S. Garlick
@frestonia.bsky.social
Writer about Estonia, ex-agency media now doing my own thing, sometime co-host of the Questonia podcast. Can be bribed with chocolate-covered Domino cookies. Languages: EN/EE
🇪🇪🇺🇦🏳️⚧️
https://frestonia.substack.com/
🇪🇪🇺🇦🏳️⚧️
https://frestonia.substack.com/
Pinned
S. Garlick
@frestonia.bsky.social
· May 6
The end of Skype, memories from the inside, & an inflection point for Estonia
Skype was the masthead of the Estonian brand. It was also a place that taught me to have fun, and to accept change. As part of its origin story ends, Estonia has its own future decisions to make.
open.substack.com
It was this month in 2011 I got offered a job at Skype. Microsoft have pulled the plug, so I wanted to write about how #Skype was a crucial part of the Estonian story for two decades, and how its closure coincides with #Estonia searching for a new idea of itself. open.substack.com/pub/frestoni...
Reposted by S. Garlick
Kyiv is under missile attack.
It’s very loud.
Nothing new, really.
Just thought the world should know.
It’s very loud.
Nothing new, really.
Just thought the world should know.
November 24, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Kyiv is under missile attack.
It’s very loud.
Nothing new, really.
Just thought the world should know.
It’s very loud.
Nothing new, really.
Just thought the world should know.
If you really care, and aren't just signalling, a good start would be donating to @annehealthcare.bsky.social - private teams health providers, particularly in the UK which is awful, are literally saving trans lives.
November 23, 2025 at 8:36 PM
If you really care, and aren't just signalling, a good start would be donating to @annehealthcare.bsky.social - private teams health providers, particularly in the UK which is awful, are literally saving trans lives.
Jesus. All of Substack Notes and Threads is just the morons from 2016 Resistance Twitter still writing "Drumpf works for Russia" and "Isn't Lady Gaga brave for wearing an anti-Trump t-shirt?" We lost that battle. Stop writing the same things and start donating to trans care and abortion-aid orgs.
November 23, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Jesus. All of Substack Notes and Threads is just the morons from 2016 Resistance Twitter still writing "Drumpf works for Russia" and "Isn't Lady Gaga brave for wearing an anti-Trump t-shirt?" We lost that battle. Stop writing the same things and start donating to trans care and abortion-aid orgs.
Serie A players are wearing a red mark on their faces to raise awareness of violence against women. Remember Italy has a far-right government.
Meanwhile the Estonian far right likes being able to smack their wives so much that they want to leave the Istanbul Convention
share.google/Y1VmyMUtVdAA...
Meanwhile the Estonian far right likes being able to smack their wives so much that they want to leave the Istanbul Convention
share.google/Y1VmyMUtVdAA...
Why Serie A players are wearing red face paint in Week 12 - Football Italia
All Serie A players will be wearing a splash of red face paint on their cheeks during the 12th round of league fixtures taking place this weekend to raise
share.google
November 22, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Serie A players are wearing a red mark on their faces to raise awareness of violence against women. Remember Italy has a far-right government.
Meanwhile the Estonian far right likes being able to smack their wives so much that they want to leave the Istanbul Convention
share.google/Y1VmyMUtVdAA...
Meanwhile the Estonian far right likes being able to smack their wives so much that they want to leave the Istanbul Convention
share.google/Y1VmyMUtVdAA...
Marko Mihkelson was right: accept this peace plan, and there is no Ukraine any more. It also means the Baltic countries need to go onto a war footing. Putin will know he can do what he wants, and eventually the rest of the world will fall in line.
November 21, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Marko Mihkelson was right: accept this peace plan, and there is no Ukraine any more. It also means the Baltic countries need to go onto a war footing. Putin will know he can do what he wants, and eventually the rest of the world will fall in line.
The @nytimes.com saying Mamdani isn't the future of the Democratic Party, Josh Shapiro is, is... an opinion.
He probably needs to stop supporting genocide before he can be a better option than Biden or Harris.
He probably needs to stop supporting genocide before he can be a better option than Biden or Harris.
November 12, 2025 at 12:47 PM
The @nytimes.com saying Mamdani isn't the future of the Democratic Party, Josh Shapiro is, is... an opinion.
He probably needs to stop supporting genocide before he can be a better option than Biden or Harris.
He probably needs to stop supporting genocide before he can be a better option than Biden or Harris.
