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Michael Baskin

@michaelbaskin.bsky.social
152 followers 35 following 46 posts

Collector of outdoor public benches. Worker for local government. Facilitation, coaching + stories. VT/DC, BOS home.

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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Outdoor showers only? Unlabeled coffee that is too hot may have lawsuit precedent but…
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Is #USPS making #DOGE jokes? Cause if so, they bite.
United States Postal Service stamp of dogbite awareness over a postcard stamp
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
When a graph really doesn’t make the point
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
But stay on corporate devices with subscriptions to other corporates? The times they are a changing. (Gentle snark, glad to see a student artist expressing themselves)
Lasted sign that reads “ditch corporate media, read independent media” but is on an iPhone cut out
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
The office fridge…or sometimes you want to know and sometimes you don’t. The internet loves cats…and curiosity in this situation may be death knell
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Reposted by Michael Baskin
Elizabeth Linos @elizabethlinos.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Nerd alert
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
If @amtrak.com disappears, what happens to cities like @boston.gov, NYC, and DC and all the places linked together that people call community?
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Change came for Charlie, and it’s so good. Thanks @mbta.com
Sign on Boston’s T reading “changes are coming to the ways you can pay” announcing their fare project
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Reposted by Michael Baskin
Bolts @boltsmag.org · 05/03/2025
Indiana University student Daniel Jenkins has spent years helping students register to vote & navigate the state’s already-strict election laws. He warns banning student IDs at the polls would create even more barriers, especially for out-of-state students.boltsmag.org/indiana...
boltsmag.org
Indiana Republicans Move to Ban Student IDs for Voting
The new restriction, paired with Indiana’s stringent voter ID rules, would make it much harder for many young people to vote in a state that already ranks near-last in turnout.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Building codes finally make the news! When was the last time most folks thought about them? Miami building collapse? Vermont floods? LA wildfires? If only there was a way to prepare for a stronger America… FEMA backtracks on stronger building codes for disasters www.npr.org/2025/02/20/n...
npr.org
Exclusive: Trump administration drops work on stronger building codes for disasters
To help homes survive more intense disasters, FEMA has been developing recommendations for stronger building codes. The Trump Administration has pulled them back.
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Reposted by Michael Baskin
Elizabeth Linos @elizabethlinos.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
@harvardkennedy.bsky.social asked a few of us to comment on the first weeks of DOGE. Read the perspectives of a wide range of faculty: www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-rese...
hks.harvard.edu
Analyzing DOGE actions one month into Trump’s second administration
Faculty analysts at Harvard Kennedy School reflect on President Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency one month into the new administration.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Push me down. Words for public trash cans, not public servants. Lift us up.
picture of a trash can pedal reads 'push me down'
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Siberian elm with in Rose park covered in snow with branches stretching to the roots
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Public servants do amazing work in government every day to make things better for those we serve. Today we lift up and celebrate those Bright Spots so we can scale and expand.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
“The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals.“ -Pres Eisenhower We’re seeing a lot of cutting right now - seems to me there are options
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Reposted by Michael Baskin
The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
💡 This week's AI News that Caught Our Eye includes discussions of AI as a disaster planning tool and economic simulation planning partner. Featuring @michaelbaskin.bsky.social, @mitchweiss.bsky.social, @stephaniekelton.bsky.social, @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/news-th...
rebootdemocracy.ai
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
There is power and joy in imagining vibrant futures.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
A shake up in govt shakes up people's lives - a pause means rent checks don't get paid and people get evicted, small businesses can't meet their obligations. We're all about to learn a lot about what our government does for us. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Trump's Federal Funding Pause Threatens State Financials
President Donald Trump’s federal funding pause threatens more than $1 trillion that flows to states, cities and other local governments, putting everything from transit infrastructure to housing proje...
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
A good way to resist making govt worse for people? Make govt better with people.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
So many folks have spent so long working to build trust in government through intentional, user tested government websites. And then....Woof. h/t to hardworking colleagues in the #PlainLanguage #UX #CX communities of practice.
screenshot of US Dept of Government Efficiency website.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Reusing old office supplies is great …but apparently “insert this end in typewriter” is a sign these may have reached the end of their sticky life
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
A good sign for transportation policy? @buttigiegdem.bsky.social ‘a final message? Mild understatement with solid directions
Highway sign reading “DC EVENT TODAY USE METRO”
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Reposted by Michael Baskin
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 18/01/2025
Fukuyama: “The truth of the matter is that implementation is part of policymaking; if a policy can’t be properly implemented, it shouldn’t be rolled out in the first place since it will simply contribute to the narrative of ineffective and incompetent government.” open.substack.com/pub/persuasi...
open.substack.com
We Need Policy Implementers, Not Policy Makers
Why the United States can’t buy technology.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Non-intuitive microwave door open button #DesignOfEverydayThings
Picture of a microwave door where the place one would press is not the place you actually press to open the door
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
How did you use transit this year? Its #spotifywrapped for DMV #transit users metrorewind.com
metrorewind.com
Metro Rewind
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Ascendant @ascendantinnovate.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Thank you David Graham for inviting @stephanieawade.bsky.social to present at the Generative AI and the Future City Executive Summit at @harvard.edu alongside @michaelbaskin.bsky.social where they empowered city leaders to harness the potential of AI within government operations. #generativeai #ai
