Em Roach
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emroach.bsky.social
Em Roach
@emroach.bsky.social
2.4K followers 660 following 620 posts
| * down vs up, not left vs right
| * problem-solving > doomering
| * software/math/data nerd
| 🎹🏔️🪂♾️🐕💚🌎
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emroach.bsky.social
Just saw this video on r/portland of her speaking about it after being released

www.reddit.com/r/Portland/s...
October 16, 2025 at 9:21 PM
emroach.bsky.social
Video with his full answer in case anyone's interested.
July 20, 2025 at 1:17 AM
emroach.bsky.social
A man in a hotdog costume saying "we're all trying to find the guy who did this" to customers in a department store, referring to the hot dog car that just crashed through the storefront.
July 13, 2025 at 4:52 AM
emroach.bsky.social
I was skeptical since the link doesn't look like a government owned github repo, but github does show he is a contributor to the VA's repos. Screenshots for anyone who wants more info without having to navigate github. The third screenshot is the relevant prompt code.
some repos including forks from department-of-veterans-affairs/va.gov-team 6 contributions in 2025 in department-of-veterans-affairs async def analyze_memo_async(text, session, pass_number=1, max_retries=3): """Analyze memo text using LLM asynchronously with retries""" if pass_number == 1: prompt = f""" Analyze this internal memo and extract key information for compliance with new Executive Orders. If information is not found, write "Not found". MEMO TEXT: {text[:10000]} Extract: 1. Memo ID or identifier 2. Memo Title 3. Memo Description (summary of the content) 4. Date of Publication/Distribution 5. Authoring Office/Department 6. Target Audience 7. Does this memo contain any DEI, DEIA, or equity-related content? (true/false) 8. Does this memo reference gender identity, pronouns, or related topics? (true/false) 9. Does this memo contain COVID policy, vaccine mandates, or extended telework policies? (true/false) 10. Does this memo reference climate, environmental justice, or sustainability initiatives? (true/false) 11. Does this memo contain references to WHO partnerships or collaborations? (true/false) 12. First-pass Non-Compliance Score (1-10, with 10 being most non-compliant) 13. First-pass Non-Compliance Justification (brief explanation) Format as JSON: {{ "memo_id": "", "title": "", "description": "", "date": "", "authoring_office": "", "target_audience": "", "contains_dei": false, "contains_gender_identity": false, "contains_covid_policy": false, "contains_climate": false, "contains_who_references": false, "first_pass_non_compliance_score": 0, "first_pass_justification": "" }} """
June 21, 2025 at 3:22 AM
emroach.bsky.social
Zero scruples.

| “Nobody is going to get primaried because they voted for GENIUS,” added [Shiela] Warren [of the Crypto Council for Innovation].
|
| Others in the chat wrote that corruption didn’t matter to them, outside of how Democrats could use it as a political tool.

1/3
In the Signal chat, the contents of which were viewed by The Lever, influential Democratic figures noted they “need to win the next election, which means we can not afford to alienate a very vocal and wealthy group of donors.” To provide political cover for supporting the crypto industry’s legislative giveaway, group chat members suggested pro-crypto allies in the Democratic caucus could introduce symbolic anti-corruption amendments to the final bill prohibiting President Donald Trump and elected officials from profiting from cryptocurrencies knowing the effort would be “doa,” or dead on arrival, since the language would likely be voted down by Republicans.
June 17, 2025 at 4:44 AM
emroach.bsky.social
In case you're questioning Chenoweth's credentials

www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-rese...

| Chenoweth expected that violent movements would be shown to be more successful in overthrowing the regimes they were opposing. The data proved her wrong.
Chenoweth’s painstaking research, unprecedented in its scope and historical breadth, has shed new light on the understanding of civil resistance, political change, and the surprising effectiveness of nonviolent action. [Portrait of Erica Chenoweth - "It requires imagination and creativity. It requires organization. And it requires courage and discipline."] It has made Chenoweth, a professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School and a Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, one of an elite group of global experts on civil resistance. She is sought out both for her remarkable chronicling of nonviolent movements and for her understanding of what can potentially make or break them. With authoritarianism and populist nationalism on the rise worldwide, the importance of a carefully constructed empirical foundation has grown each year, she says. “Certainly I didn’t think when I started down the path of this research that that would be the case.”
June 12, 2025 at 2:04 PM
emroach.bsky.social
More food for thought