Kristen Michal yesterday:
Keskerakond are dangerous because they're corrupt and close to Russian influence operations
Kristen Michal literally three months ago:
We will burn down all the achievements of Tallinn City Government to have a coalition with Keskerakond
Is this a Freaky Friday situation?
Keskerakond are dangerous because they're corrupt and close to Russian influence operations
Kristen Michal literally three months ago:
We will burn down all the achievements of Tallinn City Government to have a coalition with Keskerakond
Is this a Freaky Friday situation?
November 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Kristen Michal yesterday:
Keskerakond are dangerous because they're corrupt and close to Russian influence operations
Kristen Michal literally three months ago:
We will burn down all the achievements of Tallinn City Government to have a coalition with Keskerakond
Is this a Freaky Friday situation?
Keskerakond are dangerous because they're corrupt and close to Russian influence operations
Kristen Michal literally three months ago:
We will burn down all the achievements of Tallinn City Government to have a coalition with Keskerakond
Is this a Freaky Friday situation?
Kes on suurim oht Eesti Vabariigile: trans inimesed, mehed ei suuda oma naisi peksta, Varro Vooglaid, või ERRi juht Anvar Samost? Valime!
www.err.ee/1609853781/v...
www.err.ee/1609853781/v...
Varro Vooglaid: Istanbuli konventsioon kui ideoloogiline Trooja hobune
Tõenäoliselt on naistevastase vägivalla vastu kõik poliitikud ning kindlasti on seda kõik erakonnad. Ent selleks, et keskenduda tõepoolest ühistele ja vaieldamatutele eesmärkidele, ei tohi seda teemat...
www.err.ee
November 11, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Kes on suurim oht Eesti Vabariigile: trans inimesed, mehed ei suuda oma naisi peksta, Varro Vooglaid, või ERRi juht Anvar Samost? Valime!
www.err.ee/1609853781/v...
www.err.ee/1609853781/v...
It seems I've been watching a different BBC all my life to whoever wrote this for ERR.
Apparently it's dominated by LGBTQ people, the "trans debate" is never covered, and there is a pro-Hamas bias.
This is all new information to anyone who has watched the BBC recently.
www.err.ee/1609853811/b...
Apparently it's dominated by LGBTQ people, the "trans debate" is never covered, and there is a pro-Hamas bias.
This is all new information to anyone who has watched the BBC recently.
www.err.ee/1609853811/b...
BBC tegevuse kohta koostatud memo näitab laialdast kallutatust
Briti ringhäälingukompanii BBC uudistetoimetuse tegevuse kohta koostatud memo, mis viis pühapäeval BBC peadirektori ja uudistejuhi tagasiastumiseni, näitab meediamaja laiemaid probleeme erapooletuse h...
www.err.ee
November 10, 2025 at 10:18 AM
It seems I've been watching a different BBC all my life to whoever wrote this for ERR.
Apparently it's dominated by LGBTQ people, the "trans debate" is never covered, and there is a pro-Hamas bias.
This is all new information to anyone who has watched the BBC recently.
www.err.ee/1609853811/b...
Apparently it's dominated by LGBTQ people, the "trans debate" is never covered, and there is a pro-Hamas bias.
This is all new information to anyone who has watched the BBC recently.
www.err.ee/1609853811/b...
Keskerakond are back with their Isamaa buddies, so the public water faucet is off. You want something in Tallinn? Pay for it! #tallinn #rohelinepealinn
November 9, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Keskerakond are back with their Isamaa buddies, so the public water faucet is off. You want something in Tallinn? Pay for it! #tallinn #rohelinepealinn
Poring over the local election results in Estonia, a few things stick out to me.
- Russian-speakers were obviously angry about the voting ban, but not angry enough to really tip the needle for Keskerakond. Most of their anger seems to have helped Stalnuhhin, which is unfortunate.
- Russian-speakers were obviously angry about the voting ban, but not angry enough to really tip the needle for Keskerakond. Most of their anger seems to have helped Stalnuhhin, which is unfortunate.
October 21, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Poring over the local election results in Estonia, a few things stick out to me.
- Russian-speakers were obviously angry about the voting ban, but not angry enough to really tip the needle for Keskerakond. Most of their anger seems to have helped Stalnuhhin, which is unfortunate.
- Russian-speakers were obviously angry about the voting ban, but not angry enough to really tip the needle for Keskerakond. Most of their anger seems to have helped Stalnuhhin, which is unfortunate.
