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Jen

@jkmahal.bsky.social

1.2K followers 1.6K following 450 posts

Former lots of things, current Jill-of-all-trades. Also Associate Director of the Center for Monster Studies at UC Santa Cruz. Manga lover. Anime fan. Quaker. Unashamed reader of romance. Will write for food.

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Jen @jkmahal.bsky.social · 28d

I am so proud of my husband @n-w-f.bsky.social’s new book: Animal Crossing New Horizons: Can a Game Take Care of Us? It’s deeply personal and made me cry (in a good way). He got his preview copy today (it’s out Oct. 9 ) and I just have to share the preface…. Congratulations, my love.

Book page from Animal Crossing New Horizons: Can a Game Take Care of Us? “Preface
I Hated Animal Crossing
I’m passionate about Animal Crossing New Horizons.
This book is the story of how that passion developed, how it turned to hatred, and then how that hatred came undone.
It’s the story of playing a game with my kids, while the COVID-19 swept by outside our windows.
It’s a story about fatherhood and paternalism, about trying care for my kids as a disabled dad, and about a game codesigned by a father who hoped to caretaker at a distance.
It’s a book about wondering ‘Can a game help take care of us in a time of crisis? Do we want it to try? And what do we have to give up to fall into its embrace?’

Noah Wardrip-Fruin
Santa Cruz, Calif.
April 2024

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Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.bsky.social · 11h

$20 billion for a trump fan. But we are stripping our own people of health care, food stamps and cancer research.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 13h

The Trump administration confirmed that the U.S. bailed out Argentina.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had directly bought Argentine pesos in global currency markets in a bid to relieve pressure on the nation’s embattled President Javier Milei, a supporter of President Trump.

The U.S. just bailed out Argentina, Treasury Secretary confirms

The US Treasury has finalized a $20 billion financial rescue of Argentina, including a currency swap arrangement with the country's central bank.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Jen @jkmahal.bsky.social · 11h

This👆🏽

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Charmaine Chua @charmainechua.bsky.social · 15h

The Berkeley Faculty Association is currently running an event featuring about the UC’s release of 160 names of faculty, staff and students to the Trump administration’s OCR. Three lawyers - Catherine E. Lhamon, Brian Soucek, and Asli Bali will speak. I’ll be live-tweeting key moments.

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curious ordinary @curiousordinary.bsky.social · Dec 29

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo, #Japan.

Light shines through a grove of trees with autumn leaves.

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paris martineau @paris.nyc · 19h

after the 10th radioactive shrimp recall in 7 weeks, i decided to do some digging

little did i know it would lead me to an underreported industrial accident that may have released an airborne plume of radioactive debris over swaths of indonesia
www.consumerreports.org/health/food-...

What Is Really Going on With All This Radioactive Shrimp? - Consumer Reports

Here’s the latest on how shrimp and spices got contaminated with cesium-137, how the FDA has responded, and why consumers should not panic.

www.consumerreports.org

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Jen @jkmahal.bsky.social · 11h

Happy Book Birthday!!!! Congratulations on finding new depths to Animal Crossing New Horizons. 🥳🫶🏽🎆🎇

Noah Wardrip-Fruin @n-w-f.bsky.social · 22h

It's the #BookBirthday of Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Can a Game Take Care of Us?

If you were one of the players swept up in the embrace of #ACNH, or one of the people puzzled by the whole phenomenon, I hope this book reveals something new.

Thanks to everyone at @uchicagopress.bsky.social

Book held open by hand, with two images of Animal Crossing, one on each page. There is text below the images, which begins: In time we got more rambunctious. We would run around playing tag and follow-the-leader, narrowly skirting the flower beds. He'd run laps around Resident Services, then suddenly head off toward another area of the island. I'd have a hint that he was about to climb a cliff or jump a stream, because I'd see a ladder or vaulting pole appear in his character's grip. He'd zig and I'd take a risk on zagging, opening or closing the distance between us. The game kept our running speed the same. I might tire out mentally, but I sure lasted longer than I would have physically.

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mythbri 🏳️‍🌈 @mythbri.bsky.social · 16h

Thanks for the rec, I found a free download from Cornell University Press

www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...

Pranksters vs. Autocrats by Srdja Popovic and Sophia A. McClennen | eBook | Cornell University Press

The Lawrence and Lynne Brown Democracy Medal, presented by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State, recognizes outstanding individuals, groups, and organizations that produce innovations....

www.cornellpress.cornell.edu

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Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 21h

🖥️Most CDC data dashboards are not being updated during the shutdown. Go to your state (or local/county) health department for up to date information on respiratory viruses, food borne outbreaks, and other health information.

