Mark Shore
@markshore.bsky.social
interests are politics, how states collapse, the media, and science, especially climate change, astronomy and geosciences
"A Republic, if you can keep it." Ben Franklin
photo: red sunset over the Pacific from the coast of Hawai'i
"A Republic, if you can keep it." Ben Franklin
photo: red sunset over the Pacific from the coast of Hawai'i
in the end, Tim's marketing team saved the day
November 28, 2025 at 6:42 PM
in the end, Tim's marketing team saved the day
sometimes I need other people to help me appreciate Buttons, the not-very-bright*, scared-of-everything, unfriendly-except-to-me cat who (except for puking up hairballs) never does this
November 24, 2025 at 11:21 PM
sometimes I need other people to help me appreciate Buttons, the not-very-bright*, scared-of-everything, unfriendly-except-to-me cat who (except for puking up hairballs) never does this
"Secretary of War... *War*!"
November 24, 2025 at 10:15 PM
"Secretary of War... *War*!"
wait, what? so this is baby Frodo??
...explains a lot, though
...explains a lot, though
November 23, 2025 at 10:07 PM
wait, what? so this is baby Frodo??
...explains a lot, though
...explains a lot, though
a couple of people reposted this minor classic last week
November 23, 2025 at 12:39 AM
a couple of people reposted this minor classic last week
the many friends they made during their brief forays into government will help them out, surely
November 23, 2025 at 12:29 AM
the many friends they made during their brief forays into government will help them out, surely
Bolsonaro has long been concerned about conditions in Brazilian prisons, though
![On human rights:
“I’m in favour of torture.” (May 1999)
“Brazilian prisons are wonderful places ... they’re places for people to pay for their sins, not live the life of Reilly in a spa. Those who rape, kidnap and kill are going there to suffer, not attend a holiday camp.” (February 2014)
“Are we obliged to give these bastards [criminals] a good life? They spend their whole lives fucking us and those of us who work have to give them a good life in prison. They should fuck themselves, full stop. That’s it, dammit!” (February 2014)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/06/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-tropical-trump-who-hankers-for-days-of-dictatorship](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:yerhul3hyaki4jyahbcfavk4/bafkreifscbdieygckrxqmftev4x43wjp3etejgj3gg24fqvioeb4r5nphu@jpeg)
November 22, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Bolsonaro has long been concerned about conditions in Brazilian prisons, though
Comparing the left and right sides, there seems to be minimal deformation with the exception of the circled area. You might be able to bend the upper vertical part with the horizontal slots back into position with an adjustable wrench or pipe wrench
November 19, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Comparing the left and right sides, there seems to be minimal deformation with the exception of the circled area. You might be able to bend the upper vertical part with the horizontal slots back into position with an adjustable wrench or pipe wrench
his hiring by the NYT was the last straw that made me cancel the NYT in early 2017 (I was going to do it eventually because of its coverage of Clinton)
here's how they replied (back then you needed to call or email to cancel), smug even in cancelation
here's how they replied (back then you needed to call or email to cancel), smug even in cancelation
November 17, 2025 at 9:58 PM
his hiring by the NYT was the last straw that made me cancel the NYT in early 2017 (I was going to do it eventually because of its coverage of Clinton)
here's how they replied (back then you needed to call or email to cancel), smug even in cancelation
here's how they replied (back then you needed to call or email to cancel), smug even in cancelation
good post, and people should always remember this one too
November 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
good post, and people should always remember this one too
covered, as often the case, by XKCD
![a four-panel comic, with two people on one side of a laboratory door. On the other, visible through a window, is a third.
panel 1:
[the outbreak started with patient zero…]
He was exposed to toxin X-7 – now he's a bloodthirsty monster!
Braaains!
Has he been in isolation?
panel 2:
Yes, but I can't hold this door for long!
Hang on, I've got a gun in my truck.
panel 3:
BLAM
panel 4:
[and ended with patient zero five minutes later]
So I never got your name. I'm Ryan.
Laura.
[the remaining 90 minutes of the movie will be a romantic comedy]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:yerhul3hyaki4jyahbcfavk4/bafkreibzribpsqc4ae6ex56ko6irqwiz7hv6healqwksblo6kxxr5k4pte@jpeg)
November 16, 2025 at 4:44 AM
covered, as often the case, by XKCD
there's a reason this quickly became a meme
November 15, 2025 at 3:24 PM
there's a reason this quickly became a meme
the NYT will never back down; it's baked into the management and ownership
from a June 2023 interview of A.G. Sulzberger by New Yorker editor David Remnick (Remnick's words in bold)
from a June 2023 interview of A.G. Sulzberger by New Yorker editor David Remnick (Remnick's words in bold)
![Remnick: I think there are people who argue sometimes—I don’t want to caricature them—that, if your reporting is hypercritical of Biden, that it somehow serves the cause of his defeat, and therefore the rise or the re-rise of Donald Trump.
