Theodora Ruhs
@theodoraruhs.bsky.social
PhD holder and teacher of journalism at a CT university. Currently too tired to be any good at social media-ing. (She/Her)
Pinned
Theodora Ruhs
@theodoraruhs.bsky.social
· Feb 15
Ch 10-Ruhs-I'm Ravenous for News.pdf
drive.google.com
3/4 My chapter explores the control of and access to news and information and the role of journalism in both democratic and authoritarian societies. (I know I went overboard on footnotes.) Some of the content may have seemed dated last year but is now highly relevant again. #journalism
I think @nberlat.bsky.social undersells the poetry that also comes with a subscription.
trying again because what else can you do...
this is why you should support independent journalists! like me! I have a sale today; 40% off, $30/yr. not a lot of takers today, but hope eternal springing, etc. will post pet pics for subs! www.everythingishorrible.net/subscribe
December 13, 2025 at 12:51 AM
I think @nberlat.bsky.social undersells the poetry that also comes with a subscription.
In high school, went with a friend to see Titanic. A group of girls (maybe tweens?) sitting near us, whispered loudly and in all seriousness, as the water started rushing in, “Is the boat going to sink?” (It was not a good point in the movie to laugh.)
Raising the always fun question: What are your most memorable theater-going experiences?
Mine also include The Matrix, Blair Witch, and being way too stoned in Belgium when Fellowship of the Ring was sold out so we sat in the back row for Mulholland Drive instead.
Mine also include The Matrix, Blair Witch, and being way too stoned in Belgium when Fellowship of the Ring was sold out so we sat in the back row for Mulholland Drive instead.
It was hands-down one of the most memorable theater-going experiences I can remember, a collective 30-minute butt-clench/armrest-grab for the final climb. And we knew he lived! Wild.
December 13, 2025 at 12:22 AM
In high school, went with a friend to see Titanic. A group of girls (maybe tweens?) sitting near us, whispered loudly and in all seriousness, as the water started rushing in, “Is the boat going to sink?” (It was not a good point in the movie to laugh.)
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
Outstanding work from the same people bringing you age verification laws and 'what if we just criminalized porn, actually?'
Porn Is Being Injected Into Government Websites Via Malicious PDFs
Dozens of government websites have fallen victim to a PDF-based SEO scam, while others have been hijacked to sell sex toys.
www.404media.co
December 12, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Outstanding work from the same people bringing you age verification laws and 'what if we just criminalized porn, actually?'
WTF did I just watch? Somehow I don’t think pig butt and bad driving jokes really give off the dystopian vibe Orwell was going. I don’t think they really count as satire either.
December 12, 2025 at 11:55 PM
WTF did I just watch? Somehow I don’t think pig butt and bad driving jokes really give off the dystopian vibe Orwell was going. I don’t think they really count as satire either.
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
“The work was emotionally exhausting, with chat users confiding intimate details about their real-life relationships, as well as their own emotional trauma, falsely believing they were talking to an unfeeling AI chatbot.”
AI "Companion Bots" Actually Run by Exploited Kenyans, Worker Claims
A new testimony from a remote worker in Kenya details the grueling and exploitative work behind romantic AI chatbots.
futurism.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:56 PM
“The work was emotionally exhausting, with chat users confiding intimate details about their real-life relationships, as well as their own emotional trauma, falsely believing they were talking to an unfeeling AI chatbot.”
Worth a read!
“These considerations are running up against an inconvenient truth: The American public needs to seriously reconsider how it thinks about water as a resource.”
“These considerations are running up against an inconvenient truth: The American public needs to seriously reconsider how it thinks about water as a resource.”
new from me: are data centers going to wipe out water supplies? how much water does ChatGPT really use? and what's going on with that big correction in Empire of AI?
i went long on the conversation around AI and water, and how it's actually about what we want resources to be used for:
i went long on the conversation around AI and water, and how it's actually about what we want resources to be used for:
You’re Thinking About AI and Water All Wrong
Fears about AI data centers’ water use have exploded. Experts say the reality is far more complicated than people think.
www.wired.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Worth a read!
“These considerations are running up against an inconvenient truth: The American public needs to seriously reconsider how it thinks about water as a resource.”
“These considerations are running up against an inconvenient truth: The American public needs to seriously reconsider how it thinks about water as a resource.”
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
If you are an author who is writing about reproductive justice, well I have good news. The University of Iowa is launching a special book series focused on RJ and we are looking for contributors. Details on the website and a kick off event tomorrow! lrj.sites.uiowa.edu
Locating Reproductive Justice Book Series | The University of Iowa
lrj.sites.uiowa.edu
December 11, 2025 at 11:11 PM
If you are an author who is writing about reproductive justice, well I have good news. The University of Iowa is launching a special book series focused on RJ and we are looking for contributors. Details on the website and a kick off event tomorrow! lrj.sites.uiowa.edu
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
A lot to unpack here about class, gender, and caring work 19thnews.org/2025/12/ice-...
ICE arrests are forcing American moms to leave their jobs
A new analysis shows that increased immigration enforcement is reducing labor in the child care workforce. The ripple effect is impacting mothers with young children.
