Book #15. A brilliant, deeply researched, balanced, and nuanced examination of Cuba’s engagement with several African countries through 1975. The 2nd vol, which I read last year, goes deep on Cuba in Angola & their essential support in defeating SWAPO/SA.

Really good conversation. overcast.fm/+AAr2Nyd7T5M

Ace Senior Staff Writer at The Pitt News, Julien Holbrook, puts out another banger on mental health in sports. cc @dameshek.bsky.social pittnews.com/article/2010...

They’re able to strike Khamenei in his living room or whatever but we’re supposed to believe they *accidentally* bombed a school because it’s sort of near a naval base?

One would think the editor of that magazine was a former IDF prison guard of Palestinians. That’d be weird, if true.

OMFG they think we are the dumbest people who ever lived.

Why don’t they just fucking do it already?! www.wsj.com/livecoverage...

"Nearly all the traffic cameras in Tehran had been hacked for years, their images encrypted and transmitted to servers in Tel Aviv and southern Israel, according to two people familiar with the matter." www.ft.com/content/bf99...

The War on Terror Paved the Way for Trump's Rise—Now He's Making It His Own www.thenation.com/article/worl...

Aaaaand…I’m out.

Watching this ABC News special on the unprovoked war of aggression on Iran. Program leads with three American servicemen killed. Not the 150 dead school girls in Iran, for example.

This guy. Lol

A rogue state, operating outside its own and international law, assassinates the leader of a nation of 90 million people because he refused to give up his country's right to self-defense. Is that a terrorism?

Plus ça change…

Remember kids: refine change via external military force is bad.

America might be a dying empires empire but Europe could not be more dead if they tried.

Still a good time to visit? youtu.be/r8ZBo2K5kdE?...

Starmer calling this a “defensive operation.” Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Remember when Mark Carney was the hero of Davos?

For more eloquent quick reactions see also @professormusgrave.bsky.social who is the speed-writing champ: musgrave.substack.com/p/an-unpopul...

Book #14. A perfectly fine, reasonably informative exploration of the making of Twin Peaks. All of them. As is typical with these sorts of books, no feathers were ruffled.

There's nothing "uncertain" about it. Larry Ellison is building an autocrat-friendly propaganda machine and whatever shaky journalism originated from this place will soon be dead.

There you go. An overt technofascist Trump ally will now own CBS, CNN, HBO, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Discovery, and a big chunk of TikTok

Important to remember there was no reason WB had to sell. They had a very successful year on all fronts. The shareholders just want that bag. That’s it.

Harvard’s *vast* contingent of anti-semites rejoice at Summer’s fall today.

Book #13. Just loving these Dave Robicheaux books.

My son, newly minted SENIOR Staff Writer, is banging ‘em so fast, I can’t keep up. pittnews.com/article/200764… pittnews.com/article/200795���

Hockey. Pretty cool. Who knew?

Book #12. Used Barbour County, AL as representative of both federal intervention (attempting) to enforce equal rights on reluctant and often hostile whites as well as how southern Dem white supremacism has been “gifted” to the rest of America. Absolutely brilliant.

Son’s latest for the Pitt News. He’s takin’ Pitt by storm @dameshek.bsky.social! pittnews.com/article/2007...

Hey, somebody just told me they pre-ordered this, which I didn't know you could do. So why not do it? (I endorse Bookshop or your local indie.) read.macmillan.com/lp/the-mayor...

By all means, admit Ukraine to the EU.

@martindbbrown.bsky.social No real reason for passing on. Just think it’s a cool photo from a bygone time. www.instagram.com/p/DU5QzE6CDb...

Wow. Hard to believe a country would stoop so low as to instrumentalize cultural heritage. Good thing that never happens here.

On “Wuthering Heights,” for @the-ringer.bsky.social ” www.theringer.com/2026/02/17/m...

In the women’s skeleton Janine Flock (AUT) said, “Anschluss that, bitches!”

Book #11. Can’t say I cared for this very much.

Book #10. Sloppy, disorganized, and lacking any sort of narrative through-line.

Every once in a while on social media you come across something that makes you feel alive and excited.

Laura Dern is exactly how I’d be if I ever stepped foot in the @criterion.bsky.social closet. Bonus round. Just one more. I need to talk about this <insert actor, director, film here>. I can’t believe you have this one. Yeah. I can relate to all of this. She’s incredible.❤️ youtu.be/c2IZf_NRJKs?...

I finally have a newsletter! It's called The Fine Print* and I'll be writing about tech, media, politics, consumer rights (and whatever else I damn-well please). It's free, but if you have disposable income, you can support independent reporting for just $50/year or $4/month.

Book #9. Multiple generations of a German-Jewish family. Written in a basic, unadorned style. Not infrequently tedious and tiresome. Captured an era. I suppose.

@martindbbrown.bsky.social USA just defeated EST in curling. Boom!!

@dameshek.bsky.social A yinzer version of The Pitt. www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh...