iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

I’m troubled by how *explictly* they’re now recruiting 12-18yos to shape outside the influence of schools and colleges. Paul Graham essays. Thiel Fellowships. Tyler Cowen‘s Talent. Valorizing teen founders with middle-aged boards and mentors. This indoctrination has been building for years.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 11m

“What I rcan tell you is…this fetus does not have a penis,” he blurts. This news filled me with a joy that persists to this day, except for the moments when I’m forced to remember No Penis Mode is hard mode. We’ll get forced oxytocin first.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 11m

At 43, I was a solo mom with a surprise pregnancy, so was by myself when I went to the ER at with a hemorrhage at 16 weeks. I was okay, and the young ER intern asked if I wanted to know the gender. Then realized he wasn’t supposed to be the one to tell me the ultrasound results.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 21m

I haven’t particularly noticed any symptoms yet, but I’m still haunted by Halle Berry’s description of her atrophy. (And bless her for clueing women in.)

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 24m

The medical cascades I’ve seen in elderly women from undiagnosed UTIs presenting like dementi with 106 fevers…I’m so grateful to #MedTwitter for alerting me to tell every friend to put their 80yo moms on topical estrogen back in the day. I didn’t know we Estradiol girlies could use it too.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 28m

You can do both? Why do they tell us NOTHING??

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Martha, but like, super spooky @mostlymartha.bsky.social · 1h

California, behold. We must pass Prop 40, and we must not stop there. It's just a one-time deal. It's time for the wealthy to pay their share for the benefits they derive from living in our state.

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Martha, but like, super spooky @mostlymartha.bsky.social · 32m

Having grown up in a high-demand religion and then worked in Tech, this is the least surprising development of which I can conceive. It's all the same toxic, power-hoarding behavior wearing different hats.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 39m

Makes sense that he never saw that sizing sticker.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 41m

Too busy making sure women die of ectopic pregnancies and sepsis.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 42m

Jesus! That’s unconscionable!

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Peter Nguyen @dptbirder.bsky.social · 1h

Had a California equivalent to a “snow day” because of El Niño Balboa Boulevard was under water throughout most of the peninsula Long underwater Kelvin waves and the oncoming storm surge caused havoc and preventing me from getting to one of my clients homes today 🌊

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 58m

Every single one of these is true of my child’s experience in a California public middle school so far. I walk with her 25 minutes each way just to listen, then counter-program or question as much as I can.

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Citizen Wolf @citizenw0lf.bsky.social · 1h

The US is a failed state. They're going to live-stream an execution by firing squad of a guy in a chair. Just to note that James Connolly was also executed by firing squad & he was also in a chair, Bcoz he was also unable to stand.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 1h

I think in practice the teachers only give these “Tardies“ to kids they know are up to shit (mostly boys.) But for the pleaser kids who want to comply, the existence of the rule is enough.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 2h

I should make a running list of “Immigrant Lessons.“

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 2h

To their credit, when the principal finally grasped the unintended consequences, they apologized profusely and made immediate changes.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 2h

Turns out to be the most vital lesson for surviving 21st-century America! I should be grateful, really.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 2h

So I had to go back multiple times to point out the kids had heard *rules* from them, not “guidelines.“ Rules which happen to land far more heavily on menstruating kids and kids with health problems. Real authoritarian touch.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 2h

The first answer from the district was that if kids did “express a need,“ teachers had been told to allow them to go. But no one told the kids that. The boundary pushers would figure it out. The rest would sit there working up the courage to ask for a rule exception, rather than a right.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 2h

Anyhow, I truly didn’t understand how Americans, of all people, seem so passive about our degrading labor conditions, let alone our galloping fascism, until I saw first-hand how even the “good” and caring middle schools are designed to train our kids to accept this specific kind of discipline.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 2h

Wednesdays they have short classes and a short day, so they’re not supposed to disrupt by going out. Then build enough toilets! And/or give them better breaks than Amazon warehouses! Their hallway passing time feels like a horrible airport.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 3h

They’re supposed to go in the 3 minutes between classes. Two toilets for ~165 6th graders in a packed building. If they’re late to the next class, teachers announce that a “Tardy“ goes on their record, apparently. So my poor 11yo bled through her clothes on Wednesday. I was apoplectic.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 3h

This is hidden curriculum stuff. 80 girls. One toilet. 3 mins between class. 12 hall passes per term. Tell them they can’t use passes first/last 15 mins of class, or ever on Wednesdays. The real lesson: *How long does it take an American kid to figure out “These rules don’t apply to me.”*

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 3h

And: “We’re all on our own with this unearned problem.“

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Clever Mia @readvesna.com · 5h

the average radiology patient speaks no languages, cannot tell left from right, doesn't know the difference between turning and moving side to side, doesn't understand the difference between hands, feet and shoulders, and cannot physically stand still. and we care for them anyway. mwah

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JW Mason @jwmason.bsky.social · 4h

One of my favorite bits from my teaching notes.

