Pinned
Tom
@tomel.bsky.social
· Sep 17
(to the tune of “a day in the life”)
i quantum leaped today, oh boy
i quantum leaped today, oh boy
Reposted by Tom
This is exactly why Dems must resist the temptation to give statements leading with, “We agree he’s a bad guy…” Don’t help Trump and his cronies post hoc manufacture even an ounce of consent
To get the support to last more than one brief news cycle you need to feed people the lines, like they did in 2002-03. “WMD! Hans Blix! The UN inspectors! Atta in Prague!”
If you skip this part, people won’t have the thought-terminating cliches they need to easily, lazily justify their support.
If you skip this part, people won’t have the thought-terminating cliches they need to easily, lazily justify their support.
The problem with skipping the whole “manufacturing consent” part it was that without even a vague sense of what this is about, the little spike in support will disappear in about 48 hours. By the middle of the week people will just assume it’s over and get mad if it isn’t.
January 3, 2026 at 3:47 PM
This is exactly why Dems must resist the temptation to give statements leading with, “We agree he’s a bad guy…” Don’t help Trump and his cronies post hoc manufacture even an ounce of consent
Reposted by Tom
Declaring, "Nothing about [slightly precedented but uniquely unhinged tragedy] is new!!!!" is like being a militant atheist; you're reeeeeeally working hard to prove a negative for no particularly productive reason
January 3, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Declaring, "Nothing about [slightly precedented but uniquely unhinged tragedy] is new!!!!" is like being a militant atheist; you're reeeeeeally working hard to prove a negative for no particularly productive reason
Reposted by Tom
A resolution that does nothing, and that Republicans won't support anyway.
Harsh words from @kaine.senate.gov, who sits on the Senate’s armed services and foreign relations committees, and asks where Trump will deploy military forces next
January 3, 2026 at 3:50 PM
A resolution that does nothing, and that Republicans won't support anyway.
Reposted by Tom
Real "oh my god, she admit it" moment here. Trump is treated as an uninteresting figure without agency so we can dump endless criticism on liberals for how they react to his "natural disaster." He "doesn't participate in moral frameworks" lmfao
December 30, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Real "oh my god, she admit it" moment here. Trump is treated as an uninteresting figure without agency so we can dump endless criticism on liberals for how they react to his "natural disaster." He "doesn't participate in moral frameworks" lmfao
Reposted by Tom
What a time to know anything about the history of American imperialism and its consequences
January 3, 2026 at 2:33 PM
What a time to know anything about the history of American imperialism and its consequences
Reposted by Tom
Here's the newly released superseding indictment against Maduro and his wife:
www.justice.gov/opa/media/14...
www.justice.gov/opa/media/14...
January 3, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Here's the newly released superseding indictment against Maduro and his wife:
www.justice.gov/opa/media/14...
www.justice.gov/opa/media/14...
Reposted by Tom
Congress gave up that power willingly
A Mad King has usurped the power of Congress—which represents the American people. That is, he has seized power that belongs to you and me collectively. He has declared war without consultation with or approval from Congress. And with no imminent threat. This is a profound betrayal of the republic.
January 3, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Congress gave up that power willingly
Reposted by Tom
also, the US has a long and bloody history of deciding who gets to lead other countries. it didn't begin with Trump. this isn't a him thing, this is an us thing
January 3, 2026 at 2:47 PM
also, the US has a long and bloody history of deciding who gets to lead other countries. it didn't begin with Trump. this isn't a him thing, this is an us thing
Reposted by Tom
Reposted by Tom
Alt text: I am a craven fascist imperialist dog my favorite thing is to send American sons and daughters to massacre children in the global south and steal their land and resources and I am very VERY vote blue y también en español, porque ella es inclusiva
January 3, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Alt text: I am a craven fascist imperialist dog my favorite thing is to send American sons and daughters to massacre children in the global south and steal their land and resources and I am very VERY vote blue y también en español, porque ella es inclusiva
Reposted by Tom
‘Asked if he condemned the attacks, Starmer said he wanted to establish the facts and speak to Trump first’
That’s not diplomacy, that’s spineless capitulation
www.bbc.com/news/article...
That’s not diplomacy, that’s spineless capitulation
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Keir Starmer says UK 'not involved in any way' in US strike on Venezuela
The PM has not spoken to US President Donald Trump about the US seizure of President Nicolas Maduro.
www.bbc.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:50 PM
‘Asked if he condemned the attacks, Starmer said he wanted to establish the facts and speak to Trump first’
That’s not diplomacy, that’s spineless capitulation
www.bbc.com/news/article...
