Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 13/08/2026What’s Happening in Kansas Should Alarm Us All www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/o...nytimes.comOpinion | What’s Happening in Kansas Should Alarm Us AllIs Kansas just the beginning? 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Of course I love this! www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/w...nytimes.comPumping Iron Is Their Secret to Aging Well (Gift Article)Greysteel, a gym outside Detroit, teaches barbell lifting for older people. Some are well into their 80s and 90s. 121
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 29/07/2026This read made my morning. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/s...nytimes.comMatt Damon’s Biceps in That ‘Odyssey’ Fight Scene? They’re Hers. (Gift Article)Devyn Dalton, a 4-foot-6 woman, is the leading man’s stunt double in Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster. 162
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 19/07/2026Very intentionally! Footwear is the space killer, so for me it's a hiking shoe, a light walking sneaker, and flip-flops that double as house shoes. A very lightweight rain coat and a BIG carry-on bag, like the BAGGU cloud. Sounds so fun! 111
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Took forever to write, but it's up: my Style Granny go-to summer clothing sources, new and vintage — and the fun of feeling good in what I wear. susanmernit.substack.com/p/style-gran...susanmernit.substack.comStyle Granny 16: Curvy, Petite, Older: Fun-to-Wear Brands Working For Me This SummerCover Your Bases #97 100
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 01/06/2026Lived experience: AI reducing the need for research staffers; what does that mean for the nonprofit sector? susanmernit.com/2026/06/ai-h...susanmernit.comAI Helped Me Do 30 Hours of Work in 4 Hours — What Does That Mean for The Nonprofit Sector? - Susan MernitOne consultant. Four hours. Work that would have taken a senior researcher 35–60 hours. What happens to the nonprofit knowledge worker pipeline when AI compresses that equation — and the savings don't... 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 04/05/2026This issue focuses on AI because it's overdue. I've spent the better part of the last six months working seriously with Perplexity as part of my daily workflow, and I've been meaning to write it up properly. susanmernit.substack.com/p/cover-your...susanmernit.substack.comCover Your Bases #93: How I Use Perplexity and Claude(And how you can integrate them into your workflow as well) 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 24/04/2026Just got a new scam: an invitation to apply to a conference in another country as a specialist in my field, with forms for an interview, meeting, etc. Awed by the level of research they did in selecting targets--compared to the awful job of actually trying to appear credible. 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 20/04/2026Digging into the new 2026 Stanford HAI AI report from the perspective of what it means for small nonprofits--a 4-part series, starting here: susanmernit.com/2026/04/2026...susanmernit.comWhat the 2026 AI Index Actually Tells Small Nonprofit Leaders (And What It Doesn't Tell) (1 of 4) - Susan MernitThe 2026 Stanford AI Index Report has real implications for small nonprofits — but the headline numbers require careful translation. Here's what the data actually means at your organizational scale. 011
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 12/04/2026Totally enjoyed this great read: www.gq.com/story/what-o...gq.comWhat Ozempic Taught Me About Style and Self-WorthI have always loved clothes. Gaining 100 pounds robbed me of my sense of style, but not my interest in fashion. Nine months on GLP-1s and a diary changed everything all over again. 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 10/04/2026The well-documented and precise level of ICK and grift @jenniferweiner.bsky.social is documenting—and I only got to read the free part—is such a compelling, and uneasy read: open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...open.substack.com 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 07/04/2026 More writing! We went thrifting in Round Top, Texas! Here’s my Style Granny post about the thrifting, the trip, and the experience of leaving one bubble (Bay Area) for another (deep Texas). susanmernit.substack.com/p/style-gran...susanmernit.substack.comStyle Granny 10: Three Days Thrifting in Round TopAka Cover Your Bases #88 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 06/04/2026New Cover Your Bases Newsletter #87, focused on good things to read and watch: open.substack.com/pub/susanmer...open.substack.comCYB #87: Some great things to read and watch (and a little weightlifting)It’s spring, and life feels paradoxical. 022
