And this is why we avoid the Chortlemuffin Effect by checking primary sources every time, kids.

jamelle@jamellebouie.net · 9h ago

you’re telling me a landmark originalist supreme court opinion rests on a misquote rooted in a basic lack of historical understanding of the use of language, an understanding that cannot be gleamed through word searching 18th century documents? wow. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

If I’m ever your passenger navigator, it’s almost always better for me to point rather than say L/R outloud for the exact same reason (strangely, this doesn’t seem to transfer to Spanish as @tooooomuchtext.bsky.social and I found out driving to Sevilla!)

Molly Bangles@mollybangles.bsky.social · 7h ago

The number of times I’ve given someone directions and completely confused them because I was thinking of Stage Right and Stage Left . . . it’s not zero!

From Kafka's diary, on this day, November 11, 1911.

@ehxlibris.bsky.social and I have finished our mini-writing retreat for the day, so now I get to spend the rest of the day off quilting and baking!! Yay!!

Chicago Manual of Style

jentrification@jentrification.com · yesterday

what book are you taking the oath of office with?

This story is going wild on X and elsewhere. The site was already published by Dr. Francisco Estrada-Belli of Tulane University ages ago. This is why we have peer review. Mexican gov didn't have it in their database, but that doesn't mean it is unknown/unmapped. pietromiotti.com/latest/maya-...

My AI Agents Found an Unmapped Maya Site

AI agents analyzed NASA lidar data overnight and found a Maya site under the jungle that isn't on any map. Less than 72 hours later, Mexico's INAH replied.

pietromiotti.com

With all due respect, this is bullshit framing from The New York Times. The Electoral College is an affront to "one man, one vote". Everyone who believes that "all men are created equal" should be outraged that a presidential vote cast from California is worth 26.9% that of one from Wyoming

For the latest issue of The Germanic Review, I wrote about the tenth fragment of Benjamin's "On the Concept of History" and what he might have intended by medieval cloisters. If you have always been bothered by the idea of the academic as monk, this one may be for you.

The British Library is planning to close 3 public reading rooms to turn them into privately-run office-space. I used these rooms to write my memoir, novels, articles. They are currently free to people of all ages/backgrounds. Libraries change lives, souls & minds. Please sign! Now! c.org/dzkWFFjJMQ

Sign the Petition

Urge the British Library not to close its reading rooms

c.org

OTD 1928 birth of Natalie Zemon Davis: a leading historian of early modern France, who pioneered interdisciplinary methods involving anthropology and religion and expanded her interests to embrace the New World & North Africa. from Jewish Women's Archive

Natalie Zemon Davis | Jewish Women's Archive

Natalie Zemon Davis was a pioneering historian of early modern Europe, gender, and religious and cultural life. Focusing primarily on ordinary historical actors and marginal groups, Davis earned a rep...

jwa.org

Discworld QOTD, from Unseen Academicals '“The female mind is certainly a devious one, my lord." Vetinari looked at his secretary in surprise. "Well, of course it is. It has to deal with the male one.”'

Micah@rincewind.run · 5d ago

Discworld QOTD, from Soul Music “In my experience, what every true artist wants, really wants, is to be paid.”

During my PhD I worked as a curatorial fellow on a medieval manuscripts exhibition at the British Library and then was a research associate there for a time. This was when the Tories came in and the blow to funding was shocking. Hard to convey how austerity has battered this institution.

Anna@superteadrinker.bsky.social · 5d ago

Interestingly, this BL survey of why you visited the BL most recently doesn't even offer 'to read books from the collection' as a possibility. Which is pretty much what I'd expect, tbh.

Please enjoy my drawings for parts of a book as part of instruction I'm doing this coming week 😂 #BookHistory

My department at UMass-Amherst is hiring a specialist in Ancient Mediterranean art. This is a tenure-track, assistant professor position. Please circulate. careers.umass.edu/jobs/asst-pr...

Asst Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Art and Architecture - Amherst, Massachusetts, United States

Title: Asst Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Art and Architecture Executive Area: Academic Affairs College/School/MBU: Humanities & Fine Arts Department: History of Art & Architecture Work Location:...

careers.umass.edu

My favourite student teaching session of the year is here again. Venetian books by the Sessa dynasty and their cats!

That is a top quality headline right there.

