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thesyntaxmachine.bsky.social
The Syntax Machine
@thesyntaxmachine.bsky.social
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johnpfaff.bsky.social
These powerful pics are really, really good reminders of why it makes sense for those opposing Trump to reclaim ownership of the American flag.

If your audience is the giant lower-info middle of the electorate--and it should be--this seems like a really good way to get to them.
startribune.com Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 6d
Protesters clashed with federal agents for another night outside the Whipple Federal Building, which holds ICE detainees. Agents fired less-lethal munitions and deployed chemical irritants at the crowd.

📷️: Jeff Wheeler
January 13, 2026 at 3:28 PM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
Boy Meets Dog (Part 2/2) - Gator Days
Boy Meets Dog (Part 2/2) - Gator Days Transcript Panel 1 Hannah has taken Gustopher to Mrs. Woolly's house to meet the dog she walks. Titan, the dog, is standing there with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He is a good boy. Mrs. Woolly: Titan, Hannah brought a friend to meet you. Gustopher: DOGGY! Panel 2 Gustopher sits down on a couch to hold and pet Titan. Titan appreciates this a lot and is very comfortable. He is a very good boy. Gustopher: HE LIKES ME! HE'S SO COOL! HE'S THE BEST! Panel 3 Titan starts to drift off to sleep in Gustopher's lap. Gustopher continues petting but suddenly gets a sad feeling. Titan starts making sleepy dog sounds. Titan is a very very good boy. Gustopher: He's- I- Panel 4 Gustopher turns to Hannah to express his sorrow in this moment. Gustopher: I'm sad that I'll eventually have to go. Hannah: That happens to me too. Titan is unbothered about his new friend having to leave eventually. Titan appreciates the moment and will enjoy Gustopher's company to the fullest while it lasts. Titan is a very very very good boy.
January 16, 2026 at 6:21 PM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
Boy Meets Dog (Part 1/2) - Gator Days
Boy Meets Dog (Part 1/2) - Gator Days Transcript Panel 1 Gustopher is out with Hannah when he starts to notice a mysterious ringing sound. He can't seem to tell where it's coming from but Hannah knows what it is immediately. Gustopher: Do you hear a bell? Hannah: Oh, that's me. Panel 2 Hannah starts to fish the bell out of her pocket. Hannah: The dog I walk is blind. I carry a bell so he knows where I am. Panel 3 Hannah turns to show the Bell to Gustopher but something seems to be wrong. Hannah: I accidentally left it in my- Are you okay? Panel 4 Gustopher is not okay. Hannah knows a dog and she hasn't introduced this dog to Gustopher? How could she do this? He thought they were friends. This is in his top ten anime betrayals. He would definitely introduce all his friends to a dog if I he had one to introduce them to. Gustopher: YOU KNOW A DOG AND DIDN'T TELL ME!? Hannah has no time for these theatrics and cuts to the chase. Hannah: Want to meet him? Gustopher: YES!
January 14, 2026 at 5:49 PM
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irhottakes.bsky.social
There is a non-zero chance this ends with the great martyr against fascism Will Stancil getting put on money fifty years from now.
January 14, 2026 at 5:19 PM
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bill-of-lefts.bsky.social
I think I’m going to be a lot more supportive of the importance of the states when this is all over. not because I have any particular reverence for the states as states, but out of fear of centralized power.
January 13, 2026 at 3:39 AM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
Let's Try Drawing - Gator Days
Let's Try Drawing - Gator Days Panel 1 Gustopher has just noticed that his dad is drawing. This is neat. He's never seen his father draw anything before. Mewbert is there and supervising August's glass of wine. Gotta make sure that nothing happens to that wine. Gustopher: You're drawing? August: I wanted to try something new. How am I doing? Be honest? Panel 2 Gustopher picks up his father's art and involuntary grimaces at what he sees. Is that anatomy right? Arms aren't supposed to bend that way. And why are the eyes different sizes? Did he just hear the sound of a wine glass hitting the floor? That's not important right now. Panel 3 Gustopher realizes he's been silent for a while. He has to say something. He wants to be complimentary but his dad told him to be honest. If only he hadn't told him to be honest. Oh no, he's still silent. He's got to say something. What would his dad say in this situation? Panel 4 Gustopher finally speaks. Gustopher: The important thing is you're having fun. August has heard that line before. August: Oh no. August's glass of wine has also mysteriously vanished. There's a puddle of wine and a broken glass on the ground. Mewbert's paw also has wine dripping from it. Who could have done this? I guess we'll never know.
January 12, 2026 at 5:12 PM
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gbaji.bsky.social
Once you accept that we'll have to make him leave in 2029 there's no reason not to make him leave today.
