Chris Anderson
@midwestdude.bsky.social
Midwest prickly. Reefer mad. Chock full of mental illness (ADHD, OCD, depression, etc.) and not at all bitter about it.
Politics, Packers, computers, sci-fi... Nerd stuff.
SocDem. Not a fan of "teaching Dems a lesson" at the expense of the poor.
Politics, Packers, computers, sci-fi... Nerd stuff.
SocDem. Not a fan of "teaching Dems a lesson" at the expense of the poor.
Reposted by Chris Anderson
The internet, AI, social media, we’ve spent hundreds of billions - trillions? - building that mirror for ourselves
Without an ethos of curiosity, without a constant undercurrent of self-doubt to innoculate us, anyone among us will gaze into a mirror and think we see the world.
November 12, 2025 at 1:55 AM
The internet, AI, social media, we’ve spent hundreds of billions - trillions? - building that mirror for ourselves
I thought Frankenstein was good, but if I'm being honest, Guillermo del Toro movies usually end up feeling... flat. To me.
I see what I'm supposed to be impressed by--it's a very cool aesthetic, and he's clearly a good humanist, but his stuff kind of feels pedantic.
I see what I'm supposed to be impressed by--it's a very cool aesthetic, and he's clearly a good humanist, but his stuff kind of feels pedantic.
November 12, 2025 at 2:17 AM
I thought Frankenstein was good, but if I'm being honest, Guillermo del Toro movies usually end up feeling... flat. To me.
I see what I'm supposed to be impressed by--it's a very cool aesthetic, and he's clearly a good humanist, but his stuff kind of feels pedantic.
I see what I'm supposed to be impressed by--it's a very cool aesthetic, and he's clearly a good humanist, but his stuff kind of feels pedantic.
What seems to motivate a lot of resentments are skills gaps.
If you dig beneath right-wing propaganda, a lot of what appeals to people is promoting self-sufficiency.
Democrats need to help people close their skills gaps. Public universities need to be well funded again.
If you dig beneath right-wing propaganda, a lot of what appeals to people is promoting self-sufficiency.
Democrats need to help people close their skills gaps. Public universities need to be well funded again.
November 11, 2025 at 6:52 AM
What seems to motivate a lot of resentments are skills gaps.
If you dig beneath right-wing propaganda, a lot of what appeals to people is promoting self-sufficiency.
Democrats need to help people close their skills gaps. Public universities need to be well funded again.
If you dig beneath right-wing propaganda, a lot of what appeals to people is promoting self-sufficiency.
Democrats need to help people close their skills gaps. Public universities need to be well funded again.
Nice to see this talked about.
"We will overthrow the corrupt Democrats!
"How?"
"You're providing cover for the Democrats!"
"We will overthrow the corrupt Democrats!
"How?"
"You're providing cover for the Democrats!"
“Rather than taking over the Democratic Party the same way the right took over the Republican Party, we should take the easier route and just start up a new party ourselves!”
I’m about to fill my pockets with stones and walk into the sea.
I’m about to fill my pockets with stones and walk into the sea.
November 10, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Nice to see this talked about.
"We will overthrow the corrupt Democrats!
"How?"
"You're providing cover for the Democrats!"
"We will overthrow the corrupt Democrats!
"How?"
"You're providing cover for the Democrats!"
Reposted by Chris Anderson
👇🎯 Your regular reminder that unfunded mandate are bad, we shouldn't have them, & the actual solution to nearly <every> problem in 🇺🇸 higher education - both real & imagined - is to...
<taps mic>
<John Facenda voice>
...Fund.
The.
Damn.
Public.
Universities.
Like.
We.
Used.
To.
Do.
<taps mic>
<John Facenda voice>
...Fund.
The.
Damn.
Public.
Universities.
Like.
We.
Used.
To.
Do.
October 21, 2024 at 3:48 PM
👇🎯 Your regular reminder that unfunded mandate are bad, we shouldn't have them, & the actual solution to nearly <every> problem in 🇺🇸 higher education - both real & imagined - is to...
<taps mic>
<John Facenda voice>
...Fund.
The.
Damn.
Public.
Universities.
Like.
We.
Used.
To.
Do.
<taps mic>
<John Facenda voice>
...Fund.
The.
Damn.
Public.
Universities.
Like.
We.
Used.
To.
Do.
Reposted by Chris Anderson
I’m not going to name names but there are a lot of tastemaker accounts who see the crowd being aggressively wrong about something and instead of saying “Yeah, that’s wrong” step in to try to find a way to say “Well here’s why it’s half right.” The imperative is to find a way to agree with the crowd
I agree that this is a social media problem, but who are these big accounts that are to blame? I always had the feeling that the problem was that there were a lot of mutually reinforcing accounts rather than a few big taste makers.
