@rrainegarden.bsky.social
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I fear that any midterm “mandate” angry voters give them will be squandered on dinner party invites instead of building the accountability regime people are desperate for and are putting their bodies and lives on the line to get.
Democrats working hard on precisely how much they should pull their punches against the corporate oligarchy after the election.
www.politico.com/news/2026/10...
www.politico.com/news/2026/10...
‘We don’t want to turn into a banana republic’: Dems preview rift on Trump corporate crackdown
Democrats are united by the idea of aggressive oversight of the administration but at odds over how far to go after corporate America.
www.politico.com
October 7, 2026 at 11:23 AM
I fear that any midterm “mandate” angry voters give them will be squandered on dinner party invites instead of building the accountability regime people are desperate for and are putting their bodies and lives on the line to get.
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Sometimes my wife and I like to send each other text messages as though they’re democratic fundraising messages, and I believe she has produced the jewel of the form.
October 7, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Sometimes my wife and I like to send each other text messages as though they’re democratic fundraising messages, and I believe she has produced the jewel of the form.
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This is almost exactly what I say to my students. I don't have any use for your essays! You have use for your essays!
One thing I find endlessly funny about the rise of AI is that it has revealed that there is a large number of people who believe that the reason they wrote essays at school or university is their teachers were desperately waiting for them to provide a definite answer to “Lear: what’s up with him?”
"By using AI, tasks like essays that used to take hours can be completed in minutes!"
Sure, like how if I arrive at the gym and immediately go for a shower, my workout is done in record time. And if I throw my sandwiches straight in the bin, I can finish my lunch in under 10 seconds.
Sure, like how if I arrive at the gym and immediately go for a shower, my workout is done in record time. And if I throw my sandwiches straight in the bin, I can finish my lunch in under 10 seconds.
October 7, 2026 at 12:45 AM
This is almost exactly what I say to my students. I don't have any use for your essays! You have use for your essays!
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President Trump suggested Iran could “take out a city,” saying: “Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego.”
“Keep our city out of your reckless war talk,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. https://wapo.st/3VTfbR8
“Keep our city out of your reckless war talk,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. https://wapo.st/3VTfbR8
October 6, 2026 at 10:15 PM
President Trump suggested Iran could “take out a city,” saying: “Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego.”
“Keep our city out of your reckless war talk,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. https://wapo.st/3VTfbR8
“Keep our city out of your reckless war talk,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. https://wapo.st/3VTfbR8
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i think this is often the case. there's often a need to believe the story is much more complicated below the surface, but sometimes it's not.
Journalists keep wanting the story to be "normal working class centrist has questions," not "our country is currently dominated by stupid people in a right wing echo chamber."
It’s confusing that @theatlantic.com described this man as a “a lifelong Democrat who had voted for Trump for the first time in 2024” who when these are some of his very easily findable FB posts:
October 6, 2026 at 3:28 PM
i think this is often the case. there's often a need to believe the story is much more complicated below the surface, but sometimes it's not.
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I'm just gonna bookmark this for future reference when Dem pundits complain about how the party has trouble communicating its message to voters.
The reason you keep running into trouble with your branding isn't campus radicals. The reason is that your opponents purchased all the media outlets.
The reason you keep running into trouble with your branding isn't campus radicals. The reason is that your opponents purchased all the media outlets.
Breaking News: Paramount officially closed its deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a vast media empire.
Paramount Closes Its Deal for Warner Bros. Discovery
After a legal battle, Paramount has finally acquired Warner Bros. Discovery. The new company, Skydance, combines Hollywood studios, streaming services and cable networks.
nyti.ms
October 6, 2026 at 2:20 PM
I'm just gonna bookmark this for future reference when Dem pundits complain about how the party has trouble communicating its message to voters.
The reason you keep running into trouble with your branding isn't campus radicals. The reason is that your opponents purchased all the media outlets.
The reason you keep running into trouble with your branding isn't campus radicals. The reason is that your opponents purchased all the media outlets.
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then there’s “Bicycle Built for Two”
Bicycle Built for Two
On the real azalea path we rode. I can tell you what it was like, I was a celebrity: Babies waved and dachshunds barked, I had nothing to do but be…
www.poetryfoundation.org
October 6, 2026 at 2:34 PM
then there’s “Bicycle Built for Two”
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If you are outraged about this (and you should be, and I bet you are if you're reading this) and you want to do something about it: crank up that VPN and search for "ICE watch" or related activities + wherever you live. Get your Signal login going. Sign up for everything.
Arrests have reached a record high—nearly fifty-one thousand in August alone—with agents conducting operations nationwide at hospitals, at airports, and outside schools.
ICE Is Everywhere and Acting with Impunity
ICE arrests have reached a record high—nearly fifty-one thousand in August alone—with agents conducting operations nationwide at hospitals, at airports, and outside schools.
www.newyorker.com
October 6, 2026 at 1:18 AM
If you are outraged about this (and you should be, and I bet you are if you're reading this) and you want to do something about it: crank up that VPN and search for "ICE watch" or related activities + wherever you live. Get your Signal login going. Sign up for everything.
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ChatGPT is adding the signatures of real New Yorker cartoonists to its AI-generated images. So far, I've found the signatures of more than 15 contributors.
"It’s slop, and unlike the other slop that I’ve encountered, this is slop that’s pretending to be me." www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/chat...
"It’s slop, and unlike the other slop that I’ve encountered, this is slop that’s pretending to be me." www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/chat...
October 5, 2026 at 8:47 PM
ChatGPT is adding the signatures of real New Yorker cartoonists to its AI-generated images. So far, I've found the signatures of more than 15 contributors.
"It’s slop, and unlike the other slop that I’ve encountered, this is slop that’s pretending to be me." www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/chat...
"It’s slop, and unlike the other slop that I’ve encountered, this is slop that’s pretending to be me." www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/chat...
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all infrastructure erodes consent, sometimes it bypasses it completely
this is uncomfortable (& often problematic), but it should not be controversial to point out this fact
this is uncomfortable (& often problematic), but it should not be controversial to point out this fact
October 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM
all infrastructure erodes consent, sometimes it bypasses it completely
this is uncomfortable (& often problematic), but it should not be controversial to point out this fact
this is uncomfortable (& often problematic), but it should not be controversial to point out this fact
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Article 1 is Congress. The presidency comes second, in Article 2, and explicitly requires the president to faithfully execute the law as passed by Congress. But that structure implies that the president can break laws without consequence. Or, well, at least this one can.
-Sam Alito, paraphrased
-Sam Alito, paraphrased
i also read his op ed on originalism in the WSJ and i would love to know how presidential criminal immunity emerges from the structure of the constitution, especially when the literal authors of that constitution insisted that a president could he tried and even straight up executed
October 6, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Article 1 is Congress. The presidency comes second, in Article 2, and explicitly requires the president to faithfully execute the law as passed by Congress. But that structure implies that the president can break laws without consequence. Or, well, at least this one can.
-Sam Alito, paraphrased
-Sam Alito, paraphrased
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Breaking News: The separatist Parti Québécois won the provincial election in Quebec, but fell short of clinching a majority.
The Separatist Parti Québécois Wins Quebec Election, Reviving Sovereignty Push
The separatist party’s victory fell short of clinching a majority that would have all but guaranteed a potential showdown with Ottawa over Canada’s future.
nyti.ms
October 6, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Breaking News: The separatist Parti Québécois won the provincial election in Quebec, but fell short of clinching a majority.
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The breast cancer center appealed thousands of Blue Cross reimbursements for being too low.
At trial, the insurer revealed that it had never considered any of the appeals — and that they were pointless:
“An appeal is not available to review an underpayment.”
(Published April 2025)
At trial, the insurer revealed that it had never considered any of the appeals — and that they were pointless:
“An appeal is not available to review an underpayment.”
(Published April 2025)
“Slow Pay, Low Pay or No Pay”: Trial Reveals How Insurers Try to Wield Power Over Doctors
Blue Cross authorized mastectomies and breast reconstructions for women with cancer but refused to pay the full doctors’ bills. A jury called it fraud and awarded the practice $421 million.
www.propublica.org
October 6, 2026 at 3:31 AM
The breast cancer center appealed thousands of Blue Cross reimbursements for being too low.
At trial, the insurer revealed that it had never considered any of the appeals — and that they were pointless:
“An appeal is not available to review an underpayment.”
(Published April 2025)
At trial, the insurer revealed that it had never considered any of the appeals — and that they were pointless:
“An appeal is not available to review an underpayment.”
(Published April 2025)
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anyway in a just world a giant cartoon piano would fall on hanania and tracey in the middle of their pro rape podcast
October 5, 2026 at 11:58 PM
anyway in a just world a giant cartoon piano would fall on hanania and tracey in the middle of their pro rape podcast
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Yeah, it's both. Like, I do want to let my daughter have more free rein than most parents will do anymore, but I don't want to risk getting CPS called on me. She's not yet old enough for it to be an issue but it's something we discuss a lot
October 5, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Yeah, it's both. Like, I do want to let my daughter have more free rein than most parents will do anymore, but I don't want to risk getting CPS called on me. She's not yet old enough for it to be an issue but it's something we discuss a lot
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not to go full gen x hose drinker on you, but we walked to school on our own & were allowed to go to the library by ourselves when i was 5 & my sister was 8. the norfolk public library in our neighborhood was the one on hampton blvd. we loved it! it’s sad kids aren’t free to roam anymore.
Our built infrastructure robs kids of their freedom of independent mobility. Streets are dominated by oversized vehicles, piloted by aggressive and distracted drivers where one mistake can turn lethal. We sacrificed child development to subsidize the auto industry.
October 5, 2026 at 2:47 PM
not to go full gen x hose drinker on you, but we walked to school on our own & were allowed to go to the library by ourselves when i was 5 & my sister was 8. the norfolk public library in our neighborhood was the one on hampton blvd. we loved it! it’s sad kids aren’t free to roam anymore.
