fold like fucking cowards.
November 10, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Reposted by Rob von Thaden
Every time Congressional Dems do something politically inexplicable, just assume there’s money to blame.
November 10, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Every time Congressional Dems do something politically inexplicable, just assume there’s money to blame.