JEM
@jem808.bsky.social
Interested in the ways that power is effected in society, especially in the context of technology, sports, and elections
Reposted by JEM
“…one of the most difficult aspects of an active surveillance state is navigating the information about ourselves — and our neighbors — that we give up of our own free will.”
ICE Raids Rely on a Surveillance State. Does Filming Them Make It Worse?
The aggressive crackdown of ICE raids have turned the average American street into a battlefield, increasing our reliance on the surveillance state.
www.rollingstone.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“…one of the most difficult aspects of an active surveillance state is navigating the information about ourselves — and our neighbors — that we give up of our own free will.”
Reposted by JEM
Arizona, the model for voucher programs across the country, spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it faced hundreds of millions in budget cuts to critical state programs and projects last year.
(Published July 2024)
(Published July 2024)
School Vouchers Were Supposed to Save Taxpayer Money. Instead They Blew a Massive Hole in Arizona’s Budget.
Arizona, the model for voucher programs across the country, has spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it’s now facing hundreds of millions in budget cuts to critical state program...
www.propublica.org
December 16, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Arizona, the model for voucher programs across the country, spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it faced hundreds of millions in budget cuts to critical state programs and projects last year.
(Published July 2024)
(Published July 2024)
Reposted by JEM
The White House’s insistence on using Sabrina Carpenter’s work and image to promote their crimes against humanity is also them appealing to their base, which already uses technology to try and humiliate and puppeteer the likenesses of women who have autonomy, success, and visibility in public
December 6, 2025 at 4:37 AM
The White House’s insistence on using Sabrina Carpenter’s work and image to promote their crimes against humanity is also them appealing to their base, which already uses technology to try and humiliate and puppeteer the likenesses of women who have autonomy, success, and visibility in public
Reposted by JEM
Louis C.K. is not a *cancelled performer.* He’s a sexual predator who blacklisted dozens of talented artists & women if they didn’t submit to his sexual harassment & assaults. He’s notorious in the industry for his despicable behavior & this redemptive framing sucks @newyorker.com
When a cancelled performer reënters the culture, we expect them to offer us a great work, channelling their newfound clarity into the finest art they’ve ever made. With his new comedy show and début novel, has Louis C.K. met the bar?
www.newyorker.com/culture/crit...
www.newyorker.com/culture/crit...
Louis C.K.’s Next Chapter
In a new standup special, and a début novel, the comedian navigates murky, post-#MeToo terrain: not quite exiled, not quite welcomed back.
www.newyorker.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Louis C.K. is not a *cancelled performer.* He’s a sexual predator who blacklisted dozens of talented artists & women if they didn’t submit to his sexual harassment & assaults. He’s notorious in the industry for his despicable behavior & this redemptive framing sucks @newyorker.com
Reposted by JEM
Being among the first interrogated and ultimately fired by DOGE, I certainly felt we were facing the business end of a right-wing conspiracy theory 🧵
DOGE was not a money-saving effort. It was an effort to chase down and prove right-wing conspiracy theories. They went after USAID to prove conspiracy theories about foreign aid. Then they went after SSA to, again, pursue conspiracy theories about Dems paying "illegals" to vote. 1/2
All DOGE accomplished was purging critical government staff, handing private data to outsiders, and sentencing thousands in developing countries to death by gutting USAID.
I don’t say this lightly: if there were any justice in this world, the people responsible for this devastation would be in jail
I don’t say this lightly: if there were any justice in this world, the people responsible for this devastation would be in jail
November 26, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Being among the first interrogated and ultimately fired by DOGE, I certainly felt we were facing the business end of a right-wing conspiracy theory 🧵
Reposted by JEM
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
November 22, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
Reposted by JEM
The comparison isn’t perfect but I kind of think Olivia Nuzzi is to journalism what Jake Paul is to boxing. Influencer culture usurping institutions and turning outrage and negative engagement into maximum clicks and therefore value, plus it flatters elite interests
November 17, 2025 at 6:39 PM
The comparison isn’t perfect but I kind of think Olivia Nuzzi is to journalism what Jake Paul is to boxing. Influencer culture usurping institutions and turning outrage and negative engagement into maximum clicks and therefore value, plus it flatters elite interests
Reposted by JEM
Peter Coviello isn't on Bluesky, but this definitely should be: lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Peter Coviello isn't on Bluesky, but this definitely should be: lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Reposted by JEM
A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women
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🧵
November 6, 2025 at 8:43 PM
A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women
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🧵
Reposted by JEM
OK. Let's fucking go. Kat next.
