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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 10/09/2026

I’m pretty pleased at what an imperial cult freakshow the Republican midterm convention is so far. I will say a prayer for the fact-checkers who have walked into Mordor to do their jobs. May their memories be a blessing forever.

Film image of Tulsa Doom - religious cult leader from “Conan the Barbarian”

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 04/09/2026

After Brian Shortsleeve lost the MassGOP convention so badly, it was stunning to see how much money his SuperPAC spent telling republicans what a shady, frightened, untrustworthy liberal Mike Minogue was. (It was a good time!) #mapoli

Four large format paper campaign mailers against Brian Shortsleeve

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 01/09/2026

So the MassGOP this morning is undermining confidence in our safe and secure #mappli elections with blast text messages. (And their “election integrity experts”? What clowns.) Can’t wait for these evil people all losing in November.

Start of text message about potential election fraud

More text about how republicans can report fraud

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 31/08/2026

So one of Brian’s SuperPACs sent out this cool dark lit about Mike. I realized Mike should have gone for dark, somewhat-scary-guy branding, something like Kingpin running for Mayor in the Daredevil series. He’d lose by 10 points less and the campaign would be way more fun. #mapoli

Dark colored Campaign mailer saying Mike Minogue cannot be trusted

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 04/07/2026

For Independence Day, I took my kids to listen to a dramatic reading of The Declaration of Independence in a colonial-era town. The list of grievances against The King were quite… familiar! Let the whole country remember them.

Woman at dais holding up Declaration of Independence

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 30/04/2026

The man in power made a terrible choice. But we are going to name the scandal after the woman? Again? Correct headline: "How Mike Vrabel is surviving the scandal he created." #mapoli

Boston Globe headline: "How Mike Vrabel is surviving the Dianna Russini scandal"

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 26/04/2026

What's revealing about Minogue+Deaton "winning" at MassGOP convention is they have no historical participation or identification as Republicans. These millionaires saw a general election slot and reserved chairs in front of gullible journalists and rented them all for a year-long ego trip. #mapoli

Political mailers from Mike Minogue's enemies claiming he has been a republican for only one year.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 19/04/2026

Large expensive mailer arrives from MassGOP gubernatorial 'candidate' Brian Shortsleeve. [Ahem] "Brian, help is available. You don't have to keep feeling this way. It's not normal to walk around thinking like this. Millions of others feel this way. Several have recovered. You aren't alone." #mapoli

Political mailer claiming that Maura Healey loses re-election as governor of Massachusetts.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 17/04/2026

I've never seen so much money spent on an utterly hopeless race. Three unknown wealthy Trump supporters are waging a war to concede to Governor Healey at 8:30 p.m. on Election Night. #mapoli 1/2...

Group of large colorful political mailers

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 16/04/2026

Yesterday, I always laugh when I see our state's option to pay higher taxes, long an oddity of #mapoli, that became law as an option for people who think the government needs more money. Though it's super rare anyone does.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 07/04/2026

I've seen decades of MassGOP primary candidate mailers. This one was unique. An all-pink mailer where Brian Shortsleeve's wife tells me what a fundamentally good man she married? (Yes, it was obviously written by consultants.) What a total, anachronistic cringe. #mapoli

Picture of typed letter and envelope, bright pink paper.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 04/04/2026

My 8th grade son had to do a grocery store standout fundraiser for his school trip to Washington DC. His pitch: “Help 8th graders see the horror of our national government.” They raised a lot of money.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 24/03/2026

Been thinking about the life and politics of just-departed Chuck Norris, whom I admired greatly as a young quite-amateur practitioner in the 1970s-1990s. (I almost bought the jeans!) I'd never followed his non-martial-arts movies or "Walker, Texas Ranger." I wasn't the demographic. 1/2

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 22/01/2026

Genuinely sad at the passing of John Allen, the word's greatest chronicler and inquisitor of Catholicism. A man of faith yet skepticism, politics yet humanity, pride yet shame - he built an authority that gained the trust of all. He taught me so much. May perpetual light shine upon him.🙏 ✝️ 😔

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 13/01/2026

A #mapolo polling firm sent me a survey, and they wanted to know how I viewed The Emperor. Someone please tell me about the life of the person who has never heard of him.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 07/01/2026

As I pretty much only see little kid shows these years, the series finale of "Tumble Leaf" - one of the greatest and most beautiful children's shows of all time - had an ending that was truly surprising, metaphysical, and awe-inspiring. It was a mouth-open "wow".

Screenshot of ship flying away in last episode of "Tumble Leaf"

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 06/01/2026

Every January 6, I think of all the Republicans I know who were horrified by what Trump and his followers did. And then I think of how they voted to give him power again. They don't actually have principles, there is only power, and what conservative media tells them to do that will achieve it.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 19/12/2025

The picture of HHS sec Noem is frightening. It's like she's... undead. From this story: www.nytimes.com/live/2025/12... static01.nyt.com/images/2025/...

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 13/12/2025

Happy 100th birthday to the perpetually optimistic Dick Van Dyke. You have made me smile hundreds of times in my life. And now my children also. God bless you.

Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews on rooftop in "Mary Poppins" movie

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 13/12/2025

So Republicans are once again promising America a new healthcare plan.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 04/12/2025

IT WAS NEVER ABOUT CRIMINALS

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 18/10/2025

Today will be the largest protest in America’s history. You can feel where this is all going. Join us in saving the country!

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 06/10/2025

Hallelujah! Someone listened to my call to stop hyperlinking and return to footnotes. The Washington Post in this investigative story has little footnotes that expand to show you a citation without leaving the story. 👏👏👏 www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

Washington Post story using inline note citations

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 02/10/2025

As of today, another rich, white, middle-aged conservative Trump supporter with no political experience seeks high office in Massachusetts. He has money and reads the WSJ, so he will do well, right? #mapoli

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 25/09/2025

We've been suffering through the angry and foolish testimonies of these drawings for almost two years, the dutiful acts of masochism for the enlightened voter. So it is a sign of Nero's faltering support that even these people are now deserting The Emperor. Thank God. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

drawings of voters from focus group in new york times

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 24/09/2025

Kasparov is right! The autism and UN speeches are a reminder that this mentally broken, confused and angry old man is not running the comprehensive, 24/7 reign of terror we are seeing. Who is?

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 20/09/2025

Ms.Hajjar of the Boston Globe continues to go with the tired Trump-is-messing-up-his-righteous-plans narrative. She cannot accept that what we are seeing is real. That his minions are not making mistakes. This is the plan. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/18/o...

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 16/09/2025

A younger, less committed mind would have seen that the blacklists were not an opportunity to call for restraint from those creating them, but for others to adjust their thinking around what we are seeing. And boy, was this ending so very weak:

We’d all be better off if we spent less time scouring the internet for people to be mad at.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 16/09/2025

As usual, The Globe's political reporting disappoints. This mis-framed piece (it didn't 'fall apart', it never existed) - was better than others, but was sometimes silly. I laughed when they listed his advantages, which were just three different ways of saying he had money. #bospoli

Kraft carried significant advantages for a challenger in a Boston mayor’s race: name recognition, a long history of philanthropy and nonprofit work, experienced political staff, and a fat checkbook.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 10/09/2025

It's 9:15 with just 13% in. What will the chasm between Wu and Kraft be? I am going to guess 37%. #bospoli

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 10/09/2025

Boy, The new Washington Post Editorial board can be childish at times. The idea that this level of running around grabbing innocent people does not have to be cruel? Dear Lord, the people who would do this have no intention of being anything else.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 07/09/2025

The Globe’s coverage of the mayor’s race continues to be an embarrassment. It now says @wutrain.bsky.social only winning the prelim by a landslide and not a history-making margin - so close to the final would be a “sign of weakness” that could help Kraft gain “momentum.” Dear. Lord! #bospoli

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 31/08/2025

Brian Shortsleeve just texted all registered Republican likely voters in #mapoli and opened with, “Maura Healey has destroyed Massachusetts.” I mean, the election is more than a year away. Where do you go after saying *that*? 🙄

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 29/08/2025

Risks? Dear Lord. Good journalism organizations need something better than “critics say….” when the action in question is 100% against the public interest. Maybe, “Experts see corruption, tyranny, and mass suffering”

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 26/08/2025

The Globe app and website have a banner (below) asking you to go to google and change your source preferences so that the Globe comes up higher in your results. How strange!

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 23/08/2025

The Boston Globe blows it again. Headline and story should have gone with, “American dictator tries to wipe out dissent across private sector.” Instead we get the strangeness of The Emperor with too little fear.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 13/08/2025

The City of Lynn police department has a summer event today where kids can bring water guns and shoot the police, who apparently... will shoot back. OK! #mapoli

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 12/08/2025

Uh... @nytimes.com - what exactly does "friendlier economic data" mean? I get this headline was not easy. I'd have said, "Trump, looking for opposition to economic data, names new statistics chief."

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 07/08/2025

Important media story examining the latest case of Republicans manufacturing Democrat positions and then weaponizing them. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/b...

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 28/07/2025

Good morning! Time for educated Americans to volunteer for another beating, as the NYT's 2024 sequel to 2017's "Diners with MAGA" tour has yet another installment exploring the philosophies of our least informed citizens. (Please move your face into the path of the oncoming two-by-four.)

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 09/07/2025

Any major-office MassGOP primary becomes a purgatory. Lately I keep getting bonkers messages from some odd anti-Shortsleeve group. Who would attack a guy with zero chance of becoming governor? #mapoli

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 22/06/2025

Back at Sherman’s, checked to see if @scotlehigh.bsky.social’s book is still available - and glad to see it is! 👍

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 20/06/2025

Dear NYTimes, have you considered that Emperor Nero is not a strategic thinker, but a deranged maniac who has no idea what he’s doing and changes his mind on a whim? You refuse to believe your own reporting of who he is.

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 15/06/2025

In fact, one of the best father movies of all time is about an unmarried criminal who has to learn to be a father in “Despicable Me”!

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Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook.com · 05/06/2025

Now that everyone knows DOGE stole everyone’s personal data and just fired and killed lots of people instead of saving money, what will Republicans think about months of constant promises about their DOGE “refund check”? (Usual amount: 5K) DOGE dominated GOP messaging and fundraising since Day 1.

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