🕸️Meg Conley
@pocketobservatory.org
✍️I write Pocket Observatory and create Pocket Observation, an attention reclamation project.
🗞️My work also appears in places like Harper’s Bazaar, The Guardian, Slate, BBC and NPR.
pocketobservatory.org
🗞️My work also appears in places like Harper’s Bazaar, The Guardian, Slate, BBC and NPR.
pocketobservatory.org
Pinned
🕸️Meg Conley
@pocketobservatory.org
· Dec 3
My kids asked if I have a celebrity crush. I said "Yeah, Kurt Gödel." They're now reading from Wikipedia while howling at how lame I am. "Mom! A dead recluse mathematician is your celebrity crush?!" "Do you have Dad read the incompleteness theorems to you?" Kids are amazing for real tho. So funny.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Harm to SNAP recipients, federal workers, and others is real. In a normal democracy it’d make sense to prioritize reducing that harm in the short term.
In a rapidly backsliding democracy, harm is happening no matter what. Preventing authoritarian consolidation is the most harm-reducing move.
In a rapidly backsliding democracy, harm is happening no matter what. Preventing authoritarian consolidation is the most harm-reducing move.
two contradictory ideas that i hold in my head at the same time: 1) i think the threat to both SNAP recipients and federal workers is significant enough now that even bad deals are worth making to prevent further harm, and, 2) everyone who caves now should retire in shame
November 10, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Harm to SNAP recipients, federal workers, and others is real. In a normal democracy it’d make sense to prioritize reducing that harm in the short term.
In a rapidly backsliding democracy, harm is happening no matter what. Preventing authoritarian consolidation is the most harm-reducing move.
In a rapidly backsliding democracy, harm is happening no matter what. Preventing authoritarian consolidation is the most harm-reducing move.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
“Frog,” said Toad, “if I wash my dishes right now, then I will not have to wash them tomorrow, will I?”
“No,” said Frog. “You will not have to.”
Toad washed and dried his dishes. He put them in the cupboard.
“No,” said Frog. “You will not have to.”
Toad washed and dried his dishes. He put them in the cupboard.
November 10, 2025 at 11:37 AM
“Frog,” said Toad, “if I wash my dishes right now, then I will not have to wash them tomorrow, will I?”
“No,” said Frog. “You will not have to.”
Toad washed and dried his dishes. He put them in the cupboard.
“No,” said Frog. “You will not have to.”
Toad washed and dried his dishes. He put them in the cupboard.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Democrats, coming off a historic national protest against fascism and a country-wide electoral sweep:
November 9, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Democrats, coming off a historic national protest against fascism and a country-wide electoral sweep:
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Sitting here editing a high schooler's piece on how the upheaval surrounding SNAP has impacted her community and she's describing how devastation from a flood in February already cut resources and now people are lining up for a church's food bags hours before they start giving them out.
November 8, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Sitting here editing a high schooler's piece on how the upheaval surrounding SNAP has impacted her community and she's describing how devastation from a flood in February already cut resources and now people are lining up for a church's food bags hours before they start giving them out.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
I loved this piece Meg! I mean, I'm sorry you collapsed, but that your family both took such great care of you AND wanted to take Dramatic Photos was hilarious. xoxo
November 6, 2025 at 12:48 AM
I loved this piece Meg! I mean, I'm sorry you collapsed, but that your family both took such great care of you AND wanted to take Dramatic Photos was hilarious. xoxo
On Saturday, I lost consciousness at our kitchen table. I only remember bits of before and after. I sat down, asked for a saltine, bit it in half and then rested my head on the table. The cracker disintegrated in my mouth as I fell to a deep place.
www.pocketobservatory.org/its-babys-fi...
www.pocketobservatory.org/its-babys-fi...
it's baby's first ambulance ride
I asked my husband to send our daughters a picture as proof of life. I held my arm up and he tapped his screen. One of my daughters responded, “Okay, album cover!” I laughed and then I cried.
www.pocketobservatory.org
November 5, 2025 at 10:11 PM
On Saturday, I lost consciousness at our kitchen table. I only remember bits of before and after. I sat down, asked for a saltine, bit it in half and then rested my head on the table. The cracker disintegrated in my mouth as I fell to a deep place.
www.pocketobservatory.org/its-babys-fi...
www.pocketobservatory.org/its-babys-fi...
