Lee Gardner
@leegee.bsky.social
Reporter at @chronicle.com, music nerd, lotsa other kinds of nerd too. Half of @essentialpod.bsky.social and all of @vgplusrecs.bsky.social. He/him
Not judging or proscribing, just observing (if I could have responded in-thread, I would have). It was not A Thing in my family or many other hillbilly-derived families of my acquaintance. Hence the question.
I mean this with absolutely zero malice, but I do not get this. I just can't think of a single holiday I went to anywhere that didn't have a pan of mac and cheese at it, and we were about as far East TN as you could get. How did this perception come about? When did people stop loving themselves?
OK, my fellow Appalachian-Americans: Is mac and cheese part of our cuisine? I don’t believe I ever had it until a sleepover (with a family Not From Around Here) when I was a teen, and I certainly don’t remember it being a staple on holiday tables in East Tennessee. Not gatekeeping, just curious.
November 26, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Not judging or proscribing, just observing (if I could have responded in-thread, I would have). It was not A Thing in my family or many other hillbilly-derived families of my acquaintance. Hence the question.
OK, my fellow Appalachian-Americans: Is mac and cheese part of our cuisine? I don’t believe I ever had it until a sleepover (with a family Not From Around Here) when I was a teen, and I certainly don’t remember it being a staple on holiday tables in East Tennessee. Not gatekeeping, just curious.
November 26, 2025 at 2:17 PM
OK, my fellow Appalachian-Americans: Is mac and cheese part of our cuisine? I don’t believe I ever had it until a sleepover (with a family Not From Around Here) when I was a teen, and I certainly don’t remember it being a staple on holiday tables in East Tennessee. Not gatekeeping, just curious.
Reposted by Lee Gardner
In every dystopian novel: the government bans books.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
November 24, 2025 at 11:14 AM
In every dystopian novel: the government bans books.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
Reposted by Lee Gardner
Your Cherokee words for today.
The top word is English followed by how it is written in the Cherokee language followed by how it is spelled in English then how to pronounce it phonetically.
The top word is English followed by how it is written in the Cherokee language followed by how it is spelled in English then how to pronounce it phonetically.
November 23, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Your Cherokee words for today.
The top word is English followed by how it is written in the Cherokee language followed by how it is spelled in English then how to pronounce it phonetically.
The top word is English followed by how it is written in the Cherokee language followed by how it is spelled in English then how to pronounce it phonetically.
This all day.
You're not cool for pretending turkey or pumpkin spice don't taste good.
November 22, 2025 at 11:40 PM
This all day.
Reposted by Lee Gardner
If you missed the screening of the @baltimorebeat.bsky.social documentary last week, you have another chance coming up at Lexington Market! baltimorebeat.com/watch-the-ba...
Watch the Baltimore Beat Documentary with From Baltimore With Love
On November 29 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Lexington Market (112 N. Eutaw Street), watch an encore screening of Baltimore Beat’s documentary, “The Beat Goes On: The Story of Baltimore Beat” and celebrat...
baltimorebeat.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
If you missed the screening of the @baltimorebeat.bsky.social documentary last week, you have another chance coming up at Lexington Market! baltimorebeat.com/watch-the-ba...
Repost with an iconic fictional band.
November 21, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Repost with an iconic fictional band.
Why does it feel like, this being 2025, someone is going to insist that it's un-American to stop experimenting on monkeys in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
EXCLUSIVE: CDC to end all monkey studies. Decision handed down by recent college grad and former DOGE employee who is now deputy chief of staff at the agency. Animals were being used in studies of HIV prevention. Some may be euthanized. My latest for @science.org
Exclusive: CDC to end all monkey research
Studies related to HIV and other infectious diseases will be phased out, sources say; fate of the agency's animals remains unclear
www.science.org
November 21, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Why does it feel like, this being 2025, someone is going to insist that it's un-American to stop experimenting on monkeys in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
Reposted by Lee Gardner
I've just launched The New/Next Film Fest Viewing Archive: a public document listing every film I've screened in the history of @newnextfilmfest.bsky.social and where, when applicable, you can view each film from home (streaming, VOD, and physical media).
Dig in, share, enjoy! tinyurl.com/cm6rwkd9
Dig in, share, enjoy! tinyurl.com/cm6rwkd9
New/Next Film Festival Viewing Archive (2023-2025)
THE NEW/NEXT FILM FESTIVAL VIEWING ARCHIVE Your 24/7, 365 Online Film Festival! WELCOME! 2 NEW/NEXT FILM FESTIVAL 2023 ARCHIVE 4 NEW/NEXT 2023 EMERGING FEATURE FILMS 4 NEW/NEXT 2023 REPERTORY FEATUR...
tinyurl.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:08 PM
I've just launched The New/Next Film Fest Viewing Archive: a public document listing every film I've screened in the history of @newnextfilmfest.bsky.social and where, when applicable, you can view each film from home (streaming, VOD, and physical media).
