Microposts, Newsletter, Tech, Comms, Longform, Reading, Higher Ed, Meta, Art and Craft
: Determined to finish at least one more novel this year, and this one fits the bill. Currently …
: I am pro-games and gaming (and partake in gaming myself), and both of my kids had a generally …
: “I don’t shine if you don’t shine.”
: Interesting to see web and print magazines talk about their strategy and value proposition since …
: Solarpunk is happening in sub-Saharan Africa, a movement to bring electricity to places that are …
: Human in the loop (HITL): HITL means that humans are involved at some point in the AI workflow to …
: At the nail salon where a woman is telling her very intrigued mother about podcasts. “You can listen …
: This book isn’t in Epilogue so I can’t log it properly, but it’s an okay primer on change …
: Eyes on this story, both for the implications on the LLM sector and for the company’s approach to …
: How the networking technology sector is changed by the introduction of AI.
: Bookmarking this 404 media podcast specifically because it discusses how librarians are navigating …
: Why Tim Berners-Lee still believes in the web | The Verge You want to have control of your own …
: “Writing is a practical skill—particularly since most of our online communication is text-based to …
: Rhetoric of intertextuality “… every text is connected to other texts by citations, quotations, allusions, borrowings, …
: More on rhetorical velocity and the art of the remix. As Lawrence Lessig says, “Remix is how we as …
: Big news in ecommerce: TikTok Shop is now bigger than ebay.
: Rhetorical velocity: A strategic approach in digital communication that asks the creator to predict …
: Writing for the public in an age of anxiety: “This article identifies five topoi of this new …
: On virtuous cycles: “Culture is the core of the virtuous cycle, in which shared principles guide you …
: What is this site and why am I doing it? I’ve stopped posting on most social media and moved to the fediverse. I still browse other platforms …
: Practicing pluralism in risky spaces While I’m cleaning up the cruft around my social presence, I’m finding more references to the heyday …
: I met a friend for dinner, we had a time, and as she left she mentioned her long-time book club and …
: Yet another playlist added to my playlists page.
: Why emphasis on literacy, writing, reading and the canon is always politically prescient. Also why …
: Returning to Haraway There are certain pieces of writing I return to when thinking about our relationship with …
: I miss Twitter because I’m full of big opinions and inappropriate one-liners. Anyway, here’s an …
: Very much enjoying the Netflix series “Dark Winds,” based on the series of novels by Tony Hillerman. …
: Wisconsin Watch profiled the Pulaski News, the newspaper of record in a ~3500 person village in …
: France is taking the “not now, sweetie, mommy is cyberbullying the mayor” meme to new legal arenas.
: On prompt injections: Because AI chatbots are trained to be helpful and to understand context, …
: What made blogging different? Reflections on 25 years of digital media.
: “LOLgislation,” or how memes become policy, and posting becomes praxis.
: For many years, “shitposting” has been a staple of internet culture in which individuals riff on the …
: What rivalry? Purdue Exponent students distributed 3,000 copies of a special “solidarity edition” newspaper in …
: A difficult number for so many reasons.
: The next big trend in AI that I’m watching is platform integration. First company to produce the …
: RIP D’Angelo. And a good occasion to reread this excellent 2012 profile discussing fame, religion, …
: What happens to college towns after they’re hit by the so-called enrollment cliff?
: Choco Taco is back: the business and engineering behind the revival of a retro treat.
: From Propublica, on how publicly-funded private school vouchers are funding a segregation academy …
: Saving for later: The story of DOGE, as told by federal workers.
: A lovely story about the restoration of prairie land undertaken by the nuns of Holy Wisdom, just …
: A pleasant surprise resulting from LLM acceleration in the IT landscape is the sudden opportunity …
: Harvard Business Review offers this take on why it’s bad for business to automate our way out of …
: What do people actually use ChatGPT for? A snapshot.
: This is incredible storytelling from propublica.org, on opioids, inequality, and the scope of …
: Gap capitalized on the Sidney Sweeney “good genes” controversy by doing this collab with Katseye, …
: Another one on how LLM sycophancy facilitates suicidal ideation.