November 5, 2025 at 2:33 AM
OK. Let's fucking go. Kat next.
Reposted by JEM
I am no longer employed so I'm not blogging Zohran tonight but I can just repeat exactly what I said in June :-)
he won on the back of a pro-migrant, pro-trans, pro-working class campaign. and also: Dem pundits are full of shit
he won on the back of a pro-migrant, pro-trans, pro-working class campaign. and also: Dem pundits are full of shit
The Democratic Party Needs to Learn from Zohran Mamdani's Guts and Backbone
Zohran Mamdani did something different, and it made all the difference.
www.teenvogue.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:29 AM
I am no longer employed so I'm not blogging Zohran tonight but I can just repeat exactly what I said in June :-)
he won on the back of a pro-migrant, pro-trans, pro-working class campaign. and also: Dem pundits are full of shit
he won on the back of a pro-migrant, pro-trans, pro-working class campaign. and also: Dem pundits are full of shit
Reposted by JEM
i closed out my column this week with this preemptive jab at basically every commentator currently looking for ways to say that last night didn’t count
November 5, 2025 at 3:21 PM
i closed out my column this week with this preemptive jab at basically every commentator currently looking for ways to say that last night didn’t count
Reposted by JEM
This NYT story about how Mamdani dealt with the opposition by the city's elites fails to mention one particular elite institution: The NYT editorial page, which last June railed against him as "uniquely unsuited to the city’s challenges... lacks political savvy"
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
1/
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
1/
How Zohran Mamdani Beat Back New York’s Elite and Was Elected Mayor
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:16 PM
This NYT story about how Mamdani dealt with the opposition by the city's elites fails to mention one particular elite institution: The NYT editorial page, which last June railed against him as "uniquely unsuited to the city’s challenges... lacks political savvy"
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
1/
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
1/
Reposted by JEM
Stepping in here to defend Ann’s statement, which I’ve now seen framed this way by several technologists.
Ann is an author.
Her context is about usability, not technical capacity. On the merits of her context, she is correct.
Technical specificity does not change her conclusions.
Ann is an author.
Her context is about usability, not technical capacity. On the merits of her context, she is correct.
Technical specificity does not change her conclusions.
This is one of the most-shared posts on Bluesky in the past day and it's just completely false. You might think ChatGPT is a *bad* search engine, or prefer another search engine. But it has had integrated web search since last year.
May 1, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Stepping in here to defend Ann’s statement, which I’ve now seen framed this way by several technologists.
Ann is an author.
Her context is about usability, not technical capacity. On the merits of her context, she is correct.
Technical specificity does not change her conclusions.
Ann is an author.
Her context is about usability, not technical capacity. On the merits of her context, she is correct.
Technical specificity does not change her conclusions.
Reposted by JEM
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 JEM
Today's winner of the "Please STFU" Award is Kat Abughazaleh.
She was right to hang up! Don't talk about the facts of your federal indictment on a podcast! Or anywhere except your lawyer's office!
Sincerely,
Every Lawyer, Literally All Of Us, Heed Our Counsel And Shut The Fuck Up
She was right to hang up! Don't talk about the facts of your federal indictment on a podcast! Or anywhere except your lawyer's office!
Sincerely,
Every Lawyer, Literally All Of Us, Heed Our Counsel And Shut The Fuck Up
October 30, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Today's winner of the "Please STFU" Award is Kat Abughazaleh.
She was right to hang up! Don't talk about the facts of your federal indictment on a podcast! Or anywhere except your lawyer's office!
Sincerely,
Every Lawyer, Literally All Of Us, Heed Our Counsel And Shut The Fuck Up
She was right to hang up! Don't talk about the facts of your federal indictment on a podcast! Or anywhere except your lawyer's office!
Sincerely,
Every Lawyer, Literally All Of Us, Heed Our Counsel And Shut The Fuck Up
Very helpful, putting Lakoff into practice
i made a helpful reference
October 27, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Very helpful, putting Lakoff into practice
Reposted by JEM
While this federal administration has been busy empowering ICE to become, essentially, an extrajudicial militia allowed to disappear people from our streets, the Bay has been organizing. We will not be beaten down.
