Chris Dwan (he/him)
@somershade.bsky.social
2.1K followers 220 following 4.7K posts
Hyper local in Somerville, MA. FOIA requests & long threads live-tweeting city meetings. Also @fdmts
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somershade.bsky.social
The most important thing to remember about Somerville social media is that most of Somerville is not on Somerville social media.
somershade.bsky.social
We’ve turned an important corner when agents feel empowered to attack nonviolent protesters.

An important and terrible corner.

Keep resisting, and be smart and careful.

2/2
somershade.bsky.social
Masked federal agents shot a man in the head (with caustic chemicals, but you’ve heard my rant on ‘less than lethal’ weapons) for protesting outside an ICE facility.

The feds shot him for speech.

I wish I believed that those officers would face investigation and discipline, but I don’t.

1/?
flglchicago.bsky.social
Here’s video of the incident
somershade.bsky.social
My freaking out is not quiet.
somershade.bsky.social
Troops in the streets. Enforcers from Republican states sent to rough up and grind down the people they hate.

This. Was. Always. The. Plan.

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...
Texas Troops Head to Chicago as Trump Weighs Use of Emergency Powers
www.nytimes.com
somershade.bsky.social
Reposting to amplify the idea that a non-electric bike is, by any reasonable definition, acoustic.

See also trad bikes and roots bikes.
gravelinfluencer.bsky.social
Class 1 and 2 e-bikes max out at 20 mph. And even class 3s max out at 28 mph.

I can ride as fast or faster on my acoustic bicycle.

If we're going to talk about e-bikes I think it's important we base our discussions around facts.
muppetvt.vtubers.racing
Something that I really am tired of leaving out of the "e-bike" discussion is the fact that they can(and regularly do) hit 25mph or faster on purely the power of the electric motor. At that point, it's going at vehicle traffic speeds. And folks should be wearing motorcycle gear for going that fast.
somershade.bsky.social
ICE is literally marketing itself as the more violent, less restrictive and regulated option for frustrated law enforcement officers.

Literally, ‘sick of having to play by the rules? Sick of oversight?’
wbur.org
WBUR @wbur.org · 2d
An AP tally shows ICE is spending millions of dollars on TV recruitment ads targeting officers frustrated by local restrictions on immigration enforcement. The ads are airing in more than a dozen cities, including Boston, Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta.
ICE ad blitz in Boston aims to lure local law enforcement officers to join Trump mass deportation efforts
An Associated Press tally shows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is spending millions of dollars on TV recruitment ads targeting officers frustrated by local restrictions on immigration enforc...
www.wbur.org
somershade.bsky.social
Develop a trusting relationship with at least one experienced, competent person who is a bit older than you and with whom you can be 100% honest about the shit in your life.

This is not your ride or die or nana. It might be your therapist.

When they say to leave the bastard, leave the bastard.
essencesimmone.blacksky.app
Those who are 35+, what advice do you have for people just entering their 30s?
Reposted by Chris Dwan (he/him)
matociquala.bsky.social
Get enough exercise, brush and floss, eat your vegetables, and wear sunblock.

Seriously, it will make such a huge difference to your quality of life when you are fifty or sixty, you have no idea.
essencesimmone.blacksky.app
Those who are 35+, what advice do you have for people just entering their 30s?
somershade.bsky.social
But, to the point, stuff -is- pretty expensive in Switzerland (though not too out of whack, considering that I recently paid something like $25 for a sandwich and a coffee at a fancy Kendall Square cafe) ... not least because of the exchange rates. I thank Trump for that.
somershade.bsky.social
My understanding (and it's limited because my French is weak and my German is worse) is that it's 1 CHF per day to use the bike lockup.

The one in Strasbourg seems to operate on the same model as the MBTA bike lock-ups, that you just need to register your access card at a website.