: Something that worries me about AI adoption in higher ed is the risk to students facing mental …
: “It’s almost as if groups on both sides of the political spectrum are looking for an excuse to brand …
: Hey chat, how is pedagogy changing in an age of AI?
: ⚡ AI's last mile problem in higher ed Thinking out loud about tech in the public sector, and the classic technical problem of covering the …
: ⚡ Navigating AI in higher ed communications: A practitioner's guide As communications professionals in higher education, we work for institutions built on the pursuit …
: I work in an IT communications role in higher ed, and AI finally crept into my life in a real way. …
: AI-driven bots are disrupting web traffic— “and may also be inflating the internet economy by …
: What makes AI generative? “To choose well between billions of things is difficult. To choose between …
: “In 2024, there were a total of 454 words used excessively by chatbots, the researchers report.” …
: Currently reading: Women! In! Peril! by Jessie Ren Marshall 📚
: The education sector is a big target for cyber attacks, with higher ed being one of the largest and …
: Search engines deliver answers instead of links. What does it mean for web traffic - and the …
: A cool sustainability story out of Madison: “Birds did not evolve with windows, so [they] have …
: “The world’s most valuable companies are based in the United States, built on foundations of …
: Of course Jean Grae has a striking narrative voice and point of view. My hero. Currently reading: In …
: Currently reading: Communication Solution by Stacy Smulowitz 📚
: Close reading as the salve for These Times: https://defector.com/close-reading-is-for-everyone
: How is identity created and conferred across digital spaces? And should those spaces be controlled …
: This book has some decent insights, especially on how to refine your leadership “brand” in the …
: An interesting take on why we like AI for coding but not for writing. www.linkedin.com/pulse/cre…
: Currently reading: In My Remaining Years by Jean Grae 📚
: Currently reading: When We’re in Charge by Amanda Litman 📚
: Which AI applications do what best - and how to think about it. www.vox.com/future-pe…
: “It allows their message to go farther on social media because there’s already a set of visual cues …
: Private group chats are as maddening as public social media - and much harder to track. …
: I generally use this space to track what I’m reading in books. But going forward, I’ll also be using …
: Vonnegut captures today’s tech zeitgeist in a science fiction tale - written seventy years ago. …
: Wherein the protagonist turns a blob into the man of her dreams. Currently reading: Blob by Maggie …
: Currently reading: Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut 📚
: Still maintaining this sprawling 1200+ song playlist of indie music across genres, focused on women …
: Needed this vibe. Currently reading: An Immense World by Ed Yong 📚
: There’s a reasonable argument that this is the single biggest breach of public data by private …
: The ham-handed relationship between governments, trustees and schools as boards get politicized. …
: On “institutional neutrality,” a conservative approach to dampen political speech on college …
: ⚡ A trust-building exercise in an era of "flooding the zone" While institutions are backing away from making position statements, news outlets are making lengthy …
: The bureau speak is v amusing. Currently reading: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 📚
: Finished reading: Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom 📚
: Updated my reading list, while slowly making my way through half a dozen books at once.
: Book club categorically disliked this one. Finished reading: The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry 📚
: Dang, this is good. Currently reading: Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom 📚
: Finished reading: Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange 📚
: 🧶 Wonky Star quilt Posting about my latest quilt for posterity. This is a “wonky star” quilt using 10” precuts, …
: Finished reading: Lit by Mary Karr 📚
: So long Deactivated my Twitter account after fifteen years (sheesh).
: Finished reading: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates 📚
: Finished reading: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 📚
: Just talked myself into and out of $300 of yarn.
