Shepard Kollock

Shepard Kollock

@shepardkollock.bsky.social

First Amendment fanboy, avocational historian and radical moderate.

438 followers1K following979 posts

How do you know this is BS? (Beyond the fact it came out of Trump's mouth.) If Trump was, in fact, at Ground Zero on 9/11, he would have been talking about it NON-STOP for YEARS afterward. He wouldn't have been able to stop himself.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Trump claims he was basically lifted out of the rubble on 9/11: "Two fireman, big strong guys, they grabbed me under the arms -- 'got to get our of here!' -- and they literally lifted me up, and they started running with me."

How long does it take before the tech giants realize they can take our water then make a killing selling us bottled water because what comes from our taps is undrinkable?

Zack Polanski@zackpolanski.bsky.social

Right now the government is putting our communities, our water security and our climate ambitions second to the demands of tech giants. It's time to slam the brakes on water-guzzling, energy hungry datacentres.

Bernie rocks!

This week I sat down with Bernie Wagenblast, the voice of the NYC subway system - a sound that any New Yorker can recognize almost instantly. We discussed how she got the job, her experience as a trans woman in New York City, and so much more. Watch the full stream below: youtu.be/XuAqiaCvxT8?...

Drive through Delaware Water Gap NRA and see the impact of years of slashed budgets: the roads suffering from decades of neglect, structures vandalized and collapsing, skeleton staff. Locals understandably still furious about land taken by the government for a failed dam project.

Kean thinks he'll get votes for standing against a proposal that never had a chance of actually coming to pass. Can't believe he'd think people would see this and overlook his 4 month disappearance.

If ICE wants you dead, they'll find any way to make it happen. They're sure they can act with impunity. First against people they consider "illegal" or "paid protestors." Ultimately, against any of us, for little to no reason at all. The message: fall in line or face judge/jury/executioner.

Amee Vanderpool@girlsreallyrule.bsky.social

ICE claims that Araujo drove into one of their SUVs with his van and then tried to run over an agent. There were no marks on the van and KHOU11's Jeremy Rogalski found surveillance footage showing ICE chasing Araujo and cutting him off. Renee Good all over again.

Seeing this among posts re: Platner today make me wonder: How many otherwise ideal potential women candidates have NOT run for office because they were victims of acquaintance rape/SA in the past and concerned they'll be painted as "loose" if it comes out in oppo research?

Kelly@broadwaybabyto.bsky.social

There are between 400,000 and 500,000 untested rape kits in the US. If you go to the police you will be put on trial. Asked what you were wearing, why you were with him etc Many will dissuade you from pressing charges Some police are rapists themselves “Just go to the police” is not a solution

I was once called a Pollyanna for expressing an enduring hope. Indeed, hope is an active verb which gnaws at all that is negative, with the persistent drive to destroy all that is negative. It's the fuel that keeps us moving toward a better future. Be brave. Have hope.

🗽LOLGOP🗽@lolgop.bsky.social

"Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands upon us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position. It is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism."

Shepard Kollock reposted

A $3 @mta.info subway fare and some good Q train timing can buy you one hell of a view of the July 4th fireworks and the Brooklyn Bridge light show! Huge shoutout to the train operator for slow rolling over the Manhattan Bridge and the conductor for announcing it.

Weird how Trump didn't just Sharpie the hot weather away.

Katharine Hayhoe@katharinehayhoe.com

Climate change is literally canceling US independence Day celebrations. The July 4 parade in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American independence, has been canceled due to extreme heat. Heat waves aren’t new - what’s new is that climate change is making them hotter and more dangerous.

So many Americans have been diagnosed with depression or have friends/family who have been. Many of us have sought treatment and are sympathetic to those still working through the process. Kean could have taken faith in that and released a statement *months ago.* But no.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Rep. Tom Kean finally speaks after months away from Congress for a previously unexplained absence: "I was given the diagnosis of depression ... the doctors recommended I remain in the hospital to address my illness"

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Kean will show up for votes now, but he'll still be invisible to constituents outside of Eagle Scout ceremonies and talks with carefully vetted groups. Same as before, only now he'll run from people asking why he couldn't be more transparent when it mattered.

So many Americans have been diagnosed with depression or have friends/family who have been. Many of us have sought treatment and are sympathetic to those still working through the process. Kean could have taken faith in that and released a statement *months ago.* But no.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Rep. Tom Kean finally speaks after months away from Congress for a previously unexplained absence: "I was given the diagnosis of depression ... the doctors recommended I remain in the hospital to address my illness"

His advisors could have formed a coalition of "good Christian" GOP leaders (hey, Mike Johnson!) to urge support and understanding among MAGA. Maybe even form a prayer circle for Kean. But instead they let the rumor mill run rampant -- total political consultant malpractice.

Couldn't sleep last night for all the anticipation of the return of "Transparent" Tom Kean today.

CNN@cnn.com

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. will be “fully transparent” about his nearly four-month absence when he returns to Washington on Tuesday, a spokesperson told CNN. https://cnn.it/4xUYFPf

The one thing we do know for sure is that on June 30, Kean will be appearing before one friendly reporter and a carefully-curated group of "constituents" to make a statement, w/no Q&A, before disappearing into obscurity (but he'll show for floor votes & fundraising events). It's his brand.

Shepard Kollock reposted

Your Prime Day reminder that half of Amazon warehouse workers struggle with food & housing costs. A third have had to rely on government assistance like SNAP — which was gutted last year. If Bezos can spend $500M on a yacht, Amazon can afford to treat its workers with dignity.

Democracy has its issues, yes, but it does provide means for the governed to allocate spending to areas most in need. When so many of our neighbors are struggling, why should we have to count on the grace of the wealthy to decide which causes are worthy of funding?