Patrick R. Morgan
@patmorgan.bsky.social
Medieval legal historian at Caltech, Norman Sicily, Salerno, documents, institutions, UCLA PhD, amateur backpacker…Also Daje Roma, KTBFFH, go Halos
Reposted by Patrick R. Morgan
“You are Yuri Gurka”
December 19, 2025 at 3:05 PM
“You are Yuri Gurka”
One thing I learned when I left my very conservative Orange County hometown to go to UC Berkeley was that universities lean left because that’s where the better, more-informed ideas are. The people who teach them are not always (or often) that liberal, but they do know what evidence is
The dumbest person in American letters
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
December 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM
One thing I learned when I left my very conservative Orange County hometown to go to UC Berkeley was that universities lean left because that’s where the better, more-informed ideas are. The people who teach them are not always (or often) that liberal, but they do know what evidence is
This is art AI could never give it a thousand tries it couldn’t make this
December 18, 2025 at 2:28 AM
This is art AI could never give it a thousand tries it couldn’t make this
Reposted by Patrick R. Morgan
Pour one out for Dan Bongino
December 17, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Pour one out for Dan Bongino
Coldest winter I ever spent (not saying much, I’m a Californian) was in Cava de’ Tirreni on the Amalfi Coast. Rained constantly, snowed, was never sunny or warm for 4 months. Made me appreciate what I have in California
December 16, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Coldest winter I ever spent (not saying much, I’m a Californian) was in Cava de’ Tirreni on the Amalfi Coast. Rained constantly, snowed, was never sunny or warm for 4 months. Made me appreciate what I have in California
Reposted by Patrick R. Morgan
Good luck with that boys
December 13, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Good luck with that boys
Raimondo Palmerio of Piacenza, the most psychotic dead-beat saintly father (actual father, not a cleric) of all time
I wanted people to quote post with their favorite medieval saint but I was afraid you'd pick the wrong saint. So instead I'm using this tool from @naroth.de
raffle.naroth.de
raffle.naroth.de
Bluesky Raffle Picker
Draw a winner from a raffle post on Bluesky
raffle.naroth.de
December 12, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Raimondo Palmerio of Piacenza, the most psychotic dead-beat saintly father (actual father, not a cleric) of all time
Is there a reason why every video I watch on bluesky pauses indefinitely halfway through @support.bsky.team
December 11, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Is there a reason why every video I watch on bluesky pauses indefinitely halfway through @support.bsky.team
Reposted by Patrick R. Morgan
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
'Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas being transported to Fossanova Abbey.'
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
December 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
Reposted by Patrick R. Morgan
We now learn that Fifa had a very specific "ask" in exchange for its "Peace Award" to Trump, with loads of gold trinkets, and that was dismissal of a criminal corruption case against senior Fifa officials. And Trump granted it. Another corrupt bargain, barely noticed (and ignored by US media).
December 11, 2025 at 12:59 AM
We now learn that Fifa had a very specific "ask" in exchange for its "Peace Award" to Trump, with loads of gold trinkets, and that was dismissal of a criminal corruption case against senior Fifa officials. And Trump granted it. Another corrupt bargain, barely noticed (and ignored by US media).
It’s like Republicans literally do not know what insurance is
Roger Marshall: "We want patients to become consumers again. We want patients to see what the actual prices are. We believe that if we would add the price tags to this bill, that it would save the country a trillion dollars a year."
December 11, 2025 at 4:30 AM
It’s like Republicans literally do not know what insurance is
I thought history was over, why is history happening to me
Trump’s foreign policy isn’t “noninterventionism,” it is a kind of neo neo conservatism devoted to imposing authoritarian ethnonationalism abroad instead of democracy (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
December 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM
I thought history was over, why is history happening to me
I have mad respect for any medieval history article that does NOT begin with "In X year, some individuals did Y." As far as I know, it is impossible to begin an article any other way, and thus it is very impressive when someone does not
December 9, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I have mad respect for any medieval history article that does NOT begin with "In X year, some individuals did Y." As far as I know, it is impossible to begin an article any other way, and thus it is very impressive when someone does not
They do nothing!!!
