Greg
@spkr4thedead51.bsky.social
Bike rider. Climber. Lindy hopper. Caretaker of a mustache. Collector of books. Progressive politics and getting progressiver as I get older. Purveyor of digital stuff for Physics Today. Huge fuckin' nerd. Based in DC.
Pinned
Greg
@spkr4thedead51.bsky.social
· Feb 24
English is fun and it's amazing how quickly the meaning of words can change!
In the 1930s a crypto-fascist was someone who hid that they were a fascist. In less than 100 years a crypto-fascist became someone who was not only openly fascist, but tried to convince you to buy into financial schemes.
In the 1930s a crypto-fascist was someone who hid that they were a fascist. In less than 100 years a crypto-fascist became someone who was not only openly fascist, but tried to convince you to buy into financial schemes.
Reposted by Greg
This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.
November 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.
Reposted by Greg
Viola Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, has died. She was 111.
"I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot," she told Congress in 2021.
Geoff Bennett has more.
"I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot," she told Congress in 2021.
Geoff Bennett has more.
November 24, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Viola Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, has died. She was 111.
"I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot," she told Congress in 2021.
Geoff Bennett has more.
"I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot," she told Congress in 2021.
Geoff Bennett has more.
One of my low key favorite things about going to metal shows is seeing that battle jackets are still alive and well
November 25, 2025 at 2:13 AM
One of my low key favorite things about going to metal shows is seeing that battle jackets are still alive and well
Reposted by Greg
November 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Tbf, Tillis isn't running for reelection so he's been less beholden to the party line but that doesn't excuse him for the shit he's pulled for the rest of his tenure
Dang - how bad was the Border Patrol invasion in North Carolina?
None other than Thom Tillis himself is blasting DHS for gross overreach, and demanding lists of those detained, property damage caused by CBP agents, and their plan for restitution.
www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...
None other than Thom Tillis himself is blasting DHS for gross overreach, and demanding lists of those detained, property damage caused by CBP agents, and their plan for restitution.
www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...
November 21, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Tbf, Tillis isn't running for reelection so he's been less beholden to the party line but that doesn't excuse him for the shit he's pulled for the rest of his tenure
Reposted by Greg
The Trump Admin will fire you for having a Pride flag on your desk but downplays & normalizes swastikas & nooses?
Over 400,000 Americans died fighting Nazism. Hundreds of thousands died fighting slavery & Jim Crow.
This is a slap in the face to every American who died to defeat bigoted ideologies.
Over 400,000 Americans died fighting Nazism. Hundreds of thousands died fighting slavery & Jim Crow.
This is a slap in the face to every American who died to defeat bigoted ideologies.
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:27 AM
The Trump Admin will fire you for having a Pride flag on your desk but downplays & normalizes swastikas & nooses?
Over 400,000 Americans died fighting Nazism. Hundreds of thousands died fighting slavery & Jim Crow.
This is a slap in the face to every American who died to defeat bigoted ideologies.
Over 400,000 Americans died fighting Nazism. Hundreds of thousands died fighting slavery & Jim Crow.
This is a slap in the face to every American who died to defeat bigoted ideologies.
Reposted by Greg
Reposted by Greg
Reposted by Greg
NEW: An Irish tourist visiting the US was jailed by ICE for 3 months after overstaying 3 days due to medical issue. Thomas agreed to be deported, but instead went to federal prison where he recounted horrific conditions + no medical care.
“Nobody's safe from the system if they get pulled into it"
“Nobody's safe from the system if they get pulled into it"
Irish tourist jailed by Ice for months after overstaying US visit by three days: ‘Nobody is safe’
Exclusive: For roughly 100 days, Thomas says he faced harsh detention conditions, despite agreeing to deportation
www.theguardian.com
July 15, 2025 at 6:41 PM
NEW: An Irish tourist visiting the US was jailed by ICE for 3 months after overstaying 3 days due to medical issue. Thomas agreed to be deported, but instead went to federal prison where he recounted horrific conditions + no medical care.
