Cities have two maps. One human-drawn that divides us jurisdictionally, with roads, streets, and political boundaries, and a natural watershed map that ties communities together. #water #conservation #reforestation #environment #BlueRiver #rivers robinsmartinez.com/2026/01/the-...

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. -- Article I, Universal Declaration of Human Rights #HumanRights #UDHR

How do brands, particularly in the luxury sector, deal with problematic histories and adoption by extremists? No easy answers. #luxury #BrandStrategy #extremism robinsmartinez.com/2026/01/the-...

"... recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world ..." -- Universal Declation of Human Rights #humanrights

Hilton recently terminated its franchise agreement with a hotel in Minnesota that refused bookings for ICE agents. This presents a real conundrum for hotel owners. Given my work in the hotel industry, I wanted to share some thoughts on this subject. #hotels #ICE robinsmartinez.com/2026/01/hote...

A friend recently posted a meme, which got me thinking about the aesthetics of the Mar-a-Lago Look and my reaction to it. Here's a short piece I wrote exploring the idea. robinsmartinez.com/2026/01/the-...

Setting up concentration camps is not the way to deal with homelessness. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...

“A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defence [against] foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home.” James Madison, Address to the Constitutional Convention (1787)

Good to know our Secretary of Defense supports honoring soldiers who massacred largely unarmed women and children who were starving while trudging through the snow in the middle of winter. Secretary of War Crimes should be his title perhaps? #WoundedKnee #WarCrimes www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/u...

Fascinating story about rats and the increased numbers we're seeing in urban areas around the world. #rats www.bbc.com/news/article...

How can anyone not support artistic expression? www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

When you hear that the Trump Tariffs are screwing America, there's more to it than you realize. #tariffs www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/b...

While families struggle, and farmers face bankruptcy, the Trump family lounges on super yachts enjoying the privileges of power. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/w...

Yet another wonderful double standard from the administration ... renewable energy's terrible ... unless you're using it for crypto mining! #wind #renewables #energy #climate

Imagine that. Data shows domestic terrorism/political violence is primarily perpetrated by right-wing extremists. What does the DOJ do? It doesn't fit their narrative, so delete the study, of course! newrepublic.com/post/200537/...

Free speech for me, but not for you, is a hallmark of the right-wing.

I was going to make some time to day to write an essay about empathy and compassion, but @johnpavlovitz.bsky.social pretty much said what's been rattling around in my brain. His piece is worth a read.

Lest anyone forget, far-right violence has consistently been more lethal and frequent than far-left violence in the USA. Data from 2024 shows a continued trend of right-wing extremists committing the majority of politically-motivated murders. #violence #politics nij.ojp.gov/topics/artic...

A couple years ago I was pondering the prospect of political violence here in the USA and how we might devolve into what Italy experienced in its Years of Lead. With a right-wingnut killing legislators in MN and now today's events, seems we're on that path. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Years_o...

Whether JD Vance gives a shit or not, he's complicit in international criminal activity. www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025/0...

Given the number of countries the USA has invaded or bombed over the past century, re-branding the US Defense Dept as the "Department of War" pretty much constitutes truth in advertising. #WarDept #DefenseDept #war

If I'm a foreign investor/company considering siting a production facility in the USA, I'd be having second thoughts. Will be interesting to see if LG and Hyundai pull back on expanding US plants. #ICE #manufacturing #Hyundai www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Interesting use of AI ... turning the tables? futurism.com/ai-identify-...

Irony appears to be lost on Florida officials. That said, they're making it rather unappealing to travel there. #Florida #vaccines

Wonderful satirical op-ed from the Military Times. www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/mil...

I find it interesting that grand juries are pushing back on DOJ overreach. We may have to dispense with the old adage that a grand jury would indict a ham sandwich. Apparently not. This is a good thing, and a sign that citizens may be getting fed up. #sandwich www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...

Interesting argument in this article. It mirrors discussions many of us have had about the USA splintering. "Soft secession" seems like an interesting and perhaps inevitable next step. It’s Time for Americans to Start Talking About “Soft Secession” open.substack.com/pub/cmarmita...

