Tom Ferguson
@drtcfergus.bsky.social
Ruining history for people since 2001.
Causing hard times for Sucker MCs.
Causing hard times for Sucker MCs.
Ok everybody it’s Skubalon Sunday where Paul uses a nasty word translated as “Rubbish” but which means something much cruder. If your minister doesn’t preach on “poop”, walk out.
October 4, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Ok everybody it’s Skubalon Sunday where Paul uses a nasty word translated as “Rubbish” but which means something much cruder. If your minister doesn’t preach on “poop”, walk out.
It’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it
September 30, 2026 at 9:41 PM
It’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it
On this 21st of September #EarthWindFire Day, here's a story: When the boy was 3, we were shopping in Trader Joe's. "September" came on; he knew it because it was in a movie he watched endlessly. He shouts "Time to dance!" and started grooving. He then looked at me and said, "Daddy, dance!" 1/3
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
ALT: Earth, Wind & Fire - September
static.klipy.com
September 21, 2026 at 11:05 AM
On this 21st of September #EarthWindFire Day, here's a story: When the boy was 3, we were shopping in Trader Joe's. "September" came on; he knew it because it was in a movie he watched endlessly. He shouts "Time to dance!" and started grooving. He then looked at me and said, "Daddy, dance!" 1/3
For no particular reason was thinking about how nearly all the monuments built to Stalin or things named after him were all torn down and renamed within a few years after he was no longer in power.
September 20, 2026 at 2:12 PM
For no particular reason was thinking about how nearly all the monuments built to Stalin or things named after him were all torn down and renamed within a few years after he was no longer in power.
Or as Homer put it…
September 20, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Or as Homer put it…
Had a dream last night Eusebius of Caesarea emailed me and said he wanted to talk about some of the things I said about him in my book and so we arranged a meet up and he walked in and that’s when I woke up
How’s your day so far
How’s your day so far
September 19, 2026 at 11:29 AM
Had a dream last night Eusebius of Caesarea emailed me and said he wanted to talk about some of the things I said about him in my book and so we arranged a meet up and he walked in and that’s when I woke up
How’s your day so far
How’s your day so far
The conference I am attending had team quiz competition for fun night. Our team was named the Samuel Seabury Shanties.
The topic: Episcopal History.
We won.
The topic: Episcopal History.
We won.
September 19, 2026 at 1:06 AM
The conference I am attending had team quiz competition for fun night. Our team was named the Samuel Seabury Shanties.
The topic: Episcopal History.
We won.
The topic: Episcopal History.
We won.
I was in Manhattan on 9/11 so I don’t post pictures of that day. Here’s me contemplating the first changing leaves of the season as I went a long walk and listened to Springsteen’s “The Rising” album this morning.
September 11, 2026 at 7:08 PM
I was in Manhattan on 9/11 so I don’t post pictures of that day. Here’s me contemplating the first changing leaves of the season as I went a long walk and listened to Springsteen’s “The Rising” album this morning.
Adventures in US health care!
Me: Hi calling about a claim
[5-7 minutes identity verification even though have entered all of this already]
OK what's your question
Me: My Dr prescribed this for me -- [interrupts]
That's a medication, not a claim.
Me: Well you didn't say I needed to specify 1/x
Me: Hi calling about a claim
[5-7 minutes identity verification even though have entered all of this already]
OK what's your question
Me: My Dr prescribed this for me -- [interrupts]
That's a medication, not a claim.
Me: Well you didn't say I needed to specify 1/x
September 10, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Adventures in US health care!
Me: Hi calling about a claim
[5-7 minutes identity verification even though have entered all of this already]
OK what's your question
Me: My Dr prescribed this for me -- [interrupts]
That's a medication, not a claim.
Me: Well you didn't say I needed to specify 1/x
Me: Hi calling about a claim
[5-7 minutes identity verification even though have entered all of this already]
OK what's your question
Me: My Dr prescribed this for me -- [interrupts]
That's a medication, not a claim.
Me: Well you didn't say I needed to specify 1/x
September 10, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Yep. The rest of the country granted concession after concession and the slaveholders were infuriated that they weren’t just being tolerated they insisted on being affirmed.
