I could watch a whole season of David Byrne talking music. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MEj...

Billie Eilish asked an important question: "If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?" There are FIVE ways to accumulate a billion dollars: 1) Profiting from a monopoly 2) Insider-trading 3) Political payoffs 4) Fraud 5) Inheritance Billionaires are the result of a failed system.

Who is the most influential person in your community or industry, but doesn’t post on social media?

Friends, please stop linking to Spotify like it’s ok. The company steadily siphoned money from indie artists, spent millions to host Joe Rogan, littered their library with AI music, and now the CEO is investing in AI weapons. There are plenty of less damaging ways to listen to music and podcasts.

Democratic party leadership has been on autopilot for ten years, they weren't losing to fascism, fascism isn't popular enough for them to lose to fascism, they were allowing it to fill the void where their leadership should have been. Tonight we're seeing that we have other options. They should too.

Tonight's even more proof the mainstream reporters who are still on Twitter are suffering from a brain problem akin Havana Syndrome that is preventing them from accurately doing their jobs. They are being cooked alive by a snuff-focused apartheid algorithm.

We did 163 essays at Evening News Plus. This was our last one: Why Journalism? substack.com/profile/5411...

I am surprised to finally read something from Ana Marie Cox that I do not agree with. I think this is a very limited take on reader-supported independent news that ignores the massive success of several important outlets like 404 Media, Hell Gate, The 51st, RANGE, Racket and beyond 🧵

Preach @lexroman.com The independent journalism renaissance is just getting started The CMS/biz tools that are not VC-funded and extractive are good now, and they are getting better rapidly And other pieces are coming too Substack and Patreon sucking isn't the end. It's the end of the beginning.

“Automakers aren't doing a good enough job of convincing consumers that EVs can have the same longevity as an old 1992 Honda Accord.” And lower maintenance costs overall! Maybe except for tires?

The New York Times is wrong about the electoral value of moderation www.gelliottmorris.com/p/the-new-yo...

If you must use ChatGPT to look something up (you probably don’t), ask it to “always provide citations with answers”. This setting is saved for future chats. Then, at least, you can check the sources, the sources get credit for the content ChatGPT stole.

Okay, for the folks who asked: here's the majority AI view, writing up the reasonable, thoughtful view on AI that the vast majority of people in tech hold, that gets overshadowed by the bluster and hype of the tycoons trying to shill their nonsense. anildash.com/2025/10/17/t... Please share!

The threats are real, but so is our power. ICE relies on fear and isolation. We can counter with preparation and solidarity. COYOTE has put together an evolving list of resources and tips for immigrants and their allies — for our current era and for all the difficult times to come.

Go @ebbooksellers.bsky.social!

@cyd.social is such a nifty tool. It’s rad to watch its creators dig into the details. Even radder to witness a team of hackers get together and build something so antithetical to corporate tech.

Near the end of the #SanFrancisco #NoKings march, I ran into a @kpfa.org reporter and got on the air. I’m pretty amped up in this recording, partly because it was loud out there, but also nerves and passion.

One of the most TRUE signs I have ever seen at a march. Write this down and act upon it, friends. #NoKings #Manhattan

What I think of as the distinction between early blogging and what we have now:

Do you need help with your website or e-commerce situation? My brother’s studio has availability: modelic.io They built @letterformarchive.org’s web shop. Helped @bipocdesignhistory.bsky.social build an online course platform, too. I can confirm you would be working people who are absolute gems.

This is actually a pretty good article? Immediately pointing out the police weren't defunded in the first screenshot then putting those two paragraphs next to each other in the second screenshot

@jonkimball.bsky.social Shamelessly asking for free domain advice. Feel free to ignore… Got type.town in 2020. Planned a site for folks in my font community but never got to it, and may not for another 3 years. Do I renew at $47? Or let it expire knowing I’ll find something as good when I’m ready?

tried to write a breezy lil show preview for @coyotemedia.org about Mabuhay Gardens’ reopening party wound up twisting myself into knots over SF’s musical nostalgia issues and how to reconcile the words “tech week coworking space” with “birthplace of SF punk” www.coyotemedia.org/mabuhay-gard...

