David Dickson
@dickiddaveson.bsky.social
Uh-oh. Did one of them look like him?
November 12, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Uh-oh. Did one of them look like him?
Absolutely he was in on the joke
November 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Absolutely he was in on the joke
You can't say we didn't have it coming
November 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
You can't say we didn't have it coming
Whether being "swallowed" means getting your brain cooked by the dominant narrative, or, like Fetterman, deciding that going against the grain is "smart" and "savvy" by definition.
November 12, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Whether being "swallowed" means getting your brain cooked by the dominant narrative, or, like Fetterman, deciding that going against the grain is "smart" and "savvy" by definition.
That's been my take, observing him.
I can't read minds, so maybe I'm wrong. Doubt it, though.
In other words: Being online is a balancing act. You have to, contra Biden and his political advisers, treat it as a piece of the "real world". But you can't get swallowed by the abyss it is.
I can't read minds, so maybe I'm wrong. Doubt it, though.
In other words: Being online is a balancing act. You have to, contra Biden and his political advisers, treat it as a piece of the "real world". But you can't get swallowed by the abyss it is.
November 12, 2025 at 1:48 AM
That's been my take, observing him.
I can't read minds, so maybe I'm wrong. Doubt it, though.
In other words: Being online is a balancing act. You have to, contra Biden and his political advisers, treat it as a piece of the "real world". But you can't get swallowed by the abyss it is.
I can't read minds, so maybe I'm wrong. Doubt it, though.
In other words: Being online is a balancing act. You have to, contra Biden and his political advisers, treat it as a piece of the "real world". But you can't get swallowed by the abyss it is.
Fetterman has always been a guy who prides himself on "sticking out from the crowd", metaphorically and literally.
Marinating in social media, has convinced John that it's "contrarian" and "sticking out from the crowd" to say:
"Durrr, Trump's not a dictator, I just disagree with him oN pOLicY". 😕
Marinating in social media, has convinced John that it's "contrarian" and "sticking out from the crowd" to say:
"Durrr, Trump's not a dictator, I just disagree with him oN pOLicY". 😕
November 12, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Fetterman has always been a guy who prides himself on "sticking out from the crowd", metaphorically and literally.
Marinating in social media, has convinced John that it's "contrarian" and "sticking out from the crowd" to say:
"Durrr, Trump's not a dictator, I just disagree with him oN pOLicY". 😕
Marinating in social media, has convinced John that it's "contrarian" and "sticking out from the crowd" to say:
"Durrr, Trump's not a dictator, I just disagree with him oN pOLicY". 😕
One quibble with this:
John Fetterman is almost certainly very, very much online. In a bad way.
Beyond his stroke, one of the major reasons why he's crossing to the dark side is reading all the meanie, beanie, fo-feanie things people have said about him online, regarding Israel and what-not.
John Fetterman is almost certainly very, very much online. In a bad way.
Beyond his stroke, one of the major reasons why he's crossing to the dark side is reading all the meanie, beanie, fo-feanie things people have said about him online, regarding Israel and what-not.
November 12, 2025 at 1:44 AM
One quibble with this:
John Fetterman is almost certainly very, very much online. In a bad way.
Beyond his stroke, one of the major reasons why he's crossing to the dark side is reading all the meanie, beanie, fo-feanie things people have said about him online, regarding Israel and what-not.
John Fetterman is almost certainly very, very much online. In a bad way.
Beyond his stroke, one of the major reasons why he's crossing to the dark side is reading all the meanie, beanie, fo-feanie things people have said about him online, regarding Israel and what-not.
He does have a freakishly vast work ethic, though.
Worth noting: A lot of people fall into the "politician" profession purely because they like to feel important and/or don't feel like working too hard. It is nice to see him being an exception to that.
Worth noting: A lot of people fall into the "politician" profession purely because they like to feel important and/or don't feel like working too hard. It is nice to see him being an exception to that.
November 12, 2025 at 1:27 AM
He does have a freakishly vast work ethic, though.
Worth noting: A lot of people fall into the "politician" profession purely because they like to feel important and/or don't feel like working too hard. It is nice to see him being an exception to that.