What We Can Do About ICE
ICE is in the Bay Area. And yes, we can all do something about it.
www.coyotemedia.org
October 22, 2025 at 10:12 PM
While this federal administration has been busy empowering ICE to become, essentially, an extrajudicial militia allowed to disappear people from our streets, the Bay has been organizing. We will not be beaten down.
Reposted by JEM
Cops led us into the street as the new “protest zone” and then beat us repeatedly.
Got hit in the face with a baton. Leaving to pick up my friends who were arrested.
Stay safe out there.
Got hit in the face with a baton. Leaving to pick up my friends who were arrested.
Stay safe out there.
October 17, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Cops led us into the street as the new “protest zone” and then beat us repeatedly.
Got hit in the face with a baton. Leaving to pick up my friends who were arrested.
Stay safe out there.
Got hit in the face with a baton. Leaving to pick up my friends who were arrested.
Stay safe out there.
Reposted by JEM
we’ll see how his mayoral tenure shakes out but i am convinced that Mamdani has the juice. not just the charisma to win an election but the temperament to govern and the measured pragmatism of someone who genuinely believes what they’re saying and wants to accomplish real things.
Inside the Improbable, Audacious and (So Far) Unstoppable Rise of Zohran Mamdani
www.nytimes.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:50 PM
we’ll see how his mayoral tenure shakes out but i am convinced that Mamdani has the juice. not just the charisma to win an election but the temperament to govern and the measured pragmatism of someone who genuinely believes what they’re saying and wants to accomplish real things.
Reposted by JEM
This is some of the best political news I've seen in a very long time.
There's a clear a way to end the Citizens United precedent by changing state incorporation laws - and now luminaries in both parties are forcing a vote on it in the 2026 election.
There's a clear a way to end the Citizens United precedent by changing state incorporation laws - and now luminaries in both parties are forcing a vote on it in the 2026 election.
October 13, 2025 at 6:50 PM
This is some of the best political news I've seen in a very long time.
There's a clear a way to end the Citizens United precedent by changing state incorporation laws - and now luminaries in both parties are forcing a vote on it in the 2026 election.
There's a clear a way to end the Citizens United precedent by changing state incorporation laws - and now luminaries in both parties are forcing a vote on it in the 2026 election.
Reposted by JEM
you'd think a prominent news outlet like the New York Times might mention that "antifa" isn't an actual organization in a long story about antifa, but nope!
and the subhead helps props up a false claim this professor was up to something seedy as something up for debate
and the subhead helps props up a false claim this professor was up to something seedy as something up for debate
October 9, 2025 at 2:32 PM
you'd think a prominent news outlet like the New York Times might mention that "antifa" isn't an actual organization in a long story about antifa, but nope!
and the subhead helps props up a false claim this professor was up to something seedy as something up for debate
and the subhead helps props up a false claim this professor was up to something seedy as something up for debate
Reposted by JEM
We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly
Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy.
Some thoughts from my new piece:
🧵
Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy.
Some thoughts from my new piece:
🧵
We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly
Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy
steady.page
October 9, 2025 at 1:13 PM
We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly
Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy.
Some thoughts from my new piece:
🧵
Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy.
Some thoughts from my new piece:
🧵
What a story!
And fin: bsky.app/profile/kash...
We finally landed and Dan and I caught a cab to Manhattan together. Making social media social again!
October 9, 2025 at 1:38 AM
What a story!
Reposted by JEM
There is a gulf in America. I submit it is the gulf between good and evil, or at least not-evil and evil.
The gulf is not just between people who oppose this and people who are indifferent to it or reluctantly accept it in support of immigration policy or see it as collateral damage.
/1
The gulf is not just between people who oppose this and people who are indifferent to it or reluctantly accept it in support of immigration policy or see it as collateral damage.
/1
This raid is disgusting, abominable behavior, traumatizing children and families in their homes.
abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...
abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...
October 2, 2025 at 6:59 PM
There is a gulf in America. I submit it is the gulf between good and evil, or at least not-evil and evil.
The gulf is not just between people who oppose this and people who are indifferent to it or reluctantly accept it in support of immigration policy or see it as collateral damage.
/1
The gulf is not just between people who oppose this and people who are indifferent to it or reluctantly accept it in support of immigration policy or see it as collateral damage.
/1