iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Donation impact inflation is out of control (also, is Nebraska getting nuked here?)

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

No links in this email, which makes me wonder what the scam here is.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The advanced find-and-replace sub-menu that implements regular expression based search, so you can do things like find all phone numbers or dates in a document.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yessir: thescoop.org/political-em...

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Well, that's probably not the best way to do it.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

A recent fundraising email from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, running for governor of Alabama:

This is part of the Radical Left’s plan to destroy America as we know it.

This is the woke mind virus, and it is time that we put an end to it. I am calling for a return to normal. We need to label transgenderism as a mental illness and put these folks in a mental institution. They do not belong in NORMAL SOCIETY.

FIGHT THE TRANS MOVEMENT
$5 FOR COMMON SENSE >>

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Congressional Democrats have issued more policy-oriented press releases than their Republican colleagues in the past, but the two parts are basically equal in the current congress, with about a third being functional:

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Doing a little topic modeling of my congressional press release dataset, thanks to @haphazardsoc.bsky.social's topica:

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Sung to the tune of Mission of Burma's "This is not a photograph":

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I've started adding more detail to my collection of political fundraising emails, including the ability to see how many emails I have from specific committees/senders: thescoop.org/political-em...

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

New fundraising email from Never Surrender, the Trump PAC, started showing up this week:

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Imagine the pride resulting from drafting this:

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Show me the cover of an album that, to you, is so good, so perfect, you can’t even believe it was made by mortal humans on earth. Very few things have ordered my identity as this magnificent double-album has.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Unaffiliated voters are very close to surpassing registered Republicans in Maryland for the first time. A less than 9k gap at the end of August.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Happy Annual Fire Safety Report Publication Day! Today, UMD put out its annual listing of the ways that mostly students unintentionally caused fires on campus in the previous year. essr.umd.edu/sites/defaul...

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Credit to the Diamondback's football writer for this characterization of the book of Job: dbknews.com/2026/09/28/m...

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Sure, you know about the deep state, but do you know about the "deep regime"?

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

"Ok, our new AI writing app is almost ready to go. Sure, we spelled 'Hemingway' wrong, but at least we captured some of the bleakness in the slogan, right?"

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

A sampling of the past 24 hours of political fundraising emails that mention data centers: thescoop.org/political-em...

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Front page of today’s NYT. I liked this story better when @gillianbrockell.com did it and it sucks that the NYT cannot bring itself to recognize when other journalists do good work first.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

What is this Katie Britt fundraising email about? Wrong answers only.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

First half of that @terpswbb.bsky.social Big Ten schedule is no joke!

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Latest email from Trump's fundraising committee has specific directions to check over your shoulder in case any Leftists are reading it:

Patriot, sit down before you read this.

This is high-priority, need-to-know information that is not readily available for everyday Americans.

As such, PLEASE make sure you’re alone when you read this, and that NO Leftists can see over your shoulder.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

During March Madness, "over 120 million Americans who cannot otherwise place sports wagers on individual college athletes could still legally risk money on them, including 82 million people living in states where sports betting isn’t legal at all." cnsmaryland.org/2026/09/10/o...

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Good cricket commentary always seems like it might be describing illegal and/or immoral acts.

tonked! Short and fast, Razaullah tries to get it up his hooter. But Brook is waiting, and hoicks it up and away for a one-bounce four through backward square

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Update: sadly, some of the questions didn't make it. We're down to 10. Please respect the RNC's privacy in this time of loss.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Well that's something: the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County exec, councilmember Will Jawando, suffered a heart attack on Saturday. Office says he was treated quickly, got a stent placed and is recovering well.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Detecting AI-written materials is hard, they say. Tough to be sure, they say. RNC: A person would definitely write a subject line of "Question 1 of 14"

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Progressive Turnout Project, which raised $43M during the first 18 months of the current election cycle, has sent fundraising emails this week that says that "with only 59 days until the midterms almost nobody (NOBODY) donated to destroy Trump’s House Majority."

