John Shirley

The President Is Losing Control of Himself Donald Trump’s outbursts on social media this week were different than usual.

www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Kennedy Says He Told C.D.C. to Change Website’s Language on Autism and Vaccines

He did it 🎁 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/u...

YES!

They can only do what their captain, and police commissioner lets them do...

My friend rock musicologist Michael Layne Heath wrote this great article about fake bands that are not just cover bands, they're pretending to be the real band. It's hilarious and appalling and interesting. This is a good website to know, also. #rock

ICE agents are often breaking the law. Suppose we try to put pressure, through demonstrations, through petitions, the press, to get local police to interfere with and even arrest ICE agents coming in without a warrant, arresting people without legal basis, and so on. This would sure focus the issue.

It will start happening here again because of all the defunding of American watchdog agencies.

We can try fighting them in court--but I feel like the American people, me and you, should stand up to ICE. We can warn people they're coming, that's good, yes. But what else can we do? If we take guns to these stormtroopers, we'll be playing into Trump's hands. He'd declare martial law.

The Last Device You’ll Ever Need Tech companies are racing to give AI a physical shape.

www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

Blade Runner world seems like heaven compared to the AI-directed hell this new level of tech promises us.

Does this happen, on this kind of scale, in the USA I wonder?

Nope!

(that means yes)

not a gift link

This Year’s Thanksgiving Surprise: Half of the Guests Are Stoned What started as a secret trip to smoke pot before dinner has mushroomed into a full-blown commercial holiday. Behold the ‘cousin walk.’

Given how bad things are in real life, still only half? Just to show how stoic Americans are. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/th...

A teddy bear powered by AI told safety testers about knives, pills and sex A company is reportedly withdrawing its AI teddy bear from the market after researchers found it told a tester where to get knives, pills and matches when asked.

wapo.st/49CAb3H

this appears to be an actual gift link from WaPo, if you keep scrolling down, instead of the usual top-paragraph sort.

“Up to this point, M.B.S. was a pariah,” he said. “Now the president is trying to whitewash everything. The benefits the Trump family reaped would become much clearer if that transcript were released.”

So there was a quid pro quo regarding the murder of the journalist?

They were told, you're not supposed to be racist right out loud. Yet.

The Civil War never completely ended.

We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O. About Child Safety. It Got Tense.

I know nothing about gaming. But I know evil when I see it. And a CEO who answers the question 'how do you think of the problem of predators on Roblox?' with 'We think of it not necessarily just as a problem, but an opportunity' is either the stupidest person in existence, or straightforwardly evil.

‘Don’t give up the ship’: Democrat stands up to Trump’s death threats Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado released a video Thursday responding to President Donald Trump’s death threats against Democratic lawmakers.

There's a youtube video too of him addressing America...which I'll post down below should you wish to share it...

Office Hours: Why isn't the media reporting on Trump's dramatic mental decline? He's showing even more signs of dementia, but the media is mum

robertreich.substack.com/p/office-hou...

Trump Accuses Democrats of Sedition, ‘Punishable by Death,’ Over Message to the Military

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/u...
Among those supporting the video were Sen Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former astronaut, and Senator Elisa Slotkin of Michigan who served in the CIA.

not a gift link

To Get Happier, Make Yourself Smaller Self-esteem is overrated. The better path to enlightenment is through contemplating one’s insignificance.

A song by Graham Nash — written by Stephen Stills — sums up Arthur Brooks’s piece perfectly.
The line “Feel a little smaller, and in stature you will rise” captures his point in a few words:
Real growth begins when the ego gets quieter.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...