MarkMan
@madmanmark84.bsky.social
Just another older white guy, 1st-gen college in a purple state & family
*Please* take advantage of gift link, then READ ALL of it!
Title is clever & engaging, but it does not capture the essence of the article: the discussion of churlish behavior of Trump admin figures is only an appetizer to serve the main course, about how WE collectively need to act to counter this.
Title is clever & engaging, but it does not capture the essence of the article: the discussion of churlish behavior of Trump admin figures is only an appetizer to serve the main course, about how WE collectively need to act to counter this.
Now that Pete Hegseth is making cartoon jokes about the accusations that he gave illegal "no quarter" orders, good time to reup this:
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
A Confederacy of Toddlers
The Trump administration is a regime of troubled children.
www.theatlantic.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:18 PM
*Please* take advantage of gift link, then READ ALL of it!
Title is clever & engaging, but it does not capture the essence of the article: the discussion of churlish behavior of Trump admin figures is only an appetizer to serve the main course, about how WE collectively need to act to counter this.
Title is clever & engaging, but it does not capture the essence of the article: the discussion of churlish behavior of Trump admin figures is only an appetizer to serve the main course, about how WE collectively need to act to counter this.
Reposted by MarkMan
It's only a matter of time before this geodata gathering to formulate theories of "pattern of life and movement" is integrated with the extensive secret NSA data gathering about US citizens that Edward Snowden exposed 15 years ago.
I'm willing to bet its already happened.
I'm willing to bet its already happened.
"The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, The Associated Press has found."
apnews.com/article/immi...
apnews.com/article/immi...
Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with 'suspicious' travel patterns
The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.
apnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
It's only a matter of time before this geodata gathering to formulate theories of "pattern of life and movement" is integrated with the extensive secret NSA data gathering about US citizens that Edward Snowden exposed 15 years ago.
I'm willing to bet its already happened.
I'm willing to bet its already happened.
I'm an American who has pride about the "idea" at the foundation of my country, even if it's always been an "imperfect Union" (Lincoln). Why I was literally crying by the 9-minute mark of this.
I hope non-subscribers can view this? There was no option for "gift link" as there is for text articles.
I hope non-subscribers can view this? There was no option for "gift link" as there is for text articles.
Video: Opinion | We Came Here Legally. ICE Locked Us Up Anyway.
The brutal detention of three people who came to the United States reveals a cruel system that operates with impunity.
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I'm an American who has pride about the "idea" at the foundation of my country, even if it's always been an "imperfect Union" (Lincoln). Why I was literally crying by the 9-minute mark of this.
I hope non-subscribers can view this? There was no option for "gift link" as there is for text articles.
I hope non-subscribers can view this? There was no option for "gift link" as there is for text articles.
Reposted by MarkMan
A terrific AFP fact check uses reverse image searches to expose how a White House video took scenes from Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Nebraska and lied that they showed "Chicago is in chaos."
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
October 16, 2025 at 2:07 PM
A terrific AFP fact check uses reverse image searches to expose how a White House video took scenes from Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Nebraska and lied that they showed "Chicago is in chaos."
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Reposted by MarkMan
Reposted by MarkMan
The ICE Officer, Greg Bovino, who got a US Attorney in California fired with a phone call to the WH, is now leading his troops through downtown Chicago, looking for people who look illegal.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
September 29, 2025 at 12:58 PM
The ICE Officer, Greg Bovino, who got a US Attorney in California fired with a phone call to the WH, is now leading his troops through downtown Chicago, looking for people who look illegal.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
55 years of data supports that "summertime" temperatures in US are persisting later into the year, and how this is upsetting established patterns for schools, farming, etc.
Even those who won't admit that climate change is man made should be able to at least acknowledge it exists & is a problem?
Even those who won't admit that climate change is man made should be able to at least acknowledge it exists & is a problem?
It's not just you: Summer is sticking around longer
Summer temps are sticking around for 30 days or longer compared to historical norms in some places.
www.axios.com
September 16, 2025 at 3:33 PM
55 years of data supports that "summertime" temperatures in US are persisting later into the year, and how this is upsetting established patterns for schools, farming, etc.
Even those who won't admit that climate change is man made should be able to at least acknowledge it exists & is a problem?
Even those who won't admit that climate change is man made should be able to at least acknowledge it exists & is a problem?