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
ah, perhaps instead of pumping millions into endless factional infighting Dem donors could invest in making local Dem organizations genuine civic spaces that can reach people during and between elections
November 5, 2025 at 12:49 PM
ah, perhaps instead of pumping millions into endless factional infighting Dem donors could invest in making local Dem organizations genuine civic spaces that can reach people during and between elections
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Here's another bit of conventional wisdom Zohran completely blew away: His speech was at well above a 10th-grade level. It was complex, erudite, punctuated by deep and fluent references. You don't have to condescend to voters with baby talk! Part of re-establishing norms is speaking like an adult.
November 5, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Here's another bit of conventional wisdom Zohran completely blew away: His speech was at well above a 10th-grade level. It was complex, erudite, punctuated by deep and fluent references. You don't have to condescend to voters with baby talk! Part of re-establishing norms is speaking like an adult.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
I'm super stoked that Colorado voted to fund free meals for kids for schools.
(I've been saying lunches, but the program includes breakfasts, too.)
(I've been saying lunches, but the program includes breakfasts, too.)
November 5, 2025 at 4:23 AM
I'm super stoked that Colorado voted to fund free meals for kids for schools.
(I've been saying lunches, but the program includes breakfasts, too.)
(I've been saying lunches, but the program includes breakfasts, too.)
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Normal people are just sick to fucking death of the cruelty and meanness
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Live updates: US voters head to the polls in first general election since Trump's return to power
One year after Donald Trump retook the presidency, 2025 Election Day includes closely watched races for New York City mayor, New Jersey governor and California's Proposition 50.
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Normal people are just sick to fucking death of the cruelty and meanness
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Never let them say you can’t be a mensch AND a hater
Brad Lander is at the victory party and, folks, he has the custom one-of-one “GOOD FUCKING RIDDANCE” shirt.
November 5, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Never let them say you can’t be a mensch AND a hater
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
JUST IN: California has adopted Prop 50, the Democratic plan to redistrict the state, according to CNN.
They called it as soon as polls closed.
They called it as soon as polls closed.
November 5, 2025 at 4:05 AM
JUST IN: California has adopted Prop 50, the Democratic plan to redistrict the state, according to CNN.
They called it as soon as polls closed.
They called it as soon as polls closed.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
FEEDING BABIES WON!!!!!
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Live updates: US voters head to the polls in first general election since Trump's return to power
One year after Donald Trump retook the presidency, 2025 Election Day includes closely watched races for New York City mayor, New Jersey governor and California's Proposition 50.
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 3:51 AM
FEEDING BABIES WON!!!!!
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
also huge shoutout to @lindseyboylan.bsky.social who was absolutely everywhere leading the anti-cuomo charge
November 5, 2025 at 2:57 AM
also huge shoutout to @lindseyboylan.bsky.social who was absolutely everywhere leading the anti-cuomo charge
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Republicans thought they had a permanent hold over young men. They didn't.
Spanberger wins men 18-29 by 14%, Sherrill by 10%, and Mamdani by a stunning 40%.
Spanberger wins men 18-29 by 14%, Sherrill by 10%, and Mamdani by a stunning 40%.
November 5, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Republicans thought they had a permanent hold over young men. They didn't.
Spanberger wins men 18-29 by 14%, Sherrill by 10%, and Mamdani by a stunning 40%.
Spanberger wins men 18-29 by 14%, Sherrill by 10%, and Mamdani by a stunning 40%.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Young people in NYC absolutely showed out and there should be 1000 articles and profiles about this. Because we have had to put up with 1000 MAGA diner stories for years now.
