"Thank you, Minneapolis. We love you. Do me a favor and take care of each other, alright? It don't matter the color, we are all family." - Prince, May 2015 "Rally for Peace" at Paisley Park

I scanned the sketch, tinted it to sepia tones in photoshop, printed it out on watercolor paper at a slightly larger size (12x16), and got the initial washes of color down. I did color tests in photoshop so I knew how to approach the tones. This is about an hour's worth of painting so far, I think?

fwiw these are unionized hotels and their local sent a formal request to employers not to accept ICE bookings or allow ICE to use their facilities www.facebook.com/share/p/1aV9...

This is extraordinary. They aren’t just kicking the ICE agents out. They’re temporarily closing the hotel altogether due to “heightened safety concerns in St. Paul.”

The images and stories coming out of Minneapolis are extraordinary. We can't say we did not know what was happening. Lots of people are putting their bodies on the line to make sure we do.

you know this guy is a FOR REAL photographer because he's telling the story of his brutal, unconditional arrest by federal goons and can't help but slip in a gear review

South Side. 3000 Sidney Street. Caller is with ICE and says that protestors have them blocked in.

damn what is wrong with me, i am having the hardest time concentrating on work, i lament as i compulsively refresh live feeds of unspeakable horrors

You have to block them immediately. The full nuclear. They are only here to make folks angry, and that can’t happen if we lock them out.

Hi, bisexual romance writer here to tell you harrassing real-life bisexual actors is a shit thing to do and people need to learn some goddamn boundaries. (This post is about Canadian treasure François Arnaud who’s been really doing some emotional work as an out queer dude on the PR circuit.)

And finally, last but not least and better late than never, books I finished in December, post 1 of 3:

Okay I started this project last year and it bothers me to leave it unfinished so, here are the books I read in November, post 1 of 3:

If ICE isn't currently active in your city, it's a great time to distribute whistles and zines and info to your community. Don't assume what's happening in Minneapolis can't happen where you live.

I called the Herr's Product Quality Concerns line and reached a nice lady. She listened to my whole little saga. She waited, then said, "I bet you believe they're made from real potatoes now!" I may never recover.

incredible update because I'm reasonably sure he's the villain of the next book

No emoji can adequately convey the face I just made reading this

Gary Bettman, talking to reporters in DC, just said he binged all six eps of Heated Rivalry. He likes it.

We have family and friends we're checking in with and the messages are all some form of 'bringing hotdish and still tooled up, strapped, come take our icy tundra, we'll drink Surly from your empty skulls while listening to Prince'

One of the things about people showing up to protest for the first time, that many, many armchair theorists don't grasp, is the effect of seeing what happens with your own eyes, then seeing how media covers it, and what is said ABOUT YOU by media and political personalities/office holders.

Some news from me!

My partner @jasoncapsaicin.bsky.social made a step by step guide on how to break up ice in your neighborhood in Minnesota. Enjoy!

Friends, please take a moment and read this piece by poet, children's book author (and fellow South High grad - go Tigers!) Bao Phi. It's wonderful and moving and necessary. time.com/7345628/anti...

in all the heated rivalry discourse i just dont want anyone to forget how hot francois arnaud is. im spreading awareness of how this man can step on me if he wants

With this list of Minnesota labor and community orgs this is REAL. Not internet randos repeating a meme.

There’s value in overt surveillance but it’s worth reading up on how to surreptitiously conduct vehicle tails as well if you want to minimize personal risk. DHS (including ICE ERO) has access to all state plate/license databases

okay, here we go... Here are my picks for the 30 most exciting SFF titles coming out in the first half of the year! There are a LOT of beautiful books coming up—it's gonna be a really good year for spec fic reactormag.com/30-sff-title...

i'm not a voting member for either the nebulas or hugos but guys hear me out--

Journalists often go on hand-fed ride-alongs with agents. Seldom, though, do they get into the cars of everyday people protecting their communities from those same agents. We just did exactly that, in ICE-occupied Minneapolis:

Hey. You know those cute little crow time comics everyone loves so much? That's Isa. That's who everyone is talking about. I think that needed to be made clear since I noticed some confusion and a lot are actually rather unaware of this fact because she's great at separating herself from this.