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On This Day in Simpsons History @dailysimpsons.bsky.social · 6h

“You secretly long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king!” #TheSimpsons episode “Sideshow Bob Roberts” first aired on this day, October 9, 1994.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 6h

“Well, I guess middle school is always tough, you know.“ “It’s not like that in any other country, BRAD.“

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 6h

Americans love exceptionalism, but often have no clue how far outside the norms we are, or who our peers are. WTF is wrong with the parents and school leaders who needed me to spell out over and over that we’re witholding water and bathrooms from 11yos, and that’s cruel? And still did nothing?

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 6h

Exactly. I spent September explaining to US parents how cruel & *unusual* middle school practices are, starting with the whole notion of isolating 11-14yos as a cohort. Capital punishment, Electoral College, mass incarceration, job-based health care, guns, frats, middle school: So much Freedom.

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Sean Morrow @snmrrw.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Never forget that David Ellison's Skydance Media was originally created so he could be an actor. Skydance's first film was 'Flyboys' starring James Franco and... David Ellison. David and his daddy invested $60m to make Flyboys. It grossed $17m Here's a bit of David's acting:

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 12h

I remember Anita Hill on RTE News in 1991 describing his repulsive harrassment. (Thanks, Biden.) If I’d wanted to be ruled by corrupt Opus Dei pervert judges, I would’ve stayed in 1991 Ireland. 🫠

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Anil Dash @anildash.com · 14h

Didn't take long for our newly Saudi-owned monopoly media conglomerate to expand their content franchise to their new territory.

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Pookleblinky @pookleblinky.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

The reason young people vibe with liminal horror is that the wealthy have spent the last half century destroying all anthropological spaces they can exist in, leaving *only* non-places en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-place

en.wikipedia.org

Non-place - Wikipedia

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 13h

This whole thing starting to smell like the McDonnell-Douglas takeunder of Boeing.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 13h

We’re at the Double Jeopardy stage of labor statistics defenses

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 14h

Can’t remem the last time I saw this much ‘flu and COVID ripping around the East Bay in early October.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 14h

That guy is a MAGA DOGE nightmare. Another reminder of how few of the tech billionaires are tech at all.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 15h

I’m very fond of the neighbours I grew up with in 1980s Ireland. Looking back, that’s because we never had to hear each others‘ batshit inside voices.

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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 20h

Ophthalmologist Dr. Agatha Aboe led the medical campaign in Ghana to eliminate trachoma (leading infectious cause of preventable blindness globally). It worked. Ghana became the 1st country in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate the disease, 2018. #WorldSightDay #WomenInSTEM

A low-angle, close-up portrait of renowned Ghanaian ophthalmologist and public health pioneer Dr. Agatha Aboe. Celebrated for leading the historic medical campaign that made Ghana the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate trachoma in 2018, she is captured looking upward and to the left with an optimistic, serene smile. Her black hair is neatly styled with shaved, patterned sides. She wears distinctive semi-translucent, light-blue-framed glasses and bright orange, teardrop-shaped beaded earrings that offer a vibrant color contrast. Her top is a simple, high-collared bright blue shirt. The background features a soft-focus, minimalist golden-yellow architectural column under warm, natural sunlight. The tight composition and uplifting lighting establish an empowering, visionary mood, symbolizing her historical significance as a leading global voice for Women in STEM who now exports eye-health roadmaps to other endemic nations

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 15h

Pacing myself through Jane Eyre’s boarding school right now and for sure couldn’t handle Oliver Twist.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 15h

Poli Sci professors missing the “know your audience“ moment again.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 15h

Now I’m fretting he’s going to energize all the demoralized KKK voters who were going to stay home because of gas prices.

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William Gibson @greatdismal.bsky.social · 19h

Having long been aware of those tech bros who read my work as utopian porn, where they’ve taken that doesn’t exactly surprise me.

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 16h

Was surprised to hear from a friend who teaches at one of the Bay Area’s most rigorous private schools that they’re absolutely using AI in high school classes. (I’d assumed they‘d go back to quill and parchment to protect those expensive brains.) Why? “To prepare for using it in college.“ 🫠

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Rothaí @rothaiocht.bsky.social · 16h

I regret that I didn’t camp outside the office to make it clear in person weeks ago...but I’m also shocked at the hundreds of parents who seemingly let this slide for years??

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