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Whenever I see a current or former university president in the news for sexual misconduct, I think of this chart from 2015.
(ABC seems to have pulled down the original Five Thirty Eight article, but here’s a Feministing blog about it.)
(ABC seems to have pulled down the original Five Thirty Eight article, but here’s a Feministing blog about it.)
October 4, 2026 at 11:27 PM
Whenever I see a current or former university president in the news for sexual misconduct, I think of this chart from 2015.
(ABC seems to have pulled down the original Five Thirty Eight article, but here’s a Feministing blog about it.)
(ABC seems to have pulled down the original Five Thirty Eight article, but here’s a Feministing blog about it.)
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Billionaires ain’t broke, but they’re broken.
October 4, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Billionaires ain’t broke, but they’re broken.
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Consumer advocate Lindsay Owen’s new book, “Gouged,” traces how corporations use software—from ever-changing prices to opaque algorithms—to squeeze every penny from you.
How to Beat Surveillance Pricing Before It Bleeds You Dry
Consumer advocate Lindsay Owen’s new book, Gouged, traces how corporations use software—from ever-changing prices to opaque algorithms—to squeeze every penny from you.
buff.ly
October 4, 2026 at 11:56 PM
Consumer advocate Lindsay Owen’s new book, “Gouged,” traces how corporations use software—from ever-changing prices to opaque algorithms—to squeeze every penny from you.
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If you have $100 million to spend on ads saying you shouldn’t be taxed you’re not being taxed enough
Google cofounder Sergey Brin has spent $102 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses fortune.com/article/how-...
Google cofounder Sergey Brin has spent $102 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses fortune.com/article/how-...
Google co-founder Sergey Brin has now spent $100 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses | Fortune
The state’s ultrawealthy, including Larry Page and Peter Thiel, have similarly donated to efforts opposing the wealth tax.
fortune.com
October 4, 2026 at 12:23 PM
If you have $100 million to spend on ads saying you shouldn’t be taxed you’re not being taxed enough
Google cofounder Sergey Brin has spent $102 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses fortune.com/article/how-...
Google cofounder Sergey Brin has spent $102 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses fortune.com/article/how-...
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For a long time I've wanted a sense of how trump has or hasn't interacted with chatbots (we know he posts a lot of slop sure). And this TIME anecdote about Grok arguably leading Trump into war is just extremely bracing
October 1, 2026 at 5:23 PM
For a long time I've wanted a sense of how trump has or hasn't interacted with chatbots (we know he posts a lot of slop sure). And this TIME anecdote about Grok arguably leading Trump into war is just extremely bracing
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very few religious studies scholars here (which is different from religious scholars).
i’m really fucking tired today so i got nothing except wishing folks understood the value of religious studies as a field.
i’m really fucking tired today so i got nothing except wishing folks understood the value of religious studies as a field.
Is Claude Conscious? Inside Anthropic’s Quest to Instill Morality Into Its A.I. Models (Gift Article)
In a series of private meetings, the company consulted religious scholars to help instill morality into its A.I. models — and make the case that Claude could be conscious.
www.nytimes.com
September 30, 2026 at 5:37 PM
very few religious studies scholars here (which is different from religious scholars).
i’m really fucking tired today so i got nothing except wishing folks understood the value of religious studies as a field.
i’m really fucking tired today so i got nothing except wishing folks understood the value of religious studies as a field.
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As I’ve been saying. www.salon.com/2026/07/28/t...
October 1, 2026 at 2:15 AM
As I’ve been saying. www.salon.com/2026/07/28/t...
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This book is INSANELY GREAT.
FYI if you're interested: the AI Skeptics reading group is starting "The Eye of the Master: A Social History of Artificial Intelligence" by Matteo Pasquinelli
This week we're reading the Intro & chapter 1. next week we're reading Part I. the week after that we're reading Part II, finishing the book
This week we're reading the Intro & chapter 1. next week we're reading Part I. the week after that we're reading Part II, finishing the book
The Eye of the Master: A Social History of Artificial Intelligence
A social history of AI that finally reveals its roots in the spatial computation of industrial factories and the surveillance of collective behaviour.What is AI? A dominant view describes it as the qu...
bookshop.org
September 30, 2026 at 6:23 PM
This book is INSANELY GREAT.
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One of the annoying effects of AI as a subject in higher ed is how much it brings out the worst of academic-brain. Like, yes, writing is not essential to higher-order thinking; western imperialists imposed literacy as a weapon and deemed cultures lacking alphabetic writing as inferior. It’s true!
October 1, 2026 at 10:27 PM
One of the annoying effects of AI as a subject in higher ed is how much it brings out the worst of academic-brain. Like, yes, writing is not essential to higher-order thinking; western imperialists imposed literacy as a weapon and deemed cultures lacking alphabetic writing as inferior. It’s true!