Sign in

Scratched Tooth

@keencritic.bsky.social
419 followers 238 following 6K posts

Superfan of Sondheim stuff, big fan of musical theatre in general. Lover of family, cats, reading, travel, pilpul. Tend to get overwrought. Also, Lord, I am affected by a bald patch.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
bjkeefe @bjkeefe.bsky.social · 16h
More official notification, via @atrupar.com on X:
[tweet] Aaron Rupar @atrupar
this is how i find out i'm blocked smdh

[image] Aaron's screenshot of Kimberly Guilfoyle (@kimguilfoyle) Twitter bio, showing that she has blocked him.
061
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
When I tell people that Donald Trump hates me, they often assume I mean it in a generic sense — that he hates Democrats and people who fight him in court. No, I correct them: he hates me personally. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/trum...
democracydocket.com
Trump hates me personally. Now he’s taking it to the Supreme Court
When I tell people that Donald Trump hates me, they often assume I mean it in a generic sense — that he hates Democrats and people who fight him in court. No, I correct them: he hates me personally.
942160695
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Siraya, an Indigenous language declared extinct in the 19th century, is now being taught in 26 schools in Taiwan. Siraya activist Uma Talavan & her husband Edgar Macapili spent over 20 years reconstructing the language. buff.ly/2roj7FB #ShareGoodNewsToo
buff.ly
Siraya language, deemed ‘extinct’ over a century ago, finds its voice again in Taiwan
TAINAN, Taiwan — Since she was old enough to understand it, Uma Talavan has known she belongs to the Indigenous Siraya people.  She knew almost nothing of her ethnicity, however, the identity of…
115062
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
The midterms are 3 weeks away, and the fights over who gets to vote are happening right now in courtrooms across the country. Subscribe to Democracy Docket to get the latest cases and my analysis of what they mean for your vote. demdock.com/4ppmMBE
13969290
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Whee! Sounds like logic heaven.
010
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 07/10/2026
A federal judge dismissed a noncitizen voting case, stressing that only states — not the federal government — can decide who is qualified to vote. The decision could impact the future of proof-of-citizenship laws, a pillar of Trump’s crusade to restrict voting: demdock.com/4hydGAl
2419133
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
🚨BREAKING: The NAACP sued the Trump administration, seeking records about its plan to deploy roughly 1,000 federal personnel to polling places during the 2026 midterms. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
democracydocket.com
DOJ sued for records on ‘unprecedented’ plan to deploy 1,000 election monitors in midterms
DOJ's planned effort represents an extraordinary expansion of federal election monitoring. It has already sparked confrontations with state officials and concerns about voter intimidation.
10556122423
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
So Alito is starting to worry about the standing of his formerly Supreme once-great Court? Couldn't happen to a nicer Christofascist! www.thedailybeast.com/trumpy-justi...
thedailybeast.com
Trumpy Justice Sends Pointed Message After President’s SCOTUS Freakout
The president’s favorite right-wing judge claims he doesn’t listen to him.
020
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The "audience" was selected to be the cheering kind.
000
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"Had law enforcement and prosecutors engaged more thoroughly with Jane Doe’s original complaint, they might have tempered the vigilantism that would eventually tinge much of the response to the case." This is such a critical point (made by Jessica Winter via @newyorker.com)—and a lesson for others.
newyorker.com
How the “Cornell Seven” Rape Case Became a National Scandal
The dismal responses from both the D.A. and the university reveal a larger pattern of institutional carelessness.
1544199
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Roberts : Hupper Island = Dershowitz : Martha's Vineyard. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/u...
nytimes.com
John Roberts Retreated to His Island. Supreme Court Critics Found Him. (Gift Article)
After decades of potlucks and paddle-boarding on Maine’s midcoast, rising anger and protests have left the Supreme Court’s chief justice more isolated than ever.