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 03/04/2026Reading www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...theatlantic.comIf You Need a Laptop, Buy It NowElectronics are getting more expensive and worse. Blame the AI boom. 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 31/03/2026More fun with Style Granny posts: fashion, thrifting, family, with kind of with a dose of MAGA. susanmernit.substack.com/p/style-gran...susanmernit.substack.comStyle Granny 9: Packing for a 5-Day Girls' Trip to Round Top, TXAKA Cover Your Bases #86 110
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 29/03/2026Appreciating the value in this essay. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/29/o...nytimes.comOpinion | I Saw Something New in San Francisco 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 23/03/2026#AI can help with post-award grant work—but only if you have a system in place. Here are five practical ways to use it for reporting, calendars, budget review, and more, based on a workshop I did for #Instrumentl last week. susanmernit.com/2026/03/how-...susanmernit.comHow to Use AI for Post-Award Grant Work — Without the Guesswork - Susan MernitLearn five practical ways to use AI for post-award grant work, from tracking requirements to drafting reports, using a simple AI Binder workflow. 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 22/03/2026Yeah, I've totally gotten into #vintage! A great self-care focus area. Here's the latest post in that thread: susanmernit.substack.com/p/style-gran...susanmernit.substack.comStyle Granny 8: How I’m Storing My Vintage Woolens This SpringAKA Cover Your Bases #85 051
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 20/03/2026Boosting. I did civic tech support work for @knightfoundation.org projects for many years. 011
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 20/03/2026Going to read deeply about this. Good on you, @knightfoundation.org 150
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 16/03/2026#fashion Style Granny #7: what I’m wearing this summer, what I’m leaving behind, and how my summer wardrobe is evolving from last year. open.substack.com/pub/susanmer...?open.substack.comStyle Granny #7: What I'm Wearing This Summer (And What I'm Leaving Behind)Cover Your Bases #84 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 09/03/2026A new newsletter, Cover Your Bases with movie recs--and thinking about leaving ChatGPT. open.substack.com/pub/susanmer...?open.substack.comCYB #83: There is nothing vague about Nouvelle VaguePlus things to watch, eat, and do—and whether I’m leaving ChatGPT 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 08/03/2026Stupid begets stupid. Great reporting in awful decisions. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/a...nytimes.comWhen DOGE Unleashed ChatGPT on the Humanities 022
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 05/03/2026Sharing claude.com/contact-sale...claude.comClaude for Open Source | Claude by AnthropicApply to the Claude for Open Source program. Eligible OSS maintainers and contributors get Claude Max for 6 months on us. 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 04/03/2026Loving this great #weightlifting read www.evilwitches.com/witches-who-...evilwitches.comWitches who lift!!Especially strong mothers 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 02/03/2026New Cover Your Bases Newsletter is up: susanmernit.substack.com/p/cyb-81-ama...?susanmernit.substack.comCYB #81: Amazing Art, Practical AI Governance…And What I’m Reading & Watching 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 28/02/2026Sharing www.anthropic.com/news/stateme...anthropic.comStatement from Dario Amodei on our discussions with the Department of WarA statement from our CEO on national security uses of AI 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 26/02/2026"It is as if the nation were being soaked by a torrential downpour, water rolling over umbrellas and into boats, soaking everyone’s clothes—and the leader whose job it is to lead them through the deluge insists that it is... in fact, ...the sunniest day ever." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...theatlantic.comThe State of the Union Revealed a Sad RealityDonald Trump misused the annual presidential tradition in ways so radical as to call the ritual itself into question. 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 25/02/2026Which of these is not like the other? "Just as President Trump has said, he's been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein," --White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson--and this-- www.npr.org/2026/02/24/n...npr.orgJustice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to TrumpAn NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump. 121
