jess banks
@profbanks.bsky.social
Hypercompetent polyglot know-it-all. Unrepentant SJW troublemaker. Neuroqueer teacher, mom, partner, Official Auntie, best friend, co-conspirator. An American in Aotearoa New Zealand. Always noncompliant. She/her/elle/ia
Reposted by jess banks
hey #StarWars fans.. we are in pre production on the series final of our surprisingly popular webseries #ForTheEmpire. (over 70 million views!!!!)
You can help us finish our story by joining our mailing list at the link below.
#NoAI
#100%HumanMade
You can help us finish our story by joining our mailing list at the link below.
#NoAI
#100%HumanMade
Also - We are coming to the end of the series. We are not far away from launching our kickstarter to fund an epic 90+ minute series finale where we tie up loose ends, give jokes their punchlines and give our 3 heroes their closure.
Sign up below to get notified how you can help get us funded.
Sign up below to get notified how you can help get us funded.
Get Ready for For the Empire – The Final Episode
From Epically Casual - Get Ready for For the Empire – The Final Episode
www.backerkit.com
February 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM
hey #StarWars fans.. we are in pre production on the series final of our surprisingly popular webseries #ForTheEmpire. (over 70 million views!!!!)
You can help us finish our story by joining our mailing list at the link below.
#NoAI
#100%HumanMade
You can help us finish our story by joining our mailing list at the link below.
#NoAI
#100%HumanMade
Reposted by jess banks
Let me tell you a tale of how completely the normies have been mobilized. My 14 year-old niece has done School of Rock for the past 5 years; last summer she was part of their touring band, and the kids loved playing together so much that they decided to keep doing it. (1/?)
February 16, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Let me tell you a tale of how completely the normies have been mobilized. My 14 year-old niece has done School of Rock for the past 5 years; last summer she was part of their touring band, and the kids loved playing together so much that they decided to keep doing it. (1/?)
Reposted by jess banks
Reposted by jess banks
Last chance to vote for your #BugOfTheYear! Voting closes at midnight tonight. www.bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz
February 16, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Last chance to vote for your #BugOfTheYear! Voting closes at midnight tonight. www.bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz
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the Black Panthers were right
February 15, 2026 at 5:47 PM
the Black Panthers were right
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I’ve seen the critique that making these hats isn’t “doing anything” but I’d say raising 3/4s of a million for their local food shelf and rent assistance org seems like doing a lot.
There were only three left in the basket at Needle & Skein until the knitters fill it up again, but I snagged one! The total raised is now over $750,000.
February 15, 2026 at 7:13 PM
I’ve seen the critique that making these hats isn’t “doing anything” but I’d say raising 3/4s of a million for their local food shelf and rent assistance org seems like doing a lot.
Reposted by jess banks
between this and Mamdani's talk of welcoming the stranger, we're getting a lot of valentines to humanity today. 🥰
with alt text, because everyone needs to be able to read this 😭
February 15, 2026 at 8:18 PM
between this and Mamdani's talk of welcoming the stranger, we're getting a lot of valentines to humanity today. 🥰
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This morning in (heart)breaking news:
New Zealand: Multiple states of emergency, right now
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon: State of Origin footy match, 2027 🎉
NZ: Wellington cut off, digging out from huge storm
PM: Yeah gidday from Auckland, it’s raining here too ☂️
NZ: Help?
Luxon: Catch! 🏈
New Zealand: Multiple states of emergency, right now
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon: State of Origin footy match, 2027 🎉
NZ: Wellington cut off, digging out from huge storm
PM: Yeah gidday from Auckland, it’s raining here too ☂️
NZ: Help?
Luxon: Catch! 🏈
February 15, 2026 at 7:40 PM
This morning in (heart)breaking news:
New Zealand: Multiple states of emergency, right now
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon: State of Origin footy match, 2027 🎉
NZ: Wellington cut off, digging out from huge storm
PM: Yeah gidday from Auckland, it’s raining here too ☂️
NZ: Help?
Luxon: Catch! 🏈
New Zealand: Multiple states of emergency, right now
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon: State of Origin footy match, 2027 🎉
NZ: Wellington cut off, digging out from huge storm
PM: Yeah gidday from Auckland, it’s raining here too ☂️
NZ: Help?