I know how high my electricity bills get during the summer. It bites, but at least I'm privileged enough to afford it. Yet many can't, and we have an administration whose policies are increasing energy costs by trying to kill cheaper renewables. #energy #climate 🌎 bbc.com/future/artic...

I think South Park should add the Ghost of Jeffrey Epstein as a new character. I can see all sorts of possibilities with that, including a Christmas special where his ghost shows up to haunt Trump. #SouthPark #Epstein

I don't think many people understand how profoundly climate change will affect agriculture and our food supply. I know I don't. #agriculture #climate 🌎 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Zohran Mamdani has some of the best political messaging I've seen in years. Fellow Democrats should take some lessons.

This is absurd. Trump loves coal so much, they're forcing an old power plant to stay open at an exorbitant cost. The utility wanted to close it as part of a shift to cheaper renewables. Higher cost will be passed on to customers. #energy #coal #inflation 🌎 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

New information about the scope and scale of human rights abuses by ICE is shocking, but not surprising. Mass hiring of agents with no accountability, scaling up prison facilities with no meaningful oversight. This was bound to happen. #ICE #HumanRights www.wired.com/story/senate...

Disavowing diversity and inclusion efforts tanked Target's business. Compare and contrast with Nike's marketing campaign embracing Colin Kaepernick. Nike took heat from the MAGA crowd, but they knew their customers and it was a win. Target's board should learn some lessons. #Target #DEI

I knew building that shrimp farm next to Fukushima was going to be trouble!

Between the article from the Economist this recent piece from the Guardian, it has never been more clear that we need to get our act together as a species ASAP. #climate 🌎 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Strategic reforestation sounds like a good idea. Looking forward to learning more about this study. #reforestation #conservation #climate 🌎

Markwayne Mullin ... today's recipient of the Golden Kneepads Award. #GoldenKneePad

This is hilarious. Talk about a lapse in operational security! This comes close to adding journalists to a Signal chat group.

Great time for Trump's government to be gutting the USA's scientific research capacity. Looks like it may be time to reallocate more investments to China. The so-called Golden Age being trumpeted by US leadership is more like the Iron Pyrite Age. #China #science #innovation #investment

One of my favorite films is Lord of War. In the final scenes, the protagonist arms dealer, played by Nicolas Cage, tells an investigator that his boss, the US President, sells more merchandise in one day than he moves in a year. Good documentary on the arms biz here.

This story makes me sad. Wetlands have been on my mind lately because my wife, a professional photographer, has been documenting wetlands in the American Midwest and has an upcoming exhibition of her work. Hopefully more visibility can help protect these critical ecosystems. #wetlands #ecology 🌎

Boosting the signal for folks wanting to learn more about the spread of #misinformation.

This article strikes a chord ... every time I go to the grocery store, I'm shocked at how much everything costs. And don't even get me started on the price of quality clothing, the monthly electricity bill, etc.! #inflation #economy

“In DC, there are, right now, 30 open shelter beds for men and 30 open shelter beds for women in places that are very hard to get to and places that people don’t generally want to go, ...” So, where will homeless folks go? Jail? Is losing your home now a crime? #housing #homelessness #poverty

Political ads at their best. I can't vote in NYC because I don't live there, but Mamdani goes straight to what infuriates many of us about legacy politicians like Cuomo -- their sense of entitlement and corruption.

Dealing with misinformation and disinformation is a challenge. Here's a great quiz that can help increase your media literacy by helping you spot the trolls. #misinformation #MediaLiteracy spotthetroll.org

With high youth unemployment in China, some are paying to go to "fake" offices, including the aptly-named Pretend To Work Company in Dongguan. How does this differ from co-working space for solopreneurs? #China #co-working #unemployment www.bbc.com/news/article...

It's a rainy Sunday morning as storms traverse the Midwest. It's broken the oppresive humidity of the past few days. A good day for reading and writing. DJ Anub1s curates today's soundtrack with a compilation from various artists. Am enjoying this. youtu.be/o3DZrR8h6uU?...