I invite all Americans to join Minnesota in a day of unity tomorrow.

@cliocontemporary.bsky.social Tin soldiers? check Nixon? hard to believe, but far worse Midwestern state? check Dead woman? check And on our own again.

@juliarosekraut.bsky.social Tin soldiers? check Nixon? hard to believe, but far worse Midwestern state? check Dead woman? check And on our own again.

Tin soldiers? check Nixon? hard to believe, but far worse Midwestern state? check Dead woman? check And on our own again.

Not an accident that Thucycides puts the Melian Dialogue not far before the Sicilian Expedition--yes, that's when the siege of Melos occurs, but the author stops the action to show us a polis operating beyond all bounds, caring only that might makes right. The disaster of Sicily follows naturally.

VERY VAGUE PLURIBUS SPOILERS: I think that by the end of season 1 #Pluribus may be shifting from being a post-apocalyptic story to a creation tale. I've already mentioned the Genesis aspect in an earlier post, and I think the season finale is a Promethean reference and setup.

Starting off the year strong to reach the 1 billion excess mortality that this regime will directly and indirectly cause.

Saw #SongSungBlue -- the tonal shifts of the plot were a bit much, but the song order for final part (starting with "Holly Holy") was the exact way I'd use Diamond for occult purposes--the song I'd use to summon the magic, the invitation to join the magic, and the sharing of the magic/apotheosis.

Here's the thing about a dead republic--it's a lot of struggle, but you can get a new one. The French are on their 5th. For us, this may have been our 2nd republic that bit the dust (see the Civil War and aftermath). We should try to build a new one. Something to think about for a new year.

Minor #Pluribus finale spoiler: The science fiction book that shows up in the finale (photo shared far and wide online) is the story that Carol thinks she's in, instead of the story that's actually happening.

@hotgpod.bsky.social Thanks for the Christmas gift podcast--nice to hear both about places I've seen and those I haven't.

Around 2000 years ago, all sorts of folks were wondering how to just exist under the shadow of a powerful military dictatorship. And some in different ways found a common solution--while we live, they can't stop us from loving one another. So happy holidays to all the children of that revolution.

Ar-Pharazon is working on his golden fleet. That story always ends well.

Does anyone (particularly those who know Hebrew) know what the negative of Emmanuel (from Immanu'el) might look like? Asking for my country.

@kierongillen.bsky.social Enjoyed Power Fantasy #14, but a question--assuming I'm reading re: the right problem, I'm not sure I get how infinite-dollar problem connects to Eliza's situation (even with the nice illustration). Is this link the correct problem? xorshammer.com/2008/08/22/s... Thanks!

A weeks-old note, so not a spoiler: in #Pluribus, the hive mind has no knowledge of (relative) good & evil, just the biological imperative of be fruitful & multiply throughout the galaxy. If the story is tracking its biblical predecessor, then Carol (or another?) has a clear place in the narrative.

In a sign of declining judgment, I'm going to take another run at Joyce's Finnegans Wake. To add insult to self-injury, the start of my path to understanding leads through my nemesis, Joseph Campbell, and his Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake. This is my idea of fun before the thunderclap.

It's THE POWER FANTASY #14 and DIE: LOADED #2 week!

I have an internal protocol (rule seems too strong for something so arbitrary): to be one of the cool nerds, I have to read the SF/F book before a big adaptation comes out. So listening to Project Hail Mary now.

@hotgpod.bsky.social enjoying your Barbarossa guest appearances on @historyofvenicepod.bsky.social!

Re-upping this, since it's only available for two days:

@hotgpod.bsky.social Hey, did you know about the Maximillian and Marie TV show? x.com/MedievalScho...

For the print half of my reading, I'm enjoying Alan Smale's Burning Night--the final book in his alternate history of the space race trilogy that began with Hot Moon. If you haven't read the trilogy yet, you should.

Listening to #RayNayler's latest, #WhereTheAxeIsBuried. This is important science fiction for the current moment--it's also really good and (despite its realistic dystopian themes) a joy to read.

MILD #PLURIBUS SPOILER In the recent ep: two actors do an excellent job of showing (not telling) what it's like to see some small daylight of hope after living in fear, and by the contrast show they were in fear, and what scared them most.

