The Cats’ Serf
@erinofalaska.bsky.social
Jesus follower, cat lover, still masking to be kind to self & others.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Reposted by The Cats’ Serf
As Hannah Arendt put it: "The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists." Undermining that distinction will be a lasting legacy of generative AI.
December 27, 2025 at 12:16 PM
As Hannah Arendt put it: "The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists." Undermining that distinction will be a lasting legacy of generative AI.
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The latest from YouGov (n ~ 3.5k). Recent specific international actions are more popular than Trump's general perceived ability to handle int'l crises. There's a consistent 10-15pp "I share the goal, but Trump is too stupid to do it right" contingency out there.
today.yougov.com/topics/polit...
today.yougov.com/topics/polit...
December 27, 2025 at 5:09 PM
The latest from YouGov (n ~ 3.5k). Recent specific international actions are more popular than Trump's general perceived ability to handle int'l crises. There's a consistent 10-15pp "I share the goal, but Trump is too stupid to do it right" contingency out there.
today.yougov.com/topics/polit...
today.yougov.com/topics/polit...
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For years I’ve dealt with some of the nasty comments & emails I receive by writing completely unfiltered replies, telling the sender exactly what I think of them and their comment—then deleting them. Never sending.
Turns out this is an “amazing anger management technique.”
I will keep it up!!! 😎
Turns out this is an “amazing anger management technique.”
I will keep it up!!! 😎
December 27, 2025 at 4:37 PM
For years I’ve dealt with some of the nasty comments & emails I receive by writing completely unfiltered replies, telling the sender exactly what I think of them and their comment—then deleting them. Never sending.
Turns out this is an “amazing anger management technique.”
I will keep it up!!! 😎
Turns out this is an “amazing anger management technique.”
I will keep it up!!! 😎
Reposted by The Cats’ Serf
Jo Ann Allen Boyce's life was disrupted not only by standard-issue US white supremacy, but also by a particularly virulent strain of American fascism. School integration in Clinton, TN began fairly peaceably, until a neo-Nazi associate of George Lincoln Rockwell named John Kaspar showed up.
Jo Ann Allen Boyce Dies at 84; She was one of the Clinton 12, a group of Black students who faced white mobs when desegregating a Tennessee high school in 1956 www.nytimes.com/2025/12/13/u...
Jo Ann Allen Boyce Dies at 84; Braved Mobs in Integrating a School
www.nytimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Jo Ann Allen Boyce's life was disrupted not only by standard-issue US white supremacy, but also by a particularly virulent strain of American fascism. School integration in Clinton, TN began fairly peaceably, until a neo-Nazi associate of George Lincoln Rockwell named John Kaspar showed up.
Thread
One has to really love the folks who keep old tools, methods, and materials alive. "Tech" that has survived and been cherished for centuries, even if one has no idea what they are looking at. Versatile, durable stuff it takes skill and knowledge to use to its potential that just works no matter what
December 27, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Thread
Thread
Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.
Me and Tania spent Christmas with the Khartiia brigade.
One soldier, Gumi, yearns for his wife’s kutia—a holiday dish he’s missing while serving just half an hour from home. His wife’s special secret: a touch of rice.
Me and Tania spent Christmas with the Khartiia brigade.
One soldier, Gumi, yearns for his wife’s kutia—a holiday dish he’s missing while serving just half an hour from home. His wife’s special secret: a touch of rice.
The little things that keep them going
We visited the troops of the Khartiia Brigade on Christmas Eve and found, as the Ukrainians say, it is a sin to complain.
www.counteroffensive.news
December 27, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Thread
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My whole life we’ve been told that The US is simply too big to have high speed rail
December 26, 2025 at 10:01 PM
My whole life we’ve been told that The US is simply too big to have high speed rail
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You can do a lot locally with a dedicated group of 15 to 40 people. Regular people should be thinking at that scale rather than at the scale of thousands.
December 27, 2025 at 5:04 AM
You can do a lot locally with a dedicated group of 15 to 40 people. Regular people should be thinking at that scale rather than at the scale of thousands.
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Folks.. there is way too much going on for me to post regularly right now.
So I'll just say a few things.
1) if an account is pushing to raise money or make sales, question it. It's really easy to push an idea and ask for money (one way or another).. and it's not necessarily bad...
So I'll just say a few things.
1) if an account is pushing to raise money or make sales, question it. It's really easy to push an idea and ask for money (one way or another).. and it's not necessarily bad...
December 27, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Folks.. there is way too much going on for me to post regularly right now.
So I'll just say a few things.
1) if an account is pushing to raise money or make sales, question it. It's really easy to push an idea and ask for money (one way or another).. and it's not necessarily bad...
So I'll just say a few things.
1) if an account is pushing to raise money or make sales, question it. It's really easy to push an idea and ask for money (one way or another).. and it's not necessarily bad...
