Monica Achen
@monicaachen.bsky.social
Editor, project manager, Midwesterner in exile
Reposted by Monica Achen
November 20, 2025 at 2:05 PM
A recurring theme of LOTR is that the initially naive and bumbling hobbits retain their moral core and persist while many of the tough guys fall to self-regard, fear, and despair.
this is an overtly fascist narrative - even the misreading of myth & literature is on brand
October 29, 2025 at 4:38 PM
A recurring theme of LOTR is that the initially naive and bumbling hobbits retain their moral core and persist while many of the tough guys fall to self-regard, fear, and despair.
Reposted by Monica Achen
Every single person who thinks they can manage an interview with Chotiner is one of those 12% of dudes who think they can win a point off of Serena Williams
October 27, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Every single person who thinks they can manage an interview with Chotiner is one of those 12% of dudes who think they can win a point off of Serena Williams
I suspect people have developed unhealthy parasocial relationships with political figures for as long as people and politics have existed.
Substitute anyone or anything for Platner in that first sentence, and it works just as well to describe US politics since 2017. Arguably, the origin story is white backlash to Obama.
platner himself becomes a stand in for a set of grievances and a figure of identification in an elite status game. the question of winning what is certain to be a difficult general election race is not even being discussed.
October 23, 2025 at 1:12 AM
I suspect people have developed unhealthy parasocial relationships with political figures for as long as people and politics have existed.
I've encountered some people in local politics who just could not help but alienate everyone they came in contact with regardless of policy preferences. And I really hope ICE are those people at national scale.
I’ve been at enough NYC protests and marches over the years to feel pretty certain that there was some central decision to police this one with a very light touch. Not for nothing, but I was struck how often the officers telling us to move back to the sidewalk said “please”.
October 19, 2025 at 3:17 AM
I've encountered some people in local politics who just could not help but alienate everyone they came in contact with regardless of policy preferences. And I really hope ICE are those people at national scale.
Reposted by Monica Achen
Well don't I feel stupid
September 26, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Well don't I feel stupid
Reposted by Monica Achen
spiritually and emotionally I am these lions from a 1500s painting
September 24, 2025 at 9:40 PM
spiritually and emotionally I am these lions from a 1500s painting
That photo, lol. It's like a circa 2010 indie band just dropped their latest album, but the album is the 574th centrist consultant start-up.
September 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
That photo, lol. It's like a circa 2010 indie band just dropped their latest album, but the album is the 574th centrist consultant start-up.
Reposted by Monica Achen
The thing about investing in public transit is that it *scales* — the more people use it, the better it gets. For everyone.
Whereas the more cars there are, the *worse* everything about driving gets. Traffic. Parking.
[Ever noticed that in just about every car ad it’s alone on the road? Yeah.]
Whereas the more cars there are, the *worse* everything about driving gets. Traffic. Parking.
[Ever noticed that in just about every car ad it’s alone on the road? Yeah.]
Mamdani: We need to make public transportation so good that “no matter how much money is in your pocket, you say: I’m gonna use this.”
September 7, 2025 at 12:12 AM
The thing about investing in public transit is that it *scales* — the more people use it, the better it gets. For everyone.
Whereas the more cars there are, the *worse* everything about driving gets. Traffic. Parking.
[Ever noticed that in just about every car ad it’s alone on the road? Yeah.]
Whereas the more cars there are, the *worse* everything about driving gets. Traffic. Parking.
[Ever noticed that in just about every car ad it’s alone on the road? Yeah.]
Reposted by Monica Achen
both the professional centrists and professional leftists over-estimate the effect size of ideological positioning relative to other factors influencing vote margin in any given year
September 2, 2025 at 5:22 PM
both the professional centrists and professional leftists over-estimate the effect size of ideological positioning relative to other factors influencing vote margin in any given year
I think "is" was supposed to be "in," but as a city of college towns, "is" works too.
September 2, 2025 at 2:08 AM
I think "is" was supposed to be "in," but as a city of college towns, "is" works too.
Nightswimming, a deeply sentimental but not sacharine song about nostalgia, which is to say memory and loss, which is always also loss of a former self.
September 2, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Nightswimming, a deeply sentimental but not sacharine song about nostalgia, which is to say memory and loss, which is always also loss of a former self.
Reposted by Monica Achen
As a resident of the Great Lakes State and a frequent visitor to said lakes, I regret to inform NYT readers that the lakes are only mediocre and East Coasters should definitely continue exclusively vacationing at their salty, shark-infested beaches.
August 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
As a resident of the Great Lakes State and a frequent visitor to said lakes, I regret to inform NYT readers that the lakes are only mediocre and East Coasters should definitely continue exclusively vacationing at their salty, shark-infested beaches.
Reposted by Monica Achen
lol at this response to a “man on the street” interview with protestors at the Tesla diner
August 1, 2025 at 11:03 PM
lol at this response to a “man on the street” interview with protestors at the Tesla diner
Reposted by Monica Achen
One thing Trump II has made clear to me: we’re all living in @gabelenz.bsky.social's world now.
Most voters don’t choose candidates based on issues. They choose candidates first, then adjust their issue positions to match. press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
h/t @brendannyhan.bsky.social
Most voters don’t choose candidates based on issues. They choose candidates first, then adjust their issue positions to match. press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
h/t @brendannyhan.bsky.social
August 1, 2025 at 2:05 PM
One thing Trump II has made clear to me: we’re all living in @gabelenz.bsky.social's world now.
