Michelle Chihara
@thisblue.bsky.social
Los Angeles since 2003. Media Studies, Critical Finance; power ballads; history of this wild city Find me at michellechihara.com
Pinned
View Seminar | American Comparative Literature Association
www.acla.org
Come to Montreal in the Spring!!!
Come think beyond current constraints! I’m going to be talking complementary currencies…
www.acla.org/seminar/7bfc...
Come think beyond current constraints! I’m going to be talking complementary currencies…
www.acla.org/seminar/7bfc...
🧵
I'm not at MLA this weekend, for reasons which I think must remain front & center (see my post[s] from a year ago).
And which do thanks to scholars like Liron Mor & Tithi Bhattacharya who have declined to receive prizes from the MLA this year (I'll drop links to their letters later in this thread).
And which do thanks to scholars like Liron Mor & Tithi Bhattacharya who have declined to receive prizes from the MLA this year (I'll drop links to their letters later in this thread).
What The MLA Is...
The organization has chosen an interpretation of fiduciary responsibility beyond the wildest hopes of Chicago School economists.
theamericanvandal.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:23 PM
🧵
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
In 2026 I want all of the decent people to remember one thing.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
January 1, 2026 at 10:30 PM
In 2026 I want all of the decent people to remember one thing.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
what a shocking turn of events
who could’ve seen this coming
who could’ve seen this coming
OpenAI Reportedly Planning to Make ChatGPT "Prioritize" Advertisers in Conversation
OpenAI employees working on ChatGPT report plans to unleash sponsored advertisements above organic results.
futurism.com
December 31, 2025 at 1:07 AM
what a shocking turn of events
who could’ve seen this coming
who could’ve seen this coming
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
This research by @thisblue.bsky.social is very pertinent here.
Radical flexibility: driving for Lyft and the future of work in the platform economy
Labour conditions in the first two decades of the twenty-first century in the US have become increasingly precarious and abusive. At the same time, many workers and users (no longer easily categori...
www.tandfonline.com
December 31, 2025 at 1:28 AM
This research by @thisblue.bsky.social is very pertinent here.
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
I've tried and failed a couple times to write a post explaining how serious this would be. NCAR is globally essential to our climate change response. This can't just be replaced. Every scientist in the world will be doing climate research with one hand tied behind their back for at least a decade
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 2:30 AM
I've tried and failed a couple times to write a post explaining how serious this would be. NCAR is globally essential to our climate change response. This can't just be replaced. Every scientist in the world will be doing climate research with one hand tied behind their back for at least a decade
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
"I’ve concluded that instead of teaching students to read and write, I should be teaching them how to prompt AI better. If only I’d had a better education in AI prompt writing, I’d be able to get AI to create more AI-proof teaching materials for me."
I Need AI to Write Better Lesson Plans So My Students Stop Using AI to Write Their Papers
I care deeply about my students’ learning, but with all the new technologies available to help them cut corners, I worry that they’re not doing the...
buff.ly
November 30, 2025 at 5:30 PM
"I’ve concluded that instead of teaching students to read and write, I should be teaching them how to prompt AI better. If only I’d had a better education in AI prompt writing, I’d be able to get AI to create more AI-proof teaching materials for me."
💯History of Palo Alto is the history of capitalism, everybody read their Malcolm Harris
If you're wondering why a large chunk of ostensibly left-of-center pundits are waging war on environmental protections in the form of an "abundance agenda," it's because Silicon Valley has quietly developed a culture of rampant pollution.
EPA fines Apple over hazardous waste violations at Santa Clara factory
November 20, 2025 at 4:24 PM
💯History of Palo Alto is the history of capitalism, everybody read their Malcolm Harris
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
I wasn't familiar with Elle Cordova's work. I like this a lot:
For our scientists
YouTube video by Elle Cordova
www.youtube.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:29 AM
I wasn't familiar with Elle Cordova's work. I like this a lot:
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
"There is a link between finance and paranoia, and that link may well be inescapable." www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
April 23, 2025 at 10:52 AM
"There is a link between finance and paranoia, and that link may well be inescapable." www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
This graf of this "Goon Squad" Harper's Mag article really gutted me with despair about the post-literate age... "...Think about it for a second: What are these gooners actually doing? Wasting hours each day consuming short-form video content. Chasing intensities of sensation across platforms. 1/
November 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
This graf of this "Goon Squad" Harper's Mag article really gutted me with despair about the post-literate age... "...Think about it for a second: What are these gooners actually doing? Wasting hours each day consuming short-form video content. Chasing intensities of sensation across platforms. 1/
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
WE WON. I am *begging* you to take note of who did this. *Not* UCLA admin—they’re still scuttling around behind closed doors, attempting to appease—but FACULTY AND STAFF, led by AAUP.
BREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!!
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:01 AM
WE WON. I am *begging* you to take note of who did this. *Not* UCLA admin—they’re still scuttling around behind closed doors, attempting to appease—but FACULTY AND STAFF, led by AAUP.
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
BREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!!
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:55 PM
BREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!!
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
*This* is how the left should be talking about Mamdani's fiscal prospects & challenges. Rather than reify private market prices while fetishizing liberal budget-balancing, Weber challenges the political composition of pricing in the first place. Bravo!
Zohran Mamdani shows how Democrats can defeat authoritarians like Trump | Isabella Weber
Democrats have two choices: fight to make life affordable again for ordinary people or watch voters embrace authoritarians
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:09 PM
*This* is how the left should be talking about Mamdani's fiscal prospects & challenges. Rather than reify private market prices while fetishizing liberal budget-balancing, Weber challenges the political composition of pricing in the first place. Bravo!
