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Matthew Murrey

@mytwords.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.1K following 1.1K posts

Poet (LITTLE JOY - Cornerstone Press, 2026 and BULLETPROOF - Jacar Press, 2019), retired school librarian, and Midwest transplant from Florida long, long ago. he/him/his More at www.matthewmurrey.net #poetsonbluesky

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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 16h
Just a reminder that @planetmoney.bsky.social "journalists" are Wall Street tools. www.npr.org/2026/10/15/n... (2:25 - 2:37): "We at Planet Money have one last idea for an easy fix: Social Security still has a couple trillion dollars left, why not invest it in the stock market."
npr.org
Social Security could soon run out of money. Here are some possible solutions
Social Security may run short of money to make full payments to retirees as soon as 2032. The team from NPR's Planet Money examines possible solutions.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
static.klipy.com
Arcade Space Invaders
Alt: GIF showing the screen from the 1980s arcade game "Space Invaders" Features dark screen with moving little "aliens" being targeted by two red laser guns.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
A few that just came to mind: Lucky Life Satan Says Diving Into the Wreck Blessing the Boats Left Out in the Rain What Work Is
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
👏👏👏
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Atrophy - Servitude - Decline
Rubio wearing Florsheim Oxfords (Image: Getty) 
Photo showing a man in blue dress pants wearing black Florsheim dress shoes that are about three sizes too big for his feet. Photo of Marco Rubio bending over to a seated Donald Trump in the the Oval Office. (Photo: White House)Photo of Marco Rubio during a White House meeting in March 2025 where Zelensky was rudely hounded and scolded by Trump and Vance. Rubio (in a suit, wearing a blue tie) is awkwardly slumped down, looking uncomfortable and embarrassed and cowardly.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
www.yahoo.com/news/politic...
yahoo.com
Western civilisation at risk of 'atrophy, servitude and decline', Rubio says
In a speech overlooking the Acropolis, the US Secretary of State also said the US believes Europe "can awaken from its long slumber".
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Back from travel and not on here for a week. What a nice surprise to find you posting this. You are too kind 😊.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"Stupid intelligence" recommends "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence." Um, okay. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump AI deal rebrands ‘artificial intelligence’ as ‘superintelligence’
The US president announces vague ‘morally binding’ AI agreement among tech CEOs for ‘tremendous self-policing’
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Or maybe it was just "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" showing again...
static.klipy.com
James Stewart Jimmy Stewart in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'
Alt: GIF of Jimmy Stewart in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' (1939). He's got dark hair, an black blazer and white shirt unbuttoned at the collar and is wearing a diagonally-striped necktie.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
New episode of "Schmitt's Creek" just dropped. It's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Columbo's Puzzled Reaction
Alt: GIF of TV detective, Columbo, displaying a very puzzled reaction. He's in an dull tan dress jacket with a white shirt and dark brown tie.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
At least this was satire. Not Peter Thiel #technofascists
static.klipy.com
Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) Crying and Gesturing
Alt: GIF of Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) crying and gesturing as if to say "Come here." He's wearing his signature gray suit top with a closed stiff collar and no visible buttons or zipper.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Human brain is two separate organs, Stanford Medicine-led research finds med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...
Organ grinder with monkey.  Title: The organ grinder / Overspeck, Hamilton, O. Date Created/Published: c1892. Available at Library of Congress.Man playing a VERY LARGE pipe organ in Taiwan. A visiting organist in Taiwan's National Concert Hall in Taipei. Photo: Alton Thompson
By Alton.arts at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65369977
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
And those damn Biden tariffs are really hitting us hard, too.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
They are back! In Illinois. Sandburg would love seeing this. www.fs.usda.gov/r09/midewin/...
fs.usda.gov
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie - The Bison Project - Homepage
In 2015, through a partnership agreement with the National Forest Foundation and the USDA Forest, 27 bison were introduced as a restoration experiment. In the beginning there were 23 cows and four bul...
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
?
