iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 01/10/2026

As promised, the cover reveal for my ridiculous vampire novel, FANGS NOT INCLUDED, coming 25 May 2027!!! 🧛🏾‍♀️🧛🏾‍♀️🧛🏾‍♀️ (Illustration by Kushiaania; cover design by Julia Tyler and Alison Klapthor.) www.harpercollins.com/products/fan...

A blue background with the text "Fangs Out 05/25/2027" and a cover with four vampiric girls on it. The main one, a rakshasi, is holding a camera and filming. The title says, "Fangs Not Included."

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Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

“Let’s say there’s a world or time line I exist in where A.I. has been subject to regulation. It is ethical. It has no footprint environmentally,” the novelist Jeff VanderMeer, a prominent critic of A.I., told me over the phone. “With those guardrails in place, would I read an A.I. book? All I can say is no. And the reason is, in part, because I want to read something coming from a particular mind.” Using A.I., he said, “feels like a betrayal of the whole point of why you’re a writer.”

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T.J. Stiles @tj-stiles.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Never sell anyone out. In fact, if you're asked about banning 12-year-olds from softball, just say, "You're asking me to sell out kids for my political career. I'm not going to do that. Let's stop demonizing people in tougher circumstances than you or I will ever experience. They have guts."

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Stina Leicht @stinaleicht.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

every time some jackass tries to convince me that my definition of sentience/sapience is too limited this is what runs through my mind.

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c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Bless the memory of Stanislav Yevgrafovich, the Man Who Saved the World. At a moment when it mattered, he chose humanity.

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Philo of Alexan @philoof.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The folk protest music scene is back

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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 24/09/2026

Never been to the opera before? Now’s your chance. We’re giving away 70,000 free tickets to the @metopera at the iconic Lincoln Center. Go to on.nyc.gov/opera to enter the lottery. There’s not a bad seat in the house.

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Lee K @bselected.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

@votefromabroad.bsky.social - if you are an American citizen living outside USA request your Overseas Ballot by email today!

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 24/09/2026

Oh, I forgot to say this novel was heavily inspired by WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS and features vampires from Hindu and Buddhist folklore--and a couple completely original ones! 🧛‍♀️

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John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Do you feel overwhelmed as an adult? Then I've got just the trick: The Last Adult Superstore. It's got everything you need. They promise.

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Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

ATTENTION, NERDS ANOTHER DINO-MUMMY HAS BEEN FOUND IN THE HELL CREEK FORMATION IT IS A T-REX AND THE PALEONTOLOGISTS WORKING ON IT ARE TEASING INDISPUTABLE EVIDENCE OF FEATHERS THIS IS NOT A DRILL www.youtube.com/shorts/PQ0dg...

youtube.com

Rex Jr | A T. Rex Mummy May Reignite the Feather Debate #animals #dinosaur #evolution #fossil

YouTube video by Zeke Darwin

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Laura Rueckert @laurarueckert.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

My absentee ballot arrived, so it's time to vote! If you're an American abroad, be sure to request your ballot and send in your vote ASAP! #vote

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Jennifer X. Pumpkins 🎃 @jenyetagain.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"trans people require medical care for the rest of their lives" is the craziest anti-trans talking point because everyone requires medical care for the rest of our lives.

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Abdul El-Sayed @abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I’m proud to have @hrc.org standing with us in this race. LGBTQ+ Michiganders deserve leaders who will have their backs when it matters most, not just when it’s politically convenient.

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Adam Becker @adambecker.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

@aoc.bsky.social just put out a great statement on AI. Refreshing to see a major politician on the left nail this. "Silicon Valley billionaires want us to believe that Al robots will destroy humanity. But the biggest threat to humanity are the tech oligarchs themselves." 🎯

Charles,

Last weekend, Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, one of the largest Al companies in the world, publicly asked his industry to slow down Al development.

Shortly after, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAl, followed suit. Then Elon Musk.

This all came days after an Anthropic researcher quit, citing his belief that this technology could wipe out humanity and that Al companies are "gambling with our lives."

For years, people have warned that generative Al could slip out of our direct control.

Those safety concerns must be taken seriously.

And this is why I have advocated for strict safety standards on how Al is built and deployed, public oversight over this technology, and using existing laws to hold these companies accountable when they cause harm.

