Jess is absolutely right. The Court of Appeal’s decision in the Begum deprivation of citizenship case, and the Supreme Courts reasons for not hearing an appeal, are two of the worst legal judgments of recent years. There are other bad decision, but these were awful.

"Norman Rockwell was antifa," his granddaughter says. (Fact check: literally true.) www.thebulwark.com/p/norman-roc...

Your local librarian here to say that it’s great if you read lots of books this year, alright if you read barely anything, that audiobooks, romance and graphic novels are all valid formats and genres, and that some authors suck but we’re still not stopping you from reading them.

This charming crab is waving goodbye to 2025. One of many marine images around a lost figure of Neptune (a wheel from his chariot survived) under what is now Gloucester House in Dyer Street, Cirencester. This image was the most popular of my #MosaicMonday offerings this year! #AncientBlueSky 🏺

This, combined with "vice signaling" (taking pride in antisocial behavior) has given us the reign of the Stupid Asshole, something most people are against, but can only be remedied if we're not too polite to talk about it

And this is why social media, for all its horrors, is still amazing.

“Good jobs” are a matter of political economy not an inherent feature of tasks. Factory work was miserable (“Satanic mills”!) before unions, OSHA, and the like (temporarily) turned it into a safer, middle class form of employment in the US. Home health aide is no more or less inherently a bad job.

When Putin arrived in the USA in January, Trump rolled out a literal red carpet and then personally met him at the foot of the airplane steps. When Zelinskyy arrived today, not only did Trump not greet him at the airport, NO US OFFICIAL MET HIM. And yet Trump wants us to believe he is impartial.

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

What was most chilling about this exchange was the sheer casualness of "because of our homeless population," as if those experiencing homelessness were *obviously* people to be kept out.

Loser Mike Johnson hopes we forgot about extending ACA tax credits while he was on Christmas vacation. Let’s make it very clear how wrong he is:

MAGA MIKE lied about having the most productive session this year. No, the House only passed 38 bills, one of them gave the largest tax breaks for the Ultra Rich while screwing the elderly, disabled, & children. They have been in recess most of the term. Lies, lies & lies. youtu.be/l9T3v_EIbcc?...

Millions of Americans remain at jobs they hate for one reason: the health insurance they receive. That’s absurd. Universal health care will give Americans the freedom to choose the work they want without worrying about health care coverage. Another reason for Medicare for All.

The revocation of citizenship is a fundamental and brutal discretionary power of the state. One of the more depressing themes in recent judgments is how the courts nod-along and shrug when faced with this brute exercise of fundamental power, rather than subjecting this power to anxious scrutiny.

Did you get something really *nice* for Christmas? Are you saving it? STOP Eat it. Slather yourself in it. Spray it on a random wfh Tuesday. Use it next time you have a meal. Make up an occasion and use it. Whatever it is don't hoard it until it's near its use by date or too precious.

Bergedorfs Feuerwehr Das Weihnachtsfest war vorüber, und die Warnungen der Bergedorfer Zeitung vor Tannenbaumbränden und dadurch ausgelösten Zimmerbränden waren nicht unbeachtet geblieben; es wurden keine Schadenfeuer gemeldet: blogs.sub.uni-hamburg.de/bergedorf/?p... #bergedorf1925

The last few days did not move the main story forward AT ALL. It's just a guy eating little treats and doing nothing. And so many plot holes. He says, "no more little treats," and then he's eating another little treat in literally the next scene.

Ate leftovers. We forgot it’s Saturday, despite knowing tomorrow we go for Sunday lunch with my sister’s family. The APs are watching a Western on tv, god knows why. I can’t bear it so am in the other room reading @lemoustier.bsky.social’s Kindred and wishing I wasn’t on Ch.8 #ConfinedCocktails

With all this talk of how to end Russias war against Ukraine, and a cease fire, keep this in mind: If Ukraine ceases firing, Ukraine will cease to exist. If Russia ceases firing. the war will cease to exist. Pretty clear

Doesn't it strike you as strange that the people who shout long and loud that America is a Christian nation founded on Christian principles are the very people who don't want Christ's teachings of tolerance, pacifism, and generosity codified in law?