January 12, 2026 at 4:05 PM
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michaelcaley.bsky.social
but to see a woman say with kindness "I'm not mad at you" before being murdered by state authorities, who have now gone on to claim her killing was just and right, and we're here making the case she was acting with righteousness and killed unjustly

this is just Martyrdom
January 9, 2026 at 7:36 PM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
Collect Them All - Gator Days
Collect Them All - Gator Days Transcript Panel 1 Olivia is watching Hannah play a video game. Hannah is hanging upside down on the couch because she's just that cool. It's how the cool kids play video games. I can't play video games like that, I'm not cool enough and it would hurt my back. Olivia just noticed that Hannah did something terrible. Olivia: YOU MISSED A GEM! Hannah: I did? Panel 2 The game that Hannah is playing is a cartoony platformer with a colorful character. The character looks like he is perpetually uncomfortable. There are collectable gems and Hannah can see one near the top of the screen in the direction she just came from. Hannah: Ah, I see it. Oh well. Panel 3 Hannah does not seem to care that she has missed the gem and is continuing on. Olivia does not understand. Olivia: You're not going back to get it? Hannah: Nah, I won't lose sleep over it. Panel 4 It is now night time and Olivia is in bed and unable to sleep. How could Hannah not go back and collect the gem? Does she not like gems? It was right there? Why didn't she just grab it. What if the gem lead to a secret? What if there's something special that happens when you get all the gems? Olivia will remember this.
January 9, 2026 at 7:07 PM
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opinionhaver.bsky.social
need more cosmopolitan chauvinism imo. to be able to go to a world city and do this without crossing a border is something you should be proud of, it means you're a great country. To want to tear it down means you are inbred provincial hog with no greater drives than envy and fear.
philabcoulter.bsky.social Brian Coulter @philabcoulter.bsky.social · 10d
Best TikTok thing going is the two dudes trying food from every country without leaving NYC. If you haven’t seen them yet, it’s incredible. My favorite so far is last week’s. Legit got me emotional.
January 9, 2026 at 2:17 AM
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slothropsmap.bsky.social
If a guy with one of the most visible media jobs in American life can put his name on a statement like this, we all can do a little more. And we should.
kenjennings.bsky.social Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 11d
The “prosecute the former regime at every level” candidate has my vote in 2028.
January 7, 2026 at 8:54 PM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
Standing There - Gator Days
Standing There - Gator Days Transcript Panel 1 Olivia is standing innocently near her big sister, Polly, with a grin plastered on her face. Polly is just looking at something on her phone and not paying much attention to her little sister. Panel 2 Polly looks back and notices Olivia standing next to her smiling. She chooses to try to ignore her. Olivia's grin grows wider now that she has been noticed. Panel 3 Polly tries to focus on her phone. Olivia continues to stand there obnoxiously. Her smile reaches unforetold levels of brattyness. Panel 4 Olivia has Polly wrapped around her finger. She utters the magic phrase. Olivia: I'm not doing anything. Polly: I KNOW!
January 7, 2026 at 6:18 PM
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opinionhaver.bsky.social
I definitely have not gone this far but I have become significantly more paternalistic in some regards. Specifically with media. The media is more democratic and efficient than ever before in giving people what they want. It has been a disaster.
johnbrownstan.bsky.social JB stan account @johnbrownstan.bsky.social · 12d
I will say that Trump has really shaken my belief in democracy. I'm not totally convinced that suffrage should be universal
January 7, 2026 at 3:46 AM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
Forest Relic - Gator Days
Forest Relic - Gator Days Panel 1 A brave adventurer named Gustopher is on a journey to find a powerful relic. His face is determined, his map is ragged, and his sense of direction is pretty terrible. Adventurer Gustopher: Long have I searched these lands for a powerful relic. Panel 2 The brave adventurer has found himself in a dark forest. He unexpectedly stumbles upon the one thing he has been seeking. It glows golden, which indicates it's pretty rare. Everyone knows that rare things have a golden glow. It's physics or something. Don't ask me, I'm not a scientist. Adventurer Gustopher: Could I have finally found it lying in this dark forest? Panel 3 Our brave adventurer swings his newfound object skyward. It leaves a sparkling rainbow colored trail. Look, I don't understand the physics behind cool legendary things. I just know that they have a golden glow and leave rainbow trails. This one also makes a cool whistling sound when you swing it through the air fast enough. Adventurer Gustopher: With one swing, I knew I found a real treasure. Panel 4 In reality, Gustopher has been out on a hike with his dad and found a cool stick. It's got a single leaf still attached to it and does indeed make neat sounds when you swing it fast enough. Gustopher: DAD! Look at this cool stick!