Reposted by The Cats’ Serf
If the rule is published for comment, interest would likely be intense: In 2024, the DEA's earlier proposed rescheduling rule for marijuana attracted more than 43,000 comments.
Marijuana rescheduling would bring some immediate changes, but others will take time
President Trump set the process in motion to ease federal restrictions on marijuana. But his order doesn't automatically revoke laws targeting marijuana, which remains illegal to transport over state lines.
akpub.io
December 27, 2025 at 1:45 AM
If the rule is published for comment, interest would likely be intense: In 2024, the DEA's earlier proposed rescheduling rule for marijuana attracted more than 43,000 comments.
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It’s pretty wild that the most rabidly anti-immigrant administration in recent memory is comprised of a President married to an immigrant, a VP married to the daughter of immigrants, an assistant AG in charge of Civil Rights who’s an immigrant (Dhillon), & it was all funded by an immigrant (Musk).
December 27, 2025 at 12:12 AM
It’s pretty wild that the most rabidly anti-immigrant administration in recent memory is comprised of a President married to an immigrant, a VP married to the daughter of immigrants, an assistant AG in charge of Civil Rights who’s an immigrant (Dhillon), & it was all funded by an immigrant (Musk).
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🚨🔥 Warmest Christmas on record for the Contiguous U.S.! The average high of 57.9F and the average low of 36.6F each broke the Christmas record by a full 3F. 🔥🚨
December 26, 2025 at 3:39 PM
🚨🔥 Warmest Christmas on record for the Contiguous U.S.! The average high of 57.9F and the average low of 36.6F each broke the Christmas record by a full 3F. 🔥🚨
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Christmas 2025 in Alaska was 10.4F below normal using station data. 🥶 @alaskawx.bsky.social
December 26, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Christmas 2025 in Alaska was 10.4F below normal using station data. 🥶 @alaskawx.bsky.social
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In case you missed it: I’ve got a new (warning: somewhat intense) story on @npr.org about all the ways faith leaders have pushed back against the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign this year — including clergy directly confronting ICE agents and police. www.npr.org/2025/12/24/n...
How the clergy has rallied against the Trump administration's immigration policies
Religious leaders have rallied against the Trump administration's detention and deportation of immigrants. Clergy are filing lawsuits, accompanying migrants to court hearings and leading protests.
www.npr.org
December 26, 2025 at 2:30 PM
In case you missed it: I’ve got a new (warning: somewhat intense) story on @npr.org about all the ways faith leaders have pushed back against the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign this year — including clergy directly confronting ICE agents and police. www.npr.org/2025/12/24/n...
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I imagine Applebaum means this rhetorically, but in case others really are wondering: turf, oil, China, and, probably the biggest distinct factor, the wildly outsize influence of the Nigerian Christian Right in the US Christian Right. One element of the attack was fan service for fundamentalists.
Not sure I understand why the Trump administration cares about Christians in Nigeria and not Christians in Ukraine
December 26, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I imagine Applebaum means this rhetorically, but in case others really are wondering: turf, oil, China, and, probably the biggest distinct factor, the wildly outsize influence of the Nigerian Christian Right in the US Christian Right. One element of the attack was fan service for fundamentalists.
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Not sure I understand why the Trump administration cares about Christians in Nigeria and not Christians in Ukraine
December 26, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Not sure I understand why the Trump administration cares about Christians in Nigeria and not Christians in Ukraine
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"Across Minden, a town of about 12,000 people, the money rippled quickly through the local economy."
Here’s a mental palette cleanser to counter the usual corporate greed we see everyday - an actually nice story about a CEO that gave a shit about the people who helped make him successful. In a world of Trumps & Musks, be #GrahamWalker 😊
nypost.com/2025/12/25/b...
nypost.com/2025/12/25/b...
Louisiana boss hands workers $240M in bonuses after selling his company for $1.7B
Graham Walker said he would not agree to sell his company if buyer did not earmark 15% of the proceeds to employees.
nypost.com
December 26, 2025 at 6:56 PM
"Across Minden, a town of about 12,000 people, the money rippled quickly through the local economy."
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Can we fill the TL with suggestions of untapped archives/collections? That would be a lot of fun! I think there's quite a bit of material in the Gregory Bateson papers at UCSC Special Collections that has yet to be written about.
In the spirit of the season, I want to offer my fellow historians and other scholars the gift of an amazing, largely untapped archive.
Ladies and gentlemen, the John Doar Papers at Princeton. 🗃️
Ladies and gentlemen, the John Doar Papers at Princeton. 🗃️
December 26, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Can we fill the TL with suggestions of untapped archives/collections? That would be a lot of fun! I think there's quite a bit of material in the Gregory Bateson papers at UCSC Special Collections that has yet to be written about.
Reposted by The Cats’ Serf
In the spirit of the season, I want to offer my fellow historians and other scholars the gift of an amazing, largely untapped archive.
