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Erik

@sjcaustenite.bsky.social

American in Prague, podcaster, he/him, πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

232 Followers  |  124 Following  |  627 Posts  |  Joined: 23.06.2023  |  2.239

Latest posts by sjcaustenite.bsky.social on Bluesky

Every time she comes up, I remind you all that Pamela Paul killed a pro trans paragraph in a review I wrote for the New York Times, lied about it in the press, then when I confronted her with receipts, said β€œLet’s keep this to ourselves.”

02.11.2025 17:52 β€” πŸ‘ 1136    πŸ” 396    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 3

[P] he has slipped the surly bonds of Earth / and shot the face of God

04.11.2025 13:34 β€” πŸ‘ 339    πŸ” 64    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 3

Students taking a test often enter their own world mentally, meaning they can sometimes do things that you suspect they wouldn't do if they knew someone like me was watching.

Noticing these tiny behaviors can be both fascinating and frightening. And make me thankful for hand sanitizer.

04.11.2025 10:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This isn’t even the first time it would happen - you can literally just go back to when Eric Adams first ran for mayor, and when he got into office, to see how the media manufactured a crime wave that helped push his pro-police agenda at the expense of every other city service.

03.11.2025 02:42 β€” πŸ‘ 780    πŸ” 257    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 4

Pretty good sign this is bullshit is that it would be 6 times higher than the number of people who left New York in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic.
comptroller.nyc.gov/wp-content/u...

03.11.2025 13:54 β€” πŸ‘ 730    πŸ” 72    πŸ’¬ 37    πŸ“Œ 6

Stewart v Somerset is also where I learned one of my favorite maxims (uttered by the judge of that case): "Fiat justitia ruat caelum." Let justice be done though the heavens fall. Anything that can be destroyed by the truth deserves to be destroyed.

03.11.2025 11:27 β€” πŸ‘ 50    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Such a perfect example of what we all give up when we refuse to address basic inequalities. I don't want to live in a country where all the public space is militarized to keep hungry people from stealing food, just give them money to buy food!

01.11.2025 12:30 β€” πŸ‘ 2079    πŸ” 552    πŸ’¬ 34    πŸ“Œ 13

This entire "the Dems need to abandon identity and focus on economics!" discourse is being driven by rich assholes who would melt down at the slightest hint of higher taxes on the wealthy or more welfare for the poor. Look how they're treating Mamdani! It's cynical bullshit all the way down.

01.11.2025 12:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1336    πŸ” 248    πŸ’¬ 19    πŸ“Œ 10

Wishing everyone exactly this Halloween vibe: Memento mori, but keep it chill (the Greek Ξ΅Ο…Ο†ΟΟŒΟƒΟ…Ξ½ΞΏΟ‚ means something like "cheerful, merry").

31.10.2025 18:33 β€” πŸ‘ 95    πŸ” 28    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

They have learned so little, I genuinely wonder what the past 30 or so years have been like for them.

31.10.2025 12:27 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Just stop clicking on this shit, I'm serious. People re-heat these "one weird trick so Trump can run again" stories bc people will skip over actual news to read them.

30.10.2025 15:38 β€” πŸ‘ 921    πŸ” 93    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 4

I know there's a lot going on, but it's crazy that Mike Johnson is still refusing to swear in Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who won her election on Sept. 23.

He could have done this at any time, even amid the government shutdown. But he won't.

Unprecedented.

28.10.2025 20:40 β€” πŸ‘ 2039    πŸ” 477    πŸ’¬ 86    πŸ“Œ 38

Johnson has been giving all these bogus claims about why he "can't" swear Grijalva in, like he couldn't do it until her election results were certified (false -- there was no dispute in her election), couldn't do it with the House in recess (false) and now, can't do it in a shutdown (false).

28.10.2025 20:40 β€” πŸ‘ 76    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1

Recently, we have seen the results of 40+ years of hard work organizing, fighting at every level, and investing for tomorrow by the US right wing.

The Democratics still think they can beat that by adjusting their messaging and finding the right slogan.

It's bringing a PowerPoint to a gunfight.

28.10.2025 18:31 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

My take on this communication manifesto written by policy wonks is that policy wonks think people vote on policy. If 2024 taught us anything it should be that they absolutely do not.