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Well at this point we're talking past each other. I do appreciate your clarifying your numbers. I think the basic inequities and race-based disparities of student performance are rooted in poverty which I see as driven by the mass transfer of wealth upward. I don't think just schools can solve that.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Schools serving very poor families have conflicting goals - challenge well-prepared students AND improve poorly performing students (often in the same crowded classes). Addressing educational & behavioral issues in such schools requires far more staff - which costs a lot. That's been my experience.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Her point is not this or that school. It's the whole system. If you have a very selective school only taking high achievers, those students will perform at lower overall costs. I'd agree that money ONLY for schools won't do it if families can't thrive on regular 1 or 2 full-time salaries.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
And it's in Brooklyn (with exorbitant costs of living). And the Billionaire/War class siphoning money up into their pockets & away from productive workers creates broad social conditions that immiserate entire communities like where I live and worked in public schools. So yeah, it's the kleptocracy
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Capt. Smith assured everyone on board that even though the the collision had caused a lot of damage, he'd push ahead for a second iceberg that would help steady the ship until help could arrive.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The Billionaire/warmonger class that runs the US spends about $65K a year to maintain the 4th highest incarceration rate in the world: www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison...
prisonstudies.org
Highest to Lowest - Prison population rate | World Prison Brief
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I block people who make up BS and post it. Your numbers are pure rubbish: Census Bureau: May 7, 2026 — Nationally, public school current spending per pupil rose 6.6% from $16,526 in fiscal year (FY) 2023 to $17,619 in FY 2024. www.census.gov/newsroom/pre... HOWEVER...
census.gov
Public School Spending Per Pupil Reaches Historic High in 2024
Spending continues to increase to $17,619 per pupil, the highest on record, even as federal revenue decreased by 4.4%.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I found myself tearing up near the end of this piece by Nikole Hannah-Jones. The kindness & respect she shows teachers & administrators forced into no-win situations in school systems which (like many of the families using them) are resource-starved in the US war-and-billionaire dedicated economy.
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Reposted by Matthew Murrey
jonah valdez @jonahmv.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
NEW: Patriots Owner Robert Kraft said he has spent years “building bridges.” So we counted every $ Kraft’s foundation has donated to the Friends of the IDF and his giving to several pro-Israel groups that espouse Islamophobia and genocide denial. ✍️ @theintercept.com theintercept.com/2026/09/18/r...
theintercept.com
Robert Kraft Claims His Donations Help Palestinians. Turns Out He’s Funding Friends of the IDF.
An analysis of tax forms by The Intercept show Kraft’s charity and LLC have donated to Friends of the IDF and AIPAC’s super PAC.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
static.klipy.com
I'll Have What He's Having - When Harry Met Sally
Alt: GIF of famous scene in When Harry Met Sally. Woman in the diner saying "I'll have what she's having" after seeing Sally's faked orgasm. In this GIF the words have been changed to "I'll have what he's having."
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Oh, and as far as the past, this 1979 album cover of "Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws" by one of my favorite musicians - Bruce Cockburn - came to mind.
Album cover of Bruce Cockburn's "Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws" (1979) which is very colorful and show s what looks like a larva-like creature made of colored panels of green, blue, red, etc. The background of the album is like a wash of bright yellow, pink, red, orange, etc.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I saw you post about half an hour ago and then I'm watching @democracynow.org hosting an interview with @rhiannongiddens.bsky.social who has a new album out with a gorgeous cover. BTW, the interview is wonderful, too.
Album cover of Rhiannon Giddens newest album "Hope is the Thing With Feathers." Features a mural-like collage image of a woman and a bird and features many colors such as red, green, yellow, purple, brown, etc.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I feel you.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Funny SpongeBob SquarePants Moment
ALT: Funny SpongeBob SquarePants Moment
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
National League Wild Card race...yikes! Pressure is on @cubsbot.bsky.social
Screenshot of MLB National League wild card standings showing 
Cubs: 85 wins 68 losses
Phillies: 85 wins 68 losses
Padres: 84 wins 69 losses
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
www.mlb.com/cubs/video/d...
mlb.com
Tyrone Taylor's leaping grab into the ivy | 09/15/2026
Tyrone Taylor shows off his leather in left field, leaping to make an outstanding catch at the wall in the 7th inning
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
How one imagines the vines feel at #WrigleyField vs. how they really feel. @cubsbot.bsky.social 9-15-26 #TyroneTaylor #LeftField #GoCubs
Official Presidential portrait of Barack Obama by Kehinde Wiley (2018). Potrait shows Obama sitting in a casual suit (no tie) in an elegant wooden chair surrounded by green vines (and flowers) Photo (screen-grab) of Chicago Cubs left fielder, Tyrone Taylor hitting the outfield, ivy covered brick wall in left field as he makes a spectacular catch for an out in a game versus The Atlanta Braves on Sept. 15, 2026.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Thanks for writing this. Reposting and shared it on FB.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This is such a good piece. 👇
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
John Heartfield revisited with the bright, young fascist, J.D. Vance.
Photo montage by John Heartfield with original German title: "Millionen stehen hinter mir! Kleiner Mann bettet um grosse Gaben" - trans. Millions Back Me! - Little Man Asks for Great Gifts
Shows Hitler in profile saluting so that his hand is taking stacks of money from a very portly and rich capitalist looming over him from behind.
Date: 1932ALTERED Photo montage of the original by John Heartfield (1932) with original German title: "Millionen stehen hinter mir! Kleiner Mann bettet um grosse Gaben" - trans. Millions Back Me! - Little Man Asks for Great Gifts
Original showed Hitler in profile saluting so that his hand is taking stacks of money from a very portly and rich capitalist looming over him from behind. But in this ALTERED version Hitler's face has been replaced by J.D. Vance's face.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
And Macklemore is a mensch.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I see a basket of deplorables.
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Reposted by Matthew Murrey
ProPublica @propublica.org · 14/09/2026
NEW: Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin Umar Kremlev footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses at Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish wedding, including renting out a private island and paying for the fireworks show.
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Wonder if my car will run on Irish Whiskey? www.cnn.com/2026/09/13/p...
cnn.com
Trump says he’ll remove tariffs on Irish whiskey | CNN Politics
On foreign land but home turf, Donald Trump presented the Irish Open trophy to Shane Lowry at the president’s Doonbeg golf course. He also presented a parting gift: the elimination of tariffs on Irish...
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Worth reading. A tough and stunning assessment of the last 25 years.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Good question. I think people were as stubborn about whack things, but when I'd disagree with someone in person (pre-internet) the spoken back-and-forth had more space for openings (e.g. "I see your point there, but what about this & this...") Online feels narrower to me, and the stakes are public.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Those are all excellent contenders for most disastrous. I'd also offer NAFTA for Clinton and then for all the following administrations, doing little to nothing to stop the climate catastrophe (Obama/Biden) or aggressively attacking climate crisis action (Bush-Kyoto & Trump-everything).
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Couldn't help but reading this as, "What are you doing with your one wild and precious midlife existential crisis?"
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Reposted by Matthew Murrey
Tom the Dancing Bug, by Ruben Bolling @rubenbolling.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Funny, I remember moments after the towers collapsed he was safely esconsed in his midtown office bragging on local TV that he now owned the tallest building in lower Manhattan. www.politico.com/video/2016/0...
politico.com
Donald Trump says his building is tallest in lower Manhattan after fall of twin towers
Trump calls into WWOR-TV about the 9/11 attacks. From Fox 5 News NY: http://bit.ly/2cspghV
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Well, when you've got such painful and debilitating bone spurs you're bound to get a little confused about who/how/when you got carried out of harm's way...
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Pictures from a lovely reading on August 27th in Chicago at @riversandroadscafe.bsky.social
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Those are great pictures! and thank you so much for being there, reading, and posting this.
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Charlotte Charles's Iconic Globe Dance
ALT: Charlotte Charles's Iconic Globe Dance
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Matthew Murrey @mytwords.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
www.commondreams.org/news/trump-t...
commondreams.org
'Absolutely Bonkers' and 'Unacceptable': Trump Posts Map Showing US Takeovers of Other Nations | Common Dreams
US President Donald Trump sparked global outrage with a map showing the US flag over multiple other countries, elevating fears of his imperialist "Donroe Doctrine."
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