Richmond Eustis
@reustis.bsky.social
Reclusive Swamp Druid. Associate professor, Nicholls State: World Lit, Wilderness, and other "Waste" lands. Senior field & Wilderness Medicine instructor at NOLS. Wilderness EMT. Oud, bees. Fulbright Jordan 2015-17.
South Louisiana Sacrifice Zone
South Louisiana Sacrifice Zone
Pinned
Richmond Eustis
@reustis.bsky.social
· Nov 9
Obligatory pinned skeet. Behind the scenes with my oud at last year's Arabic Music Retreat.
The senators stupid enough or cynical enough to vote to reopen the government on the word of these weasels should be drummed out of office and mocked mercilessly for the rest of their life.
In the most predictable development ever, Mike Johnson is not committing to hold a House vote on ACA subsidies
November 10, 2025 at 10:37 PM
The senators stupid enough or cynical enough to vote to reopen the government on the word of these weasels should be drummed out of office and mocked mercilessly for the rest of their life.
Flying is fraught and unpleasant in the best of circumstances. These are not the best of circumstances.
Also, I have to fly today. Maybe. If I'm allowed.
Also, I have to fly today. Maybe. If I'm allowed.
I'm on Sunday duty at @defector.com today! First up, my newser on the airport crisis. Spoiler: Trump is fucking you. defector.com/if-youre-stu...
If You’re Stuck At An Airport Right Now, It’s Because Trump Fucked You | Defector
You picked a bad weekend to fly. Over 1,500 flights in the US were cancelled yesterday, and over 1,200 over them have already been cancelled this morning. One of those may have been yours. You’re stuc...
defector.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Flying is fraught and unpleasant in the best of circumstances. These are not the best of circumstances.
Also, I have to fly today. Maybe. If I'm allowed.
Also, I have to fly today. Maybe. If I'm allowed.
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
This is 100% not someone who has been trained to use a gun. He's waving it around nervously. This is insane
November 9, 2025 at 3:29 PM
This is 100% not someone who has been trained to use a gun. He's waving it around nervously. This is insane
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
A "modest margin" when Mamdani beat his next closest challenger by 8 points in a three-person race. Trump won by just 1.5% and it was played off as a seismic realignment of American politics and culture.
Damn, I hate it when things that happen mean nothing :-(
November 9, 2025 at 3:39 PM
A "modest margin" when Mamdani beat his next closest challenger by 8 points in a three-person race. Trump won by just 1.5% and it was played off as a seismic realignment of American politics and culture.
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
I’ve had two conferences—one in the US and one international—change titles of panels or the entire gathering to avoid being targeted or make people’s lives more difficult.
It’s the exact kind of thing the US used to label totalitarian when foreign countries did this to their scholars.
It’s the exact kind of thing the US used to label totalitarian when foreign countries did this to their scholars.
Going to a research conference next week. One of my panels featured researchers coming from Asia, who decided to withdraw given the uncertainty about domestic travel with flight cancelations. Just one more reference point for how the US under Trump has become seen as a basket case country.
November 9, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I’ve had two conferences—one in the US and one international—change titles of panels or the entire gathering to avoid being targeted or make people’s lives more difficult.
It’s the exact kind of thing the US used to label totalitarian when foreign countries did this to their scholars.
It’s the exact kind of thing the US used to label totalitarian when foreign countries did this to their scholars.
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
There is something deeply rotten at the heart of modern tech that goes well beyond the corruptions produced by capitalism.
“authors & publishers who filed a lawsuit against the Sam Altman-led firm have secured access to internal Slack messages… discussing the mass deletion of a pirated books dataset… A NY district court ordered OpenAI to hand over the communications regarding data deletion”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
OpenAI in Danger After Authors Suing It Gain Access to Its Internal Slack Messages
Authors and publishers, who are suing OpenAI, secured access to internal Slack messages and emails discussing the deletion of pirated books.
futurism.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:00 PM
There is something deeply rotten at the heart of modern tech that goes well beyond the corruptions produced by capitalism.
Gotta fly tomorrow. Sporty.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that 40 major airports will see a 10% cut in flights, starting the morning of Nov. 7.
What we know and don't know about the FAA cuts as Thanksgiving travel looms
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that 40 major airports will see a 10% cut in flights, starting the morning of Nov. 7.
bit.ly
November 9, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Gotta fly tomorrow. Sporty.
I could add an insurance section to my critical theory syllabus, I guess.
Hate it, but slowly coming to the opinion that college freshmen should have a course teaching them how insurance works and what private equity is so that they can understand our current social reality 😩
November 9, 2025 at 4:46 AM
I could add an insurance section to my critical theory syllabus, I guess.