January 5, 2026 at 5:50 PM
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cameroncorduroy.bsky.social
there have been multiple stories of middle school girls getting harassed with generated CP of themselves over the past few years and somehow the only AI fear that seems to stick is the fucking water

if i was more conspiratorial i'd think it's a psyop
collie.bsky.social collie.bsky.social @collie.bsky.social · 21d
It’s the most powerful online sexual harassment tool ever invented and it’s driving people insane with parasocial relationships but the most prominent critics lie about water use.
zoandbehold.bsky.social Rep. Zooey Zephyr @zoandbehold.bsky.social · 21d
"And I never say no"

We need to have a serious talk about the way "AI companion" apps not only prey on the vulnerable, but are priming their users to ignore consent and to conflate love with control.

We need AI regulations across so many sectors, but this area is particularly horrifying.
December 29, 2025 at 5:01 AM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
Bolero's New Sweater - Gator Days
Bolero's New Sweater - Gator Days Transcript Panel 1 Bolero has received a new sweater for Christmas! It seems to be a few sizes too big. He can't even fit his arms through the sleeves. His mom isn't too worried. Tammy: Looks like your new sweater is too big. Panel 2 Bolero lifts an arm and watches the rest of the sleeve be pulled down by gravity. Tammy: You'll just have to grow into it. Panel 3 Bolero begins to lift the back of the neckline of the sweater upward. Tammy: You can take it off. Panel 4 Bolero has the sweater covering the back of his head and he's lifting the arms so the sleeves flop around in the air. He feels like a medieval peasant working tirelessly in the fields. Perhaps one plotting treason against the king. Bolero: I love this. Tammy: Really? Bolero: Can I wear it to school?
December 26, 2025 at 7:06 PM
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theophite.bsky.social
honestly I think that we should pass a law denying the protection of any federal law to anyone who received a pardon from Trump. nothing done to them by any other person should be criminal.
robertscotthorton.bsky.social Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 24d
GOP operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, convicted election fraudsters, were paid $960,000 in the second quarter to secure a pardon for a former nursing-home operator who defrauded the government of $38 million. Trump pardoned the man, Joseph Schwartz, last month.
Inside the New Fast Track to a Presidential Pardon
Even some of the president’s closest advisers have been surprised by a number of the recent series of pardons.
www.wsj.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:01 AM
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theophite.bsky.social
if you are above the law's judgment you are beneath the law's protection
December 26, 2025 at 2:07 AM
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theophite.bsky.social
he is selling immunity to consequences. anyone who bought it should be denied fire and water and suffer whatever consequences the most insane person available considers appropriate
December 26, 2025 at 2:04 AM
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johnrogers.bsky.social
You are getting a live preview of this as streamers “reinvent” weekly drops of series that return in less than a year with seasons of 15+ episodes. Just straight up looking in the camera and marveling at this “hole in the market” that’s actually the shallow grave they shoveled TV into for 8 years.
December 26, 2025 at 1:42 AM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
The Purple Door - A Gator Days Christmas Special Part Two
Pages 11-12/12
Page 11 Things seem to be getting fuzzier. Gustopher hugs me. I can hear his thoughts "I'm not a lone. I got Dad. I got Mewbert and Nougat." The fog seems to be going away and the world is becoming clearer again. "I got Grandma and Grandpa. I got all my friends." We're in Gustopher's bedroom. "Sometimes I feel hurt. But I know I'll feel happy again." Page 12 "IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Gustopher shouts all of sudden. It is? Was that all a dream? I have no idea. I just want to go back to sleep. Gustopher rushes to wake up his dad. "DAD! WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS! Oh!" Something catches his eye on an end table. It was a photo that fell out of the recipe book the night before. Gustopher picks it up and says "You're not here but... Merry Christmas, Mom." Back the yelling, "DAD! GET UP!" The photo is back on the table. It's a picture of Gustopher's parents. There's a heart with "CHRISTINE + AUGUST" written inside. Gustopher's dad is holding the hand of a woman who is holding up a key in her other hand. They stand in front of a purple door.