Luxon: Catch! 🏈
Okay, #romancelandia and Bluesky friends, give me your top-shelf fanfic recs for smutty smutty smut. I prefer M/F, F/F, and poly queer romances.
February 15, 2026 at 11:17 PM
Okay, #romancelandia and Bluesky friends, give me your top-shelf fanfic recs for smutty smutty smut. I prefer M/F, F/F, and poly queer romances.
Reposted by jess banks
A judge ruled that groups representing residents of Louisiana’s Cancer Alley can proceed with their landmark lawsuit seeking a pause on toxic industrial plants in two majority‑Black districts
Black Residents Win Key Ruling in ‘Cancer Alley’ Environmental Racism Case
The lawsuit could force a jury to decide if turning Black communities into sacrifice zones is a legacy of slavery.
capitalbnews.org
February 15, 2026 at 7:21 PM
A judge ruled that groups representing residents of Louisiana’s Cancer Alley can proceed with their landmark lawsuit seeking a pause on toxic industrial plants in two majority‑Black districts
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"I’ve wanted Marc Elias to be wrong for seven years, or six years, for as long as he’s been coming on my show. I have wanted his warnings to be wrong, but every single one of them has been either affirmed or prescient."--Nicolle Wallace. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/its-...
It’s not too late for states and Congress to stop Trump from subverting the midterms
With only nine months before the midterm elections, Trump is plotting to prevent Democrats from taking control of Congress.
www.democracydocket.com
February 15, 2026 at 11:11 PM
"I’ve wanted Marc Elias to be wrong for seven years, or six years, for as long as he’s been coming on my show. I have wanted his warnings to be wrong, but every single one of them has been either affirmed or prescient."--Nicolle Wallace. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/its-...
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"Tthousands of federal immigration officers sent to Minnesota in the wake of the controversial fraud investigation by MAGAt Nick Shirley" He should be charged with murder 😡
Trump adviser admits citizen revolt spurred admin to change course from 'quagmire': report
www.rawstory.com/ice-26752709...
Trump adviser admits citizen revolt spurred admin to change course from 'quagmire': report
www.rawstory.com/ice-26752709...
Trump adviser admits citizen revolt spurred admin to change course from 'quagmire': report
The ongoing fierce resistance to the surge of federal immigration officers in Minnesota is striking real fear in the Trump administration, one adviser to President Donald Trump revealed Sunday, so muc...
www.rawstory.com
February 15, 2026 at 4:58 PM
"Tthousands of federal immigration officers sent to Minnesota in the wake of the controversial fraud investigation by MAGAt Nick Shirley" He should be charged with murder 😡
Trump adviser admits citizen revolt spurred admin to change course from 'quagmire': report
www.rawstory.com/ice-26752709...
Trump adviser admits citizen revolt spurred admin to change course from 'quagmire': report
www.rawstory.com/ice-26752709...
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Rep Angie Craig voted for the Laken Riley Act, which gave DHS broad authority to arrest, detain, and deport undocumented people for having committed crimes. This has greatly contributed to the excesses of ICE and CBP in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Rep. Angie Craig: "The attacks on Black and brown people in Minnesota have been egregious. At the end of the day, what they wanted out of Minnesota was for us to riot. I think this will go down in American history as one of the greatest examples of peaceful resistance from an entire community."
February 15, 2026 at 11:14 PM
Rep Angie Craig voted for the Laken Riley Act, which gave DHS broad authority to arrest, detain, and deport undocumented people for having committed crimes. This has greatly contributed to the excesses of ICE and CBP in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Daring, but true. “Fretless” is absolutely of a piece with the rest of the album.
I miss when you could post Brave Norman Rockwell Townsperson and the caption could be, like, “R.E.M was wrong to leave ‘Fretless’ off of Out of Time” instead of “The secret police should stop murdering people.”
February 15, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Daring, but true. “Fretless” is absolutely of a piece with the rest of the album.
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Luxon: The Empty Suit
“Another weekend, another climate change disaster in Aotearoa. Flooding, people without power, roads blocked, people dead. And the Prime Minister is announcing a fucking foreign football game. And when asked about the disaster he says shit like "it's raining here too".”
