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Matthew Budman, book guy

@matthewbudman.bsky.social
1.9K followers 662 following 6.8K posts

News junkie, editor, faculty spouse, author of “Book Collecting Now.”

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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 2h
Not to worry—Trump’s great new healthcare plan will be here in . . . two weeks, right?
nytimes.com
Private Medicare Plans Are Raising Costs And Forcing Millions To Find New Insurance (Gift Article)
As enrollment for Medicare Advantage begins this month, older Americans are confronting fewer options because insurers are discontinuing coverage in many areas.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 6h
Fourteen years ago today
Trump tweet 10/9/2012: "Now that Obama's poll numbers are in tailspin—watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate."
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 6h
Fourteen years ago today
Trump tweet 10/9/2012: "Now that Obama's poll numbers are in tailspin—watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate."
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 21h
For this 1954 song, writer Vernon Green made up the word *puppetutes*: "a term I coined to mean a secret paper-doll fantasy figure who would be my everything and bear my children.” Steve Miller misheard it as *pompatus* and used that for "Enter Maurice" and then "The Joker." And yet: WHAT IS IT??
youtu.be
The Letter ~ The Medallions (1954)
YouTube video by MrRJDB1969
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Love the ’70s subgenre of singer-songwriters offering a tour of characters from earlier, unsuccessful albums. Most listeners singing along to “The Joker” have no idea that Miller begins by cataloging his own songs: “Space Cowboy” (1969), “Gangster of Love” (1968), and “Enter Maurice” (1972).
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Tomorrow, will Trump respond to losing his unprecedented Nobel campaign—again—by petulantly announcing a new round of bombing? I mean, what's the point of *not* killing Iranians if there's no Swedish medal in it for him?
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Broken people break people . . . at least if Donald Trump gives the thumb's-up
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"Fox evidently doesn’t think his speeches are worth showing in full right now.… The implication: Fox agrees with the Republican candidates and strategists who are privately fretting about Trump hurting their chances in the midterms."
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
RFK Jr. hitting his 2026 stretch goals
apnews.com
Measles is surging in the US. These graphics show how bad it has gotten
The U.S. is enduring its worst year for measles since 1991. Since the beginning of last year, large outbreaks have been reported in several states, including Texas, Utah, South Carolina and, now, Penn...
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Jared Holt @jaredlholt.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
We’ve got the Pentagon posting QAnon slop on a verified government account. What an utterly humiliating time to live in this country.
Department of War CTO posts a Qanon meme on X
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Note that Trump still claims to be 6'3", an inch and a half taller than Musk
screenshot of Musk & Trump, with Elon at least two inches taller
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"We have met the enemy and he is us." —POGO https://library.osu.edu/site/40stories/2020/01/05/we-have-met-the-enemy/
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
55 years ago today, the Move—which had already shifted its energy to a side project dubbed Electric Light Orchestra—released MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY, its fourth & final LP. It's kind of a mess, but I love this Roy Wood track, which feels, like all the best Move songs, unearthed rather than written.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
RFK Jr. hitting his 2026 stretch goals
apnews.com
Measles is surging in the US. These graphics show how bad it has gotten
The U.S. is enduring its worst year for measles since 1991. Since the beginning of last year, large outbreaks have been reported in several states, including Texas, Utah, South Carolina and, now, Penn...
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
55 years ago today, the Move—which had already shifted its energy to a side project dubbed Electric Light Orchestra—released MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY, its fourth & final LP. It's kind of a mess, but I love this Roy Wood track, which feels, like all the best Move songs, unearthed rather than written.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
brb gotta reconsider the ~1,000 books I've rated on Goodreads
goodreads.com
The (Half) Stars Have Aligned
Half stars are here! And quarter stars, too. More ways to say exactly what you mean.Every reader has their own opinions about rating: You...
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
We're talking about this war, yes?
cnn.com
Fact check: It wasn’t ‘in jest.’ Here are 53 times Trump said he’d end Ukraine war within 24 hours or before taking office | CNN Politics
He wasn’t joking.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Am curious whether Trump will see Carson's line and begin brainstorming responses for when the Swedish Academy phones him tomorrow re: his Nobel
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Exactly right: Trump is so inarticulate and careless that he can hardly complain when something he blurts out "confuses his allies and leaves plenty of room for his adversaries to interpret—or misinterpret—as they will."
