Azby Brown
@azby.bsky.social
Artist, designer, author. Lead researcher for SAFECAST, promoting openness and citizen science for environmental monitoring.
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The Wisdom of Wood: Why Japan’s Old Farmhouses Matter More Than Ever | All About Japan
A look at the traditional farmhouses now commonly called kominka—“old folk dwellings”—a name that underscores their age. They were built for living, working, and passing knowledge from one generation...
allabout-japan.com
I wrote an article about Japan's traditional farmhouses -- minka -- and why they're important.
The Wisdom of Wood: Why Japan’s Old Farmhouses Matter More Than Ever
allabout-japan.com/en/article/1...
The Wisdom of Wood: Why Japan’s Old Farmhouses Matter More Than Ever
allabout-japan.com/en/article/1...
Reposted by Azby Brown
EXCLSUVIE: The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules and shared them with the companies they're meant to regulate, without making the new rules publicly available.
We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.
www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.
www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules
The rewrite was done to speed up the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors. Critics warn it could compromise safety and public trust.
www.npr.org
January 28, 2026 at 10:23 AM
EXCLSUVIE: The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules and shared them with the companies they're meant to regulate, without making the new rules publicly available.
We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.
www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.
www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
We need more veterans to stand up like him.
Ian Austin, an Army veteran, was arrested for protesting ICE in Minneapolis. But he’s continued protesting. Senior reporter @julialurie.bsky.social spoke to him.
“When they say, ‘Why would you be out here?’ How the fuck could I not be out here?” he says. “My nation is under attack."
“When they say, ‘Why would you be out here?’ How the fuck could I not be out here?” he says. “My nation is under attack."
January 28, 2026 at 2:50 AM
We need more veterans to stand up like him.
Reposted by Azby Brown
Okay, so this is an authoritarian playbook trick, once the evidence is overwhelming say everyone needs to wait for the official investigation then either fix it or attack it when its completed. Same shit Russian pulled with MH17 and chemical attacks in Syria, very predictable.
Reporter: Will Stephen Miller be apologizing to the family of Alex Pretti for calling him an assassin?
Leavitt: This incident remains under investigation.
Leavitt: This incident remains under investigation.
January 26, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Okay, so this is an authoritarian playbook trick, once the evidence is overwhelming say everyone needs to wait for the official investigation then either fix it or attack it when its completed. Same shit Russian pulled with MH17 and chemical attacks in Syria, very predictable.
Reposted by Azby Brown
Exactly right, and therefore important not to give credit for an investigation of an obvious atrocity. Appropriate responses are apologies, resignations, firings, impeachments. The individuals who killed people should be tried before a judge and jury.
Okay, so this is an authoritarian playbook trick, once the evidence is overwhelming say everyone needs to wait for the official investigation then either fix it or attack it when its completed. Same shit Russian pulled with MH17 and chemical attacks in Syria, very predictable.
Reporter: Will Stephen Miller be apologizing to the family of Alex Pretti for calling him an assassin?
Leavitt: This incident remains under investigation.
Leavitt: This incident remains under investigation.
January 27, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Exactly right, and therefore important not to give credit for an investigation of an obvious atrocity. Appropriate responses are apologies, resignations, firings, impeachments. The individuals who killed people should be tried before a judge and jury.
Glad to hear it.
Breaking news: Composer Philip Glass withdrew his highly anticipated Symphony No. 15 from its scheduled Kennedy Center performance, saying “the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony.”
Philip Glass pulls world premiere from Kennedy Center
The pioneering composer announced that “the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message” of his Symphony No. 15: “Lincoln.”
wapo.st
January 27, 2026 at 10:28 PM
Glad to hear it.
There's so much good in people.
brass solidarity band performing “stand by me” in the streets of whittier next to alex pretti’s memorial. the crowd started chanting “the people united will never be defeated” so they incorporated it into the song. i love minneapolis
January 27, 2026 at 1:21 PM
There's so much good in people.
Reposted by Azby Brown
Exactly right.
Bovino's leaving? Great, get Noem to resign.
Noem resigns? Great, defund and dismantle ICE.
Go after Stephen Miller too. Bring charges against ICE thugs at the state and local level. Lawsuits. New state laws restricting them.
Every possible angle.
Bovino's leaving? Great, get Noem to resign.
