Reposted by Bjorn
This is so horrifyingly dumb that I don't want to believe it, but it's the best explanation I've seen so far for why this keeps happening
There's no rhyme or reason to which Dems do this on any given nominee, and they never explain, because it really is as stupid as they do it to game metrics so they can't be tagged "most liberal." It's not because Republicans care, they don't need them. It's not a tactical maneuver. It's just dumb.
Amy Klobuchar voted for one of Trump's nominees the day after a woman in her state was murdered by ICE.
January 8, 2026 at 11:55 PM
This is so horrifyingly dumb that I don't want to believe it, but it's the best explanation I've seen so far for why this keeps happening
Reposted by Bjorn
There's no rhyme or reason to which Dems do this on any given nominee, and they never explain, because it really is as stupid as they do it to game metrics so they can't be tagged "most liberal." It's not because Republicans care, they don't need them. It's not a tactical maneuver. It's just dumb.
Amy Klobuchar voted for one of Trump's nominees the day after a woman in her state was murdered by ICE.
Alexander Van Hook is confirmed 53-40 to be a District Judge of Western Louisiana. According to @senatepress.bsky.social, the Dems yeas are Dick Durbin (IL), Maggie Hassan (NH), Tim Kaine (VA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), and Peter Welch (VT). Angus King (I-ME) was also a yea.
January 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM
There's no rhyme or reason to which Dems do this on any given nominee, and they never explain, because it really is as stupid as they do it to game metrics so they can't be tagged "most liberal." It's not because Republicans care, they don't need them. It's not a tactical maneuver. It's just dumb.
Reposted by Bjorn
Iranian women are the bravest people on Earth.
January 8, 2026 at 11:33 PM
Iranian women are the bravest people on Earth.
Reposted by Bjorn
Simple amendments that IMO would have a decent chance of getting ratified:
January 8, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Simple amendments that IMO would have a decent chance of getting ratified:
Reposted by Bjorn
I agree with a lot of Schumer criticism but Jeffries and House Dems have pushed swing district Republicans hard and gotten results.
The Obamacare 3-year funding extension is sailing through the House now. Already 16 Republicans have broken with party leaders and voted YES on the bill with unanimously supportive Democrats.
January 8, 2026 at 11:12 PM
I agree with a lot of Schumer criticism but Jeffries and House Dems have pushed swing district Republicans hard and gotten results.
Reposted by Bjorn
Pope Bob can do the funniest thing ever
Editorial in the National Catholic Reporter: "The vice president's comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel."
Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good
After the tragic shooting of Renee Good at the hands of ICE, the Catholic vice president of the United States took to social media to justify the killing.
www.ncronline.org
January 8, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Pope Bob can do the funniest thing ever
Reposted by Bjorn
one problem with turning off all communications in order to crack down on dissent is it pretty much forces everyone to go outside and gather to find out whats going on
New video's from Tehran show protesters still filling the streets as the blackout continues. The scale of unrest in the capital is not easing, with no visible presence of security forces in the footage.
January 8, 2026 at 10:57 PM
one problem with turning off all communications in order to crack down on dissent is it pretty much forces everyone to go outside and gather to find out whats going on
Reposted by Bjorn
Reject all claims that either government or the private sector is intrinsically more competent.
Both can be run well or badly. Both have ways of rewarding either competence or incompetence.
Focus on the people in charge, and their incentives.
Both can be run well or badly. Both have ways of rewarding either competence or incompetence.
Focus on the people in charge, and their incentives.
January 8, 2026 at 9:50 PM
Reject all claims that either government or the private sector is intrinsically more competent.
Both can be run well or badly. Both have ways of rewarding either competence or incompetence.
Focus on the people in charge, and their incentives.
Both can be run well or badly. Both have ways of rewarding either competence or incompetence.
Focus on the people in charge, and their incentives.
Reposted by Bjorn
I was just in Florida riding Brightline and it looked more like more gates than I would say New Jersey transit Pasco Valley has like they actually have quads down in Florida. A lot of Pascal is not quad.
January 8, 2026 at 6:46 PM
I was just in Florida riding Brightline and it looked more like more gates than I would say New Jersey transit Pasco Valley has like they actually have quads down in Florida. A lot of Pascal is not quad.
