Sign in

Michael

@mpborts.bsky.social
311 followers 1.1K following 2K posts

Probably not social enough for social media. My opinions have never been those of my employer.

PostsRepliesMedia
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
And here's the same section today
Screencap from Mesabi Metallic's now updated website stating:

"$18B 

Investment across Minnesota and Iowa

$95B

Economic output over life of Iowa facility

6,000 

construction jobs at Iowa site with 1,500 already on site daily in Minnesota

2,100

Family-sustaining Midwest jobs between facilities"
110
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
When able, please ask why Mesabi Metallic's website was suddenly updated and what happened to the supposed benefit they were going to bring Minnesota. Here was their website on July 24th of this year:
Screen Cap from Mesabi Metallic's website stating:
">$2.1B 

One of the largest private sector investments in Minnesota, with over $2.1B already invested in the project.

50

Mesabi Metallics will be the first new mine and pellet plant in Minnesota in almost 50 years.

700

Approximately 700 union construction workers are on site every day.

>350 

Once operational, Mesabi Metallics will provide over 350 family-sustaining jobs on the Iron Range."
110
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
And while their website appear not to be loading at the moment, Google search has archived what (until very recently) their plans were. Why should this new plan be considered more likely?
Google Search results showing Mesabi Metallics' website (https://mesabimetallics.com) and a preview of what was recently on their site.  The Preview reads, "Mesabi Metallics will be the first new mine and pellet plant in Minnesota in almost 50 years. 1,500 Approximately 1,500 union construction workers on site ..."
100
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
A quick reminder of what Ardal O'hanlon has said about Glinner:
Excerpt from Ardal'O'Hanlon's Wikipedia article from his personal life reading:
"In response to Father Ted writer Graham Linehan's anti-transgender views, O'Hanlon stated that he is "baffled" by Linehan's stance and "feels sorry" for him. He went on to say, "I don't know why he feels the need to do it. I mean, what transgender issues have to do with Graham I really can't for the life of me figure out," and "like most human beings, you just want everyone to be happy."[27][28]"
21216
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Technicalities aside, where are you going to find a better prayer for intercession for vengeance?
Quote taken from Wikipedia attributed to Dutty Boukman during a ceremony preceding the 1791 slave revolt which eventually led to Haiti's independence reading, 
"    ...This God who made the sun, who brings us light from above, who raises the sea, and who makes the storm rumble. That God is there, do you understand? Hiding in a cloud, He watches us, he sees all that the whites do! The God of the whites pushes them to crime, but he wants us to do good deeds. But the God who is so good orders us to vengeance. He will direct our hands, and give us help. Throw away the image of the God of the whites who thirsts for our tears. Listen to the liberty that speaks in all our hearts.

— Dutty Boukman[1]"

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutty_Boukman
010
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
This is very useful, thank you!
A larger passage redacted to only show "Cunningham shared, I'm kind of a squirrel brain so I don't know."
0121
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Life has provided a great example: Clark could stop shit like this with one word:
Tweet from Indiana Lt. Governor mocking the WNBA and the concept of women's sports.  
"I was appalled by what happened during the Indiana Fever game last night. Chicago's Natasha Cloud threatened former NBA player and future WNBA first-round pick Enes Kanter. There is simply no place for this type of woman-on-woman violence in our sosciety and it needs to stop."

I regret transcribing that heap of lies.
101
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Richard Kind *has* held a gun before, @szyszka.bsky.social.
A still image from the TV show Nowhere Man featuring Richard Kind grinning a bit manically towards the camera and holding a gun. He's standing in front of a white wall and a window covered by white blinds.
0122
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I would rather listen to this Evan Barker pre.psdschools.org/pga/user/491
The name Evan Barker appears above the photo of a what appears to be a white man with a beard and tousled hair. He's got a goof-looking smile and he's holding his hand up in front of what looks like a black Boston (Celtics?) T-shirt while making a thumb's up gesture.  Basically, if you looked up rad dude in the dictionary, you'd see this picture.
030
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
This is a rare use for an old screen capture (which I hope is not too parasocial)
Screen capture of a video review of cereal featureing Jamelle Bouie looking down at a bowl of cereal he has just tried with a difficult-to-read expression on his fact that I recall as being a combination of disappointment, confusion and disgust.

