Torbjörn Björkman
@torbjornbjorkman.bsky.social
He/him. Swede living in Finland. Physics lecturer, violinist, genealogist, generalist, in that order, perhaps.
Posting will continue until morale improves.
Posting will continue until morale improves.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
If I were an American I would save money by simply buying lottery tickets with winning numbers and not those with losing numbers.
Tell me you don’t understand risk pools without telling me you don’t understand risk pools
November 10, 2025 at 7:28 PM
If I were an American I would save money by simply buying lottery tickets with winning numbers and not those with losing numbers.
Glad Annandag Far till alla som firar!
November 10, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Glad Annandag Far till alla som firar!
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
Okay we've got fours hours until this place is just a flood of posts about 'The Dems' again. Let's enjoy it.
November 10, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Okay we've got fours hours until this place is just a flood of posts about 'The Dems' again. Let's enjoy it.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
This story about “Take On Me” is the most poignant story you’ll read about a pop song today.
wapo.st/4oobhco
wapo.st/4oobhco
‘Take On Me’ has been stuck in our heads for 40 years. Here’s how it got there.
“Take On Me,” the 1980s synth-pop hit song from the band A-ha, marks 40 years of global ubiquity even while personal disputes have chilled the Norwegian trio.
wapo.st
November 9, 2025 at 4:19 AM
This story about “Take On Me” is the most poignant story you’ll read about a pop song today.
wapo.st/4oobhco
wapo.st/4oobhco
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
the median age of a first-time home buyer in the United States is 40.
November 9, 2025 at 3:22 AM
the median age of a first-time home buyer in the United States is 40.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
Remarkable that every boss talks about how amazing AI is, all the way up until that AI's outputs hit people whose jobs don't depend on agreeing, at which point they inevitably have to conceal that they are using AI.
The shitty Coke ad studio. Games that use AI generated assets. Support chatbots.
The shitty Coke ad studio. Games that use AI generated assets. Support chatbots.
The studio that made the shitty coca-cola AI ad getting their teeth kicked in on socials bc of how icky bad it is, then the studio CEO coming out insulting and dismissing folks kicking their teeth in, and THEN releasing the worst ever cover up “hey we actually made this by hand” scam vid
🧍♀️
🧍♀️
November 9, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Remarkable that every boss talks about how amazing AI is, all the way up until that AI's outputs hit people whose jobs don't depend on agreeing, at which point they inevitably have to conceal that they are using AI.
The shitty Coke ad studio. Games that use AI generated assets. Support chatbots.
The shitty Coke ad studio. Games that use AI generated assets. Support chatbots.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
I will put this on QT to remind everyone that I have repeatedly called Trump a fascist, but rejected the argument that America is now a fascist state.
I suspect people know I've said this, and just keep ignoring it, because the need for drama is greater than the need for precision.
I suspect people know I've said this, and just keep ignoring it, because the need for drama is greater than the need for precision.
So it seems that, objectively, this pre-Trump dictionary definition of "fascist" describes the Trump philosophy and system very accurately, better than other terms that are frequently suggested (e.g. "authoritarian", "totalitarian", etc.) So let's just call Trump a fascist already. It is what it is.
November 9, 2025 at 3:22 AM
I will put this on QT to remind everyone that I have repeatedly called Trump a fascist, but rejected the argument that America is now a fascist state.
I suspect people know I've said this, and just keep ignoring it, because the need for drama is greater than the need for precision.
I suspect people know I've said this, and just keep ignoring it, because the need for drama is greater than the need for precision.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
I have news for these journalists about the social media presence of most men.
James Talarico, a Texas Democrat running for U.S. Senate who has put his faith at the forefront of his campaign, follows several adult film performers, escorts and OnlyFans models on Instagram, according to an Axios review.
Faith-forward Texas Senate candidate follows porn actors, escorts online
James Talarico has become a sensation in Texas politics by talking about how his Christianity is the basis for his progressive politics.
www.axios.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:34 AM
I have news for these journalists about the social media presence of most men.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
As the owner of an independent bookstore, I must ask all of y'all to do the opposite of this forever and ever, amen.
I am not allowed to buy more books until I read the ones I already own
November 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
As the owner of an independent bookstore, I must ask all of y'all to do the opposite of this forever and ever, amen.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
The energy I'd like to see from every Democrat
November 8, 2025 at 5:25 PM
The energy I'd like to see from every Democrat
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
Opinion | Actually, don’t let them eat cake
November 8, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Opinion | Actually, don’t let them eat cake
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
This is actually a pretty standard and unremarkable move, as evidenced by Justice Jackson issuing it.