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BIT @bitglobal.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Big shift 2️⃣ for behavioural science: make it more social @mhallsworth.bsky.social shares how examining social connections, values, and identities can lead to surprising insights and push the field forward. Read the second in our 4-part series👇 bit.ly/4jlRsR8
bit.ly
Big shifts for behavioural science: focusing on the social drivers of behaviour - BIT
This is the second piece in our series explaining the four big shifts in behavioural science that BIT is aiming to achieve. In 2023, BIT published a manifesto setting out ten proposals for the future ...
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
To improve 911 emergency response times, shift human behavior around non-emergency response calls. Wondering about impact of years of “see something, say something” …this one will be a tricky balance. Kudos to #WashingtonDC for trying.
Sign reading “someone has parked outside my home. Don’t let non-emergencies compete with real ones. Call 911 for emergencies. Call 311 to report non emergencies”
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
Asking the crowd, what are the most critical topics for govt managers to learn emerging from the last year? Our new mandatory trainings for managers: "Leave Without Pay" "Family and Medical Leave Act," and "Progressive Discipline." Each choice sends signals to our organization - what is important?
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Reposted by Michael Baskin
Kevin Gallant @kevin-gallant.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
A much needed wake-up call to many! #Music #Streaming
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Ever play scheduling ping pong? It has real costs. A classic (and comic) sociology piece from my mentor Chris Winship on the impacts of scheduling across time and place. Proximity matters. (makes scheduling more fun and guides conference design!) cwinship.scholars.harvard.edu/publications...
New Yorker cartoon showing a male executive on the phone scheduling with the caption “no, Thursday’s out. how about never - does never work for you?”
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
In Boston, I run in a ragged beefy cotton hoody from high school and it feels SO right. In all other cities, it’s synthetic athletic performance science specialty gear. I friggin’ love Boston.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
When Orion’s Belt is actually a long StarLink train…deep sadness. I don’t remember consenting to irrevocable changes to the night sky. But maybe this is like home owners protesting off shore wind?
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Reposted by Michael Baskin
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
IMPORTANT NEW STUDY: Fully flexible parking rules would result in MORE NEW HOMES than legalizing granny flats & larger multifamily buildings near transit combined, even if every new building still included some amount of parking. The #PowerOfParking. @sightline.org www.sightline.org/2024/12/10/p...
Bar graph showing effect of parking significantly exceeds effects of other changesBar graph showing effect of parking significantly exceeds effects of other changesText same as in postDense housing under construction
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
I have a podcast that I hate so much that I send it to other people so they can hate it also. #TakingBackViral <is this a #hashtag? @kristallakis.bsky.social is responsible for this post and it is a reflection of the great tech support available for govt practitioners via USDR>
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
This place has a lot of words. I really love Serota's www.wordswedonthave.com ...its a lovely collection of words like "bas," which means "You need not say more. I feel satisfied and am now ready to move on to something else" to help close a finished conversation.
wordswedonthave.com
words we don't have
Language and culture are inextricably linked. The words that exist (or that we make) form our...
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
Ride the bicycle. I love to read, and I can’t learn how to ride a bicycle without riding a bicycle. If a team is stuck in analysis, try action.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
Terms of service just for us #government folks? Heck yea. Thanks, @bsky.app ...we usually have to fight for this! bsky.social/about/suppor...
bsky.social
Terms of Service Amendment for Government Users
Welcome to Bluesky Social, a social networking application provided by Bluesky! We're excited to have you on board as a user.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
If the real conference happens in the hallway, re-design the conference. If the happy hour is the first time your participants feel joy, your gathering needs more play. There are so many better ways to gather and connect on purpose. #facilitation
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
A) Leadership matters. B) Open data rocks! This reporting brought to you by The choices around police pursuits are loaded and fascinating. "Nationwide, at least 2,107 people were killed in car crashes stemming from police pursuits between 2018 and 2022" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Graph showing NYPD Car Chases increasing significantly after Eric Adams becomes mayor. From 109 in 2021 to 1,592 in 2023.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
ChatGPT is an awesome tool for preparing facilitation, especially as an experienced facilitator. It helps me brainstorm creative agendas, foresee challenges, draft messaging, train co-facilitators, and wrap it all up…all with the facilitation methods I like. Paired with MiroAI….magic.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
In person work is great for collaborations …and it’s powerful to be in spaces that surround us in our mission.
“We support our colleagues across Montgomery County government to more deeply understand challenges and change how government serves people” written mission statement annotated in a team’s sticky notes bringing that mission to life.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Experience = action + reflection
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
I say tomato, you say tomato, they say…?
Recipe for lentil Tomatoe soup
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Frozen food aisle #CabotPlainsFarm #Vermont
Kale under show
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
When the sun shines, soak it in and reflect it back. Up at Cabot Plains Farm by the AM Foster Covered Bridge
AM Foster Covered Bridge reflected in the pond at Cabot Plains FarmView of the pond reflecting afternoon sun blue looking out at the Green Mountains Hunger Range from Cabot Plains Farm
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Who would go in a starter pack for government versions of Reinventing Orgs and Corporate Rebels? www.reinventingorganizations.com / www.corporate-rebels.com
corporate-rebels.com
Make work more fun
Practical courses, monthly events, and a global community of pioneers. This is the ultimate place to make work more fun.
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Writing the story shapes the story, the medium shapes the message. "People are made of stories. Our memories are not the impartial accumulation of every second we’ve lived; they’re the narrative that we assembled out of selected moments." - Ted Chiang, Exhalations
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Michael Baskin @michaelbaskin.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
My social media usually gets posted into blue boxes, and is delivered under grey skies, rainy skies, snowy skies, and gloomy skies. When posting on bluesky, expect: Organizations / innovation / cities / local government / occasional reviews of reviews / reads / facilitation /outdoor public benches
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