iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

If a system cannot operate in a way that respects human dignity, that system should not exist.

Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Students in my pop culture class exasperatedly asked why everything connects back to Nazis and whether my representations in media class next semester will have a many references to the Nazis. I told them it has 62% less references to Nazis. I lied, but that's a problem for next semester.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

One of my students told me today that they signed up for my pop culture class because they saw me on tiktok. It's been a good ride, y'all, but I'm done being perceived.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Seeing a cyber truck on the highway in Appalachia is something I can only describe as unholy.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Perfect, this will help me meet the page count requirement.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Potentially, but it feels a little too broad.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Yeah, because that would be generally anthropomorphic and I want something a little more definite.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Does anyone know of an umbrella term for sci-fi aliens that resemble humans? I'm thinking of Marvel characters like Thor, Nebula, or Phastos. It's for a project related to race and Superheroes, and I was thinking of "para-human" (intentionally centering humanity) but I'm not sure.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Increasingly, I am convinced that the reason we're in this mess is because we undervalued public school media specialists and librarians.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Since the new Pope has Peruvian citizenship, my guess is that within 6 months the President will try to deport him.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

God help me, I'll become a Spirit of Vengeance.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

If anyone needs to conjure me after I have died, the surest way to do that is to say loudly and confidently that Professor X and Magneto are allegories for Dr. King and Malcolm X. But, I *will* be in a bad mood.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Take heart, Zack de la Rocha and Serj Tankian prepared you for this moment.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Take heart, Zack de la Rocha and Serj Tankian prepared you for this moment.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

"We didn't vote for Trump to round up and deport innocent people." Yes, you did. It has always been this way. This has happened every time the US has tried mass deportations. Hell, this happens under normal circumstances. Yes. You. Did.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

My favorite quote from a panel at the Central States Communication Association: "All my projects come from rage".

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Reposted by Gabriel Cruz, PhD

Ruwa Romman @ruwaromman.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Listen to me. Money in politics is a huge problem that we need to fix but in the meantime it’s not insurmountable. Wisconsin beat Musk. We can, together, beat billionaires.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Hello Secretary Clinton. Fire your communications director or whoever thought this was a good idea.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

For anyone interested in seeing what kind of language can get you deported, here is the article co-authored by Rumeysa Ozturk: www.tuftsdaily.com/staff/rumeys...

tuftsdaily.com

Rumeysa Ozturk - The Tufts Daily

The Tufts Daily

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Reposted by Gabriel Cruz, PhD

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 16/03/2025

"dei medal" you might as well just put "n*gger medal" because that's what they mean to say

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Being the kind of trash that drinks Jim Beam and Evan Williams has prepared me for this moment 😂. But also, this is a nightmare.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Just finished Daredevil: Born Again, episodes 1 and 2, and I'm so on board.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

For no particular reason, here is a scene of Wilson Fisk leveraging the villain Nuke’s warped sense of patriotism to get him to hunt Daredevil. Daredevil #232 (1986) by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

I don't know if the revolution will be televised, but given half a chance Disney will copyright it.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

I'm going to Ohio later this year for a conference, and God help me if I die in a plane crash going in or out of Cincinnati I'm going to haunt everyone responsible. I refuse to have my death be in any way related to the Midwest or Elon Musk.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

"Dr. Cruz, where do you learn all these horrible things, and why do you keep telling us?" -- A student after telling my class about the 1898 Wilmington, NC Coup

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

I need more members of Congress to read or watch science-fiction/fantasy so they can recognize that this is God-Emporer behavior and that it always ends in catastrophe. Warhammer 40K, Mistborn, Star Wars, something, so they can get a clue.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Yesterday I found out that I'm the friend that folks text when they need to know if they have encountered a hate symbol. I mean, I guess everyone in the friend group needs to have a niche?

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

At least the aesthetic I've cultivated for myself is coming across the right way 😂

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

No one ever let me make another TikTok about anything related to Marx or Leftism again because God help me the comment sections on my most recent videos are working my nerves.

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Reposted by Gabriel Cruz, PhD

Witty N. Shitty @katesamuels.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

I think I’m going to make drunk dialing senators, my new favorite pastime

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Me: So, consider how your parent's musical taste shaped your own. What did they listen to? What was playing in the house when you were a kid? Various Students: Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Prince Me: Ok, sure, sure. Student: Outkast Me: *Visibly ages*

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I don't have a clear answer that either.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Probably? When in doubt, blame the East India Trading Company.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

In case anyone is wondering, bringing up Mr. Popo from Dragon Ball Z (which ended 29 years ago) in the context of mass media and race is still a great way to get students engaged in class discussion, if a bit defensive. For those that don't know, here's Mr. Popo:

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

De-Nazi'fy everything, Re-Nazi'fy nothing.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

I'm Gabriel, how are you doing tired?

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

The rate at which the Mystery Mousketools, devices that are initially unknown to the characters and audience, are useful at resolving the issues at the Mikey Mouse Clubhouse suggests that either Mikey Mouse is a cult leader manipulating his friends or omniscient. Someone help me turn off my brain.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

I'm working on lecture notes which include discussing the German-Am. Bund rally in Madison Square Garden; so friendly reminder that Isadore Greenbaum, a 26yo Jewish plumber from Brooklyn, charged the stage and screamed "Down with Hitler" in a room of 20k American Nazis. A real life Captain America

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Dystopia is having a serious conversation about the US government not allowing citizens to leave the country while in the background your children play.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

I'm so tired of reality stealing my ideas for short stories.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Streaming series pitch: A Disney+ MCU series about old man Steve Rogers and Isaiah Bradley traveling the country and bonding as they punch neo-Nazis, Proud Boys, and other white supremacist groups, 2 v 100 at a time. It needs a name, I'll leave that to y'all.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

The owner of Twitter made a Nazi salute. The owner of Meta is well on his way through the Chad to CHUD pipeline. The owner of TikTok is striking a deal with the Insurrectionist-in-Chief. What a time to be a public- facing educator.

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Gabriel Cruz, PhD @gacruzphd.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

In case someone hasn't already coined this term: Muskulinity: A performance of masculinity defined by: -Pseudo-intellectualism -Theatrical public suffering -Weaponized identity politics -A supplicating relationship to an authoritarian Ex: Zuckerberg flexed his muskulinity on Joe Rogan's podcast.

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