Benjamin Boles
@benjaminboles.bsky.social
I cut hair and sometimes make music. Retired music journalist.
He/they
Toronto
https://on.soundcloud.com/z1Wx4
He/they
Toronto
https://on.soundcloud.com/z1Wx4
Pinned
Benjamin Boles
@benjaminboles.bsky.social
· Nov 26
Ambient Heat
Stream Ambient Heat by benjamin boles on desktop and mobile. Play over 320 million tracks for free on SoundCloud.
m.soundcloud.com
A few months ago I decided to try making some electronic music at a much slower tempo than I’d ever worked with before. Here’s the result of those 76bpm experiments:
m.soundcloud.com/benjamin-bol...
m.soundcloud.com/benjamin-bol...
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
This is deeply misleading. The agricultural section of the bill does NOT ban hemp-derived cannabinoid products that contain less than .3% THC total. www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/hemp/news/15...
November 11, 2025 at 5:53 AM
This is deeply misleading. The agricultural section of the bill does NOT ban hemp-derived cannabinoid products that contain less than .3% THC total. www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/hemp/news/15...
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
Guillotine earrings, ca. 1793
November 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Guillotine earrings, ca. 1793
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
Dan knows more about how Congress works than anyone I know, so this is an interesting thread.
Some thoughts on the CR/minibus.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
November 11, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Dan knows more about how Congress works than anyone I know, so this is an interesting thread.
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
I don’t like Ford any more than you do, but this is a response to a request from the city to allow them to manage and improve the entire beach as a single public park. The mayor has promised public access and that the land will be protected as municipal property as part of plans revitalize the are.
November 11, 2025 at 4:10 AM
I don’t like Ford any more than you do, but this is a response to a request from the city to allow them to manage and improve the entire beach as a single public park. The mayor has promised public access and that the land will be protected as municipal property as part of plans revitalize the are.
Also, if she stays over there, we don’t have to worry about her coming after any of us over here
I know, everybody should leave X, but I think an exception should be made solely for Joyce Carol Oates so she can keep wounding Musk's withered soul on his own site and he can't do a thing about it.
November 11, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Also, if she stays over there, we don’t have to worry about her coming after any of us over here
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
I've noticed the opposing team's fans only cheer when the opponents score on us. To win those fans over, I recommend we score on ourselves repeatedly; that will surely make them so happy they'll start supporting us. And I'm sure all our fans will keep cheering for us—who else is there to cheer for?
October 10, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I've noticed the opposing team's fans only cheer when the opponents score on us. To win those fans over, I recommend we score on ourselves repeatedly; that will surely make them so happy they'll start supporting us. And I'm sure all our fans will keep cheering for us—who else is there to cheer for?
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
A lot of the NYC post-election analysis is bad. Cuomo is god awful and voters did not want a sex pest mayor; Silwa is a cat guy who talks about how many times he's been shot; and Adams dropped out because he wanted to go on more Turkish Airlines flights. It's not complicated.
November 11, 2025 at 4:44 AM
A lot of the NYC post-election analysis is bad. Cuomo is god awful and voters did not want a sex pest mayor; Silwa is a cat guy who talks about how many times he's been shot; and Adams dropped out because he wanted to go on more Turkish Airlines flights. It's not complicated.
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
Happy "That Time I Took A Photo Of My Infant Son And He Looked Like Mark E Smith From The Fall" Day, to all who celebrate*.
(*Me. I'm "all who celebrate.")
(*Me. I'm "all who celebrate.")
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Happy "That Time I Took A Photo Of My Infant Son And He Looked Like Mark E Smith From The Fall" Day, to all who celebrate*.
(*Me. I'm "all who celebrate.")
(*Me. I'm "all who celebrate.")