Q: Is there an update on the 2024 DOT proposal to ban airlines from charging airlines for sitting together?
DUFFY: I don't have an update
DUFFY: I don't have an update
December 8, 2025 at 9:08 PM
They do nothing!!!
These people are out of their minds. They are in a collective psychosis
Duffy: "My daughter pointed out a video from Dr. Paul Saladino where he was complaining that there are no pull up bars in airports, which prompted me to call Sec. Kennedy to give me Paul's number to start the conversation."
December 8, 2025 at 9:05 PM
These people are out of their minds. They are in a collective psychosis
Fernando Mendoza is a very specific kind of sports guy at Cal and he can leave but it will never leave him
December 7, 2025 at 4:27 AM
Fernando Mendoza is a very specific kind of sports guy at Cal and he can leave but it will never leave him
An arsonist running the fire department lol just hates the idea of the thing he ostensibly does for a living. Can’t understand this sort of self-loathing
December 7, 2025 at 2:43 AM
An arsonist running the fire department lol just hates the idea of the thing he ostensibly does for a living. Can’t understand this sort of self-loathing
Consistently in awe of the clarity of Reconstruction’s moral vision and the leadership Reconstruction legislators showed. They were right, they knew it, and they would drag a reluctant nation along if they had to. Feels like a model
what follows immediately after the birthright clause? the privileges and immunities and due process clauses? and what follows them? the equal protection clause. all of this is explicitly to say, "the declaration is the constitutional law of the land"
December 7, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Consistently in awe of the clarity of Reconstruction’s moral vision and the leadership Reconstruction legislators showed. They were right, they knew it, and they would drag a reluctant nation along if they had to. Feels like a model
One key thing is accountability. If officials can act with impunity, they will. And once they can and do act without accountability, they will use the trappings of the law and state to exercise raw power, distorting the law beyond recognition.
Laws aren't real. They exist solely on account of buy-in from society's participants. Once one side disengages, you no longer reside in a society based on laws. You live in a society based on power and armed force. I am begging folks to accept this so we can get moving.
Just legal Calvinball. Obviously lawless.
December 6, 2025 at 7:27 AM
One key thing is accountability. If officials can act with impunity, they will. And once they can and do act without accountability, they will use the trappings of the law and state to exercise raw power, distorting the law beyond recognition.
What is going on with blonde-haired, blue-eyed buff Jesus in the National Shrine in DC?
December 5, 2025 at 9:31 PM
What is going on with blonde-haired, blue-eyed buff Jesus in the National Shrine in DC?
We should all see this for what it is: FIFA completely debasing itself (I know, I know, FIFA is already debased) because they chose to hold their tournament in the US years ago and did not count on having a capricious temperamental madman in charge when they did. They have to make him happy!
December 5, 2025 at 7:16 PM
We should all see this for what it is: FIFA completely debasing itself (I know, I know, FIFA is already debased) because they chose to hold their tournament in the US years ago and did not count on having a capricious temperamental madman in charge when they did. They have to make him happy!
Pretty overwhelmed with all the bad stuff this evening
December 5, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Pretty overwhelmed with all the bad stuff this evening
Another one for the “technology is not making our lives better anymore it is just making them worse” files
The co-founder of Kalshi says: " The long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion."
December 4, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Another one for the “technology is not making our lives better anymore it is just making them worse” files
Reposted by Patrick R. Morgan
A book from the 19th century that depicts the Rhine Valley by creating an impression of three-dimensionality and spatial distance.
@MasayukiTsuda2 #globalmuseum #books #travel #19thcentury
@MasayukiTsuda2 #globalmuseum #books #travel #19thcentury
December 2, 2025 at 7:02 PM
A book from the 19th century that depicts the Rhine Valley by creating an impression of three-dimensionality and spatial distance.
@MasayukiTsuda2 #globalmuseum #books #travel #19thcentury
@MasayukiTsuda2 #globalmuseum #books #travel #19thcentury