19thnews.org
December 11, 2025 at 11:45 PM
A lot to unpack here about class, gender, and caring work 19thnews.org/2025/12/ice-...
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
AT RISK 💔FAMOUS
His human says he’s “a sweetheart who loves to cuddle.” He lived w/a baby, ❤️ being groomed & baths
He came in w/ a wagging tail & now, w/out his family, he’s anxious. Still, volunteer says he’s “playful & sweet & is never w/out a smile on his face”
🙏Repost to find a #foster
His human says he’s “a sweetheart who loves to cuddle.” He lived w/a baby, ❤️ being groomed & baths
He came in w/ a wagging tail & now, w/out his family, he’s anxious. Still, volunteer says he’s “playful & sweet & is never w/out a smile on his face”
🙏Repost to find a #foster
December 9, 2025 at 9:42 PM
AT RISK 💔FAMOUS
His human says he’s “a sweetheart who loves to cuddle.” He lived w/a baby, ❤️ being groomed & baths
He came in w/ a wagging tail & now, w/out his family, he’s anxious. Still, volunteer says he’s “playful & sweet & is never w/out a smile on his face”
🙏Repost to find a #foster
His human says he’s “a sweetheart who loves to cuddle.” He lived w/a baby, ❤️ being groomed & baths
He came in w/ a wagging tail & now, w/out his family, he’s anxious. Still, volunteer says he’s “playful & sweet & is never w/out a smile on his face”
🙏Repost to find a #foster
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
Scam alert: Someone is pretending to be me and reaching out to authors. The pitch contains enough specific details that it sounds plausible at first.
This is not me! I'm so sorry to anyone who has fallen for this.
This is not me! I'm so sorry to anyone who has fallen for this.
December 10, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Scam alert: Someone is pretending to be me and reaching out to authors. The pitch contains enough specific details that it sounds plausible at first.
This is not me! I'm so sorry to anyone who has fallen for this.
This is not me! I'm so sorry to anyone who has fallen for this.
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
I am glad he is free but this man has been persecuted, defamed, imprisoned, and harassed and it turns out that it was all a lie. Not even slightly a lie. All of it.
December 11, 2025 at 4:50 PM
I am glad he is free but this man has been persecuted, defamed, imprisoned, and harassed and it turns out that it was all a lie. Not even slightly a lie. All of it.
I could be entirely wrong, but what the quotes in this story imply to me is that someone is considering reinstating the draft and this guy got the memo.
NEW: HHS is contemplating a men's health initiative, a source tells @emilymullin.bsky.social; indications of what that might entail come from an FDA panel held yesterday at which an expert on penis curvature held forth on the "men's health crisis" while others called for easier access to steroids.
RFK Jr.'s Health Department Is Pondering a National Men's Health Initiative
At an FDA discussion of testosterone replacement therapy, a top official called for special health centers to address a “men’s health crisis.” Others called to ease men's access to hormones.
www.wired.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I could be entirely wrong, but what the quotes in this story imply to me is that someone is considering reinstating the draft and this guy got the memo.
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
The request came from the Center for American Rights, a nonprofit law firm that has played a prominent role in the news-distortion investigations spearheaded by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
After NPR and PBS defunding, FCC receives call to take away station licenses
NPR and PBS stations targeted by group involved in Carr’s news-distortion probes.
arstechnica.com
December 11, 2025 at 6:18 PM
The request came from the Center for American Rights, a nonprofit law firm that has played a prominent role in the news-distortion investigations spearheaded by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
Flake had a foster but they backed out! If you’re on the East Coast and want to save his life- he can be transported 2u!
And yes he WAS SAFE A FEW DAYS AGO- he is not now! As of 12-11- pls call or text AmsterDog Rescue: 917-689-8414
AGAIN HE IS NO LONGER SAFE!
And yes he WAS SAFE A FEW DAYS AGO- he is not now! As of 12-11- pls call or text AmsterDog Rescue: 917-689-8414
AGAIN HE IS NO LONGER SAFE!
I’m Flake and the Supreme Court of #nycacc said that just after a week of arriving at this horrid place that ℹ deserves 2b killed! East coast I can be transported to you with food/vet provided! I just need a home! I wasn’t here long enough 4notes and they want me dead! Pls repost! #dogsofbluesky
December 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Flake had a foster but they backed out! If you’re on the East Coast and want to save his life- he can be transported 2u!
And yes he WAS SAFE A FEW DAYS AGO- he is not now! As of 12-11- pls call or text AmsterDog Rescue: 917-689-8414
AGAIN HE IS NO LONGER SAFE!
And yes he WAS SAFE A FEW DAYS AGO- he is not now! As of 12-11- pls call or text AmsterDog Rescue: 917-689-8414
AGAIN HE IS NO LONGER SAFE!
