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John Harrold

@abumirchi.com

I like math, I make drugs.

3895 Posts887 Follower1052 Folgt
Seth Masket@smotus.bsky.social · 3d ago

It’s important to understand that when 1.2 million Americans are dying from a disease, any government action is excessive and tyrannical, but if a dozen trans women want to play soccer no government action can go far enough

John Harrold@abumirchi.com · 4d ago

My theory on: "Why are people in power such easy converts to this religious mania?" is much more banal. This comes from the C-Suite. These are people who travel in each others circles and basically are on a group chat that folks outside of the C-Suite don't really have access to.

Rather than summarize that advice, I want to reflect a little on two questions that Suresh's essay raises but doesn't answer. The first is why? Why are people in power such easy converts to this religious mania? I have my own theory. The most important discomfort that powerful people experience is having ego-shattering conflicts with subordinates who know how to do things they do not know how to do. The fact that you're "in charge" is hard to reconcile with the fact that the people you're nominally in charge of tell you that all your ideas are impossible, illegal, immoral, or lethal
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C)@doctorow.pluralistic.net · 5d ago

Today's threads (a thread) Inside: Why businesses lie about AI; and more! Archived at: pluralistic.net/2026/08/01/d... #Pluralistic 1/

A sepia-toned 1950s era boardroom in which men in suits sit around a circular table. The chair of the meeting has been replaced with a man in a straitjacket, making a funny face. The heads of the remaining board-members have been replaced with robots from 1930s pulp magazines. The image has been hand-tinted.
John Harrold@abumirchi.com · 6d ago

Watching incels talk about women is like me talking about wines that cost thousands of dollars (on the low end), houses I could never afford, and (on the high end) purchasing sports teams.

Playboy@playboy.com · 7d ago

What are the incel men up to over on X? Focussing on a quirk of women’s bodies most of us have never even thought about before now. Our take? "Making women mad and getting likes from fellow incels is all they have going for them." Read now: www.playboy.com/read/sex/the...

An X post by user @BrianAtlas that reads: "Hiplet trend of men refusing to date women with hip dips is INFURIATING women. If it’s okay for women to have a height preference, it’s okay for men to prefer to date women without hip dips." It comes with a diagram.
John Harrold@abumirchi.com · 6d ago

I got this mailer today targeting Aisha Wahab. She's running to finish off Swalwell's term and also to replace him representing CD-14. At this point my first reaction is: I should probably vote _for_ this person. It did make me read more and I think she's the better candidate.

Front of mailer targeting Aisha Wahab. Not really sure what it's trying to say but it's dark. Back of mailer: THE DOORS AISHA WAHAB CLOSED HAD REAL FAMILIES BEHIND THEM. Behind every public safety bill is a family hoping that another child will be protected, another deadly dose of fentanyl will be stopped, and another parent wilk be spared unimaginable grief. But Aisha Wahab: • Weakened a bill that would make paying for sex with a minor a felony.' • Refused to vote for Alexandra's Law, a bipartisan fentanyl prevention bill that would have warned convicted dealers they could face murder charges if someone died from their drugs.? • Walked out of a hearing before testimony from a grieving mother who asked lawmakers to protect other families.3
John Harrold@abumirchi.com · last wk.

I feel like just using a blank makes this applicable to most things: A real problem that the 'smart' commentary on ___________ is trying hard to avoid the core lesson ("the president is a fucking moron") because it doesn't sound very clever when it is absolutely the most important takeaway.

"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux@bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 2w ago

Apologies if I sound angry, but it is a real problem that the 'smart' commentary on this war is trying hard to avoid the core lesson ("the president is a fucking moron") because it doesn't sound very clever when it is absolutely the most important takeaway from this debacle.

John Harrold@abumirchi.com · 2w ago

I think I was pretty lucky because my mother didn't really police what I listened to. I'm pretty sure she didn't enjoy all the music I listened to, but I don't think she disapproved of anything. I'm the same way with my kid. It's not all my bag, but he can listen to pretty much whatever he wants.

Dave Weigel@daveweigel.bsky.social · 2w ago

Potentially fun prompt: What was the first piece of music you bought for yourself knowing your parents wouldn't approve? Mine was "The Downward Spiral." Picked up cassette on a trip to a Dewey Beach music store. Had heard "Closer" on MTV (where the "fucks" were muted) and wanted in.

J@arthurdeodat.bsky.social · 3w ago

It's unfortunate that Taco Bell seems to be bearing the brunt of public anger over this given we only know food served there has anything to do with it because the company has been more forthcoming than others. It should be lauded for such efforts, not taught to hide important info.

Jo Yurcaba@joyurcaba.bsky.social · 3w ago

Content warning: suicide After May Pollard died on a late-January morning, a detective asked her parents a question: Had anyone wanted to hurt her? “A lot of America,” her mother answered. 1/ www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Idaho pushed anti-trans laws for years. Then a teen died.

The life and death of May Pollard, 16, provides a window into the tragic effect that legislation and political rhetoric have had on trans people in America.

nbcnews.com

bjkeefe@bjkeefe.bsky.social · 3w ago

Here is a gift article link to Radley's piece. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/o...

Opinion | ICE Is Out of Control. Here’s What to Do About It. (Gift Article)

Congress must push back against our inhumane immigration tactics.

nytimes.com

Radley Balko@radleybalko.bsky.social · 3w ago

I have a piece in the NYT today arguing that the law should permit victims of ICE abuse to sue not just individual officers, but supervisors and policymakers like Stephen Miller and Gregory Bovino. A Democratic president and Congress could do this in 2029. And they could make it retroactive.

John Harrold@abumirchi.com · 4w ago

As one of Schiffs constituents I can say his statement is sad and pathetic. Graham was a sycophant who actively enabled the destruction of our democracy. If Schiff feels compelled to make this statement, there is no reason to make any statement at all.

Sen. Adam Schiff@schiff.senate.gov · 4w ago

What I’ll remember most about Senator Graham was his sense of humor and how he deployed it to move his policy positions forward. Though we did not often agree, Senator Graham was never disagreeable.