120
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I don't know that I would describe the destruction of the Establishment Clause as being primarily Roberts' agenda, but whoever is behind it, it is like a landslide rolling downhill. Wait til the practices of the DoD under Hegseth reach the Court! www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | This Case Has Flown Under the Radar. It Won’t Stay There. (Gift Article)
This case has flown under the radar, but it won’t stay there.
010
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Vivid numbers in this overview of Illinois’s new Net Zero carbon plan: “improvements in air quality alone would lead to between 392 & 631 fewer premature deaths per year. That translates to between $8.8 and $13.8 billion in avoided healthcare costs & increased worker productivity.” #ShareGoodNewsToo
hpherald.com
Illinois EPA releases ‘Comprehensive Climate Action Plan’ to reach ‘net zero’ emissions
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois has made substantial progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in recent years, but it is not yet on track to meet its goal of reaching net-zero emissions
112231
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 01/10/2026
NEW: As Texas’s top attorney, Ken Paxton has the power to challenge election outcomes — including the U.S. Senate race he’s the GOP candidate for. If Paxton loses, legal experts say he could try to weaponize his power. But they also have confidence in the courts: demdock.com/4jvWgFM
918268
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 30/09/2026
The Biden-appointed judge concluded that federal law does not authorize the DOJ's demands for the state's voter roll. She also noted that the Peach State repeatedly offered the department the public version of its voter roll, which would be enough. Read the full story:
democracydocket.com
DOJ now 0-26 after judge rejects  demand for Georgia voter rolls
The judge said the Civil Rights Act does not authorize DOJ's demands for the Peach State’s unredacted voter roll.
317742
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 30/09/2026
🚨BREAKING: In a win for Georgia voters, a federal judge dismissed the DOJ's lawsuit seeking access to the state's unredacted voter registration list. The department is now 0-26 in its sweeping legal hunt for states' private voter data.
141070309
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Seems clear we need both, and never mind which is more important.
020
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Yeah. I particularly like the "Who won 2020" and "Do foreign countries pay tariffs" ones. Should try "What individual in the world is the greatest threat to the US today?"
010
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
What is the definition of "irony"? Or, "hoist by its own petard"? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Launches America.gov, an AI Chatbot That Contradicts Some of His Claims (Gift Article)
Democrats amplified statements from America.gov that frequently contradict the president on tariffs, election fraud and other topics.
131
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
First sentence: "President Trump is such an awful human being that just writing about him feels degrading." Period. Full stop. The rest of the column is supererogatory. But read it anyway, to contemplate all the ways Trump is likely to kill us. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump Is Going Viral in the Worst Ways (Gift Article)
On the technological, diplomatic and biological fronts, Trump is creating a disaster.
020
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Can we please deport the six motherfuckers to CECOT? Or South Sudan? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/u...
nytimes.com
Supreme Court Allows Rapid Third-Country Deportations, for Now (Gift Article)
The court also announced it would hear arguments in December on the legality of the Trump administration policy to swiftly deport immigrants to countries not their own.
010
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Who's the dirtbag now, Eric? newrepublic.com/post/215976/...
newrepublic.com
GOP Senator Tries to Trap Jack Smith—and Gets Every Detail Wrong
Senator Eric Schmitt accused Smith of having shady meetings while in Atlanta for a professional basketball game. In reality, Smith was in Maryland on the date in question for a college basketball game...
010
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) @covid19disease.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
sciencedaily.com
This virus therapy supercharges the immune system against brain cancer
Scientists have found a way to make one of the most aggressive brain tumors vulnerable to the immune system. A single injection of a modified virus can invade glioblastoma, kill cancer cells, and summ...
6462176
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The ability to think is antecedent to both the ability to write and the ability to argue. That some posters seem not to know this is notable.
010
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Btw, am I the only one wondering whether *this* dialog is more like writing or conversation?
110
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I share your view that writing is very useful for organizing thoughts. But the ability to defend, or modify, those thoughts in the course of conversation/argument is, imho, at least as important.
