As I wrote on November 6, 2024 (see tompepinsky.com/2024/11/06/l...)

I am generally quite amenable to institutional neutrality as a principle, because it's impossible to decide whose traumas warrant commentary by busy university leaders and whose don't.

But, well, this is a very good question and I think we all will need to sit with it.

I also mourn the end of Pax Americana, etc. But this will be great content: Hunter can throw hands, I'm sure of it

Gordon Gano c. 1985 would have been an outstanding replacement for Jim Morrison in a touring revival of The Doors

On my campus, these are still live issues: we definitely *were* punished by the administration, the harassment is ongoing and chilling, and students are aware of it

but I suspect you're right, the first-order concern is that many protestors fear they'll be arrested or expelled, esp internationals

There is a whole ecosystem — the university administrators extended universe of trustees, media, and anti-student groups — that mobilized to oppose student protests

On Confederate Surrender Day, I remember my ancestors who fought for the Confederacy.

They shamed themselves by fighting for an evil cause, and their actions are a stain on my heritage. Their cause was wrong, I am glad that they lost.

How could repression not be a factor??? It seems so obvious to me that it explains at least a little bit!

I will reflect. I can speak to what I know about what I see: students saw what happened last time, and they are strategic actors. I think it’s flat out wrong, if this this is your point, that our students somehow wanted to punish Democrats only and now they see nothing to protest

We still have protests on campus. There is one today. But students evaluate costs and benefits just like other protestors, and if you want to compare now to 24 months ago, the costs are PLAINLY higher

The answer is that students now correctly anticipate that the federal government will punish the entire campus --- cancelling federal grants, opening investigations, and deporting international students --- if even a handful of students dare to speak out on any political issue.

Amazing that the same administration that secured Venezuelan crude that oil execs didn't even want has shut down the supply of the nice sweet Arabian crude that they do want.

Church Of United Catholic Heritage, For Unrepentant Catholic Konverts Excommunicated Recently

bsky.app/profile/tomp...

I continue to believe that before 2028, we will see the birth of a new religious movement in the United States with a name like "Ancient Catholic Church of America"

It's getting faster, moving faster now, it's getting out of hand
On the tenth floor, down the back stairs, into no man's land
Lights are flashing, cars are crashing, getting frequent now
I've got the spirit, lose the feeling, let it out somehow

it is actually world-historically important for Americans to grapple with our own agency in creating and sustaining these catastrophes

If you can get over how stupid this is, it is very funny how quickly Trump bows down to any bully who gives him a bloody nose. His father would be proud.

(Don’t worry, nothing means anything and he’ll forget about this before lunchtime)

haha made the same joke

There is always a Calvin and Hobbes

Oman

There is always a Calvin and Hobbes

There's this scene early in Trainspotting, when Renton first decides to kick heroin. Mother Superior, his dealer, asks him if he wants one more hit. Rents says, confidently, "no I don't think so."

Anyway, good news about the agreement.

Click below to see NRO author Andrew McCarthy argue that that Iran doesn't have civilians.

www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/the-...

Armeggedon is terrible, but our only other option was a black woman

"You have to stay on X to reach people" is the 2025 version of "we need the government to ensure we have more free speech on campuses"

The NYT published a link to critical original reporting on Iran 45 minutes ago. A good, fair story. They have 53m followers. The engagement metrics you display say they got 94 likes and 33 retweets out of that. Is that accurate? And if so, shouldn't you work on a better algo? Image Nikita Bier @nikitabier It’s paywalled. If only 0.1% of users can derive value from the content, it will organically rank lower.

"Journalists should be on Twitter."

Twitter to journalism: "Drop dead."

Squad deep in the 'hem