But I want to draw your attention to another reality: Right now, the U.S. economy and our financial futures are riding on Silicon Valley's bet that Al will soon be immensely profitable and pay off. And that bet isn't looking good.

The formula for a profitable business isn't complicated: make more money than you spend. But the biggest Al companies aren't doing that. They are spending hundreds of billions per year on data centers, chips, and other costs while their ability to make revenues that exceed their already-immense sunk costs are unclear. Experts estimate that these Al companies will require another $600 billion of debt just to finance

themselves in 2026 alone. That is more than the entire budgets of the U.S. Departments of Justice, Transportation, & Education combined.
Meanwhile, despite almost every single one of these companies not turning a profit & having sunk billions of investor dollars in development of data centers & other infrastructure, Al companies are also on a spending spree of hundreds of millions of dollars in lobbying & dark money in our elections.
It would be one thing if we were discussing a few private companies with a poor business model. But last year, virtually all stock market gains - 80% - rested entirely on just a handful of Al companies.
That tells us two things:
1. Nearly the entire U.S. economy outside the Al industry is relatively stagnating and faring poorly & the gains from these few companies are disguising it; &
2. Millions of people's retirements - including their pensions, 401ks, & investments - are potentially exposed to this risk.
That's why these Al companies' dubious financial positions matter to working people.
These companies argue that debt is necessary. They'll tell you that building transformative technologies requires upfront capital, & that massive borrowing today will pay off in generating unprecedented prosperity tomorrow.
But this is not the typical debt that startups take on while they build out a company. We are talking about billions going on trillions of dollars leveraged with no indication that these companies will be able to recoup these funds profitably. And they are increasingly looking to the government as their source of cash.
In an effort to hide their debt, tech companies have been relying on "circular financing" where tech giants like Google, Amazon, & Microsoft give billions to Al startups like OpenAl & Anthropic, only for those startups to hand that money right back to buy Al processing power.
In other words, these Al companies are luring in new investors by making it look like their financials are healthier than they really are.

What's even worse is that retirement & pension funds are key to supporting this illusion.
When the Al companies issue bonds to raise more money, your pension funds & retirement accounts are some of the biggest buyers. When Musk's Al business went public, it became part of index funds where millions of Americans invest our savings. Many Americans don't even know that their retirement investments are tied up in these companies at all.
From Big Tech's perspective, that's a feature, not a bug. By tying our futures to their reckless gambling, Al billionaires are trying to make themselves too big to fail. They think they can take such dangerous risks because we will bail them out if things go wrong.
Sound familiar? This scene is dangerously reminiscent of the rampant speculation, corruption, & broken incentives leading up to the 2008 financial crisis that plunged millions of working class Americans into financial chaos that we never fully recovered from.
It is no accident that these warnings from Altman & Amodei come months-if not weeks-before these companies were meant to go public.
When companies go public, they have to be more transparent about how they are doing financially. And after a waiting period, they typically have to let private investors-like their own employees-sell their shares.
The New York Times recently confirmed that OpenAl has postponed going public for this very reason. They are in no rush for the truth about their finances to come out.
But the moment these oligarchs began to seek our public tax dollars & public contracts while exposing their companies to public pension funds & investments, they opened themselves to public accountability & scrutiny.
Silicon Valley billionaires have rigged the game & are attempting to shift their financial risk to working people: If they're right about Al's potential, they reap the profits. If they're wrong & the bubble bursts, they are setting up the American people to pick up the tab.
Heads, they win; tails, we lose.

We can stop this, and we shouldn't play their game. Together we can address both the economic and safety threats of unrestricted Al development and prevent financial chaos and stabilize market risk.

We must make it clear now that should the Al bubble pop, Congress should not bail out Big Tech.

And across our federal agencies, we have the authorities and tools to hold Al companies and their leaders accountable for releasing dangerous, unvetted, and defective products. We must not wait.

Silicon Valley billionaires want us to believe that Al robots will destroy humanity.

But the biggest threat to humanity are the tech oligarchs themselves.

It's time we hold them accountable.

Thank you for reading.

In solidarity,

Alexandria

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Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I already felt that anyone trying to buy waterfront property in the year of our lord 2026 had to have at least a few screws loose. But I wasn't aware they had an entire support system to enable them.

