Julia DeFranco
@juliadefranco.bsky.social
Chronically ill Unitarian Universalist and lover of fantasy novels. He/him or she/her.
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
This week on the blog: a few thoughts on the Declaration of Independence for its 250th birthday, with particular attention to "every act which may define a Tyrant."
acoup.blog/2026/07/04/c...
acoup.blog/2026/07/04/c...
July 4, 2026 at 1:07 PM
This week on the blog: a few thoughts on the Declaration of Independence for its 250th birthday, with particular attention to "every act which may define a Tyrant."
acoup.blog/2026/07/04/c...
acoup.blog/2026/07/04/c...
This is second hand, but my wilderness first aid teacher had a story about some German tourists hiking down into the Grand Canyon with no actual water. They had snow cones though, so I'm sure they were fine...
Peak Eurotourist will always be the German family who thought that 20 oz of water to share at Capitol Reef National Park, a particularly undervisited place, was just fine in the summer.
June 12, 2026 at 4:20 AM
This is second hand, but my wilderness first aid teacher had a story about some German tourists hiking down into the Grand Canyon with no actual water. They had snow cones though, so I'm sure they were fine...
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
Need to make sure @whysharksmatter.bsky.social’s new book becomes a NYT Bestseller
bsky.app/profile/whys...
bsky.app/profile/whys...
The biggest threat to marine biodiversity is not climate change, plastic pollution, or oil spills- it's unsustainable fishing practices. And while solutions to this problem exist, many people find them confusing or contradictory.
“Why Sustainable Seafood Matters” is now available for preorder! Here’s what it’s about, and why I decided to write it.
I am thrilled to announce that “Why Sustainable Seafood Matters,” my second book, is now available for preorder through my publisher Johns Hopkins University Press! Use code HWSSM for 3…
www.southernfriedscience.com
June 9, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Need to make sure @whysharksmatter.bsky.social’s new book becomes a NYT Bestseller
bsky.app/profile/whys...
bsky.app/profile/whys...
Excuse me while I go off a minute about art, this poem specifically, and living with a chronic illness.
I. Art
Art is creation, communication, deliberate choice -- and, often, collaboration. A composer writing a piece of music that gets played over and over again by different groups of musicians,
I. Art
Art is creation, communication, deliberate choice -- and, often, collaboration. A composer writing a piece of music that gets played over and over again by different groups of musicians,
June 9, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Excuse me while I go off a minute about art, this poem specifically, and living with a chronic illness.
I. Art
Art is creation, communication, deliberate choice -- and, often, collaboration. A composer writing a piece of music that gets played over and over again by different groups of musicians,
I. Art
Art is creation, communication, deliberate choice -- and, often, collaboration. A composer writing a piece of music that gets played over and over again by different groups of musicians,
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
Since it is National Brother's Day and my son is spending it by taunting his sister about donuts, I will leave you with much more peaceful siblings, namely the Romano-Egyptian tondo of the Two Brothers (Antinoopolis, 117-138 CE).
egyptianmuseumcairo.eg/artefacts/po...
egyptianmuseumcairo.eg/artefacts/po...
May 24, 2026 at 11:50 AM
Since it is National Brother's Day and my son is spending it by taunting his sister about donuts, I will leave you with much more peaceful siblings, namely the Romano-Egyptian tondo of the Two Brothers (Antinoopolis, 117-138 CE).
egyptianmuseumcairo.eg/artefacts/po...
egyptianmuseumcairo.eg/artefacts/po...
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
US, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Yemen, Liberia, and Belarus opposed the measure.
all the best people 🙄
all the best people 🙄
“UN backs historic climate crisis ruling despite US attempts to stop resolution.”
US, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Yemen, Liberia, and Belarus opposed the measure.
The Resolution backed a world court opinion that countries have a legal obligation to address climate change.
Passed 141-8.
US, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Yemen, Liberia, and Belarus opposed the measure.
The Resolution backed a world court opinion that countries have a legal obligation to address climate change.
Passed 141-8.
UN backs historic climate crisis ruling, despite US attempts to stop resolution
The US, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia – some of the highest oil-producing nations and major greenhouse gas emitters – opposed the measure
www.theguardian.com
May 21, 2026 at 2:46 PM
US, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Yemen, Liberia, and Belarus opposed the measure.
all the best people 🙄
all the best people 🙄
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
Sunday vibes with Sekiu ✌️😎
May 24, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Sunday vibes with Sekiu ✌️😎
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
I just donated to Trans Lifeline. The Trans community has been under attack for years now, it keeps getting worse, and they need help.
May 24, 2026 at 4:03 AM
I just donated to Trans Lifeline. The Trans community has been under attack for years now, it keeps getting worse, and they need help.
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
1. Incredible breaking news and a landmark ruling out of Colorado.
The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that hospitals MUST not capitulate to Trump, and must continue offering trans youth care under state law.
They found vague federal threats "speculative."
Subscribe to support our journalism.