Reposted by Bjorn
Martin Peterson's creative response to being banned from teaching Plato (shared with his permission).
January 8, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Martin Peterson's creative response to being banned from teaching Plato (shared with his permission).
Reposted by Bjorn
Again, it's Florida's bad drivers because New Jersey has very similar conditions and doesn't have these issues. Long Island railroad is even more dense and has more frequent electric trains and doesn't have this issues.
January 8, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Again, it's Florida's bad drivers because New Jersey has very similar conditions and doesn't have these issues. Long Island railroad is even more dense and has more frequent electric trains and doesn't have this issues.
Reposted by Bjorn
To be fair, it is Florida, and honestly, if Florida drivers cannot handle the same sort of train situation which we have in New Jersey. It is on them because New Jersey has the verbatim same line the Pasco Valley and the Bergen main line which are both flat in the middle of highly traffic areas.
January 8, 2026 at 6:43 PM
To be fair, it is Florida, and honestly, if Florida drivers cannot handle the same sort of train situation which we have in New Jersey. It is on them because New Jersey has the verbatim same line the Pasco Valley and the Bergen main line which are both flat in the middle of highly traffic areas.
Reposted by Bjorn
I think it's a mistake to take this statement at face value or as giving up. Sometimes a public statement is a way to apply pressure in private.
Q: Is there anything stopping state law enforcement from conducted an independent investigation even if the feds don't want it?
JACOBSON: Without assistance from the FBI, we would be at a loss to be able to initiate & conduct a thorough investigation. It would be very difficult if not impossible
JACOBSON: Without assistance from the FBI, we would be at a loss to be able to initiate & conduct a thorough investigation. It would be very difficult if not impossible
January 8, 2026 at 6:39 PM
I think it's a mistake to take this statement at face value or as giving up. Sometimes a public statement is a way to apply pressure in private.
Reposted by Bjorn
It took several years for my first wife (from Portugal) to recognize the smell of a skunk - before that she thought Americans just smoked the worse weed imaginable by the side of the highway a lot
I once explained Pepe Le Pew to a French person and the craziest thing about it was that they said they didn’t even have skunks in France and have never seen one. I imagine its worse to them that WB made up an animal to depict their entire country as sex criminals.
January 8, 2026 at 6:34 PM
It took several years for my first wife (from Portugal) to recognize the smell of a skunk - before that she thought Americans just smoked the worse weed imaginable by the side of the highway a lot
Reposted by Bjorn
Something interesting about arctic construction: it strongly resembles that of the metropole. Some climactic adaptation, but Nuuk, Murmansk, Fairbanks, and Yellowknife are all very different. It suggests that mainland construction differences are also driven more by socioeconomics than geography.
The UK's prime minister has broadly supported Donald Trump's intervention in Venezuela, but his position on Greenland has been more robust, in line with that of other European leaders. ft.trib.al/Bbhgp6j
January 8, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Something interesting about arctic construction: it strongly resembles that of the metropole. Some climactic adaptation, but Nuuk, Murmansk, Fairbanks, and Yellowknife are all very different. It suggests that mainland construction differences are also driven more by socioeconomics than geography.
Reposted by Bjorn
One of the things about writing my elevator report that I found most interesting was charting the logistical steps of becoming an elevator union member. You have to strategize and plan for a few years, and then at some random point you get a call and have to quit your job immediately to take it
January 8, 2026 at 2:30 PM
One of the things about writing my elevator report that I found most interesting was charting the logistical steps of becoming an elevator union member. You have to strategize and plan for a few years, and then at some random point you get a call and have to quit your job immediately to take it
Reposted by Bjorn
👀👀 at the STB moving reciprocal switching forward. And at this quote in the piece, which is basically "Class Is: FAFO"
www.trains.com/pro/freight/...
www.trains.com/pro/freight/...
![Shippers said the rule didn’t go far enough. And railroads, which opposed the rule, sought a judicial review of the STB decision. In July 2025 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit tossed the rule covering reciprocal switching for inadequate service. The court said the rule exceeded the board’s authority.
Independent analyst Anthony B. Hatch suggests that the railroads could have avoided the regulatory revamp.
