Chris McLaren
@chrismclaren.com
I do not care to listen; obloquy injures my self-esteem and I am skeptical of praise.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Best Internet Meme Ever.
November 15, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Best Internet Meme Ever.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Remembering when people told me in late 2024 that "Trump couldn't create his own police force because federalism" mmhmm
With @arynbraun.bsky.social, this week we ran this big look at what ICE/CBP has become under Donald Trump and how the agencies increasingly resemble a sort of national police force he can send to whatever city he likes to intimidate people:
www.economist.com/interactive/...
www.economist.com/interactive/...
See how Donald Trump is creating his own police force
Immigration agents are operating in cities with few legal constraints
www.economist.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Remembering when people told me in late 2024 that "Trump couldn't create his own police force because federalism" mmhmm
Reposted by Chris McLaren
I Am Lucifer, the Devil, AMA
"Which of your many accomplishments are you most proud of?"
The idea that once your body is done growing, so is your mind.
"Wait, when is our minds done growing?"
You were never meant to be done growing, learning, examining. But you could be persuaded to give it up.
"Which of your many accomplishments are you most proud of?"
The idea that once your body is done growing, so is your mind.
"Wait, when is our minds done growing?"
You were never meant to be done growing, learning, examining. But you could be persuaded to give it up.
November 15, 2025 at 6:13 PM
I Am Lucifer, the Devil, AMA
"Which of your many accomplishments are you most proud of?"
The idea that once your body is done growing, so is your mind.
"Wait, when is our minds done growing?"
You were never meant to be done growing, learning, examining. But you could be persuaded to give it up.
"Which of your many accomplishments are you most proud of?"
The idea that once your body is done growing, so is your mind.
"Wait, when is our minds done growing?"
You were never meant to be done growing, learning, examining. But you could be persuaded to give it up.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
We treat corporate media mergers like weather events but they are actually *weapons* aimed at all of us 😡
alice wong's last post before dying:
November 15, 2025 at 6:08 PM
We treat corporate media mergers like weather events but they are actually *weapons* aimed at all of us 😡
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Doug Ford has 72 staffers working for him. The largest staff roster of any Ontario Premier ever. His cabinet is also the largest and most expensive in Ontario history.
But this week his Minister of Red Tape Reduction couldn't tell a committee how much all this was costing us.
I have questions.
But this week his Minister of Red Tape Reduction couldn't tell a committee how much all this was costing us.
I have questions.
November 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Doug Ford has 72 staffers working for him. The largest staff roster of any Ontario Premier ever. His cabinet is also the largest and most expensive in Ontario history.
But this week his Minister of Red Tape Reduction couldn't tell a committee how much all this was costing us.
I have questions.
But this week his Minister of Red Tape Reduction couldn't tell a committee how much all this was costing us.
I have questions.
Age yourself with gaming
November 15, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Age yourself with gaming
Just walked out into the rain to get some lunch and suddenly it's hammering down dime-sized globes of hail.
Pretty loud, actually.
Pretty loud, actually.
November 15, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Just walked out into the rain to get some lunch and suddenly it's hammering down dime-sized globes of hail.
Pretty loud, actually.
Pretty loud, actually.
I love that someone would take the amount of time it must have take to put this thread together, just to make strangers smile.
My morning is improved.
My morning is improved.
November 15, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I love that someone would take the amount of time it must have take to put this thread together, just to make strangers smile.
My morning is improved.
My morning is improved.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
‘Death remains my intimate shadow partner. It has been with me since birth, always hovering close by. I understand one day we will finally waltz together into the ether. I hope when that time comes, I die with the satisfaction of a life well-lived, unapologetic, joyful, & full of love.’
—Alice Wong
—Alice Wong
November 15, 2025 at 6:12 AM
‘Death remains my intimate shadow partner. It has been with me since birth, always hovering close by. I understand one day we will finally waltz together into the ether. I hope when that time comes, I die with the satisfaction of a life well-lived, unapologetic, joyful, & full of love.’
—Alice Wong
—Alice Wong
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Alan Dershowitz is one of those claiming Epstein was not a pedophile because he pleaded guilty to one count of having sex for money with a 17-year-and-10-month-old person. "That’s not a pedophile." See this important response from Julia Brown, the brave reporter who broke the news on this
November 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Alan Dershowitz is one of those claiming Epstein was not a pedophile because he pleaded guilty to one count of having sex for money with a 17-year-and-10-month-old person. "That’s not a pedophile." See this important response from Julia Brown, the brave reporter who broke the news on this
Reposted by Chris McLaren
On this day in 1988, Cowboy Junkies released their second studio album The Trinity Session. Recorded a year earlier, the album went 2x platinum in Canada and reached #28. It also hit #26 on the Billboard 200. It remains one of the most celebrated Canadian albums in history.
November 15, 2025 at 12:45 PM
On this day in 1988, Cowboy Junkies released their second studio album The Trinity Session. Recorded a year earlier, the album went 2x platinum in Canada and reached #28. It also hit #26 on the Billboard 200. It remains one of the most celebrated Canadian albums in history.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
This is a 19-paragraph article to which 7 journalists contributed; it contains not a single hint that there is any impropriety in the President of the United States directing the Justice Department to investigate his political adversaries.
November 14, 2025 at 8:32 PM
This is a 19-paragraph article to which 7 journalists contributed; it contains not a single hint that there is any impropriety in the President of the United States directing the Justice Department to investigate his political adversaries.
Post your favourite Star Trek character. Wrong answers only.