November 9, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I’m not going to name names but there are a lot of tastemaker accounts who see the crowd being aggressively wrong about something and instead of saying “Yeah, that’s wrong” step in to try to find a way to say “Well here’s why it’s half right.” The imperative is to find a way to agree with the crowd
Agree and disagree.
I think there is a lot of reactionary nostalgia on the left.
But I think part of the anger comes from consumers needing to be extra savvy to buy a quality, repairable good rather than an item posing as those things. There's a low trust consumer environment.
I think there is a lot of reactionary nostalgia on the left.
But I think part of the anger comes from consumers needing to be extra savvy to buy a quality, repairable good rather than an item posing as those things. There's a low trust consumer environment.
A large share of politics coded as “left” on this site is in fact reactionary nostalgia - an inchoate belief that times were better in the good old days and nebulous forces have taken that from us.
November 9, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Agree and disagree.
I think there is a lot of reactionary nostalgia on the left.
But I think part of the anger comes from consumers needing to be extra savvy to buy a quality, repairable good rather than an item posing as those things. There's a low trust consumer environment.
I think there is a lot of reactionary nostalgia on the left.
But I think part of the anger comes from consumers needing to be extra savvy to buy a quality, repairable good rather than an item posing as those things. There's a low trust consumer environment.
I think too many people don't understand what "accelerationism" is and why it doesn't make sense.
Just so we're on the same page, "I didn't vote for Kamala because I thought Trump winning would get us third parties faster" is accelerationism.
Just so we're on the same page, "I didn't vote for Kamala because I thought Trump winning would get us third parties faster" is accelerationism.
November 9, 2025 at 5:04 AM
I think too many people don't understand what "accelerationism" is and why it doesn't make sense.
Just so we're on the same page, "I didn't vote for Kamala because I thought Trump winning would get us third parties faster" is accelerationism.
Just so we're on the same page, "I didn't vote for Kamala because I thought Trump winning would get us third parties faster" is accelerationism.
Desperately want to see polling of people on social media where the questions are something like:
"If there's a global pandemic and a lot of people are temporarily unemployed, what should the president do?"
And then listing off options for what presidents of the past have actually done.
"If there's a global pandemic and a lot of people are temporarily unemployed, what should the president do?"
And then listing off options for what presidents of the past have actually done.
November 8, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Desperately want to see polling of people on social media where the questions are something like:
"If there's a global pandemic and a lot of people are temporarily unemployed, what should the president do?"
And then listing off options for what presidents of the past have actually done.
"If there's a global pandemic and a lot of people are temporarily unemployed, what should the president do?"
And then listing off options for what presidents of the past have actually done.
As the weather gets colder, damn it. Damn it damn it damn it.
November 8, 2025 at 12:20 AM
As the weather gets colder, damn it. Damn it damn it damn it.
I watched the 2020 The Stand miniseries over the past two days ~15 years after reading about 3/4 of the book while at Covance.
It suffers a common Stephen King problem--the good characters sound wooden, and the villains sound cartoonish--but if you can get over that, it's a good miniseries.
It suffers a common Stephen King problem--the good characters sound wooden, and the villains sound cartoonish--but if you can get over that, it's a good miniseries.
November 8, 2025 at 12:04 AM
I watched the 2020 The Stand miniseries over the past two days ~15 years after reading about 3/4 of the book while at Covance.
It suffers a common Stephen King problem--the good characters sound wooden, and the villains sound cartoonish--but if you can get over that, it's a good miniseries.
It suffers a common Stephen King problem--the good characters sound wooden, and the villains sound cartoonish--but if you can get over that, it's a good miniseries.
Going to be reading this, as I've been saying as nauseum that voters don't understand how inflation, recession and unemployment work/the relationship between them.
"The cost of all this success was a short, transitory burst of moderate inflation...& then the burst...stopped cold. It was over after the middle of 2022."
"I characterize 2024 as...a worldwide failure to break the misinformation system..."
All. Of. This.
In re: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
"I characterize 2024 as...a worldwide failure to break the misinformation system..."
All. Of. This.
In re: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
November 7, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Going to be reading this, as I've been saying as nauseum that voters don't understand how inflation, recession and unemployment work/the relationship between them.
If you don't know what causes inflation or recession, for the love of God, go find out before you have any more opinions about politics.
The pithiest way I can think of saying this is "Our party has let voters down. But voters have also let themselves down."
The pithiest way I can think of saying this is "Our party has let voters down. But voters have also let themselves down."
November 5, 2025 at 11:58 PM
If you don't know what causes inflation or recession, for the love of God, go find out before you have any more opinions about politics.
The pithiest way I can think of saying this is "Our party has let voters down. But voters have also let themselves down."