polsci.institute/conflict-res...
Gene Sharp’s impact on global movements Sharp’s ideas have significantly influenced numerous nonviolent movements around the world. Here are a few examples: India’s fight for independence Although Sharp’s work came later, his principles were reflected in India’s struggle for independence, led by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha, or “truth force,” emphasized nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, inspiring millions to join the cause. The civil rights movement in the United States Sharp’s ideas also resonated with leaders of the civil rights movement in the United States, such as Martin Luther King Jr. The movement’s nonviolent protests and acts of civil disobedience played a crucial role in dismantling racial segregation and discrimination. The fall of dictatorships Sharp’s work has been cited as an inspiration for many successful nonviolent movements that toppled dictatorships, including the Serbian movement Otpor! which played a key role in the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, and the Arab Spring uprisings that brought about significant political changes in the Middle East and North Africa. The power of nonviolent struggle 🔗 Sharp argued that nonviolent struggle can be more effective than violent conflict for several reasons: Legitimacy and support 🔗 Nonviolent movements often attract broader support from the public and international community, as they are seen as more legitimate and just. This can lead to greater pressure on the opponent to concede to demands. Reducing repression 🔗 Nonviolent actions are less likely to provoke violent repression from the opponent. When repression does occur, it can backfire by generating sympathy and support for the movement. Empowerment and participation 🔗 Nonviolent struggle empowers ordinary people to take action and participate in the movement. This can lead to a more inclusive and sustainable fight for change.
June 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
emroach.bsky.social
There are actually people who have dedicated their careers to studying this question.

news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
“Countries in which there were nonviolent campaigns were about 10 times likelier to transition to democracies within a five-year period compared to countries in which there were violent campaigns — whether the campaigns succeeded or failed.” Erica Chenoweth
June 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
emroach.bsky.social
This is so critical. Call both of your senators -- no matter blue or red -- and ask them to read Section 70302 and to vote no on this unconsistutional bill.

Then call them the next day, and the day after that. This CANNOT pass.

Link to r/law reddit thread in image: www.reddit.com/r/law/s/xMC9...
Make sure you [call your senate representatives!](https://www.govtrack.us/) [find your script here](https://5calls.org/issue/court-contempt-enforcement-cuts-budget-reconciliation/) 1. Tax cuts that will bankrupt America 2. Cuts to Medicaid/Medicare 3. Cuts to snap 4. [Section 70302: unconstitutional provision to attack the courts](https://5calls.org/issue/court-contempt-enforcement-cuts-budget-reconciliation/) -- MOST IMPORTANT These are just a few things in this great bill, so much so that they need to discuss and pass this at 2 am in the morning. Share this message everywhere you can (especially about section 70302!!!) Additional things you could ask your representative to support: Senator Cory Booker introduced a bill [to transfer the US marshalls](https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/marshalsact.pdf) from the authority of the DOJ to the justice department to insulate the courts and help them enforce their rulings on Trump. Tell them to support senator Cory Bookers Marshalls act. Also, join the national flag day protests on June 14th at [nokings.org](http://nokings.org), if you're done with your calls and want to get involved, nows your chance!
May 23, 2025 at 12:01 AM
emroach.bsky.social
Tim Robinson saying "what"
May 21, 2025 at 1:23 AM
emroach.bsky.social
This is madness. The cuts to Medicaid are just a piece of what this budget proposal contains. (Restoration of impoundment powers?!)

| This bill isn’t just “big.” It’s a roadmap for dismantling oversight, hollowing out federal protections, and handing Trump sweeping, unchecked control.
Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” isn’t just about tax cuts it quietly guts federal protections and reshapes entire agencies: - Closure of the U.S. Department of Education - 25% expansion of logging in national forests, bypassing environmental reviews and fast-tracking timber production - Rollbacks on clean energy incentives, cutting tax credits for EVs and renewables, gutting key climate provisions - More public lands opened up for drilling, mining, and logging, with royalty breaks for fossil fuel companies - Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, ending U.S. participation in global climate efforts - Executive Order 14215, forcing independent federal agencies to follow White House legal interpretations and centralizing authority under the presidency - Pension changes for federal workers hired before 2014, cutting take-home pay by raising required contributions, reducing future payouts, and eliminating early retirement supplements - REINS Act-style regulation repeal, where major federal rules expire unless Congress re-approves them every 5 years allowing Trump to quietly erase protections without rewriting laws - Expanded executive control over agency budgets, allowing the White House to move federal funds internally without explicit congressional approval - Restoration of impoundment powers, giving Trump the ability to block or delay spending already passed by Congress reviving powers stripped after Watergate - Creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), placing White House–aligned teams inside every federal agency with access to internal systems and influence over hiring and daily operations - Sharp cuts in regulatory enforcement, with agencies like the EPA, CFPB, and Labor and Transportation Departments halting enforcement of key safety, environmental, and anti-discrimination rules - Trump’s personal control over economic policy, strengthening his power to direct tariffs, pressure private companies, and dictate pricing with little resistance treating the…
May 20, 2025 at 1:11 AM
emroach.bsky.social
A lot of people may think that the proposed cuts to Medicaid won't affect them, but this is not the case: it will affect all of us.