Noem resigns? Great, defund and dismantle ICE.
Go after Stephen Miller too. Bring charges against ICE thugs at the state and local level. Lawsuits. New state laws restricting them.
Every possible angle.
They are wounded and flailing. Press the advantage.
January 27, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Exactly right.
Bovino's leaving? Great, get Noem to resign.
Noem resigns? Great, defund and dismantle ICE.
Go after Stephen Miller too. Bring charges against ICE thugs at the state and local level. Lawsuits. New state laws restricting them.
Every possible angle.
Bovino's leaving? Great, get Noem to resign.
Noem resigns? Great, defund and dismantle ICE.
Go after Stephen Miller too. Bring charges against ICE thugs at the state and local level. Lawsuits. New state laws restricting them.
Every possible angle.
Reposted by Azby Brown
social media is awful but dr. starbird always has a great and rigorous explanation as to how it works and how disinformation takes root
Yesterday, I awoke to news of another ICE killing in MN. On Bluesky, the conversation was deeply critical of ICE. But I wanted to see how things were going on X. Surprisingly, the attempts there to blame the victim weren't getting as much traction as I suspected. So I wrote a thing.
Another Killing on ICE
The right wing propaganda machine can’t spin the killing of Alex Pretti
open.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 6:58 AM
social media is awful but dr. starbird always has a great and rigorous explanation as to how it works and how disinformation takes root
Reposted by Azby Brown
I saw this during the hk protests too, it is reflexive and weird
Tankies and certain ghouls in the US believe any mass protest must be backed by foreign powers because they could never imagine themselves defending and serving their communities
i’ve known this line was craven bullshit since tankies deployed it against hong kong and i sure as hell know it’s bullshit today
January 26, 2026 at 6:59 AM
I saw this during the hk protests too, it is reflexive and weird
Reposted by Azby Brown
This is absurd to put all of those CBP agents involved in the murder of Alex Pretti back onto the streets already.
They pose a very real, proven danger to the community.
They pose a very real, proven danger to the community.
CBP chief Bovino has confirmed that the officers who executed Alex Pretti in the street yesterday are not only *not on administrative leave,* they have all been reassigned to other jurisdictions and are all on the street today.
This is totally unheard of for any officer-involved shooting
This is totally unheard of for any officer-involved shooting
January 25, 2026 at 10:08 PM
This is absurd to put all of those CBP agents involved in the murder of Alex Pretti back onto the streets already.
They pose a very real, proven danger to the community.
They pose a very real, proven danger to the community.
Keep this thread handy.
Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 according to local police officials. DHS told Fox News that the man was “armed with a gun”. A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man before the first shot was fired. x.com/BillMelugin_...
January 25, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Keep this thread handy.
Reposted by Azby Brown
I'm seeing people mistakenly claim the gun photo was posted before today, but its just how Google sometimes dates images based on the original date of the thread its posted in, not when it was posted. The photo was posted an hour ago in this 5 day old thread
www.reddit.com/r/fivethirty...
www.reddit.com/r/fivethirty...
January 24, 2026 at 6:35 PM
I'm seeing people mistakenly claim the gun photo was posted before today, but its just how Google sometimes dates images based on the original date of the thread its posted in, not when it was posted. The photo was posted an hour ago in this 5 day old thread
www.reddit.com/r/fivethirty...
www.reddit.com/r/fivethirty...
Reposted by Azby Brown
"Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a couple of traffic tickets."
{gift link} wapo.st/3LxWTQV
{gift link} wapo.st/3LxWTQV
The man killed by a US Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis was an ICU nurse, family says
Family members say the man who was killed by a federal officer in Minneapolis was an intensive care nurse at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital who cared deeply about people and was upset ...
wapo.st
January 24, 2026 at 11:22 PM
"Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a couple of traffic tickets."
{gift link} wapo.st/3LxWTQV
{gift link} wapo.st/3LxWTQV
Things that last: My father purchased this drafting set when he was in college in the late 1940s. He gave it to me when I began studying architecture in college in the 1970s. I've used it ever since, most recently this week. It has an unparalleled solidity and feel and perfect weight.
January 22, 2026 at 12:32 PM
Things that last: My father purchased this drafting set when he was in college in the late 1940s. He gave it to me when I began studying architecture in college in the 1970s. I've used it ever since, most recently this week. It has an unparalleled solidity and feel and perfect weight.
