Rachel Storm
@rachelsstorm.bsky.social
Human, or a reasonable facsimile ✨️ Librarian, writer, horror fan, gamer, weirdo ✨️ IBD: UC ✨️ She/her ✨️ Purveyor of Dragon Age fanfic at: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelsstorm
Reposted by Rachel Storm
The "DOGE is gone" articles are clickbait but this one gets it closer to the truth: DOGE is not gone, it just claims to have "no centralized leadership" anymore -- in other words, its leadership is hiding in an attempt to avoid blame.
DOGE no longer has ‘centralized leadership’ under White House tech team, personnel head says
The team that was altered to house DOGE — formerly the U.S. Digital Service — is also still doing its own technology work across agencies.
www.nextgov.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:09 AM
The "DOGE is gone" articles are clickbait but this one gets it closer to the truth: DOGE is not gone, it just claims to have "no centralized leadership" anymore -- in other words, its leadership is hiding in an attempt to avoid blame.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
As I always do with boycotts, I urge: be tough with corporations, gentle with individual buyers. For some people, Black Friday sales are the way they get their kids jackets that fit, shoes that hold up to the weather. Yelling at them doesn’t help the cause.
November 28, 2025 at 3:11 PM
As I always do with boycotts, I urge: be tough with corporations, gentle with individual buyers. For some people, Black Friday sales are the way they get their kids jackets that fit, shoes that hold up to the weather. Yelling at them doesn’t help the cause.
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve seen
The Pixies (reunion tour)
They Might Be Giants
L7
Veruca Salt (reunion tour)
Death Cab/Dismemberment Plan (Death & Dismemberment tour)
The Pixies (reunion tour)
They Might Be Giants
L7
Veruca Salt (reunion tour)
Death Cab/Dismemberment Plan (Death & Dismemberment tour)
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve seen
(Yikes, I am old)
B-52s
The Black Crowes
Peter Gabriel
The Cure
10,000 Maniacs
(Yikes, I am old)
B-52s
The Black Crowes
Peter Gabriel
The Cure
10,000 Maniacs
Introduce yourself with five concerts you've seen
Cher
Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys
Tune Yards
David Byrne and St. Vincent
Dolly Parton
Cher
Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys
Tune Yards
David Byrne and St. Vincent
Dolly Parton
November 28, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve seen
The Pixies (reunion tour)
They Might Be Giants
L7
Veruca Salt (reunion tour)
Death Cab/Dismemberment Plan (Death & Dismemberment tour)
The Pixies (reunion tour)
They Might Be Giants
L7
Veruca Salt (reunion tour)
Death Cab/Dismemberment Plan (Death & Dismemberment tour)
Reposted by Rachel Storm
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
It's also just distracting because usually the image has some weirdness to it, and it doesn't tend to add explanatory value. So if you're just adding them for ambience or to represent a generic concept, just use a regular picture.
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:44 PM
It's also just distracting because usually the image has some weirdness to it, and it doesn't tend to add explanatory value. So if you're just adding them for ambience or to represent a generic concept, just use a regular picture.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
Yes! Visuals are part of the communication. Treating them as ignorable decoration completely misses the point and it’s not how they’re received by an audience
November 28, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Yes! Visuals are part of the communication. Treating them as ignorable decoration completely misses the point and it’s not how they’re received by an audience
Reposted by Rachel Storm
this is part of a discussion about using AI art in your presentation slides, but also feels like it captures where this all goes wrong.
people who don't see the visuals as communication can't respect the skill & thought of the artists whose work got fed into these models to begin with.
people who don't see the visuals as communication can't respect the skill & thought of the artists whose work got fed into these models to begin with.
Yes! Visuals are part of the communication. Treating them as ignorable decoration completely misses the point and it’s not how they’re received by an audience
November 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
this is part of a discussion about using AI art in your presentation slides, but also feels like it captures where this all goes wrong.
people who don't see the visuals as communication can't respect the skill & thought of the artists whose work got fed into these models to begin with.
people who don't see the visuals as communication can't respect the skill & thought of the artists whose work got fed into these models to begin with.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
GOOD NEWS! Researchers have made a HUGE breakthrough towards a UNIVERSAL antiviral. By targeting sugar molecules found on the surface of many viruses that SHARE structural similarities, they identified FOUR compounds that successfully BLOCKED infections from SEVEN different viruses.