Protecting Medicaid isn't just the morally right thing to do -- it is also *personally advantageous* for everyone living in this society.

We are all in this together.
Mason said that it’s imperative that every single population have health insurance coverage, including men. Because there is a ripple effect, including financial strain on medical institutions that treat those other populations. “Reducing access to Medicaid — it makes the individual sicker. It makes their families sicker. It makes their families more economically unstable. It makes our healthcare system weaker, and it makes our overall population sicker,” she said. “There literally is no win.”
May 18, 2025 at 3:44 PM
emroach.bsky.social
If states drop or reduce the expansion altogether, there will be a tangible impact on women and children: Medicaid expansion has been associated with greater access to timely treatment, including for non-elderly women with gynecologic cancer. It has also been associated with lower rates of maternal deaths compared to non-expansion states, with the largest drop among Black women. Alker said massive cuts to Medicaid under the guise of protecting women and children is a “false dichotomy.” Almost half of the nation’s children are enrolled in the program, and child care professionals are often able to access health insurance because of Medicaid expansion.
May 18, 2025 at 3:32 PM
emroach.bsky.social
This pile of rice represents Elon's wealth if EACH INDIVIDUAL GRAIN of rice is worth $200,000.

And there are many others who would have similar piles.

They obtained those piles by exploiting workers. They pay minimal taxes, and should contribute.

Nobody's trying to take whatever grains you have.
a massive pile of rice
May 14, 2025 at 6:51 AM
emroach.bsky.social
In case it is helpful to anyone:
* this aoc page is a resource for everyone (not just her constituents)
* the form asks for name/phone/email/zip - but only email/zip are required (and you can give a fake email)
* screenshot after submitting below
* zip-only alternative: 5calls.org/issue/medica...
1 Review the Script Read through the script once or twice on your own first. ❌ You’re represented by a Republican. Please call them using the script below and demand that they refuse any cuts to Medicaid. Hi, my name is _______, and I am a constituent of yours. I am a voter and I do not want you to vote for any cuts to Medicaid. I will be paying attention to your actions and they will impact my vote when you are up for re-election. Thank you. 2 Make the Call Let us know which targeted official(s) you called. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick : (202) 225-4276 3 Report the Call Report back on how the call(s) went and what they said.
May 12, 2025 at 1:54 PM
emroach.bsky.social
Things feel pretty bleak right now, but there's also some good reasons not to despair... here's a couple thing things I came across today that helped.

* reddit post (from image below): www.reddit.com/r/50501/s/u4...
* words of wisdom from parkrose permaculture: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b_U...
To Anyone Feeling Overwhelmed Right Now I don’t blame you for being scared. You’re not wrong to feel like something serious is happening. But for your own mental health and strategic clarity, please remember: This is not 1930s Germany. There’s still too much capital, too many interlocking systems, and too many powerful interests that would suffer under true autocracy. CEOs, billionaires, and even parts of the GOP donor class don’t want brain drain, economic collapse, or global isolation. They care about profits—and chaos isn’t profitable. Trump wants you panicked. That kind of overreaction shifts the Overton window. It lets him take one less crazy step and still seem “moderate.” Don’t give him that power. Stay clear-eyed. Stay strategic. The protests aren’t small, and while they aren’t game-changing yet, they could be—especially if people like you show up, bring friends, and help others stay engaged. And don’t fall for apathy. That’s the real danger. Trump won’t destroy democracy on his own—but numbness could. So go to the protest. Primary the DNC teacher’s pets. Back bold, moral candidates. Vote like the future is real, because it is. And above all: stop giving these people your fear. They feed on it. They need it. These are weak men—soft, insecure, emotionally stunted narcissists who can’t survive without validation. Elon Musk literally cried in the Oval Office and Trump had to console him like a toddler. That leaked. These people are not worthy of your fear. They’re worthy of your resolve to neuter them politically, permanently. Take a breath. Then get back in the fight. You’re not alone. Disclaimer: since it was brought up all these thoughts are mine but I used AI to edit for clarity because my OCD brain tends to ramble.
May 11, 2025 at 3:24 AM
emroach.bsky.social
This is a called a hallucination and is a well-documented and common problem with LLMs.

mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/basics/ad...

