Dawn Xiana Moon
@dawnxianamoon.bsky.social
Civic tech & UX by day, art by night.
Founder/director of @RaksGeek.bsky.social. Dancer + singer-songwriter. SF/F essays. Food. Spins fire. Britain's Got Talent.
Building shared versions of reality + hope.
RaksGeek.com
RaksInferno.com
DawnXianaMoon.com
Founder/director of @RaksGeek.bsky.social. Dancer + singer-songwriter. SF/F essays. Food. Spins fire. Britain's Got Talent.
Building shared versions of reality + hope.
RaksGeek.com
RaksInferno.com
DawnXianaMoon.com
If you're a musician and you find a piano in an immersive comic pop-up, you're contractually obligated to play it. 😄
Stopped by the 2D pop-up downtown - it's pretty neat! I think they hand-drew most of it too.
#Chicago
Stopped by the 2D pop-up downtown - it's pretty neat! I think they hand-drew most of it too.
#Chicago
November 27, 2025 at 2:09 AM
If you're a musician and you find a piano in an immersive comic pop-up, you're contractually obligated to play it. 😄
Stopped by the 2D pop-up downtown - it's pretty neat! I think they hand-drew most of it too.
#Chicago
Stopped by the 2D pop-up downtown - it's pretty neat! I think they hand-drew most of it too.
#Chicago
I'm not crying, you're crying
![Comic. Panels up to the 10-year point are grayed out. New panels since the Ten Years comic, which chronicles the first ten years of PERSON 1's journey with cancer: (1) [two people in bed] PERSON 1 (woman): One more chapter? PERSON 2 (man): Don’t we both have to get up early? PERSON 1: Nnnnnggggh PERSON 2: Sure, good point. (2) [many people wearing masks, walking while looking at graphs on their phones] (3) [birds landing on people] PERSON 2 in beanie and scarf: Hah! They like *my* seeds best. PERSON 1 in scarf holding phone with a bird sitting on it: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one? (4) [two people rowing boats with tree landscape] (5) [Person 1 carries overflowing stack of things to Person 2 in bed] PERSON 1: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a– PERSON 2: It was just Appendicitis, I’m really– PERSON 1: *It is my turn to take care of you and I am going to do it right!* (6) [Two people in car] (7) [still in car) PERSON 1: Oh my god. PERSON 2: Oh my god. (8) [car driving] PERSON 1: Pull over! PERSON 2: I am! (9) [both people get out of car] (10) [Large colored panel of aurora borealis over water with both people looking on] (11) [Person 1 sits against tree while Person 2 lies on the ground] PERSON 1: Fifteen years. No sign of the cancer. (12) I *am* having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I’m losing my close-up vision. PERSON 2: Yeah. Me too. (13) PERSON 2: I think we’re getting old. (14) PERSON 1: I guess that’s okay. PERSON 2: It’s all I wanted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihwhjblp5lyiwp63ouar7ocfea7evmckytoeo7rkfuoo4gw5rnrra@jpeg)
November 27, 2025 at 12:21 AM
I'm not crying, you're crying
Reposted by Dawn Xiana Moon
the requirement is, of course, “be white” amp.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
Trump says Haiti no longer meets requirements for TPS. Haitians have to leave
The Department of Homeland Security said TPS for Haiti ends Feb. 3, 2026, affecting over half a million people who may face return to gang-controlled Port-au-Prince.
amp.miamiherald.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:43 PM
the requirement is, of course, “be white” amp.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
The Chicago Pope continues to be alright. 😄
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:35 PM
The Chicago Pope continues to be alright. 😄
For real though: Incredible mashed potatoes are easy to make even without a potato masher.
Boil potatoes. Drain. Add a heart-stopping amount of butter (the heat will melt it). Mix in enough heavy cream to bring the potatoes to the texture you like.
Add salt, garlic powder, & pepper to taste.
Boil potatoes. Drain. Add a heart-stopping amount of butter (the heat will melt it). Mix in enough heavy cream to bring the potatoes to the texture you like.
Add salt, garlic powder, & pepper to taste.
Whereupon she told me to go in the freezer and get out what she would need. Well. I mean. She was on a lot of meds.
BUT NO! The freezer was stacked with Bob Evans mashed potatoes. She threw them in a saucepan with two (2! TWO!) sticks of butter and a dash of garlic powder
BUT NO! The freezer was stacked with Bob Evans mashed potatoes. She threw them in a saucepan with two (2! TWO!) sticks of butter and a dash of garlic powder
November 26, 2025 at 8:29 AM
For real though: Incredible mashed potatoes are easy to make even without a potato masher.
Boil potatoes. Drain. Add a heart-stopping amount of butter (the heat will melt it). Mix in enough heavy cream to bring the potatoes to the texture you like.
Add salt, garlic powder, & pepper to taste.