“Nobody's safe from the system if they get pulled into it"
“Nobody's safe from the system if they get pulled into it"
Reposted by Greg
The only thing that's interesting about Nuzzi is the story of how an amoral careerist with no interest in policy and abysmal ethics became an acclaimed national political reporter. But rather than tell that story, the entire media seems desperate to play a part in it.
It rocks that all 20 people who genuinely think the Olivia Nuzzi stuff is interesting have editorial discretion at major media outlets. Just publish your group chats
November 15, 2025 at 1:36 AM
The only thing that's interesting about Nuzzi is the story of how an amoral careerist with no interest in policy and abysmal ethics became an acclaimed national political reporter. But rather than tell that story, the entire media seems desperate to play a part in it.
Reposted by Greg
NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
Millionaire Tax That Inspired Mamdani Fuels $5.7 Billion Haul in Massachusetts
A millionaire levy in Massachusetts that New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani holds up as a model for taxing the rich has generated $3 billion more in revenue than expected without forcing...
www.bloomberg.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
Reposted by Greg
Jim Ryan's letter is not just surreal and troubling; it provides a series of deeply sobering lessons—about the perils facing public universities today; about what it means to "work with" this Department of Justice; & about what leadership does (and doesn't) entail at this especially fraught moment.
Former UVA president Jim Ryan, who resigned over the summer due to pressure from the Trump Administration, just shared this 12-page letter with the Faculty Senate, detailing his experience with the Board of Visitors and DOJ.
It's a surreal--and troubling--read.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
It's a surreal--and troubling--read.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
November 14, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Jim Ryan's letter is not just surreal and troubling; it provides a series of deeply sobering lessons—about the perils facing public universities today; about what it means to "work with" this Department of Justice; & about what leadership does (and doesn't) entail at this especially fraught moment.
Reposted by Greg
Merida’s curly red hair. Elio’s flowing cape. Explosions and stunts. At Pixar, physicist Henry Garcia uses motion to help tell a film’s story. #whatcanphysicistsdo #physics
Q&A: Henry Garcia built carbon nanotubes. Now he simulates big red curly hair
His work at Pixar on special effects and simulations blends physics and art.
physicstoday.aip.org
November 13, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Merida’s curly red hair. Elio’s flowing cape. Explosions and stunts. At Pixar, physicist Henry Garcia uses motion to help tell a film’s story. #whatcanphysicistsdo #physics
Reposted by Greg
you could fact check this — there aren’t 30 million illegal immigrants and there is no evidence that the presence of an immigrant in say houston has any impact on housing in madison, wisconsin — or you could note straightforwardly that this is just nazi rhetoric
JD Vance: "A lot of young people are saying housing is way too expensive. Why is that? Because we flooded the country with 30 million illegal immigrants who were taking houses that ought by right go to American citizens."
November 13, 2025 at 10:12 PM
you could fact check this — there aren’t 30 million illegal immigrants and there is no evidence that the presence of an immigrant in say houston has any impact on housing in madison, wisconsin — or you could note straightforwardly that this is just nazi rhetoric
Reposted by Greg
Lots of important news flying around today, but take a minute to read Eos's coverage of the failure to meet the Colorado River compact deadline and what that means for nearly everyone who uses water in the American West.
November 12, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Lots of important news flying around today, but take a minute to read Eos's coverage of the failure to meet the Colorado River compact deadline and what that means for nearly everyone who uses water in the American West.
Reposted by Greg
i really dislike the “pedocon theory” meme, for a whole host of reasons—but this article does a great job of explaining how systemic sex abuse of young people is the extreme logical endpoint of the patriarchal, dominionist mindset
@sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com's work on pedocon theory confirmed once more. Republicans molest children because they think children are the property of men: their Weltanschauung dictates their practice of molesting children www.liberalcurrents.com/we-need-to-t...