Most voters don’t choose candidates based on issues. They choose candidates first, then adjust their issue positions to match. press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
h/t @brendannyhan.bsky.social
Most voters don’t choose candidates based on issues. They choose candidates first, then adjust their issue positions to match. press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
h/t @brendannyhan.bsky.social
Reposted by Monica Achen
Most reporting is just not up to the task of registering both that 1) the White House is *attacking* universities *as institutions* 2) the White House is working *with* universities’ boards to achieve *common goals* for remaking and weakening those institutions
Boards of Trustees ***LIKE*** the Trump demands. They ***AGREE*** with them.
They like the idea of putting the screws on activist, lefty, and Muslim students. They like the idea of a whiter student body and conservative curriculum. They want these things and think $200 million is a fair price.
They like the idea of putting the screws on activist, lefty, and Muslim students. They like the idea of a whiter student body and conservative curriculum. They want these things and think $200 million is a fair price.
July 29, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Most reporting is just not up to the task of registering both that 1) the White House is *attacking* universities *as institutions* 2) the White House is working *with* universities’ boards to achieve *common goals* for remaking and weakening those institutions
Reposted by Monica Achen
This is now my favorite political scandal
Records obtained by Votebeat help explain what Maribeth Witzel-Behl was up to when the crisis erupted in her office: a baking staycation.
As ballots sat uncounted, Madison clerk prepped for ‘cookie extravaganza’
Records obtained by Votebeat help explain what Maribeth Witzel-Behl was up to when the crisis erupted in her office: a baking staycation.
bit.ly
July 18, 2025 at 6:57 PM
This is now my favorite political scandal
I'll go so far as to say, if someone is doing a thing to fight back versus literally nothing : Congrats, you've identified the 99.9 percentile who might actually help in any capacity. At all. Please don't alienate them.
I would call myself a professional pessimist and "extremely depressed about the future" but god, please stop going into people's mentions to tell them that the law/courts no longer matter or post "AND YOU'RE SURPRISED???" at them, especially so if they are actively engaged in making the world better
July 12, 2025 at 3:55 AM
I'll go so far as to say, if someone is doing a thing to fight back versus literally nothing : Congrats, you've identified the 99.9 percentile who might actually help in any capacity. At all. Please don't alienate them.
Reposted by Monica Achen
This is utterly unacceptable.
"The Texas county where nearly 100 people were killed and more than 160 remain missing had the technology to turn every cellphone in the river valley into a blaring alarm but local officials did not do so...as river levels rose to record heights...a Washington Post examination found."
Kerr County did not use its most far-reaching alert system in deadly Texas floods
Local officials used the system more than two days after the recorded height of the floods.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 12, 2025 at 1:48 AM
This is utterly unacceptable.
Reposted by Monica Achen
Read this piece on Democrats and immigration with interest. Not my area, but related to foreign policy and natsec in that Dems have a very, very sticky reputation for weakness even though R policies are unpopular. Some scattered thoughts, welcome comments/rxns. 1/ www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/u...
Can Democrats Find Their Way on Immigration?
www.nytimes.com
July 8, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Read this piece on Democrats and immigration with interest. Not my area, but related to foreign policy and natsec in that Dems have a very, very sticky reputation for weakness even though R policies are unpopular. Some scattered thoughts, welcome comments/rxns. 1/ www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/u...
Reposted by Monica Achen
The man who’s pretending that he’s burning down the universities in order to protect Jewish students:
"No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker. And in some cases, shylocks and bad people."
July 4, 2025 at 1:10 AM
The man who’s pretending that he’s burning down the universities in order to protect Jewish students:
Reposted by Monica Achen
20 years ago, I was on a jury in a domestic violence case. Like the Diddy trial, the facts were not much in dispute, only their interpretation. The way the other jurors talked about the survivor's complicity is seared into my mind forever. Today makes me think not enough has changed.
July 2, 2025 at 3:25 PM
20 years ago, I was on a jury in a domestic violence case. Like the Diddy trial, the facts were not much in dispute, only their interpretation. The way the other jurors talked about the survivor's complicity is seared into my mind forever. Today makes me think not enough has changed.
Reposted by Monica Achen
One of the problems of gerontocracy is that your elected officials cannot bring these sorts of athletic skills to the table
A member of Taiwan's parliament stole a bill and ran off with it to prevent it from being passed
June 29, 2025 at 12:47 AM
One of the problems of gerontocracy is that your elected officials cannot bring these sorts of athletic skills to the table
Reposted by Monica Achen
Congratulations, the universe sent you this dog because you have been chosen. Joy awaits. 13/10
June 26, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Congratulations, the universe sent you this dog because you have been chosen. Joy awaits. 13/10
One of my firmest convictions is that hypocritical performances of virtue are underrated.
i much preferred a world where the superpower felt it benefited from “pretending” to be good.
USAID was one of the best things we, America, ever did.
There is not really room for dispute on this unless your moral calculus is so different as to be alien.
There is not really room for dispute on this unless your moral calculus is so different as to be alien.
June 19, 2025 at 1:48 AM
One of my firmest convictions is that hypocritical performances of virtue are underrated.