Michelle
@thegreenstudy.com
Writer, Minnesotan, Army Veteran, Bird Nerd, Parent, Spouse, Atheist, GenX. I've named the squirrels in my yard & I swear a lot.
At thegreenstudy.com. She/her.
2025-26 Loft Literary Mentor Fiction Fellow.
Ruining workplaces since 1985. Unpaid agitator.
At thegreenstudy.com. She/her.
2025-26 Loft Literary Mentor Fiction Fellow.
Ruining workplaces since 1985. Unpaid agitator.
Pinned
Michelle
@thegreenstudy.com
· Mar 10
"My heart is moved by all I cannot save: so much has been destroyed I have to cast my lot with those who age after age, perversely, with no extraordinary power, reconstitute the world."
Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Rich
Reposted by Michelle
"Somebody gets into trouble, then gets out of it again. People love that story. They never get tired of it." ~ Kurt Vonnegut
February 17, 2026 at 11:39 AM
"Somebody gets into trouble, then gets out of it again. People love that story. They never get tired of it." ~ Kurt Vonnegut
At this point I am going to assume anybody with a shit ton of money was involved in the sex predator ring. Hyatt is deserving of a lot of bad publicity due to its hosting of ICE agents around the country, so hearing that its chairman was another island pal is just the chaser.
February 16, 2026 at 10:58 PM
At this point I am going to assume anybody with a shit ton of money was involved in the sex predator ring. Hyatt is deserving of a lot of bad publicity due to its hosting of ICE agents around the country, so hearing that its chairman was another island pal is just the chaser.
Today I thought I would try not to respond to every news article that irritates me.
Wrecked that intention right out of the gate.
Hello, Monday. We meet again.
Wrecked that intention right out of the gate.
Hello, Monday. We meet again.
February 16, 2026 at 1:31 PM
Today I thought I would try not to respond to every news article that irritates me.
Wrecked that intention right out of the gate.
Hello, Monday. We meet again.
Wrecked that intention right out of the gate.
Hello, Monday. We meet again.
Tagline at bottom: "We need smart, inquisitive people who love to schmooze and find adventure in change. Be that."
So fuck accurate reporting & all that journalism nonsense.
I wouldn't trust "Hannah" farther than I could throw her. It wouldn't be far, I'm old.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
So fuck accurate reporting & all that journalism nonsense.
I wouldn't trust "Hannah" farther than I could throw her. It wouldn't be far, I'm old.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
Journalism schools are teaching fear of the future: Letter from the Editor
Journalism schools lag in teaching AI, crucial for modern reporting, which aids in efficient news gathering and frees reporters for fieldwork.
www.cleveland.com
February 16, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Tagline at bottom: "We need smart, inquisitive people who love to schmooze and find adventure in change. Be that."
So fuck accurate reporting & all that journalism nonsense.
I wouldn't trust "Hannah" farther than I could throw her. It wouldn't be far, I'm old.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
So fuck accurate reporting & all that journalism nonsense.
I wouldn't trust "Hannah" farther than I could throw her. It wouldn't be far, I'm old.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
I'm so grateful for @michaelhobbes.bsky.social and @yrfatfriend.bsky.social when reading ridiculous stuff like this. Now we're supposed to treat our food to witch trials before determining its merit. I suspect "even a kid" would realize this is bullshit.
The latest nutrition guidelines urge Americans to avoid highly-processed food. But, when it comes to carbs, many people don't know which ones are ultra-processed. Here's an easy way to find out. n.pr/3MxnwFO
Is that carb ultra-processed? Here's a test even a kid can do
The latest nutrition guidelines urge Americans to avoid highly-processed food. But, when it comes to carbs, many people don't know which ones are ultra-processed. Here's an easy way to find out.
n.pr
February 16, 2026 at 11:22 AM
I'm so grateful for @michaelhobbes.bsky.social and @yrfatfriend.bsky.social when reading ridiculous stuff like this. Now we're supposed to treat our food to witch trials before determining its merit. I suspect "even a kid" would realize this is bullshit.