November 15, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Post your favourite Star Trek character. Wrong answers only.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Listen, you, regular person, likely can’t, say, stop your government from murdering fishermen. You can’t re-imprison a pardoned crook. You can’t stop drilling in whichever formerly protected forest. But you can, right now, find ways to protect your neighbors. There are people doing it. Join them.
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Listen, you, regular person, likely can’t, say, stop your government from murdering fishermen. You can’t re-imprison a pardoned crook. You can’t stop drilling in whichever formerly protected forest. But you can, right now, find ways to protect your neighbors. There are people doing it. Join them.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
what a world we live in where I need a break from the depressing onslaught of news to go indulge in something more lighthearted like THE RUNNING MAN
November 14, 2025 at 7:11 PM
what a world we live in where I need a break from the depressing onslaught of news to go indulge in something more lighthearted like THE RUNNING MAN
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Pre-Orders are coming soon for Suffering the Other, an anthology benefitting Raices Texas and the Transgender Law Center. I'm so thrilled to have a story included. Just look at the gorgeous cover! 😍
Here is the beautiful front cover for SUFFERING THE OTHER, art and design by RewX. See the loaded TOC here: bit.ly/4i03e3h (TOC is also in the alt-text here). Coming February 2026, pre-order open in December. Reminder, this is a benefit for @raicestexas.bsky.social and Transgender Law Center!
November 14, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Pre-Orders are coming soon for Suffering the Other, an anthology benefitting Raices Texas and the Transgender Law Center. I'm so thrilled to have a story included. Just look at the gorgeous cover! 😍
Gonna make 'em work for it.
November 14, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Gonna make 'em work for it.
The fact that we all know what this is in reference to is one of the best arguments for just going offline, moving into the woods, and slowly turning to moss.
November 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
The fact that we all know what this is in reference to is one of the best arguments for just going offline, moving into the woods, and slowly turning to moss.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
The way too many people actively avoid talking about the unreliability of one of the most famous unreliable narrators in all of the literary canon is really something.
People have been misinterpreting Lolita since it came out and Nabokov was like "you're absolutely wrong; I wrote this to create a trap that you fell into and you should reflect on why you were so gullible about a monster."
![INTERVIEWER
He does [names him]. A third critic has said that you “diminish” your characters “to the point where they become ciphers in a cosmic farce.” I disagree; Humbert, while comic, retains a touching and insistent quality—that of the spoiled artist.
NABOKOV
I would put it differently: Humbert Humbert is a vain and cruel wretch who manages to appear “touching.” That epithet, in its true, tear-iridized sense, can only apply to my poor little girl. Besides, how can I “diminish” to the level of ciphers, et cetera, characters that I have invented myself? One can “diminish” a biographee, but not an eidolon.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:sajwk2kma5oeryy6odgweciz/bafkreibqwlfwj2jyd3apcdb22rbcxsvxpnw36ryqpgqwyu3kc4cn2rbkxm@jpeg)
November 14, 2025 at 8:28 PM
The way too many people actively avoid talking about the unreliability of one of the most famous unreliable narrators in all of the literary canon is really something.
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally
A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...
www.yahoo.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Reposted by Chris McLaren
Huh! Go figure.
The chancellor of my college system announced today that one of the professors at my campus was uncomplimentary of Charlie Kirk following his death, which resulted in the chancellor getting 800+ phone calls and e-mails demanding the faculty member's dismissal.
The Chancellor: "No."
The chancellor of my college system announced today that one of the professors at my campus was uncomplimentary of Charlie Kirk following his death, which resulted in the chancellor getting 800+ phone calls and e-mails demanding the faculty member's dismissal.
The Chancellor: "No."
November 14, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Huh! Go figure.
The chancellor of my college system announced today that one of the professors at my campus was uncomplimentary of Charlie Kirk following his death, which resulted in the chancellor getting 800+ phone calls and e-mails demanding the faculty member's dismissal.
The Chancellor: "No."
The chancellor of my college system announced today that one of the professors at my campus was uncomplimentary of Charlie Kirk following his death, which resulted in the chancellor getting 800+ phone calls and e-mails demanding the faculty member's dismissal.
The Chancellor: "No."
Reposted by Chris McLaren
The top 1% capture more wealth than 99% of the world. A wealth tax on the richest 0.5% of Canadians would allow $30 billion in gains/yr, while supporting tax cuts to middle- and low-income workers and raising money for public goods. #NoMoreBillionaireshttps://act.gp/4qNIIXs
November 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
The top 1% capture more wealth than 99% of the world. A wealth tax on the richest 0.5% of Canadians would allow $30 billion in gains/yr, while supporting tax cuts to middle- and low-income workers and raising money for public goods. #NoMoreBillionaireshttps://act.gp/4qNIIXs
Reposted by Chris McLaren
As I was saying. These are the conversations the rich have when we’re not around.
Ooh, @bigthink.com this exchange between @joscha.bsky.social and Jeffrey Epstein is so eugenics-smeared. Contemplating using climate change and involuntary euthanasia of infirm and elderly to cull the population… I think I’m going to be ill.
From HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_026413
From HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_026413
November 14, 2025 at 5:56 PM
As I was saying. These are the conversations the rich have when we’re not around.
68,800N is a lot. Like, A LOT.
For #FossilFriday & in honor of @alinemghilardi.bsky.social & colleagues' fantastic discovery of a new Cretaceous pterosaur in Brazil in a dinosaur regurgitalite ("fossil vomit"), here's a diagram I made for my book 'Dinosaurs Without Bones' (2014) showing the physics of a puking brachiosaur. 🧪🦕🤮🪨
November 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
68,800N is a lot. Like, A LOT.