New paper alert, out today in @journalcam.bsky.social with my esteemed colleagues @walkerwestbrewer.bsky.social, @ifra-j.bsky.social, and @billard.bsky.social 🥳 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The parent trap: The roles of parent status and pervasive ambiguity about gender in public opinion on transgender rights in the United States

The rights of transgender youth have become a defining site of cultural and political conflict in the United States, with parents increasingly positioned as moral and political arbiters. Using nati...

tandfonline.com

Back on the pod for spooky season to chat one of my favorite topics! This episode we're covering Argento’s sensory feast Suspiria (1977), the 2018 remake, and all things Giallo. 🔪🩸 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Ep. 256: Suspiria (1977) (w/ Taylor Agajanian)

Podcast Episode · The Friendchise Podcast · 10/19/2025 · 2h 2m

podcasts.apple.com

First conference presentation at APSA 2025 wrapping up year one of my PhD 🤗

The Minneapolis shooter was wearing a KMFDM shirt bc they were a fan of past mass shooters and wanted to nod specifically to the Columbine Shooter Dylan Klebold. This has absolutely no connection to the band itself or their music which is politically left. Let's leave the Satanic Panic in the 90s.

Forgot about the Air and Water show and now I get to spend the rest of the week/end terrorized by the sound, worried about my apartment being hit by a fighter jet for literally no reason. But its fun I guess!

Maybe I am just sheltered from growing up in East Los Angeles but I am legit disturbed by the number of totally average young white women on the other app that are proud flagrant white supremacists, posting selfies and all. For free!

Is South Park going to be the reason deep fake technology gets outlawed 🤣

This whole “Children of the Waning Star” TikTok cult debacle is a prime example of why digital public spaces should NOT be all ages spaces. Children and teenagers need their own moderated digital spaces where they can express themselves and connect without being exploited by lonely adults or worse.

I thought I couldn't hate wasps more than I already do, but the high rise I live in is covered in bridge spiders (a type of orb weaver) which I have grown to love and to my horror I now have to witness their parasitic kidnappings by mud-daubers on a daily basis all summer long.

I did not have Tucker Carlson roasting the hell out of Ted Cruz on my 2025 bingo card.

These exposes are becoming increasingly common and yet there is very little interrogation of whether these metaphysical matrixy "AI as god" responses are the result of intentional training by the noted techno accelerationists who develop these chatbots. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/t...

They Asked an A.I. Chatbot Questions. The Answers Sent Them Spiraling.

nytimes.com

I went to Europe for the first time this last week and caught covid from these guys on the way out 🦴

With @cyborglibrarian.bsky.social at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia

My paper was accepted to #APSA!! Baby’s first conference 😭🎉

Two #AoIR submissions out the door 🤞🏼

Through the course of this fuckery I’ve noticed that there appears to be no strategy beyond sheer chaos and acceleration. They are making cuts and firing people indiscriminately, which will inevitably affect their own constituents. What is the end goal here beyond just being king of the ashes?

WIRED@wired.com · last yr.

"Cuts have no apparent regard for civil society or opportunity costs or long-term strategic thinking. Their targets are Elon Musk’s and Project 2025’s targets. They have found no fraud, just democracy at work. They’re apparently eager to see what happens when it no longer does." Brian Barrett:

Unintentional monochromatic book haul from Women & Children First feminist bookstore here in Chicago

Mochi says “All my friends hate Meta”

Trump's Office of Women's Health added a whole page devoted to transphobia under the guise of "protecting women and children." It's not trans-people women and children need protecting from, its cis-men. We are harassed, abused, assaulted, raped, and murdered every-fucking-day by cis-men.

Cemetery snow day in Chicago with @cyborglibrarian.bsky.social

This is the second midwest columbiner in under two months to plot a mass shooting. Its almost as if there aren’t a litany of public UwU fan cams of Dylan Roof and other mass shooters all over Tumblr and TikTok at any given moment. www.indystar.com/story/news/c...

Watching Come and See (1985) thinking “Make Nazis reprehensible again”

Why does Cyberpunk 2077, with its enormous soundtrack, keep torturing me with the shittiest adult contemporary-counting crows-ass song during seemingly every sentimental character cutscene?

Chatted with some friends of mine about one of my favorite topics: horror films! More specifically Ti West’s porno slasher flick and first in the Maxxxine trilogy, ‘X’ 🔪 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Ep. 229: X (w/ Taylor Agajanian)

Podcast Episode · The Friendchise Podcast · 02/05/2025 · 2h 7m

podcasts.apple.com

As a native Angeleno and CSULB alum, this is really gross and I hate this very much!!

Benjamin Balthaser@blbalthaser.bsky.social · last yr.

California State University - the largest public system in the country w 23 campuses - announced it is now “AI powered.” All while laying off hundreds of faculty and shuttering whole depts due to yet another (Democratic Party I should add) austerity budget

The horrors are certainly horroring

On today’s episode of “AI doomsday cult freaks and evil nerds are trying to take over the US government”

Daily Dot@dailydot.com · last yr.

One of the engineers helping Elon Musk in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) won a $100,000 grant last year for his proposals for “democratic governance” of artificial intelligence and previously invoked the United States Constitution in a paper on “AI alignment.”

Interesting dichotomy between the response to this article here vs on X where right wing users are denigrating the author mostly for their gender, unlike here where they are being taken to task for having a horrible personality. You just *know* they frequent Dimes Square. (but live in Brooklyn)

New York Magazine@nymag.com · 2y ago

For our latest cover story, @brockcolyar.bsky.social reported on the young, gleeful, confident, and casually cruel Trumpers who, after conquering Washington, have their sights set on the rest of America: nymag.com/intelligence...

Sunday with @cyborglibrarian.bsky.social

I know I’m tapping the sign again but our cyberpunk dystopia is here and it’s really fucking stupid.

ellery@ellery.bsky.social · 2y ago

ICE says it is conducting "enhanced" immigration operations in Chicago today. "Border czar" Tom Homan, a top DOJ official and................................. Dr. Phil.... are here to participate. (this is 100% serious unfortunately)