Used to tell anyone who asked that I couldn’t root for the Steelers so long as Roethlisberger was on the team, and then they went and got Rodgers, so I’m still over here like Well,,,

one of the most effective weapons we have against fascism is mockery, especially when its really funny

Early 2025: Trump admin tries to illegally shut down the CFPB, the newest member of the Federal Reserve system. Jay Powell says nothing. Summer 2025: Trump admin tries to illegally fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook. Powell says nothing. 2026: Trump admin comes for Powell. He finally finds his voice.

there are *so* many people who cower before trump's threats, and jerome fucking powell is out here on youtube going, "all of this is corrupt horseshit, they're doing it because i won't bail them out, they're all liars"

KO'ing everyone's 401k the week they started bragging about murdering citizens in the street on camera is the behavior of people who are on actual drugs. Not metaphorically, it's the behavior of people with underlying mental illness on uppers and steroids who are starting to feel cornered.

I’ve been listening to Marketplace for 25 years now and Kai Ryssdal now posts like we post and I can’t help but worry that this means circumstances have broken him as much as they’ve broken us

Why Would Women Like Naked Gorgeous Men Talking About Their Emotions. Why Would Women Like Beautiful Sexy Men Yearning Sexily. Why Would Women Like Sculpted Butts And True Love. The Female Mind Is An Enigma.

A frankly astounding Humble Bundle of about 70 books by women SFF writers, including the Iskryne series by @pennyvixen.bsky.social and me and my first two Karen Memory novels, for $25 for the whole bundle, benefitting youth mental health. www.humblebundle.com/books/fierce...

Down on my knees begging writers to talk to a single romance readers before churning out yet another absolutely unhinged Heated Rivalry take

Laughing so hard I can’t breathe “Gay” is not the genre, ROMANCE is

lol, this review of Heated Rivalry in the New Yorker starting out by talking about Maurice by EM Forester is really killing me. It's a genre romance, Jan. www.newyorker.com/culture/crit...

I just spent several hours working up a newsletter about The Pitt and what its very feral fandom says about media consumption and comprehension. 1050 words! On a Saturday! WTF?! romancing-the-stoned.beehiiv.com/p/the-pitt-a...

Having some thoughts about the nature of my fears as a Canadian that I want to try to express in deep solidarity with everyone in Minnesota and elsewhere fighting our common enemy. This thread will not be in the "Canadian asshole" genre. (The opposite, I hope). Still, mute if you want.

In Minneapolis this afternoon— Hundreds are streaming across the snow and ice into Powderhorn Park for a rally and march demanding ICE leave Minnesota. It is bitterly cold. There are hardcore Midwesterners out here making their way in with trekking poles.

This takes five minutes, is weirdly cathartic and provides you with a wide variety of ways to say 'I do not want this dog shit grey goo generating technology fucking up my user experience and I'm frankly amazed that you all think hammering yourselves in the groin is the move here.'

This survey took me about four minutes, go take it

Discord wants to know how you feel about AI. Go tell them: discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Lmao

just as a fun aside, everything I've read/seen from people who work with rhinos say their personality is very golden retriever. They just have super bad vision and can react badly if they feel unsafe. Watching them play like this is what I needed today.

Unsolicited advice for anyone on Bluesky who wants to fight fascism in 2026 - don't stress about following big national accounts. Instead, follow LOCAL groups and people who are doing actual work on the ground. Join them and do stuff right in your community. THAT'S where the real action is. ❤️💪

This morning, Ms. Rachel and I visited District 2 Pre-K Center, where we sang and read with the wonderful students and educators. We also discussed universal childcare - and how we're making it happen for NYC!