Sulzberger: Exactly. And that’s the type of argument that the Ukrainian government made when we reported on their use of these internationally banned weapons.
Remnick: Take the Hillary Clinton e-mail obsession [in the 2016 election]. There were a lot of people saying the Times is just writing incessantly about Hillary Clinton’s e-mails, and that helped tilt the balance of the election.
Sulzberger: I’ve heard thirty different arguments about what tilted the balance of that election. I hate going down any one of these rabbit holes because, as we know, every group in this era has one version of that argument.
Remnick: About e-mails, it was the number of pieces, the proportion of coverage. It wasn’t the fact that it was being reported on at all.
Sulzberger: I could point to a hundred other examples. We heard that from the Hasidic community with our coverage of how certain yeshivas in New York are depriving their kids of [a well-rounded education] … It was the same argument.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:yerhul3hyaki4jyahbcfavk4/bafkreidobyv4i7sy5wvjnbwf72ll4eyw4g2fcgs42kklbbtuo3y72taxyy@jpeg)
November 13, 2025 at 9:08 PM
the NYT will never back down; it's baked into the management and ownership
from a June 2023 interview of A.G. Sulzberger by New Yorker editor David Remnick (Remnick's words in bold)
from a June 2023 interview of A.G. Sulzberger by New Yorker editor David Remnick (Remnick's words in bold)
for all the "elbows up" talk, the Canadian government isn't acting like there's a crisis, at least not publicly
November 13, 2025 at 7:08 PM
for all the "elbows up" talk, the Canadian government isn't acting like there's a crisis, at least not publicly
this is where they seat you at conference dinner tables in Hell
November 13, 2025 at 1:31 AM
this is where they seat you at conference dinner tables in Hell
![2017 photo of then-Vice President Mike Pence in a navy blue suit, white shirt, and red tie, with his left hand touching a curved white metal surface with a sign saying Critical Space Hardware "DO NOT TOUCH"
out of view behind him is then-Senator Marco Rubio, who had dared him to do it
in their defense, [deleted, I'm not their lawyer]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:yerhul3hyaki4jyahbcfavk4/bafkreigpacmkejk2bilst24ll3i6joroy65ghwzz5hpmm2atlf4ri5efry@jpeg)
many Darths, some good, some not so much
November 10, 2025 at 8:19 PM
many Darths, some good, some not so much
that's the part I hate about following people with cats and dogs... it comes to an end too soon
here is Buttons, a likely feral kitten who just had her 10th anniversary as a very skittish house cat, sharing a 3 AM moment of existential angst (I'd just returned from a two week trip)
here is Buttons, a likely feral kitten who just had her 10th anniversary as a very skittish house cat, sharing a 3 AM moment of existential angst (I'd just returned from a two week trip)
November 9, 2025 at 10:47 PM
that's the part I hate about following people with cats and dogs... it comes to an end too soon
here is Buttons, a likely feral kitten who just had her 10th anniversary as a very skittish house cat, sharing a 3 AM moment of existential angst (I'd just returned from a two week trip)
here is Buttons, a likely feral kitten who just had her 10th anniversary as a very skittish house cat, sharing a 3 AM moment of existential angst (I'd just returned from a two week trip)
"it's definitely Buttons, but now being held by a supermodel"
except
a) gray tabbies all look more or less the same
b) this cat cannot be held by *anyone*
except
a) gray tabbies all look more or less the same
b) this cat cannot be held by *anyone*
November 7, 2025 at 10:35 PM
"it's definitely Buttons, but now being held by a supermodel"
except
a) gray tabbies all look more or less the same
b) this cat cannot be held by *anyone*
except
a) gray tabbies all look more or less the same
b) this cat cannot be held by *anyone*
I was going to post some images of the really interesting hematite-ilmenite intergrowths caused by slow cooling of the original iron-rich ilmenite, but thought it would be a doomed effort
November 7, 2025 at 7:50 PM
I was going to post some images of the really interesting hematite-ilmenite intergrowths caused by slow cooling of the original iron-rich ilmenite, but thought it would be a doomed effort
they covered that months ago, one of these beauties in every corner of the White House
November 5, 2025 at 9:19 PM
they covered that months ago, one of these beauties in every corner of the White House
if Golden can write *this* in November 2025, good riddance
November 5, 2025 at 8:40 PM
if Golden can write *this* in November 2025, good riddance
oof... and people complain about political gerontocracy (at least at the national level)
November 4, 2025 at 7:06 PM
oof... and people complain about political gerontocracy (at least at the national level)