iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Matthew Johnson

ArtButMakeItSports @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Circus Performers, by Walt Kuhn, 1978, 📸 via @marisakabas.bsky.social

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Between the Sankey diagram and today’s hearing, BlueSky is giving early Twitter vibes and I love it.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Dude. The left is popular. Don’t run scared. Be brave.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Why are we letting this Nazi who hates his own child destroy this country?

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Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Reminder: Gavin Newsom should never be allowed to be the Democratic presidential nominee.

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Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Trump is historically unpopular, launching an illegal war no one wants, doing everything he can to increase prices, and breaking records for corruption. Any Democrat running for office who embraces transphobic talking points is acting like a loser in a defensive crouch. Nobody likes losers.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Yep. The way Talerico, Pelota, Acton, and others have thrown trans folks under the bus is embarrassing. I hope Dems win because there will be some check on the evil, but I’m not excited about it.

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Thomas Lecaque @tlecaque.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I want the name of every consultant who convinces a Democrat to run an ad ceding ground to trans hatred, and I want them blacklisted by the party and noted so I can never give a cent to anyone who hires them ever again.

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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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darth™️ @darthbluesky.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

starting the week with an AI annihilation sex cult harry potter fanfic sankey diagram is probably not something that should be a regular occurrence it is just my opinion

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This is really informative. Just to add the theological point: the claims of AGI very much resemble pre-millennial apocalypticism ideology. Todays Millerites.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

So, um, well, um. I needed to know this. I didn’t want to but needed to.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

“It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats to church;we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.”

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The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 16/09/2026

BREAKING: The House is going home again—this time to avoid a vote on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s impeachment.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Ms. Rachel living her UU values without hesitation.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

If the real divide is Team Fight vs Team Fold, and both Dems and independents desperately want Team Fight, then why would you fold?? Throwing trans people under this doesn’t signal moderation. It signals cowardice.

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Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Texas Senate poll: Fabrizio/Impact/AARP Talarico 48% Paxton 44% Fav/unfav Talarico: 42/35 (+7) Paxton: 35/46 (-11) Trump job approval: 43/54 (-11) Generic ballot: 49% GOP, 45% Dem www.aarp.org/content/dam/...

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Once you notice this, it's the most obvious double standard in the political press. Democrats have to answer for the smallest voice even if it has no actual tie to them, but Republicans never have to answer for the insanely racist billionaire donor driving their entire party.

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 04/09/2026

Relatedly, the Vermont state police have posted the mug shots of those arrested while protesting, which include them wearing their collars and stoles. vtstatepolice.blogspot.com/2026/09/vsp-...

Mugshots of clergy in collars and stoles.

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The Verge @theverge.com · 02/09/2026

As a new Harry Potter trailer makes the rounds, it bears repeating that there’s no way to watch this show without supporting J.K. Rowling’s bigotry and the structural violence she’s inflicting on the trans community.

theverge.com

There is no ethical consumption of HBO’s Harry Potter series

You can’t without supporting Rowling’s transphobic bigotry.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

This is the most anti-Christian administration in American history.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I haven’t had beef (with tiny exceptions to not be a rude guest) in 30 years. Not only do I make less methane, I avoid every E. coli scare and this nonsense. Care about the earth? Don’t eat beef.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

This is a good ad. Simple, clear.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

100 years would be great grandparents. Farmers, farmers, farmers, farmer/soldier and prostitute (among other things.)

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Revan @revan.eurosky.social · 30/07/2026

Enough “what would you do on the commune questions” If you got sent back 100 years and were given your grandparent’s job, what are you doing?

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Mary Peltola @marypeltola.com · 27/07/2026

“HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT MY GOOD FRIEND MARY PELTOLA??”

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

My peacenik opinions are not fringe. They are held by the majority of Americans. If only our leaders would listen.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Really great article about this vital witness. Lots of UUs showing up.

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Juliana Stratton @julianastratton.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

These aren’t rogue incidents — this is a feature of ICE. We have a responsibility, to Joan and to all of us, to take action and stop further tragedy. Abolish ICE.

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JB Pritzker @jbpritzker.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

There is something wrong with Donald Trump.

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JB Pritzker @jbpritzker.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Graham Platner must drop out of the race to become Maine's next U.S. Senator. The Democratic Party should continue to stand with all survivors of sexual assault.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Chicago pope got no fucks to give and I love it

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, you transphobic sell-out.

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Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

“The man whose subsidiary company was awarded a no-bid contract to remodel the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been unmasked as a two-time felon and deep-pocketed MAGA donor.” “Cafaro’s company, Greenwater Services, was awarded a $1.7 million contract ...” GREENWATER SERVICES

thedailybeast.com

Felon Trump Pal Behind Green Slime Fiasco Exposed

Questions are swirling about the process behind the award of a $1.7 million contract to a longtime Trump donor.

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 04/06/2026

NEW: When Sen. Andy Kim was hit w/pepper smoke outside the Delaney Hall detention center, standing next to him was a UU minister. She was hit too, as were at least 2 other faith leaders. They're part of a group of faith leaders who've been there for roughly a year. religionnews.com/2026/06/04/p...

religionnews.com

Pepper-sprayed yet undeterred: Faith leaders keep ministering at Delaney Hall

(RNS) — ‘We are called by our faith to put our bodies on the line if that’s the call,’ said the Rev. Robin Tanner, a Unitarian Universalist minister.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

💯💯💯 the filibuster amplifies cynicism and that’s a bad thing. It insulates the right from the worst of itself but stops the left from doing the best of itself. It must go on day 1 of Dem control of the body.

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

“Grandpa, was the 250 celebration a big deal?” “Well, little one, we’re going to need to talk about lip syncing and copyright infringement. Come cuddle up before the rising waves take us away.”

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Chris Kluwe @chriswarcraft.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

You could collect so much alimony at this thing

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Manisha Sinha @profmsinha.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Historian of abolition here, history tells us how we got here, to put it succinctly “John Brown was hanged for treason and Robert E. Lee was not.”

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

If you're left-of-center and still subscribed to the New York Times -- whose leaders absolutely despise you and everything you hold dear -- I'm going to assume you're just a masochist at this point. There are good reporters there, but their bosses? They fucking hate you. They hate hate hate you.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 08/05/2026

quote this shit and say that you're using the maps anyway

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Matthew Johnson @mjohnsonuu.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Since police are much more likely than the general public to abuse their spouses, this seems . . . Bad.

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orangejuliusesq.bsky.social @orangejuliusesq.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

people fucking died for the voting rights act. to wave it away with a magic wand is just so grotesque

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Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Today is a reminder that except for a brief period running roughly from Brown v. Board to Roe v. Wade, throughout its history the Supreme Court has been a reactionary force protecting the wealth of the wealthy and the power of the powerful, almost always hostile to equality and justice.

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Jonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 27/04/2026

Who is responsible for the dramatic increase in violence and dehumanizing rhetoric in American politics since Donald Trump started running for president in June 2015? Who could it be? It really is a mystery.

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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Those of us in the pro-democracy movement can and should hold both of these positions. 1. We unequivocally reject violence. 2. We will unequivocally oppose efforts by this administration to use last night as an excuse to try to suppress criticism and criminalize dissent.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Starting a mid-decade redistricting war only to end up with -1 seats is the same fine strategic genius and subtle grasp of game theory that brough us the Strait of Hormuz.

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