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
"6-7"?! Boy I say boy you gen alpha kids cant be doin' that! Your signifiers need signs boy! You've laid a rhetorical claim to an empty space son! You're creatin' a nihilistic dialectic! Your broccoli hairs obfuscatin' some much needed communication! Find some MEANIN', kid!
November 8, 2025 at 6:22 PM
"6-7"?! Boy I say boy you gen alpha kids cant be doin' that! Your signifiers need signs boy! You've laid a rhetorical claim to an empty space son! You're creatin' a nihilistic dialectic! Your broccoli hairs obfuscatin' some much needed communication! Find some MEANIN', kid!
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
So it turns out... the US air travel system was incredibly, deeply dependent on federal funding to just run day-to-day all this time, to the benefit of private airline shareholders, when everyone thinks that state-run trains are leeching off the government. Weird!
November 9, 2025 at 12:10 AM
So it turns out... the US air travel system was incredibly, deeply dependent on federal funding to just run day-to-day all this time, to the benefit of private airline shareholders, when everyone thinks that state-run trains are leeching off the government. Weird!
In the old legends a creature that murdered thousands, wielded massive power, and hoarded vast wealth it could never use would be called a dragon, and considered a monster.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk scored a resounding victory on Thursday as shareholders approved a pay package of as much as $878 billion over the next decade, endorsing his vision of morphing the EV maker into an AI and robotics juggernaut.
Tesla shareholders approve $878 billion pay plan for Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk scored a resounding victory on Thursday as shareholders approved a pay package of as much as $878 billion over the next decade, endorsing his vision of morphing the EV maker into an AI and robotics juggernaut.
reut.rs
November 9, 2025 at 4:37 AM
In the old legends a creature that murdered thousands, wielded massive power, and hoarded vast wealth it could never use would be called a dragon, and considered a monster.
One really must admire this administration's dedication to the practice of starving the working poor.
Trump said that only Congress could fix the funding lapse and that his administration would not “starve Peter to feed Paul, by gambling school lunches tomorrow in exchange for more SNAP money today.”
November 8, 2025 at 1:10 AM
One really must admire this administration's dedication to the practice of starving the working poor.
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
2/ The Ds offer is extremely reasonable and arguably too flexible, though I think it's the right offer to make. But every day the shut down continues is damaging Trump and the GOP. It's true that the White House is committed to hurting as many people as possible with the shutdown.
November 8, 2025 at 1:01 AM
2/ The Ds offer is extremely reasonable and arguably too flexible, though I think it's the right offer to make. But every day the shut down continues is damaging Trump and the GOP. It's true that the White House is committed to hurting as many people as possible with the shutdown.
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
I fully believe in the corporate death penalty and believe we would be a better world if OpenAI lost its corporate charter and was forcibly dissolved.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
ChatGPT encouraged college graduate to commit suicide, family claims in lawsuit against OpenAI | CNN
A 23-year-old man killed himself in Texas after ChatGPT ‘goaded’ him to commit suicide, his family says in a lawsuit.
www.cnn.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:12 AM
I fully believe in the corporate death penalty and believe we would be a better world if OpenAI lost its corporate charter and was forcibly dissolved.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
Hell yeah, LSU students.
“We have campus buildings where there are names of slave owners and Confederate soldiers. Segregation is adorned on our buildings,” Cerquone said. “This adds to this discriminatory environment on campus"
lsureveille.com/268960/news/...
“We have campus buildings where there are names of slave owners and Confederate soldiers. Segregation is adorned on our buildings,” Cerquone said. “This adds to this discriminatory environment on campus"
lsureveille.com/268960/news/...
LSU Student Senate votes against Charlie Kirk statue on campus - Reveille
The Student Senate voted against putting discriminatory statues on campus, explicitly naming the Charlie Kirk statue Gov. Jeff Landry wanted.
lsureveille.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Hell yeah, LSU students.
“We have campus buildings where there are names of slave owners and Confederate soldiers. Segregation is adorned on our buildings,” Cerquone said. “This adds to this discriminatory environment on campus"
lsureveille.com/268960/news/...
“We have campus buildings where there are names of slave owners and Confederate soldiers. Segregation is adorned on our buildings,” Cerquone said. “This adds to this discriminatory environment on campus"
lsureveille.com/268960/news/...
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
I wish Douthat had followed up and asked Andrews what "areas of inquiry" have been "ruled out of bounds in history" because they are "too controversial" and lead historians away from "truth seeking."
November 6, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I wish Douthat had followed up and asked Andrews what "areas of inquiry" have been "ruled out of bounds in history" because they are "too controversial" and lead historians away from "truth seeking."