Reposted by MarkMan
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚝𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚊𝚛, 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 & 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕, 𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚑𝚢𝚙𝚘𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚢: 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔
𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎 𝙾𝚛𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟺
𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎 𝙾𝚛𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟺
August 6, 2025 at 7:52 PM
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚝𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚊𝚛, 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 & 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕, 𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚑𝚢𝚙𝚘𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚢: 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔
𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎 𝙾𝚛𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟺
𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎 𝙾𝚛𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟺
Oops, link:
(... and aside: why doesn't bluesky let you post an image AND a link?)
(... and aside: why doesn't bluesky let you post an image AND a link?)
August 12, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Oops, link:
(... and aside: why doesn't bluesky let you post an image AND a link?)
(... and aside: why doesn't bluesky let you post an image AND a link?)
IMO the only way this country escapes MAGA/Project 2025 fever is if enough voters who chose him because they're too myopic to look beyond their own perceived personal circumstances, start to question their choice.
From that POV perhaps there are "silver linings" to this looming economic hit
From that POV perhaps there are "silver linings" to this looming economic hit
August 12, 2025 at 1:07 PM
IMO the only way this country escapes MAGA/Project 2025 fever is if enough voters who chose him because they're too myopic to look beyond their own perceived personal circumstances, start to question their choice.
From that POV perhaps there are "silver linings" to this looming economic hit
From that POV perhaps there are "silver linings" to this looming economic hit
Long article challenging an "established" American story/myth, ignored by historians for > century.
If I were a high school/undergrad history teacher I'd consider using this to instill idea that one must always be open-minded to at least question "facts" presented to us as "settled."
[gift link]
If I were a high school/undergrad history teacher I'd consider using this to instill idea that one must always be open-minded to at least question "facts" presented to us as "settled."
[gift link]
What if Everything We Know About Sacagawea Is Wrong?
www.nytimes.com
July 25, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Long article challenging an "established" American story/myth, ignored by historians for > century.
If I were a high school/undergrad history teacher I'd consider using this to instill idea that one must always be open-minded to at least question "facts" presented to us as "settled."
[gift link]
If I were a high school/undergrad history teacher I'd consider using this to instill idea that one must always be open-minded to at least question "facts" presented to us as "settled."
[gift link]
Cutting to the chase of significance of this slide from Torsten Slok:
Accelerating US debt levels should lead to a permanent 0.6% increase in 10yr interest rates over the next decade (new "baseline"). So mortgages etc. should increase even more, along w/ deficits. 10 year T-Notes are 4.39% right now
Accelerating US debt levels should lead to a permanent 0.6% increase in 10yr interest rates over the next decade (new "baseline"). So mortgages etc. should increase even more, along w/ deficits. 10 year T-Notes are 4.39% right now
July 24, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Cutting to the chase of significance of this slide from Torsten Slok:
Accelerating US debt levels should lead to a permanent 0.6% increase in 10yr interest rates over the next decade (new "baseline"). So mortgages etc. should increase even more, along w/ deficits. 10 year T-Notes are 4.39% right now
Accelerating US debt levels should lead to a permanent 0.6% increase in 10yr interest rates over the next decade (new "baseline"). So mortgages etc. should increase even more, along w/ deficits. 10 year T-Notes are 4.39% right now
The US industries expected to see the most worker supply declines (and wage & cost increases) as ICE detentions & deportations continue.
If immigration is totally shut down, US population will start to decline in 8 years.
From Torsten Slok, Apollo Academy
If immigration is totally shut down, US population will start to decline in 8 years.
From Torsten Slok, Apollo Academy
July 23, 2025 at 12:23 PM
The US industries expected to see the most worker supply declines (and wage & cost increases) as ICE detentions & deportations continue.
If immigration is totally shut down, US population will start to decline in 8 years.
From Torsten Slok, Apollo Academy
If immigration is totally shut down, US population will start to decline in 8 years.
From Torsten Slok, Apollo Academy
I need to believe there's a special circle in Hell for the driver that was in front of me, in the left lane of the 4 lane busy urban street over lunch hour, and waited until they entered the intersection to turn on their left turn signal 😡
July 18, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I need to believe there's a special circle in Hell for the driver that was in front of me, in the left lane of the 4 lane busy urban street over lunch hour, and waited until they entered the intersection to turn on their left turn signal 😡
Interesting stat: Almost 75% of US restaurant orders are for delivery or takeout.
