Morning walk birds, and morning Fairy Castle cactus blooms in our front yard. Waiting to hear quail, mockingbird, thrasher. Surprised no hummers showed up this morning.

Can you read English cursive? Ever wanted to volunteer from the comfort of home for a useful cause? Have I got an offer for you... The Newberry Library in Chicago is always in need of transcribers to help decipher historical handwritten documents. If this is you, learn more about it below:

This is the NSF program that funds all of linguistics (and which funded my graduate study). Because of course knowing about how language works is woke nonsense that couldn't possible be in anyone's national interest 🫠

My 13 year old’s YouTube algorithm served him info about how gas prices are high. I think trump may really be in trouble this time?

Generous scope interpretation or stingy one?

Is uptalk still a significant sociolinguistic variable, linguists of bluesky? How about vocal fry? I feel like there's less metalinguistic commentary on both now than there used to be. What's the next big thing the young women are cooking up? @vocalfriespod.bsky.social 🐦🐦

I made a midterm Jeopardy board for my English Words students and got them donuts. We had fun. (YMMV, of course; it's a bit specific to the course content we've discussed so far and some of my idiosyncratic terminology choices.) jeopardylabs.com/play/advance...

I was disappointed to read Cory Doctorow's post where he got weirdly defensive about his LLM use and started arguing with an imaginary foe. @tante.cc has a very thoughtful reply here: tante.cc/2026/02/20/a... A few further comments, 🧵>>

cognitive reframing ahead of quals: ❌ I will be stuck in a room with a firing squad of friends and allies whose eyes will go red like robots in the movies for 2 hours to grill me ✅ THEY will be stuck in there with ME while I talk a 2 hour blue streak about my very favorite stuff in the world 😌

Sometimes everything depends on the kindness of one stranger from Colorado in the most tricked-out Jeep you ever saw.

Met with one of my international doctoral students today, close to finishing a really interesting dissertation, and they have decided not to apply to any academic positions inside the US after finishing. Not unexpected, just a sad reflection of our national self-sabotage.

Set up first phone for 12yo about to be 13. Felt like a big moment. 🥺

Driving north through the desert in Nevada we stopped to pee and explore a ghost town and found a microcosm of American culture wars playing out in an abandoned cement factory building. I took some photos. The star: a charred teddy bear wearing an American flag sweater we named Roosevelt.

We are hiring an assistant professor in cognitive neural systems in the department of psychology at the university of arizona. please use this link to check out the requirements and apply! arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Not using ChatGPT is one of my favorite hobbies, it’s great!

Why is no one discussing Joscha Bach being an absolutely insane racist who discussed genetically modifying Black people with Epstein??? On top of being a misogynist??

🧵Register for virtual attendance at the #LSA2026 conference! You can filter the 2026 LSA Annual Meeting Program for the Track "Hybrid" and see the 45 sessions that virtual registrants will be able to attend. www.linguisticsociety.org. And some real talk below:

What are the virtual social plans for #lsa2026? So far: - Hangouts in the zoom after each plenary, discuss the talk or just catch up! - Sign up for "dinner with linguists" small group zoom hangs with hosts including me, @heidiharley.bsky.social, and maybe you? (Still looking for volunteers!)

LSA members! You will have gotten a link to a 'Member Satisfaction Survey' a couple of times now, and the deadline for submitting your feedback is Monday. Please do click and completing it! We want to provide satisfaction! @lingsocam.bsky.social #linguistics

Last Day to Save on Early Bird Registration! The #LSA2026 Program includes an impressive lineup of research presentations, thought-provoking plenaries, and specialized networking opportunities. Today is your final chance for early bird savings—register now! web.cvent.com/event/d45318...

Linguists! Write time Friday is hosted this Friday again by the stalwart Melissa Baese-Berk @m2b2.bsky.social ! 10-12 ET -- come get some work done! www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

Bad news: Recklessly parking in a 20 min zone on campus on a Saturday earned me a $50 fine today. Good news: UAZ Parking and Transportartion apparently has partnered with a food bank and will forgive my fine in exchange for two boxes of cereal!

Linguists! Tomorrow's Write Time Friday is hosted by Melissa Baese-Berk again! 10-12 ET. @m2b2.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

@m2b2.bsky.social hosting tomorrow at 10aET!