Worth noting: A lot of people fall into the "politician" profession purely because they like to feel important and/or don't feel like working too hard. It is nice to see him being an exception to that.
Of course, his product can't help but become a punchline by its very name, the more so because it tends to be patronized by coders, gamers, techbros, space geeks, and other dystopian/utopians, who've gotten a bad rap recently.
Some people aren't in the mood to get the joke. Which is fair.
Some people aren't in the mood to get the joke. Which is fair.
November 12, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Of course, his product can't help but become a punchline by its very name, the more so because it tends to be patronized by coders, gamers, techbros, space geeks, and other dystopian/utopians, who've gotten a bad rap recently.
Some people aren't in the mood to get the joke. Which is fair.
Some people aren't in the mood to get the joke. Which is fair.
I met the co-founder of Soylent. He ran the Georgia Tech Rocket club during my first year there.
In many ways your typical engineer: Dry, non-emotive, eternally young-looking.
He essentially founded the company by accident; nutrition drinks were an affordability lifehack for him.
In many ways your typical engineer: Dry, non-emotive, eternally young-looking.
He essentially founded the company by accident; nutrition drinks were an affordability lifehack for him.
Soylent co-founder Rob Rhinehart steps down as CEO | TechCrunch
After an eventful (and sometimes challenging) year for Soylent, co-founder Rob Rhinehart announced today that he will resign as the meal replacement shake company’s chief executive officer. That posit...
techcrunch.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:03 AM
I met the co-founder of Soylent. He ran the Georgia Tech Rocket club during my first year there.
In many ways your typical engineer: Dry, non-emotive, eternally young-looking.
He essentially founded the company by accident; nutrition drinks were an affordability lifehack for him.
In many ways your typical engineer: Dry, non-emotive, eternally young-looking.
He essentially founded the company by accident; nutrition drinks were an affordability lifehack for him.
Lol on the year
November 11, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Lol on the year
The Internet is a mind-losing machine, to be sure. Very few of us have the ability or inclination to use it wisely.
It definitely seems to be psyching out more people around the world from having kids, than it is making life easier for those who do.
Still. That's on us, not the Internet per se.
It definitely seems to be psyching out more people around the world from having kids, than it is making life easier for those who do.
Still. That's on us, not the Internet per se.
November 11, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The Internet is a mind-losing machine, to be sure. Very few of us have the ability or inclination to use it wisely.
It definitely seems to be psyching out more people around the world from having kids, than it is making life easier for those who do.
Still. That's on us, not the Internet per se.
It definitely seems to be psyching out more people around the world from having kids, than it is making life easier for those who do.
Still. That's on us, not the Internet per se.
I agree that people were probably "happier"; social media is, if nothing else, an unhappiness machine.
I disagree that life was better, or that the environment was cleaner.
Life expectancy was lower.
The Cuyahoga River caught fire. 🤷
I disagree that life was better, or that the environment was cleaner.
Life expectancy was lower.
The Cuyahoga River caught fire. 🤷
November 11, 2025 at 10:26 PM
I agree that people were probably "happier"; social media is, if nothing else, an unhappiness machine.
I disagree that life was better, or that the environment was cleaner.
Life expectancy was lower.
The Cuyahoga River caught fire. 🤷
I disagree that life was better, or that the environment was cleaner.
Life expectancy was lower.
The Cuyahoga River caught fire. 🤷
I recently made the same point, remarking that two of the highest-rated shows of the decade were Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.
Naturally, I got sternly commanded to "watch my mouth" about "real entertainment". 😕
Naturally, I got sternly commanded to "watch my mouth" about "real entertainment". 😕
November 11, 2025 at 10:18 PM
I recently made the same point, remarking that two of the highest-rated shows of the decade were Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.
Naturally, I got sternly commanded to "watch my mouth" about "real entertainment". 😕
Naturally, I got sternly commanded to "watch my mouth" about "real entertainment". 😕
"Allllllriiiiight, fine. If you want an experienced public servant, vote for me."
