Emo Philips (@emophilips.bsky.social) reposted
www.emophilips.com/shows
Writer of this and that. Reader of the other. Not a doctor, and my name isn't Vandermast. https://tinyurl.com/jasonmillshq
1,752 followers 2,310 following 2,791 posts
view profile on Bluesky Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Tempted!
Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) reposted
WARNER: Do you accept the fact that 1 million Americans died from covid? RFK Jr: I don't know how many died W: You're the secretary of health and human services. You don't have any idea how many Americans died from covid? RFK Jr: I don't think anybody knows that W: How can you be that ignorant?
Nicholas Grossman (@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social) reposted
I’ve studied US drone strikes, I wrote a book called “Drones and Terrorism,” and this Caribbean strike is different. Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social)
Post a PERFECT album from the 90s that isn’t Nirvana or Pearl Jam.
Matt Bell (@mdbell79.bsky.social) reposted
Just finished THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, to teach it in my Worldbuilding for Science Fiction & Fantasy class. It's at least the 7th time I've read it since 2018, according to my logs. It only gets better. "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
What is it, eight CHAPTERS of trekking across icy wastes? I'd be foundering after writing a PAGE of that, and she not only maintains it but makes it beautiful and gripping. Hats off.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Atheism doesn't require any reading of any scriptures. Indeed, it's everyone's default position before they can even talk, let alone read.
Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) reposted
Nigel Farage looks uncomfortable as Jamie Raskin uses his opening statement to absolutely demolish him
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
That is itself an interpretation of scripture. There is no accessible authority to arbitrate between the myriad flavours of Christianity, let alone other religions. Asserting the legitimacy of one entails accepting the legitimacy of them all. "What is truth?"
Tabatha Southey 🇨🇦 (@tabathasouthey.bsky.social) reposted
It’s not just that the President of the United States posted a video of eleven people being murdered in international waters it’s that the President of the United States ordered the murder of eleven people in international waters so he could post a video of it.
Lauren Starkey (@laurenhstarkey.bsky.social) reposted
I was on @lbc.co.uk with Nick Ferrari this morning to explain one simple fact: the Home Office is the most anti-family department in government. Labour’s new family reunion policy is yet another in a long line of policies designed to stop people who move from building meaningful family lives.
Lauren Starkey (@laurenhstarkey.bsky.social) reposted
PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM ALREADY HAVE FUCKING ID CARDS HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW THIS YOU ARE LITERALLY THE PRIME MINISTER
Alana Vincent (@alana-m-vincent.net) reposted
Here's my Peter S. Beagle story. I met him once, at a con, as I was just beginning my MA degree. I was in a bad marriage--not overtly abusive, but nothing I did for my husband was ever good enough and anything I did for myself was selfish. And I was still to young to see that for what it was.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Golly. Didn't know it was so long a process. I'd better write my novels, quick! 😜
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
By that reasoning, you have no more evidence for your view than for its opposite.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Including that bit about only 144,000(?) inhabitants, which the JWs cleave to. But most Christians seem to take a different view, expecting to go there and probably encounter all their relatives, and maybe even their pets.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Excellent work.
Todd Dillard (@toddedillard.bsky.social) reposted
my issue of Threepenny is here! here’s my poem “Present Tense,” I would love for you to give it a read! “I know this so loudly I don’t hear, at first, my father’s silence.”
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Good in Thunderheart too.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Except much brighter than what human eyes can observe. The night sky is not ablaze.
Marko Silberhand (@markosilberhand.bsky.social) reposted
. THIS is one of the biggest problems of our time . . . ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ .
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
* "inch further past".
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Patronising captions detracting as usual, and as usual a dozen cameras capturing this 'spontaneous' event.
Dan Sohege (@danielsohege.bsky.social) reposted
Without speaking for other human rights advocates, such as @zoejardiniere.bsky.social and @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social et al, but I think it's safe to say we are all knackered. I know there are good Labour MPs out there, we need to hear from them against this government's incessant hostile policies.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Corby & Sultana have been running a masterclass in how not to launch a party. I thought Change UK's directionless rambling, unburdened by consensus, was as feckless as it could get, but noooo.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Harold & Maude is enough. 👍😀
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
And that's swearing.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
How would we distinguish that from incomprehensible output that was not art?
leon (@leyawn.bsky.social) reposted
no matter your politics it’s disrespectful to joke about someone’s death. don’t say rudy giuliani died from driving his car into a wall painted to look like a tunnel and all his clothes flew off in the crash and then a sixteen wheeler semi truck ran over his dick and balls. don’t say stuff like that
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
This is exactly the video I would expect them to make. 😀
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
I thought the Hugos just happened? 🤔
Saul Staniforth (@saulstaniforth.bsky.social) reposted
IDF spokesperson: "we are doing everything we can to keep civilians out of harms way" Like dropping 2,000lb bombs on densely crowded refugee camps, killing 15 medics in cold blood, firing 355 bullets into a car to slaughter a family, double tap strikes to murder journalists etc?