: Currently reading: Abortion by Jessica Valenti 📚
: It’s the time of year when I can’t get around the nagging feeling that I need to buy yarn (I don’t …
: Ephemera Been playing with micro.blog for a bit now and very much recommend the experience. The interface is …
: Finished reading (a couple of months ago): Holding It Together by Jessica Calarco 📚
: Read this in one sitting, reminded of “The Fire Next Time” in both style and urgency. Finished …
: Finished reading: On Writing by Stephen King 📚
: “To create a novel or a painting, an artist makes choices that are fundamentally alien to artificial …
: 🍳 Bean machine It’s soup season - and I’m a newly-minted member of the bean club. This is more or less my favorite …
: Finished reading: James by Percival Everett 📚
: 🍳 Meat People This butchery on the east side is owner-operated, and features meats only from local, humane farms. …
: Currently reading: 100 Years of the Best American Short Stories by Lorrie Moore 📚
: Watch House Last week I joined an old friend on a road trip through Wisconsin. We saw a folk show, stayed at a …
: ⚡ Acceleration This has a bad headline, but the gist is that AI is already beginning to be used to power …
: I read this again after a twenty year break. It holds up, but wowzers, my takeaways were different …
: “Again and again, I sought out high-challenge, high-stress jobs. I thrived when I felt bad.”
: In relationship to collectors, purchases of physical media are on the rise, with vinyl outselling …
: 61% of Americans are self-proclaimed collectors. 83% of collectors think their collection will be …
: Starting to see some best practices emerging around AI capabilities in the higher ed space. Here’s a …
: Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading so much, maybe it’s because I’m in a reflective stage of life, …
: A clever look at feminist theory through celebrity case studies. My favorite chapters were on humor, …
: All the women I know are reading and gardening at a feral clip.
: From the Garbage Day newsletter, my fav newsletter on internet trends and marketing, this blog post …
: Girl in a Band A quick read by a singular voice, heavy on descriptions of the New York art and music scene of the …
: Why are divorce memoirs stuck in the 1960s? A fair question, I say. www.nytimes.com/2024/05/2… The …
: ⚡ Bookshelves The Bookshelves feature of Micro.blog is easily my favorite of this platform. It sits right at the …
: My posts from micro.blog are pushing to Mastodon but not Bluesky. Why?
: Two new media publishers are looking to build out their presence in the Fediverse: …
: I very much enjoyed this book. Despite the heavy subjects, ultimately culminating in a reflection on …
: Currently watching how AI will affect SEO and search: www.forbes.com/sites/for…
: It’s spring, so my lizard brain is locked on the excitement of garden-planning. The backyard is a …
: Just finished rereading “Station Eleven” for my beloved book club. It’s so well-written that I find …
: I got to eat at my first Michelin star restaurant this weekend, Kasama in Chicago, which you may …
: Light and clever enough for an easy read, while serious enough to hold my attention. Love the …
: A couple of years ago I was featured on the LGM podcast, as a speaker on the oral history of the …
: Also in arts and crafts: On the revival of blacksmithing in Kentucky.
: 🧶 Craft Work: On a Joann's bankruptcy and the struggling retail craft market The internet says Joann fabrics is going to declare bankruptcy, putting a huge market of individual …
: Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood I’ve been waiting for this one because it’s a story I know well. It is an impeccably reported book …
: Embarking on a little side quest, which shifts my normal reading list from whatever it is now to a …
: Halloween quilt, finally I finished my latest quilt on my birthday, a Halloween quilt made from precuts (no pattern) that I …
: Hidden Systems My delightful book club pulled this YA graphic novel out of the 2023-24 “best of” lists and loved …
: The new provost is an interesting person and an ultra-charismatic speaker, which makes for a p good …
: I had a great birthday yesterday. The kiddo and I have been going to the gym together. We could do …
: U of M not selling student data (yet) This story spun up yesterday with broad outcry from academics, and with good reason. Institutions …
: I don’t need a WYSIWYG editor on micro.blog, but some buttons for linking and styling on new posts …
: This is the kind of book that connects the dots on some big ideas, primarily how traditional gender …
: The (very decorated) author (his first novel) spent time on the faculty in my Big Ten hometown. I …
: Escapist and breezy. Finished reading: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams 📚
: This smart graphic novel zooms in and out on engineered systems happening all around us: …
: I’m divorcing my Apple Watch because I’m in love with my Oura ring. I need fewer CTAs and …
: V proud of myself because, despite going to the quilt store yesterday and getting everything BUT …
: Nicki does party songs, Megan does praxis.
