matthewkray.bsky.social
@matthewkray.bsky.social
It continues "But it is said that the Chinaman is a heathen &that he will introduce his heathen rites &superstitions here. This is the last objection which should come from those who profess the all-conquering power of the Christian religion. If that religion cannot stand contact w/the Chinese..."
From Frederick Douglass's 1867 "Composite Nation" speech, a defense of Chinese migration to the United States at a time when anti-Chinese sentiment was intensifying.
teachingamericanhistory.org/document/our...
November 28, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Like, honestly. If you're coming to DC, are you trying to visit the huge number of amazing (and often free!) museums? See the historic sites? Or are you trying to "experience DC like a local?" 🙄
So many visitors to India are all like " I don't want to do touristy things I want to experience life as a local" and then claim they're bored when they have to just stay indoors all day to avoid the sun and catch up with ppl at the park in the evening to insult the prime minister
People who feel bad at being called tourists are without doubt the most tedious people on earth to get stuck next to on a plane and it isn't close to close
November 20, 2025 at 7:30 PM
My hot take is that going somewhere and being a tourist is *the best*!

-Hang out in paradise at a resort? Don't mind if I do!
-Walk or taxi to nearby highly rated restaurants? So enjoyable and delicious!
-Fun, new experiences with a local flair? Absolutely!
So many visitors to India are all like " I don't want to do touristy things I want to experience life as a local" and then claim they're bored when they have to just stay indoors all day to avoid the sun and catch up with ppl at the park in the evening to insult the prime minister
People who feel bad at being called tourists are without doubt the most tedious people on earth to get stuck next to on a plane and it isn't close to close
November 20, 2025 at 7:27 PM
COUSIN! I laughed out loud.
BREAKING: Not actually Carmy’s cousin
October 28, 2025 at 10:35 PM
This is it. I couldn't find the words, let alone so succinctly. 🎯
The Louisiana argument is essentially that you CAN use race to be racist but you CAN'T use race to ameliorate racism.
October 15, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Phenomenal story, well told. I can't believe they haven't made it into a movie.
This one's maybe a little on the ling side, but trust me, it's worth it. I've cried reading it multiple times.

(1/3)
September 17, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Tax cuts for the prison owners too!
A friend summed up Tuberville's plan for Alabama better than I did:

“It's build factories, send kids to tech school to work at the factories, build prisons for those who don't want to work at the factories, and cut taxes for the factory owners.”

Make Alabama 1901 again!

www.al.com/news/2025/08...
Archibald: Tubs' plan would Make Alabama dumb again
“It's build factories, send kids to tech school to work at the factories, build prisons for those who don't want to work at the factories, and cut taxes for the factory owners.”
www.al.com
August 26, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Wait. Goats are literally part of our wildfire prevention strategy. I had no idea and I searched it up. Amazing.
incredible news: i made myself go to the regional park and the goats were there. hundreds of goats heroically eating lunch to reduce our wildfire risk. sometimes the universe knows exactly what you need. and it's goats.
August 12, 2025 at 9:08 PM
What a great tribute. So many stories to hear, so little time. 😭

youtu.be/d8nTVhmlUjk?...
Ice-T Inducts Seymour Stein at the 2005 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
YouTube video by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
youtu.be
July 31, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Really interesting thread. One of those things that you begin to see everywhere. The villainous, able-bodied worker, lazing about rather than being grateful to scratch and claw for their meager existence.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peasant...
July 15, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Interesting. Especially for history nerds like me.
Any time I talk about a wealthy person's outfit, someone in the comments is quick to reply: "They're rich, you think they care?" No one has to care about my opinions or clothes, regardless of net worth.

But let's talk about the connection between wealth and aesthetics 🧵
July 1, 2025 at 10:07 PM
One of my favorite things to track while watching the cavs is that Jarrett Allen looks like he's playing in slides.
May 12, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Reposted
I’ve found it’s more visually appealing to just paste in his head at the inflection points
April 29, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Reposted
Happy Easter. Let's talk, for a second, about Barabbas:
The big question isn’t whether you believe me, or MSNBC, or any given mob or messenger.

The big question is whether you believe in the courts.

From @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social today:
April 20, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Reposted
I love paying TurboTax a few hundred bucks every year to figure out how much money I owe the government, which the government already knows, but won't tell me because TurboTax pays legislators to keep the government from telling me. 😻
April 8, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Reposted
A very succinct explanation of why DOGE isn’t actually cutting the size of government at all. youtu.be/KpNg98tezbE?...
DOGE Is Not Cutting Government Spending
YouTube video by vlogbrothers
youtu.be
April 9, 2025 at 3:05 AM
3yrs later & still relevant. It's a long, difficult, but worthwhile read. There are a lot of staggering statistics and quotes, so rather than picking one I'll just note that funding and staffing the IRS is vital to being able to collect taxes from the wealthy.

www.propublica.org/article/the-...
The Great Inheritors: How Three Families Shielded Their Fortunes From Taxes for Generations
In the early 1900s some of the wealthiest Americans claimed their fortunes would never last through the generations. A century of tax avoidance later, the dynasties are going strong.
www.propublica.org
March 6, 2025 at 4:13 PM
This is gonna stick with me for a while.

"We threw out a hundred years of anti-corruption reforms overnight..."
We threw out a hundred years of anti-corruption reforms overnight and so far barely anyone has even noticed.
This sort of comic book corruption is quite literally illegal in every single country in the world that has written laws. I don't even know what else you say about this, it's amazing
March 3, 2025 at 1:35 PM
When you're trying to appear above board, maybe don't assume the Mr. Burns pose.
February 12, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Perfect. And I even forgot to check/add water, but the level stayed above the rice so I didn't even notice.

"Cook rice like pasta." 🤯
for my good deed for the day i'm gonna show you how to make perfect stovetop rice:

get big pot
pour water till about 2/3rd full
bring water to a full boil
add rice
DO NOT COVER
keep adding water as needed to maintain level while it boils
boil for exactly 14 min
Drain all water
eat perfect rice
Serve with basmati rice if you have the stones to make basmati rice on the stove top and then act real smug about it 🫡
February 11, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Doris Burke is a treasure.

Send.
February 3, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Reposted
Democrats need to stop politicizing the multiple plane crashes that occurred immediately after Trump fired the head of the FAA.
February 1, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Since it's been in the news again, this article/study is from 10 years ago: "The US is an oligarchy, not a democracy."

www.bbc.com/news/blogs-e...
Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
What in the World: A new report finds that an elite few dominate US policy, the human error behind South Korea's ferry tragedy, and Algeria's uneasy status quo election.
www.bbc.com
January 17, 2025 at 3:53 PM
A thread 🧵 worth reading.
Ok, since Google has done a doodle for his birthday today and some ppl are wondering who he is, gather around children, it is storytime. A story that starts with a secret. Superheroes do exist in real life. Well one did.

Meet Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt AKA The Great Gama.
January 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
This article is 10 years old but still seems timely.

www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
The Pitchforks Are Coming… For Us Plutocrats
A memo for my fellow filthy rich who live in our gated bubble worlds: Wake up, people. It won’t last.
www.politico.com
January 4, 2025 at 2:25 PM