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Good luck getting the Council of Europe to agree.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
You seem to conflate 'believing that atheism is an absence of belief in gods' with 'absence of belief in gods'. By this contrivance, not believing in the existence of fairies is a belief. But if you're implying atheism is 'no more' credible than Christianity, that in no way bolsters Christianity.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Heaven must be sparsely populated.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social)
Spot on. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy.bsky.social) reposted
YES! Thank you... Say it again, and again, and again. They are not "illegal immigrants". - seeking asylum is legal and has been since 1951.
dag (@davidallengreen.bsky.social) reposted
This how the framing is going. That a president has no power in the US constitution to do a thing is now being recast as the president having “no explicit power”. Subtle, devious, dangerous, treacherous shift. Sad and bad to see NYT adopting this spin on a headline.
Otto English (@ottoenglish.bsky.social) reposted
Douglas Carswell has skirted the line and now he's crossed it. This is disgusting racism from a former MP who now demonstrates who and what he is.
Mariana Z (@mariana057.bsky.social) reposted
My dad told me his password is: MickeyMinnieGoofyDonaldPlutoHuey LouieDewevDublin. Because he was told his password had to contain 8 characters and at least one Capital.
dag (@davidallengreen.bsky.social) reposted
Both the Lucy Connolly and the Epping hotel cases have now taken on a political-media existence of their own, unconnected with what actually happened in court. It doesn't matter there were published sentencing remarks in one and a judge-prepared summary in the other. People want stories instead.
Simon HB (@norock.bsky.social) reposted
Actually, Frankenstein is a doctor success at the Venice film festival
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Neither atheism nor Christianity is incompatible with agnosticism. The intractability of knowing for certain whether entities exist that are impervious to investigation is no reason to give the notion of their existence any credence, much less any particular highly specified version (like Jehovah).
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
You argued that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Yet now you argue that absence of belief is belief of absence. Pick a position.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
The Quakers seem quite nice. 🙂
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Hence this sonnet of mine. (From People of the Book: Sonnets in the Christian Mythos: mybook.to/peopleoftheb... )
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
If it's not true literally, what kind of true is it? Not an inarguable and unambiguous truth, but myriad truths determined by myriad readers. That's not a shared creed.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
We could any of us die at any time. You seem to be arguing that the faith that brings salvation is dependent on age, and meanwhile the age one reaches is entirely the whim of the being who could save us. That's a rigged game.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
"Sentiments almost always change the closer you get to your death bed." Citation needed.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Everything in the bible has self-evidently been 'dreamt of'. So you're arguing for the existence of unspecified things that the bible never mentions?
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
If all this is required to confidently live as the Bible's god desires you to, then virtually every Christian will have lived and died in error.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
You were interested enough to both read and reply.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Pretty sure most voters don't check the trends in bsky accounts to decide on a candidate.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
People give each other 'normal love' all the time, without involving intangible third parties. Atheism is the rational position regardless of whether you find it 'attractive'.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
If you have to decide for yourself which bits are relevant or "outdated", you've licensed every reader to settle on their own unique interpretation and abandoned the notion of a shared creed.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Atheism means: I have no belief that there are any gods. It would be 'intellectually dishonest' for me to take any other position. There could be gods, just as there could be fairies, but I've encountered nothing to convince me of either's existence.