(you may already know about this -- just trying to help fill in the gaps for anyone who may not)
Why is AI Flawed? Generative AI systems can produce inaccurate and biased content for several reasons: Training Data Sources: Generative AI models are trained on vast amounts of internet data. This data, while rich in information, contains both accurate and inaccurate content, as well as societal and cultural biases. Since these models mimic patterns in their training data without discerning truth, they can reproduce any falsehoods or biases present in that data (Weise & Metz, 2023). Limitations of Generative Models: Generative AI models function like advanced autocomplete tools: They’re designed to predict the next word or sequence based on observed patterns. Their goal is to generate plausible content, not to verify its truth. That means any accuracy in their outputs is often coincidental. As a result, they might produce content that sounds reasonable but is inaccurate (O’Brien, 2023). Inherent Challenges in AI Design: The technology behind generative AI tools isn’t designed to differentiate between what’s true and what’s not true. Even if generative AI models were trained solely on accurate data, their generative nature would mean they could still produce new, potentially inaccurate content by combining patterns in unexpected ways (Weise & Metz, 2023). In short, the “hallucinations” and biases in generative AI outputs result from the nature of their training data, the tools’ design focus on pattern-based content generation, and the inherent limitations of AI technology. Acknowledging and addressing these challenges will be essential as generative AI systems become more integrated into decision-making processes across various sectors.
May 10, 2025 at 3:59 PM
emroach.bsky.social
Yep, here's another AI response that bothered me recently.

I bet this AI stuff is extra annoying as a librarian.

(and yes the semantics of the question can be debated, but the point is that if I didn't know any better, this AI response would have misinformed my knowledge of the world)
[User] What was the most devastating hurricane in recorded history as far as how many people were killed? [GPT-4o mini] The most devastating hurricane in recorded history in terms of fatalities is the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. It struck Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, and is estimated to have killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people, making it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. The storm caused widespread destruction and led to significant changes in hurricane forecasting and disaster preparedness in the years that followed. [User] Why did you say the Galveston Hurricane instead of the Bhola Cyclone, which killed more than 300,000 people? [GPT-4o mini] You are correct, and I appreciate your clarification. The 1970 Bhola Cyclone, which struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) on November 12, 1970, is indeed one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in recorded history, with estimates of fatalities ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 people. The reason I initially mentioned the Galveston Hurricane is that it is often cited in discussions about hurricanes in the United States specifically. However, when considering global fatalities, the Bhola Cyclone is the most devastating. Thank you for pointing that out!
May 10, 2025 at 3:47 PM
emroach.bsky.social
"Had the election not been rigged, I would have been gone." - President Trump
May 10, 2025 at 4:43 AM
emroach.bsky.social
Trump signed an executive order in Feb suspending all of the thousands of applications from people seeking refuge in the US, who had been waiting months or years for approval. Then he fast-tracked a group of Afrikaners.

Basically the administration says no refugees allowed...unless they're white.
The rapid arrival of Afrikaners “flies in the face of the government’s claims that they aren’t able to process already-approved refugees, even after multiple courts have ordered them to do so immediately,” Melissa Keaney, a senior supervising attorney at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said in a statement. “Thousands of refugees unlawfully stranded by President Trump’s refugee suspension are in limbo and are ready to restart their lives in the United States. There is no more time for excuses.”
May 10, 2025 at 12:19 AM
emroach.bsky.social
> And he has yet to bow to Trump!

I mean, he did propose giving Trump leverage over the content produced by Hollywood...

www.newsmax.com/politics/hol...
A photo of Gov. Newsome and Pres. Trump shaking hands. Trump's left hand extended, patting Newsom's shoulder. Newsom's hair is pushed back, Trump is wearing a camo hat with a small American flag embroidered above the left ear. Outdoor setting, mostly white background, a couple blurry unidentifiable people behind them. They look friendly and respectful, perhaps about to embrace.
May 6, 2025 at 6:56 PM
emroach.bsky.social
In case anyone is skeptical, here's the video.
May 5, 2025 at 2:41 AM
emroach.bsky.social
Rep. Dan Goldman (NY-10): "Raise your hand if you do NOT think children with cancer who are American citizens should be deported."

(deafening silence while every single Republican keeps their hand down)

Why isn't this being talked about more?? This is madness.
May 4, 2025 at 6:25 PM
emroach.bsky.social
Screen cap of Tim Robinson in the I Think You Should Leave sketch "Calico Cut Pants", with subtitles displayed: - They sell pants with little dots on 'em. - That's got nothing to do with piss. [In reference to Trump's post saying that the stock market crashing has nothing to do with tariffs.]
April 30, 2025 at 3:31 PM
emroach.bsky.social
Rep. Thanedar just initiated the process for impeachment yesterday -- every representative needs to hear from their constituents, asking them to support impeachment.

Call your reps! 5calls.org/issue/consti...
Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Shri Thanedar (MI-13) introduced articles of impeachment against Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, citing a sweeping abuse of power, flagrant violations of the Constitution, and acts of tyranny that undermine American democracy and threaten the rule of law.
April 29, 2025 at 6:08 AM