Doug Rushkoff interview: "Now that the net is the province of manipulators, corporations, and fascist regimes, I think some of the essential flaws in our thinking have been revealed." unshaved.substack.com/p/douglas-ru...

Douglas Rushkoff Interview

"We have to co-metabolize, in the present moment, together."

unshaved.substack.com

Here's a SXSW 2027 session proposal by @patlichty.bsky.social and I - a sequel to our earlier discussions of "The Cyborg Gaze." Welcome to our 21st century hallucination! participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals

PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.

participate.sxsw.com

My interview with Doug Rushkoff, where we talk about AIs and humans. open.substack.com/pub/unshaved...

Douglas Rushkoff Interview

"We have to co-metabolize, in the present moment, together."

open.substack.com

Our meetup this month features Mickey Delp discussing Soviet DIY electronics, join us! www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

The differences I see in conservatives vs the MAGA crowd. open.substack.com/pub/unshaved...

Conservatives and MAGAs

In current politics many terms are vaguely used or misused, and I’ve been thinking about one of those, “conservative.” I feel a level of cringe when I hear a MAGA operative make self-referential use o...

open.substack.com

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is back with season 4. In episode 1, "Valles Marineris," a space-storm induced time shift throws the Enterprise and crew to the distant past in a familiar place. youtu.be/7FaPm2QTy5w?...

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Season 4 Official Teaser | Paramount+ (CCXP Mexico 2026)

YouTube video by Paramount Plus

youtu.be

"Communists" is just a word. In the Republican's mouths it means "our opponents, who would stop the grift."

A post about the evolution of the Internet, as it relates to my personal evolution. open.substack.com/pub/unshaved...

FringeWare and the Dream of a Collective Mind

As the Internet began moving into the mainstream, many early adopters—including me—were idealists.

open.substack.com

Whatta futbol game!

Oops! Turns out we had an administrative state for a reason, to keep us safe and protect our rights. Flush that, and we're no longer safe, our rights no longer protected - and that's as true for MAGA as it is for everybody else.

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: On YouTube, an HD restoration of "Not of This Earth," a Roger Corman low-budget sci-fi film about a literally bloodthirsty alien. youtu.be/jVWN2Tx8ABk?...

NEW HD RESTORATION🍕 Not of This Earth (1957)🍕 ROGER CORMAN

YouTube video by PizzaFlix

youtu.be

The Wall Street Journal freaks out about the supposed terrible effects of marijuana use while ignoring the far worse effects of alcohol. Gift link. (Read the comments) www.wsj.com/opinion/cali...

Opinion | California Is High on Illegal Marijuana

Gov. Gavin Newsom touts a seizure, as the black market in pot flourishes.

wsj.com

Where did those thoughts come from? Some thoughts about the effects of media and social media. open.substack.com/pub/unshaved...

The Noise in our Heads

Many, if not most, people I know are tuned in to news media and social media feeds for hours during the day.

open.substack.com

Counselor Candy Marcum discusses providing affirming mental health care and her belief that LGBTQ people need support in accepting themselves. plutopia.io/living-your-...

Living Your Truth: Counseling, Community, and LGBTQ Resilience | Plutopia News Network

Counselor Candy Marcum discusses providing affirming mental health care and her belief that LGBTQ people need support in accepting themselves.

plutopia.io

Kash Patel seeks to subpoena Lindsey Graham’s aorta.

Texas GOP leaders failed to notice that ICE is shooting innocent people in the streets. www.texastribune.org/2026/07/10/t...

Abbott, other Texas GOP leaders mum on fatal ICE shooting

Almost none of the state’s major Republican officials have weighed in on the killing of a Houston man by federal agents, and U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Houston said she had not spoken with Gov. Greg A...

texastribune.org

Team Plutopia looks at the changing political landscape in Texas as foundation for a broader discussion of democracy, public policy, and the state’s future. plutopia.io/texas-at-a-c...

Texas at a Crossroads | Plutopia News Network

Plutopians take a wide-ranging look at the changing political landscape in Texas and beyond, discussing democracy, public policy, and the state’s future.

plutopia.io

Plutopia News Network Sci-Fi Saturday: "Backrooms" is a horror film that manifests a wicked maze of surreal rooms that open on rooms that open on other rooms. A building that needs a psych evaluation. youtu.be/0HjdiohVOik?...

Backrooms | Official Trailer HD | A24

YouTube video by A24

youtu.be

Team Plutopia looks at the changing political landscape in Texas as foundation for a broader discussion of democracy, public policy, and the state’s future. plutopia.io/texas-at-a-c...

Texas at a Crossroads | Plutopia News Network

Plutopians take a wide-ranging look at the changing political landscape in Texas and beyond, discussing democracy, public policy, and the state’s future.

plutopia.io

Justin Lahart at the @wsj.com wonders about the "vanishing labor force." Perhaps the labor force shrunk because workers were deported?

No more cease fire with Iran. No more partnership with Europe. No more protection for wildlife in marine national monuments. No more immigrants, no more water, no more social safety nets, no more religious tolerance, no more middle class... Welcome to 21st century America.

A wide-ranging look at the changing political landscape in Texas, using Jon Lebkowsky’s experience as a delegate to the Texas Democratic Convention as a springboard for a broader discussion of democracy, public policy, and the state’s future. plutopia.io/texas-at-a-c...

Texas at a Crossroads | Plutopia News Network

Plutopians take a wide-ranging look at the changing political landscape in Texas and beyond, discussing democracy, public policy, and the state’s future.

plutopia.io

Trump doesn't want "communists" to control corporate America. Leave that to MAGA. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Red scare revived as Trump leads push to attack Democrats as ‘communists’

In wake of primary wins by leftwing candidates in New York and elsewhere, president has resorted to well-worn tactic

theguardian.com

Let's all go to Mars and hang out with the rat-spiders...

They just don't build 'em like they used to... www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07...

Live Updates: Midtown Manhattan Building Evacuated as Officials Warn of Collapse

nytimes.com

Trump thinks that if you put gold plating on everything, you have a "golden age."

Quickest way to become a billionaire: become President of the United States, milk it for all it's worth. Play the stock market like a classic violin, drive investments and reap benefits. Sell worthless memecoins to clueless followers. Order milllions in payments to shell companies.

“Texas has one of the world’s most robust economies, but if sound, scientifically-based water management strategies are not implemented, it could face serious social, economic and environmental consequences.” @dylanbaddour.bsky.social insideclimatenews.org/news/2506202...

Texas’ Refusal to Plan for Climate Change Created a Crisis in Corpus Christi - Inside Climate News

Stubbornly unrealistic assessments of the region’s reservoir system turned this year’s drought conditions into an emergency.

insideclimatenews.org

Hugh Forrest reflects on four decades helping shape South by Southwest and the challenges of scaling creative communities without losing authenticity. plutopia.io/hugh-forrest...

Hugh Forrest: Growing Experiences | Plutopia News Network

Hugh Forrest reflects on four decades helping shape South by Southwest and the challenges of scaling creative communities without losing authenticity.

plutopia.io

In Austin, the likely effect of this El Nino will be more precipitation, hopefully offsetting effects of the long drought.

Alex Steffen@alexsteffen.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Unblock the storm drains, install some shade, do your fire clearing, buy an air purifier, drive the evac routes — and check that insurance policy. "something extraordinary could unfold in the global climate system later this year." —@weatherwest.bsky.social weatherwest.com/archives/43880