Reposted by S. Garlick
Fascism For First Time Founders
Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train. Yes, there are the big name folks who everyone knows about and who…
Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train. Yes, there are the big name folks who everyone knows about and who…
Fascism For First Time Founders
Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train. Yes, there are the big name folks who everyone knows about and who didn't really surprise anyone—Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, David Sacks, Elon Musk (pre-fallout)—but the more troubling trend has been watching younger entrepreneurs and VCs listen to their podcasts, read their posts and books, and slowly nod along to the idea that democracy is holding back innovation.
www.techdirt.com
July 17, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Fascism For First Time Founders
Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train. Yes, there are the big name folks who everyone knows about and who…
Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train. Yes, there are the big name folks who everyone knows about and who…
The Estonian government, through its agencies, paid €30,000 in flight and security costs for iShowSpeed to come to Tallinn. Embarrassing to see the government still being such willing marks for grift during a cost-of-living crisis. share.google/C4ZcrkpME0JT...
YouTuber IShowSpeed's Tallinn trip cost Visit Estonia €30,000
Tuesday's visit to Tallinn by world-famous YouTuber Darren Jason Watkins Jr., aka IShowSpeed, was organized by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Foundation (EISA) and cost Visit Estonia, which is pa...
share.google
July 17, 2025 at 8:38 PM
The Estonian government, through its agencies, paid €30,000 in flight and security costs for iShowSpeed to come to Tallinn. Embarrassing to see the government still being such willing marks for grift during a cost-of-living crisis. share.google/C4ZcrkpME0JT...
Many happy thoughts to everyone celebrating Laulupidu, the Estonian Song Festival, today and tomorrow. Freedom is something to be fought-for and celebrated. Elagu Eesti! 🇪🇪
So, to answer Chris and Rob and others, I'm in Estonia to sing in Laulupidu, the national song festival.
It has a torch! There's a parade of choirs! 30,000(ish) singers!
Wikipedia has a pretty good explanation.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonia...
It has a torch! There's a parade of choirs! 30,000(ish) singers!
Wikipedia has a pretty good explanation.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonia...
July 5, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Many happy thoughts to everyone celebrating Laulupidu, the Estonian Song Festival, today and tomorrow. Freedom is something to be fought-for and celebrated. Elagu Eesti! 🇪🇪
No matter which iteration of Tallinn City Government, they never put up notices saying if the trams are stopped for a major public event. There are people fruitlessly and silently queueing for trams that will not come.
July 5, 2025 at 2:09 PM
No matter which iteration of Tallinn City Government, they never put up notices saying if the trams are stopped for a major public event. There are people fruitlessly and silently queueing for trams that will not come.
Astonishing what can be achieved when focus is cost of living, not using the jargon of anointed career party hacks. Can you imagine any Estonian politician outside 1 or 2 even addressing people authentically in their everyday words?
Being hated by the Democrat establishment actually helps Zohran.
Being hated by the Democrat establishment actually helps Zohran.
This @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social video is absolutely INCREDIBLE. The numbers he cites, the strategy and results they produced — it’s the future. When have you heard *any* campaign talk about this, ever? (Video split in 2 to fit in Bluesky’s limits)
July 2, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Astonishing what can be achieved when focus is cost of living, not using the jargon of anointed career party hacks. Can you imagine any Estonian politician outside 1 or 2 even addressing people authentically in their everyday words?
Being hated by the Democrat establishment actually helps Zohran.
Being hated by the Democrat establishment actually helps Zohran.
The more I see the conceit, arrogance, and utter disregard for voters of the vast majority of Estonian political parties, the more I think the whole system needs to be changed. They work for us, not for the top donors.
Lift up the rock, let the lice scurry off, let's elect some people who care.
Lift up the rock, let the lice scurry off, let's elect some people who care.
June 29, 2025 at 7:40 PM
The more I see the conceit, arrogance, and utter disregard for voters of the vast majority of Estonian political parties, the more I think the whole system needs to be changed. They work for us, not for the top donors.
Lift up the rock, let the lice scurry off, let's elect some people who care.
Lift up the rock, let the lice scurry off, let's elect some people who care.
Reposted by S. Garlick
Sain just aru, miks Urmas Sõõrumaa reformierakonna linnapeakandidaat on. Pärtel-Peeter Pere sai kahjuks alles üleeile teada, et monopolimees on väljamõeldud tegelane.
June 27, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Sain just aru, miks Urmas Sõõrumaa reformierakonna linnapeakandidaat on. Pärtel-Peeter Pere sai kahjuks alles üleeile teada, et monopolimees on väljamõeldud tegelane.