I wish they'd included stats from the past to understand the trend. I suspect if you go back 10-20 years it was quite a bit lower
I wish they'd included stats from the past to understand the trend. I suspect if you go back 10-20 years it was quite a bit lower
From Trend to Transformation: Off-Premises Dining Now Essential for Restaurant Consumers, Operators
/PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 75% of all restaurant traffic now happens off-premises—meaning that almost 3 out of 4 restaurant orders are taken to go. New data from...
www.prnewswire.com
July 15, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Interesting stat: Almost 75% of US restaurant orders are for delivery or takeout.
I wish they'd included stats from the past to understand the trend. I suspect if you go back 10-20 years it was quite a bit lower
I wish they'd included stats from the past to understand the trend. I suspect if you go back 10-20 years it was quite a bit lower
As we all await the drop of "Liberation Day: The Return of #TACO" this week:
Torsten Slok at ApolloAcademy.com has shared this graph showing that the rest of the world has not been sitting on their hands, the main exporter, China, has increased business with other countries, but reduced it with US
Torsten Slok at ApolloAcademy.com has shared this graph showing that the rest of the world has not been sitting on their hands, the main exporter, China, has increased business with other countries, but reduced it with US
July 7, 2025 at 12:06 PM
As we all await the drop of "Liberation Day: The Return of #TACO" this week:
Torsten Slok at ApolloAcademy.com has shared this graph showing that the rest of the world has not been sitting on their hands, the main exporter, China, has increased business with other countries, but reduced it with US
Torsten Slok at ApolloAcademy.com has shared this graph showing that the rest of the world has not been sitting on their hands, the main exporter, China, has increased business with other countries, but reduced it with US
Reposted by MarkMan
“On issues ranging from military intervention to health care to the stock market, Mr. Trump is simply the continuation of the G.O.P. establishment by other means,” Matthew Walther writes. “If Barry Goldwater was the book and Ronald Reagan the movie, Mr. Trump is the glitzy jukebox musical.”
Opinion | The Pointless Triumph of the Hapless President Trump
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
nyti.ms
July 4, 2025 at 11:54 AM
“On issues ranging from military intervention to health care to the stock market, Mr. Trump is simply the continuation of the G.O.P. establishment by other means,” Matthew Walther writes. “If Barry Goldwater was the book and Ronald Reagan the movie, Mr. Trump is the glitzy jukebox musical.”
Much bluesky commentary is (rightly) focused on the near-term human cost of cuts (though many of them only really kick in after midterms)
But there's also sobering long-term financial impact which may tie the hands of future leaders to undo the human damage as well as siphon capital from GDP growth
But there's also sobering long-term financial impact which may tie the hands of future leaders to undo the human damage as well as siphon capital from GDP growth
The Financial Cost of the Senate-Passed Budget Bill
budgetlab.yale.edu
July 3, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Much bluesky commentary is (rightly) focused on the near-term human cost of cuts (though many of them only really kick in after midterms)
But there's also sobering long-term financial impact which may tie the hands of future leaders to undo the human damage as well as siphon capital from GDP growth
But there's also sobering long-term financial impact which may tie the hands of future leaders to undo the human damage as well as siphon capital from GDP growth
Reposted by MarkMan
#Artificial_Intelligence #AI
A.I. Videos Have Never Been Better. Can You Tell What’s Real?
By Stuart A. Thompson June 26, 2025
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
A.I. Videos Have Never Been Better. Can You Tell What’s Real?
By Stuart A. Thompson June 26, 2025
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
A.I. Videos Have Never Been Better. Can You Tell What’s Real? (Gift Article)
In this quiz, you can guess whether these videos were made by A.I.
www.nytimes.com
June 29, 2025 at 10:59 AM
#Artificial_Intelligence #AI
A.I. Videos Have Never Been Better. Can You Tell What’s Real?
By Stuart A. Thompson June 26, 2025
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
A.I. Videos Have Never Been Better. Can You Tell What’s Real?
By Stuart A. Thompson June 26, 2025
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by MarkMan
What am I worried about?