The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that hospitals MUST not capitulate to Trump, and must continue offering trans youth care under state law.
They found vague federal threats "speculative."
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Colorado Supreme Court Rules Hospitals Must Not Comply With Trump, Must Continue Offering Trans Youth Care
The ruling is a landmark ruling in keeping gender-affirming care legal and available in blue states.
www.erininthemorning.com
May 18, 2026 at 5:35 PM
1. Incredible breaking news and a landmark ruling out of Colorado.
The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that hospitals MUST not capitulate to Trump, and must continue offering trans youth care under state law.
They found vague federal threats "speculative."
Subscribe to support our journalism.
The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that hospitals MUST not capitulate to Trump, and must continue offering trans youth care under state law.
They found vague federal threats "speculative."
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
The "dark, scary raven" cliché is ridiculous to me. Like crows, ravens are social, playful, and diurnal. They love sunbathing, FFS.
In Native cosmologies, Raven is a creator, healer, and agent of transformation. Tired of living in darkness, he brought sunlight to the world. bsky.app/profile/lori...
In Native cosmologies, Raven is a creator, healer, and agent of transformation. Tired of living in darkness, he brought sunlight to the world. bsky.app/profile/lori...
Just found out it's #CrowandRavenAppreciationDay and I just have to post something! Here's a Common Raven fledgling that I had so much fun watching last year. #Corvid #birds #photography #ECK #WestCoastKin #PhotographersUnited
May 16, 2026 at 7:43 PM
The "dark, scary raven" cliché is ridiculous to me. Like crows, ravens are social, playful, and diurnal. They love sunbathing, FFS.
In Native cosmologies, Raven is a creator, healer, and agent of transformation. Tired of living in darkness, he brought sunlight to the world. bsky.app/profile/lori...
In Native cosmologies, Raven is a creator, healer, and agent of transformation. Tired of living in darkness, he brought sunlight to the world. bsky.app/profile/lori...
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
I really wish people aspiring to write understood what a competitive advantage being able to write without AI will be in the coming years.
I knew my writing students were using AI. Their confessions led to a powerful teaching moment | Micah Nathan
I knew my writing students were using AI. Their confessions led to a powerful teaching moment | Micah Nathan
The problem wasn’t just the perfectly polished, yet mediocre prose. It’s what’s lost when we surrender the struggle to translate thought into words
www.theguardian.com
May 10, 2026 at 10:04 PM
I really wish people aspiring to write understood what a competitive advantage being able to write without AI will be in the coming years.
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
COVER REVEAL 📚
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention by @jwashing.bsky.social
Releasing July 21st wherever good books are sold (or borrowed). Available for pre-order now.
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention by @jwashing.bsky.social
Releasing July 21st wherever good books are sold (or borrowed). Available for pre-order now.
May 6, 2026 at 8:25 PM
COVER REVEAL 📚
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention by @jwashing.bsky.social
Releasing July 21st wherever good books are sold (or borrowed). Available for pre-order now.
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention by @jwashing.bsky.social
Releasing July 21st wherever good books are sold (or borrowed). Available for pre-order now.
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
Poverty and homelessness in society is a political choice.
“In Finland, the # of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back to a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.”
But the current right-wing govt backtracked.
But the current right-wing govt backtracked.
Finland ends homelessness and provides shelter for all in need - scoop.me
In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Why? The country applies the "Housing First" concept agains homelessness.
thebetter.news
May 6, 2026 at 6:35 AM
Poverty and homelessness in society is a political choice.
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
For folks who prefer the lede less buried: here are enthusiastic/philosophical reviews of Fonda Lee's Last Contract of Isako and Ann Leckie's Radiant Star.
I have 2 ARCs that I keep failing to review because I have more thoughts than I have time to write literary essays, so here's a thread instead. (1/n)
April 25, 2026 at 12:26 AM
For folks who prefer the lede less buried: here are enthusiastic/philosophical reviews of Fonda Lee's Last Contract of Isako and Ann Leckie's Radiant Star.
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
"This couldn’t be a simpler scandal to sum up for the American people, if anyone cared to do so: This is Donald Trump ordering the looting of the public treasury for his own benefit."
Washington can only pay attention to a scandal or two at a time, which means in the Trump age there are all sorts of should-be-big-deal scandals that don’t get the oxygen or media focus that they should.
I'll bet you've missed at least three of these: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/five-trump...
I'll bet you've missed at least three of these: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/five-trump...
Five Trump Scandals You’ve Probably Missed
Swirling scandals—from the Pentagon to DHS to the IRS to the Labor Department—that represent basic betrayals of public office, trust, and confidence-in-leadership that should be the table stakes of go...
www.doomsdayscenario.co
April 20, 2026 at 5:04 PM
"This couldn’t be a simpler scandal to sum up for the American people, if anyone cared to do so: This is Donald Trump ordering the looting of the public treasury for his own benefit."
