This skeet will self destruct
@pardoguerra.bsky.social
Sociologist at UC San Diego. Author of Automating Finance (2019) & The Quantified Scholar (2022) http://tinyurl.com/2p82v69n Director Latin American Studies (2023-?) and the International Institute (2024-26) at UC San Diego.
Pinned
Influencer intellectuals, a quick summary
In my newfound condition as a part-time bureaucrat, I have dropped the ball on some of my academic projects. I’ve carved out a little bit of time in between grant applications, emails, and pa…
pardoguerra.org
Ok, so I typed down some definitional thoughts on what makes an Influencer Intellectual so unique. I consider this my academic contribution of the year, thank you.
pardoguerra.org/2024/11/14/i...
pardoguerra.org/2024/11/14/i...
Reposted by This skeet will self destruct
This post got me thinking: what is actually the "manifesto" or platform of the @democrats.org today? And to give partial answers to the question, I scraped and analyzed about ~100 pages of congressional representatives to get a sense of the issues that mater for them. Below, some findings:
It's Politico, but can anyone tell me what the Democratic Party stands for in 2026? 'Cause it seems like they start bowing down the minute there's any opposition from capitalists.
Democratic advisers are warning their candidates not to go too hard at AI
September 18, 2026 at 4:13 PM
This post got me thinking: what is actually the "manifesto" or platform of the @democrats.org today? And to give partial answers to the question, I scraped and analyzed about ~100 pages of congressional representatives to get a sense of the issues that mater for them. Below, some findings:
This post got me thinking: what is actually the "manifesto" or platform of the @democrats.org today? And to give partial answers to the question, I scraped and analyzed about ~100 pages of congressional representatives to get a sense of the issues that mater for them. Below, some findings:
It's Politico, but can anyone tell me what the Democratic Party stands for in 2026? 'Cause it seems like they start bowing down the minute there's any opposition from capitalists.
Democratic advisers are warning their candidates not to go too hard at AI
September 18, 2026 at 4:13 PM
This post got me thinking: what is actually the "manifesto" or platform of the @democrats.org today? And to give partial answers to the question, I scraped and analyzed about ~100 pages of congressional representatives to get a sense of the issues that mater for them. Below, some findings:
We need more of this:
www.theverge.com/tech/980142/...
www.theverge.com/tech/980142/...
Help build a monument to that ‘sad little bitch’ Elon Musk
Anything is on the cards.
www.theverge.com
September 18, 2026 at 3:08 PM
We need more of this:
www.theverge.com/tech/980142/...
www.theverge.com/tech/980142/...
Is apocalypsemaxxing a thing?
September 18, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Is apocalypsemaxxing a thing?
This is atrocious. “Massive course and program closures” because leadership played the real estate game (bought a bunch of fancy buildings and now can’t bear the burden) and sucked at it. Just atrocious.
'The University and College Union (UCU)’s Edinburgh branch said staff had been called into “informal meetings at less than 24 hours' notice” and told not to bring union representatives.'
Fear and anger as university set to announce 'massive course and programme closures'
Asked to respond, a university spokesperson said that staff and students were recently informed of changes to “our future academic offering across…
www.heraldscotland.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:22 PM
This is atrocious. “Massive course and program closures” because leadership played the real estate game (bought a bunch of fancy buildings and now can’t bear the burden) and sucked at it. Just atrocious.
Reposted by This skeet will self destruct
"knowledgemaxxing, an online trend-movement ‘fueled by niche interests or a desire for intellectual empowerment’ – and one that also sidesteps the basics of annotation, fact-checking, debating and other kinds of accountability that academia + professionalism provide."
artreview.com/the-end-of-r...
artreview.com/the-end-of-r...
The End of Research
Bad, regurgitated and even plagiarised information is pouring out of the internet and backwashing into institutional spaces
artreview.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:01 PM
"knowledgemaxxing, an online trend-movement ‘fueled by niche interests or a desire for intellectual empowerment’ – and one that also sidesteps the basics of annotation, fact-checking, debating and other kinds of accountability that academia + professionalism provide."
artreview.com/the-end-of-r...
artreview.com/the-end-of-r...
The Democratic Party's only actual stance is "not being Trump", but they aren't running on impeaching and removing Trump, going after corruption (that would be a self own), fighting billionaires (they might become donors), or in general anything that is needed.