We Need to Talk About Pedocon Theory
The connection between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is no accident, but reveals a deep logic at the heart of reactionary politics.
www.liberalcurrents.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
i really dislike the “pedocon theory” meme, for a whole host of reasons—but this article does a great job of explaining how systemic sex abuse of young people is the extreme logical endpoint of the patriarchal, dominionist mindset
Reposted by Greg
A little less than a year ago, a large team of cosmologists reported evidence that dark energy (which drives the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe) evolves over time. This made a huge splash but has also been viewed with healthy skepticism. Today they report that evidence has weakened. 🧪
The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program: A Reanalysis Of Cosmology Results And Evidence For Evolving Dark Energy With An Updated Type Ia Supernova Calibration
We present improved cosmological constraints from a re-analysis of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) 5-year sample of Type Ia supernovae (DES-SN5YR). This re-analysis includes an improved photometric cross...
arxiv.org
November 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM
A little less than a year ago, a large team of cosmologists reported evidence that dark energy (which drives the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe) evolves over time. This made a huge splash but has also been viewed with healthy skepticism. Today they report that evidence has weakened. 🧪
Reposted by Greg
The average SNAP benefit per month is $177 a person.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
November 10, 2025 at 1:49 AM
The average SNAP benefit per month is $177 a person.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
Reposted by Greg
There’s just no one better at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
November 10, 2025 at 1:56 AM
There’s just no one better at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Reposted by Greg
Every single county in Virginia shifted Blue.
November 5, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Every single county in Virginia shifted Blue.
Reposted by Greg
WOW. 81% of women 18-29 voted for Mamdani, 80% for Sherril, and 78% for Spanberger.
Gen Z women aren't playing around.
Gen Z women aren't playing around.
November 5, 2025 at 4:07 AM
WOW. 81% of women 18-29 voted for Mamdani, 80% for Sherril, and 78% for Spanberger.
Gen Z women aren't playing around.
Gen Z women aren't playing around.
Reposted by Greg
this is very cool: Kodak quietly relisted Kodak Gold and Ultramax on its website and confirmed to me it is selling the films directly to photography stores again. this is a big deal because for the last decade, Kodak has not controlled distribution of its own film
www.404media.co/kodak-quietl...
www.404media.co/kodak-quietl...
Kodak Quietly Begins Directly Selling Kodak Gold and Ultramax Film Again
Kodak appears to be taking back control over the distribution of its film.
www.404media.co
November 3, 2025 at 9:06 PM
this is very cool: Kodak quietly relisted Kodak Gold and Ultramax on its website and confirmed to me it is selling the films directly to photography stores again. this is a big deal because for the last decade, Kodak has not controlled distribution of its own film
www.404media.co/kodak-quietl...
www.404media.co/kodak-quietl...
This is the second song in my Spotify Discover Weekly
@chrissasparkles on IG
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu9z...
@chrissasparkles on IG
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu9z...
don't fuck a fascist
YouTube video by Chrissa Sparkles - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This is the second song in my Spotify Discover Weekly
@chrissasparkles on IG
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu9z...
@chrissasparkles on IG
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu9z...
Reposted by Greg
I’m really starting to suspect that most of the tech bros haven’t actually read Tolkien, as they certainly don’t understand it.
The gentle hobbits save the “hard men” of Gondor, largely through compassion and selflessness. Not the other way around. The Christian parable is barely hidden!
The gentle hobbits save the “hard men” of Gondor, largely through compassion and selflessness. Not the other way around. The Christian parable is barely hidden!
Elon Musk: "It is time for the English to ally with the hard men, like Tommy Robinson, and fight for their survival or they shall surely all die" 29th October 2025. 2 million views in its first hour.
October 29, 2025 at 9:31 AM
I’m really starting to suspect that most of the tech bros haven’t actually read Tolkien, as they certainly don’t understand it.
The gentle hobbits save the “hard men” of Gondor, largely through compassion and selflessness. Not the other way around. The Christian parable is barely hidden!
The gentle hobbits save the “hard men” of Gondor, largely through compassion and selflessness. Not the other way around. The Christian parable is barely hidden!
Reposted by Greg
That's the stuff Duke.
November 1, 2025 at 7:54 PM
That's the stuff Duke.