Below Bouie, the subtitles of the video describe that at that moment: "(dog whines off screen. Presumably in mourning)"
030
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Getting older is realizing that life is simply this interaction over and over again with those in positions of authority or judgement pretending not to know which views make someone heterodox when the baseline is "Let kids be kids"
Screenshot of a famous twitter post from @ndrew_lawrence

"Conservative: I have been censored for my conservative views

Me: Holy Shit! You were censored for wanting lower taxes?

Con: LOL no...no not those views

Me: So....deregulation?

Con Haha no not those views either

Me: Which views, exactly?

Con: Oh, you know the ones"
050
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Doomers get blocked. Always.
Text post from a now-blocked user reading "You know, I keep hearing these cute reform proposals, but they're never going to happen, and they do nothing to punish those who wronged us.

My court reform proposal at this point is six cells in Supermax. Send a message to MAGAs about their views."
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
A still from King of The Hill where a teacher says to Bobby Hill of a group of student who can been seen inside a classroom, "If those kids could read they'd be very upset"
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
I'm reminded of a funny moment in Persepolis as well:
Two still from the animated film Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. In both, young Marjane is wearing a head covering and what looks like a denim jacket surrounded by bearded and mustachioed men looking askance and appearing to whisper furtively in what seems to be an open air black market. In the first one man whispers "Julio Iglesias" another whispers "Pink Floyd". In the second, a man commits a spoonerism and whispers "Jichael Mackson"
120
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Pro Football Reference isn't everything, but their HOF tracker puts Big Ben in decidedly average HOF territory. So I'm curious why you think he should go in immediately? Just SB bias?
Screenshot from Pro Football reference for Ben Roethlisberger showing that he scores 100.28 on their HOF monitor and the average QB in the HOF has a score of 103.58
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Screen capture from the Epstein files of an email with the sender and recipient redacted and the subject line Kid Rock returns with "Cocky" sent in December 2001
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Speaking of everyone staying safe, how will you protect our communities from one of the greatest public safety threat we face: ICE and it's lawless behavior. Will you show the courage of a 9-year old? Will you fight an agency which forces 9-year olds to worry for their friends safety?
Text of a NY Mag article which reads: "“I am Puerto Rican,” she says. “I send my kids with their passports to school. I’m having conversations with them about safety: Am I safe at school? A week ago we had an incident where there was a school bus with the STOP sign open and kids were getting on the bus and it was surrounded by ICE agents. And this is 7:20 in the morning and — just — you get that fight-or-flight response.” At first her 9-year-old was carrying her passport in her backpack; now it’s in her back pocket. “I have to prepare them for it if they get stopped,” she says. “I said, Do not engage. This is not the time to be cussing at anyone. But she said, Mom, if I create enough noise, my friends can get away.”"
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
010
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
If they can murder us in the streets, what can't they do? If Trump refuses to fire the officials who created this mess, then what option is there besides impeachment?
Screenshot of an excerpt from a Minnesota Public Radio Story.  The Text is: 
Emily Heller lives near 33rd and Portland and said she woke up to a commotion outside her home. She said she saw a car blocking traffic on Portland Avenue that appeared to be part of a protest against federal law enforcement operations.

Heller said she heard ICE agents telling the driver, a woman, to “get out of here.”

“She was trying to turn around, and the ICE agent was in front of her car, and he pulled out a gun and put it right in — like, his midriff was on her bumper — and he reached across the hood of the car and shot her in the face like three, four times,” Heller said.