How can anyone in Estonia watch the Reform Party appoint an unelected oligarch (Urmas Söörumaa) as Mayor of Tallinn, and with a straight face say that the country is a successful democracy?
As we become the thing we loathe, so Estonia is rewarding rich men with political office like Russia does.
As we become the thing we loathe, so Estonia is rewarding rich men with political office like Russia does.
June 27, 2025 at 4:18 PM
How can anyone in Estonia watch the Reform Party appoint an unelected oligarch (Urmas Söörumaa) as Mayor of Tallinn, and with a straight face say that the country is a successful democracy?
As we become the thing we loathe, so Estonia is rewarding rich men with political office like Russia does.
As we become the thing we loathe, so Estonia is rewarding rich men with political office like Russia does.
Reposted by S. Garlick
WATCH: “This is f*cking kidnapping! That’s not your badge… I do have a little bit of education… get the f*ck out of here, racial profiling is illegal…”
A brave woman melts ice 🧊 💪🏽 www.instagram.com/reel/DLOWbEs...
A brave woman melts ice 🧊 💪🏽 www.instagram.com/reel/DLOWbEs...
June 23, 2025 at 2:53 AM
WATCH: “This is f*cking kidnapping! That’s not your badge… I do have a little bit of education… get the f*ck out of here, racial profiling is illegal…”
A brave woman melts ice 🧊 💪🏽 www.instagram.com/reel/DLOWbEs...
A brave woman melts ice 🧊 💪🏽 www.instagram.com/reel/DLOWbEs...
Reposted by S. Garlick
Fact control Does the OSCE report really say that Estonia’s e-elections “do not meet the international standard”?
https://www.byteseu.com/1130343/
The result of a factual office: false. Conclusion: The opponents of e-voting are shamelessly lying and putting the words on the OSCE. …
https://www.byteseu.com/1130343/
The result of a factual office: false. Conclusion: The opponents of e-voting are shamelessly lying and putting the words on the OSCE. …
Fact control Does the OSCE report really say that Estonia's e-elections "do not meet the international standard"? - Bytes Europe
The result of a factual office: false.
www.byteseu.com
June 23, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Fact control Does the OSCE report really say that Estonia’s e-elections “do not meet the international standard”?
https://www.byteseu.com/1130343/
The result of a factual office: false. Conclusion: The opponents of e-voting are shamelessly lying and putting the words on the OSCE. …
https://www.byteseu.com/1130343/
The result of a factual office: false. Conclusion: The opponents of e-voting are shamelessly lying and putting the words on the OSCE. …
Reposted by S. Garlick
Head Jaani! Happy Midsummer from 🇪🇪
June 22, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Head Jaani! Happy Midsummer from 🇪🇪
On one hand, the reach and engagement on Bluesky aren't where I'd like them to be.
On the other hand, none of the biggest asshats I have to deal with on Facebook use Bluesky, so it's a bubble, but a comforting one.
On the other hand, none of the biggest asshats I have to deal with on Facebook use Bluesky, so it's a bubble, but a comforting one.
June 22, 2025 at 10:40 AM
On one hand, the reach and engagement on Bluesky aren't where I'd like them to be.
On the other hand, none of the biggest asshats I have to deal with on Facebook use Bluesky, so it's a bubble, but a comforting one.
On the other hand, none of the biggest asshats I have to deal with on Facebook use Bluesky, so it's a bubble, but a comforting one.
Not sure why people hold their phones like pizza slices to talk to people when they're not on video. Is it a hygiene thing (not wanting to put it to their ear)? Or just wanting to seem important?
So, do tech bros just ironically not use earbuds to have a work conversation on their phones in public, or are they just assholes?
June 19, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Not sure why people hold their phones like pizza slices to talk to people when they're not on video. Is it a hygiene thing (not wanting to put it to their ear)? Or just wanting to seem important?
Palju õnne Aivar Pohlak, kui algab 34e aega Eesti Jalgpalli Liidu Presidendi. Loodan, et Ragnar Klavan ei pea minema Gulagisse, ja Kalevit ei alandata tema vastuhaku pärast. Elagu demokraatia!
June 19, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Palju õnne Aivar Pohlak, kui algab 34e aega Eesti Jalgpalli Liidu Presidendi. Loodan, et Ragnar Klavan ei pea minema Gulagisse, ja Kalevit ei alandata tema vastuhaku pärast. Elagu demokraatia!