Dig in, share, enjoy! tinyurl.com/cm6rwkd9
Dig in, share, enjoy! tinyurl.com/cm6rwkd9
Top Five Favorite Documentary Genres
1. Following toxic men around with 16 mm cameras, cause who's ever gonna see this crap?
2. Films about people no one ever makes films about
3. Looks like a dangerous, tedious job (it is)
4. Great director portraits of great artists
5. Random Eastern Europeans
1. Following toxic men around with 16 mm cameras, cause who's ever gonna see this crap?
2. Films about people no one ever makes films about
3. Looks like a dangerous, tedious job (it is)
4. Great director portraits of great artists
5. Random Eastern Europeans
Top Five Favourite Documentary Genres
1. Oh wait, it was a Ponzi Scheme all along.
2. Terrible U.S. sportsperson is metaphor for entire country.
3. Unknown crackpot was greatest person who ever lived.
4. Old alcoholics talk about famous old alcoholic.
5. Nature is cute but evil.
1. Oh wait, it was a Ponzi Scheme all along.
2. Terrible U.S. sportsperson is metaphor for entire country.
3. Unknown crackpot was greatest person who ever lived.
4. Old alcoholics talk about famous old alcoholic.
5. Nature is cute but evil.
November 17, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Top Five Favorite Documentary Genres
1. Following toxic men around with 16 mm cameras, cause who's ever gonna see this crap?
2. Films about people no one ever makes films about
3. Looks like a dangerous, tedious job (it is)
4. Great director portraits of great artists
5. Random Eastern Europeans
1. Following toxic men around with 16 mm cameras, cause who's ever gonna see this crap?
2. Films about people no one ever makes films about
3. Looks like a dangerous, tedious job (it is)
4. Great director portraits of great artists
5. Random Eastern Europeans
I hardly ever spend time in bars anymore, but here’s my hot take: Bars should not have TVs. Sports bars, sure, that’s why they’re there, but a regular old bar should not have a TV on all the time. Sorta defeats the purpose.
November 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
I hardly ever spend time in bars anymore, but here’s my hot take: Bars should not have TVs. Sports bars, sure, that’s why they’re there, but a regular old bar should not have a TV on all the time. Sorta defeats the purpose.
An excellent book about living under fascism, among other things.
November 17, 2025 at 12:34 AM
An excellent book about living under fascism, among other things.
Reposted by Lee Gardner
Seriously, what is wrong with these people?
November 16, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Seriously, what is wrong with these people?
So I watched Nouvelle Vague, and while I respect Linklater for many reasons, the film basically reduces Godard to a Funko Pop. I suspect he would have despised it.
November 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
So I watched Nouvelle Vague, and while I respect Linklater for many reasons, the film basically reduces Godard to a Funko Pop. I suspect he would have despised it.
Reposted by Lee Gardner
How is AI *really* impacting jobs?
Henley Chiu, the CTO of Revealera, a jobs data analysis firm, analyzed 180 million jobs listings in 2024 and 2025, in an effort to find out. Chiu found an:
-8% drop in all jobs postings
-~30% drop in art, photography, writing jobs
-22% drop in journalism jobs
Henley Chiu, the CTO of Revealera, a jobs data analysis firm, analyzed 180 million jobs listings in 2024 and 2025, in an effort to find out. Chiu found an:
-8% drop in all jobs postings
-~30% drop in art, photography, writing jobs
-22% drop in journalism jobs
What’s really going on with AI and jobs?
Record-breaking layoff reports, Amazon's mass firings, and a slump in entry level employment. Is AI behind it all?
www.bloodinthemachine.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:25 PM
How is AI *really* impacting jobs?
Henley Chiu, the CTO of Revealera, a jobs data analysis firm, analyzed 180 million jobs listings in 2024 and 2025, in an effort to find out. Chiu found an:
-8% drop in all jobs postings
-~30% drop in art, photography, writing jobs
-22% drop in journalism jobs
Henley Chiu, the CTO of Revealera, a jobs data analysis firm, analyzed 180 million jobs listings in 2024 and 2025, in an effort to find out. Chiu found an:
-8% drop in all jobs postings
-~30% drop in art, photography, writing jobs
-22% drop in journalism jobs
Reposted by Lee Gardner
November 11, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Not shoddy at all though.
November 11, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Not shoddy at all though.
Interesting choice for Del Toro to style his Victor Frankenstein like Jaz Coleman.
November 8, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Interesting choice for Del Toro to style his Victor Frankenstein like Jaz Coleman.
Pursuant to the piece I posted earlier about Nebraska, the Faculty Senate is now considering a no-confidence vote in Rodney Bennett.
UNL Faculty Senate to weigh ‘no confidence’ vote against campus chancellor Nov. 18 • Nebraska Examiner
Faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are set to consider a “no confidence” vote in Chancellor Rodney Bennett.
nebraskaexaminer.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Pursuant to the piece I posted earlier about Nebraska, the Faculty Senate is now considering a no-confidence vote in Rodney Bennett.
I wrote about the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s recent proposal to cut six academic programs. Campus leaders say they need to close a budget gap. Professors say the process has been opaque and flawed.
U. of Nebraska’s Attempt to Measure Academic Programs’ Productivity Draws Faculty Ire
Administrators at the Lincoln campus say insufficient state aid and a decline in enrollment resulted in a $27.5-million budget deficit.
www.chronicle.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:59 PM
I wrote about the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s recent proposal to cut six academic programs. Campus leaders say they need to close a budget gap. Professors say the process has been opaque and flawed.
Baffling conference-hotel carpet du jour.
November 4, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Baffling conference-hotel carpet du jour.
“The flipside of nonjudgment is nonaccountability.” Thank you for that truth bolt, conference-panel speaker dude.
November 4, 2025 at 3:28 PM
“The flipside of nonjudgment is nonaccountability.” Thank you for that truth bolt, conference-panel speaker dude.
Thanks to a “rideshare” company, I’m taking my first trip in a self-driving Tesla, though there is a very pleasant guy behind the wheel THAT HE IS NOT TOUCHING ON I-75.
November 3, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Thanks to a “rideshare” company, I’m taking my first trip in a self-driving Tesla, though there is a very pleasant guy behind the wheel THAT HE IS NOT TOUCHING ON I-75.