“My initial thoughts are this is what happens to the rails when they foolishly fought and won a legal action against the service-oriented reciprocal switching rules as offered by the [Martin J.] Oberman board,” Hatch says.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:py7ihy5s5b25tzxq6ivkozew/bafkreiajdnc5b46kmjaimfdmnf6k3tkpjudaafovkwk2j4ath5cmjhd224@jpeg)
January 8, 2026 at 2:05 PM
👀👀 at the STB moving reciprocal switching forward. And at this quote in the piece, which is basically "Class Is: FAFO"
www.trains.com/pro/freight/...
www.trains.com/pro/freight/...
Reposted by Bjorn
I can tell this story is breaking through because people on Instagram who never post "political" stuff currently have their stories filled with content about Minnesota.
January 8, 2026 at 1:52 PM
I can tell this story is breaking through because people on Instagram who never post "political" stuff currently have their stories filled with content about Minnesota.
Reposted by Bjorn
This section of I-465 between mile marker 46 and 47 is also host to I-69, U.S. 31, U.S. 36, U.S. 40, U.S. 52, U.S. 421, State Road 37, and State Road 67. That’s 9 concurrent routes, one less than the record of 10 in Athens, GA.
January 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM
This section of I-465 between mile marker 46 and 47 is also host to I-69, U.S. 31, U.S. 36, U.S. 40, U.S. 52, U.S. 421, State Road 37, and State Road 67. That’s 9 concurrent routes, one less than the record of 10 in Athens, GA.
Reposted by Bjorn
They replaced the two-sides story & headline with the video analysis and new headline some time between 6:45 and 8:30 this morning.
January 8, 2026 at 2:01 PM
They replaced the two-sides story & headline with the video analysis and new headline some time between 6:45 and 8:30 this morning.
Reposted by Bjorn
Photos from across Iran today show the deployment of Iranian security forces in schools and public centers, likely preparing to suppress intense protests tonight.
This, along with the internet shutdown, could mean things are destabilizing further.
This, along with the internet shutdown, could mean things are destabilizing further.
January 8, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Photos from across Iran today show the deployment of Iranian security forces in schools and public centers, likely preparing to suppress intense protests tonight.
This, along with the internet shutdown, could mean things are destabilizing further.
This, along with the internet shutdown, could mean things are destabilizing further.
Reposted by Bjorn
Mussolini very famously did not have a formal political program and the entrance of the fascist party into italian politics was super controversial among fascist ultras because they were anti politics. A quote attributed to Mussolini is "our ideology is the fist"
January 8, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Mussolini very famously did not have a formal political program and the entrance of the fascist party into italian politics was super controversial among fascist ultras because they were anti politics. A quote attributed to Mussolini is "our ideology is the fist"
Reposted by Bjorn
Markets across Iranian provinces and cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, and Kurdistan, have joined a nationwide strike, with shops closed. Protests also in cities like Falavarjan and Hamedan. Reza Pahlavi has called for mass rallies tonight and tomorrow. Security forces are mobilizing.
January 8, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Markets across Iranian provinces and cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, and Kurdistan, have joined a nationwide strike, with shops closed. Protests also in cities like Falavarjan and Hamedan. Reza Pahlavi has called for mass rallies tonight and tomorrow. Security forces are mobilizing.
Reposted by Bjorn
This is absolutely a huge problem in protest culture and it’s a major obstacle to allowing protests to grow. People are turning up to protests to fight Trump, ICE, recent abuses. Invariably the speakers are going off about 200 years of stolen land or US imperialism, and many of those people leave.
I really agree with this—my stance is not “don’t bring in other issues” but “for the love of god, do NOT bring in other issues in a ham-fisted way that doesn’t illuminate the connection for someone who didn’t already agree”
I have seen ppl who were highly motivated to protest a particular thing…
I have seen ppl who were highly motivated to protest a particular thing…
January 8, 2026 at 12:02 PM
This is absolutely a huge problem in protest culture and it’s a major obstacle to allowing protests to grow. People are turning up to protests to fight Trump, ICE, recent abuses. Invariably the speakers are going off about 200 years of stolen land or US imperialism, and many of those people leave.