iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Iron Circus Comics @ironcircuscomics.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Looking to read more of Failure to Launch? You can get a copy here!: store.ironcircus.com/products/fai... Take your breaks at work, people worked for those!

I bet you're wondering: "how did Harry trick Iron Circus into letting him write a pro-luddite story for their anthology about technology?" Well, I'll tell you. Because the Luddites weren't against technology! They were for a world where this technology improved people's lives. A new machine replacing thousands of jobs should be a good thing!

A world where people are freed to do more and better! Instead, it's mostly good for whoever saved money firing all those workers. The Luddites simply observe earlier than most that it doesn't have to be this way. We didn't even make the work holding the world together less back breaking, we just exported that work somewhere else. This is the capitalist version of progress: people doing shitty jobs for no money. But elsewhere where you don't see it.

When people question the way technology is being used - feel their opportunities and autonomy getting smaller - the world luddite gets dusted off for reuse. When the used states took Microsoft to court for being a monopoly and illegally crushing their competition, Microsoft's lead attorney John Warren called it: "Not really an antitrust case but a return of the luddites, 19th century reactionaries who... went around smashing machines with sledgehammers." Microsoft lost incidentally.

But the sentiment is clear: criticism of the future modern tech giants are building, even their crimes, is opposing progress itself. But the reality is people are still being looted by factory-masters. The industrial revolution massively increased productivity, but the profit from doing so went directly to the hands of the Owners. Take the same measurements of the 20th century's innovations and what do you get? The extremely simple truth - that it doesn't have to be this way - is terrifying if you benefit from the way things are now. An old ghost starts to feel close at hand.

So have a little sympathy for the owners of the world. It's a scary time for them too. They're really panicking. (listed is several headlines of Union-targeting actions by multi-billionaires and their accessories)

Companies the world over have spent hundreds of millions trying to stop unionization efforts. Soon it might even be cheaper to just pay people more. Amazon even tried to ban words like 'injustice', 'compensation', and yes, 'UNION', from their internal apps. They must be vigilant - the old ghost cannot be killed. Only kept at bay.

Looming over Elon Musk, who the writer of this alt text truly hates, Ludd brandishes his sledgehammer with glowing red eyes. Elon looks like he doesn't know what to do without hundreds of thousands of people willing to get hurt for his money or acknowledgement.

"--We used to shoot these people in the dick."

Thank you for reading this comic! Be sure to always take your scheduled breaks. Do not let some 50+ year old slug tell you that you aren't "a team player" because you are not letting them take just a little more. Each break and benefit you get to take is written in blood, and you're only pissing off those who came before you and making someone who isn't paying you smile by doing extra.

Want to read more of Failure to Launch? we've got that here: https://store.ironcircus.com/products/failure-to-launch

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Iron Circus Comics @ironcircuscomics.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Be sure to follow @hbomberguy.bsky.social and @skutchdraws.bsky.social ‬if you enjoyed this comic!

In the early days of the movement when machines were found destroyed, people would joke "Ned Ludd is back!

The secret union ran with it, now they were the Luddites. I don't think people recognize how fucking FUNNY it is a massively popular social movement named themselves after a joke. FUN FACT!: There's recorded instances of the police actually searching for 'Ned Ludd', criminal leader of the Luddites, in Sherwood forest. Some even claimed to have glimpsed him. Cops were really smart back then.

In Ludd's sights was Enoch Taylor of Marsden, West Yorkshire. The Taylors built machines for the textile mills that abused their workers. Luckily, the Taylors also made Sledgehammers.

"Enoch made them, and Enoch shall break them!" I sweat this stuff writes itself.

William Horsfall, a Marsden factory owner, once boasted that he would love to "ride up to my saddle in luddite blood!", Horsfall was later assassinated by Luddites, during an altercation in which he reportedly received a "groin injury". In history's greatest L, a rich guy talked shit about murdering Luddites, until they shot him in the dick to death.