-Safety of 30k US troops in the Middle East
-cybersecurity (since CISA was recently gutted) & homeland security (as HLS focused on immigration)
-Economic strength (oil prices and tariffs)
-Allied assistance (we’ll need that now)
-Domestic intell (leadership at FBI/DNI)
-Safety of 30k US troops in the Middle East
-cybersecurity (since CISA was recently gutted) & homeland security (as HLS focused on immigration)
-Economic strength (oil prices and tariffs)
-Allied assistance (we’ll need that now)
-Domestic intell (leadership at FBI/DNI)
June 22, 2025 at 2:44 AM
What am I worried about?
-Safety of 30k US troops in the Middle East
-cybersecurity (since CISA was recently gutted) & homeland security (as HLS focused on immigration)
-Economic strength (oil prices and tariffs)
-Allied assistance (we’ll need that now)
-Domestic intell (leadership at FBI/DNI)
-Safety of 30k US troops in the Middle East
-cybersecurity (since CISA was recently gutted) & homeland security (as HLS focused on immigration)
-Economic strength (oil prices and tariffs)
-Allied assistance (we’ll need that now)
-Domestic intell (leadership at FBI/DNI)
I just heard JD Vance make a textbook Orwellian statement on ABC News. Something like "Through use of overwhelming military force, we will achieve peace."
I hope others call this disengenuity out. Someone with more impact than me
More ideally, some within anti-war MAGA, they should hear this BS
I hope others call this disengenuity out. Someone with more impact than me
More ideally, some within anti-war MAGA, they should hear this BS
June 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM
I just heard JD Vance make a textbook Orwellian statement on ABC News. Something like "Through use of overwhelming military force, we will achieve peace."
I hope others call this disengenuity out. Someone with more impact than me
More ideally, some within anti-war MAGA, they should hear this BS
I hope others call this disengenuity out. Someone with more impact than me
More ideally, some within anti-war MAGA, they should hear this BS
From Torsten Slok @Apollo:
Foreigners currently own 18% of US stocks. This is the flip side of our trade deficit. Foreigners selling goods to the US receive dollars in return, used to purchase US assets
With smaller trade deficits there will be fewer dollars for foreigners to recycle into US assets
Foreigners currently own 18% of US stocks. This is the flip side of our trade deficit. Foreigners selling goods to the US receive dollars in return, used to purchase US assets
With smaller trade deficits there will be fewer dollars for foreigners to recycle into US assets
June 18, 2025 at 11:45 AM
From Torsten Slok @Apollo:
Foreigners currently own 18% of US stocks. This is the flip side of our trade deficit. Foreigners selling goods to the US receive dollars in return, used to purchase US assets
With smaller trade deficits there will be fewer dollars for foreigners to recycle into US assets
Foreigners currently own 18% of US stocks. This is the flip side of our trade deficit. Foreigners selling goods to the US receive dollars in return, used to purchase US assets
With smaller trade deficits there will be fewer dollars for foreigners to recycle into US assets
Reposted by MarkMan
The military uniform is "a symbol of national service to all Americans, never a partisan emblem....Once it becomes a symbol of service to one party or one man—once it’s interpreted that way—public trust unravels." How do we fix it? New from @markhertling.bsky.social:
How the Military Can Regain Public Trust
The armed forces can only be successful if they maintain broad, non-partisan support.
www.thebulwark.com
June 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The military uniform is "a symbol of national service to all Americans, never a partisan emblem....Once it becomes a symbol of service to one party or one man—once it’s interpreted that way—public trust unravels." How do we fix it? New from @markhertling.bsky.social:
Marines are good people. But they don't have training in domestic police actions; exactly the opposite, as a whole they're our most capable warriors. The only way this makes sense is if the INTENT is to provoke a tragic escalation
Trump/Miller/Hegseth are trying to make things *worse*, not *better*
Trump/Miller/Hegseth are trying to make things *worse*, not *better*
Melvin is a US Marine Corps Veteran who was stationed at Camp Pendleton. He’s also sounding the alarm about Hegseth’s threat to deploy Marines in LA.
June 10, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Marines are good people. But they don't have training in domestic police actions; exactly the opposite, as a whole they're our most capable warriors. The only way this makes sense is if the INTENT is to provoke a tragic escalation
Trump/Miller/Hegseth are trying to make things *worse*, not *better*
Trump/Miller/Hegseth are trying to make things *worse*, not *better*