"But if you want to believe a lot of crazy promises. . . then by all means: Vote for this SLEAZY. LUNATIC."
"But if you want to believe a lot of crazy promises. . . then by all means: Vote for this SLEAZY. LUNATIC."
November 11, 2025 at 10:09 PM
"Allllllriiiiight, fine. If you want an experienced public servant, vote for me."
"But if you want to believe a lot of crazy promises. . . then by all means: Vote for this SLEAZY. LUNATIC."
"But if you want to believe a lot of crazy promises. . . then by all means: Vote for this SLEAZY. LUNATIC."
In both cases, the voters are showing that you shouldn't take them literally (albeit, seriously).
We're in the early stretches of a likely long, shitty era of general dissatisfaction. People will be expressing it through weasel words like "affordability", true or no, for the foreseeable future.
We're in the early stretches of a likely long, shitty era of general dissatisfaction. People will be expressing it through weasel words like "affordability", true or no, for the foreseeable future.
November 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM
In both cases, the voters are showing that you shouldn't take them literally (albeit, seriously).
We're in the early stretches of a likely long, shitty era of general dissatisfaction. People will be expressing it through weasel words like "affordability", true or no, for the foreseeable future.
We're in the early stretches of a likely long, shitty era of general dissatisfaction. People will be expressing it through weasel words like "affordability", true or no, for the foreseeable future.
Well, yes, I think a lot of the public would agree that facts don't matter.
When they said "nothing is affordable" in 2024, many of them were saying "I'm bored and the status quo is lame and blah and Trump sounds KEWL."
When they say it now, they mean "Trump seems kinda corrupt and shit".
When they said "nothing is affordable" in 2024, many of them were saying "I'm bored and the status quo is lame and blah and Trump sounds KEWL."
When they say it now, they mean "Trump seems kinda corrupt and shit".
November 11, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Well, yes, I think a lot of the public would agree that facts don't matter.
When they said "nothing is affordable" in 2024, many of them were saying "I'm bored and the status quo is lame and blah and Trump sounds KEWL."
When they say it now, they mean "Trump seems kinda corrupt and shit".
When they said "nothing is affordable" in 2024, many of them were saying "I'm bored and the status quo is lame and blah and Trump sounds KEWL."
When they say it now, they mean "Trump seems kinda corrupt and shit".
My college student paper called this the "worst movie of 2002" and dedicated an entire April Fool's article to razzing me for defending it.
Good times.
In retrospect, excellent movie; largely ahistorical.
Seems to be uncertain as to whether to be pro-immigrant or antiracist. A bit muddled there.
Good times.
In retrospect, excellent movie; largely ahistorical.
Seems to be uncertain as to whether to be pro-immigrant or antiracist. A bit muddled there.
November 11, 2025 at 9:35 PM
My college student paper called this the "worst movie of 2002" and dedicated an entire April Fool's article to razzing me for defending it.
Good times.
In retrospect, excellent movie; largely ahistorical.
Seems to be uncertain as to whether to be pro-immigrant or antiracist. A bit muddled there.
Good times.
In retrospect, excellent movie; largely ahistorical.
Seems to be uncertain as to whether to be pro-immigrant or antiracist. A bit muddled there.
Good for the goose, good for the gander 🤷
November 11, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Good for the goose, good for the gander 🤷
I think Angus King (e.g.) sees Republicans cutting people off health insurance, Trump gleefully slashing food stamps, and orgies of ICE violence across American cities, and genuinely thinks to himself:
"My god...WE caused this by not being reasonable and bipartisan enough."
Hammer, nail, etc. 😕
"My god...WE caused this by not being reasonable and bipartisan enough."
Hammer, nail, etc. 😕
November 11, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I think Angus King (e.g.) sees Republicans cutting people off health insurance, Trump gleefully slashing food stamps, and orgies of ICE violence across American cities, and genuinely thinks to himself:
"My god...WE caused this by not being reasonable and bipartisan enough."
Hammer, nail, etc. 😕
"My god...WE caused this by not being reasonable and bipartisan enough."
Hammer, nail, etc. 😕