Vikram Bath
@vikrambath.bsky.social
Former business school professor, current software engineer. Writes at ordinary-times.com
Pinned
Vikram Bath
@vikrambath.bsky.social
· Apr 5
Note that these are the years over which America first became the world’s economic superpower
Were the ICE agents not patriotic enough and thus needed to be paid before anyone else?
Sean Duffy threatens "action" against air traffic controllers who didn't come to work during the shutdown: "I'm concerned about their patriotism."
November 11, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Were the ICE agents not patriotic enough and thus needed to be paid before anyone else?
Everyone says some cringe, silly stuff from time to time. Only the greats will say it in the middle of a shareholder meeting after having already needed to settle a lawsuit with the SEC
in a long life filled with saying stupid shit this is may be the stupidest shit he's ever said
November 11, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Everyone says some cringe, silly stuff from time to time. Only the greats will say it in the middle of a shareholder meeting after having already needed to settle a lawsuit with the SEC
“Loneliness Epidemic” feels like a misnomer to me. People who spend all their time on their phones pick them up to make the loneliness feeling go away.
It is the displacement of loneliness.
Call it Connection Deflection. Or Hyper-connected isolation?
It is the displacement of loneliness.
Call it Connection Deflection. Or Hyper-connected isolation?
November 11, 2025 at 7:39 PM
“Loneliness Epidemic” feels like a misnomer to me. People who spend all their time on their phones pick them up to make the loneliness feeling go away.
It is the displacement of loneliness.
Call it Connection Deflection. Or Hyper-connected isolation?
It is the displacement of loneliness.
Call it Connection Deflection. Or Hyper-connected isolation?
Gonna primary every defecting Democrat with the only people I actually trust: Never Trump Republicans
November 11, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Gonna primary every defecting Democrat with the only people I actually trust: Never Trump Republicans
Reposted by Vikram Bath
I guess this is what you say when your predecessor’s administration financed the only commercial magnet manufacturing plant in the United States.
🔌💡🔌🚗
🔌💡🔌🚗
November 11, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I guess this is what you say when your predecessor’s administration financed the only commercial magnet manufacturing plant in the United States.
🔌💡🔌🚗
🔌💡🔌🚗
I can help here.
First, you open with a new, exciting, creative action screen starring your new James Bond. He does cool stuff and then suddenly turns and shoots directly shoots into the camera and the opening song starts with the opening credits.
Audience now understands there is a new James Bond
First, you open with a new, exciting, creative action screen starring your new James Bond. He does cool stuff and then suddenly turns and shoots directly shoots into the camera and the opening song starts with the opening credits.
Audience now understands there is a new James Bond
James Bond’s death in No Time to Die is causing a nightmare for the next film. Writers are stuck because Bond “was blown to pieces.”
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
November 11, 2025 at 1:31 PM
I can help here.
First, you open with a new, exciting, creative action screen starring your new James Bond. He does cool stuff and then suddenly turns and shoots directly shoots into the camera and the opening song starts with the opening credits.
Audience now understands there is a new James Bond
First, you open with a new, exciting, creative action screen starring your new James Bond. He does cool stuff and then suddenly turns and shoots directly shoots into the camera and the opening song starts with the opening credits.
Audience now understands there is a new James Bond
Reposted by Vikram Bath
These were not the answers I was expecting about needing to pee during a marathon, and I would like to go back and delete them from my brain thank you
November 11, 2025 at 10:34 AM
These were not the answers I was expecting about needing to pee during a marathon, and I would like to go back and delete them from my brain thank you
Reposted by Vikram Bath
If you look back at the arguments that swayed Americans 250 years ago, it wasn’t that ”tea prices were high,” it was the underlying assertions of power. Thankfully there were not political consultants to drive the messaging.
October 6, 2025 at 3:20 PM
If you look back at the arguments that swayed Americans 250 years ago, it wasn’t that ”tea prices were high,” it was the underlying assertions of power. Thankfully there were not political consultants to drive the messaging.
The two worst metaphors to infect discourse:
1. Touching the stove
2. Dog catching the car
When Roe vs. Wade was overturned we won some election in Kansas and everyone was excited and then at the very next election Donald Trump became president again.
Wins are still wins even if the PR sounds bad
1. Touching the stove
2. Dog catching the car
When Roe vs. Wade was overturned we won some election in Kansas and everyone was excited and then at the very next election Donald Trump became president again.
Wins are still wins even if the PR sounds bad
Indeed, it’s almost like “stove touching” is a horseshit framework which gets thrown around wildly on BSky by people who seem to think it makes them sound tough
November 10, 2025 at 6:13 PM
The two worst metaphors to infect discourse:
1. Touching the stove
2. Dog catching the car
When Roe vs. Wade was overturned we won some election in Kansas and everyone was excited and then at the very next election Donald Trump became president again.
Wins are still wins even if the PR sounds bad
1. Touching the stove
2. Dog catching the car
When Roe vs. Wade was overturned we won some election in Kansas and everyone was excited and then at the very next election Donald Trump became president again.
