Steve Casburn
@scasburn.bsky.social
Librarian. Data analyst. Music lover. Native of Benicia, California. Now in Portland, Oregon. Stops in Ohio and Texas along the way.
May Bluesky change the world rather than the world change Bluesky.
May Bluesky change the world rather than the world change Bluesky.
Pinned
Steve Casburn
@scasburn.bsky.social
· Nov 17
Just to plant my flag in the earth on this point:
If my posts to Bluesky are in any way making your life worse, then please block me. I'm begging you to go ahead. I want to be shut out of your life if I'm somehow making it worse. You deserve better.
If my posts to Bluesky are in any way making your life worse, then please block me. I'm begging you to go ahead. I want to be shut out of your life if I'm somehow making it worse. You deserve better.
Reposted by Steve Casburn
November 10, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Reposted by Steve Casburn
ACCORDING TO SAM
Mark Twain Has a Thought about: HONOR
“On the whole, it is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
- Mark Twain's Notebook,
#MarkTwain
Mark Twain Has a Thought about: HONOR
“On the whole, it is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
- Mark Twain's Notebook,
#MarkTwain
November 10, 2025 at 4:29 PM
ACCORDING TO SAM
Mark Twain Has a Thought about: HONOR
“On the whole, it is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
- Mark Twain's Notebook,
#MarkTwain
Mark Twain Has a Thought about: HONOR
“On the whole, it is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
- Mark Twain's Notebook,
#MarkTwain
Reposted by Steve Casburn
We were fighting united.
Then the Senate caved.
Then the Senate caved.
The sooner we get past internal recriminations and back to fighting united, the better off we all are — the likelier our victory next November.
November 11, 2025 at 12:13 AM
We were fighting united.
Then the Senate caved.
Then the Senate caved.
Reposted by Steve Casburn
I have to hand it to them, it's an incredible bit to publicly lose a game of chicken, admit that's what happened, and then spend the next day lecturing everyone about courage and tenacity
November 11, 2025 at 2:05 AM
I have to hand it to them, it's an incredible bit to publicly lose a game of chicken, admit that's what happened, and then spend the next day lecturing everyone about courage and tenacity
Reposted by Steve Casburn
I'll get back to "party unity" as soon as the Senate Minority Leader tells us if he voted for the Democratic party nominee for mayor of his city.
I'm tired of party unity only ever running one way.
I'm tired of party unity only ever running one way.
November 10, 2025 at 11:14 PM
I'll get back to "party unity" as soon as the Senate Minority Leader tells us if he voted for the Democratic party nominee for mayor of his city.
I'm tired of party unity only ever running one way.
I'm tired of party unity only ever running one way.
The streets have EXCELLENT taste in snack food!
Apparently unlike Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Honey BBQ Flavor Twists are a hot commodity on the street right now and need to be kept under lock and key.
November 11, 2025 at 4:31 AM
The streets have EXCELLENT taste in snack food!
Reposted by Steve Casburn
Funny how it's always the left wing that has to put aside its issues and the moderates who get their way who call for unity.
Doesn't seem like much of a coalition if one subset always has to shut up and sit down
Doesn't seem like much of a coalition if one subset always has to shut up and sit down
The sooner we get past internal recriminations and back to fighting united, the better off we all are — the likelier our victory next November.
November 11, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Funny how it's always the left wing that has to put aside its issues and the moderates who get their way who call for unity.
Doesn't seem like much of a coalition if one subset always has to shut up and sit down
Doesn't seem like much of a coalition if one subset always has to shut up and sit down
Reposted by Steve Casburn
Blueskyism is actually a fantasy of Bluesky, formed by ignorance and reactionary hope (that this place is full of stereotypes that justify them hanging out with the less objectionable Nazis).
the hipsters, they’re ordering double frufru mocha soy frappuccino. doesn’t anybody order a black coffee anymore
November 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Blueskyism is actually a fantasy of Bluesky, formed by ignorance and reactionary hope (that this place is full of stereotypes that justify them hanging out with the less objectionable Nazis).
Reposted by Steve Casburn
Every "debate" over minority rights boils down to the same thing: is this demographic a legitimate thing to be in our society, just as good as any other, and whose full participation in that society we seek to facilitate, or a less legit thing whose participation we have no obligation to facilitate?
November 11, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Every "debate" over minority rights boils down to the same thing: is this demographic a legitimate thing to be in our society, just as good as any other, and whose full participation in that society we seek to facilitate, or a less legit thing whose participation we have no obligation to facilitate?
Reposted by Steve Casburn
one of the major uses of LLMs is as an unlicensed, cheap therapist. the people who sell them largely don't think about this fact at all.
November 11, 2025 at 12:59 AM
one of the major uses of LLMs is as an unlicensed, cheap therapist. the people who sell them largely don't think about this fact at all.