Antebellum politics is fascinating, the South kept getting policy concessions and whipped themselves up into a paranoid rage anyway, essentially because they couldn't stand being culturally judged for having slaves
September 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Yep. The rest of the country granted concession after concession and the slaveholders were infuriated that they weren’t just being tolerated they insisted on being affirmed.
Now let’s hold all the AI companies accountable for their massive violation of copyright laws and the theft they have engaged in for years to train their chatbot slop.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Meta agrees to major changes to Facebook and Instagram as it settles US trial over teen addiction for up to $18bn
US tech giant agrees to establish further protections for teens such as daily usage limits and blocks on night-time use
www.theguardian.com
August 27, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Now let’s hold all the AI companies accountable for their massive violation of copyright laws and the theft they have engaged in for years to train their chatbot slop.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
I'll be honest: Never understood how anyone can listen to Whitney's "I Will Always" after hearing Dolly's. The tender, vulnerable, sad yet hopeful original which isn't about romantic love at all is from a different planet than the cover which while impressive vocally always left me cold and empty.
August 26, 2026 at 1:59 PM
I'll be honest: Never understood how anyone can listen to Whitney's "I Will Always" after hearing Dolly's. The tender, vulnerable, sad yet hopeful original which isn't about romantic love at all is from a different planet than the cover which while impressive vocally always left me cold and empty.
Reposted by Tom Ferguson
A great loss for us all. A light in our darkness, a talent like none other. Rest in song and mirth, Dolly. The heavens have a new star among them.
August 25, 2026 at 6:19 PM
A great loss for us all. A light in our darkness, a talent like none other. Rest in song and mirth, Dolly. The heavens have a new star among them.
How does this even work and what do any of these definitions mean I have cousins in Northern Ireland and as far as I can tell there's, like, at least half a dozen Northern Irish accents alone in a place the size of Connecticut.
Polling for Common Ground on bias against certain accents finds that people think that those with Scouse and Brummie accents are the most likely to experience bias in their day to day lives.
August 25, 2026 at 2:03 PM
How does this even work and what do any of these definitions mean I have cousins in Northern Ireland and as far as I can tell there's, like, at least half a dozen Northern Irish accents alone in a place the size of Connecticut.
the 5 simpsons lines i’ve uttered most off the top of my head
1) he's embiggened that [original was "role", insert any example]
2) In theory, Marge! In theory communism was a good idea!
3) I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords
4) there's a "New" Mexico?
5) Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
1) he's embiggened that [original was "role", insert any example]
2) In theory, Marge! In theory communism was a good idea!
3) I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords
4) there's a "New" Mexico?
5) Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
the 5 simpsons lines i’ve uttered most off the top of my head
1) it’s a perfectly cromulent word (and variants substituting another noun)
2) no, it’s the kids who are wrong
3) money can be exchanged for goods and services
4) the goggles, they do nothing!
5) 🎵Monorail, monorail, monorail!🎵
1) it’s a perfectly cromulent word (and variants substituting another noun)
2) no, it’s the kids who are wrong
3) money can be exchanged for goods and services
4) the goggles, they do nothing!
5) 🎵Monorail, monorail, monorail!🎵
the 5 simpsons lines i’ve uttered most off the top of my head
1) money can be exchanged for goods and services
2) you've made a powerful enemy today, my friend
3) we’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas
4) it’s an albany expression
5) who keeps the metric system down? we do 🎶
1) money can be exchanged for goods and services
2) you've made a powerful enemy today, my friend
3) we’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas
4) it’s an albany expression
5) who keeps the metric system down? we do 🎶
August 25, 2026 at 2:01 PM
the 5 simpsons lines i’ve uttered most off the top of my head
1) he's embiggened that [original was "role", insert any example]
2) In theory, Marge! In theory communism was a good idea!
3) I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords
4) there's a "New" Mexico?
5) Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
1) he's embiggened that [original was "role", insert any example]
2) In theory, Marge! In theory communism was a good idea!
3) I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords
4) there's a "New" Mexico?
5) Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
More dispatches from dystopian US health care landscape: multibillion dollar for profit publicly traded insurance company refuses to pay for generic medication prescribed for chronic lifelong condition, only will cover exact same medication under brand name that costs 5x as much.
