Paul Ketzle
@pketzle.bsky.social
Author, Teacher, Rabblerouser
(Views expressed are just my own, but help yourself to the starters.)
(Views expressed are just my own, but help yourself to the starters.)
Anything is simple when you don't understand it at all.
Trump: "If we lose $50 billion a year with a country, and we say 'we're not going to trade with you anymore,' we don't lose $50 billion a year. It's very simple. Right?"
September 17, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Anything is simple when you don't understand it at all.
Have a disturbing feeling that I don't want to know what kind of hazing rituals Patel has engaged in/witnessed.
Kash Patel: "Applicants who have engaged in beastiliaty means they were victims of beastility because they were forced to do so. At this FBI we are not going to criminalize and prevent victims from serving."
September 16, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Have a disturbing feeling that I don't want to know what kind of hazing rituals Patel has engaged in/witnessed.
One of the dumbest takes you'll see this month.
The Washington Post opinion section is an elaborate experiment to find the least compelling angle on everything
September 13, 2026 at 10:29 PM
One of the dumbest takes you'll see this month.
GOP worried about where to find the money for illegal bribe.
Some Republicans are saying they are worried about the cost and inflationary impacts of President Trump’s pledge to give American adults a $5,000 dividend if the GOP maintains control of Congress after the midterms.
Republican skepticism arises after Trump’s pledge of $5,000 payouts tied to GOP wins
Fiscally conservative Republicans are concerned about the likely more than $1 trillion cost of the plan.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 10, 2026 at 10:07 PM
GOP worried about where to find the money for illegal bribe.
Well, right. Because what makes it a cult is *that* you don't care.
O'KEEFE: Is Vance your guy in 2028?
RNC ATTENDEE: My guy is who Donald Trump endorses
O'KEEFE: So it's up to him to tell you?
WOMAN: That's exactly right. People call us a cult. I don't care.
RNC ATTENDEE: My guy is who Donald Trump endorses
O'KEEFE: So it's up to him to tell you?
WOMAN: That's exactly right. People call us a cult. I don't care.
September 10, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Well, right. Because what makes it a cult is *that* you don't care.
I genuinely don't don't get how people can be so stupid as to think they are making any kind of point by this.
And yet *so* many people think this is "clever."
And yet *so* many people think this is "clever."
Lisa McClain questions why El-Sayed's wife doesn't treat patients for free if he's really a supporter of universal healthcare 🤔
August 31, 2026 at 10:59 PM
I genuinely don't don't get how people can be so stupid as to think they are making any kind of point by this.
And yet *so* many people think this is "clever."
And yet *so* many people think this is "clever."
Please don't give Trump any ideas.
Ships traveling between the upper Great Lakes and the Atlantic must pass through Canada’s Welland Canal. The 27-mile canal and all eight of its locks are entirely in Ontario, meaning a strategically important portion of U.S. Great Lakes maritime trade depends on Canadian-controlled infrastructure.
August 31, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Please don't give Trump any ideas.
Cornyn frames this as an unfortunate thing, because he wants his side to win. That "winning" would mean making the morally vacuous and corrupt Paxton his colleague, with the power to magnify his corruption tenfold is a non-issue for him, however.
August 31, 2026 at 4:43 AM
Cornyn frames this as an unfortunate thing, because he wants his side to win. That "winning" would mean making the morally vacuous and corrupt Paxton his colleague, with the power to magnify his corruption tenfold is a non-issue for him, however.
The "funny" here stems from the original pretense that these were sincere and logically consistent positions the begin with, but now seeing those who've been pretending to hold them exposing their own (and everyone else's) inch-deep principles when the rubber hits the road.
Chef's kiss.
Chef's kiss.
This is the funniest shit.
Florida allows religious exemptions for vaccines.
Catholic schools in Florida: we require vaccines.
Florida's attorney general, who is Catholic, is threatening to pull vouchers if they don't allow for religious exemptions
The Bishops: separation of church & state
Florida allows religious exemptions for vaccines.
Catholic schools in Florida: we require vaccines.
