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
watching the Murderbot survey crew on the alien planet I thought, wait a minute, they look like they're in a *quarry*
and sure enough, it was filmed in a disused limestone quarry near Toronto
and sure enough, it was filmed in a disused limestone quarry near Toronto
November 14, 2025 at 4:23 PM
watching the Murderbot survey crew on the alien planet I thought, wait a minute, they look like they're in a *quarry*
and sure enough, it was filmed in a disused limestone quarry near Toronto
and sure enough, it was filmed in a disused limestone quarry near Toronto
I suspect (though without strong evidence) that it was a combination of money laundering under the cover of business and real estate deals with a side of blackmail and pimping
November 14, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I suspect (though without strong evidence) that it was a combination of money laundering under the cover of business and real estate deals with a side of blackmail and pimping
Reposted by Mark Shore
but for real i tried to capture what i felt going through these emails (on here & in the document hellscape). how it feels like a last nail in a coffin of some kind in terms of a rot in the heart of the elite. and proof that the truth is dumber than fiction
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
November 14, 2025 at 2:40 AM
but for real i tried to capture what i felt going through these emails (on here & in the document hellscape). how it feels like a last nail in a coffin of some kind in terms of a rot in the heart of the elite. and proof that the truth is dumber than fiction
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Mark Shore
/2 When London, Ont., resident Meg Jarvis was out training at the gym, she got a series of notifications on her phone.
Help. Want. Mama. Kong.
They were notifications from her dog, Ruby, who was home alone and whose favourite Kong chew toy had rolled under the couch.
Help. Want. Mama. Kong.
They were notifications from her dog, Ruby, who was home alone and whose favourite Kong chew toy had rolled under the couch.
November 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM
/2 When London, Ont., resident Meg Jarvis was out training at the gym, she got a series of notifications on her phone.
Help. Want. Mama. Kong.
They were notifications from her dog, Ruby, who was home alone and whose favourite Kong chew toy had rolled under the couch.
Help. Want. Mama. Kong.
They were notifications from her dog, Ruby, who was home alone and whose favourite Kong chew toy had rolled under the couch.
telling the police that sure, they can search your house because you've got nothing to hide, except not the basement, because it's messy
and not the backyard shed either
and not the backyard shed either
November 14, 2025 at 12:31 PM
telling the police that sure, they can search your house because you've got nothing to hide, except not the basement, because it's messy
and not the backyard shed either
and not the backyard shed either
"In hindsight," says Roberts to his fellow justices, handcuffed in the back of an unmarked ICE cargo van, "we may have given the Executive Branch too much latitude."
"Never," snarls Thomas from under his hood.
"Never," snarls Thomas from under his hood.
November 14, 2025 at 12:11 PM
"In hindsight," says Roberts to his fellow justices, handcuffed in the back of an unmarked ICE cargo van, "we may have given the Executive Branch too much latitude."
"Never," snarls Thomas from under his hood.
"Never," snarls Thomas from under his hood.
the Monroe Doctrine, but with a corrupt and demented president, an inner circle of corrupt sycophants and fanatical bigots, and a broken Congress and judiciary
November 14, 2025 at 12:44 AM
the Monroe Doctrine, but with a corrupt and demented president, an inner circle of corrupt sycophants and fanatical bigots, and a broken Congress and judiciary
speaking of immigrants, nativists, and the dispossessed, it's funny how Vance (when not painting his people as poorly educated violent drunks and addicts) has tried to claim more distant ancestors who once faced all that
it's mostly been missed, but it's pretty funny that the government of Ireland made it clear that JD Vance has no Irish ancestors rather than diplomatically hinting that he could certainly have had an Irish great great grandmother but the records were lost in the War of Independence
November 14, 2025 at 12:35 AM
speaking of immigrants, nativists, and the dispossessed, it's funny how Vance (when not painting his people as poorly educated violent drunks and addicts) has tried to claim more distant ancestors who once faced all that
nothing helps a traumatized child more than knowing that their parent is sympathetic and forgiving to their abuser, right?
November 13, 2025 at 9:40 PM
nothing helps a traumatized child more than knowing that their parent is sympathetic and forgiving to their abuser, right?
"It's just a couple of gaskets, nothing to worry about."