Ladies and gentlemen, the John Doar Papers at Princeton. 🗃️
Ladies and gentlemen, the John Doar Papers at Princeton. 🗃️
December 26, 2025 at 5:05 PM
In the spirit of the season, I want to offer my fellow historians and other scholars the gift of an amazing, largely untapped archive.
Ladies and gentlemen, the John Doar Papers at Princeton. 🗃️
Ladies and gentlemen, the John Doar Papers at Princeton. 🗃️
Reposted by The Cats’ Serf
"Afraid of appearing partisan, the Obama administration looked the other way when it came to prosecuting war criminals and torturers. The lack of confrontation is coming back to haunt us."
Every previous administration left unaccountable for its crimes is a lesson in why not to repeat the mistake.
Every previous administration left unaccountable for its crimes is a lesson in why not to repeat the mistake.
A Case for Transitional Justice
If sunlight is the best disinfectant, a failure to apply it leaves a festering wound, with complications that continue to amass.
fellowtravelersblog.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:55 PM
"Afraid of appearing partisan, the Obama administration looked the other way when it came to prosecuting war criminals and torturers. The lack of confrontation is coming back to haunt us."
Every previous administration left unaccountable for its crimes is a lesson in why not to repeat the mistake.
Every previous administration left unaccountable for its crimes is a lesson in why not to repeat the mistake.
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I began this story focused on the weird lies about Hurricane Helene but became very disturbed at how prevalent this pseudo-environmentalism is. The movement blocks real policy to curb climate catastrophes.
For @rollingstone.com I wrote about the mass national movement to ban chemtrails...which don't exist. The movement is one of the ways in which MAHA is taking over the country.
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Chemtrails Aren't Real. So Why Are Politicians Passing Laws About Them?
The history and politics of so-called weather weapons.
www.rollingstone.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I began this story focused on the weird lies about Hurricane Helene but became very disturbed at how prevalent this pseudo-environmentalism is. The movement blocks real policy to curb climate catastrophes.
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It is EXHAUSTING not only being made responsible for coming up with new kinds of assignments for our students; it's also tedious reading op-eds that suggest the core problem is a crisis in teaching. But, as Chris and I lay out here, this isn't a crisis in teaching; it's an attack on learning.
"We envision a resistance that is...a repudiation of the efficiencies that automated algorithmic education falsely promises: a resistance comprising the collective force of small acts of friction."
"How to Resist AI in Education" by me & @cnygren.bsky.social
www.publicbooks.org/four-frictio...
"How to Resist AI in Education" by me & @cnygren.bsky.social
www.publicbooks.org/four-frictio...
Four Frictions: or, How to Resist AI in Education - Public Books
We are calling for resistance to the AI industry’s ongoing capture of higher education.
www.publicbooks.org
December 24, 2025 at 7:39 PM
It is EXHAUSTING not only being made responsible for coming up with new kinds of assignments for our students; it's also tedious reading op-eds that suggest the core problem is a crisis in teaching. But, as Chris and I lay out here, this isn't a crisis in teaching; it's an attack on learning.
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Have you noticed? When someone points to our responsibility—individual and personal, or collective and societal—to end an abuse, the question asked next is very rarely about *how* to do it, but how to *prevent* us from doing it, for fear of doing it the wrong way.
www.the-reframe.com/f/
www.the-reframe.com/f/
Stories We Tell
Recognizing victims and villains is not creating victims and villains. A series on living in a culture of repair, against a culture of abuse.
www.the-reframe.com
December 15, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Have you noticed? When someone points to our responsibility—individual and personal, or collective and societal—to end an abuse, the question asked next is very rarely about *how* to do it, but how to *prevent* us from doing it, for fear of doing it the wrong way.
www.the-reframe.com/f/
www.the-reframe.com/f/
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“Went viral” is an old stock phrase in journalism that really does not capture the dynamic of how X dot Com has been tuned to give people like the one specific legislator here the power to intentionally cause this kind of outcome
Texas A&M University will not reinstate a lecturer who was fired after a video of her teaching about gender identity in a children’s literature class went viral, despite a faculty appeals panel unanimously concluding that her dismissal was not justified.
Texas A&M won’t reinstate fired lecturer despite findings
A vice chancellor upheld the firing of Melissa McCoul, seen in a viral video being confronted by a student on her gender identity teachings, saying the termination was done with “good cause.”
www.texastribune.org
December 26, 2025 at 2:11 PM
“Went viral” is an old stock phrase in journalism that really does not capture the dynamic of how X dot Com has been tuned to give people like the one specific legislator here the power to intentionally cause this kind of outcome
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Just wow. @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy came out swinging in this article. He's right though and that's the coolest part.
December 26, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Just wow. @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy came out swinging in this article. He's right though and that's the coolest part.