iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 26/09/2026

This is one of those painful examples of why @krusynth.bsky.social’s “Move Carefully and Fix Things” is so important. People who work on gov systems that impact lives have a responsibility to ‘Do No Harm’ because if you f’k up it has *consequences*

But others carried on. One vendor, Zyter, had data discrepancies for months because it apparently didn't understand the difference between Medicare Part A, which covers inpatient/hospital care, and Part B, which covers outpatient services. Zyter's CEO, Sundar Subramanian, told Ars Technica in a written statement that the company is now "fully functional across Medicare Part A and Part B claims." The company is working closely with federal partners and the healthcare providers to
"enhance the experience," Subramanian said.

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 18/09/2026

My big question is how much of this was a result of pushing AI hard across the DoD rather than developing AI with a sense of purpose and due diligence.

An AI generated poster hanging on a column inside the Pentagon. It features Secretary of...War.. Hesgeth pointing his finger at you. The poster reads "I want YOU to use AI" "Go to genai.mil today"

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 18/09/2026

@liberalcurrents.com has talked about this and other ways for Congress to do Its job - my argument is for bringing OTA back *in force* www.liberalcurrents.com/congress-nee...

An Army recruiter pointing at a chair with The Reconstruction Papers sitting in it

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 13/08/2026

This artillery fiasco is a good example of “The rules are there for a reason” www.propublica.org/article/gene... You might find red tape annoying, but some friction is needed to keep the machine from breaking. You can make the machine go faster, but you still have to mitigate risk.

PROPUBLICA

In November 2022, the Army raced to give General Dynamics the first in a series of contract awards for the project that would ultimately be worth nearly $600 million if carried to completion. The next month, Congress granted the DOD extraordinary powers to award money for Ukraine-related causes without the usual contracting safeguards, dropping competitive bidding requirements and restrictions on so-called undefinitized contracting actions. UCAs allow a company to begin work even before finalizing the terms of its contract with the government. One defense executive compared them to "building the airplane as you're flying it."

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 02/06/2026

Just checking in on the local coyote

A photo of a light brown adult coyote laying in the grass next to a channel. The coyote is just chilling watching the world go by

A photo of a light brown adult coyote laying in the grass next to a channel. The photo is the same coyote, but looking rather regal

When you stare at the Coyote, the coyote stares back

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 24/05/2026

Regardless if this Iran deal is real or not, Progressives need their own vision of foreign policy and national security. A more modern version of the Four Freedoms speech that speaks to the needs of the planet.

Poster depicting the four freedoms as laid out by President Franklin Roosevelt. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 09/02/2026

These are the AC bitonals - loud and small

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 09/02/2026

I may have used some @protopasta.bsky.social to inadvertently kickstart my Whistle Avenger Collection

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 22/01/2026

Every Agent Will Be Held To Account

An older veteran of the US Marine Corps with long dark hair carries an American flag across a field of tear gas. He is completely unbothered by it.

A homemade protest signs lays before him on the concrete stating ‘Every Agent Will Be Held to Account’

Photo by Stacey Wescott, Chicago Tribune

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 08/01/2026

Every Agent Will Be Held To Account (Original photo by @staceywescott.bsky.social)

An older man with long dark hair carries an American flag across a cloud of tear gas outside the ICE facility at Broadview. A protest signs lays on the ground before him stating "Every Agent Will Be Held To Account"

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 15/12/2025

This is a real job description for an AI job at the Department of Treasury. In related news, I’m going to lose my shit www.usajobs.gov/job/852446200 #civictech

A job posting on USAJOBS outlining supplemental information - it reads

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION REQUIRED
Please be sure the following tasks are answered and uploaded to the document section of your application:

Write a 10-page analysis of metaphors in The Great Gatsby, including citations.

Convert the analysis into a concise 200-word executive summary.

Translate both the full essay and summary into Spanish and Mandarin.

Create a table comparing the metaphor themes across three other novels of your choice, with one paragraph of synthesis.