November 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM
GOOD NEWS! Researchers have made a HUGE breakthrough towards a UNIVERSAL antiviral. By targeting sugar molecules found on the surface of many viruses that SHARE structural similarities, they identified FOUR compounds that successfully BLOCKED infections from SEVEN different viruses.
I will never get over older folks who are not sure if I've ever heard of certain famous people because I'm "young." Today it was Alfred Hitchcock! I assured them that yes, I have heard of him.
a poster for a movie called a f d hitchcock with a silhouette of a man
Alt: The words Alfred Hitchcock across the image with two Hitchcock silhouettes nodding at each other.
media.tenor.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I will never get over older folks who are not sure if I've ever heard of certain famous people because I'm "young." Today it was Alfred Hitchcock! I assured them that yes, I have heard of him.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
In case you missed this, the BBC edited a historian's speech about Trump to remove the claim that he's "the most openly corrupt president in US history." This came after Trump had threatened a $1 billion lawsuit.
Elite capitulation continues.
Read all about it here:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Elite capitulation continues.
Read all about it here:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Trump Angrily Threatened to Sue BBC. Then Things Took a Darker Turn.
First, British Broadcasting Corporation execs resigned after Trump complained about a segment. Now the BBC edited out a line from a historian that was critical of Trump. Where does this end?
newrepublic.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM
In case you missed this, the BBC edited a historian's speech about Trump to remove the claim that he's "the most openly corrupt president in US history." This came after Trump had threatened a $1 billion lawsuit.
Elite capitulation continues.
Read all about it here:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Elite capitulation continues.
Read all about it here:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Reposted by Rachel Storm
Reminder: you don't have to engage with AI as an instructor. You can talk about AI--even build AI literacy, if you want to call it that--and still not engage directly with a brutal, unethical, ecologically disastrous bundle of technologies. Regardless of institutional pressure, you can refuse.
November 26, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reminder: you don't have to engage with AI as an instructor. You can talk about AI--even build AI literacy, if you want to call it that--and still not engage directly with a brutal, unethical, ecologically disastrous bundle of technologies. Regardless of institutional pressure, you can refuse.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
Pro tip: it usually only takes one or two requests for your local library to buy a copy of a book you like
November 26, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Pro tip: it usually only takes one or two requests for your local library to buy a copy of a book you like
Reposted by Rachel Storm
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 24, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
Love a mental health professional that uses terms like "nut job" and "crazy" to describe mental illness.
Part of the catch with mental illness is that you need an outside party to diagnose you, even if you are trained. But I only have a BA in Psych, so what do I know?
Part of the catch with mental illness is that you need an outside party to diagnose you, even if you are trained. But I only have a BA in Psych, so what do I know?
I'm literally just living a normal life while also experiencing a theophany via communication with the satellite called VALIS.
November 24, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Love a mental health professional that uses terms like "nut job" and "crazy" to describe mental illness.
Part of the catch with mental illness is that you need an outside party to diagnose you, even if you are trained. But I only have a BA in Psych, so what do I know?
Part of the catch with mental illness is that you need an outside party to diagnose you, even if you are trained. But I only have a BA in Psych, so what do I know?
Reposted by Rachel Storm
Spiritualism skyrocketed in the US after its brutal Civil War killed roughly 750,000 people - and now in the wake of Covid’s million+ death toll, modern Americans are using ChatGPT to speak with the spirits. In this paper I will
I'm literally just living a normal life while also experiencing a theophany via communication with the satellite called VALIS.
November 24, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Spiritualism skyrocketed in the US after its brutal Civil War killed roughly 750,000 people - and now in the wake of Covid’s million+ death toll, modern Americans are using ChatGPT to speak with the spirits. In this paper I will
Reposted by Rachel Storm
Hey yall not what I wanted to do on my birthday but let it be clear
"Death of the artist" is all well & good but you cannot Seperate the art from the artist when the artist is still alive, a terf & every penny they recieve reinforces their beliefs & is used to actively harm Trans folks!
Let it Go!
"Death of the artist" is all well & good but you cannot Seperate the art from the artist when the artist is still alive, a terf & every penny they recieve reinforces their beliefs & is used to actively harm Trans folks!
Let it Go!
'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling says 'a ton' of fans are 'still with me' after trans remarks
J.K. Rowling addressed her controversial comments about transgender women on 'The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling' podcast, saying many 'Harry Potter' fans were 'grateful that I'd said what I said,' and ...
share.google
November 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Hey yall not what I wanted to do on my birthday but let it be clear
"Death of the artist" is all well & good but you cannot Seperate the art from the artist when the artist is still alive, a terf & every penny they recieve reinforces their beliefs & is used to actively harm Trans folks!