It's Politico, but can anyone tell me what the Democratic Party stands for in 2026? 'Cause it seems like they start bowing down the minute there's any opposition from capitalists.
Democratic advisers are warning their candidates not to go too hard at AI
September 18, 2026 at 12:41 AM
The Democratic Party's only actual stance is "not being Trump", but they aren't running on impeaching and removing Trump, going after corruption (that would be a self own), fighting billionaires (they might become donors), or in general anything that is needed.
Stop talking to Yglesias!
Democratic advisers are warning their candidates not to go too hard at AI
Democratic advisers are warning their candidates not to go too hard at AI
Democratic consultants are warning their candidates in some key races not to lean into AI regulations out of fear that powerful tech groups could spend heavily against them.
dlvr.it
September 18, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Stop talking to Yglesias!
What is up with this violence?? Moderators!!?? Moderators please???!!
September 18, 2026 at 12:15 AM
What is up with this violence?? Moderators!!?? Moderators please???!!
Reposted by This skeet will self destruct
Had a vibrant discussion of Hershey’s “Hiroshima” today. Class mesmerized by the narrative’s ability create an ethic without ever making a thesis statement. But they also feel, as tough as the present is, we are a long way from 1945.
Though I had intended to, I did not have the heart to tell them…
Though I had intended to, I did not have the heart to tell them…
September 18, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Had a vibrant discussion of Hershey’s “Hiroshima” today. Class mesmerized by the narrative’s ability create an ethic without ever making a thesis statement. But they also feel, as tough as the present is, we are a long way from 1945.
Though I had intended to, I did not have the heart to tell them…
Though I had intended to, I did not have the heart to tell them…
Reposted by This skeet will self destruct
Maybe the most important political story of our time. People just want the bullshit to stop.
71% of Americans Say They're Completely Exhausted
A CDC report shows that people are not feeling relaxed and restful in the United States.
gizmodo.com
September 17, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Maybe the most important political story of our time. People just want the bullshit to stop.
Maybe the internet wasn’t such a bad idea after all
September 17, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Maybe the internet wasn’t such a bad idea after all
Remember that thing about elites not realizing they are drilling holes at the bottom of a ship, cf. @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social? Well, elite institutions (like Harvard) are pure embodiments of these peculiar dispositions and dissonances.
Oh. That's a heck of a subsidy.
September 17, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Remember that thing about elites not realizing they are drilling holes at the bottom of a ship, cf. @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social? Well, elite institutions (like Harvard) are pure embodiments of these peculiar dispositions and dissonances.
I would actually bet money that Silver just asked Grok to read the book for him.
So I think we can deduce two things about Nate Silver's work here:
1) He doesn't remember that you have to read the whole book before asserting what's in it or is happy to just cherry pick paragraphs to prove his point
>>
1) He doesn't remember that you have to read the whole book before asserting what's in it or is happy to just cherry pick paragraphs to prove his point
>>
September 17, 2026 at 2:03 AM
I would actually bet money that Silver just asked Grok to read the book for him.
Jinxx is a national treasure.
September 16, 2026 at 9:34 PM
Jinxx is a national treasure.
Have been putting off a long, exhausting form that I had to fill out 4 months ago on curricular assessment, the dictionary definition of a bullshit job. It asks to reflect, at length, on why one course with 24 students and a fail rate of 5% is worse than one with 300 students and a rate of 4%
September 16, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Have been putting off a long, exhausting form that I had to fill out 4 months ago on curricular assessment, the dictionary definition of a bullshit job. It asks to reflect, at length, on why one course with 24 students and a fail rate of 5% is worse than one with 300 students and a rate of 4%
A fundamental social process of elite reproduction is the conflation of "eliteness" with some kind of moral/cognitive superiority. This is the kool aid that elites are brought up with in their elite circles ("all of this is your birthright, simba") AND echoed by institutions out there (e.g merit)
a lot of people think that faillison hired bari weiss to deliberately destroy CBS news and i think all of you need to consider the possibility that he hired her because he genuinely thought she would be successful.