Reposted by Michelle
Farm workers pruning apple trees in WA state tell us, "The fog makes everything wet. This makes the work more difficult and dangerous. It also means we can't meet our minimum quota. They pay 45 cents per tree." #WeFeedYou
February 15, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Farm workers pruning apple trees in WA state tell us, "The fog makes everything wet. This makes the work more difficult and dangerous. It also means we can't meet our minimum quota. They pay 45 cents per tree." #WeFeedYou
My slacktivism for the day:
tinyurl.com/4bweswde
tinyurl.com/4bweswde
Tell HHS: Hands Off Our Care
Take action with ACLU People Power!
tinyurl.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:45 PM
My slacktivism for the day:
tinyurl.com/4bweswde
tinyurl.com/4bweswde
Call me a skeptic, but it's more likely that "schools" know who has money and time to blow on this kind of stuff. And if you're waiting until 50+ to embrace "lifelong" learning, yikes. It's a state of mind, not maturity or finance. Can a retreat undo a lifetime of not being curious or self-aware?
Schools across the country are offering courses and retreats for people 50+ who want to reinvent themselves and embrace lifelong learning and discovery.
Need a new path in midlife? There's a school for that and a quiz to kickstart it
Schools across the country are offering courses and retreats for people 50+ who want to reinvent themselves and embrace lifelong learning and discovery.
n.pr
February 15, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Call me a skeptic, but it's more likely that "schools" know who has money and time to blow on this kind of stuff. And if you're waiting until 50+ to embrace "lifelong" learning, yikes. It's a state of mind, not maturity or finance. Can a retreat undo a lifetime of not being curious or self-aware?
Woke up & in a mood. In my waking consciousness I was writing an essay about misogyny & how it poisons everything it touches. I hate it when I start writing in my head before I'm fully awake. It seemed so cogent, so clearly enunciated & then I try to write it down. Coffee, perchance to be coherent.
February 15, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Woke up & in a mood. In my waking consciousness I was writing an essay about misogyny & how it poisons everything it touches. I hate it when I start writing in my head before I'm fully awake. It seemed so cogent, so clearly enunciated & then I try to write it down. Coffee, perchance to be coherent.
Reposted by Michelle
🚨NEW: Mass incarceration costs the U.S. $445 every year. But where exactly is it all going?
February 15, 2026 at 2:15 PM
🚨NEW: Mass incarceration costs the U.S. $445 every year. But where exactly is it all going?
There are very few live versions of songs I enjoy listening to, but Marvin Gaye in Oakland in 1974 doing "Trouble Man" is the best. Perfect for a Saturday night.
youtu.be/9V3260mvWNE?...
youtu.be/9V3260mvWNE?...
Trouble Man (Live At Oakland Coliseum, CA / 1974)
YouTube video by Marvin Gaye - Topic
youtu.be
February 15, 2026 at 2:23 AM
There are very few live versions of songs I enjoy listening to, but Marvin Gaye in Oakland in 1974 doing "Trouble Man" is the best. Perfect for a Saturday night.
youtu.be/9V3260mvWNE?...
youtu.be/9V3260mvWNE?...
Reposted by Michelle
Sort of gives away the lie that they're arresting hardened criminals who are drags on society when they're setting up traps to lure in Good Samaritans
CCTV footage appears to show DHS agents posing as people having car trouble in order to lure a target out of his house before arresting them. The target comes out and starts helping them before 3 vehicles surround the scene. The car "experiencing" trouble then drives off with them.