November 13, 2025 at 9:37 PM
"It's just a couple of gaskets, nothing to worry about."
before I cancelled my subscription I had a list of about half a dozen (then; it would be longer now) Washington Post columnists that I would not read under any circumstances
five hundred angry mocking comments under a stupid column? readers are engaged with him, management would apparently think
five hundred angry mocking comments under a stupid column? readers are engaged with him, management would apparently think
November 13, 2025 at 9:16 PM
before I cancelled my subscription I had a list of about half a dozen (then; it would be longer now) Washington Post columnists that I would not read under any circumstances
five hundred angry mocking comments under a stupid column? readers are engaged with him, management would apparently think
five hundred angry mocking comments under a stupid column? readers are engaged with him, management would apparently think
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)
I'm sure there was a word for "varmint" in paleo-Sumerian
November 13, 2025 at 8:49 PM
I'm sure there was a word for "varmint" in paleo-Sumerian
I'm going to find a way to use "shoplifting from nature" in future
November 13, 2025 at 8:42 PM
I'm going to find a way to use "shoplifting from nature" in future
in hindsight, some insincere flattery, a few selective scoops, and a bit more ruthlessness could have been helpful
also, making individual White House Press Secretaries the public face of an administration seems like a recurring unforced error
also, making individual White House Press Secretaries the public face of an administration seems like a recurring unforced error
November 13, 2025 at 8:29 PM
in hindsight, some insincere flattery, a few selective scoops, and a bit more ruthlessness could have been helpful
also, making individual White House Press Secretaries the public face of an administration seems like a recurring unforced error
also, making individual White House Press Secretaries the public face of an administration seems like a recurring unforced error
the DOJ, up to its neck in legal talent after 4 years and 10 months of Trumpism
November 13, 2025 at 7:24 PM
the DOJ, up to its neck in legal talent after 4 years and 10 months of Trumpism
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
he was "tired and emotional" too
November 13, 2025 at 6:50 PM
he was "tired and emotional" too
"we can't put bollards up because people would crash into them!"
it's one solution, a little harsh, but fair
it's one solution, a little harsh, but fair
November 13, 2025 at 6:34 PM
"we can't put bollards up because people would crash into them!"
it's one solution, a little harsh, but fair
it's one solution, a little harsh, but fair
I've probably driven nearly a million miles (mostly work related)
I've had two tickets in the last 10 years, both speed cameras, one 38 in a 30 zone, which I thought, fair, and one in Florence doing 54 km/hr in a 50 zone at 6 AM which I thought was funny
I *don't* understand these urban Mad Maxes
I've had two tickets in the last 10 years, both speed cameras, one 38 in a 30 zone, which I thought, fair, and one in Florence doing 54 km/hr in a 50 zone at 6 AM which I thought was funny
I *don't* understand these urban Mad Maxes
November 13, 2025 at 6:32 PM
I've probably driven nearly a million miles (mostly work related)
I've had two tickets in the last 10 years, both speed cameras, one 38 in a 30 zone, which I thought, fair, and one in Florence doing 54 km/hr in a 50 zone at 6 AM which I thought was funny
I *don't* understand these urban Mad Maxes
I've had two tickets in the last 10 years, both speed cameras, one 38 in a 30 zone, which I thought, fair, and one in Florence doing 54 km/hr in a 50 zone at 6 AM which I thought was funny
I *don't* understand these urban Mad Maxes
that is a spectacular piece of work
the only naturally occurring common* mineral harder than sapphire (and corundum and ruby) is diamond, so presumably this gemstone was shaped, cut, and polished with diamond tipped tools and diamond dust
*there are several extremely rare harder ones
the only naturally occurring common* mineral harder than sapphire (and corundum and ruby) is diamond, so presumably this gemstone was shaped, cut, and polished with diamond tipped tools and diamond dust
*there are several extremely rare harder ones
November 13, 2025 at 5:01 PM
that is a spectacular piece of work
the only naturally occurring common* mineral harder than sapphire (and corundum and ruby) is diamond, so presumably this gemstone was shaped, cut, and polished with diamond tipped tools and diamond dust
*there are several extremely rare harder ones
the only naturally occurring common* mineral harder than sapphire (and corundum and ruby) is diamond, so presumably this gemstone was shaped, cut, and polished with diamond tipped tools and diamond dust
*there are several extremely rare harder ones
ivermectin - the safe and effective treatment for every *real* medical condition - is all anyone needs
(with tens of millions posters here now, many of them on-edge, I will clarify that this is sarcastic)
(with tens of millions posters here now, many of them on-edge, I will clarify that this is sarcastic)
November 13, 2025 at 4:45 PM
ivermectin - the safe and effective treatment for every *real* medical condition - is all anyone needs
(with tens of millions posters here now, many of them on-edge, I will clarify that this is sarcastic)
(with tens of millions posters here now, many of them on-edge, I will clarify that this is sarcastic)
"biology is intrinsically based in deception," thinks Epstein, "so logically I'm a paragon, the peak of evolution... I'm doing these girls a *favor*"
(not even going to try to copy his misspellings and grammar)
(not even going to try to copy his misspellings and grammar)
November 13, 2025 at 4:24 PM
"biology is intrinsically based in deception," thinks Epstein, "so logically I'm a paragon, the peak of evolution... I'm doing these girls a *favor*"
(not even going to try to copy his misspellings and grammar)
(not even going to try to copy his misspellings and grammar)