a wild thing is that they didn’t just give her editorial control, they gave her what sounds like operational control (over hiring/firing), which would be objectively an insane thing to do even if she was good at editorial, which she isn’t, or had experience at an org this size, which she doesn’t
September 16, 2026 at 8:54 PM
A fundamental social process of elite reproduction is the conflation of "eliteness" with some kind of moral/cognitive superiority. This is the kool aid that elites are brought up with in their elite circles ("all of this is your birthright, simba") AND echoed by institutions out there (e.g merit)
Reposted by This skeet will self destruct
if you doubt a ruling class could possibly be this world historically wrong I'll note that "We have nothing to fear on the part of the Negroes; they are tranquil and obedient” and “We sleep with doors and windows wide open. Freedom for Negroes is a chimera” are quotes of a slaveowner in 1790, Haiti
a lot of people think that faillison hired bari weiss to deliberately destroy CBS news and i think all of you need to consider the possibility that he hired her because he genuinely thought she would be successful.
a wild thing is that they didn’t just give her editorial control, they gave her what sounds like operational control (over hiring/firing), which would be objectively an insane thing to do even if she was good at editorial, which she isn’t, or had experience at an org this size, which she doesn’t
September 16, 2026 at 8:37 PM
if you doubt a ruling class could possibly be this world historically wrong I'll note that "We have nothing to fear on the part of the Negroes; they are tranquil and obedient” and “We sleep with doors and windows wide open. Freedom for Negroes is a chimera” are quotes of a slaveowner in 1790, Haiti
Really looking forward to the new academic year, which starts next Wednesday at UCSD. Already got a request to sign a letter narcing on a student for something that I have absolutely no responsibility over. Not a terrible omen at all!
September 16, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Really looking forward to the new academic year, which starts next Wednesday at UCSD. Already got a request to sign a letter narcing on a student for something that I have absolutely no responsibility over. Not a terrible omen at all!
Reposted by This skeet will self destruct
Shout out to the student journalists at The Daily Iowan for reporting on the travesty that is Iowa's Center for Intellectual Freedom. With quotes from me dailyiowan.com/2026/09/15/u...
Uncertainty in leadership, curriculum surrounds UI Center for Intellectual Freedom
In the barren walls of his Calvin Hall office, where the Center for Intellectual Freedom resides, interim director and University of Iowa economics professor Luciano de Castro shuffles a stack of pape...
dailyiowan.com
September 16, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Shout out to the student journalists at The Daily Iowan for reporting on the travesty that is Iowa's Center for Intellectual Freedom. With quotes from me dailyiowan.com/2026/09/15/u...
Kid Rock might be available...
Welp, guess Ed Sheeran’s “everyman” schtick and singing about Nando’s won’t hold up anymore.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore
Four openers and live band for Sheeran’s tour depart after removal of Macklemore over ‘free Palestine’ comments
www.theguardian.com
September 16, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Kid Rock might be available...
Work Requirement for Congressional Salaries, please.
The U.S. House is expected to depart Wednesday evening for a seven-week campaign break after spending less than two weeks in session during August and September.
US House to leave for campaign break without action on AI, affordability • Georgia Recorder
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House is expected to depart Wednesday evening for a seven-week campaign break after spending less than two weeks in session during August and September. The extended “district wo...
georgiarecorder.com
September 16, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Work Requirement for Congressional Salaries, please.
So I guess ChatGPT suggested higher interest rates. Well done, AI.
September 16, 2026 at 6:28 PM
So I guess ChatGPT suggested higher interest rates. Well done, AI.
I would LOVE to see comparative studies with other countries where there's also been direct executive intervention on (relatively autonomous) organs responsible for generating statistics.
"but they massively over value ephemeral stats good"
I don't think this is accurate - stats goods, such as a reliable BLS Commissioner, are quite valuable in the long run.
www.nber.org/system/files...
I don't think this is accurate - stats goods, such as a reliable BLS Commissioner, are quite valuable in the long run.
www.nber.org/system/files...
September 16, 2026 at 6:03 PM
I would LOVE to see comparative studies with other countries where there's also been direct executive intervention on (relatively autonomous) organs responsible for generating statistics.
Looking forward to Colonel Vodka ordering a drone strike on the Fed...
Fed hikes 25 bps to 3.75%-4.00% as expected.
Fed expected to hike 25 bps at 2:00p. Statement will be here (dead until then):
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/p...
Summary of Economic Projections will be here: www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypoli...
Presser (2:30p) here: www.federalreserve.gov/live-broadca...
I'll quote this with analysis.
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/p...
Summary of Economic Projections will be here: www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypoli...
Presser (2:30p) here: www.federalreserve.gov/live-broadca...
I'll quote this with analysis.
September 16, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Looking forward to Colonel Vodka ordering a drone strike on the Fed...