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Jen @jkmahal.bsky.social · 1d

It’s stinky!! Best birthday present for a doggo. Happy and merry. 🥳

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🍁 Levi Kornelsen @levikornelsen.bsky.social · 1d

An essential website for US government use.

isportlandburning.com

Is Portland Burning?

No. See real-time Portland cameras, PulsePoint incidents, and sourced fact checks.

isportlandburning.com

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Jen @jkmahal.bsky.social · 1d

Welcome 😊

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 2d

Wanna learn more about the pastor in this photo?

I talked to him yesterday.

He's currently part of a lawsuit against DHS, in part due to this exact moment: religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

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Jen @jkmahal.bsky.social · 1d

You are not annoying.

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

Bray is a historian at Rutgers who received death threats after landing on Turning Points USA's Professor Watchlist. As a result, he announced he was moving to Europe. And then this happened.

This kind of harassment and abuse of scholars is Charlie Kirk's legacy and it's only getting worse.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 1d

“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’

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Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · 1d

Can’t believe I have to say this, but in Minnesota you will continue to have the freedom to get your COVID and flu shots.

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Jen @jkmahal.bsky.social · 1d

Congratulations! 🫶🏽

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Lauren Bajek @laurenbajek.bsky.social · 2d

A few quick things!

Authors, please treat agent interest as an invitation to query, not a requirement. Pitch events are a great way to discover agents who weren't on your radar yet. Another is the @litagentsofchange.bsky.social's Equity Directory: www.equitydirectory.org

Lauren Bajek @laurenbajek.bsky.social · 2d

Looking forward to #DVPit tomorrow! If I heart your pitch, please query as normal (letter + ~25 pages), but add "#DVPit" somewhere in the subject line, and include the text of the post I hearted somewhere in your query letter. Can't wait to find projects I didn't know I wanted.

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zilla @zillawrites.bsky.social · 2d

For those of us with hashtag and search issues, follow the feed for DVPit! bsky.app/profile/did:...

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Abbi Lichtenstein @abbij1961.bsky.social · 1d

The US Election Assistance Commission may adopt a rule from the failed SAVE Act requiring passports to register to vote—blocking many eligible voters. It could kill online/mail registration & suppress turnout. Take action now: click the link and submit a comment to protect our freedom to vote! 1/2

Regulations.gov

www.regulations.gov

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Jen @jkmahal.bsky.social · 2d

So much love for this!! 💕💕

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Kelly Barnhill @kellybarnhill.bsky.social · 2d

"THESE BOOKS ARE MEDICINAL"

NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 2d

doomscroll break

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Melissa Scott @blueterraplane.bsky.social · 2d

So I understand it's World Octopus Day. (From the Heraklion Archeological Museum. One of what seemed like dozens.)

Bulbous Minoan clay vessel with narrow neck and two loop handles, decorated with a big-eyed black octopus in a seascape.

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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 2d

#WarRavagedPortland

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Kelly Turnbull @coelasquid.bsky.social · Aug 31

Sometimes we’re unsatisfied with a thing we made because when it only existed in our head, we saw all the things it could have been and when it’s done we know all the things that it isn’t, but we can’t see the way it expands into a million new things when someone else unpacks it in their head. 🖊️🦑

Frustrated little dude gripping a pencil saying “how do I pack this down into something I can actually share?” While swirling rainbows labeled “INFINITE POTENTIAL” float around them.

Little dude frowns at a tiny grey box, exclaiming “all that work for THIS?!”

Little dude shoves the grey box into another little guy’s hands; Frowning, stomping off, and saying “Here you go, I made this, it sucks.”

Second little dude cracks open the box, swirling rainbows project out onto their face.

Second little dude stares in awe at all the swirling rainbows now floating around them.

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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 2d

The five Nobel Prizes established under terms of the will of Alfred Nobel are: Nobel Peace Prize, Nobel Prize in chemistry, Nobel Prize in literature, Nobel Prize in physics, Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. (Note the capitalization styles.)

The Nobel Prize in medicine goes to 3 scientists for key immune system discoveries

They won for their work on peripheral immune tolerance, which is one way the body helps keep the immune system from getting out of whack and attacking your own tissues..

apnews.com

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