Melanie
@quantumblue.bsky.social
Software engineer.
Knowledge enthusiast.
she/her 🏳️⚧️
Knowledge enthusiast.
she/her 🏳️⚧️
Reposted by Melanie
This right here, this exact sentence, is THE problem in American political journalism.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
November 1, 2025 at 12:13 PM
This right here, this exact sentence, is THE problem in American political journalism.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
Oh yes!!!
"New Far Side comics" was definitely not on my bingo card for this week. They're not bad!
www.thefarside.com/new-stuff/
www.thefarside.com/new-stuff/
October 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Oh yes!!!
Reposted by Melanie
I genuinely think one thing that trips up folks on the left is that they can't imagine not sharing certain core values. Lemme explain. Here's an intuition pump:
Say you're in negotiations with counterparty X. And there are two possible deals on the table ...
Say you're in negotiations with counterparty X. And there are two possible deals on the table ...
August 28, 2025 at 7:20 PM
I genuinely think one thing that trips up folks on the left is that they can't imagine not sharing certain core values. Lemme explain. Here's an intuition pump:
Say you're in negotiations with counterparty X. And there are two possible deals on the table ...
Say you're in negotiations with counterparty X. And there are two possible deals on the table ...
Reposted by Melanie
Ex-farm worker here.
We need to talk about this whole "But a living wage for farm workers would spike the cost of food!" thing.
Not true AT ALL.
Y'all don't understand how fast experienced farm workers are.
The average tomato picker pulls 650lbs per hour.
At $20/hr, that's $0.03/lb for labor.
We need to talk about this whole "But a living wage for farm workers would spike the cost of food!" thing.
Not true AT ALL.
Y'all don't understand how fast experienced farm workers are.
The average tomato picker pulls 650lbs per hour.
At $20/hr, that's $0.03/lb for labor.
July 13, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Ex-farm worker here.
We need to talk about this whole "But a living wage for farm workers would spike the cost of food!" thing.
Not true AT ALL.
Y'all don't understand how fast experienced farm workers are.
The average tomato picker pulls 650lbs per hour.
At $20/hr, that's $0.03/lb for labor.
We need to talk about this whole "But a living wage for farm workers would spike the cost of food!" thing.
Not true AT ALL.
Y'all don't understand how fast experienced farm workers are.
The average tomato picker pulls 650lbs per hour.
At $20/hr, that's $0.03/lb for labor.
Reposted by Melanie
One reason Trump says & does whatever he wants is because every societal institution, including the media, has completely normalized & internalized the idea that the laws, the Constitution, & the international treaties we have signed & ratified simply don’t apply to this one guy. It’s maddening.
July 5, 2025 at 4:40 AM
One reason Trump says & does whatever he wants is because every societal institution, including the media, has completely normalized & internalized the idea that the laws, the Constitution, & the international treaties we have signed & ratified simply don’t apply to this one guy. It’s maddening.
Reposted by Melanie
@amsickofpollies.bsky.social - thanks for spotting this.
I reformatted it and also have a four-up PDF if anyone wants it.
I reformatted it and also have a four-up PDF if anyone wants it.
July 6, 2025 at 5:20 AM
@amsickofpollies.bsky.social - thanks for spotting this.
I reformatted it and also have a four-up PDF if anyone wants it.
I reformatted it and also have a four-up PDF if anyone wants it.
Reposted by Melanie
I've been thinking about why so many prefer conspiracy thinking to systems thinking, how MAGA turned systems theory like CRT into a conspiracy, and how conspiracies like these are making the leap from campaign to official policy.
So Long Systems, Come on Conspiracies
MAGA campaign conspiracies are becoming federal and state policy
nobody-wants-this.ghost.io
June 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I've been thinking about why so many prefer conspiracy thinking to systems thinking, how MAGA turned systems theory like CRT into a conspiracy, and how conspiracies like these are making the leap from campaign to official policy.
I'm hoping that "Trump cease fire" gets picked up as slang for a situation where a leader completely misunderstands and misjudges a situation.
June 25, 2025 at 2:15 AM
I'm hoping that "Trump cease fire" gets picked up as slang for a situation where a leader completely misunderstands and misjudges a situation.