This really does clean up your replies a lot, big quality of life improvement
You know you can just turn off replies from people you don‘t follow? It’s… pretty good
November 11, 2025 at 12:26 AM
This really does clean up your replies a lot, big quality of life improvement
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
I’m a Canadian, how did I not know the Edmund Fitzgerald sank one year before the Lightfoot song? I just presumed it was a legendary shipwreck from the early 20th century. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME
November 10, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I’m a Canadian, how did I not know the Edmund Fitzgerald sank one year before the Lightfoot song? I just presumed it was a legendary shipwreck from the early 20th century. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
42% of residents and 37% of businesses surveyed supported a 5% property tax increase in order to maintain the current level of services in the city of Vancouver
but wait there’s more
a lot more
1/?
council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...
but wait there’s more
a lot more
1/?
council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...
November 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM
42% of residents and 37% of businesses surveyed supported a 5% property tax increase in order to maintain the current level of services in the city of Vancouver
but wait there’s more
a lot more
1/?
council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...
but wait there’s more
a lot more
1/?
council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
"Do you think taxes should be raised on billionaires?"
Democrats:
🟢 Yes: 95%
⚫️ No: 2%
Independents:
🟢 Yes: 75%
⚫️ No: 12%
Republicans:
🟢 Yes: 48%
⚫️ No: 32%
Read it here: usapolling.substack.com/p/americans-...
Democrats:
🟢 Yes: 95%
⚫️ No: 2%
Independents:
🟢 Yes: 75%
⚫️ No: 12%
Republicans:
🟢 Yes: 48%
⚫️ No: 32%
Read it here: usapolling.substack.com/p/americans-...
Americans Unite Against Billionaire Influence
Voters across party lines say billionaire power has gone too far and demand higher taxes
usapolling.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:14 PM
"Do you think taxes should be raised on billionaires?"
Democrats:
🟢 Yes: 95%
⚫️ No: 2%
Independents:
🟢 Yes: 75%
⚫️ No: 12%
Republicans:
🟢 Yes: 48%
⚫️ No: 32%
Read it here: usapolling.substack.com/p/americans-...
Democrats:
🟢 Yes: 95%
⚫️ No: 2%
Independents:
🟢 Yes: 75%
⚫️ No: 12%
Republicans:
🟢 Yes: 48%
⚫️ No: 32%
Read it here: usapolling.substack.com/p/americans-...
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
every single week they're throwing this guy a special oval office love-in that appears to be the presidential equivalent of letting your dog scarf an entire big mac and fries before that last trip to the vet
Pirro: "Mr President, there is in this room a group of people who love you, who believe in you, and who are so proud to be in this Oval Office and to be part of this amazing day because you have changed the course of America."
November 10, 2025 at 9:10 PM
every single week they're throwing this guy a special oval office love-in that appears to be the presidential equivalent of letting your dog scarf an entire big mac and fries before that last trip to the vet
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
Durbin is elected Democratic Whip - and is supposed to be one pushing others to vote the party line.
That he defied the caucus to vote yes means he should resign his leadership position or be voted out.
Again if Dems let him stay in leadership, this is on the caucus not just on the traitors.
That he defied the caucus to vote yes means he should resign his leadership position or be voted out.
Again if Dems let him stay in leadership, this is on the caucus not just on the traitors.
Schumer is either complicit or an ineffectual leader on the most important vote as Senate Party leader.
Either way, he should be voted out TOMORROW by the rest of the caucus.
And the rest of the caucus is complicit if they keep Schumer in power.
Either way, he should be voted out TOMORROW by the rest of the caucus.
And the rest of the caucus is complicit if they keep Schumer in power.
BREAKING: Senators have reached a deal to end the government shutdown.
November 10, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Durbin is elected Democratic Whip - and is supposed to be one pushing others to vote the party line.
That he defied the caucus to vote yes means he should resign his leadership position or be voted out.
Again if Dems let him stay in leadership, this is on the caucus not just on the traitors.
That he defied the caucus to vote yes means he should resign his leadership position or be voted out.
Again if Dems let him stay in leadership, this is on the caucus not just on the traitors.
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
i think this is key. taking the deal would amount to taking the blame. it would turn a clear political victory into an unambiguous defeat.