Boil potatoes. Drain. Add a heart-stopping amount of butter (the heat will melt it). Mix in enough heavy cream to bring the potatoes to the texture you like.
Add salt, garlic powder, & pepper to taste.
Phillip Glass was in his 30s & driving a cab when he finally premiered an opera at the Met.
And that was after studying at Juilliard & receiving a Fulbright.
That Met premiere allowed him to focus on music fulltime, but he would have been no less brilliant if he'd needed to keep driving for money.
And that was after studying at Juilliard & receiving a Fulbright.
That Met premiere allowed him to focus on music fulltime, but he would have been no less brilliant if he'd needed to keep driving for money.
November 26, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Phillip Glass was in his 30s & driving a cab when he finally premiered an opera at the Met.
And that was after studying at Juilliard & receiving a Fulbright.
That Met premiere allowed him to focus on music fulltime, but he would have been no less brilliant if he'd needed to keep driving for money.
And that was after studying at Juilliard & receiving a Fulbright.
That Met premiere allowed him to focus on music fulltime, but he would have been no less brilliant if he'd needed to keep driving for money.
The last step will be selling it cheap. For one of their rich friends to make a profit.
Even though the National Parks belong to all of us, and the generations that come after us.
Even though the National Parks belong to all of us, and the generations that come after us.
It follows the corporate takeover strategy.
They took a highly profitable and envied asset, financially accessible for the majority, decimated the staff & public services, sold off parts, spun-up private equity opportunity for the remainder & rebranded what was left as catering to the rich.
They took a highly profitable and envied asset, financially accessible for the majority, decimated the staff & public services, sold off parts, spun-up private equity opportunity for the remainder & rebranded what was left as catering to the rich.
November 26, 2025 at 6:24 AM
The last step will be selling it cheap. For one of their rich friends to make a profit.
Even though the National Parks belong to all of us, and the generations that come after us.
Even though the National Parks belong to all of us, and the generations that come after us.
Thread.
I see all of this from my vantage point in the gov tech ecosystem too (federal contractor).
DOGE et al went through gov systems with a sledgehammer & a total lack of concern about legalities.
And in addition to being destructive, it's all incredibly stupid too. It's maddening.
I see all of this from my vantage point in the gov tech ecosystem too (federal contractor).
DOGE et al went through gov systems with a sledgehammer & a total lack of concern about legalities.
And in addition to being destructive, it's all incredibly stupid too. It's maddening.
Being among the first interrogated and ultimately fired by DOGE, I certainly felt we were facing the business end of a right-wing conspiracy theory 🧵
DOGE was not a money-saving effort. It was an effort to chase down and prove right-wing conspiracy theories. They went after USAID to prove conspiracy theories about foreign aid. Then they went after SSA to, again, pursue conspiracy theories about Dems paying "illegals" to vote. 1/2
November 26, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Thread.
I see all of this from my vantage point in the gov tech ecosystem too (federal contractor).
DOGE et al went through gov systems with a sledgehammer & a total lack of concern about legalities.
And in addition to being destructive, it's all incredibly stupid too. It's maddening.
I see all of this from my vantage point in the gov tech ecosystem too (federal contractor).
DOGE et al went through gov systems with a sledgehammer & a total lack of concern about legalities.
And in addition to being destructive, it's all incredibly stupid too. It's maddening.
But Biden was "too old"
November 26, 2025 at 12:30 AM
But Biden was "too old"
Reposted by Dawn Xiana Moon
And the folks who are actually writing full-time generally only got there after years of day jobs, family support, or both.
The point of sharing this is not to demoralize anyone, but to let emerging writers know they're not failing if they can't make a living off writing alone. Almost no one can.
The point of sharing this is not to demoralize anyone, but to let emerging writers know they're not failing if they can't make a living off writing alone. Almost no one can.
almost every novelist you read who's not from the airport fiction or bestseller sections is working a full on day job, including multi-award winners and absolute legends, or they have a spouse or trust that supports them. virtually across the board. just normalize in your mind that's how it works.
I know we know this, but authors need to get better at talking about how they actually make their money. Stop pretending it's from the books.
November 25, 2025 at 11:24 PM
And the folks who are actually writing full-time generally only got there after years of day jobs, family support, or both.
The point of sharing this is not to demoralize anyone, but to let emerging writers know they're not failing if they can't make a living off writing alone. Almost no one can.
The point of sharing this is not to demoralize anyone, but to let emerging writers know they're not failing if they can't make a living off writing alone. Almost no one can.
From a UX & business perspective, the discount code for cart abandonment thing is fascinating.
If you're the retailer, customers playing chicken & then buying makes the metrics look great. The code results in sales!
But your revenue will be less than it could have been, & that's harder to track.
If you're the retailer, customers playing chicken & then buying makes the metrics look great. The code results in sales!