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
1/4. The U.S. continues to be a place where people’s life experiences and outcomes differ dramatically by social positioning. How does that affect the way people make meaning of what is happening around them? Those questions guided this new paper. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
December 9, 2025 at 8:12 PM
1/4. The U.S. continues to be a place where people’s life experiences and outcomes differ dramatically by social positioning. How does that affect the way people make meaning of what is happening around them? Those questions guided this new paper. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
Instacart got caught running real-time price experiments on shoppers — same groceries, different prices.
Workers know this game well: Instacart’s algorithm does the same thing to their pay.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
Workers know this game well: Instacart’s algorithm does the same thing to their pay.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
Same Product, Same Store, but on Instacart, Prices Might Differ
www.nytimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Instacart got caught running real-time price experiments on shoppers — same groceries, different prices.
Workers know this game well: Instacart’s algorithm does the same thing to their pay.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
Workers know this game well: Instacart’s algorithm does the same thing to their pay.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
This story led me to send one of the better requests for comment emails I have ever sent, to the New York Department of Education. They did not respond and the animal vagina (and buttocks) sex toy redirects remain live on its website:
December 11, 2025 at 4:03 PM
This story led me to send one of the better requests for comment emails I have ever sent, to the New York Department of Education. They did not respond and the animal vagina (and buttocks) sex toy redirects remain live on its website:
This is great. One of the side interests I’ve developed over the past few years is European culture and fashion history from the early modern period through the next couple of centuries, and one thing that gets talked about but we rarely see recreated is how colorful things were.
The colours!
Look at all the colours!
Also music and dancing!
Look at all the colours!
Also music and dancing!
December 11, 2025 at 4:03 PM
This is great. One of the side interests I’ve developed over the past few years is European culture and fashion history from the early modern period through the next couple of centuries, and one thing that gets talked about but we rarely see recreated is how colorful things were.
Yeah, these are not toys you want to give to your 4- or 5-year-old (they ask some strange things at that age), but I have to say the vibrating flower-cactus that wants to be a teddy bear at the end of the clip weirds me out the most even though it isn’t giving sex-ed or geopolitical talks.
Here's PIRG researcher RJ Cross getting the Alilo Smart AI bunny to tell @savanahsellers.bsky.social about S&M, the FoloToy Sunflower Warmie telling me it is actually both a cactus and a teddy bear (???) and the Miiloo spouting the CCP line on Taiwan.
December 11, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Yeah, these are not toys you want to give to your 4- or 5-year-old (they ask some strange things at that age), but I have to say the vibrating flower-cactus that wants to be a teddy bear at the end of the clip weirds me out the most even though it isn’t giving sex-ed or geopolitical talks.
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
wtf
The Washington Post is launching a personalized AI podcast, saying users will be able to "shape their own briefing, select their topics, set their lengths, pick their hosts and soon even ask questions using our Ask The Post AI technology."
December 11, 2025 at 2:56 PM
wtf
Sans serif= woke & broke
Serif= for pretentious menfolk
Who knew?!
Serif= for pretentious menfolk
Who knew?!
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Sans serif= woke & broke
Serif= for pretentious menfolk
Who knew?!
Serif= for pretentious menfolk
Who knew?!
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
Once a week, he takes a dog out of the shelter and carries it around New York in a backpack that says “adopt me.”
It works! But there's a downside. Take Bertha: “The personality on this little girl, I truly did not want to leave her. She was just trying to kiss and love on people”
wapo.st/4s0RFNZ
It works! But there's a downside. Take Bertha: “The personality on this little girl, I truly did not want to leave her. She was just trying to kiss and love on people”
wapo.st/4s0RFNZ
He carries shelter dogs around the city in a backpack to help get them adopted
Bryan Reisberg has taken out 11 dogs on city adventures. Ten of them were adopted after his videos published.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Once a week, he takes a dog out of the shelter and carries it around New York in a backpack that says “adopt me.”
It works! But there's a downside. Take Bertha: “The personality on this little girl, I truly did not want to leave her. She was just trying to kiss and love on people”
wapo.st/4s0RFNZ
It works! But there's a downside. Take Bertha: “The personality on this little girl, I truly did not want to leave her. She was just trying to kiss and love on people”
wapo.st/4s0RFNZ
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel.
December 8, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel.
Poor baby! Can anyone help out a special needs dog?
🐶🆘 MEDICAL EMERGENCY
Bellarina is a senior dog diagnosed with diabetes at the shelter and will require insulin shots and special diet. Owner cant afford vet care. She’s emciated
Previously lived w/children, described as calm. Now she’s tense, but has allowed all handling
🙏Repost to find a #foster
Bellarina is a senior dog diagnosed with diabetes at the shelter and will require insulin shots and special diet. Owner cant afford vet care. She’s emciated
Previously lived w/children, described as calm. Now she’s tense, but has allowed all handling
🙏Repost to find a #foster
December 7, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Poor baby! Can anyone help out a special needs dog?
Reposted by Theodora Ruhs
Money is always welcome.
The Gift-Giving Argument for Universal Basic Income
As I write this, Christmas is right around the corner again, and I think it's time I finally write this article that has been in my head for years now as an argument for the universal part of universa...
www.scottsantens.com
December 7, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Money is always welcome.