Read Jim's whole thread! I also want to add some historical context. During the 1918 pandemic, there was so much confusion because many scientists still thought that a bacteria, not a virus caused the flu (because, as Jim notes, we couldn't even see viruses under a microscope yet).

We had congressional hearings when parents just suspected heavy metal was leading some kids to suicide.

Remember: When Tylenol was poisoned *by an outsider* and killed people, the company recalled all their products & redesigned them. When Intel’s Pentium had a bug so obscure it affected 1 in _9 billion_ long division calculations, they recalled their chips. ChatGPT was made deadly *by its team*.

🗃️ Socialist of the Day: Rose Schneiderman (1882 – 1972) was a Polish-born American socialist and feminist, and one of the most prominent female labor union leaders. She is credited with coining the phrase "Bread and Roses," to indicate a worker's right to something higher than subsistence living.

A nice thread in which an actual expert patiently explains why the Secretary of Health and Human Service is not simply a liar, but an especially stupid one.

Vonnegut nailed it: Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — “God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”

[screaming at the top of my lungs, once again] the fundamental technology of humanity is care

The modern conservative panic is fueled by juvenile tantrums, of people clinging to hierarchies until their fingernails are bloody because they're too contemptuous towards undesirables and offal acquiring even a shred of humanity and dignity. But it's inevitable, and the clock will not turn back.

whatever 2026 holds i don't think anything next year will be funnier than Chicago Pope. 2025 was overall a huge stinker but Chicago Pope was an all time great B-plot

When the Assyrian Chicago Pope gave the Catholic Chicago Pope a cubs jersey was a great moment in ecumenical sports history

A wonderful reminder from physicist and author Sean M. Carroll. 📖

Here is my opinion. Black Canary is one of the best heroes in comics. She has style, wit, honor, integrity, empathy, and an infallible sense of devotion to doing the right thing. She will kick your ass if you need it, and then offer you a hand up off the ground. No one else quite like her. 1/

The 'kin' of ‘napkin’ means "little." ‘Nap’ comes from ‘nape,' which means “tablecloth.” So a napkin is a little tablecloth. 10/10, no notes.

This message hits hard.

Sorry this is a day late, But happy USSR collapse day to all who celebrate.

Imagine watching Sinatra, son of Dolly & Antonini born in Genoa & Sicily, respectively, and Martin, son of Gaetano & Angela, born in Montesilvano, Italy & Ohio respectively, (Angela to parents born in Monasterolo, Italy), and crusading against the value of children of immigrants to the U.S.

Dean Martin, born Dino Paul Crocetti, son of Italian immigrant Gaetano Crocetti Frank Sinatra, son of Italian immigrants Antonino Sinatra and Natalina Garavanta Merry Christmas to everyone except Stephen Miller and his enablers and handlers

The @nytimes.com Lost Science series continues. Here's my Q&A with a scientist who was studying how wildfire smoke threatens human health when the EPA decided that her research was no longer a funding priority. Gift link: nyti.ms/4jhpw14

“the president seems to be using the doj to hide his years of involvement with the most notorious child sex trafficking ring in world history” feels like a story worth reporting on

I love the smell of panic in the evening. Smells like…victory

When women critical of gAI in academia/industry speak out about it, the response from people who want us to use the tech and AI pushers is quite clearly shaped by misogyny, even if they will deny it. We are "emotional" "irrational" Luddites, etc. Our ladybrains just can't handle/understand it.

another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls

The current state of the human race captured in one gif

Behold: the perfect GDPR statement. #DPElf

Anyone who’s ever used emergency contraception or gains peace of mind by even having it on hand owes Dr Camp a debt of gratitude. What a force. (Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!) Great obit—no paywall.

I’m quoted in this, on behalf of @araukie.bsky.social - we think police records should be (legally defined) public records to make sure this doesn’t happen.

"…and Magda Goebbels made a great strudel.”

Any cuttes to academic programs must use seven generacion thinkinge to reasoun out the long terme consequences. Any cuttes to academic programs that do not are profoundlye harmful.

live action catbus looking pretty sweet

GOP Rep. Bryan Steil holds an in-person town hall event and is greeted with boos Why are they wearing masks? And why are they unidentified?