I guess it's time for me to update this. Hi, all my new followers and people stumbling upon me. Let me tell you about me: - I am a Libertarian. Big L. NOT a Republican. NOT a Democrat. NOT a Liberal or Conservative. I guess you can technically call me a Classic Liberal. Some have called Libertarians "socially liberal and fiscally conservative" and yeah, that lines up with me pretty nicely. - Yes, I know my party - which is the Libertarian Party - has problems. I acknowledge them and try to help make them better. - I talk about politics and both agree and disagree with people you love and hate. If you came here to find an echo chamber, you're in the wrong place. I have some takes that not everyone is going to love. - I am very respectful in disagreement and debate. I'm not the one who's going to devolve into calling you names in a debate. I also welcome respectful debate. - Likewise, I am going to mostly ignore you calling me names. However, mistaking my kindness for weakness is a mistake. - I firmly believe that disagreement (on almost every subject) is not hatred. I follow a lot of people with whom I disagree sharply. - I'm an IT guy by trade - leadership currently, but I came up through the sysadmin and netadmin ranks. - I also talk about music of all types and I like most things. There is one huge exception that someone who knows me will almost always mention in the replies. - I also talk about sports, and am a fan of the @NHLFlames (#CofRed), @RedSox, @OhioStAthletics and @BuffaloBills (#LetsGoBuffalo📷📷) - and there are other teams I like, so we'll probably talk about that. - I live and work in@GoPSUsports (#WeAre) Country and in fact drive by Beaver Stadium on the way to work some days. So, we'll probably talk about @penn_state too - The sport I talk about most is curling, for sure, and I am what you would call a former curler at this point. That's worth more than just a list entry. - I have been called The Minister of the Pants by @curling. I talk a little more about that on my @redargyle profile but I'm talking about it more here. - I do have a LinkTree (in my bio) where I give you links to all my socials, and I have a lot of them, but I'm most active here. - I live in Central Pennsylvania, but I have lived in Rochester NY (#585represent), Enfield CT, and for shorter times in Buffalo NY, Calgary AB, Raleigh NC, Olean NY (@StBonaventure graduate), Vernon CT and Columbus OH - and I've been to lots of other places. - I majored in Mathematics and Spanish Literature in college and have done significant Masters level work in Information Technology and Romance Linguistics. Sí, hablo un poco de español... e estou tentando aprender português no momento. - Yes, I'm American, and yes, I talk a LOT about Canada, too. Our two countries are both great and we have a lot to learn from each other. Our two countries are also not perfect, and we do well to accept that. - I talk about other countries, too. I am most likely following your country's election, and if anyone doubts that, ask Brazil. - Yes, I criticize the government. Of just about every country :D. I am fighting for a world set free in our lifetime. - I talk a lot about places trying to break away and gain their sovereignty - Bougainville, Catalonia, New Caledonia, West Papua, among others - and places where there are significant independence movements - Quebec, the Basque region, Scotland, Greenland. - I think the U.S. territories should be granted statehood or sovereignty. I definitely don't think American Samoans should be denied citizenship. - I am never going to be for the annexation of another country. - I am never going to be in favor of the death penalty, for many reasons. - I'm #AlreadyAgainstTheNextWar. - Poutine is the greatest food on the planet and I will die on that hill. - You can disagree with any or all of that and we can still be friends. - I'm a real person. I promise. I am happy to connect and converse with you and with anyone - so feel free to tell your friends, connect, ask questions, whatever. Ask me anything. The photo below was taken by me of a sunset in Calgary in late 2019.

Ei, meus amigos brasileiros, vocês poderiam ajudar um amiga francês?

I don’t want to dwell on bad news and edgy messaging. I want to spend the day talking about some great candidates. Can we do that?

THIS. THIS is why I'm pissed. Asylum, if you're a buddy of the Trump Administration. THIS needs to be an issue.

I’m really pissed about this.

> puts people in detention centers for running a red light or screwing up paperwork. > grants a suspected money launderer asylum for losing an election.

Porque é claro que ele está na Argentina.

I’m sorry I haven’t posted much tonight. It’s because I went to a concert tonight. The Living Tombstone were actually really entertaining and wholesome.

This is the first time in about a decade that I'm looking forward to Halloween. I'm not a fan of this holiday. It's been a day of a lot of pain for me for a long time. But I've actually got a costume ready to go.

Meus novos amigos brasileiros, estou acompanhando de volta o mais rápido que posso. Eu VOU chegar até você. Sinta-se à vontade para me cutucar para garantir que eu faça isso rapidamente. Eu amo tanto todos vocês! Sua empolgação é contagiante.

Any Mega Ran fans in the house?

People in Brazil risking and losing their jobs for voting their conscience. Support who you want to support politically. Nobody should be fired for their vote. Voter intimidation undermines democracy.

Guys, I'm telling you. Portuguese is a gold mine of expletives. Seriously, I love all of this.

You KNOW I'm watching @PoliwaveCA for the Israeli election results. poliwave.com/il/live/knesset… - you can, too!!

What the last week and a half has taught me - between the Alberta referendum and the Brazil election, as well as elections in Serbia yesterday and in Israel as I post this - is that Americans are sheltered, in that we don't know a lot about the rest of the world and how their political systems work. As Americans, it’s easy to fall into the trap of viewing foreign politics strictly through our own domestic lens. But global political systems aren't just scaled-down versions of our Republican vs. Democrat binary. Multi-party coalitions, provincial federalism, and regional movements operate on distinct histories, legal frameworks, and local priorities that deserve to be understood on their own terms. We live in a deeply interconnected world, yet our media ecosystem often keeps us sheltered from what’s happening outside our borders. Instead of writing off international political debates or filtering them through our own cultural assumptions, we should take the time to learn about them directly. Expanding our perspective isn't just about keeping up with the news—it’s about becoming more thoughtful, informed global citizens. Let’s start paying closer attention.

JMFC why?

Hey, by the way, the Israeli election is today. Polls close in an hour and a half. I wonder what will happen. Feel free to speculate wildly below.

Ei, meus amigos brasileiros! Como está sendo a terça-feira de vocês?!

This may be an unpopular opinion. But including lunch? Including free time? Telling every local school district what policies they MUST have? I'm OK with putting phones away during class. That's reasonable. In 2026, when direct emergency contact between parent and child is made more reliable with technology and allows that communication to flow without filter, there no good reason for this. Dictating what a student can do during their down time during the school day is just wrong. Given that the average State House and Senate member is hovering close to 60 years old, I can see them being out of touch, but school districts should be pushing back. philadelphiaweekly.com/news/…

In 1964, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva lost his left little finger in a lathe accident, leaving him with nine fingers. So when Flávio Bolsonaro used the phrase "He gives with one hand and takes away with his nine fingers" during the final televised presidential campaign debate, it... didn't land well. A lot of people think this is the moment when Bolsonaro lost - that it was a mocking not just of Lula, but of the entire working class. And it was a totally unnecessary, tone-deaf unforced error. xitter.cf/GUnderground_TV/status…