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
ohhh, I see. They're going to try and remake higher ed the way they did with tech, by flooding the zone with frauds who crowd out any reasonable discussion
November 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
ohhh, I see. They're going to try and remake higher ed the way they did with tech, by flooding the zone with frauds who crowd out any reasonable discussion
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
meanwhile ...
*This* is how the left should be talking about Mamdani's fiscal prospects & challenges. Rather than reify private market prices while fetishizing liberal budget-balancing, Weber challenges the political composition of pricing in the first place. Bravo!
Zohran Mamdani shows how Democrats can defeat authoritarians like Trump | Isabella Weber
Democrats have two choices: fight to make life affordable again for ordinary people or watch voters embrace authoritarians
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:11 PM
meanwhile ...
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
✨ New Essay! ✨
@mattseybold.bsky.social agues that the new Mamdani administration ought to fund CUNY to develop its own public, open-source educational technology. The result stands to socialize the means of knowledge production for collaborative use across the entire US higher education system.
@mattseybold.bsky.social agues that the new Mamdani administration ought to fund CUNY to develop its own public, open-source educational technology. The result stands to socialize the means of knowledge production for collaborative use across the entire US higher education system.
Mamdani Win Could Be The First Step Towards Seizing The Means of Knowledge Production (Let CUNY Socialize EdTech for All of Us)
by Matt Seybold This essay originally appeared on Matt Seybold’s The American Vandal Substack. We are grateful for his generous permission to republish it here. An understandable response to …
moneyontheleft.org
November 6, 2025 at 1:45 AM
✨ New Essay! ✨
@mattseybold.bsky.social agues that the new Mamdani administration ought to fund CUNY to develop its own public, open-source educational technology. The result stands to socialize the means of knowledge production for collaborative use across the entire US higher education system.
@mattseybold.bsky.social agues that the new Mamdani administration ought to fund CUNY to develop its own public, open-source educational technology. The result stands to socialize the means of knowledge production for collaborative use across the entire US higher education system.
“Mamdani showed the way forward: You integrate civil rights into your economic message. You show up for people when they're under attack. You have the courage to say that in your vision of America, everyone gets to thrive — including trans kids. And then you back it up with real policies...” 🔥🔥🔥
November 5, 2025 at 5:28 PM
“Mamdani showed the way forward: You integrate civil rights into your economic message. You show up for people when they're under attack. You have the courage to say that in your vision of America, everyone gets to thrive — including trans kids. And then you back it up with real policies...” 🔥🔥🔥
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
Leprechaun theory of Eric Adams remains undefeated.
September 5, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Leprechaun theory of Eric Adams remains undefeated.
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
this is an obvious overcorrection that misleads the polling data and will lead to disaster in the Heartland. the results of tonight show that the Democrats should moderate: adopting two or at most three of the five pillars of Islam
if democrats are serious about winning they need to learn from tonight and convert to islam
November 5, 2025 at 3:00 AM
this is an obvious overcorrection that misleads the polling data and will lead to disaster in the Heartland. the results of tonight show that the Democrats should moderate: adopting two or at most three of the five pillars of Islam
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
It doesn’t matter what I think. Also, none of this would ever happen. But if I had a zillion dollars:
1. Run a “we do hard things” campaign across southern and rust belt states. Invest heavily in local, state and regional social infrastructure. Sponser later hours at a library, build a skate park…
1. Run a “we do hard things” campaign across southern and rust belt states. Invest heavily in local, state and regional social infrastructure. Sponser later hours at a library, build a skate park…
If I were to sum up my advice to the Democratic party leadership about how to defeat Trumpism, it would be to set aside policy for now and focus instead on articulating a vision of what American society should look like and what role the US should play in a rapidly changing world today.
November 3, 2025 at 12:46 AM
It doesn’t matter what I think. Also, none of this would ever happen. But if I had a zillion dollars:
1. Run a “we do hard things” campaign across southern and rust belt states. Invest heavily in local, state and regional social infrastructure. Sponser later hours at a library, build a skate park…
1. Run a “we do hard things” campaign across southern and rust belt states. Invest heavily in local, state and regional social infrastructure. Sponser later hours at a library, build a skate park…
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
Here’s where it gets personal for me. When I was 9, I started experiencing suicidal ideation … disinterested in living, and at least some of the time contemplating death and how it might happen … It’s easy to imagine how I would have used programs like these chatbots.
Perry: How can AI be used ethically when it’s been linked to suicide?
"It’s not on us, on you and me, to use AI ethically or responsibly. It’s on the companies to build safe, reliable, ethical products," David M. Perry writes.
www.startribune.com
October 26, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Here’s where it gets personal for me. When I was 9, I started experiencing suicidal ideation … disinterested in living, and at least some of the time contemplating death and how it might happen … It’s easy to imagine how I would have used programs like these chatbots.
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
A few signs from he No Kings rally in CLT…
October 18, 2025 at 3:11 PM
A few signs from he No Kings rally in CLT…
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
LOS ANGELES, CA—Headed now to DTLA to begin today’s coverage of the LA #nokings protests. There are big ones and other auxiliary protests scheduled until well past 6 so I’ll be threading things service permitting to this account all day.
The train has a decent amount of folks w/signs and costumes
The train has a decent amount of folks w/signs and costumes
October 18, 2025 at 7:12 PM
LOS ANGELES, CA—Headed now to DTLA to begin today’s coverage of the LA #nokings protests. There are big ones and other auxiliary protests scheduled until well past 6 so I’ll be threading things service permitting to this account all day.
The train has a decent amount of folks w/signs and costumes
The train has a decent amount of folks w/signs and costumes
Reposted by Michelle Chihara
Giant copy of the Constitution being carried down Pennsylvania Avenue.
October 18, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Giant copy of the Constitution being carried down Pennsylvania Avenue.