February 15, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Sort of gives away the lie that they're arresting hardened criminals who are drags on society when they're setting up traps to lure in Good Samaritans
Reposted by Michelle
Six years ago, essayist and #FreedomToWrite Awardee Xu Zhiyong was arrested in southern China. Authorities cited his writing—in which he dreamt of a China underpinned by freedom, justice, and love—as evidence of his so-called crimes. https://pen.org/imprisoned-for-dreaming-of-a-beautiful-china/
February 14, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Six years ago, essayist and #FreedomToWrite Awardee Xu Zhiyong was arrested in southern China. Authorities cited his writing—in which he dreamt of a China underpinned by freedom, justice, and love—as evidence of his so-called crimes. https://pen.org/imprisoned-for-dreaming-of-a-beautiful-china/
Oooh...Happy Valentine's to me. This gorgeous book arrived today. Ornithography: An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore & Symbolism by @jessicasroux.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Oooh...Happy Valentine's to me. This gorgeous book arrived today. Ornithography: An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore & Symbolism by @jessicasroux.bsky.social
Reposted by Michelle
For those of you who grew up after 9/11, we got along just fine without a Department of Homeland Security for 212 years.
The DHS was formed to try to prevent future terror attacks — now, it is orchestrating them.
The DHS was formed to try to prevent future terror attacks — now, it is orchestrating them.
Never reactivate it.
BREAKING: The Department of Homeland Security shuts down as the White House and Democratic leaders continue to discuss changes to U.S. immigration enforcement.
February 14, 2026 at 5:24 AM
For those of you who grew up after 9/11, we got along just fine without a Department of Homeland Security for 212 years.
The DHS was formed to try to prevent future terror attacks — now, it is orchestrating them.
The DHS was formed to try to prevent future terror attacks — now, it is orchestrating them.
Reposted by Michelle
Breaking: The CDC reports SARS-CoV-2 levels *quadrupled* in Minnesota in the past week.
Using harmonized wastewater estimates, we project 1 in 12 people in Minnesota are actively infectious. This is equivalent to a 59% chance of exposure in a room of 10 people....
Using harmonized wastewater estimates, we project 1 in 12 people in Minnesota are actively infectious. This is equivalent to a 59% chance of exposure in a room of 10 people....
February 14, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Breaking: The CDC reports SARS-CoV-2 levels *quadrupled* in Minnesota in the past week.
Using harmonized wastewater estimates, we project 1 in 12 people in Minnesota are actively infectious. This is equivalent to a 59% chance of exposure in a room of 10 people....
Using harmonized wastewater estimates, we project 1 in 12 people in Minnesota are actively infectious. This is equivalent to a 59% chance of exposure in a room of 10 people....
The sun is out and my study window is open. Surely I'll get some writing done...is that a woodpecker? Oh look, a bunny. I should fill the feeders...maybe I'll plant some more butterfly bushes. I should look at the nursery catalog again. I should go for a walk...
Wait, what was I doing?
Wait, what was I doing?
February 14, 2026 at 3:41 PM
The sun is out and my study window is open. Surely I'll get some writing done...is that a woodpecker? Oh look, a bunny. I should fill the feeders...maybe I'll plant some more butterfly bushes. I should look at the nursery catalog again. I should go for a walk...
Wait, what was I doing?
Wait, what was I doing?
Reposted by Michelle
One of the best medical schools in the country is named after an Epstein co-conspirator. What will it take for Ohio State to part ways with Les Wexner, a man who was named by survivor Virginia Giuffre ten years ago?
February 11, 2026 at 5:27 PM
One of the best medical schools in the country is named after an Epstein co-conspirator. What will it take for Ohio State to part ways with Les Wexner, a man who was named by survivor Virginia Giuffre ten years ago?
Sympathies to all those who will be receiving the mystery toothpaste/spackle-filled chocolates tomorrow.
February 14, 2026 at 4:12 AM
Sympathies to all those who will be receiving the mystery toothpaste/spackle-filled chocolates tomorrow.
I wanted to make fun of all those people buying Swarovski collectibles, but...
Not going to buy it, because it's ridiculously expensive and any money this month goes to mutual aid projects, but I see the temptation.
Not going to buy it, because it's ridiculously expensive and any money this month goes to mutual aid projects, but I see the temptation.
February 14, 2026 at 3:24 AM
I wanted to make fun of all those people buying Swarovski collectibles, but...
Not going to buy it, because it's ridiculously expensive and any money this month goes to mutual aid projects, but I see the temptation.