But your revenue will be less than it could have been, & that's harder to track.
TFW you are playing retail chicken (items in cart, not completing transaction) with a particular retailer who has a thing you want, and is running a sale, but NOT on the thing you want. And somehow this is the ONE retailer that doesn't send discount codes in this scenario. :harrumphs:
November 25, 2025 at 8:33 PM
From a UX & business perspective, the discount code for cart abandonment thing is fascinating.
If you're the retailer, customers playing chicken & then buying makes the metrics look great. The code results in sales!
But your revenue will be less than it could have been, & that's harder to track.
If you're the retailer, customers playing chicken & then buying makes the metrics look great. The code results in sales!
But your revenue will be less than it could have been, & that's harder to track.
Reposted by Dawn Xiana Moon
ha ha it appears they've edited the headline to remove the phrase "device hoarding"
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/h...
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/h...
November 25, 2025 at 6:44 PM
ha ha it appears they've edited the headline to remove the phrase "device hoarding"
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/h...
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/h...
Kids are going to die.
That's not hyperbole.
That's not hyperbole.
Breaking News: The CDC quietly appointed Dr. Ralph Lee Abraham, who has been critical of vaccines, as its second in command. During the Covid pandemic, he promoted discredited treatments like ivermectin and, as Louisiana’s surgeon general, halted the state’s mass vaccination campaign.
C.D.C. Quietly Appoints Doctor Critical of Vaccines as Second in Command
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Ralph Lee Abraham promoted discredited treatments like ivermectin and, as Louisiana’s surgeon general, halted the state’s mass vaccination campaign.
trib.al
November 25, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Kids are going to die.
That's not hyperbole.
That's not hyperbole.
You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you.
Who’s coming to save you?
Who’s coming to save you?
November 25, 2025 at 9:18 AM
You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you.
Who’s coming to save you?
Who’s coming to save you?
IANAL but isn't lying to a court the kind of thing that's supposed to result in jail time?
When she gets to Gregory Bovino, she finds him completely uncredible, and says he was evasive or outright lied multiple times across three days of testimony — and not just any falsehoods, he was not telling the truth about multiple things which were all captured on video, making it all very obvious.
November 25, 2025 at 7:01 AM
IANAL but isn't lying to a court the kind of thing that's supposed to result in jail time?
Raksgiving is an annual tradition - I made a full Thanksgiving dinner for 15 @raksgeek.bsky.social cast & crew members (including a vegan & a friend with a garlic/onion allergy)!
Everything from scratch of course, down to the salted butter caramel & salad dressings. 🍽️
Everything from scratch of course, down to the salted butter caramel & salad dressings. 🍽️
November 25, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Raksgiving is an annual tradition - I made a full Thanksgiving dinner for 15 @raksgeek.bsky.social cast & crew members (including a vegan & a friend with a garlic/onion allergy)!
Everything from scratch of course, down to the salted butter caramel & salad dressings. 🍽️
Everything from scratch of course, down to the salted butter caramel & salad dressings. 🍽️
I thought someone was joking about Vanity Fair trying to become Playboy but it turns out they were subtweeting this. 😬
The forthcoming print edition of Vanity Fair includes an abstract nude portrait of Olivia Nuzzi, @nataliekorach.bsky.social reports, writing about how the growing scandal is raising questions about the decision making at the magazine.
More in @status.news: www.status.news/p/olivia-nuz...
More in @status.news: www.status.news/p/olivia-nuz...
Condé’s Nuzzi Conundrum
Inside Condé Nast's media drama: Gabriel Nuzzi's revelations spark controversy, exposing internal tensions and unfolding newsroom dynamics with dramatic flair.
www.status.news
November 24, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I thought someone was joking about Vanity Fair trying to become Playboy but it turns out they were subtweeting this. 😬
Look, there isn't a real comparison between Mamdani/Trump & Harris/Cheney.
Mamdani talked to the president of his country at an official work function. And still called him out.
Harris took someone on the opposite political side on her *campaign trail as an endorsement.*
Mamdani talked to the president of his country at an official work function. And still called him out.
Harris took someone on the opposite political side on her *campaign trail as an endorsement.*
November 23, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Look, there isn't a real comparison between Mamdani/Trump & Harris/Cheney.
Mamdani talked to the president of his country at an official work function. And still called him out.
Harris took someone on the opposite political side on her *campaign trail as an endorsement.*
Mamdani talked to the president of his country at an official work function. And still called him out.