WIRED@wired.com · 5d ago

The decision to halt production of Tesla’s polarizing polygonal pickup marks the end of an error.

Hard agree with Dot. I can’t imagine the BL without the in house security (who will get to know you if you go often enough!) Science 3rd floor is also my favorite reading room, and it’s criminal to turn part of a national library into a *paid* coworking space. It’s the antithesis of any library!

Dot Porter@leoba.bsky.social · 6d ago

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/st...

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/st...

Stop the Privatisation of the British Library!

On 16 October, Jeremy Silver, Interim Chief Executive Officer, announced to staff that British Library management intends to: • Close parts of the Library, including the Science Reading Rooms, with th...

megaphone.org.uk

I saw a great Instagram post by Sally Kohn talking about having an organized social media campaign of like 50-100 House and Senate Dems who are leading the charge on a consistent message to make sure every single accomplishment breaks through. we can’t trust mainstream media to do it!

Molly Knight@mollyknight.bsky.social · 6d ago

And for God’s sake: follow Mamdani’s lead and have someone with charisma who seems normal (Ossoff? AOC?) go on Instagram and TikTok and explain how every passed policy will improve people’s lives. Passing good legislation isn’t enough. You have to EXPLAIN VERY CLEARLY WHAT IT DOES

The Trump administration says that “DHS is NOT arresting U.S. citizens by mistake.” But that is precisely what is happening. We've cataloged every case we can find of an immigration agent holding a citizen during the current administration.

Search More Than 500 Cases of U.S. Citizens Detained by Immigration Agents — ProPublica

ProPublica has cataloged every case we can find of an immigration agent detaining a citizen during the current Trump administration. Explore our database to learn more about each incident.

projects.propublica.org

Also, and this is perhaps even more important, it is deterrence. If you don't think there are any penalties, especially for white-collar "victimless" crimes, large numbers of folks will casually just do a crime if other folks are. Swift assured retribution & penalties make that not worth the risk.

Annalee Newitz@annaleen.bsky.social · last wk.

I am so fucking tired of "seeking justice" being framed as "getting even." Arresting and/or impeaching people who are legitimately guilty of actual crimes is not revenge. It is justice. Innocent people should be released from detention and guilty people should be in prison. Again, that is JUSTICE.

The other big winning message from last night BETTER be "we are taking back voting rights" because if you look at last night and you don't see Black people out-mobilizing the most restrictive voting environment we've seen since Jim Crow, you're missing the entire story of half of last night.

My buddy in Japan has informed me that, since Blue Wave and Tsunami have entirely different cultural contexts, the Japanese press is referring to last night's US Election as the "National Scolding".

Sen. Warnock was just asked on CNN if Dems will focus on costs *or* corruption, and he responded "We can walk & chew gum at the same time." Hell yes, that is the message.

Not retribution: accountability. Consequences. Rule of law. THAT is what the American people want.

MS NOW@ms.now · last wk.

"The American people don't want us to get even; they want us to get things done on their behalf." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is now poised to become the next House Speaker, says that Democrats will focus on affordability concerns and not retribution after their midterm wins.

The elections of people went well in AZ, but the props are a mixed bag tending towards not great, and this is probably the worst one. I’m hoping there is a way through and out given the Democrat gov, lt gov, and legislature

NBC News@nbcnews.com · last wk.

BREAKING: Arizona voters approve Proposition 318: Access to school sports based on birth sex, NBC News projects. www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...

This is a (typically) excellent @mississippitoday.org story-- about Mississippi's voting problems, where the Dem Senate candidate now has a 42-vote edge. Long lines, untrained workers, & voters getting put into the affidavit pool for some ridiculous reasons ⤵️ mississippitoday.org/2026/11/03/m....

A perennially applicable article: Monmonier, Mark. “Lying with Maps.” Statistical Science 20, no. 3 (August 1, 2005). doi.org/10.1214/0883....

Thomas Baekdal@baekdal.bsky.social · last wk.

Once again we see the difference in how election maps are visualized. On the left, we have the map from Washington Post, and, on the right, the one from The New York Times. Same map, same election results, massively different image.

Design matters.

Thomas Baekdal@baekdal.bsky.social · last wk.

Once again we see the difference in how election maps are visualized. On the left, we have the map from Washington Post, and, on the right, the one from The New York Times. Same map, same election results, massively different image.