“Your ship is sailing with the high tide / And all your dreams are on the inside / On the inside looking out / On the inside looking out / Looking out…”
Inside Looking Out
YouTube video by The Alan Parsons Project - Topic
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 11:35 PM
“Your ship is sailing with the high tide / And all your dreams are on the inside / On the inside looking out / On the inside looking out / Looking out…”
Question for @prune602.bsky.social: Have you seen any attempt to quantify the Russian war “losses” that Putin has welcomed? The financial gain to his regime from housing fewer prisoners and caring for fewer chronic alcoholics?
November 10, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Question for @prune602.bsky.social: Have you seen any attempt to quantify the Russian war “losses” that Putin has welcomed? The financial gain to his regime from housing fewer prisoners and caring for fewer chronic alcoholics?
Reposted by Steve Casburn
Wow: Per Hamdi's legal team, his only charge was a visa overstay — after Trump revoked his visa.
Despite DHS tweeting that Hamdi supported terrorism, they never charged him with any criminality.
In other words: Trump revoked a journalist's visa, so agents could arrest him for overstaying his visa.
Despite DHS tweeting that Hamdi supported terrorism, they never charged him with any criminality.
In other words: Trump revoked a journalist's visa, so agents could arrest him for overstaying his visa.
NEW: British journalist Sami Hamdi is being released from US detention.
Trump administration agents detained him two weeks ago at the San Francisco airport — hours after he addressed an event, where he urged US leaders to take an “America First” approach rather than “Israel First.”
Trump administration agents detained him two weeks ago at the San Francisco airport — hours after he addressed an event, where he urged US leaders to take an “America First” approach rather than “Israel First.”
November 10, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Wow: Per Hamdi's legal team, his only charge was a visa overstay — after Trump revoked his visa.
Despite DHS tweeting that Hamdi supported terrorism, they never charged him with any criminality.
In other words: Trump revoked a journalist's visa, so agents could arrest him for overstaying his visa.
Despite DHS tweeting that Hamdi supported terrorism, they never charged him with any criminality.
In other words: Trump revoked a journalist's visa, so agents could arrest him for overstaying his visa.
The star of the show is delicious.
November 10, 2025 at 8:01 PM
The star of the show is delicious.
“Compression Socks” has the same meter as “Electric Youth”, which might open up some endorsement opportunities for Debbie Gibson.
November 10, 2025 at 7:53 PM
“Compression Socks” has the same meter as “Electric Youth”, which might open up some endorsement opportunities for Debbie Gibson.
Reposted by Steve Casburn
This is my favorite part of this cycle we've been repeating for my entire adult life: when they sit backwards on the chair for some real talk and explain that you're a fucking peasant who doesn't understand how things work.
Durbin said critics of his vote “need to understand how the Senate works”
November 10, 2025 at 1:52 PM
This is my favorite part of this cycle we've been repeating for my entire adult life: when they sit backwards on the chair for some real talk and explain that you're a fucking peasant who doesn't understand how things work.
Reposted by Steve Casburn
seems to me that those democrats inclined not to fight perceive themselves as living through a somewhat ordinary cycle of presidential overreach and backlash and not something much more significant and dangerous
November 10, 2025 at 12:50 PM
seems to me that those democrats inclined not to fight perceive themselves as living through a somewhat ordinary cycle of presidential overreach and backlash and not something much more significant and dangerous
Reposted by Steve Casburn
The contrast could hardly be sharper. My friends and neighbors, armed only with whistles and voices, spend their weekend fighting off heavily-armed paramilitary goons. Meanwhile, these jagoffs capitulate, but not before securing another $1 billion for their own security.
November 10, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The contrast could hardly be sharper. My friends and neighbors, armed only with whistles and voices, spend their weekend fighting off heavily-armed paramilitary goons. Meanwhile, these jagoffs capitulate, but not before securing another $1 billion for their own security.
Will Jeff Merkley have a credible primary challenger in 2026?
Assume all the yes and no votes from Dem senators are strategic and not sincere votes. The party caucus made a decision. No way to know how many were in favor. Then the caucus decided who would vote yes and no based on what would protect each of them politically the most. That’s how this works.
November 10, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Will Jeff Merkley have a credible primary challenger in 2026?
Reposted by Steve Casburn
This is exactly correct.
Assume all the yes and no votes from Dem senators are strategic and not sincere votes. The party caucus made a decision. No way to know how many were in favor. Then the caucus decided who would vote yes and no based on what would protect each of them politically the most. That’s how this works.
November 10, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This is exactly correct.
Reposted by Steve Casburn
Reposted by Steve Casburn
The irony of this being posted in English... by an Irishman.
November 10, 2025 at 6:12 AM
The irony of this being posted in English... by an Irishman.
In 1999, John Peel made a list of 400 recorded musical tracks from the 20th century, four from each year.
Here is track #98 (1924).
Here is track #98 (1924).
Jazz Age: Bert Firman Orchestra - Pasadena, 1924
YouTube video by 240252
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:23 AM
In 1999, John Peel made a list of 400 recorded musical tracks from the 20th century, four from each year.
Here is track #98 (1924).
Here is track #98 (1924).
Reposted by Steve Casburn
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 AM
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.