But most people won't believe that for several good reasons.
/1
But most people won't believe that for several good reasons.
/1
#BREAKING: Justice Jackson has issued an "administrative" stay, temporarily pausing a district court order that would've required the USDA to continue using contingency funds to pay SNAP benefits.
The stay expires 48 hours after the First Circuit rules on USDA's request for a stay pending appeal.
The stay expires 48 hours after the First Circuit rules on USDA's request for a stay pending appeal.
November 8, 2025 at 2:40 AM
This is actually a pretty standard and unremarkable move, as evidenced by Justice Jackson issuing it.
But most people won't believe that for several good reasons.
/1
But most people won't believe that for several good reasons.
/1
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
/2 1. Real human beings will suffer from even a brief stay. 2. The government's position is transparently dishonest and in bad faith. 3. The Supreme Court has lost any benefit of the doubt. They have lost the mandate of the heaven that is the rule of law.
November 8, 2025 at 2:43 AM
/2 1. Real human beings will suffer from even a brief stay. 2. The government's position is transparently dishonest and in bad faith. 3. The Supreme Court has lost any benefit of the doubt. They have lost the mandate of the heaven that is the rule of law.
A different era indeed . . .
me and my sister are the children here, our great grandmother's in the middle, we're all standing in the middle of her vegetable patch ca. 1981.
me and my sister are the children here, our great grandmother's in the middle, we're all standing in the middle of her vegetable patch ca. 1981.
November 8, 2025 at 1:19 AM
A different era indeed . . .
me and my sister are the children here, our great grandmother's in the middle, we're all standing in the middle of her vegetable patch ca. 1981.
me and my sister are the children here, our great grandmother's in the middle, we're all standing in the middle of her vegetable patch ca. 1981.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
I feel like we have the opportunity to turn David Lynch's quote into this moment's "Keep Calm and Carry On" and it's a far better rallying cry too.
November 7, 2025 at 1:15 PM
I feel like we have the opportunity to turn David Lynch's quote into this moment's "Keep Calm and Carry On" and it's a far better rallying cry too.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
This one's nearly worth getting framed.
November 7, 2025 at 2:50 PM
This one's nearly worth getting framed.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
15 years ago, I said every social media founder should be forced to use and live with the default settings of their platforms. Now I would say that the AI founders should have their tools pointed at their families for a year before they can deploy them elsewhere.
I seem to remember whole congressional hearings about the terrible destructive force that is violence in video games and yet, there is a very strange quiet about an unregulated technology that coaches people to suicide.
There are no words for how evil this is
November 7, 2025 at 11:01 AM
15 years ago, I said every social media founder should be forced to use and live with the default settings of their platforms. Now I would say that the AI founders should have their tools pointed at their families for a year before they can deploy them elsewhere.
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
...and the 2025 word of the year is www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Word of the year already? Huzzah! Here’s what the latest crop of 'young people' words mean | First Dog on the Moon
The main thing you need to know about ‘six seven’ is that you do not in fact need to know what it means
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:49 AM
...and the 2025 word of the year is www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
Before I was a novelist I was a newspaper columnist and while I loved that gig, I have this fear that over the course of time my whole shtick would have become a series of unpleasant "just asking questions" columns that would make people want to avoid me socially, I mention this for no reason
November 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Before I was a novelist I was a newspaper columnist and while I loved that gig, I have this fear that over the course of time my whole shtick would have become a series of unpleasant "just asking questions" columns that would make people want to avoid me socially, I mention this for no reason
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
the sandwich guy walking away from the court house and suddenly, his limp disappears
November 6, 2025 at 8:19 PM
the sandwich guy walking away from the court house and suddenly, his limp disappears
Reposted by Torbjörn Björkman
VLADIMIR: i am sleepy
ESTRAGON: i am also sleepy
VLADIMIR: let us go to bed
(they do not go to bed)
ESTRAGON: i am also sleepy
VLADIMIR: let us go to bed
(they do not go to bed)
November 7, 2025 at 5:55 AM
VLADIMIR: i am sleepy
ESTRAGON: i am also sleepy
VLADIMIR: let us go to bed
(they do not go to bed)
ESTRAGON: i am also sleepy
VLADIMIR: let us go to bed
(they do not go to bed)