Let it Go!
"Death of the artist" is all well & good but you cannot Seperate the art from the artist when the artist is still alive, a terf & every penny they recieve reinforces their beliefs & is used to actively harm Trans folks!
Let it Go!
Well, I guess I am worthless, always wrong about everything, and nothing I say has any value. Good to know.
November 21, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Well, I guess I am worthless, always wrong about everything, and nothing I say has any value. Good to know.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
NEW — Today, Cook County became the first county in the U.S. to establish permanent funding for guaranteed income at the county level.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved $7.5 million for the program through its FY 2026 budget, which totals $10.12 billion.
thetriibe.com/2025/11/cook...
The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved $7.5 million for the program through its FY 2026 budget, which totals $10.12 billion.
thetriibe.com/2025/11/cook...
Cook County becomes the first county in the US to establish permanent funding for guaranteed income • The TRiiBE
On Thursday, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved the FY 2026 budget, which includes $7.5 million to fund the county’s guaranteed basic income program.
thetriibe.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:47 PM
NEW — Today, Cook County became the first county in the U.S. to establish permanent funding for guaranteed income at the county level.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved $7.5 million for the program through its FY 2026 budget, which totals $10.12 billion.
thetriibe.com/2025/11/cook...
The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved $7.5 million for the program through its FY 2026 budget, which totals $10.12 billion.
thetriibe.com/2025/11/cook...
Reposted by Rachel Storm
this is evidently a minority opinion (given recent experience), but there is one way of dressing up for air travel that i would encourage, and that is wearing a goddamn mask
Trump's Transportation Secretary on how to improve air travel:
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly... We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up"
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly... We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up"
November 20, 2025 at 10:21 PM
this is evidently a minority opinion (given recent experience), but there is one way of dressing up for air travel that i would encourage, and that is wearing a goddamn mask
Reposted by Rachel Storm
Your wellness routine should include taking precautions to avoid multiple covid infections that damage your immune system, hope that helps. 🌟💕
November 20, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Your wellness routine should include taking precautions to avoid multiple covid infections that damage your immune system, hope that helps. 🌟💕
Reposted by Rachel Storm
And because why not, here's the entire help article about Smart Features. Note that it does not say anywhere in here that Smart Features is a Gemini feature, rather that Gemini is one of the offerings for smart features. This is just panicked misinfo. support.google.com/mail/answer/...
Learn about smart features & controls for Google Workspace & other Google products - Android - Gmail Help
To give you more granular control over your data, we’ve updated our smart feature settings fo
support.google.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:48 PM
And because why not, here's the entire help article about Smart Features. Note that it does not say anywhere in here that Smart Features is a Gemini feature, rather that Gemini is one of the offerings for smart features. This is just panicked misinfo. support.google.com/mail/answer/...
Reposted by Rachel Storm
This is incorrect. Those are not Gemini features. Those existed previously; this doesn’t do anything for GenAI.
Additionally, your email is scanned no matter what; that’s how spam and phishing don’t make it into your inbox.
Additionally, your email is scanned no matter what; that’s how spam and phishing don’t make it into your inbox.
November 20, 2025 at 6:32 PM
This is incorrect. Those are not Gemini features. Those existed previously; this doesn’t do anything for GenAI.
Additionally, your email is scanned no matter what; that’s how spam and phishing don’t make it into your inbox.
Additionally, your email is scanned no matter what; that’s how spam and phishing don’t make it into your inbox.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
Totally understand the reaction -- the setting, however, doesn't have anything to do with training (Google doesn't train on private Gmail conversations). By "scanning", it passes the content to an ML model, and uses the result to classify your email. It doesn't store anything else.
November 20, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Totally understand the reaction -- the setting, however, doesn't have anything to do with training (Google doesn't train on private Gmail conversations). By "scanning", it passes the content to an ML model, and uses the result to classify your email. It doesn't store anything else.
Reposted by Rachel Storm
The only way to understand this is to realize that they are eugenicists.
To Survive the Next Pandemic, Walk More, the NIH Says
The agency is picking up Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s argument that a healthy immune system can keep even pandemic germs at bay.
www.theatlantic.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:04 PM
The only way to understand this is to realize that they are eugenicists.