Florida's attorney general, who is Catholic, is threatening to pull vouchers if they don't allow for religious exemptions
The Bishops: separation of church & state
Catholic bishops remind attorney general about separation of church and state
“The government may not decide that Church teaching is insufficiently religious,” wrote the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops.
www.miamiherald.com
August 21, 2026 at 1:39 PM
The "funny" here stems from the original pretense that these were sincere and logically consistent positions the begin with, but now seeing those who've been pretending to hold them exposing their own (and everyone else's) inch-deep principles when the rubber hits the road.
Chef's kiss.
Chef's kiss.
It has been a common defense of the media (and criticism of Democrats) that it's the opposition party's job to frame the corruption of norms and intellectual bankruptcy of their opponents.
But, really, they just like Republicans.
But, really, they just like Republicans.
I’m keeping an eye on how hard NYT, WaPo, WSJ and AP are avoiding writing about Jon Ossoff’s compelling, fact-based, hugely popular critique of Trump’s corruption, ineptitude, and venality. So far: Very hard. (Next, they’ll Mamdani him.)
August 18, 2026 at 1:56 PM
It has been a common defense of the media (and criticism of Democrats) that it's the opposition party's job to frame the corruption of norms and intellectual bankruptcy of their opponents.
But, really, they just like Republicans.
But, really, they just like Republicans.
Denuding scientific research and (even more critically) grants that support labs that *train* future scientists. Those students won't get fellowships, won't pursue those degrees, and will move into other fields.
I think one reason the public has such a shallow understanding of the extent of the damage Trump is doing is that *US political & media elites* have such a shallow understanding. Douthat's pleasant upper-middle-class life hasn't been unduly disturbed, so really, what's the big deal?
Trump II has profound consequences that will last a century:
-destruction of administrative state & civil service
-extreme wealth concentration, tech oligarchy
-climate rollbacks
-end of rule of law w/o pushback incentivizes future backsliding
-Iran
Pundits hate this because it sounds shrill
-destruction of administrative state & civil service
-extreme wealth concentration, tech oligarchy
-climate rollbacks
-end of rule of law w/o pushback incentivizes future backsliding
-Iran
Pundits hate this because it sounds shrill
August 11, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Denuding scientific research and (even more critically) grants that support labs that *train* future scientists. Those students won't get fellowships, won't pursue those degrees, and will move into other fields.
"government relations director" becomes "staffer," which makes him sound like a low-level intern.
Heritage Foundation government relations director arrested for bringing guns and drugs into senate building
share.google/VtyoauQypYAS...
share.google/VtyoauQypYAS...
Heritage Foundation Staffer Accused of Bringing Ammo and Drugs Into Senate
A Heritage Foundation staffer was stopped from entering a Senate office building after authorities say they found ammunition and suspected drugs in his briefcase. Matthew Christopher Wingate was detai...
share.google
August 8, 2026 at 5:31 PM
"government relations director" becomes "staffer," which makes him sound like a low-level intern.
Probably because we're using AI for the answers.
August 8, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Probably because we're using AI for the answers.
It's worth noting that this is what we see *whenever* we focus on an immigrant's status as opposed to on those who commit crimes. It's the reason emergency rooms have traditionally not asked about that: if they did, public health and associated costs would become much worse.
This paper shows that immigration enforcement can _increase_ crime.
Undocumented immigrants already have the lowest crime rate, but tough-on-immigration policy makes immigrants less likely to report crime.
So immigration enforcement worsens the problem it was ostensibly meant to solve
Undocumented immigrants already have the lowest crime rate, but tough-on-immigration policy makes immigrants less likely to report crime.
So immigration enforcement worsens the problem it was ostensibly meant to solve
August 3, 2026 at 7:36 AM
It's worth noting that this is what we see *whenever* we focus on an immigrant's status as opposed to on those who commit crimes. It's the reason emergency rooms have traditionally not asked about that: if they did, public health and associated costs would become much worse.
Reposted by Paul Ketzle
One of the things you get from watching tributes to Glen Hansard is that he was a musician’s musician. His peers really respected him. But also he was so kind to random people. And that seems sort of perfect. To be respected both by the people who deeply understand what you do and those who don’t.