Not going to buy it, because it's ridiculously expensive and any money this month goes to mutual aid projects, but I see the temptation.
My husband & I approach V-Day with caution.
Each waiting to have a flag thrown on the play.
"Do you want to do something?"
"Not really, do you?"
"Nope, I'm good."
I loathe the day, but don't want to be the 1st to call it, aware of my lack of romantic sensibility. 25+ years of this. Eh, we're good.
Each waiting to have a flag thrown on the play.
"Do you want to do something?"
"Not really, do you?"
"Nope, I'm good."
I loathe the day, but don't want to be the 1st to call it, aware of my lack of romantic sensibility. 25+ years of this. Eh, we're good.
February 14, 2026 at 3:16 AM
My husband & I approach V-Day with caution.
Each waiting to have a flag thrown on the play.
"Do you want to do something?"
"Not really, do you?"
"Nope, I'm good."
I loathe the day, but don't want to be the 1st to call it, aware of my lack of romantic sensibility. 25+ years of this. Eh, we're good.
Each waiting to have a flag thrown on the play.
"Do you want to do something?"
"Not really, do you?"
"Nope, I'm good."
I loathe the day, but don't want to be the 1st to call it, aware of my lack of romantic sensibility. 25+ years of this. Eh, we're good.
False spring reminded me of birding & photography (I'm shit at both, but love them anyway). One of my favorite birds is the gray catbird. They are fantastic mimics - a real party in the yard. I took this a few years ago. I've been in my head all day & going outside reminded me of the joys to come.
February 14, 2026 at 1:25 AM
False spring reminded me of birding & photography (I'm shit at both, but love them anyway). One of my favorite birds is the gray catbird. They are fantastic mimics - a real party in the yard. I took this a few years ago. I've been in my head all day & going outside reminded me of the joys to come.
Reposted by Michelle
ICE kidnapped a neighbor in Phillips today along with others in MN. They are still the same rogue, abhorrent, & illegitimate organization meant to terrorize & separate families.
As I said yesterday, I am still asking the community to remain cautious & vigilant. We still need help.
Jason Chavez 1/
As I said yesterday, I am still asking the community to remain cautious & vigilant. We still need help.
Jason Chavez 1/
February 14, 2026 at 1:05 AM
ICE kidnapped a neighbor in Phillips today along with others in MN. They are still the same rogue, abhorrent, & illegitimate organization meant to terrorize & separate families.
As I said yesterday, I am still asking the community to remain cautious & vigilant. We still need help.
Jason Chavez 1/
As I said yesterday, I am still asking the community to remain cautious & vigilant. We still need help.
Jason Chavez 1/
"The establishment leaders were sent to neutralize the protesters. We were told to go home. We failed to make the revolution our permanent home.
But the spark is kept alive,
underground, waiting for the right conditions."
- Jackie Wang, Carceral Capitalism
mitpress.mit.edu/978163590002...
But the spark is kept alive,
underground, waiting for the right conditions."
- Jackie Wang, Carceral Capitalism
mitpress.mit.edu/978163590002...
Carceral Capitalism
What we see happening in Ferguson and other cities around the country is not the creation of livable spaces, but the creation of living hells. When people ar...
mitpress.mit.edu
February 14, 2026 at 12:53 AM
"The establishment leaders were sent to neutralize the protesters. We were told to go home. We failed to make the revolution our permanent home.
But the spark is kept alive,
underground, waiting for the right conditions."
- Jackie Wang, Carceral Capitalism
mitpress.mit.edu/978163590002...
But the spark is kept alive,
underground, waiting for the right conditions."
- Jackie Wang, Carceral Capitalism
mitpress.mit.edu/978163590002...
Reposted by Michelle
Love is action. This Valentine’s Day, we are in solidarity with immigrants and reject the violence and dehumanization they face every day. #ToImmigrantsWithLove
February 13, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Love is action. This Valentine’s Day, we are in solidarity with immigrants and reject the violence and dehumanization they face every day. #ToImmigrantsWithLove