Attended Local Economy’s first event tonight (for the fabulous @coyotemedia.org—support them!). @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social’s project is the real deal, bringing soul to Rockridge. A homey, sincere space, hosting a range of stuff I can’t imagine at any other venue. www.thelocaleconomy.com/events

This shocked me: “There’s more traffic to Strength in Numbers now than there was at 538 six months before the election.”

The backlash to Trump's immigration agenda has impacted broader attitudes about the value of immigration in America apnorc.org/projects/abo...

I appreciate the AI skepticism coming from @techcrunch.com vs other tech media: techcrunch.com/2025/09/25/m... The key: It “comes as Meta has recently invested heavily in revamping its AI efforts amid concerns that it was falling behind competitors.” Whose concerns? What does “falling behind” mean?

The Guardian(!) covering the closure of local news in Santa Cruz: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... It includes a link to this study revealing a roughly 75% decline in local journalists since 2002. www.rebuildlocalnews.org/local-news-c... #SantaCruz #LocalJournalism #LocalNews

Not an Onion article sfstandard.com/2025/09/19/a...

Becoming increasingly clear we’re gonna have to build a parallel infrastructure for all the media we really love. The reason all of this is happening under the color of law is hyperconsolidation, dissent being traded straight up for merger approval, or fear of harassment.

DHH doesn't appreciate being called a "Nazi," as he reminds us in the middle of his essay on [checks notes] how he prefers to live in cities full of people that look and think the way he does.

Who likes Liquid Glass? Sincerely. I’m asking before I upgrade. Does anyone? Do you?

Every time I go back to the Flickr app after too long away it is almost surprising how nice it is. Like going back in time to when apps had no ads and everything was chronological. Such a relief. So inspiring. So pleasant.

Sad to say I’m seeing more and more false or misleading posts here (a la Twitter) from the Left. Often these are from accounts who lazily repost stuff without really checking into it. Or maybe it’s always been that way and I just started looking at Discover too much.

Was curious how media covered the fatal shooting of Malcolm X in 1965: "His Life Story: A Study in Hate" One AP report on the murder opened: "Malcolm X, fiery renegade of the Negro radical movement, was assassinated Sunday..." Philly Inquirer called him a "Merchant of Venom"

Saturday's geology walk in downtown Oakland has tickets available! The sales cutoff was an operator error. Get tickets now til then!

I highly recommend the newsletter from Ganzeer, an artist I got to know while cocurating Strikethrough: alecto.eomail4.com/web-version?... I don’t agree with the complete inevitability of AI, but we can learn from what artists did in other grim times.

Hi! We're Casual Carpool

#CasualCarpool is back! Thanks, @oaklandside.org, for the story: oaklandside.org/2025/08/08/t... Only Lake Merritt so far. I drive by the Claremont & Hudson stop MWF and would love to carry 2–3 folks at no charge. Any takers? @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social This would be a good Forum topic, maybe?

What happens if Substack continues with their lock-in of writers, but other platforms on the open social web can offer better distribution and discovery?

“AI Ain’t It” — @jonkimball.bsky.social

Focusing only on the “efficiency” of AI is like focusing on driving time in cities. The cost of building to save a few minutes is social services not provided, reinforced economic stratification, and the mental and physical effects of cars having more right to exist in public than people.

“States don’t have to actively resist. They can simply refuse to help.” cmarmitage.substack.com/p/its-time-f...

Been waiting for some analysis that explores whether the worst-case GOP gerrymandering scenario would present an insurmountable obstacle for Dems in 2026, and now we have some. The answer: Yes, Dems can absolutely still win the House. Via @gelliottmorris.com. www.gelliottmorris.com/p/how-will-r...

Nearly seven years in the making, the plan from the state transit agency establishes priorities for all urban bike paths on land controlled by the state — including dozens of improvements for Oakland.

YT channel with English subtitles if you're interested youtu.be/KRtyMCeDw8o?...

I don't know why this lad is building a subterranean city for cats, but I'm all for it.

As Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo put it: "A city where you can get let go of your child's hand"

Humanists + lib folks who pursue fed grants, are you still applying for stuff? I'm on the fence. I said no to pursuing a NEH Public Impact out of concern re politicization of US history. I'm wondering if applying to other things can be a form of resistance or whether to redirect my energy elsewhere.

Please enjoy this goat’s high quality horns and beard. @laureola.bsky.social and I lucked into the East Bay fire-mitigation team on Sunday’s hike. #Oakland #SFBA #Goats