Some folk&mythy excerpts from my Agent of Exiles series: www.tomdoyleauthor.com/2025/11/30/a... www.tomdoyleauthor.com/2025/11/30/a...

Watching the American Revolution documentary, does anyone else think about Peter in the Brady Bunch whining about playing Benedict Arnold in the school play?

In ep. 1 of The American Revolution documentary, Burns et al. highlight the pre-revolution outrage of the colonials to a military force occupying a city--they see the act as pure tyranny.

Reached the Brooklyn Heights part of the American Revolution doc, and no mention of poor old Philip "Foggy" Morton! #AmericanCraftsmen.

I'm wondering if Vince Gilligan likes Wagner.

@charliejane.bsky.social Welp, it happened (sorta)! Something you might enjoy (and many have thought of): www.tiktok.com/@mcluvs2laug...

Cat’s out of the bag! 📡🎥🎬 The NSF NRAO is thrilled to officially share that the Very Large Array appears in Vince Gilligan’s new AppleTV+ series #Pluribus. We’re honored to have served as a filming site and for the chance to work with such a talented team! 📸 Credit: Matt Credle #VLA #Astronomy

@astrokatie.com Over on the other place, Eric Idle is saying nice things about you!

For those needed a response to being dissed by the regime, Miller's Crossing has got you covered: "Tell [him] he's not God on the throne, he's just a cheap political boss with more hair tonic than brains."

a word to comics people - I have been loving The Power Fantasy by @kierongillen.bsky.social and @casparw.bsky.social - it's very smart and fun and fast paced and issue #13 is a massive payoff that ends with a crazy "uhh now what???" scenario. Get on board if you're not already

I will not support a deal that does nothing to make health care more affordable. We are in a health care emergency. A simple one-year extension of these tax credits would cost less than Donald Trump’s $40 billion bailout for Argentina. A vote for this bill is a mistake.

VERY VAGUE PLURIBUS SPOILER BELOW: A lot of stuff is going on in #Pluribus, but I'll add one thing--a structure like Asimov's 3 Laws (with considerable differences in those laws) has been set up, and the tensions and contradictions of that will drive some of the action.

Some of the current splitting on the right may be connected to apocalyptic disappointment. They've done what they should for the kingdom of heaven to come to earth (e.g. elect the last good emperor, etc.), but it doesn't appear to be happening as planned. This disappointment is always dangerous.

This week's newsletter! One week away from DIE: LOADED! Golden Rage: Mother Knows Best trade is out! A general check in with where we are with the Power Fantasy! Stuff! Things!

It's the 5th of November, and unfortunately the Valerie sequence of V for Vendetta has never been more relevant. So here it is (and here we are) again. Of these, hope. www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Gb...

@aiannucci.bsky.social Just saw your last post on the bad place, so following you here.

Everyone focuses on the Gatsby party, but that's just a front for the once and future Salò party.

Halloween on U St., and the occupiers seemed a bit nervous with an occasion where everyone is in disguise and acting out. Other cultures have maybe one day a year as a social steamvalve of misrule--we contain multitudes. I wonder which ones they'll try to contain.

Free, no-strings archived version of my Post story on the proposed national-security ban of top-selling #TP-Link routers. archive.ph/PhA3w

A kickstarter for an anthology of stories by cancer survivors (but not about cancer), including yours truly!

I've assumed this was either designed by Morgoth or that Sauron was able to tap his former master's power somehow in this region (which also explains the strange characteristics of Mt. Doom). Sauron might even be sentimental about how the region feels close to his banished boss.

I enjoyed #OneBattleAfterAnother --it's odd in the way I like but far from trite. In fact, its relevance is a bit unnerving, like some message from a slightly different timeline. And strangely hopeful. The window is closing on seeing it in theaters, but see it when you can.

Happy Halloween! 270 years ago tomorrow, an earthquake destroyed much of Lisbon. It was All Saints' Day, so many were at mass at the time. This leads in a fairly straight line to Hannibal Lecter's interest in churches collapsing on worshippers. "Watch the papers. God always stays ahead."

If the British Royal Family has more accountability than your own leaders, you have a serious problem.

Hot Halloween take--Blue Oyster Cult's "E.T.I." is a scarier song than "Reaper," but the music is so peppy that no one can tell.