December 24, 2025 at 6:59 PM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
The Purple Door - A Gator Days Christmas Special Part Two
Pages 7-10/12
Page 7 We're standing in front of a purple door. The address seems to be 1402. This isn't a place I recognize but Gustopher seems to be more familiar with it. I notice him staring at the door solemnly. His face isn't showing much emotion but I can sense a sadness underneath it. After a brief period of silence he says, "I think this is where my mom lives." Page 8 Gustopher's sadness seems to melt away for a moment and he excitedly says to me, "Maybe Mom is waiting for me!" He lifts his hands into the air and continues, "I'll open the door and say "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The world feels brighter and warmer for a moment. "We'll spend Christmas together and I'll tell her all about my friends and-" Gustopher's voice suddenly softens, "Maybe she won't leave." Page 9 Gustopher stares at the purple down. It seems so big and imposing in this moment. "I think about her a lot around Christmas," he continues, "I'll wonder what she's doing." "On TV, families get reunited on Christmas. But that doesn't happen to me." Gustopher sits down on the ground next to me. I can tell that there's a lot going through his head right now. Page 10 Gustopher tells me exactly how he's feeling "If she wanted to spend Christmas with me then she wouldn't have left. It bothers me more and more every year." "It hurts." I need to say something so I say it. "It's okay to feel hurt. During a time of year that's filled with so much laughter and joy, the pain in our life can hurt even more. It's okay to feel upset. I'll be there for you to help you through it." It might have just came out as a Mew but I think he understood me. I curl up in Gustopher's arms to let him know he's not alone. He found me when I was all by my myself. This is the least I can do.
December 24, 2025 at 6:59 PM
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goldstein.bsky.social
I think this is accurate but I have a "yes and". I think the real sin of COVID for people was that they were forced to deal with their own children. I think people would have been a lot more tolerant of all the other stuff if only they were able to escape/foist onto others the hellions they created.
garethwatkins.bsky.social Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 26d
I don't think that we on the left appreciate just how psychologically destabilising COVID was for the right - for a year they were forced to act (in some places) as if their core assumption about the world -that there are better kinds of person- wasn't true, and they don't want that to happen again.
michaelhobbes.bsky.social Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 26d
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
December 24, 2025 at 8:22 AM
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carlbergstrom.com
I feel like running these phone-it-in pieces about what AI can't do is as harmful as running credulous pro-AI hype. This one is exceptionally bad. It's hawking a new book ofc, but the attempt to bring in AI to an architectural mystery is so ridiculously irrelevant it's embarrassing for all involved.
Opinion | I Asked ChatGPT to Solve an 800-Year-Old Italian Mystery. What Happened Surprised Me.
www.nytimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:18 PM
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fieldexplores.bsky.social
The Purple Door - A Gator Days Christmas Special Part One
Pages 1-4/12
Part Two coming December 24th
Page 1 My name is Mewbert. I am cat. I live in a house with another cat named Nougat and two giants. The bigger giant, August, is in the food room and preparing to to make something special. This is one of my favorite times because he'll give me food if I stare at him long enough. He's wrapped himself in cloth that says "LET US SLEIGH". He claims it's a joke that works on multiple levels. I don't care, I just want food. "I haven't made this in a long time," he says, "Could you get me the recipe book from my desk?" "Got it!" says the smaller giant. His name is Gustopher. I follow Gustopher to fetch this book. It's possible that more food might be involved and I don't wish to miss that. The giants have filled our home with strange things. Like a tree covered in colorful lights. Silly giants. Don't they know that trees belong outside? Gustopher has found the book but something has fallen out of it. His face is blank as he stares at it but I can tell he's feeling sad. Page 2 The treats have been made and the giants have prepared for sleep. I've heard murmuring of tomorrow being an important day. Gustopher has a smile on his face but I can tell that there's something upsetting him. I've decided that I should watch over him tonight. I am a good cat. Gustopher closes his eyes but something begins to feel off. The window glows a faint purple color. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to do that. Then again, the giants have also been putting bright and colorful objects everywhere so I don't know what's normal anymore. I've tried to help them by knocking things off the table but they keep putting them back. They're weird. Gustopher has noticed the window's glow. He leans forward and watches it carefully. I watch from bedroom entrance. He surely can't get into too much trouble, right? Page 3 Gustopher looks through his window. I watch him look through it. The giants are such interesting creatures. They're easily entertained by windows and glowing rectangles. I could watch them for hours. Something is suddenly off. Is Gustopher starting to rise up into the air. I don't think he's supposed to do that. This doesn't seem normal. Have the giants always been able to float off randomly? I'll have to tell Nougat about this later. Okay, now this really isn't good. He's starting to float out the window. The invisible force field isn't working. I have to do something! Maybe if I grab onto him, I can weight him down. I leap into action! I can't let him float away! He's really good at petting! Oh no. I seem to have gone through the window too. This is not good. This is not right. I don't know what to do. I hold tight to Gustopher's leg. Page 4 Are we alive? I think we're still alive. I'm afraid to open my eyes. I'm holding tight to Gustopher so I don't fall. Okay, deep breath in and deep breath out. This is fine. I'm fine. Whatever is happening is fine. I open my eyes and I see the night sky. Beautiful stars surrounding me. That's nice. Until I realize that they're surrounding me. Oh, we're high up in the night sky. This is not fine. I hold tight to Gustopher. I don't think this is normal.
December 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM