Aaron S. Veenstra
@asveenstra.bsky.social
FAU Journalism Prof and UFF-FAU Steward, political communication & digital media // The Press and Democratic Backsliding from Lexington Books, LXFANDF30 for 30% off // he/him
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Aaron S. Veenstra
@asveenstra.bsky.social
· Oct 27
Why are people drawn to Boca Raton? A professor’s quest for answers
People who moved to Boca Raton simply because they wanted to live there will be featured in a documentary by a Florida Atlantic University professor.
www.sun-sentinel.com
My new thing got the attention of the local press, so I guess it's time to announce it: I'm nearly finished with a documentary looking at people's connection to place, focusing on Boca Raton, where I live, and Perth, where I wish I lived. Hoping to have it finished by EOY.
All the Allies looking for a way to go back in time and surrender.
Comics Artist Elena Mistrello Turned Away At French Border As Antifa
Italian comics artist Elena Mistrello turned away at a French airport for antifascist activism
bleedingcool.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:15 PM
All the Allies looking for a way to go back in time and surrender.
Another bad indicator for local media (and, frankly, local party communication channels): I live less than two miles from the Florida district referenced here and had no idea there was an election happening.
More elections are already around the corner, mere days.
And Democrats have opportunities to build on their November gains by flipping more offices: in Tennessee, in Georgia, in Florida.
And that's just the tip of a busy election month.
My new guide, just out:
And Democrats have opportunities to build on their November gains by flipping more offices: in Tennessee, in Georgia, in Florida.
And that's just the tip of a busy election month.
My new guide, just out:
The 25 Elections to Watch This December - Bolts
On the heels of their sweeping wins in November, Democrats have opportunities to gain further ground in December runoffs and special elections. They’re hoping for upsets in conservative territory, fro...
boltsmag.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Another bad indicator for local media (and, frankly, local party communication channels): I live less than two miles from the Florida district referenced here and had no idea there was an election happening.
I just found out my sabbatical for fall 26/spring 27 has been approved! Will be traveling for fieldwork a lot and trying to do simultaneous book research and documentary production. First one in ten years and I need it.
November 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I just found out my sabbatical for fall 26/spring 27 has been approved! Will be traveling for fieldwork a lot and trying to do simultaneous book research and documentary production. First one in ten years and I need it.
This little dolt is two today and we just found out he has little baby cataracts. Fun!
November 25, 2025 at 4:06 PM
This little dolt is two today and we just found out he has little baby cataracts. Fun!
Set aside the specifics, and a more important bit of journalistic rot here is the idea that "elevating" particular figures is a primary responsibility of a major news organization, as opposed to a group blog.
"elevate charismatic figures such as Alan Dershowitz"
-____________-
-____________-
November 25, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Set aside the specifics, and a more important bit of journalistic rot here is the idea that "elevating" particular figures is a primary responsibility of a major news organization, as opposed to a group blog.
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
A 🧵 about more big government overreach in Florida by Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers in Tallahassee:
A few months ago, the village council in Wellington, a wealthy enclave in Palm Beach County, voted to allow gasoline-powered boats on community lakes and canals...
A few months ago, the village council in Wellington, a wealthy enclave in Palm Beach County, voted to allow gasoline-powered boats on community lakes and canals...
November 25, 2025 at 1:10 PM
A 🧵 about more big government overreach in Florida by Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers in Tallahassee:
A few months ago, the village council in Wellington, a wealthy enclave in Palm Beach County, voted to allow gasoline-powered boats on community lakes and canals...
A few months ago, the village council in Wellington, a wealthy enclave in Palm Beach County, voted to allow gasoline-powered boats on community lakes and canals...
Grad student down the hall expounding on how the Constitution is about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," which is why the American political system is the envy of the world.
November 24, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Grad student down the hall expounding on how the Constitution is about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," which is why the American political system is the envy of the world.
I probably didn't need a teaser trailer or even a regular trailer for this project, but I was bored last night so I did one anyway.
Getting There | Teaser Trailer | Releasing January 2026
YouTube video by aaronetc
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:27 PM
I probably didn't need a teaser trailer or even a regular trailer for this project, but I was bored last night so I did one anyway.
Among other things, Trump didn't win significantly more voters from "the left" than Romney or McCain did, and I bet Mamdani didn't win significantly more from "the right" than Adams or de Blasio (obviously 25 election was much different structurally). Stoller is making up a voter to venerate.
Matt Stoller: “..Trump & Mamdani defeated establishment in their own way, representing hunger of voters on the right & left who want something different. If those sides cd come together.. that would be a sea change in how we organize our political economy”.
www.thebignewsletter.com/p/monopoly-r...
www.thebignewsletter.com/p/monopoly-r...
Monopoly Round-Up: Why the Establishment Freaked Out Over a Mamdani-Trump Press Conference
Meta wins its antitrust case, there are now two fire truck antitrust claims, the stock market got wobbly, and Larry Summers was exiled from the establishment, at least for now.
www.thebignewsletter.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Among other things, Trump didn't win significantly more voters from "the left" than Romney or McCain did, and I bet Mamdani didn't win significantly more from "the right" than Adams or de Blasio (obviously 25 election was much different structurally). Stoller is making up a voter to venerate.
♫ Top 5 artists of the Last.week: Big Wreck (13) Ash (12) Armor for Sleep (11) Looser (10) twen (10). #myweekcounted 184 Scrobbles with Lastfm #music via @lastfm.blue
November 24, 2025 at 5:05 AM
♫ Top 5 artists of the Last.week: Big Wreck (13) Ash (12) Armor for Sleep (11) Looser (10) twen (10). #myweekcounted 184 Scrobbles with Lastfm #music via @lastfm.blue
An unqualified family member on the Saudi dole.
Pretty remarkable that Trump has installed someone on the Saudi dole — Jared Kushner collects millions in fees from the Saudis every year — in a key role for America's most sensitive and consequential foreign policy negotiations (Gaza, Ukraine), and it is largely TREATED AS A NON-STORY
November 24, 2025 at 12:08 AM
An unqualified family member on the Saudi dole.
Lost in fog and love and faithless fear
I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere
I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere
November 23, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Lost in fog and love and faithless fear
I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere
I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere
The episode of the Simpsons with Jay Sherman is generally considered a lesser one of the classic era, yet it is the source of at least four noteworthy memes:
* That's the joke
* Boo-urns
* "Let's just say it moved me…TO A BIGGER HOUSE"
* Just hook it to my veins
Incredible hit rate.
* That's the joke
* Boo-urns
* "Let's just say it moved me…TO A BIGGER HOUSE"
* Just hook it to my veins
Incredible hit rate.
November 23, 2025 at 12:34 AM
The episode of the Simpsons with Jay Sherman is generally considered a lesser one of the classic era, yet it is the source of at least four noteworthy memes:
* That's the joke
* Boo-urns
* "Let's just say it moved me…TO A BIGGER HOUSE"
* Just hook it to my veins
Incredible hit rate.
* That's the joke
* Boo-urns
* "Let's just say it moved me…TO A BIGGER HOUSE"
* Just hook it to my veins
Incredible hit rate.
Seems like a troubling obsession! Now time to take a big sip of coffee and check out what local TV news covers.
(For those who won't get the joke, Musk's interest in ad hoc violent crime stories is quite disturbing, but local TV news focuses on violent crime at a rate 2-3x higher.)
(For those who won't get the joke, Musk's interest in ad hoc violent crime stories is quite disturbing, but local TV news focuses on violent crime at a rate 2-3x higher.)
Another thing that really, really gets Elon Musk's attention: criminal defendants who are Black. In the month I examined, more than once a day on average Musk shared or replied to a post with an image of a Black person charged with a crime.
Posts about violent crime were 12% of all his activity.
Posts about violent crime were 12% of all his activity.
November 22, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Seems like a troubling obsession! Now time to take a big sip of coffee and check out what local TV news covers.
(For those who won't get the joke, Musk's interest in ad hoc violent crime stories is quite disturbing, but local TV news focuses on violent crime at a rate 2-3x higher.)
