Benjamin Flowers
@benjy-flowers.bsky.social
Professor of Architecture, Knowlton School, The Ohio State University. Research and write about stadiums, sport architecture, and skyscrapers. Fmr. Exec. Board member IAKS. Arsenal supporter/sufferer. Opinions mine.
Requisite Tony Judt quote about the single greatest institutional achievement in 250 years of the Republic:
Gerry Doyle@mgerrydoyle.bsky.social · 3w agou.s. public universities are great and it's kind of a shame so many legislators have decided they hate them
Florida State University To Phase Out Academic Operations By 2010
SARASOTA, FL—Bowing to pressure from alumni, students, and a majority of teaching professors of Florida State University, athletic director Dave Hart Jr. announced yesterday that FSU would completely ...
theonion.com
Mike Boylan-Kolchin@mbkplus.bsky.social · last mo."Across DI colleges, 94 percent of athletics programs, including 49 of the 69 Power colleges, spent more than they generated in revenue in the 2023–24 academic year. The median college reported a gap of $20.6 million. This gap was larger than the median a decade earlier ($12.3 million)."
This is what my book is about! More or less! (I call it "advantageous agnosis.")
Alondra Nelson@alondra.bsky.social · last mo.Big Tech and AI companies have refined these prior industrial tactics into what I call 'algorithmic agnotology': the exploitation of technical complexity to obscure accountability and naturalize inscrutability as inherent to digital systems.
"No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership".
Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 national associations
UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions.
uefa.com
What does football need? Is it more kleptocracy? FIFA has thoughts...
Miguel Delaney@migueldelaney.bsky.social · last mo.What rational or financial argument is there to sell off one of the most valuable "products" in the world - that you insist is only going to become more valuable? Why would you sell off ownership in the World Cup? It's not like there are debt issues www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
The drug war also acts as sort of a “price support” for drug traffickers. It turns minimally processed agricultural and chemical commodities that cost pennies to produce into priceless substances through a counterproductive risk premium. It ensures there will be an endless supply of traffickers.
Matt Eminem@legalleadtheway.bsky.social · last mo.Sure, we’re doing extrajudicial killings that should shame all those involved for generations, but at least it also totally fails to achieve the stated objectives.
A lot of people have been texting me congrats on this news today…it’s been a whirlwind, I’ll say for this lifelong Arsenal supporter.
This is great—will play when one day myself, for sure.
Fare network @farenet.bsky.social · 2mo agoJapan 🇯🇵 Japan's Football Association is growing "Walking Football", a no-running, one-foot-down format open to seniors, people with limited mobility and newcomers. 337 joined as first-timers, advancing a "football for all" inclusion drive. buff.ly/Cc0Gwsk
An email from my alarm company informs me I need to order a new system battery. I follow the prompt in the email to "chat" with a live agent to order said battery. In the midst of a discussion of battery types, the "live" agent tells me:
Post World Cup analysis on 🏟️#stadiums (stadia 😉), urban architecture, and what these buildings mean for cities from architecture Professor @benjy-flowers.bsky.social www.dezeen.com/2026/07/16/b...
"Stadiums are the most significant expression of monumentality in our time"
Benjamin Flowers considers the role of stadiums as one of the last monumental architectural forms that demands affection from the public.
dezeen.com
Dezeen@dezeen.com · 2mo agoWith stadium construction intensifying and the World Cup drawing to a close, our Future Stadium series looks at the future of one of the world's most impactful buildings. https://www.dezeen.com/2026/07/13/future-stadium-series-introduction/
It’s the first day of my research fellowship at the…
Bologna opens a new library containing more than 32,000 books from Umberto Eco's private study - arranged exactly as he left them - a decade after his death.
Umberto Eco library opens in Bologna, 10 years after his death
The University of Bologna has opened a new public library housing the personal book collection of writer Umberto Eco, a decade after his death.
wantedinmilan.com
today in destroying higher ed is economic sabotage: “Economists project a 1/3drop in international STEM students will strip $240-481B from GDP research institutions employ enormous numbers of people directly, purchase locally, anchor economies” johnaubreydouglass.substack.com/p/trump-poli...