🪶☘️Redi 🏳️🌈 🧷🇺🇦🖕->🌮 maga & 3rd party "non-committeds" 🖕 (@redincalif.bsky.social) reposted
This is absolute truth. Add in I've read the Book of Mormon & done a little bit of Jehovah Witness readings. I'm not being arrogant when I tell Bible thumpers that I probably know their book BETTER than them..I'm WARNING THEM to not TEST ME🤷♀️
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
And if you haven't the time... The Bible in Limericks: Each Chapter in Verse The fast, fun and irreverent way to find out what's in it! mybook.to/biblelimericks
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Well, now I'm a believer. 😀
Michelle Ilia 🌷 (@missrainbowpie.bsky.social) reposted
Reply to this and I'll tell you what animal you are based on vibes 🫶
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
I thought this might be unscientific woo-woo, but if it's based on vibes... 🤔
Kelly Turnbull (@coelasquid.bsky.social) reposted
Sometimes we’re unsatisfied with a thing we made because when it only existed in our head, we saw all the things it could have been and when it’s done we know all the things that it isn’t, but we can’t see the way it expands into a million new things when someone else unpacks it in their head. 🖊️🦑
Sara Charles (@saracharles.bsky.social) reposted
Look what the postie brought for me today @cathamclarke.bsky.social! That’s tomorrow’s reading sorted 😊
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Same! 😳
Buntglas (@buntglas.bsky.social) reposted
when you can't decide what color scheme you like best... #art
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
I like the blue. But also the red, and the white one's good.
Adam Roberts (@adamroberts.bsky.social) reposted
Presently reading this, "Tolkien and the Mystery Giuseppe of Pezzini Literary Creation" (CUP 2025). Not sure who the author is.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Your firm drinks rule effectively outlaws firm drinks.
Holly 🇺🇦🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈🇵🇸 (@mxhollyclara.bsky.social) reposted
Finished! Ork Deff Dredd. I was just able to get it varnished before the rains came this morning. Really fun to paint and has definitely helped restore my mojo. I’ll be selling him - so let me know if you’re interested.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
The reports that the president's butt has fallen off? You need evidence that the president's butt has not fallen off? Is it likely that the president's butt has fallen off?
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
I don't believe for a second, that the president's butt has fallen off. The suggestion that the president's butt has fallen off is a scurrilous rumour. The president's butt has not fallen off.
Kim Weeden (@weedenkim.bsky.social) reposted
Saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Rossiter, who told the stories of the many forgotten and underappreciated women of science. Like many women of her generation, she survived academia by developing a tough exterior, but her support for jr women, myself included, was unwavering. RIP, Margaret.
Jen Sorensen (@jensorensen.bsky.social) reposted
This week's comic, inspired by a study showing that AI summaries on top of search results are dramatically cutting traffic to websites.
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
That link seems to add no more information.
Mikaela 🏳️⚧️ (@crashannburn.bsky.social) reposted
Day 74
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Well. That was something.
Michael Whelan (@michaelwhelan.bsky.social) reposted
IN A WORLD OF HER OWN (2016) Acrylic on Canvas - 36" x 48" This painting arose from musing on an interview that Stanley Kubrick gave in 1968, a source of inspiration I have gone back to over the years, revisiting comments made by the director. 1/3
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Ouch!
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent
Endless Tobys. I'm getting vibes of Permutation City, by Greg Egan.
Joshua Pruett (@zombietardis.bsky.social) reposted
13 yrs ago today I finished my first draft of GYRO. That book is now in stores. This weekend I start writing GYRO book two. Today: I launched my first adult horror novel w my editor, (my 15th published book). No one cares how long this takes but you. Get writing that thing. It can change your life.
Chris Addison (@mrchrisaddison.bsky.social) reposted
Er. Apparently the show I made for Radio 3 earlier this year is back on for your delectation/irritation. Loved making this and there’s some right bangers on the playlist. Please to enjoy.
Sarah Murphy (@13sarahmurphy.bsky.social) reposted
There can be absolutely no “shock” about this. The media has been shamelessly platforming Reform all summer. All summer, we’ve had hate-mongering headlines about immigration. It’s a tedious and grim inevitability that you’ve made people angry enough to want to vote for this shit in response.
Dan Sohege (@danielsohege.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
What this move from the Home Office does do, and politicians have to know it will do this, is fuel the misinformation that people seeking asylum are living it up at the expense of others. It isn't just detached from reality, this actively stokes far right talking points. 2/
Dan Sohege (@danielsohege.bsky.social) reposted
Considering people seeking asylum living in hotels get less than a tenner per week, and those in other accommodation get less than 50 quid, this really is performative nonsense from the Home Office. People aren't buying fur coats and snowmobiles FFS. 1/ www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Bert’s Books (@bertsbooks.bsky.social) reposted
What's everyone reading this weekend?
Dr Vandermast (@drvandermast.bsky.social) reply parent