Linguists! This week's Write Time Friday is hosted by LSA EC member and AAAS Section Z chair Melissa Baese-Berk! Join us and get some work done! #linguistics www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

Linguists! Tomorrow’s write time Friday is hosted by LSA grad student EC member John Starr! Come get some work done! 🐦🐦 @lingsocam.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

Who’s your favorite Jedi? (Wrong answers only)

Linguists! This week’s Write Time Friday is hosted by LSA ExCo member Shabnam Alizadeh at 11ET! Shabnam is one of our two student representatives and would love to see you there! @lingsocam.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

It’s raining in our part of the Sonoran desert today. It’s very soothing.

Clickbait headline but informative article The A.I. Prompt That Could End the World www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...

LSA members! I forgot to publicize this week's Write Time Friday, but if anyone wants some work buddies I'm hosting one right now! #linguistics www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

A happy linguist brain day yesterday, teaching Grimshaw 1979 on selection, exclamatives, concealed questions...Wrote 'so cool!' by examples 113-114. Also learned that Markov used text by Pushkin as the dependent data for the first ever Markov chain. @veritasium.bsky.social youtu.be/KZeIEiBrT_w?...

Big news! Starting in 2027, @cambup-linguistics.cambridge.org will publish the Journal of Black Language and Culture (JBLAC)—a new LSA journal highlighting the richness of Black language & culture across the globe. Learn more: www.lsadc.org/content.asp?... @acharityhudley.bsky.social

"The main function of the compact is to replace such provisions of law with 'the deal'—that is, a piece of paper, signed by the university, that purports to entitle the Department of Justice, on the basis of its own 'finding,' to take away all of these 'benefits'". #AcademicSky

Linguists! Write TIme Friday tomorrow with LSA EC member (and AAAS Section Z chair!) Melissa Baese-Bork @m2b2.bsky.social at 10ET. Join Melissa and other linguists in a quiet zoom room and get some work done! @lingsocam.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

turns out fixing AI slop code is a whole business model www.404media.co/the-software... vibecodefixers.com futurism.com/vibe-code-re...

Linguists! Another Write Time Friday with LSA Executive Committee member Kristen Syrett at 10a ET this Friday Sept 26! Come get some work done in a quietly supportive zoom room with other linguists! www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_... #linguistics @lingsocam.bsky.social

Write Time Friday for linguists with LSA Executive Committee member Kristen Syrett tomorrow at 10AM ET! Come get some work done in a zoom room with fellow linguists! #linguistics @lingsocam.bsky.social www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

Partner off on a prison-to-prison driving tour of southern Arizona to try to help a friend of a friend who was picked up by Homeland Security, me unexpectedly home with 8yo. We made a cake. Partner found friend’s friend and got to see him. Weird day.

I haven’t seen this on here but do any immigration lawyers know if it’s helpful for many people to call a detention facility and ask after someone in ICE custody, to let them know they’re on the radar (ala Amnesty International)? If so I might post info for friends to start calling… #ICE.

Come one come all! This Monday! 🐦🐦

Linguists! Another Write Time Friday coming up tomorrow @10am PT -- join me and others for community during two quiet hours of work time with other linguists in a zoom room! Be there! @lingsocam.bsky.social #linguistics www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_...

Holy mackerel. "The queens store and clone sperm to produce hybrids with M. structor genomes and M. ibericus mitochondria ... [T]he queens rely on M. structor males exclusively for its worker caste, suggesting a “domestication-like process”. www.404media.co/the-biologic...

Being John Malkovich Everything everywhere all at once

Rabbit Proof Fence.

Linguists! After what I hope was a restful summer, we’re starting the LSA Write Time Fridays again! Write in a zoom room with other linguists. Now featuring some Pacific-Time Friendly scheduling! I’m hosting this Friday at 1-3 ET, 10-12 PT. Hope to see you there! www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_... 🐦🐦

Epic California beach adventure early this morning hanging out with the sea lions, watching them surf, just vibing. So so good.

Time: 5:35 AM Jaxson (8): Mama! Me: …. * Jaxson: Did you know every moment is unique! You can never go back, even if you want to!! Your morning reminder that tempus fugit, brought to you by Jaxson. Take a deep breath; this moment will never come again.

Me: determined that each of child 1 and child 2 always receive equal value shares of everything. Unfortunately the only way child 2 knows to calculate the value of everything is “Does child 1 have it? Infinite value! Does child 1 not have it? No value!” Gah.