Bess
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leferkins.bsky.social
Bess
@leferkins.bsky.social
87 followers 680 following 60 posts
I love learning and teaching and thinking and reading.
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leferkins.bsky.social
Does anybody recognize where this is? We found it in my grandmother's stuff. Likely in New England or New York.
Black and white photo from (probably) late 19th century with a 1/10th replica of the Great Buddha of Kamakura. It is on the coastline and there is an island behind it with Victorian-era architecture. It appears to be on the coastline of New England (Boston or Rhode Island, most likely) or possibly New York. There is a plaque on the front of the statue that says "this idol is a true replica of a [something] bronze statue in Mara, Japan. The original is 10-fold larger. Idol and [something something] by Tanimara, F.A.J., Tokyo"
January 2, 2025 at 6:14 PM
leferkins.bsky.social
Arbitrary administrative requirements are voter suppression.

www.inquirer.com/politics/dav...
Philadelphia Inquirer headline that says "McCormick steps up legal fight over undated ballots, as Bob Casey defends counties that them in defiance of court orders" accompanied by a photo of Connecticut resident and possible incoming PA Senator Dave McCormick.
November 17, 2024 at 2:48 PM
leferkins.bsky.social
Reading Anne Applebaum's Autocracy, Inc. and this is so so important to remember. It's so easy to give in to cynicism in the face of so much disinformation, but that is by design. It's why they lie. It's why they've gutted public education. When people can't figure out what's real, they stop caring.
Excerpt from p. 79 of Autocracy, Inc. in the chapter called Controlling the Narrative: This tactic, the so-called "fire hose of falsehoods" produces not outrage but nihilism. Given so many explanations, how can you know what actually happened? What if you can never know? If you can't understand what is going on around you, then you are not going to join a great movement for democracy, or follow a truth-telling leader, or listen when anyone speaks about positive political change. Instead, you will avoid politics altogether. Autocrats have an enormous incentive to spread that hopelessness and cynicism, not only in their own countries, but around the world.
November 10, 2024 at 6:23 PM
leferkins.bsky.social
My favorite part was how democrats cozied up to billionaires like Pritzker and Cheney while Trump put together a "remarkable coalition of the disgruntled" economic populists such as Elon Musk and a freaking Kennedy. Compelling stuff.
Excerpt from the article highlighting how Liz Cheney and Gov Pritzker represent the elite but Elon Musk and RFK, Jr. somehow represent represent economic populism.
November 10, 2024 at 1:18 PM
leferkins.bsky.social
Responded to my first text message poll. It did not disappoint.
Online poll question - While Pennsylvania families are struggling under Bob Casey, criminals and illegal immigrants have not. Casey voted to give stimulus checks to prison inmates and illegal immigrants. Online poll question - Bob Casey voted to allow convicted criminals to receive COVID stimulus checks, resulting in hundreds of thousands of prison inmates - including the Boston Marathon Bomber - receiving nearly $1 billion dollars in taxpayer money. Online poll question - Bob Casey is a corrupt career politician who has used his time in office to generate wealth for his family and friends. He has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds to his sister's company. Online poll question - Bob Casey voted in favor of higher taxes on Social Security benefits for 725,000 Pennsylvania seniors.
October 3, 2024 at 12:20 AM