Mills were being stormed by hundreds or sometimes thousands of protestors, the movement was GROWING. A spectre haunted England - the spirit of Ned Ludd. To the rich the answer was clear- kill all the luddites you can before people figure out they have a point. In 1812 Parliament found the time to pass an 'emergency measure": the Frame Breaking Act which made smashing machines punishable by death. The tens of thousands of soldiers were sent to deal with Luddites in mills and factories across the country. This was a sizable amount considering Britain was CURRENTLY FIGHTING NAPOLEON.

Parliament happily went to war against British Luddites when they were supposed to be fighting actual wars. In 1813 17 luddites were hanged in a day, with more than 14 sentenced to be transported to Australia which was even worse than that. Historians view this as the point major Luddite activity started to die down.

A portrait of goofy, crown wearing Ned Ludd, covered in weaponry used upon him in a 1700s art style.

"But here's the problem: they couldn't kill Ned. You can't kill people's ability to question how the benefits of automation have been distributed. He's still out there. And One day he'll be BACK."

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Iron Circus Comics @ironcircuscomics.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Happy Labor Day! Today we're bringing you The First Union, as told by HBomberguy (@hbomberguy.bsky.social) and illustrated by Skutch (@skutchdraws.bsky.social) It's the dawn of the industrial revolution, and of the way many of us work... Have you ever heard of the term "Luddite" from an elder?

Stanhill, Lancashire, 1764. Wear and carpenter James Hargreaves invents the Spinning Jenny, the first practical spinning-frame, to make the tedious task of producing cloth a little bit faster. He doesn't know it yet, but this will destroy the world.

Spurred by inventions like his, the industrial revolution will transform everything -- work power, the wealth of nations. Society as we know it began here, and it wasn't great for everyone. But a group of weavers and textile workers saw this future coming. And did their best to prevent it.

"Curse you spinning jenny, you ruined everything!" The standard narrative does that LUDDITES were foolish lunatics who, in fear of technology, decided progress was bad, and started hitting it with sticks. But the truth is entire ways of life were being destroyed.

Previously, skilled craftsmen were respected for the time and effort it took to do their work. The entire family usit would form a cottage industry - creating something valuable, and command a decent living. But when a machine can work 10 times faster its owner can charge less for the prodcts- craftsmen couldn't compete and were left out of work almost overnight.

And as factories became a fixture of the british landscape, these now unemployed labourers often ended up working the factories that had just destroyed their way of life. Britain was the most prosperous nation in history, factory owners became extremely wealthy and influential. But the people doing the actual work saw almost none of it.

Factory work paid little, since "the machines" did "the real work" human labourers were deemed unimportant and replaceable. FUN FACT!: Factory owners preferred to hire ORPHANS since less people would notice if they were maimed or killed on the job!

Now the owners quickly realized the workers might notice they did all the work for almost no pay. If they went on STRIKE or ARGUED FOR HGHER WAGES, this would threaten their tremendous wealth. In 1799, Parliament passed the Combination Act, which made FORMING TRADE UNIONS, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, AND GOING ON STRIKE ILLEGAL. Organizing against the rich became a crime.

If you were living through it, opposing the industrial revolution wasn't techno-phobia. It was SELF-DEFENSE. The combination act forced unions underground into secret societies. And the greatest secret of all was their leader - Ned Ludd. Ned had been a folk character for years. In one version after being whipped by his master, he smashed two knitting frames in a rage. In more fanciful versions, he then escaped to the Sherwood forest, here he lived among the animals as their king. Some versions specifically call him 'Much Better Than Robin Hood'.

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

In today's special 4th episode of "Wisdom of the Public Restroom", DP Dough at LSU has some thoughts:

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

How it feels most of the times I read my main feed on here

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Back in YSFlight. Restarting my show hosting group with @electricbeatnik.bsky.social. All replays and livestreams. Time to party 🎉

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Living in Louisiana for the first time in over a decade also means this'll be my first time in a Louisiana hurricane season since 2012. Here goes nothin'

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

My car has survived for the last two weeks with a missing outer brake pad on the front left wheel, and the inner one worn down to... this. I'm at a total loss wondering how the hell nothing broke from this, but man, does it feel good to know I can change my own brakes!