The pithiest way I can think of saying this is "Our party has let voters down. But voters have also let themselves down."
www.270towin.com/2026-state-p...
The most important dates for the future of the party.
If people have their eye on the ball for when they select their Democratic Party presidential candidate... Oh, man.
The most important dates for the future of the party.
If people have their eye on the ball for when they select their Democratic Party presidential candidate... Oh, man.
2026 Statewide Primary Calendar - 270toWin
Primary dates for the 2026 statewide elections. State primaries will be held for Senate, House and gubernatorial races. Link to live results on primary day.
www.270towin.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:51 PM
www.270towin.com/2026-state-p...
The most important dates for the future of the party.
If people have their eye on the ball for when they select their Democratic Party presidential candidate... Oh, man.
The most important dates for the future of the party.
If people have their eye on the ball for when they select their Democratic Party presidential candidate... Oh, man.
The interesting thing about the shutdown is that it's basically relitigating the ACA debate (again).
Republicans are trying to do the "they're enriching insurance companies" line (which is true), and people are asking Republicans why they haven't done anything to fix it.
Republicans are trying to do the "they're enriching insurance companies" line (which is true), and people are asking Republicans why they haven't done anything to fix it.
November 5, 2025 at 4:37 PM
The interesting thing about the shutdown is that it's basically relitigating the ACA debate (again).
Republicans are trying to do the "they're enriching insurance companies" line (which is true), and people are asking Republicans why they haven't done anything to fix it.
Republicans are trying to do the "they're enriching insurance companies" line (which is true), and people are asking Republicans why they haven't done anything to fix it.
Reposted by Chris Anderson
the time for using karen and wine mom as insults has passed. the time for embracing the karen is now
November 5, 2025 at 12:40 AM
the time for using karen and wine mom as insults has passed. the time for embracing the karen is now
Reposted by Chris Anderson
false
Tiktok is almost certainly a better source of information on Gaza than the NYT.
November 4, 2025 at 9:39 PM
false
Big poaster accounts already doing the "If the Establishment doesn't want to vote for Mamdani, why should his voters VBNMW?"
The answer is "Because Chuck Schumer will be fine if you don't vote for the Democrat. You're not VingBNMW for Chuck. You're doing it for his constituents."
The answer is "Because Chuck Schumer will be fine if you don't vote for the Democrat. You're not VingBNMW for Chuck. You're doing it for his constituents."
November 4, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Big poaster accounts already doing the "If the Establishment doesn't want to vote for Mamdani, why should his voters VBNMW?"
The answer is "Because Chuck Schumer will be fine if you don't vote for the Democrat. You're not VingBNMW for Chuck. You're doing it for his constituents."
The answer is "Because Chuck Schumer will be fine if you don't vote for the Democrat. You're not VingBNMW for Chuck. You're doing it for his constituents."
One Battle After Another is about a lot of things, but my biggest takeaway (outside of Sean Penn's character/who he represents being absolutely vile) was the different tactics of resistance from Leo's girlfriend/the mom and those of Benicio del Toro's character.
November 4, 2025 at 4:48 AM
One Battle After Another is about a lot of things, but my biggest takeaway (outside of Sean Penn's character/who he represents being absolutely vile) was the different tactics of resistance from Leo's girlfriend/the mom and those of Benicio del Toro's character.
If you haven't seen Silo, I think it's a good show. S2, without being *too spoilery* is what happens when people who are being controlled start to rebel.
It's a great literary illustration of how people with good intentions can imperil everyone. Worth watching.
It's a great literary illustration of how people with good intentions can imperil everyone. Worth watching.
November 4, 2025 at 4:36 AM
If you haven't seen Silo, I think it's a good show. S2, without being *too spoilery* is what happens when people who are being controlled start to rebel.
It's a great literary illustration of how people with good intentions can imperil everyone. Worth watching.
It's a great literary illustration of how people with good intentions can imperil everyone. Worth watching.
scholar.harvard.edu
November 3, 2025 at 6:41 AM
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/...
Are full of passionate intensity."
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/...
The Second Coming
Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and eve...
www.poetryfoundation.org
November 3, 2025 at 6:36 AM
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/...
Are full of passionate intensity."
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/...
I'm glad I had the chance to take humanities courses in high school.
Yeats's "The Second Coming" and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" have both popped into my head this week.
Yeats's "The Second Coming" and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" have both popped into my head this week.
November 2, 2025 at 12:26 PM
I'm glad I had the chance to take humanities courses in high school.
Yeats's "The Second Coming" and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" have both popped into my head this week.
Yeats's "The Second Coming" and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" have both popped into my head this week.
Today I found out Establishment Democrats have an agenda.
October 30, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Today I found out Establishment Democrats have an agenda.