“I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.” —Thomas Jefferson, 1816

‘democratizing’ fitness by making a robot lift weights for me

I’ve often said Trump was a Peronist as well, but unfortunately he lacks even Perón’s dubious virtues— and Melania is no Evita

In Finland, PhDs receive ceremonial swords; Start giving us swords and watch public trust in academia skyrocket

Mexico City, 16th century

"There was this real sense that liberal democracy might not survive in the 1930s." Historian Jill Lepore says there are lessons to be learned from the Great Depression, when democracy was under threat in America and around the world.

ICE Agent piñatas in Chicago

I keep seeing everyone talking about ‘bringing back Blue Book exams,’ and I’m a little confused; When did we stop giving Blue Book exams? What over kinds of exams have people been giving?

Is the non-alcoholic (actually just very mildly alcoholic) beer now popular technically the same as historical “small beer”? They should call it small beer lol

San Francisco in 1849

even though lots of events happen, Nothing Ever Happens because we are in purgatory, between paradigms; events will only be constituted as Happening after the new paradigm comes further into view

“AI powered” is particularly grating to me because it doesn’t generate power, it massively consumes power

the first vaccine came out in 1796

I refuse to use an LLM questions I can simply ask my Learned Literary Mutuals

America is beautiful, contradictory, unfinished. I am proud of our country even as we constantly strive to make it better, to protect and deepen our democracy, to fulfill its promise for each and every person who calls it home. Happy Independence Day. No Kings in America.

tag yourself, I’m “Light Rust”