Reposted by Melanie
In a more serious country, unilaterally withdrawing from the JCPOA would have immediately ended Trump's first presidency & destroyed the GOP's reputation on national security policy for a generation 🧐
June 16, 2025 at 2:57 PM
In a more serious country, unilaterally withdrawing from the JCPOA would have immediately ended Trump's first presidency & destroyed the GOP's reputation on national security policy for a generation 🧐
Reposted by Melanie
the thing about this is that these guys don’t actually want blunt talk; blunt talk would be things like “you’re a sexist and a bigot whose contributions to culture have been overwhelmingly negative, and you frequently respond to mild criticism like a child”
On the radio, and on this video, we talk with Dave Portnoy about his tilt to the right, and what if anything Democrats could do to win the votes of men like him.
June 9, 2025 at 4:31 PM
the thing about this is that these guys don’t actually want blunt talk; blunt talk would be things like “you’re a sexist and a bigot whose contributions to culture have been overwhelmingly negative, and you frequently respond to mild criticism like a child”
Reposted by Melanie
Just out! Our peer-reviewed critique of the Cass Review has been published by BMC Medical Research Methodology. Please read and share. We show that the Cass Review is fatally flawed and should not be the basis for policy or practice in transgender healthcare.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
May 10, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Just out! Our peer-reviewed critique of the Cass Review has been published by BMC Medical Research Methodology. Please read and share. We show that the Cass Review is fatally flawed and should not be the basis for policy or practice in transgender healthcare.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Melanie
1) Medical transition is one of the most remarkable advancements of modern science.
It saves lives, improves mental health, and helps people live as themselves.
But we almost never talk about it that way. Let’s fix that. 🧵
It saves lives, improves mental health, and helps people live as themselves.
But we almost never talk about it that way. Let’s fix that. 🧵
April 24, 2025 at 10:07 PM
1) Medical transition is one of the most remarkable advancements of modern science.
It saves lives, improves mental health, and helps people live as themselves.
But we almost never talk about it that way. Let’s fix that. 🧵
It saves lives, improves mental health, and helps people live as themselves.
But we almost never talk about it that way. Let’s fix that. 🧵
Reposted by Melanie
Over the past several months, I’ve spent many hours in conversations with people who have experienced firsthand a flip from democracy to dictatorship.🧵
April 22, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Over the past several months, I’ve spent many hours in conversations with people who have experienced firsthand a flip from democracy to dictatorship.🧵
Reposted by Melanie
The land grant university system, the research university innovation engine, the national lab system, America perfected these. They are as American as apple pie. We don’t have a king. These are America’s Crown Jewels.
April 19, 2025 at 11:28 PM
The land grant university system, the research university innovation engine, the national lab system, America perfected these. They are as American as apple pie. We don’t have a king. These are America’s Crown Jewels.
Reposted by Melanie
Americans succeeded at creating a social material environment of (relative) safety but failed to produce a learning environment that would successfully communicate the reasons to maintain an environment of safety after the normal harms of the world passed out of common memory
Snark aside, I'm honestly baffled. I know I show my naïveté daily, but aren't even most rich, powerful people concerned about food safety? Seems like you'd have to be Zuck or Bezos rich to be safe(ish). Not state politician or large landowner rich. Don't these folks buy groceries like everyone else?
I guess GenX trained for this, at least
April 19, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Americans succeeded at creating a social material environment of (relative) safety but failed to produce a learning environment that would successfully communicate the reasons to maintain an environment of safety after the normal harms of the world passed out of common memory
With the cuts to science research, health research, and damage to the economy, will future historians refer to the time in the US as "The Great Leap Backwards"
April 9, 2025 at 9:14 PM
With the cuts to science research, health research, and damage to the economy, will future historians refer to the time in the US as "The Great Leap Backwards"
Reposted by Melanie
Democratic leaders act like time travelers afraid to do anything that might change the future
April 7, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Democratic leaders act like time travelers afraid to do anything that might change the future
Reposted by Melanie
People don't seem to understand that the existence of fair laws and open courts perceived as just, and the end of vigilante justice/violence as dispute resolution aren't independent and coincidental occurrences.