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Once again into the fray, my friends! We will sing How to Save a Life and all that good stuff!

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Fly me to the moon Let me play among the stars Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars In other words...

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Is MAGA okay? They haven't even touched their No New Wars

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

"It's like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black."

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Gary Legum @glegum.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

We should bookmark this for when all the wingnuts are complaining about the giant street parties that are happening after Trump finally kicks it.

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

My hometown of Kentwood yesterday evening. Glad to see some life has come back to the original Main Street - this spot was almost completely dead when I was a kid, since Highway 38 bypasses it.

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

It wouldn't be a comic con if it didn't have a public R2 crashout

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

"Wisdom of the Public Restroom" episode 3, with a twist

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

I don't watch new movies very often, but tonight was one of those occasions. Multiple friends of mine have raved about it, so I took the plunge and finally watched KPop Demon Hunters. It just might have been the most fun I've had watching a movie on my own in a couple of years!

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Every now and then, I'll see one of my old tweets, and be hilariously confused because the context is a deleted post

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Me, a month or so ago: "Maybe I should try getting at least a little bit into football for the first time, so I can rep my home team of LSU" [a month later] LSU:

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Given my 15-year-or-so-long obsession with aviation, this might surprise some of you to hear: I haven't been on a flight of any kind in 10 years. ...yeah, well, that changes tomorrow. I'll be jetting off to Walmartville, Arkansas for the Halloweekend. Look out, IAH!

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

In today's episode of "Wisdom of the Public Restroom":

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Glen @vaguebiscuit.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Well don't I feel stupid

A headline about the James Webb Telescope potentially finding a new stellar object dubbed a black hole star

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

"Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. [...]

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Peter @notalawyer.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

“awful people don’t deserve to be killed, but they don’t deserve to be praised, either” is apparently a thought too complex for the pundit mind

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Mike Nellis @mikenellis.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Obviously, there's bigger news happening right now, but Senate Republicans just voted against releasing the Epstein files. Every Democrat voted to release them. Susan Collins was the deciding vote to protect Trump and others named in the files.

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

I had a longer thread I was writing about this, but then my Bsky app restarted and didn't save the damn thing, so here's a shorter version: Charlie Kirk wasn't some intellectual going around looking for honest debates. That's a facade that MAGA will try to gaslight us into believing soon.

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Pundits are focusing on Kirk’s willingness to debate people while studiously ignoring the people whose basic humanity he was willing to debate

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

Darryl Mott @gamerstavernshow.com · 10/09/2025

As someone with 20 years reporting on right wing and fascist movements, you should goddamn know well that it doesn't matter what anyone says or does, they're going to use this as an excuse for authoritarian crackdowns with little to no relevance to the actual crime.

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Reposted by Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️

📺~CRT~📺 @crtvheadvt.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

The lost art of fitting every computer related device on a single piece of furniture.

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

20 years ago today, I got my first exposure to the importance of politics, when Hurricane Katrina rolled over my home state of Louisiana. I was only 6 back then, but I still have lots of vivid memories. Here's a few of those, and some thoughts to go with them. 🧵

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

My state's ridiculous ban on Bsky is only not affecting me because my ISP (Starlink) reroutes my IP to a different state. Anyone else in MS right now ought to be looking at signing up for a VPN, because this is just ridiculous. www.mississippifreepress.org/editors-note...

mississippifreepress.org

Ed Note | State Law Compels Bluesky to Block Mississippi IPs

Ashton Pittman writes about how Mississippi’s social media age-verification law prompted Bluesky to block access to Mississippi IP addresses.

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Despite collecting a bunch of MP3s over the years, I've always felt like there was one huge hole missing in it: anything Beatles. Now that I know that the Giles Martin remasters of their back-catalogue exist, it might just be time to finally change that.

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Kenzie Hawkins Needs a Ladder 🏳️‍⚧️ @hawksomnia.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

In today's episode of "Wisdom of the Public Restroom":

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