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 20/02/2026Reading www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...theatlantic.comWords Without ConsequenceWhat does it mean to have speech without a speaker? 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 19/02/2026New blog post on obstacles for nonprofits using AI to turn their usage into a shared practice. susanmernit.com/2026/02/an-a... #ai #nonprofitaisusanmernit.comAn AI Checklist Isn’t the Solution: Shared Agreements Are - Susan MernitAI adoption is high, but impact stays limited when teams avoid shared decisions. Clarify boundaries, verification, and accountability in one workflow. 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 15/02/2026And a refreshing push back: www.linkedin.com/pulse/someth...linkedin.comSomething Messy Is Happening: On AI, Panic, and Asking Better QuestionsMaybe you, like me, read Matt Shumer's viral piece about AI eliminating 50% of white-collar jobs in the next 1-5 years and maybe you, like me, thought… Oh. Isht. 130
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 15/02/2026This post about AI and the future of work by #MattSchumer has gone so viral that two non-techy friends called today to discuss what it could mean for their young daughter's future. I find the tone a little too dramatic; yet the assertions are spot on. : www.linkedin.com/pulse/someth...linkedin.comSomething Big Is HappeningThink back to February 2020. If you were paying close attention, you might have noticed a few people talking about a virus spreading overseas. 110
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 12/02/2026Check out my new post! It’s a deep dive into a weekend of thrifted, vintage clothes for a special LA weekend with family and friends. susanmernit.substack.com/p/cyb-79-sty...susanmernit.substack.comCYB #79: Style Granny 3: Dressing for a special birthday winter weekend in LAGetting into a weekend's worth of thrifted, vintage clothes 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 09/02/2026SO much great energy here. BadBunny is the best. www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Fu...youtube.comBad Bunny's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime ShowYouTube video by NFL 041
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 04/02/2026Absolutely loving this piece about wolf extinction disrupting Japan’s ecosystem, written from the context of Frank Shyong's visit to Hokkaido's Station Inn Hirafu. Dreaming and reading! frankbear.substack.com/p/borrowed-t...frankbear.substack.comBorrowed time at Hokkaido's Station Inn HirafuA stay at Station Inn Hirafu, a place sustained by a fragile equilibrium between human, nature and railroad - and repeated shinkansen delays. 011
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 03/02/2026Style Granny! More in this series on getting into vintage fashion as an older lady and becoming more intentional about clothes. And yeah, this one has AI tools, too. susanmernit.substack.com/p/cyb-78-sty... 040
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 27/01/2026The world has made me step back a bit from the socials, but now Cover Your Bases #76 is out. Reflections on right now, some great reads and things to watch, and yes, some tips on working with AI--I've gotten into doing research with #perplexity, so more on that. open.substack.com/pub/susanmer...?open.substack.comCYB #76: Trying to Make Sense of It This JanuaryCruelty, visibility, queer representation—and a healthy dose of WTF. (...plus an AI tip.) 010
Reposted by Susan MernitAshley Kuckelman @ashleyvotesblue.bsky.social · 25/01/2026Republicans could stop this insanity right now if they wanted too. Do not let them off the hook. They have the power to end this immediately. 15383178
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 21/01/2026While recovering from my hip injury (and unable to lift), I got back into vintage fashion. In this newsletter, some reflections. susanmernit.substack.com/p/cyb-76-int...susanmernit.substack.comCYB #76: Introducing Style Granny, An Occasional SeriesThis is the first in a series about fashion, vintage shopping, and figuring out what I actually like as an mature person (one with lots of energy, but up there in years now.) 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 12/01/2026New newsletter’s up: CYB #75 –2026 intentions, books I loved, vintage obsessions, and why lifting weights is helping me stay sane. Also: Frankie Faison in Ripple, Oslo in winter, and vintage clothes for the win. susanmernit.substack.com/p/cyb-75-wea... 010
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 03/01/2026Starting back today with weightlifting; doing more with warmups and associated movements to keep everything strong. This is 105 lbs, went well. 090
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 31/12/2025Just posted CYB#74: Pivots All the Way Down. This issue of the newsletter about shifting gears—injuries, vintage fashion obsessions, and AI tangents—with lots of recs for what to read + watch right now. susanmernit.substack.com/p/cyb74-pivo... 000
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 30/12/2025Back at the gym. Thrilled to work out without pain. 180
Susan Mernit @smernit.bsky.social · 30/12/2025Energizing! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...theguardian.comMamdani to be sworn in as New York mayor in abandoned subway stationMamdani to take oath of office on New Year’s Eve in Gilded Age subway station beneath city hall 040