Robert Balkovich
@robertbalkovich.bsky.social
Sr. Lead Editor at Explore, former Lonely Planet guidebook writer, prolific and unremarked on fiction writer
Not in a vacuum, but a 1% victory when you were outspent 10-1 against a candidate who had the party establishment lined up behind them probably says a thing or two about The Future of the Party.
Matthew Gertz@mattgertz.bsky.social · 8h agoMy ice-cold boring take that will definitely not go viral is that a primary result with a margin of victory of roughly 1 percent tells you precisely nothing about The Future Of The Party.
The new "Democrats won -- here's why that's a problem for Biden"
Politico@politico.com · 14h agoProgressives didn’t get the big election night they wanted
My takes on the MI senate primary are that El-Sayed's slim victory was a polling miss, not an underperformance, and that if you'd said "he eeks it out by 1%" after Whitmer endorsed Stevens I would have breathed a huge sigh of relief. But still a lotta work to do in the general.
Remember The Woman on the Lawn? Why didn't she just go inside?
One of the most chilling + brilliant parts of The Shining is that first scene of Jack at the bar where he refers to Wendy as "the old sperm bank upstairs." A perfect insight into who he truly is and why the Overlook knows it can get its claws into him. Kubrick understood that pattern.
Chris Hayes@chrislhayes.bsky.social · 2d agoIt was this one, and, yes, I do believe that was an All In first.
Adding the Thai guy who predicted that Porsha would "have a problem with lesbian" to the very long list of accurate psychics who have appeared on the Real Housewives franchise.
If i was on a date and they brought up Fauci in any context whatsoever i'd jump from my seat and run like there was an active shooter in the building
Post-Left Watch@postleftwatch.bsky.social · 5d agowhat
Few things have disturbed me more in recent weeks than seeing how many shooters Danny and Nia from The Valley have.
All due respect, loved Wilson's translation, but including in a piece of film criticism "I would be embarrassed to have written any part of this script" is indeed personal! I don't understand how else that is supposed to be interpreted.
EMILY WILSON@emilyrcwilson.bsky.social · last wk.Not personal: e.g. IMO, this work is incoherent, superficial and badly-written. Personal: e.g. You're ugly. You're hideous. Your tattoos are ugly. You're a bitter old woman. You're jealous. You're evil. You're ungrateful. You should shut up forever. I hope you die. I hope this helps!
And that plus $.99 will get you an Arizona Iced Tea so long as they keep voting for far-right extremists.
Jessica Tarlov@jessicatarlov.bsky.social · last wk.Your average Republican is pro-IVF, skeptical of six week heartbeat bills, against deporting productive, law-abiding immigrants, and for gay marriage.
My take on The Odyssey is: the movie is very clearly and intentionally Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey made for an audience in 2026 CE and looking back at the source material is of limited use when forming a critique.
so so sorry but if you think this moment is the time to try and suppress a significant portion of the pro-democracy movement then you are not serious about stopping fascism
The Bulwark@thebulwark.com · 2w agoThe vibes may be exciting, but if Democrats are going to win this year and in 2028, they must reject the DSA. If you’re tempted by a democratic socialist this year, think of what use Republicans will make of these victories, and ask whether you want to do favors for fascists.
All due disrespect this is like when Jimmy Dore and Briahna Joy Gray were freaking out at AOC for not forcing a vote in the house for Medicare for All.
Michael J. Stern@michaeljstern.bsky.social · 2w agoIf Andy Beshear does not push this to a conclusion that either has him appointing McConnell's replacement, or McConnell reappearing, Beshear will be out of Democratic politics. We need rabble-rousers, not the same quiet, proper Dems who keep losing.
One of my all time favorite reality TV moments was Sharon Osborn saying of Rod Blagojevich when they were on Celeb Apprentice together: "His face looks like when he was still wet somebody just pinched all the features together."
Catherine Rampell@crampell.bsky.social · 2w agoIt’s like a pardoning pyramid scheme www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
+18 on arresting Netanyahu is WILD
JLRay@jlray.bsky.social · 2w agoThe latest from YouGov (n ~ 7k): some shocking numbers on major foreign policy questions Has Netanyahu committed war crimes? Yes +24 Should US arrest Netanyahu? Yes +18 Is Pentagon budget request too much/ little? Too much +47 Should US help Saudi nuclear program? No +33 yougov.com/en-us/search...
he wanna fuck Slayyyter, Richard we should link later
Secret Drug Addict@scrtdrugaddict.bsky.social · 2w ago
The moment in "365" by Charli XCX where the beat drops and the round repeats is her entering samsara.
One thing I fundamentally don't understand about how we live now: Why are we spending any amount of time debating the arguments and intentions of obvious bad actors? Any argument that begins with comparing humanities professors to drug addicts losing their children can just be disregarded.
Brendan Nyhan@brendannyhan.bsky.social · 3w agoAll can be true: 1. Universities have been targeted by a decades-long bad faith campaign 2. Status quo is vastly more normal than craziest stuff on Fox/social media, esp. outside elite schools 3. Parts of academia are in rough shape Despite 1 & 2, we can and should address 3.
I've still just been eating pre-washed bagged greens this whole time FYI
When I was a kid we would scrape together $10 and take the bus to the mall and spend all day checking out the stores, hanging out in the food court, going to the arcade, seeing a second-run movie for $1.50, etc. That mall has now been turned into a strip mall with like 8 utilitarian businesses.
Zack Davisson@zackdavisson.com · 3w agoI ask as always: What were these mythical "third places that previous generations had available to them?" The whole idea of "third places" is just so much Camelot mythmaking.
Hegseth defeating woke by doing mandatory gender affirming care
Matthew Gault@mjgault.bsky.social · 3w agoHegseth announced they're gonna start screening for T and administering testosterone treatment for warriors found wanting
I don't think Democratic senators should be posting nice things about fascists who tried to have them jailed and killed even if they were colleagues.
Daniel Drezner@dandrezner.bsky.social · 3w agoMy hot take is that Lindsey Graham did many contemptible things but if you’re furious that his Senate Democratic colleagues are posting nice things about him today you need to put down your phone, get some fresh air, and remember a time when a colleague you disliked departed this mortal coil.
