Steve Silberman

An instant classic. [via Andrew Beals]

Today is the 179th birthday of Scientific American, the oldest continuous publication in America, according to editor Laura Helmuth. I'm so proud to be a columnist for SciAm. The late Oliver Sacks' assistant Kate Edgar told me it was his favorite magazine. Oliver not only read every issue, he saved them in his library in bound volumes.

The best hashtag I've seen yet for JD Vance: #HillbillyVanilli.

The best thing about RFK Jr. endorsing Trump is that now I can spend less time as an autism historian explaining to nudnik anti-vaxxers in my friends' social networks that his books and speeches are full of lies. I can just say, "What on Earth is wrong with you?"

Freakshow: To get that grotesquely disrespectful thumb's-up photo opp at a veterans' grave, Trump campaign staff had a "physical altercation" with an Arlington Cemetery official. These people are TERRIFYING. https://www.npr.org/2024/08/27/nx-s1-5091154/trump-arlington-cemetery

How RFK Jr. betrayed his followers and flushed whatever legacy he had left as an "environmental warrior" down the toilet to kiss the ass of the former president most hostile to protecting the environment in history. https://wapo.st/3yZIO8g

I have such a feeling of déja vu not caring about Oasis all over again.

Absolute must-read on how we now know that #Russia and NY's corrupt #FBI office used "active measures" to ensure Trump's election. Until we understand this, our country is lost. #USpol #politics https://snyder.substack.com/p/the-specter-of-2016?utm_campaign=post

His guts roiling and seething with hatred, bigotry, and sadistic thoughts of revenge, Trump struggles with aides begging him to stay "on message." The aides might console themselves by remembering that hatred, bigotry, and sadistic thoughts of revenge are Trump's only message. He's got nothing else to offer. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/24/us/politics/trump-campaign-2024.html?smid=tw-share

RFK Jr. was not just an addict - he was a drug dealer, and not just a drug dealer, but the kind of nasty, freaky drug dealer you'd never buy from again. He's still a weird asshole selling stuff that's bad for you, and today that's Donald Trump and MAGA fascism. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/08/rfk-jr-endorse-trump-execute-drug-dealers/679597/

via @charlotte.clymer on Threads:

My favorite factoid about Tim Walz is that during his career as a high school teacher, in the same year, he coached the football team to a state title AND served as the faculty advisor for the school's first gay-straight alliance (GSA) club.

Incandescently brilliant piece by Tina Brown on her autistic son and Gus Walz. We must BURY Trump and Vance at the ballot box and shovel dirt down the throat of the zombie corpse of the former Republican party. Please spread this gift link. #HarrisWalz2024 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/23/opinion/tim-walz-son-gus.html?unlocked_article_code=1

People of the Internet, you can stop searching for the jerkiest, most dumbass headline of the day. Even with such stiff competition, this is the clear winner. I'm not going to provide a link, because gar-bahge like this doesn't even deserve hate-traffic. #BonnieRaitt is immortal. #Grammys #music

Say what you will about joy not being a strategy, we're all going to live a little longer after the DNC vaccine against despair. #HarrisWalz2024

Fact check: "No, Trump Did Not 'Literally Dance' on a Veteran's Grave at Arlington Cemetery. At Worst, He Engaged in a Bit of Finger Puppetry, Which Children Find Amusing" - Politifact, probably

"Nation's Republicans Admit They Were Totally Kidding About Electing Trump Again, 'Do You Think We're Nuts?'" #plausibleheadlines

Must read. The GOP "attack on the dignity of transgender Americans is an attack on the dignity of all Americans," writes @jbouie@mastodon.social in the New York Times. This helps explain why my husband and I feel so crushingly disappointed by the lack of any private expression of support from our Republican relatives as the GOP (and indeed, their own governor, the fascist Ron DeSantis) has been putting LGBTQ+ people in its crosshairs for years now. #USpol

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/opinion/trump-desantis-transgender-rights.html

The ever-astute Will Bunch on how the media is blowing the most important election of our lifetime. https://www.inquirer.com/columnists/attytood/media-elections-dnc-kamala-harris-military-20240827.html

I just lost my legacy checkmark on the #birdsite, which is good, because I'd hate for anyone to think that I was paying to cast a veneer of legitimacy over that increasingly fetid sewer of right-wing bigotry and Kremlin disinformation.

Deeply thoughtful and fair piece by John Harwood on how our media is struggling to meet this dire historical moment. [via @jayrosen.bsky.social] https://niemanreports.org/articles/warped/

Prominent expert on female reproductive anatomy says women's rage against Trump for overturning Roe v. Wade will make no difference in this election. @vincedmonroy@www.threads.net

@elfin@mstdn.social Oh thanks! I have fond memories of you too.

How RFK Jr. betrayed his followers and flushed whatever legacy he had left as an "environmental warrior" down the toilet to kiss the ass of the former president most hostile to protecting the environment in history. https://wapo.st/3yZIO8g

The honest grief and rage of civil-rights lawyer Maya Wiley's comment here slices like a white-hot knife through #RFKJr's cynical lies and disinformation. https://twitter.com/PettyLupone/status/1682035321964490753?s=20

@bourgwick@heads.social @DavidGallagher@sfba.social I think that's Shig Murao with the beard, the guy who actually got busted at City Lights for selling "Howl." Allen stayed at his place in North Beach when he was in town for years.

@lolonurse@ohai.social I agree with you on that.

@quinn@social.circl.lu Note the "probably." It's satire.