Things that last: My mother knitted these socks for me when I was in college, sometime in the late 1970's. That means they're about 50 years old. I still wear them, but only during holiday season. They're the embodiment of maternal care and skill.
January 22, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Things that last: My mother knitted these socks for me when I was in college, sometime in the late 1970's. That means they're about 50 years old. I still wear them, but only during holiday season. They're the embodiment of maternal care and skill.
Reposted by Azby Brown
re: carney's speech, the bright side for europe is that they've already got a union, a currency, a parliament--all the mechanisms of cooperation other than the shooty kind
January 21, 2026 at 9:13 AM
re: carney's speech, the bright side for europe is that they've already got a union, a currency, a parliament--all the mechanisms of cooperation other than the shooty kind
I wrote an article about Japan's traditional farmhouses -- minka -- and why they're important.
The Wisdom of Wood: Why Japan’s Old Farmhouses Matter More Than Ever
allabout-japan.com/en/article/1...
The Wisdom of Wood: Why Japan’s Old Farmhouses Matter More Than Ever
allabout-japan.com/en/article/1...
The Wisdom of Wood: Why Japan’s Old Farmhouses Matter More Than Ever | All About Japan
A look at the traditional farmhouses now commonly called kominka—“old folk dwellings”—a name that underscores their age. They were built for living, working, and passing knowledge from one generation...
allabout-japan.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:58 AM
I wrote an article about Japan's traditional farmhouses -- minka -- and why they're important.
The Wisdom of Wood: Why Japan’s Old Farmhouses Matter More Than Ever
allabout-japan.com/en/article/1...
The Wisdom of Wood: Why Japan’s Old Farmhouses Matter More Than Ever
allabout-japan.com/en/article/1...
Reposted by Azby Brown
This is an excellent explainer. 👀 quote: “In rough terms, the workforce of CBP officers and Border Patrol agents commit crimes at an equal or even greater rate PER CAPITA than the population of undocumented immigrants do in the United States.”
If you are appalled at the tactics of ICE and CBP, you should be! They in fact are *NOT* trained for the work they're doing in America's interior right now—and they're scared of interacting with US citizens. That's a recipe for the exact disaster we see: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-101-ho...
"ICE 101" — How Trump changed ICE and CBP into a fascist secret police
ICE and CBP are fatally flawed products of the post-9/11 War on Terror — now Trump has weaponized those very flaws to occupy America.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
January 20, 2026 at 7:27 PM
This is an excellent explainer. 👀 quote: “In rough terms, the workforce of CBP officers and Border Patrol agents commit crimes at an equal or even greater rate PER CAPITA than the population of undocumented immigrants do in the United States.”
Reposted by Azby Brown
Tone here is very much me explaining to my toddler that the fish fingers can't be put back together once I've cut them up.
NORWAY PM: I HAVE REPEATEDLY CLEARLY EXPLAINED TO TRUMP THAT IT IS AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE THAT AWARDS THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
January 19, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Tone here is very much me explaining to my toddler that the fish fingers can't be put back together once I've cut them up.
Reposted by Azby Brown
Facial recognition failure: Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said the app's results are a “definitive” determination of someone's immigration status. www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...
www.404media.co
January 19, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Facial recognition failure: Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said the app's results are a “definitive” determination of someone's immigration status. www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
Reposted by Azby Brown
A source confirms to me that this disturbing letter from Trump to the Norwegian PM is real.
Not the sort of letter committed to paper by a well man. "Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace"
January 19, 2026 at 7:32 AM
A source confirms to me that this disturbing letter from Trump to the Norwegian PM is real.
Reposted by Azby Brown
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
January 17, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
Reposted by Azby Brown
Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
Breaking news: The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation alleging that they are impeding federal law enforcement officers’ abilities to do their jobs in the state.
Justice Dept. launches criminal investigation of Minnesota governor
The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation into impeding law enforcement.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 16, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
Reposted by Azby Brown
The administration needs to be asked directly how many J6ers, and anyone convicted of seditious conspiracy, are now ICE agents with a badge and a gun.
January 15, 2026 at 8:50 PM
The administration needs to be asked directly how many J6ers, and anyone convicted of seditious conspiracy, are now ICE agents with a badge and a gun.