Heller said it appeared the woman then accelerated and traveled about 100 feet before striking a utility pole and some other vehicles. She could be seen slumped over inside her car.
010
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Somehow, this is not an AI hallucination. Why would an opinion columnist this bad keep their job? Because the person signing her checks wants her to influence public opinion. The Liberal media is a myth
Screenshot of a search query in google: "Maureen Dowd resign in disgrace"

Google's generally worthless AI overview correctly says there is no indication Dowd has resigned in disgrace and she's still with the NYT
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Could be worse. Unless the world is trying to tell me that "it" will happen soon -- then it could be great!
Screenshot saying my 2026 word is "mortifying"
010
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Deleted this because I didn't have the route right, but it really doesn't seem like it should have been possible to complete this from this frame:
The Chicago Bears had an open rush lane on the right side between the Guard and Tackle. Musgrave on the left side of the formation will eventually catch the ball about 10 yards downfield on the right side, seemingly defying physics.
020
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
www.govtrack.us/congress/bil...
Screenshot showing historical stats from previous congresses. Notably, the current one has enacted only 46 pieces of legislation, a historical low.
010
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
I saved this from your cereal reviews for when you have bad movie takes. This one's not *so* bad, but when else will I have an excuse?
Jamelle Boiue looks down at a bowl of (bad) cereal in a still image from a video. At the bottom, the captions from the video read "(dog whines off screen. Presumably in mourning.)"
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
I'm so sorry, but the only thing I could think about after Maggie introduced her was this: "Hi! I'm Troy McClure! You might remember me from such websites as BlueSky!"
Picture of Mina Kimes in the style of the Simpsons as used on the Simpsons NFL broadcast in 2024
020
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
I'm as unsatisfied with a tie as anyone, but between this stat and Jordan Love's play this season, once this team gets out of it's own way things should really get fun.
Graph charting QB performance with completion percentage above expected (CPOE) as the X axis from -10 to positive 10 and Expected points added (EPA) per play as the Y axis from -0.3 to positive 0.3.

Jordan Love's performance this season is in the upper right hand corner indicating that he playing at a very high level.
020
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
I will probably go my whole life without getting to issue a sic burn like this.
The Revocation Press Release stated that, “[o]n April 16, 2025, Secretary Noem
demanded Harvard provide information about the criminality and misconduct of foreign students
on its campus.” Id. And it asserted that “Harvard University brazenly refused to provide the
required information requested and ignored a follow up request from the Department’s Office of
General Council. [sic] Secretary Noem is following through on her promise to protect students and
prohibit terrorist sympathizers from receiving benefits from the U.S. government.”
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Maybe Harvard's many professional lawyers would have written back to Kristi if the message had been sent from the Office of General Counsel instead.
An except from the DHS announcement with "General Council" highlighted. The full passage reads "Harvard University brazenly refused to provide the required information requested and ignored a follow up request from the Department’s Office of General Council. Secretary Noem is following through on her promise to protect students and prohibit terrorist sympathizers from receiving benefits from the U.S. government."
110
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
@minakimes.bsky.social on today's @pablotorrefindsout.bsky.social vs Mina Kimes later today on Love is Kimes.
Screenshot from a CSPAN segment featuring then-Fortune Magazine writer Mina Kimes with a somber expression, dark clothing, and a bit of an emo-lookMina Kimes holding a gold wine glass up for a toast with a cheerful smile while recording a recent episode of Love is Kimes.
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
As Donald Trump gladhands, a person slightly behind him to the right of the screenshot silently holds a sign that reads "This is NOT normal"
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
A lawsuit which includes this nigh-incomprehensible paragraph:
Text from Drake's Lawsuit alleging: "Furthering the Recording's refrain that Drake is "not like us," the Recording alludes to Drake's Jewish Heritage, saying that Drake is "not a colleague" but "a fuckin' colonizer."
230
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
@lucyrohden.bsky.social watching college QBs -- especially at Iowa:
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
If you see this, I invite you to post a picture from your device with no context
A normally white American Eskimo dog looks up attentively while on a deck. His fur is stained green from having recently rolled in freshly cut grass as though it had been snow. He knows no better, for he is a dog.
000
Michael @mpborts.bsky.social · 28/10/2024
Iowa City's I voted stickers are excellent:
0230