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Yes, what struggling Republicans need right now is Mr. 32% coming back to town to tell everyone, "I AM ON THE BALLOT!"
reuters.com
Trump approval at record low; Hispanic voters sour on Republicans, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
The six-day poll showed 32% of Americans giving a thumbs up to Trump's presidency.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Zero chance he begins nominating judges and undersecretaries approved by senators Cooper and El-Sayed
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Especially if a bunch of Trump's people flee the White House ahead of brutal hearings, we can expect two years of an executive branch staffed mostly by a series of acting officials—which Trump claims to prefer, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
theguardian.com
Trump says acting cabinet members give him 'more flexibility'
President ‘in no hurry’ to fill roles with Senate-confirmed names, as former UN ambassador Power says: ‘The president is unhinged’
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Just as Trump doesn't jog or ride a bicycle, he doesn't walk in public parks, and since he believes he literally owns Washington, D.C., why keep the park at all? We're lucky he hasn't (yet) replaced the 1890 Marquis de Lafayette statue with a 500-foot gold-plated Trump memorial.
nytimes.com
Inside Trump's Plan to Fence Off a Historic Protest Site (Gift Article)
The president’s proposal to enclose a park in Washington could alter how the space has been used for generations.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
On the upside, the Full Employment for Republican Consultants Program is keeping solvent any number of local TV stations
washingtonpost.com
Half a billion dollars in GOP spending does little to move polls
Republicans’ massive money advantage has yet to reshape the midterm map, as Democrats keep expanding their ambitions.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Trump three days ago: "I AM ON THE BALLOT!" What will his excuse be for Republicans' showing? Will he claim that things would have been even worse if he hadn't campaigned for them?
reuters.com
Trump approval at record low; Hispanic voters sour on Republicans, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
The six-day poll showed 32% of Americans giving a thumbs up to Trump's presidency.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
This unstable hothead runs everything that Miller & Vought don't: "the president’s entire economic policy agenda is on the Treasury secretary’s shoulders.… Bessent’s extensive remit also includes artificial intelligence and the impact it has on the U.S. economy, and trade talks with China."
wsj.com
Inside Bessent’s Treasury: Tension, Turnover and Unmet Economic Goals
Ahead of midterms that could turn on high prices and borrowing costs, the secretary dresses down officials.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
And yet there are Muslims—in Texas, no less!—who will vote Republican next month because they fear trans people more than they love themselves
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
We've never actually tried biking in Copenhagen: As only-on-vacation cyclists, we're nowhere near stable & confident enough to smoothly merge with the crowds. I'd be terrified of tipping over and taking down a crowd of Danes!
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The most generous interpretation: "the Producers" = Jane and Austen
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Six years ago today, by @timothycsimons.bsky.social. We all nailed the first part.
10/5/20 tweet: Here's one amazing thing: we get to vote this dude the fuck out. It won't undo the immense damage already done. It won't bring anyone who needlessly died back to life. But we get to vote him out, and then we get to never fucking think about him ever again.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
As a teenage reader of whatever my parents happened to bring home from the library, I raced through Archer's first several books. He was a hell of a storyteller—at least early on—and an incredibly successful one. He didn't *need* to be a liar & perjurer & fraudster & philanderer!
goodreads.com
Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less
The four victims of shady millionaire businessman Harve…
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Roughly chronological by when I heard them. Would be a lot clearer if I could list 100 albums instead of nine!
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Say what you will about Bobby Kennedy, he gets results
apnews.com
Pennsylvania's measles outbreak is the largest in decades in the US
Pennsylvania has more than 1,000 measles cases this year, making it the largest state outbreak in decades.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Just noticed this, on a poster for the new SENSE & SENSIBILITY, and I'm like, yeah, but not the producers of the *real* PRIDE & PREJUDICE, the BBC one
"From the Producers of PRIDE & PREJUDICE"
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Andrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
shes saying this on the same network that just interviewed a guy who said he spent 18 days in heaven chilling with jesus christ
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
As always, hoping that blue-state DAs are discussing what state laws this breaks, since Trump has already pledged to pardon everyone he has ever met
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I hereby declare
politico.com
Trump plans executive order seeking to bring down high diesel costs
The announcement, expected during a Monday campaign stop in Nebraska, comes after the White House rejected a ban on diesel exports.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
As a charter & continuing subscriber to Yglesias's Substack, I find his trolly social-media posts maddening: His essays are really smart & provocative & well researched, but those occasional posts make everyone here dismiss him, and it's not unjustified!