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Kris Thompson @editkrisedit.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

www.youtube.com/watch?v=071P... Tribute to Star Trek's matte paintings.

youtube.com

Matte. (Star Trek Remix)

YouTube video by Kris Thompson

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Rosemary Mosco @rosemarymosco.com · 18/09/2026

Humaning.

A four-panel comic. In panel 1, a Northern Cardinal and American Goldfinch perch above a busy crowd in a city, looking down. The cardinal says "It's a nice day to go humaning." The goldfinch says "Just look at them. Majestic." In panel 2, a close-up of the two birds. The cardinal says "Nobody tells you that you'll reach a certain age and suddenly get into humaning. I hit 3 years old, and then bam."The birds are looking out over the crowd scene. In panel 3, the cardinal says "Their calls sound funny to us, but each one has a unique meaning." Below, people are saying various things: "I'm tired." "Where's my phone?" "I'd murder a burrito." In panel 4, the birds look down excitedly at a man walking by. The cardinal says "Wait, is that a guy who got dressed in the dark and put his shirt on inside out and backwards?" And the goldfinch exclaims, "Holy... that's a lifer!"

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Nerdist @nerdist.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

A once-lost short film made by the iconic "Weird Al" Yankovic about the human brain has resurfaced after 17 years.

nerdist.com

Weird Al's Short About the Human Brain Online After 17 Years

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Nicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026

Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!

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Laura Rueckert @laurarueckert.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I'm reading SLAYERS OF OLD right now and it's so good! Great deal #booksky ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Michael Whelan @michaelwhelan.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The argument against AI should always start with the THEFT of creative labor the technology was built on. The intent was CRIMINAL. CEOs should be facing charges, not class action lawsuits. The devastation these companies continue to inflict on creative communities demands accountability.

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Laura Rueckert @laurarueckert.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I'm reading SLAYERS OF OLD right now and it's so good! Great deal #booksky ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Maggie Tokuda-Hall @maggietokudahall.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Bathtime for Snow Monkeys got its 3rd starred review today, from Shelf Awareness! In which they correctly call @yasimamura.bsky.social's illustrations "glorious."

Bathtime for Snow Monkeys is an exquisite picture book by author Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrator Yas Imamura, the talented duo behind Love in the Library. It uses eloquent haiku and elegant illustrations to depict the warmth and tranquility experienced by a troop of macaques luxuriating in a mountain steam bath.

The opening haiku centers readers in the scene: "Mountains surround you./ This is Jigokudani,/ A park for macaques." Nihonzaru (snow monkeys, also called Japanese macaques) make their way through snow falling "thick and cold." The macaques pass "wet trees, slippery rocks--/ careful and quiet," before reaching the sulfurous-smelling hot springs. Here, snow monkeys huddle together; their "little red faces/ Peer out from brown, furry heads" while steam rises. They come here "to relax./ For clean fur and toasty soaks./ To be close to friends."

Until--splash!--one baby snow monkey in the onsen (soak bath) disturbs "the calm/ And others are cross." This baby "wants to play!/ But no one else does." Mama grooms her child with a reminder to "be mindful and hush," and as the baby settles in, the others do, too. "Snow drifts down," but the nihonzaru don't notice the wet flakes, because "they are warm and safe./ Doing what monkeys do best:/ Staying together."

Tokuda-Hall has created a series of blissfully serene, sure-handed haiku that advance a gentle, low-stakes narrative made deeper by extensive sensory details. Her choice to highlight the universal need for companionship and bonding makes this bath time feel comforting and familiar. Just like humans, her macaques "relax, snack, and occasionally have fights about who gets to sit where." In some important ways, however, they are different; for instance, snow monkeys "make up by picking lice out of each other's hair and eating them."

Imamura's glorious gouache and pastel crayon illustrations employ blues, ochers, and plenty of white snow to convey the heat of the pool and the chill of the landscape surrounding i…

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Elle Grenier @elleoftheball.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

✨Let’s go, girls✨ I’m beyond thrilled to announce my next book, coming out this spring with @harpercollins.bsky.social BOTTLE BLONDE is a YA rom-com love letter to community, high school musical theatre, 2000s chick flicks and the magic of being true to yourself.