28.10.2025 16:52 β€” πŸ‘ 269    πŸ” 38    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 6

In other news, the Democratic Party will likely decide to stand for absolutely nothing if it means some extremely old people can cling to their elected offices.

At a certain point, the Democratic Party will have to be very clear about what it stands *for* that isn't GOP-lite

27.10.2025 15:51 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Easy one: People don’t have pictures of relatives who were murdered by demons.

26.10.2025 18:19 β€” πŸ‘ 4032    πŸ” 659    πŸ’¬ 227    πŸ“Œ 49

Every time you see or hear a right winger say anything remember this: they are frequently profoundly stupid and yet filled with the confidence that only talentless white men can have.

24.10.2025 20:01 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

AOC is a federal official who has had over 6 years of national attention.

Why on Earth is she the benchmark for an NYC mayoral candidate most people have no reason to have any opinion on?

I mean, we all *know* why the comparison is being made -- but I wish the cowards would just admit it.

24.10.2025 18:12 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Bill Clinton blushed when he read this.

Your job as a politician is to articulate your decisions and the reasoning that motivates them.

This man thinks so little of the voters he tries to trick them with synonyms.

24.10.2025 17:18 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The way Dems treat Mamdani versus Platner... hm

24.10.2025 03:02 β€” πŸ‘ 1493    πŸ” 294    πŸ’¬ 47    πŸ“Œ 12

I would rather watch a fragment of underdone potato for two hours

24.10.2025 03:58 β€” πŸ‘ 2579    πŸ” 216    πŸ’¬ 85    πŸ“Œ 9

I often think about my rich ex's grandfather. Bought a small peninsula for a family compound & wanted a small lighthouse at the end. Wasn't given permission by authorities. Did it anyway. He just factored the fines into the building costs.

Laws only constrain if people care about the consequences.

23.10.2025 19:50 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Struck me at the end of Trump's first term, post-impeachment, that even when he got bipartisan support (like for CARES) he didn't invite Dems to the bill signing.

I think about this bc there's a kneejerk political media instinct to ask Dems how they'll unify the country and it's getting very silly.

22.10.2025 20:39 β€” πŸ‘ 1491    πŸ” 257    πŸ’¬ 23    πŸ“Œ 13

The Democratic primary in this race will be held fully eight months from now in June 2026, there are nine active Democratic candidates, and there could be more! Even the filing deadline is still months away (March 15, I believe). I don’t get the PSA crew adopting a bunker mentality this early.

22.10.2025 11:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1669    πŸ” 216    πŸ’¬ 74    πŸ“Œ 21

Graham Platner is younger than me. He was born in 1984.

He was supposedly 23 years old when he got the "regrettable" Nazi tattoo, allegedly in Croatia in 2007.

I don't know that his "innocent" explanation makes sense in the age of Google Image Search and the almost 20 years since.

22.10.2025 09:38 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Marcia Gay Harden dressed as Marilyn Monroe in USED PEOPLE.

Marcia Gay Harden dressed as Marilyn Monroe in USED PEOPLE.

Marcia Gay Harden dressed as Barbra Streisand in USED PEOPLE.

Marcia Gay Harden dressed as Barbra Streisand in USED PEOPLE.

Marcia Gay Harden dressed as Bonnie Parker in USED PEOPLE.

Marcia Gay Harden dressed as Bonnie Parker in USED PEOPLE.

Marcia Gay Harden dressed as Mrs. Robinson in USED PEOPLE.

Marcia Gay Harden dressed as Mrs. Robinson in USED PEOPLE.

Last week's This Had Oscar Buzz we covered USED PEOPLE, a 1992 movie that you probably have never seen or even heard of, but which nonetheless features Marcia Gay Harden dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, Bonnie Parker, Mrs. Robinson, and Barbra Streisand. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

19.10.2025 19:18 β€” πŸ‘ 28    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1

Pro-regime media is funded by your wordle addiction. If you or someone you know is struggling with a NYT subscription please show them video games

19.10.2025 12:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1270    πŸ” 317    πŸ’¬ 26    πŸ“Œ 10

For God’s sake let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings

18.10.2025 15:26 β€” πŸ‘ 3991    πŸ” 1031    πŸ’¬ 49    πŸ“Œ 53
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#NoKings Miami!

18.10.2025 15:56 β€” πŸ‘ 36981    πŸ” 8931    πŸ’¬ 198    πŸ“Œ 252

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