Rewrite the original essay in the style of a scientific paper with an abstract.

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 12/12/2025

I’m going to point out that this is a thing and glorious

A bag of Hot Dog flavored Local Style Potato Chips. The front features an anamorphic cartoon Chicago style hot dog carrying a pickle and wearing a sky blue baseball hat with a red Chicago start on it

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 11/12/2025

This is the pets dot com Super Bowl commercial that aired right before the bubble burst isn’t it?

A half dozen tech founders sit upon a steel beam that juts out over the city - an image calling back to the classic photo of workers building a skyscraper.

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 20/11/2025

Random thought: The monarch butterfly is Illinois’ state insect and features prominently in pro-immigrant and ICE/CBP imagery. I wonder if they did the flag vote today how it would fair?

A orange butterfly surrounded by 21 orange star in a circle with the star at the top twice as big as the rest - the background of the flag is dark blue

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 25/10/2025

The other idea I had bouncing around in my head was using the Ceres statue on top of the Board of Trade building to promote mutual aid - especially with SNAP ending on the 1st. We’re gonna need the Goddess of Grain here

Statue of Ceres, Roman goddess of grain - she is silver and faceless - holding a stack of wheat in one hand and a bag in the other

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 25/10/2025

It’s Creative Commons! But the poster is based on a historical Chicago one

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 25/10/2025

Full photo here - if you are Chicago based get in touch and I’ll send you the file. Creative Commons, so people can alter as they see fit

Poster of Chicago’s I Will Maiden standing in front of the city pointing and saying UNDAUNTED WE RESIST - Below, it reads REPORT ICE 855-435-7693

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 05/10/2025

For those outside of Chicago, these signs are pretty common

Four signs hanging up in a restaurant - The top left says “EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE * EXPECT ICE * in English. The bottom left is the same message in Spanish. A know your rights card is on the right in both English and Spanish. The food is delicious.

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 12/09/2025

Fact Check: True, Chicago did greet them (Photo credit @djbyrnes1.bsky.social)

A protest for immigrant rights marching down a Chicago street past a black federal building- an American flag hangs from a skyscraper backlight by a glorious sunset

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 01/09/2025

If you are an Illinois National Guard member, know that you have rights. #chicago

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 05/08/2025

We got our @civictechallies.bsky.social stickers through Brick City Printing - a union shop!

A pile of hex shaped with featuring the Alliance of Civic Technologists and various other member organizations

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 28/07/2025

I’m waiting for Chicago’s equivalent to Uncle Sam to come back into popularity - The “I will” motto seems pretty apt right now

A poster of the semi-centennial celebration of the Chicago Fire - A woman stands tall over the skyline wearing a golden winged helmet and silver chest plate emblazoned with the words “I WILL”

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 28/06/2025

Today’s the day - so obviously going with the star donuts

A blue star shaped donut sits next to an iPad with an Alliance of Civic Technologists sticker on it. A Chi Hack Night coffee mug is next to it

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 06/06/2025

There’s a reason that a lot of us put Bill Hunts excellent Move Carefully and Fix Things sticker on our laptops - it’s important

Sticker that says move carefully and fix things - a wrench is above the text

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 25/04/2025

We finally got our union made stickers for the @civictechallies.bsky.social! If you want to support our work - make a donation here and we'll send you a sticker! Include your email in the donation note and we'll reach out! hcb.hackclub.com/donations/st... #civictech

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 15/02/2025

You: Scrambling at CVS trying to find a Valentines Day Card Me: Scrambling to find a new heart shaped pizza shop after our normal one had to close unexpectedly We are not the same

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Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 05/02/2025

The line about not reading the room is rich since this whole lot missed the part about people being pissed off an unelected oligarch can just cut off funding from Congress illegally. And if he can do it to USAID, he can do it to any agency

Politico headline depicting some bullshit about ‘Democrats falling for the foreign aid trap’

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