So, maybe no?
somershade.bsky.social
I rode some absolutely delightful public transit to go take a picture of it today. What great city.
somershade.bsky.social
The Gare Central (central train station) in Strasbourg has an enclosed 800 bike lock up, and the scene up top looks to me like they could easily fill at least that much again.
somershade.bsky.social
Look at this clear signage. Basel knows how to do bikes.
Reposted by Chris Dwan (he/him)
knizer.toot.boston.ap.brid.gy
!!! #MarthaWells is in #SomervilleMA - 10/6 (Monday night) talking about the sequel to #witchking, #demonqueen - just bought tickets, super excited! #somervillearmory #bostonweekend #murderbot #boston #bookstodon #fantasy #booktour cc @marthawells […]
Original post on toot.boston
toot.boston
somershade.bsky.social
The bicycle parking underneath the Bahnhof (train station) in Basel is amazing.
Reposted by Chris Dwan (he/him)
gravelinfluencer.bsky.social
This is real "You made me do this" abuser talk
factpostnews.bsky.social
JD Vance says they're "going to have to lay people off" if the government shutdown Republicans caused "drags on"
somershade.bsky.social
The ‘30 under 30 to prison’ pipeline claims another victim.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/b...
www.nytimes.com
somershade.bsky.social
Yup. It’s fear and lack of better options. When people are safe, fed, housed, and reasonably certain that they and their families are going to be okay, they don’t turn to crime.

We’re punishing the victims.
somershade.bsky.social
Modern democracies have votes of no confidence.

When the government gets so wrapped around the axel that it can’t do basic stuff - there’s a process where the legislature resets the coalitions and eventually a new consensus emerges.

The US, by contrast, just punches itself in the face for a while.
somershade.bsky.social
Anyway.

Anyway anyway.

We escaped another day without the coup going hot, and Trump Always Chickens Out (TACO) so I have high hopes we’ll have a government tomorrow.

Such as it is.

G’night.

7/7
somershade.bsky.social
I’m expecting these complaints to be almost exactly as impactful as my FOIA request asking what of my data Elon Musk stole.

But hey, griping on the internet is what I do now.

bsky.app/profile/some...

6/?
somershade.bsky.social
I encourage everybody to file FOIA requests with DOGE for any documents or data they have on you.

It’s a good idea, and also it will -bury- them in administrative work.

Here’s a website that explains how to do that.

They work for us. Not the other way around.

jamieraskin.com/doge-privacy...
DOGE Privacy Act Requests
U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin is encouraging all U.S. citizens to join him this week in filing formal demands for access to their personal data obtained by the Department of Government Efficiency (...
jamieraskin.com
somershade.bsky.social
Anyway, if you feel like yelling into the void in a slightly more formal capacity, here’s how to make a Hatch Act complaint.

Note that we are complaining -about- the executive -to- the executive, so please calibrate your investment of time accordingly.

osc.gov/Services/Pag...

5/?
How to File a Hatch Act Complaint
osc.gov
somershade.bsky.social
And Hegseth’s pathetic drunken ramble today, the one where Trump showed up totally unprepared because he couldn’t stand the idea of there being news without him in it … it really was the best possible nothingburger.

No loyalty oaths, no coup, just WHINING.

www.wonkette.com/p/that-pete-...

4/?
That Pete Hegseth Speech Could’ve Been A Spam Email For Boner Pills
Oh my fucking God.
www.wonkette.com
somershade.bsky.social
It’s also yet another line from the abuser’s playbook.

They control the Presidency, the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court … and yet they WHINE that it’s the libs and the dems and the woke that are why shit’s beginning to collapse for real.

bsky.app/profile/some...

3/?
somershade.bsky.social
Anyone with even a passing familiarity with abuse knows exactly what is going on here.

‘I wouldn’t have to hit you if you were good,’ and ‘look what you made me do,’ are in every abuser’s playbook.

Pro-tip: you cannot be good enough and they didn’t have to do shit.

4/?