Trump Policies Depressing Not Only Future US Graduate Student Enrollments, But Economic Growth
On the Anniversary of the One Big Beautiful Bill we are seeing the consequences
johnaubreydouglass.substack.com
Man, the social safety net in this country for failsons must be the envy of the rest of the world.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo agoRep. Tom Kean finally speaks after months away from Congress for a previously unexplained absence: "I was given the diagnosis of depression ... the doctors recommended I remain in the hospital to address my illness"
Maxims from architectural history that are spot on comments about right wing classicism, ca. 2026, part 2: Auguste Perret: One must never allow into a building any element destined solely for ornament, but rather turn to ornament all the parts necessary for the support
Maxims from architectural history that are spot on comments about right wing classicism, ca. 2026: Eugène Viollet-le-Duc: In architecture, there are two necessary ways of being true. It must be true according to the program and true according to the methods of construction.
🎸 DC Punk Archive is back on the rooftop ⚡ MLK Library kicks off the 12th season of live rooftop shows marking 50 years of punk in the U.S. Free, all-ages shows all summer bringing together fans and the DMV punk community. https://bit.ly/3YppyKm
McKinsey partner says the "mass affluent," with assets of $100k to $1 million, can use AI for banking now so bankers should focus on the emotional needs of the truly rich. (Please, won't someone think of the emotional needs of the truly rich?) www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The ‘Mass Affluent’ Are Losing Their Allure for Wealth Managers Navigating AI
Wealth managers keen to stay relevant in the age of artificial intelligence may soon find that clients with a mere $1 million in liquid assets are no longer worth spending human hours on.
bloomberg.com
Whistleblowers almost always pay a heavy price for their courage and honesty, and @bonitamersiades.bsky.social is no exception. What she endured after shedding light on some of the darkest corners of Fifa was awful; yet she soldiers on - and "soldiers" here, is the right word. A true truth fighter.
I'm a Fifa whistleblower - here's how Infantino keeps his grip on football
Football's world governing body remains unethical a decade into Gianni Infantino's reign, argues Bonita Mersiades, who exposed corruption in World Cup hosting bids
inews.co.uk
🔥"Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry & Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no." Whew!
Jess Calarco@jessicacalarco.com · 3mo agoAlexi Lalas's broadcast career is case-in-point evidence that a White man in the US can be leagues below his competitors and still end up getting the job. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Not sure what to get Satan for Father's Day? Look no further...
Hamed Aleaziz@haleaziz.bsky.social · 3mo agoSCOOP: ICE is planning to offload seven warehouses purchased for more than $700 million by either giving them to other federal agencies or selling them outright, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/u...
A member of Congress—you won't be surprised when you see which one—has filed an amendment to the FY27 State Department appropriations bill that would strip funding for the Fulbright Program. Use the link below to write your reps and ask them to oppose this amendment. #StandForFulbright
Action Alert: Tell Your Representative to Oppose Amendment That Would Eliminate Fulbright Program Funding
The Fulbright Program is the flagship U.S. government-sponsored international exchange program. For 80 years, Fulbright has stood as a cornerstone of American global engagement and has provided nearly...
votervoice.net
“What the American people need to understand,” the congressman added, “is that I’m very stupid.”
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3mo agoRep. Brandon Gill: "We particularly need the left to tone down the rhetoric ... somebody is gonna listen and believe they are the next Dietrich Bonhoeffer and act on that and that's what we're seeing here."
“We have a term for enterprises that look successful because they keep drawing in new investors and keep drawing in new investors because they look successful. They’re called Ponzi schemes. And Elon Musk is basically a human Ponzi scheme.” open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
Elon Musk, Human Ponzi Scheme
With Wall Street’s help, you’re about to be forced to buy stock in SpaceX
open.substack.com
Best use for these I’ve seen. Also always happy when anyone dumps on Dolan, an absolute failson.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani@mayor.nyc.gov · 3mo agoWhen James Dolan cancels the watch party outside MSG, we bring the watch party to you. Thanks to the @nba.com, Knicks Game 4 is now playing on dozens of LinkNYC screens across our city. LGK.
@danielagabor.bsky.social tells us in two minutes what the actual problem is
AI is the next financial bubble. Who pays when it bursts? | SOAS Explains
YouTube video by SOAS University of London
youtu.be