Don’t torch Teslas, don’t yell at officials in unofficial places (restaurants, airports, homes, etc), be civil — any stance along those lines is an appeal to democracy and rule of law.
That social contract is broken. No one’s immune from the consequences.
Not an endorsement. A what-did-you-expect.
That social contract is broken. No one’s immune from the consequences.
Not an endorsement. A what-did-you-expect.
March 19, 2025 at 1:11 PM
People don't seem to understand that the existence of fair laws and open courts perceived as just, and the end of vigilante justice/violence as dispute resolution aren't independent and coincidental occurrences.
Reposted by Melanie
Trump's war on universities isn't about antisemitism, it's about power.
My latest newsletter:
paulwaldman.substack.com/p/the-real-g...
My latest newsletter:
paulwaldman.substack.com/p/the-real-g...
The Real Goal of Trump's War on Universities
It isn't about stopping antisemitism. It's about power.
paulwaldman.substack.com
March 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Trump's war on universities isn't about antisemitism, it's about power.
My latest newsletter:
paulwaldman.substack.com/p/the-real-g...
My latest newsletter:
paulwaldman.substack.com/p/the-real-g...
Reposted by Melanie
It is always interesting to me how people never seem to demand evidence that cruelty will be good for "the economy" but no matter how.many studies of kinder things like UBI or housing first we do those who talk about "the economy" refuse to believe they are beneficial.
March 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
It is always interesting to me how people never seem to demand evidence that cruelty will be good for "the economy" but no matter how.many studies of kinder things like UBI or housing first we do those who talk about "the economy" refuse to believe they are beneficial.
Reposted by Melanie
less than five hundred years ago even the most powerful monarch was at the mercy of childhood disease and weather. now we can do literal concrete things about both and are in fact actively choosing to die of childhood disease and weather
March 12, 2025 at 3:17 AM
less than five hundred years ago even the most powerful monarch was at the mercy of childhood disease and weather. now we can do literal concrete things about both and are in fact actively choosing to die of childhood disease and weather
Reposted by Melanie
Critical messaging for Dems if they're being forced into a shutdown. Undo the cuts to Social Security, VA health care, cancer care research. Put the DOGE boys into a boxes w chaperones if the Republican want help. NEED TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR about what's at stake immediately in peoples lives.
March 11, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Critical messaging for Dems if they're being forced into a shutdown. Undo the cuts to Social Security, VA health care, cancer care research. Put the DOGE boys into a boxes w chaperones if the Republican want help. NEED TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR about what's at stake immediately in peoples lives.
@durbin.senate.gov @duckworth.senate.gov Trump and Musk are shutting down the government already. Vote NO on the Republican CR!!!
March 11, 2025 at 5:20 PM
@durbin.senate.gov @duckworth.senate.gov Trump and Musk are shutting down the government already. Vote NO on the Republican CR!!!
Reposted by Melanie
There was a lot of #AcademicFreedom, good scholarship, and independent thought in German universities before Hitler. After Hitler had risen to power, many academics fled the country. Some resisted the Nazi regime and were persecuted. Most adapted to a new situation. Here are some examples. 1/n
January 20, 2025 at 5:26 AM
There was a lot of #AcademicFreedom, good scholarship, and independent thought in German universities before Hitler. After Hitler had risen to power, many academics fled the country. Some resisted the Nazi regime and were persecuted. Most adapted to a new situation. Here are some examples. 1/n
Reposted by Melanie
finally wrote the thing. there's been a lot of doom on here lately--a lot of confusion as to why we haven't simply kicked the bums out. that's not going to happen tomorrow. but it will happen eventually. this is how:
www.liberalcurrents.com/roadmap-to-a...
www.liberalcurrents.com/roadmap-to-a...
Roadmap to American Reconstruction
A roadmap for retaking power and laying the foundations for American Reconstruction.
www.liberalcurrents.com
March 7, 2025 at 3:33 PM
finally wrote the thing. there's been a lot of doom on here lately--a lot of confusion as to why we haven't simply kicked the bums out. that's not going to happen tomorrow. but it will happen eventually. this is how:
www.liberalcurrents.com/roadmap-to-a...
www.liberalcurrents.com/roadmap-to-a...