November 5, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Young people in NYC absolutely showed out and there should be 1000 articles and profiles about this. Because we have had to put up with 1000 MAGA diner stories for years now.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
There are more of us than there are of them.
November 5, 2025 at 2:31 AM
There are more of us than there are of them.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
They playing Not Like Us at the Mamdani election headquarters
November 5, 2025 at 2:47 AM
They playing Not Like Us at the Mamdani election headquarters
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
MAGA wants to end competitive elections because they know people hate what they’re doing.
November 5, 2025 at 2:52 AM
MAGA wants to end competitive elections because they know people hate what they’re doing.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
We have evidence now going back to 2018 that when Trump isn't on the ballot, it's grim scenes for Republicans.
And he'll never (lawfully) be on the ballot again.
And he'll never (lawfully) be on the ballot again.
November 5, 2025 at 1:54 AM
We have evidence now going back to 2018 that when Trump isn't on the ballot, it's grim scenes for Republicans.
And he'll never (lawfully) be on the ballot again.
And he'll never (lawfully) be on the ballot again.
This piece about my breast cancer diagnosis was published this morning right before I went in for a bilateral mastectomy.
Sharing it now from my post-op bed. (Everything hurts. I’ve decided to treat the pain as proof of life.)
www.pocketobservatory.org/i-have-breas...
Sharing it now from my post-op bed. (Everything hurts. I’ve decided to treat the pain as proof of life.)
www.pocketobservatory.org/i-have-breas...
October 29, 2025 at 11:54 PM
This piece about my breast cancer diagnosis was published this morning right before I went in for a bilateral mastectomy.
Sharing it now from my post-op bed. (Everything hurts. I’ve decided to treat the pain as proof of life.)
www.pocketobservatory.org/i-have-breas...
Sharing it now from my post-op bed. (Everything hurts. I’ve decided to treat the pain as proof of life.)
www.pocketobservatory.org/i-have-breas...
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Do you live in an apartment complex? How about printing out some fliers letting your neighbors know that on a particular day of the week, u will be cooking X extra meals and that anyone who needs one can stop by your place at X hour to pick one up no questions asked? Can even leave them at the door.
October 22, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Do you live in an apartment complex? How about printing out some fliers letting your neighbors know that on a particular day of the week, u will be cooking X extra meals and that anyone who needs one can stop by your place at X hour to pick one up no questions asked? Can even leave them at the door.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
I hope each and every one of the fascists who rule this country read this and choke.
October 18, 2025 at 8:39 PM
I hope each and every one of the fascists who rule this country read this and choke.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
If I could offer students one bit of…advice: be brutally traditional about what is printed on your degree.
If you are first-gen or in any way non traditional, this goes double. Let rich kids get degrees in AI. You get something called “English”.
If you are first-gen or in any way non traditional, this goes double. Let rich kids get degrees in AI. You get something called “English”.
The danger is that degrees are regarded as worthless as nobody believes students have acquired any skills any more, at least not ones they couldn't have hot from just going into an office job from school.
In about three years the entire university pivot to AI curricula and schools and programs is going to be so deeply embarrassing. We will all pretend it never happened and I will be standing there, looking at people with a mirror in my eyes. This is all so embarrassing.
October 17, 2025 at 3:24 PM
If I could offer students one bit of…advice: be brutally traditional about what is printed on your degree.
If you are first-gen or in any way non traditional, this goes double. Let rich kids get degrees in AI. You get something called “English”.
If you are first-gen or in any way non traditional, this goes double. Let rich kids get degrees in AI. You get something called “English”.
Reposted by 🕸️Meg Conley
Waiting for his whiskers….Ive just opened my diary for #commissions should you be looking for a personal icon of your own or for someone special? #art #painting
October 15, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Waiting for his whiskers….Ive just opened my diary for #commissions should you be looking for a personal icon of your own or for someone special? #art #painting