110
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
What part of "No-one says learning to write well is pointless (at least I don't). It's important, but ideally not the Holy Grail." makes you think I don't think learning to write is unimportant? I don't. Good writing is very important to me. But I find often talking out comes first.
200
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Agree with the second half.
000
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I am somewhat agnostic on this question, so "agree to disagree" doesn't really apply. But I *am* a big fan of talking to others to clarify my thoughts.
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Being able to talk out your thoughts outside your limited circle.
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
My point exactly. Writing is downstream from talking.
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Isn't that the point of higher ed?
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Incising our thoughts onto stone tablets?
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
As to gaining clarity, I agree. No-one says learning to write well is pointless (at least I don't). It's important, but ideally not the Holy Grail.
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
You have the wrong set of family/friends!
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"We’ll never find ideal democracy of the rule of the people, but in striving toward it, certain democratic benefits might accrue."
000
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
How can I know what I think until I . . . (a) write it down (b) talk it out
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Until we're prepared to govern the entire US by "town" meeting, there will always be elites. The role of the voting public is to choose which elite will govern. Shades of "We're a republic, not a democracy". www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump Revealed Something Essential About Elites (Gift Article)
There are always elites. The people get to decide which ones rule.
110
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Writing versus face-to-face conversation as the "highest cultivation of thought". www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | I’m a College Professor. Writing Isn’t as Important as We Think. (Gift Article)
If I do not treat writing as essential for achieving thought, it is not clear why I should force my students to.
100
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Didn't even read the column--the headline says it all! Truth. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | I’m Exhausted. You’re Demoralized. We Weren’t Built for a World Like This. (Gift Article)
A greatly underappreciated virtue of other presidents was that you could forget about them for weeks at a time.
010
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is the most unequivocal Edsall has ever been. Halevai! www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump’s Luck Is Finally Running Out (Gift Article)
Voters are showing a growing determination to repudiate his presidency.
010
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 29/09/2026
Coverage like this doesn't happen without support from our readers. Subscribe for free or become a member to back our work directly: demdock.com/3T3Owjg
25111
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 29/09/2026
Rep. Mike Collins, the Trump-endorsed GOP candidate for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat, said he was “fine” with the idea of federal troops at voting sites. In reality, deploying armed federal agents to polling places isn’t “fine” — it’s illegal: demdock.com/4ykNqzg
20484183
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"What's wrong with Ohio?" from a Republican perspective. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | It Won’t Be So Easy for Democrats to Make Data Centers Their Issue (Gift Article)
The problems of technology were there before Trump and will be there after.
000
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Gessen is unequivocal about war crimes but somewhat equivocal on genocide. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | There Is a Word So Powerful It Need Be Spoken Only Once (Gift Article)
The film that makes a powerful statement without ever raising its voice.
021
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
We've heard *about* what Bill Gates fears re AI. Here we can hear his own voice as he speaks to Ezra Klein. He's scared. That makes me scared. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Bill Gates’s Blunt Warning on A.I. (Gift Article)
As A.I. capabilities accelerate, the technologist is shocked by the “complete lack of engagement” with the question of how to manage its risks.
100
Reposted by Scratched Tooth
Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
🚨BREAKING: Republican members of the Georgia State Election Board (SEB) adopted a resolution Monday seeking the Trump administration to intervene in a vague crusade against the state’s voting system just weeks before the midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
democracydocket.com
Georgia election board asks for Trump admin to help go after state’s voting machines
“I think this is federal overreach," the board's lone Democrat warned.
1021421788
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Might that be because his "ideas" for "aiding" consumers are either harmful, unfeasible, or both?
010
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Just read it and react. I mean, the author is a professor of philosophy, and has an obvious bias. Doesn't mean he's wrong, doesn't mean he's right. But in a universe I controlled, he would be right. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Id, the Ego and the Superintelligence (Gift Article)
Artificial intelligence isn’t coming for philosophers’ jobs — it needs philosophers, and always will.
021
Scratched Tooth @keencritic.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
"Buy a tin of biotin!"
010