Wins are still wins even if the PR sounds bad
I am starting to understand how he bankrupted a casino
November 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I am starting to understand how he bankrupted a casino
Angus King declared defeat the day after Trump posted this
November 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Angus King declared defeat the day after Trump posted this
Reposted by Vikram Bath
100% this. The idea that our "great Founders" intended for the President to be able to raise taxes on Americans because someone in Canada ran an ad he didn't like is legitimately insane. It's the epitomization of arbitrary power.
I can help with this!
Yes, it makes perfect sense that in an *emergency*, e.g. a pandemic, you might need to do something like stop all trade while the same provision cannot be invoked punitively for non-emergencies, e.g. Canada quoting Ronald Reagan in an ad you don’t like
Yes, it makes perfect sense that in an *emergency*, e.g. a pandemic, you might need to do something like stop all trade while the same provision cannot be invoked punitively for non-emergencies, e.g. Canada quoting Ronald Reagan in an ad you don’t like
November 10, 2025 at 2:15 PM
100% this. The idea that our "great Founders" intended for the President to be able to raise taxes on Americans because someone in Canada ran an ad he didn't like is legitimately insane. It's the epitomization of arbitrary power.
Reposted by Vikram Bath
I don’t get why congress just doesn’t pass the tariffs. They are easy and popular
November 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM
I don’t get why congress just doesn’t pass the tariffs. They are easy and popular
I can help with this!
Yes, it makes perfect sense that in an *emergency*, e.g. a pandemic, you might need to do something like stop all trade while the same provision cannot be invoked punitively for non-emergencies, e.g. Canada quoting Ronald Reagan in an ad you don’t like
Yes, it makes perfect sense that in an *emergency*, e.g. a pandemic, you might need to do something like stop all trade while the same provision cannot be invoked punitively for non-emergencies, e.g. Canada quoting Ronald Reagan in an ad you don’t like
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
I can help with this!
Yes, it makes perfect sense that in an *emergency*, e.g. a pandemic, you might need to do something like stop all trade while the same provision cannot be invoked punitively for non-emergencies, e.g. Canada quoting Ronald Reagan in an ad you don’t like
Yes, it makes perfect sense that in an *emergency*, e.g. a pandemic, you might need to do something like stop all trade while the same provision cannot be invoked punitively for non-emergencies, e.g. Canada quoting Ronald Reagan in an ad you don’t like
Reposted by Vikram Bath
Also, Senate Democrats should have zero faith that any “deal” they agree to will be executed faithfully by the, well, the executive.
He’s already shown that he does not consider any spending legislation to be binding upon him in any way.
He’s already shown that he does not consider any spending legislation to be binding upon him in any way.
November 9, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Also, Senate Democrats should have zero faith that any “deal” they agree to will be executed faithfully by the, well, the executive.
He’s already shown that he does not consider any spending legislation to be binding upon him in any way.
He’s already shown that he does not consider any spending legislation to be binding upon him in any way.
Senate Democrats after they vote to reopen the government ~“to help people”~ and then it doesn’t help people (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/b...
November 10, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Senate Democrats after they vote to reopen the government ~“to help people”~ and then it doesn’t help people (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/b...
Reposted by Vikram Bath
Okay, it is still open enrollment and i am still trying to convince you to go and sign up for health insurance. I know it is expensive and scary. But you can do it. The thread embedded here is a tutorial on how to understand and make that decision. I will now write a quickie version.
It's open enrollment time so here's a convenient peg to hang a little tutorial about how to choose your health insurance.
Most of the advice you get is bad. Most of your instincts are bad. I however used to work for a health insurance company and I do arithmetic for a living so I can help.
Most of the advice you get is bad. Most of your instincts are bad. I however used to work for a health insurance company and I do arithmetic for a living so I can help.
Personally I think it's great that my company's HR sends out an official looking tool where they even ask you to pre-populate your healthcare providers and instead of being the actual insurance enrollment process it's just some bullshit checklist to try and convince me I actually don't want a PPO
November 9, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Okay, it is still open enrollment and i am still trying to convince you to go and sign up for health insurance. I know it is expensive and scary. But you can do it. The thread embedded here is a tutorial on how to understand and make that decision. I will now write a quickie version.
If you see an account using quotation marks around their sensationalized imagining of what a person says, block them. You (yes, you specifically, dear reader) are a misinformation target too
I haven't watched the video, I will not watch the video because video is awful, but we're going to need a global moritorium on posting video with your interpretation/summary of what they said instead of direct quotes.
He doesn’t actually say this? Also he brags here about having signed the most pro trans bills and having appointed the most trans people to state government.
November 9, 2025 at 7:18 PM
If you see an account using quotation marks around their sensationalized imagining of what a person says, block them. You (yes, you specifically, dear reader) are a misinformation target too
This language here ordinarily is left-coded! 1/2
November 9, 2025 at 11:18 AM
This language here ordinarily is left-coded! 1/2
Reposted by Vikram Bath
I hate this shit so much, because the actual piece is a thoughtful rebuttal to Andrews but the headline writers know what's gonna drive rageclicks. This is how French's piece closes:
November 8, 2025 at 1:47 PM
I hate this shit so much, because the actual piece is a thoughtful rebuttal to Andrews but the headline writers know what's gonna drive rageclicks. This is how French's piece closes:
Lindsey Graham demands Obamacare be expanded to include a public option:
November 7, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Lindsey Graham demands Obamacare be expanded to include a public option: