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Tom Comerford

@tomcomerford.bsky.social
649 followers 99 following 239 posts

info tech consultant and lifelong student of archaeology, astronomy, journalism, economics... and aspiring philanthropist

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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 18h
An important part of assessing the credibility of a message is knowing the underlying motivations.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Turns out that zealously believing something to be true doesn't obviate basic fact-checking.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Powell could defuse the situation simply by having "Remodeled by Prez DJT" engraved on the facade.
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Adam Grant @adamgrant.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The reports about the rapes at Cornell—and the lack of accountability—are sickening. So is the victim blaming: “If you don’t want to be raped, don’t go to a frat party.” Instead of telling girls and women to avoid harm, we should be raising boys and men not to commit it: Don’t. Rape. Women.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Our government is promoting discredited beliefs and practices. It's time to make them the out group.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Sowing distrust in the integrity of free and fair elections is pathetic, petulant, and undemocratic. It's also an acknowledgment of defeat.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
It seems so unnecessary. You are probably already their most memorable professor.
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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
It would be more than a little ironic if Trump's CNN/MS NOW/Politico tantrum (and the resulting lack of coverage the entire WHCA is going to provide) is what finally educates the press about the extent to which Trump needs *them* even more than they need him.
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Barb McQuade @barbmcquade.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The US Constitution is a blueprint for governing and a safety net for civil liberties, not an obstacle to be navigated for loopholes. Happy Constitution Day.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This is what integrity looks like.
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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Why I’m still proud to be an American and what I intend to do about it. joycevance.substack.com/p/on-being-a...
joycevance.substack.com
On Being an American
I am not ashamed to be an American.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
An important if chilling read. Even without gerrymandering, chaos around mail ballots, or the spectre of ICE at polling places, the mid-term election might be subverted. "This is how the crisis would unfold."...
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
"do whatever it takes to make sure you vote and your vote gets counted"
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I'm just so sad over this. I went there many times as a kid; had a membership and took my kids often; and recently took my grandson, who asks to go again whenever he's in the Philly area. It's part of the city's identity.
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Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 28/08/2026
Perseids xkcd.com/3287/
4-panel comic. (1) [Three people. The person on the left has shoulder-length hair; the person on the right has a white hat.] PERSON 1: I’m sad that we missed the Perseids. PERSON 2 with hat: There’s still the Geminids. PERSON 1: Yeah, but they’re in December. (2) PERSON 1: The Perseids happen when it’s warm enough to lie outside with a blanket, and we found a good mosquito-free beach. So we just lie around watching the stars and eating snacks. One year we saw the aurora. (3) PERSON 3 with shoulder-length hair: You know, I think I heard that the Perseids might be late this year. PERSON 2: Yeah, actually, I heard that too. (4) Later… [Three people lying down gazing up at stars in dark sky. One meteor is in the sky.] PERSON 3: Hm, seems like a normal number of meteors. Guess I heard wrong. PERSON 1: Maybe the Perseids are *next* weekend. PERSON 2: Oh, good thinking. Let’s come back then, just in case.
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Adam Grant @adamgrant.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
AI struggles to make creative leaps. Large language models are trained on data from the past. Original thinking involves recognizing novel patterns in the future. Machines converge; minds diverge. Long live human ingenuity.
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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Trump says a new report proves 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally in 2020. It doesn’t. The real story here is less about what the report says and why the Trump administration needs it—desperately—now. joycevance.substack.com/p/theyre-bui...
joycevance.substack.com
They’re Building The Excuse Now
On Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced a Department of Commerce “report” that claims more than 24,000 noncitizens illegally voted in the 2020 election.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
"It is vital that our society itself values truth and truth-telling."
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Interesting how the eclipse shows in the flare.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
The point about identity is critical to understanding the mindset, and the futility of trying to persuade.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Let's hope the number of new followers and subscribers assuages the dietary mishap.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
One by one, each Fed governor will be replaced by an AI. Every six weeks, they'll try to hack each other to set monetary policy.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
It's not so much that they forgot. It's more that they chose to not notice in the first place.
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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I’ve been tracking the slush fund/immunity deal in my newsletter since it happened in May & I’ll stay on it whether it’s in the headlines or not. My analysis is based on 25 years at DOJ & you can read along for free—because I believe our power is shared knowledge. Joycevance.substack.com
joycevance.substack.com
Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance | Substack
Worried about the state of the republic? Get the legal knowledge & analysis you need to be an advocate for democracy, along with a dose of savvy optimism. Click to read Civil Discourse with Joyce Vanc...
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Evidence of natural intelligence
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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The Fauci hearing was a disgrace. Here are some reminders of how it really went down in 2020. Never forget.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
It's fun to imagine his social media feed.
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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The headlines today were about Dr. Fauci, but Trump’s intent to expand his control of government & country in ways the Constitution sought to prevent & explicitly prohibited should be the biggest story. Read the analysis here: open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
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Barb McQuade @barbmcquade.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Trump is using all the levers of government to manipulate the 2026 election, damage to democracy be damned. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump administration drive to seize election powers sparking ‘chaos’ despite pushback
US courts, state officials and Democrats warn that moves are endangering voting rights and the rule of law
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Maybe the guy didn't care so much, because he had just stolen it from someone else.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Wouldn't those who pay for the "service" meet the definition of an insider?
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Congratulations, professor!
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
I have never been prouder of my hometown!
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
It's Schrödinger's Strait of Hormuz.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Well done, and you didn't even mention diapers!
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Your ability to answer that question is why we follow you.
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Adam Grant @adamgrant.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
The definition of a true fan: You’d rather see your team lose fairly than win unfairly.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Independence is a process, not a single event. We can celebrate, but we also must keep working to maintain and improve it.
static.klipy.com
Snoopy & Woodstock: Happy 4th of July America!
Alt: Snoopy & Woodstock: Happy 4th of July America!
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Barb McQuade @barbmcquade.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Happy Independence Day. Love of country means defending our democracy and working toward a more perfect union.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
This should be required reading (or listening) by any candidate for House or Senate. And anyone else who cares about our democracy.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
I just finished reading @barbmcquade.bsky.social 's excellent book The Fix. It's an outrage-inducing chronicle of autocratic abuses, with specific recommendations for restoring and strengthening our democracy. This book should be required reading for any House or Senate candidate this year.
Cover image of "The Fix" by Barbara McQuade
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
"We are very proud of what we have done with this magnificent structure", he says, acknowledging himself as the vandal-in-chief.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Science denialism
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
A classy gesture, and a reminder that disagreement doesn't require dehumanizing.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
A key point in addressing any form of misinformation: "When trust breaks down, misinformation doesn't have to be convincing. It only has to be available."
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Call him whatever you want, based on how he does.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
This is deeply concerning; "a single big picture story".
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Some things can't be unseen. But anyway, thanks for today's earworm.
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Tom Comerford @tomcomerford.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
He was an immensely popular professor, much loved, and absolutely my favorite.
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