#nzpol
“Another weekend, another climate change disaster in Aotearoa. Flooding, people without power, roads blocked, people dead. And the Prime Minister is announcing a fucking foreign football game. And when asked about the disaster he says shit like "it's raining here too".”
#nzpol
An empty suit
Another weekend, another climate change disaster in Aotearoa. Flooding, people without power, roads blocked, people dead. And the Prime Mini...
norightturn.blogspot.com
February 15, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Luxon: The Empty Suit
“Another weekend, another climate change disaster in Aotearoa. Flooding, people without power, roads blocked, people dead. And the Prime Minister is announcing a fucking foreign football game. And when asked about the disaster he says shit like "it's raining here too".”
#nzpol
“Another weekend, another climate change disaster in Aotearoa. Flooding, people without power, roads blocked, people dead. And the Prime Minister is announcing a fucking foreign football game. And when asked about the disaster he says shit like "it's raining here too".”
#nzpol
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I'm at this underground hip-hop show in Bushwick. And the pit just went fucking nuts. A chant of "fuck ICE" just went up.
February 15, 2026 at 2:04 AM
I'm at this underground hip-hop show in Bushwick. And the pit just went fucking nuts. A chant of "fuck ICE" just went up.
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My mom sent me a link to this bookshop website that curates interesting and unusual books. Great looking selection, here.
societyforunusualbooks.com
societyforunusualbooks.com
Society for Unusual Books | Online Bookstore | New and Preloved Books
The Society is a bookstore specializing in fantasy, horror, romance, sci-fi, nonfiction, and other genres. We place particular emphasis on small press and independently published titles. We also curat...
societyforunusualbooks.com
February 15, 2026 at 12:48 AM
My mom sent me a link to this bookshop website that curates interesting and unusual books. Great looking selection, here.
societyforunusualbooks.com
societyforunusualbooks.com
Reposted by jess banks
Measles is a bellwether. Because it’s the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease, when vaccination rates drop, it’s the first to start spreading.
Now we’ve got mumps rolling up.
Expect more.
This is just the beginning of RFK Jr.’s successful infectious disease reintroduction plan.
Now we’ve got mumps rolling up.
Expect more.
This is just the beginning of RFK Jr.’s successful infectious disease reintroduction plan.
Maryland health officials warn providers about an upsurge in mumps cases
Maryland health officials are warning about an uptick in cases of mumps.
www.thebanner.com
February 14, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Measles is a bellwether. Because it’s the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease, when vaccination rates drop, it’s the first to start spreading.
Now we’ve got mumps rolling up.
Expect more.
This is just the beginning of RFK Jr.’s successful infectious disease reintroduction plan.
Now we’ve got mumps rolling up.
Expect more.
This is just the beginning of RFK Jr.’s successful infectious disease reintroduction plan.
Reposted by jess banks
I started reading The Nation on No Map: Black Anarchism and Abolition by William C Anderson (which has a gorgeous book design!) and the foreword by Saidiya Hartman alone is so generative I wanted to share some quotes:
February 14, 2026 at 8:18 PM
I started reading The Nation on No Map: Black Anarchism and Abolition by William C Anderson (which has a gorgeous book design!) and the foreword by Saidiya Hartman alone is so generative I wanted to share some quotes:
Reposted by jess banks
ICE using the same ruse that Ted Bundy used to kidnap people should tell you something.
CCTV footage appears to show DHS agents posing as people having car trouble in order to lure a target out of his house before arresting them. The target comes out and starts helping them before 3 vehicles surround the scene. The car "experiencing" trouble then drives off with them.
February 15, 2026 at 1:51 AM
ICE using the same ruse that Ted Bundy used to kidnap people should tell you something.
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February 14, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Reposted by jess banks
Fuck the Islamic Republic
February 14, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Fuck the Islamic Republic
Think of the equation of time/talent/treasure. Give what you can from what you’ve got at a level that feels meaningful but is also sustainable.
You’re supposed to lend what you can from who you are to the struggle. I do words so I’m lending words, not just online, but trying to get work out there that advances us. Everybody has to look from their skill set & find what it’s special for them to give.
February 14, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Think of the equation of time/talent/treasure. Give what you can from what you’ve got at a level that feels meaningful but is also sustainable.
Reposted by jess banks
