John Hodgman

Remember April 2009 when about 250,000 people took to America’s streets in Tea Party rallies and the media was like “oh man, the Dems are in trouble?” Approximately 28X as many people took to the streets to protest Trump yesterday. Didn’t even make the NYT front page.

bsky.app/profile/rude...

A white millennial man said some racist and sexist stuff...and...??? | Shay Stewart-Bouley From the moment that Maine oysterman Graham Platner announced his bid to unseat Republican Susan Collins from her U.S. Senate seat, the political world and Maine have been on fire. Within hours of dro...

My thoughts on Graham Platner and his old Reddit posts.

blackgirlinmaine.com/current-even...

to this i would add a good amount of self-loathing stemming from a belief that liberal political views are somehow “inauthentic” or an affectation of “elites”

Cover of the Carole King “Fantasy” record album.

There’s been a lot of well-deserved appreciation for Drew Struzan’s iconic theatrical art, but I’d like to also celebrate the art he did for @carolekingofficial.bsky.social’s 1973 album FANTASY. It has such a sublime warmth and personality to it, and it’s the perfect gateway to a great album.

Whoa. I co-host this podcast about state (and commonwealth) mottos and even I am stumped on a bunch of these

this man's marriage would not exist if not for a previous generation of people marching for their rights.

Remember how under Biden the press said this was the biggest issue ever but how now under Trump it’s barely mentioned? Yeah.

Episode 18: Pennsylvania - “Virtue, liberty and independence” | Maximum Fun Janet Varney and John Hodgman have arrived in the keystone state! First order of business: What on Earth is a keystone anyway?

Because this week's eps of their respective podcasts popped back to back in my feed, I couldn't help but think how much @stabert.bsky.social would appreciate @hodgman.bsky.social's musings on Philadelphia on this week's episode of E Pluribus Motto. maximumfun.org/episodes/e-p...

ICE took a 13-year-old they said had a gun. Local cops say he didn’t. Now he's detained 500 miles away from his Massachusetts home.

NEW — I dug into the story of ICE abducting a 13-year-old boy in Massachusetts and moving him 500 miles across state lines without notifying his mother, local cop's complicity, and how the federal government's justification for such cruelty is already falling apart:

“the constitution forbids race conscious remedies” would be news to the people who wrote the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments

Also a good point. The only way she wins is by weakening the other candidates in the primary field. I’m
for Platner, but there are plenty of candidates in the D field she could have used her (good!) name to endorse, rather than hamper them all.

Which is to say, for example, if Platner attracts more independent voters than Mills, he’d probably have a better chance against Collins if he got to the general, but might lose to Mills in the primary all the same.

Well, not exactly. Only dems (and currently unenrolled voters) can vote in the dem primary. As sitting governor with an enormous amount of name recognition, that gives her a meaningful advantage in a semi closed primary that would evaporate in an open general election.

I think Mills has a been a good governor, and she’s obviously free to run. but this is a clear indication that Dem leadership in DC is going to cost Platner and the other candidates money and do them reputational damage just because.

Are Democrats About to Blow It in Maine? By backing Janet Mills over a grassroots outsider, party leaders may be repeating the same mistakes from 2024

Dan Pfeiffer
For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the hell the Senate Democrats are doing in Maine — the most important Senate race in the country. Their decision to back Janet Mills suggests they have learned no lessons from our loss in 2024.
messagebox.substack.com/p/are-democr...

We have armed secret police kidnapping people off the street based on the color of their skin.

When we win: we will haul them before a Senate committee. The masks will come off. There will be consequences.

I don’t even have one anymore!

DAILY MEMO: The Kidnapping of Latino Workers Continues From California to Chicago

If you appreciate this reporting, please consider becoming a monthly or yearly member of L.A. TACO, buying some merch, or dropping a dime in our fundraiser so we can continue to bring you this vital information.

Federal officer blasts chemical spray into vocal but nonviolent Portland protester, video shows

The interaction illustrates how federal law enforcement officers do use aggressive tactics against protesters who yell and needle officers but don’t appear to present clear physical threats.

Where are the commanding officers of those sailors in the background. How are they letting this happen?

FROM THE VAULT: An Interview With Sir Ian McKellen | Ken Plume Get more from Ken Plume on Patreon

I've pulled another of my vintage interviews from the vault - This time with Sir Ian McKellen...

Check it out!

And if you want to see more archival pieces like this, & plenty of new ones, please consider becoming a patron! (It'd be swell...)

patreon.com/posts/from-vault-with-140470347

The media trots out the "deplorable" comment from a decade ago to castigate the left. Once a week now Trump implies that the military should destroy democrats, and it is just how things are.

Hello if there's anyone who would like a little pep talk in an upcoming That's Marvelous newsletter, please let me know here, and I'll see what I can do! :)

That trailer makes me feel like I’m being pranked

This week, the panel will be joined by guests: Comedian and Author, @hodgman.bsky.social and Comedian and Podcaster, @akilahhughes.com! A brand new episode airs Saturday, 9/27 at 9p ET/PT on @cnn.com.

New York City, I can see a future with you. And it’s one we can afford.

Our new ad just aired during The Golden Bachelor.

Unclear and Present Politics Episode 4 — Military Readiness Edition (Video) | Unclear and Present Patreon Get more from Unclear and Present Patreon on Patreon

new convo between me and @lioneltrolling.bsky.social on hegseth and that weird display in quantico www.patreon.com/posts/unclea...

The language of non-consent around AI is really telling. "It's too late to be scared." "It's here whether we want it or not." "You'll have to learn to work with it." "You can't fight the inevitable."

All just variations of "you're not allowed to say no." Creepy technology made by creepy people.