August 25, 2026 at 1:55 PM
More dispatches from dystopian US health care landscape: multibillion dollar for profit publicly traded insurance company refuses to pay for generic medication prescribed for chronic lifelong condition, only will cover exact same medication under brand name that costs 5x as much.
Which is more likely cause:
1) fortune cookie writer going through existential crisis and lost passion for the job;
2) fortune cookie company invested $5 billion in AI to produce this result ?
1) fortune cookie writer going through existential crisis and lost passion for the job;
2) fortune cookie company invested $5 billion in AI to produce this result ?
August 23, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Which is more likely cause:
1) fortune cookie writer going through existential crisis and lost passion for the job;
2) fortune cookie company invested $5 billion in AI to produce this result ?
1) fortune cookie writer going through existential crisis and lost passion for the job;
2) fortune cookie company invested $5 billion in AI to produce this result ?
Dog cloaking device activated. (I did not leave the pillows like this.)
August 23, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Dog cloaking device activated. (I did not leave the pillows like this.)
The Episcopal Church was historically one of the more socially conservative denominations for much of its existence: had remarriage laws as strict as Catholicism into 1950s, was heavily segregated north and south into 1960s, was last mainline Protestant denomination to ordain women as clergy
What’s a thing from your area of expertise (or special interest) that you think it would behoove everyone else to know?
August 13, 2026 at 1:51 PM
The Episcopal Church was historically one of the more socially conservative denominations for much of its existence: had remarriage laws as strict as Catholicism into 1950s, was heavily segregated north and south into 1960s, was last mainline Protestant denomination to ordain women as clergy
I feel if more people studied the cultural and sociological development of tent revivals/camp meetings, it would provide really important context for the things like national party political conventions, large scale pop concerts (TSwift, Springsteen), even Trump rallies.
August 7, 2026 at 3:41 PM
I feel if more people studied the cultural and sociological development of tent revivals/camp meetings, it would provide really important context for the things like national party political conventions, large scale pop concerts (TSwift, Springsteen), even Trump rallies.
Was asked to design asynchronous trainings for faculty & staff on Episcopal Church Title IV disciplinary process, FERPA protection of student records, with multiple choice quizzes, and it was the best afternoon I have spent in a while. Best/weirdest/saddest part? Didn't have to make up questions.
August 7, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Was asked to design asynchronous trainings for faculty & staff on Episcopal Church Title IV disciplinary process, FERPA protection of student records, with multiple choice quizzes, and it was the best afternoon I have spent in a while. Best/weirdest/saddest part? Didn't have to make up questions.
SECURE MESSAGE from massive dystopian health care agency: "We are reducing all therapy sessions from 60 minutes to 45 minutes."
Me, clicking reply: "I am assuming you will now be charging me 25% less for the session."
REPLY(24 hours later): "Your reply has been forwarded to relevant department."
Me, clicking reply: "I am assuming you will now be charging me 25% less for the session."
REPLY(24 hours later): "Your reply has been forwarded to relevant department."
August 5, 2026 at 2:57 PM
SECURE MESSAGE from massive dystopian health care agency: "We are reducing all therapy sessions from 60 minutes to 45 minutes."
Me, clicking reply: "I am assuming you will now be charging me 25% less for the session."
REPLY(24 hours later): "Your reply has been forwarded to relevant department."
Me, clicking reply: "I am assuming you will now be charging me 25% less for the session."
REPLY(24 hours later): "Your reply has been forwarded to relevant department."
Barely employed immigrant treated little better than a serf living in a basement to stoke coal furnaces heating buildings in Boston while they deduct my rent from my salary because I have to live in the basement to do my job. Also I’m functionally illiterate. But yeah tell me how great the past was.
Enough “what would you do on the commune questions”
If you got sent back 100 years and were given your grandparent’s job, what are you doing?
If you got sent back 100 years and were given your grandparent’s job, what are you doing?
July 30, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Barely employed immigrant treated little better than a serf living in a basement to stoke coal furnaces heating buildings in Boston while they deduct my rent from my salary because I have to live in the basement to do my job. Also I’m functionally illiterate. But yeah tell me how great the past was.
I have watched Dazed and Confused over 100 times easily
July 29, 2026 at 5:10 PM
I have watched Dazed and Confused over 100 times easily