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
SCOTUS has granted a stay in Trump v. Orr, the trans passport case, meaning that the government will be able to once again deny gender marker changes to trans passport applicants.
This is a terrible decision with horrifying consequences for trans folks.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
This is a terrible decision with horrifying consequences for trans folks.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
November 6, 2025 at 8:36 PM
SCOTUS has granted a stay in Trump v. Orr, the trans passport case, meaning that the government will be able to once again deny gender marker changes to trans passport applicants.
This is a terrible decision with horrifying consequences for trans folks.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
This is a terrible decision with horrifying consequences for trans folks.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
SANDWICH CHUCKERS AGAINST FASCISM
The man accused of “assaulting” a federal agent by throwing his Subway sandwich walks free on Thursday after countless attempts from the Trump administration to prosecute him both federally and criminally. trib.al/Q4E4cHe
November 6, 2025 at 8:59 PM
SANDWICH CHUCKERS AGAINST FASCISM
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
The man accused of “assaulting” a federal agent by throwing his Subway sandwich walks free on Thursday after countless attempts from the Trump administration to prosecute him both federally and criminally. trib.al/Q4E4cHe
November 6, 2025 at 8:53 PM
The man accused of “assaulting” a federal agent by throwing his Subway sandwich walks free on Thursday after countless attempts from the Trump administration to prosecute him both federally and criminally. trib.al/Q4E4cHe
Kennedy dips out faster than I've seen him move in any of his fitness videos.
It's nice to know he is capable of recognizing the limits of his knowledge and competence every once in a while.
It's nice to know he is capable of recognizing the limits of his knowledge and competence every once in a while.
holy shit -- one of Trump's toadies just passed out and the White House event is brought to an abrupt end
November 6, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Kennedy dips out faster than I've seen him move in any of his fitness videos.
It's nice to know he is capable of recognizing the limits of his knowledge and competence every once in a while.
It's nice to know he is capable of recognizing the limits of his knowledge and competence every once in a while.
I'm reading Laila Lalami's terrific novel The Dream Hotel, which takes near-future corporate algorithmic predictions of "crime" to a subtle and terrifying limit.
We’re all making jokes about pre-crime and Minority Report, but this is literally what Bovino is claiming he has the right to do - determine what’s in people’s hearts and minds and act on them before they can act on him.
Here’s Bovino’s logic: anyone protesting is inherently advocating for violence, so his agents are implicitly justified in using physical violence, which does not qualify as “force,” because anything they do to protesters is lawful.
November 5, 2025 at 9:37 PM
I'm reading Laila Lalami's terrific novel The Dream Hotel, which takes near-future corporate algorithmic predictions of "crime" to a subtle and terrifying limit.
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
This is why you DON'T stop the shutdown. Clearly the voters know who's responsible for the shutdown and now it's gonna be even worse. Since the news isn't willing to be honest with Americans about what Trump was and is, this will have to do so they can get the message.
U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE 10% CUT OF SCHEDULED CAPACITY AT 40 MAJOR HIGH TRAFFIC AIRPORTS STARTING FRIDAY -- SOURCES
November 5, 2025 at 9:24 PM
This is why you DON'T stop the shutdown. Clearly the voters know who's responsible for the shutdown and now it's gonna be even worse. Since the news isn't willing to be honest with Americans about what Trump was and is, this will have to do so they can get the message.
Aw fuck. Guess who has to fly Friday. And Sunday.
“U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is expected to order scheduled air traffic cut by 10% at 40 major airports starting Friday…”
www.reuters.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Aw fuck. Guess who has to fly Friday. And Sunday.
Reposted by Richmond Eustis
An excellent summation of how people who were called before congressional investigators fared. Also makes clear, except for a small minority, universities were willing partners in purging faculty during McCarthyism.
November 5, 2025 at 9:22 PM
An excellent summation of how people who were called before congressional investigators fared. Also makes clear, except for a small minority, universities were willing partners in purging faculty during McCarthyism.
"Spoiler alert: That case is unspeakably, breathtakingly devoid of merit. To see it laid out in all its patchwork threadbaredness is to gasp with embarrassment for the prosecutors who have presented this to an American court."
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
The Situation: Where’s the Lie?
The government’s response to James Comey’s vindictive prosecution raises one very big and important question.
www.lawfaremedia.org
November 5, 2025 at 8:57 PM
"Spoiler alert: That case is unspeakably, breathtakingly devoid of merit. To see it laid out in all its patchwork threadbaredness is to gasp with embarrassment for the prosecutors who have presented this to an American court."
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...