Harris took someone on the opposite political side on her *campaign trail as an endorsement.*
Late night cooking for Raksgiving (i.e. Friendsgiving for my @raksgeek.bsky.social cast/crew):
- Salted butter caramel
- Chocolate layer cake (will add ganache tomorrow)
- Chocolate mousse
- Dry brining the turkey
- Turkey stock for gravy & stuffing (I know it's technically dressing but whatever)
- Salted butter caramel
- Chocolate layer cake (will add ganache tomorrow)
- Chocolate mousse
- Dry brining the turkey
- Turkey stock for gravy & stuffing (I know it's technically dressing but whatever)
November 23, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Late night cooking for Raksgiving (i.e. Friendsgiving for my @raksgeek.bsky.social cast/crew):
- Salted butter caramel
- Chocolate layer cake (will add ganache tomorrow)
- Chocolate mousse
- Dry brining the turkey
- Turkey stock for gravy & stuffing (I know it's technically dressing but whatever)
- Salted butter caramel
- Chocolate layer cake (will add ganache tomorrow)
- Chocolate mousse
- Dry brining the turkey
- Turkey stock for gravy & stuffing (I know it's technically dressing but whatever)
I'll talk about tech since hilariously my day job was entirely driven by needs from my art.
Back when I was in college, I was getting ready to release my first album. I couldn't afford to pay a designer & figured I had a decent eye, so I taught myself Photoshop & made my first album cover.
Back when I was in college, I was getting ready to release my first album. I couldn't afford to pay a designer & figured I had a decent eye, so I taught myself Photoshop & made my first album cover.
November 22, 2025 at 10:59 PM
I'll talk about tech since hilariously my day job was entirely driven by needs from my art.
Back when I was in college, I was getting ready to release my first album. I couldn't afford to pay a designer & figured I had a decent eye, so I taught myself Photoshop & made my first album cover.
Back when I was in college, I was getting ready to release my first album. I couldn't afford to pay a designer & figured I had a decent eye, so I taught myself Photoshop & made my first album cover.
This is well worth the read, not just for the personal story, but because she ties it to the larger story about what RFK Jr. is doing to destroy healthcare for all of us.
1. Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, reveals that she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia just hours after she gave birth to her daughter, and that she has less than a year to live.
Schlossberg is just 35.
(Link below)
Schlossberg is just 35.
(Link below)
November 22, 2025 at 9:30 PM
This is well worth the read, not just for the personal story, but because she ties it to the larger story about what RFK Jr. is doing to destroy healthcare for all of us.
You all. Last night A TON of people told me they cried through my piece. And "I wasn't sure if we should clap because it felt like interrupting - it was art."
There are no higher compliments. 🥹
There are no higher compliments. 🥹
November 22, 2025 at 8:46 PM
You all. Last night A TON of people told me they cried through my piece. And "I wasn't sure if we should clap because it felt like interrupting - it was art."
There are no higher compliments. 🥹
There are no higher compliments. 🥹
Reposted by Dawn Xiana Moon
Sorry, I always forget that numbers help illustrate things.
Suppose you go to a SC high school football game where there are 1100 white fans in the stands, 550 white men, and 550 white women.
280 of the men will vote.
380 of the women will vote.
210 men vote for Trump.
270 women vote for Trump.
Suppose you go to a SC high school football game where there are 1100 white fans in the stands, 550 white men, and 550 white women.
280 of the men will vote.
380 of the women will vote.
210 men vote for Trump.
270 women vote for Trump.
November 22, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Sorry, I always forget that numbers help illustrate things.
Suppose you go to a SC high school football game where there are 1100 white fans in the stands, 550 white men, and 550 white women.
280 of the men will vote.
380 of the women will vote.
210 men vote for Trump.
270 women vote for Trump.
Suppose you go to a SC high school football game where there are 1100 white fans in the stands, 550 white men, and 550 white women.
280 of the men will vote.
380 of the women will vote.
210 men vote for Trump.
270 women vote for Trump.
Now taking bets on whether Bezos is in the files.
The Washington Post editorial board decided the Epstein files have “no public interest” before even seeing them. That’s a stunning position for any newsroom to take. Praising Clay Higgins as the lone ‘no’ vote, too? No wonder no one trusts legacy media. Absolutely disgusting.
November 22, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Now taking bets on whether Bezos is in the files.
In all the photos/videos I've seen Mamdani's smile is tight & doesn't quite reach his eyes.
Somehow he managed to charm Trump while still hating his guts.
This is like having to work with that colleague you can't stand. But he has enough charisma & power from his win that the colleague is in love.
Somehow he managed to charm Trump while still hating his guts.
This is like having to work with that colleague you can't stand. But he has enough charisma & power from his win that the colleague is in love.
unprecedented levels of rizz
November 22, 2025 at 8:05 AM
In all the photos/videos I've seen Mamdani's smile is tight & doesn't quite reach his eyes.
Somehow he managed to charm Trump while still hating his guts.
This is like having to work with that colleague you can't stand. But he has enough charisma & power from his win that the colleague is in love.
Somehow he managed to charm Trump while still hating his guts.
This is like having to work with that colleague you can't stand. But he has enough charisma & power from his win that the colleague is in love.