That’s not diplomacy, that’s spineless capitulation
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Tom
We Are James T. Kirk
January 3, 2026 at 2:52 PM
We Are James T. Kirk
Reposted by Tom
1. try not to post things that will get you arrested
2. try not to post things that will make your friends want to off themselves
2. try not to post things that will make your friends want to off themselves
January 3, 2026 at 9:33 AM
1. try not to post things that will get you arrested
2. try not to post things that will make your friends want to off themselves
2. try not to post things that will make your friends want to off themselves
Reposted by Tom
Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: yum yum yum human suffering is nummy nummy 😋
January 3, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: yum yum yum human suffering is nummy nummy 😋
Reposted by Tom
Surely nobody is this stupid. *Yes*, we will say that: we will roar, screech, foam at the mouth and squeal, and if any notable says “Isn’t this a bit like the US kidnapping the leader of Venezuela” then our politicians and media outlets will unify to scream abuse at them, too. Yet again!
January 3, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Surely nobody is this stupid. *Yes*, we will say that: we will roar, screech, foam at the mouth and squeal, and if any notable says “Isn’t this a bit like the US kidnapping the leader of Venezuela” then our politicians and media outlets will unify to scream abuse at them, too. Yet again!
Reposted by Tom
Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Public Libraries are still on X.
It's well past time for Canadian government officials to get off of X, @jameswsthomson.com writes. This latest — disgusting — incident is just one more reason.
Canadian government officials, what are you still doing on X in 2026?
The platform's own chatbot started posting sexualized material of children and other people who couldn't consent. With no moral bottom in sight, it's well past time our officials found other ways to c...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Public Libraries are still on X.
Reposted by Tom
Reposted by Tom
Whatever happens now, we absolutely cannot allow Trump's refusal to seek Congressional authorization for what appears to be a large scale military attack on another country vanish from the media discussion, which already appears to be happening.
January 3, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Whatever happens now, we absolutely cannot allow Trump's refusal to seek Congressional authorization for what appears to be a large scale military attack on another country vanish from the media discussion, which already appears to be happening.
Reposted by Tom
Trump bombing random places without the approval of a senate that doesn’t give a shit and couldn’t care less that they were elected to pass laws and declare wars and stuff, it really freaks me out
January 3, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Trump bombing random places without the approval of a senate that doesn’t give a shit and couldn’t care less that they were elected to pass laws and declare wars and stuff, it really freaks me out
Reposted by Tom
it's a real symptom of widespread anti-progressive media bias that an explicitly progressive candidate is expected to feel a need to be apologetic about being progressive.
It's so weird to say a politician "doubled down" on.....the very explicit promises he made during the campaign?
Isn't that what promises are?
Isn't that what promises are?
January 2, 2026 at 6:28 PM
it's a real symptom of widespread anti-progressive media bias that an explicitly progressive candidate is expected to feel a need to be apologetic about being progressive.
Reposted by Tom
The way the press is treating chatbots, like they have agency and they “know” things all of a sudden, crossed the line recently from dumb and obsequious to something else entirely. Treating them as alive and making conscious decisions is an almost religious belief. It won’t age well.
January 3, 2026 at 2:52 AM
The way the press is treating chatbots, like they have agency and they “know” things all of a sudden, crossed the line recently from dumb and obsequious to something else entirely. Treating them as alive and making conscious decisions is an almost religious belief. It won’t age well.
Reposted by Tom
the fires every poster here was forged in are too hot for people whose entire job is to write things like "are we too nice to the homeless?"
No danger of much civility on here, so that's progress I suppose
January 2, 2026 at 7:10 PM
the fires every poster here was forged in are too hot for people whose entire job is to write things like "are we too nice to the homeless?"
Reposted by Tom
jesus fucking christ, Tim
taking Republicans' bad faith whining seriously was dumb enough already, can you please get your shit together?
taking Republicans' bad faith whining seriously was dumb enough already, can you please get your shit together?
You've probably been following the story about fraud in MN. I wrote about the people who provide services who are being driven into bankruptcy, thanks to the Walz' administration decision to hire Optum AI to screen all payments. It's a disaster.
Perry: Trusted providers are being unfairly swept up in Minnesota’s fraud crackdown
As the state's new anti-fraud screening system went into effect, the Holland Center expected to receive $212,000 in payments. It instead received $22,000, David M. Perry writes. If nothing changes soo...
www.startribune.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:07 PM
jesus fucking christ, Tim
taking Republicans' bad faith whining seriously was dumb enough already, can you please get your shit together?
taking Republicans' bad faith whining seriously was dumb enough already, can you please get your shit together?
Reposted by Tom
i’d like to just say the popular social media generating CSAM is also the leading platform for bigots to claim without evidence that trans people are a danger to children
January 2, 2026 at 2:23 AM
i’d like to just say the popular social media generating CSAM is also the leading platform for bigots to claim without evidence that trans people are a danger to children