A light pink theatre curtain fills the background of the graphic in front of a sparkly bubblegum pink backdrop. In the middle of the screen, in a red marquee sign clipart, is the following deal announcement from Bookshelf:

Aly Day at HarperCollins has acquired BOTTLE BLONDE by Elle Grenier (THIS WRETCHED BEAUTY) at auction. A YA rom-com following a determined theater nerd who is sure the key to living out her picture-perfect senior year is landing her dream part as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical; obviously she’ll need to nail her audition, but first she needs to come out as a trans girl. Publication is set for May 2027; Alexandra Levick negotiated the two-book six-figure deal for North American rights.

A second marquee sign features the following text:
BOTTLE BLONDE by Elle Grenier
A HarperCollins production
Out May 18th 2027

The same background as the last graphic. This time, the marquee sign features the following summary:

Amelia knows she was born to be a leading lady. But there’s just one thing: only one other person knows she’s a girl.

With only three and a half months until graduation, Amelia is determined to make her senior year dreams come true. And the key to living out her picture-perfect high school fantasy is landing the part of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical. It would give Amelia the chance to play opposite her longtime crush—sensitive, mega-talented basketball star, Travis dos Santos. Travis, who always laughs at her jokes and makes space for her thoughts. Travis, who has started to look at her a bit differently.

But if she wants a real shot at her dream role, she has to come out as a trans girl.

Amelia is closer than ever to turning her main-character daydreams into reality, if only she could prove herself to the rest of the school. But finding her happily-ever-after might be more complicated than she thought—and her vibrant imagination might just carry her away this time.

A take on the meme featuring a dark, gloomy beach house next to a pink, Barbie-like beach house. Above each house are the following titles (left to right): This Wretched Beauty (2026) / Bottle Blonde (2027)

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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 14/09/2026

Some Dems are running away from trans people. Abdul El-Sayed, Dem Senate Candidate in Michigan, is running towards them. When asked, he fully and unequivocally support trans youth care as a matter between parents, patients, and doctors. Subscribe to support our journalism.

erininthemorning.com

"The Decision Ought To Be Between A Patient And Their Doctor," Says Michigan Senate Candidate El-Sayed On Trans Care

Even conservatives “agree that the decision about healthcare ought to be between a person and their provider,” El-Sayed said.

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Mayken Brünings @maykenalanna.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#TimeTravelAuthors Day 13 Has your time traveller ever been caught with an anachronistic object by locals in the visited time period? My time travellers haven't (yet), but Charlotte "smuggles" anachronistic chocolate cake to her dad who is a permanent resident in the past.

#TimeTravelAuthors
September 2026
1. Introduce your story (optional: use the word "fall")
3. How much time passes in your story?
5. Saturday excerpt (optional word: plant/grow)
7. Who's your story's time travel expert?
9. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: laugh)
11. Has your MC ever been in a fight?
13. Ask (and answer) a question you'd like in a future #TimeTravelAuthors (let me know if you DON'T want credit!)
15. Third sentence from page 10 (or from 2% through)
17. Character's regret
19. Saturday excerpt (optional word: change)
21. Most annoying character
23. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: rebel/stand)
25. Does anyone want to live in another time period?
27. Proudest character
29. Author's choice/promo

All time-travel authors and published works, WIPs, etc. welcome!
To join, just answer the prompts on odd days, using the hashtag #TimeTravelAuthors
Even days are for posting what you like!
Questions? @juliebihn.bsky.social or @juliebihn.mastodon.social

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Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 09/09/2026

Astrophotographer Adam (AJ) Smadi caught this image a few hours ago from Washington state. A thin crescent Moon, sunlight illuminating the rugged lunar surface. And 2,400 times farther away—and on the other side of the Sun—mighty Jupiter, and its moons Io (left) and Ganymede (right).

A crescent Moon seen during the day, arcing from upper left to lower right of the frame. At lower centre is the full disk of Jupiter; the small dots to its upper left and lower right and Io and Ganymede, respectively.

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Darryl Mott @gamerstavernshow.com · 12/09/2026

Name a non-LotR character who could resist the One Ring

Fred Rogers on the set of his show, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood wearihg a green sweater over a dress shirt with a black tie with diagonal gold stripes and grey slacks. His legs are crossed and one arm is laying on the track next to the trolley to the Neighborhood of Make Believe.