If the Dems blink after all of this, for a deal that all but ensures no ACA subsidies in 2026 anyway, then what was the purpose of letting the shutdown go for 40 days in the first place?
November 10, 2025 at 12:56 AM
i think this is key. taking the deal would amount to taking the blame. it would turn a clear political victory into an unambiguous defeat.
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
If Schumer votes AGAINST this but enough Ds vote FOR it that it passes, he needs to RESIGN immediately.
He will have shown himself to be absolutely ineffective as a minority leader. He has to go.
Literally resign tonight.
He will have shown himself to be absolutely ineffective as a minority leader. He has to go.
Literally resign tonight.
November 10, 2025 at 12:57 AM
If Schumer votes AGAINST this but enough Ds vote FOR it that it passes, he needs to RESIGN immediately.
He will have shown himself to be absolutely ineffective as a minority leader. He has to go.
Literally resign tonight.
He will have shown himself to be absolutely ineffective as a minority leader. He has to go.
Literally resign tonight.
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
agreeing to make a terrible deal while your main opponent is quite literally being boo'd on live tv by an entire stadium of people is the kind of political instinct you'd normally only find in a 3 week old dead goldfish
November 10, 2025 at 12:36 AM
agreeing to make a terrible deal while your main opponent is quite literally being boo'd on live tv by an entire stadium of people is the kind of political instinct you'd normally only find in a 3 week old dead goldfish
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
Keep thinking about the words of wisdom from @bradlander.bsky.social that the divide in Democratic politics right now is between folders and fighters.
November 10, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Keep thinking about the words of wisdom from @bradlander.bsky.social that the divide in Democratic politics right now is between folders and fighters.
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
Today I wrote about Zohran Mamdani's historic win, the energizing power of holding to shared principles of decency, and a taxonomy of the endlessly intertwined relationship between shame and vision. www.the-reframe.com/the-extraord...
The Extraordinary Power of Standing For Something
Winning by creating vision in the positive space of shared standards, and expertly negotiating the negative space of shame.
www.the-reframe.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Today I wrote about Zohran Mamdani's historic win, the energizing power of holding to shared principles of decency, and a taxonomy of the endlessly intertwined relationship between shame and vision. www.the-reframe.com/the-extraord...
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
This is fucking brilliant, and you should read it: lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:24 PM
This is fucking brilliant, and you should read it: lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
So it turns out... the US air travel system was incredibly, deeply dependent on federal funding to just run day-to-day all this time, to the benefit of private airline shareholders, when everyone thinks that state-run trains are leeching off the government. Weird!
November 9, 2025 at 12:10 AM
So it turns out... the US air travel system was incredibly, deeply dependent on federal funding to just run day-to-day all this time, to the benefit of private airline shareholders, when everyone thinks that state-run trains are leeching off the government. Weird!
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
New uncanny valley unlocked: inflatable corn maze for urban fall fests.
November 9, 2025 at 3:50 AM
New uncanny valley unlocked: inflatable corn maze for urban fall fests.
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
Wow. I wonder if they were bought by venture capital*
*yes, they were bought by venture capital
*yes, they were bought by venture capital
Funko admits “substantial doubt” it can continue as a going concern amid crashing sales and mounting debt.
The Pop! maker warns of potential loan defaults without fresh funding or a buyout, after a 14% sales drop and $250M in obligations.
#Funko #PopVinyl #GoingConcern
The Pop! maker warns of potential loan defaults without fresh funding or a buyout, after a 14% sales drop and $250M in obligations.
#Funko #PopVinyl #GoingConcern
November 9, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Wow. I wonder if they were bought by venture capital*
*yes, they were bought by venture capital
*yes, they were bought by venture capital
Reposted by Benjamin Boles
The crowd goes wild at the First Chippendales Club, Los Angeles 1979
November 9, 2025 at 2:19 AM
The crowd goes wild at the First Chippendales Club, Los Angeles 1979