July 31, 2026 at 3:35 AM
One of the things you get from watching tributes to Glen Hansard is that he was a musician’s musician. His peers really respected him. But also he was so kind to random people. And that seems sort of perfect. To be respected both by the people who deeply understand what you do and those who don’t.
RIP, Glen Hansard. We shall not look upon his like again.
July 30, 2026 at 2:30 AM
RIP, Glen Hansard. We shall not look upon his like again.
Yes, quite the mystery why Fauci, having just seen Congress refer Jack Smith for perjury over non-perjurous statements, might be unwilling to unnecessarily give them any pretext to do the same to him.
BREAKING: Former Covid czar Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right at the Senate hearing on the pandemic.
Fauci takes the Fifth
The former Covid czar was at a Senate hearing at which Sen. Rand Paul pressed him on his handling of the pandemic.
www.politico.com
July 29, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Yes, quite the mystery why Fauci, having just seen Congress refer Jack Smith for perjury over non-perjurous statements, might be unwilling to unnecessarily give them any pretext to do the same to him.
Which states had the worse COVID mortality rates, Jr., the ones who mostly followed Fauci's advice or the ones who ignored it?
We actually had the 16th highest mortality rate in the world and it largely resulted from the ignorant asshats who were *resisting* the common sense protection measures Fauci was promoting like masking and distancing.
What a colossal asshole.
What a colossal asshole.
RFK Jr: "Because of Dr Fauci's leadership and other reasons, we had the highest mortality rate from covid of any country in the world"
#OtherReasons 🙃
#OtherReasons 🙃
July 28, 2026 at 9:23 PM
Which states had the worse COVID mortality rates, Jr., the ones who mostly followed Fauci's advice or the ones who ignored it?
And...people can still like Nolan's film! She makes really interesting points! I'm even more excited to hear other people's responses to her! (No one owns the text or its interpretation. The problem with the critiques from Musk, et al. is not that they were critical but vacuous and uninteresting.)
I think Emily Wilson has earned the right to have whatever opinion she likes about adaptations of Homer. Her translations are amazing achievements and she's already survived several rounds of outrage about a female translator of such a manly poet.
July 28, 2026 at 9:19 PM
And...people can still like Nolan's film! She makes really interesting points! I'm even more excited to hear other people's responses to her! (No one owns the text or its interpretation. The problem with the critiques from Musk, et al. is not that they were critical but vacuous and uninteresting.)
Pathological. The President of the United State is a *pathological* liar.
The President of the United States is a liar.
July 27, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Pathological. The President of the United State is a *pathological* liar.
I mean...sure? That is what happens to people who commit war crimes, generally.
Tom Cotton: "Ultimately, it's not about Prime Minster Netanyahu and Israel -- it's about arresting Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio in the future if they ever travel abroad."
July 22, 2026 at 1:27 PM
I mean...sure? That is what happens to people who commit war crimes, generally.
Kind of a C-SPAN for the sports set.
ESPN is going to fire everyone and just air a 24/7 livestream of a middle-aged white man in a tank top screaming nonstop
July 21, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Kind of a C-SPAN for the sports set.
This is a hard lesson to put into practice.
every time you write overly defensively you should remember that you are pursuing a strategy of writing careful sentences specifically for people who demonstrably either won't or can't read them
there is literally no amount of caveats or careful wording that will protect you from stupidity or bad faith, so you might as well say things straightforwardly and strongly to begin with.
July 21, 2026 at 3:29 PM
This is a hard lesson to put into practice.
Maybe send this tech to the Pentagon, Markwayne.
Oh yeah there’s no way whatsoever that’s even close to true
Markwayne Mullin on the World Cup: "We averaged over 30 drones that we brought down per game"
July 21, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Maybe send this tech to the Pentagon, Markwayne.
I keep meeting people in authority who are absolutely over-the-moon about AI and its potential, but who seem utterly oblivious to how it actually functions in the real world.
Can we also talk about the absolute batshitness of having to do workarounds for embedded generative AI because it makes so many errors and yet the *de facto* position of these major corporations seems to be that it is logical and sensible to inflict *incorrect functioning* on the world?
July 19, 2026 at 4:27 PM
I keep meeting people in authority who are absolutely over-the-moon about AI and its potential, but who seem utterly oblivious to how it actually functions in the real world.