(For those who won't get the joke, Musk's interest in ad hoc violent crime stories is quite disturbing, but local TV news focuses on violent crime at a rate 2-3x higher.)
Friendship ended with JD
Now ZOHRAN is my best friend
Now ZOHRAN is my best friend
November 22, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Friendship ended with JD
Now ZOHRAN is my best friend
Now ZOHRAN is my best friend
This is kind of like Gray Davis winning the 2002 election and then immediately getting recalled, except he at least was the incumbent in that race, with essentially no opponent.
Congratulations! Trump has become the most disliked president since the end of World War II.
November 21, 2025 at 11:05 PM
This is kind of like Gray Davis winning the 2002 election and then immediately getting recalled, except he at least was the incumbent in that race, with essentially no opponent.
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
"Trump is a fucking idiot who gets rolled by anyone who's nice to him" theory remains undefeated, putting someone like Mamdani in there is like having Randy Johnson sub in for a 5th grade Little League game
Q: Stefanik has called Mamdani a 'jihadist.' Do you think you're standing next to a jihadist right now?
TRUMP: No, I don't. I met with a man who's a very rational person
TRUMP: No, I don't. I met with a man who's a very rational person
November 21, 2025 at 9:17 PM
"Trump is a fucking idiot who gets rolled by anyone who's nice to him" theory remains undefeated, putting someone like Mamdani in there is like having Randy Johnson sub in for a 5th grade Little League game
The NYT editorial board supported both Trump impeachments. This year, as he has done worse than the Ukraine call basically every day, they have not once called for his impeachment or resignation, and the paper has consistently buried things like this.
Jeez. Trump reposted a call to execute six Democratic members of Congress, and it’s not on the front page of the NY Times, and this is the headline—no mention of hanging lawmakers.
November 21, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The NYT editorial board supported both Trump impeachments. This year, as he has done worse than the Ukraine call basically every day, they have not once called for his impeachment or resignation, and the paper has consistently buried things like this.
I'm no cricket expert, but I think Australia should look into cloning Mitchell Starc.
November 21, 2025 at 3:39 AM
I'm no cricket expert, but I think Australia should look into cloning Mitchell Starc.
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
Thinking back to like 15 months ago when chanting "Lock him up!" about this psychotic criminal was considered terribly antidemocratic.
November 20, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Thinking back to like 15 months ago when chanting "Lock him up!" about this psychotic criminal was considered terribly antidemocratic.
By this logic we should also discourage people from having children.
this defies parody. also helps explain why Sec Bessent bizarrely blamed immigrants when confronted with a question about high beef prices
November 20, 2025 at 6:10 PM
By this logic we should also discourage people from having children.
I don't really want Tom Steyer to be elected to any office, but this is a weird criticism.
Steyer spent over $10 million on ads supporting California's redistricting amendment. His critics argue the spending spree was really about boosting his planned campaign for governor.
The packed Democratic field for governor of California seemed largely set just a few months ago. That's no longer the case: Billionaire investor Tom Steyer launched his campaign on Wednesday, and one of his 2020 presidential primary rivals may be about to join him.
November 20, 2025 at 4:04 PM
I don't really want Tom Steyer to be elected to any office, but this is a weird criticism.
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
Stuff like this is why it's impossible to have full "viewpoint diversity" be a content-free goal of our universities. If that means "accepting as valid all views of both major political parties in 🇺🇸 politics in 2025," then we will no longer be serious research institutions.
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
“The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.”
Also, “the moon isn’t made of cheese” isn’t an evidence-based claim because studies haven’t ruled out the possibility it is made of cheese.
Also, “the moon isn’t made of cheese” isn’t an evidence-based claim because studies haven’t ruled out the possibility it is made of cheese.
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Stuff like this is why it's impossible to have full "viewpoint diversity" be a content-free goal of our universities. If that means "accepting as valid all views of both major political parties in 🇺🇸 politics in 2025," then we will no longer be serious research institutions.
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
bsky.app/profile/mcop...