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Look, I know scamming is a tough business, but you gotta at least put in some effort:

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The email I use to sign up for political fundraising messages occasionally gets added to other lists, mostly for conservative-leaning sites selling guns & related gear. Can't recall getting an appeal from a Catholic charity before, though:

A fundraising email from The Oblate Sisters of St. Frances de Sales with the subject line of "Will you pray for these children?". The sender's email is news@update.conservativeinnovation.com

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I know I can always spot veterans because they wear this jacket(?) with "U.S. VETERAN" across the back as this clearly AI-generated image from a VA newsletter shows.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The sampling of yesterday's fundraising emails that mention data centers is all GOP: thescoop.org/political-em...

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Recently, in fundraising begging:

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Mentions of "data center" in my political fundraising email database by party and week.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

What's the difference between this and a pig-butchering scam text, exactly?

A fundraising email from NC Senate candidate Michael Whatley with the subject line of "We might have met briefly (I asked around about you)" that begins:

Friend,

I’m not sure if you remember me, or if we’ve crossed paths briefly on the trail before, but I certainly know who you are.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I have 1 fundraising email from Angie Nixon's #flsen campaign. It misspells the name of her campaign committee. Wild.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Cricket shit-posting, 1895 British minor counties edition: "[Ormskirk] boasts a standing population of a cricket (?) team, seven enthusiastic spectators, and a small dog."

CRICKET.
BY UBIQUE.

RESPECTED SIR,—Far be it from me to deny, or even deprecate, the gingerbread-making qualities of that marvellous place, Ormskirk; but, sir, I must gently but firmly draw the line at what the Ormskirk natives glorify by the name of cricket. Cricket, forsooth! I—Eh? Where's Ormskirk? You don't mean to say you never heard of Peerless Ormskirk? Dear, dear! What appalling ignorance! Why, you can find it on the map with a microscope and a week to spare—

Oh! Ormskirk is a marvellous spot;
A marvellous spot it be.
And woe to the man who says it's not:—
(With bullets of gingerbread he'll be shot)—
For the natives can point on the map to a blot
As big as the eye of a flea!

And it boasts a standing population of a cricket (?) team, seven enthusiastic spectators, and a small dog. Oh! and also a gent. what scores for the team and makes speeches with an average of 45 perorations about the paralysing miracles of batting with which the players weekly astound the world as it stares gaping and transfixed with wonder and awe. What’s that? Well, if you don’t believe me ask the select audience which was grouped within and around the scoring box last Saturday, and which went black in the face with suppressed laughter as the Petrifying Puffer held forth during the progress of the fiasco between Ormsquirk and the Park.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

The House has to vote again after Labor Day?

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

"Donate every single cent you can afford" Talarico's campaign is such a gift to liberal PACs with zero shame like Progressive Turnout Project.

Fundraising email from Progressive Turnout Project that reads in part:

[NOW] We only need 5,875 gifts by MIDNIGHT to boost turnout and help elect James Talarico in Texas.

[BUT] If we don’t hit our goal tonight, James Talarico could LOSE! Our hopes for a Senate Majority will be DOOMED!

THIS IS IT! Donate every single cent you can afford to fund our Texas Voter Turnout Teams and help elect James Talarico. If you donate before midnight, your gift is worth 3X! →

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

From my collection of political fundraising emails: mentions of "datacenter" in the past 12 months, by week. See some examples here: thescoop.org/political-em...

A line chart showing the frequency of political fundraising emails mentioning data centers by week over the past year, by party. The trend is increasing: ~50 a week now compared to < 10 a week in August 2025.

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Why yes, that *is* quite a personal message. I usually only let my close friends call me "%%=Propercase(first_name_most_recent)=%%"

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

New feature for my political fundraising emails site: each day highlights a recent email that mentions datacenters. Today's is from the Democratic candidate for North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner: thescoop.org/political-em...

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

idk, I'm starting to worry about the LLM that's producing fundraising emails for Mike Rogers' Senate campaign:

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

One of these is not like the others: wapo.st/4w8qod2 Data analysis by @merrillcollege.bsky.social alum Apurva Mahajan

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Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Robberies in Prince George's County, MD, are down nearly 50% compared to the same point in 2025, according to official police stats. That's pretty remarkable, if the figures are accurate. newsappsumd.github.io/pgcrime/

A bar chart showing YTD totals in 2026 and 2025 for murder, robberies, carjackings and non-fatal shootings in Prince George's County, Maryland. In every category the numbers are down this year.

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