: The latest You’re Wrong About podcast about the pro-life movement is an excellent primer for anyone …
: Finished reading: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 📚 I liked this one mostly …
: Goodreads never did anything for me I just spent a pile of money on books, with the goal of reading for pleasure every day, and with the …
: I’m looking for some lightness in my reading list for the next couple of months. Found this list of …
: Devastating, bleak, relentless. Finished reading: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan 📚
: Currently reading: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan 📚 Dystopian, but not so far away.
: I am enjoying the Twitter/Tumblr feel of micro.blog and feel like I could settle in here. But it …
: The local story is ripe with corruption. Indiana likes to spin up private “growth” orgs to bypass …
: “The able and the disabled aren’t two different kinds of people but the same people at different …
: Best New (to me) Books of 2023 After a stint as an English major and as a writer myself, I got into a habit of reading dozens of …
: Readings on the Midwest Water Wars I’m following a new environmental drama in my Hoosier hometown. Some geniuses in the Indiana …
: Indiana, the KKK, and me Currently reading: A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan 📚 Despite being from Indiana, I feel …
: The trailer for the next Mad Max movie, “Furiosa,” is out now: www.youtube.com/watch 🍿
: Finished reading: The Forgotten Girls by Monica Potts 📚 Potts brings her reporting background to …
: Britney's Yellow Wallpaper Finished reading: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears 📚 Come for the juicy tell-all, stay for the …
: Looming projects I was invited to submit to the pop culture fiber craft show at Gallery 1988 again this year. Last …
: Southern creole sausage and cornbread dressing This sausage and cornbread dressing is one of my favorite recipes, a dish present on every …
: I’m v excited about the PJ Harvey Tiny Desk concert out today. 🎵 PJ Harvey is one of my favorite …
: Sometimes rules are useful Created some artsy fartsy rules for myself where I have to finish something old before I start …
: Need a brilliant bauble for the holidays? How about a beautiful box of blooming instant miso soup …
: Someone reminded me of the story of Charlie the goat, who played Black Philip in “The Witch,” and …
: This is a real life nightmare. Nobody deserves to live this way, nobody deserves to die this way. …
: For the old heads, “No Alternative,” the 1993 AIDS benefit compilation album, turns 30 today. …
: Made the mistake of telling my family I’ve had “Like a Rock” in my head all day, and now my family …
: “More than one-fifth of college students are parents, and about one-tenth are single mothers.” …
: Here are some pictures of my cat sleeping like a weirdo. 🐱
: My biggest complaint about the slow, excruciating car crash of Twitter/X is that all of my …
: One of the stranger parts of watching Golden Bachelor, which otherwise mimics the shiny gloss of the …
: More human and humane Hilariously (sadly? regretfully?), since I’ve been writing online for public audiences since about …
: Very excited for the movie Finished reading: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann 📚 “For years after the American …
: I’m a dummy, but I can’t log into mastodon.social since connecting with micro.blog. What am I doing …
: Microblogging on the open web - and why care? book.micro.blog
: My phone camera has been busted for most of the summer, but tonight I have an appointment to get it …
: While noodling around on other things, I ran across the omg.lol domain (https://home.omg.lol/), …
: This is one to watch: www.theverge.com/2023/10/2…
: Finished reading: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin 📚 When I realized I’ve read more about him …
: Finished reading: Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 📚 It holds up.
: Finished reading: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 📚 I forgot how much I love Kingsolver. …
: 🐱 Testing video. This is a zine I started doodling, depicting my cat’s favorite things.
: As a professional poster (derogatory), this is exactly the kind of posting stream I’m interested in …
: My daughter is into block printing at the moment, so I am too. I started carving this shrimp past …
: My ultra rural friend wants to use the Libby app to listen to and read library books but can’t get a …
: One of my toxic traits is that I think I can make everyone love beets. Another is that I think I can …