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Morgan Wilson @authormorganw.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

So excited to share this amazing news!!! Petra's incredible book, TWO STICKS AS TINDER, comes out next fall!! If you want to read trans rage (and evil men getting what they deserve) this book is for you!!! @ohnoaskelton.bsky.social I'm so happy and proud of you on this amazing achievement!!

A publishers marketplace deal announcement on a purple background with a black forest along one edge and a howling wolf in the corner. The announcement reads: Petra Skelton's TWO STICKS AS TINDER a horror debut about a trans teen abandoned by her family to an alt-right conversion camp and the monstrous transformation she accepts to free herself and fellow queer youth from harm to Tamara Grasty at Page Street Kids in a nice deal for publication in fall 2027 by Morgan Wilson at Belcastro Agency

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Mayken Brünings @maykenalanna.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

#TimeTravelAuthors Day 7 In Charlotte's story and STATUS GREEN (same universe), the MCs are all #TimeTravel agents in training, so on their way to become the experts. In A SWEET DEAL, Quintus only knows there is a time machine (in the garage). It's his parents who are the expert time travelers.

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Dahlia Adler 📚 @missdahlelama.dahliaadler.com · 10/09/2026

It's here! I'm so excited to share the cover of SUMMER CAMP ROMANCE, a book that is so close to my heart (13-year sleepaway camp veteran here) and perfect for fans of Wet Hot American Summer: people.com/dahila-adler... (and yes, it's a companion to Soon By You!)

people.com

‘Beach Read’ Meets ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ in Dahlia Adler’s ‘Summer Camp Romance’ — See the Cover! (Exclusive)

PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover of Dahlia Adler’s next novel ‘Summer Camp Romance,’ out next year. The adult romance from the ‘Soon By You’ author follows the relationship between two camp sta...

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edeath @edithcharles.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Why do they call it baby shampoo and not heir freshener

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Mrs. N @btwnthesepages.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

You don't need to have bought FROM Amazon to review it there either. If you bought from an indie or read it from the library you can still go and review it on Amazon.

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Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Happy Labor Day! Today we're thinking about the work of writers, editors, & publishers who create compelling stories and the librarians, teachers, & booksellers who connect those stories to readers. It's work that should be celebrated not banned.

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emily gray @authoremilyg.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

It’s a surreal feeling, holding my book in my hands! (It’s a lot longer than I thought it would be.) My first ARC came and I’m absolutely stunned. It’s a real book! With words and pages and everything!

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Democrats Abroad @demsabroad.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Are you a U.S. citizen living abroad? Need help with voting? Get live voter help on Zoom! Drop in sessions are on Sep 6 at 12-1 pm EDT or at 4:30-5:30 pm Japan Standard Time (Tokyo time). Info at: voteabroad.org/VoterHelp

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Lorenz Meyer @thereallorenzmeyer.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Falls hier Leute aus Sachsen-Anhalt mitlesen, die morgen überlegen, ihr Kreuz bei der AfD zu machen: Ich habe euch zusammengestellt, was das für euch persönlich hieße. Grundsatzfragen lassen wir aus und betrachten es rein mit dem Taschenrechner. Los geht's. 🧵

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Katherine Locke @katherinelocke.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

One day, this publisher's name will be a distant memory that no longer brings me intense frustration. That day is not today. If you're an Albert Whitman author who has a book in the Anthropic case, you should go check your email in case they're trying to claim 100% of the $$ for your books too.

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Nothings Monstered @nothingsmonstrd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

How to visit an art museum with someone who isn't used to visiting art museums:

Two social media posts by @pan_juho (Translated from Japanese):

"I love going to art museums, but when I go with someone who's not used to them, if I say, 'If you were a great thief, tell me later which one you'd steal,' they end up looking the exhibits pretty seriously, and that makes me happy.

"Whether you steal something you like or something that seems valuable -> it opens up endless conversation based on what vou liked about it or where you saw value in it, so it's also great as an easy icebreaker for chats after visiting the museum."

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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

2 months from TODAY is the beginning of the end of the Orange Embarrassment. Check out these Screenshots (as if you needed any more motivation to VOTE on 11/3/26!) Register- Iwillvote.com vote.org Get involved at- Rockthevote.org GoodParty.org DemCast.com Postcardstovoters.org movement.vote

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Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Rough Draft vs Final Draft

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The richest man owns X. The second and fourth richest men control Google. The third richest man owns The Washington Post. The sixth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And now the seventh richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?

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