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
If the format allowed more than nine albums, I would have kept going for another seventy or eighty
My 9 Albums: K-Tel's THE ROCK ALBUM, the Beatles' SGT. PEPPER, LED ZEPPELIN 4, Rush's MOVING PICTURES, Joni Mitchell's SONG TO A SEAGULL, SUZANNE VEGA, Squeeze's EAST SIDE STORY, Tom Waits's RAIN DOGS, the Loud Family's PLANTS AND BIRDS AND ROCKS AND THINGS. https://www.my9albums.com/s/Dzxy7yAYEf
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Good memory! Hammett was basically describing Daniel Craig as 007. (Not sure which A-list actor could have pulled that off in the '40s.) Bogart was also markedly smaller than either Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe. But he *feels* large enough to be physically imposing. He *feels* like a blond Satan.
Samuel Spade's jaw was long and bony, his chin a jutting v under the more flexible v of his mouth. His nostrils curved back to make another, smaller, v. His yellow-grey eyes were horizontal. The v motif was picked up again by thickish brows rising outward from twin creases above a hooked nose, and his pale brown hair grew down—from high flat temples—in a point on his forehead. He looked rather pleasantly like a blond Satan.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Forty-five years ago today, EMI Records released @thomasdolby.bsky.social‘s debut single. “Europa and the Pirate Twins” is still dazzling: a cascade of hooks and melody over an intriguing arrangement of keyboards, electric guitar, sound effects, shuffling drums, and Andy Partridge harmonica.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Way to go, Bobby
pa.gov
Pennsylvania Department of Health Provides Statewide Update on Measles Outbreak as Cases Reach 977 in 39 Counties
Pennsylvania Department of Health Provides Statewide Update on Measles Outbreak as Cases Reach 977 in 39 Counties
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
W/r/t Trump's campaign to win votes by stopping the clock: Considering VEEP placed #7 on the @nytimes.com list of the century's best TV shows, I'm surprised to see so few @timothycsimons.bsky.social clips here
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Harold Lloyd hangs from a clock face in SAFETY LAST! https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/fashion/clock-harold-lloyd-silent-film.html
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
. . . who’s at least a decade too old & plays Brigid O’Shaughnessy as vague & distracted rather than intriguingly cagy. Astor was a scandalous figure in the early ’40s, which must have helped audiences suspend their disbelief that Humphrey Bogart would profess his love at the film’s climax.
thedailybeast.com
How Mary Astor’s Purple Diary Sparked an Infamous Hollywood Sex Scandal
In the 1930s, Hollywood star Mary Astor recorded the details of her private life in a purple diary, which her husband found and then used in a scandalous custody court battle.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
THE MALTESE FALCON premiered 85 years ago tonight, in New York, and remains an all-time great. John Huston faithfully adapted the Dashiell Hammett novel, keeping as much of the snappy patter as would fit & casting the secondary characters to match Hammett’s descriptions—all except Mary Astor . . .
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Have been participating in these since early 2024. Occasional sessions in London!
readingrhythms.co
Reading Rhythms
Not a book club. A reading party. Join silent reading sessions with curated music in NYC, LA, London, Chicago, and 30+ cities worldwide. Find your chapter today.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
President Trump's appeal is becoming more selective, to borrow a phrase from Ian Faith
politico.com
Senior House Republican says Trump's 'lack of favorability' creating 'tough' politics
House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.) said he has addressed affordability concerns "head on" this Congress.
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
So close to the top 100!
screenshot of the reader's picks #101–117, with FIREFLY at 108
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Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Government efficiency! Thanks for reporting this out, @scottnover.bsky.social—no doubt the State Department was hoping no one would learn "how much the Trump administration effort to shutter the government-funded news outlet has cost taxpayers."
washingtonpost.com
Trump administration is paying $1.6 million a week to keep Voice of America staff on leave
Hundreds of VOA staffers have been on paid leave since the agency sidelined them in March 2025.
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