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
Trump’s War On Iran: Myth Vs. Fact https://theonion.com/trumps-war-on-iran-myth-vs-fact/
March 30, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Trump’s War On Iran: Myth Vs. Fact https://theonion.com/trumps-war-on-iran-myth-vs-fact/
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
I don't know what SCOTUS will do on birthright citizenship case, it's anybody's guess. But if they endorse Trump's diktat, the only response is defiance. Outright, open defiance by the states. A decision not just erroneous but illegitimate, beyond their power, null and void from the day it's issued.
March 30, 2026 at 2:08 PM
I don't know what SCOTUS will do on birthright citizenship case, it's anybody's guess. But if they endorse Trump's diktat, the only response is defiance. Outright, open defiance by the states. A decision not just erroneous but illegitimate, beyond their power, null and void from the day it's issued.
And the voting rant:
Voting is awesome.
GOTV (get out the vote) is good.
Discourse about the effectiveness of voting and whether not voting makes someone the scum of the earth/personally responsible for the wrong person getting elected, is not GOTV and is in fact prioritizing being "right"
Voting is awesome.
GOTV (get out the vote) is good.
Discourse about the effectiveness of voting and whether not voting makes someone the scum of the earth/personally responsible for the wrong person getting elected, is not GOTV and is in fact prioritizing being "right"
March 30, 2026 at 5:07 PM
And the voting rant:
Voting is awesome.
GOTV (get out the vote) is good.
Discourse about the effectiveness of voting and whether not voting makes someone the scum of the earth/personally responsible for the wrong person getting elected, is not GOTV and is in fact prioritizing being "right"
Voting is awesome.
GOTV (get out the vote) is good.
Discourse about the effectiveness of voting and whether not voting makes someone the scum of the earth/personally responsible for the wrong person getting elected, is not GOTV and is in fact prioritizing being "right"
Ok, I'm going to do *one* rant about this and then stop.
The protest usefulness discourse is making me want to spit nails. This isn't how you do anything. 🧵
The protest usefulness discourse is making me want to spit nails. This isn't how you do anything. 🧵
March 30, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Ok, I'm going to do *one* rant about this and then stop.
The protest usefulness discourse is making me want to spit nails. This isn't how you do anything. 🧵
The protest usefulness discourse is making me want to spit nails. This isn't how you do anything. 🧵
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
Small children do not have tantrums to manipulate you into giving them what they want. They are years away from a theory of mind and can’t imagine what you are thinking. They may stop crying if you give them candy, but you would probably stop crying if someone dumped a winning lottery ticket on you.
March 29, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Small children do not have tantrums to manipulate you into giving them what they want. They are years away from a theory of mind and can’t imagine what you are thinking. They may stop crying if you give them candy, but you would probably stop crying if someone dumped a winning lottery ticket on you.
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
"The third No Kings protests were an unmistakable display of political force..."
"Two-thirds of participants live in suburban, small town or rural areas, a 40% increase over last time in protesters from outside big cities..."
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
"Two-thirds of participants live in suburban, small town or rural areas, a 40% increase over last time in protesters from outside big cities..."
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Red flare for Trump: 'No Kings' rallies a show of political force
With a Revolutionary-era slogan, the protests had an historic geographical reach across the country. What does that mean for November?
www.usatoday.com
March 29, 2026 at 10:39 PM
"The third No Kings protests were an unmistakable display of political force..."
"Two-thirds of participants live in suburban, small town or rural areas, a 40% increase over last time in protesters from outside big cities..."
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
"Two-thirds of participants live in suburban, small town or rural areas, a 40% increase over last time in protesters from outside big cities..."
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
No need for deep sea mining
China’s water battery breakthrough can last 120,000+ cycles, outlast lithium-ion by decades
Chinese scientists unveil a non-toxic, water-based battery that delivers over 120,000 cycles without fire risks of lithium-ion systems
interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
China’s water battery breakthrough can last 120,000+ cycles, outlast lithium-ion by decades
Chinese scientists unveil a non-toxic, water-based battery that delivers over 120,000 cycles without fire risks of lithium-ion systems
interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
China's water battery hits 120,000+ cycles, can beat lithium by decades
This new aqueous battery uses organic electrodes and a neutral electrolyte to combine safety, sustainability, and ultra-long lifespan.
interestingengineering.com
March 29, 2026 at 5:48 PM
No need for deep sea mining
China’s water battery breakthrough can last 120,000+ cycles, outlast lithium-ion by decades
Chinese scientists unveil a non-toxic, water-based battery that delivers over 120,000 cycles without fire risks of lithium-ion systems
interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
China’s water battery breakthrough can last 120,000+ cycles, outlast lithium-ion by decades
Chinese scientists unveil a non-toxic, water-based battery that delivers over 120,000 cycles without fire risks of lithium-ion systems
interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
Reposted by Julia DeFranco
Blackthorn at Lakeside Country Park on Friday #TreeFlowers #WildflowerHour
March 29, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Blackthorn at Lakeside Country Park on Friday #TreeFlowers #WildflowerHour