Denali

21h

Eating lasagna on a Monday or as I call it a Garfield Equalizer

23h

I woke up at 2AM and wrote myself a note that some coffee shops have a lot of stuff in them and some have none and it feels like more of the new ones have none. And then a note to text my friend L about this. L sent a picture of a coffeeshop near her house and now I can't stop thinking about this.

23h

(Also I think this was probably a long simmering thought that started from a conversation yesterday with @rabbitoh.bsky.social)

I feel the same way about this as I do about AI doing your hw. The teacher isn't asking for answers. They're asking as a way to guide your learning. Why should parents "learn" their children? Because it's a really important part of healthy parent-child interaction which grows with your kid.

David Gura@davidgura.bsky.social

cool, cool

That also builds good communication between the adults in a child's life and helps the parent practice asking for guidance and support, another strong parenting practice.

Part of what makes me mad about this is that for a while people let economists talk about child development. Now we have to hear from tech people who might be the only people LESS QUALIFIED to understand human development and how it works.

David Gura@davidgura.bsky.social

cool, cool

The parent-child relationship has to change as children enter new developmental stages to make more room for the child's growing independence and autonomy. "Step back and describe your kid" is a powerful and simple way to reflect on some of those changes.

Another way this sucks (and gosh there are so many) is that all of this is a closed loop of information from the parent and presumably random generic information about kids. It's great to explore your child's developing personality by talking to their teachers or other people in their lives.

I spent a lot of the early 90s getting really into how the federal government worked while watching nonstop local commercials for Action Action Action Park, which I guess is the origin of the "America as possibly fun but also very dangerous amusement park" metaphor.

Denali@denali.bsky.social

A lot of us learned about checks and balances as kids but there is a ton of constructive friction built into the way government works so that the worst people can't push you down a waterslide that fires you out beyond the reach of safety, rights, and civilian power.

Amusement parks and cruise ships are a fun frame to talk about the govt because people have opinions about what it takes to manage and regulate an environment where strangers interact, run a large workforce, and try to make things safer and more fun everyone that are not their thoughts about govt.

propublica.orgIn a Newly Drawn District, Black Voters May Get a Representative Who Spent Years Undermining Their InterestsBrent Taylor is the front-runner for one of Memphis’ U.S. congressional districts, recently redrawn from majority Black to majority white. As state senator, he repeatedly used his power to supersede l...

This story is a window into what rolling disenfranchisement looks like. Here's how it's happening: - Race and redistricting - State legislature pre-emption of local governing powers - Campaign finance (including the role of self-financing) - Feds (esp DOJ) walking away from serious oversight

ProPublica@propublica.org

NEW: Brent Taylor is the front-runner for one of Memphis’ congressional districts, recently redrawn from majority Black to majority white. As state senator, he repeatedly used his power to supersede local officials — and the will of the city’s voters. with @mlk50.com

This article also highlights how policing and civil rights, including but not limited to police surveillance, pretrial justice, and bail reform are part of this effort and in that lane feels like an important read for Chicago/IL folks.

Husband "It's all fun and games to give your wifi a funny name until you have to give it to someone." Anyway, just texted "Count Wackula" to our cool teenage babysitter.

lpm.orgIndiana State Police help drive Trump’s crackdown on immigrant truckers, records showRecords show commercial truckers arrested by ISP then detained by ICE in Kentucky.

"Indiana is central to Trump’s crackdown on truckers...More than half of the 63 arrests reviewed by KyCIR happened at weigh station visits or roadside inspections — routine features of the trucking industry that drivers can’t often avoid."

Bolts@boltsmag.org

Louisville Public Media reports on Indiana State Police helping ICE detain commercial truckers:

apnews.comKnife attack on Sikh trucker in Wyoming stirs fresh fears in communityThe stabbing of a Sikh truck driver at a Wyoming rest area has the U.S. Sikh community newly on edge.

The trucker crackdown also includes widespread profiling of South Asian Americans, especially Sikh Americans. Last month a Sikh trucker was brutally attacked in Wyoming.

Denali reposted

Francesca D'Annunzio

@francescadnunz.bsky.social

Replying to @francescadnunz.bsky.social

So as I headed to Ingram for the first time in March, I wanted to know who the local faces of the national immigration crackdown were. Who was driving the black Dodge Charger? www.propublica.org/article/depo...

propublica.orgThe Small-Town Cop Who Helped ICE Deport His NeighborsIngram, Texas, was just rebuilding from a devastating flood when its tiny police department enrolled in ICE’s 287(g) deportation program. Within a year, cops would hand over the equivalent of 10% of t...

edjefferson.comLocal Wikipedia: The Encyclopedia For Local PeopleWikipedia, but only for things a half hour walk from you.

I just saw a Tesla with a DeLorean style door in the parking lot of the gym and I bet it smells terrible in there.

Denali reposted

Ed Jefferson

@edjefferson.com

Had this idea in lockdown, half-built it, forgot about it, remembered it again, though might as well finish it.

Friday night hanging out in a blanket fort periodically getting up to check on a very large geocoding job I'm running.

@michaelrabbitt.bsky.social

ITS STILL RUNNING (but I think it should wrap soon)

Denali reposted

Michael Rabbitt

“We just had the one-year anniversary of the protest. Then the anniversary of ‘no bill’ day on Oct. 9. (Last week) we had the one year anniversary of “crock of s—” day. Now here comes the anniversary of ‘Boutros shows up and then there’s an indictment’ day…It’s been quite the year.”

Chicago Tribune@chicagotribune.com

A year after the indictment, the failed Broadview Six case has become not so much about the rule of law, but the actions of those responsible for imposing it.

chicagotribune.comA year after ‘Broadview Six’ indictment, failed case still reverberates in federal court

I got this mailer yesterday.

chalkbeat.orgChicago school board campaign battlegrounds emerge as spending surpasses $9 millionEven as Chicago’s school board president race has claimed the spotlight, district-level contests are drawing millions in outside spending and a wave of attack ads.

Some great stuff here! One of the best features is the district level map where you can toggle between a candidates own spending and outside spending (and look at outside spending by each of the big spending PACs)

margiefor1a.comMargie Luczak for Chicago School Board District 1AA voice for children, parents, and taxpayers on the Chicago School Board. Retired Chicago police officer. Proud CPS graduate. Longtime Northwest Side neighbor.

About 6 weeks ago Luczaks campaign did not have a website but did have a Facebook page that was largely pictures of her from National Night out. Now she has a professional looking site with lots of messaging about the politics and the mayor.

(Full disclosure I know and like Luczaks opponent, incumbent Ed Bannon)

I also really liked this. It's important to help voters understand the way that these different groups (especially the generically named pop ups like CGC) are trying to influence elections. Cash & inkinds are excluded from this so I think it's just IEs(?)

One of the things I have noticed this cycle is the emergence of candidates who appear to be vessels for opposition spending. I call this the Luczak effect, after 1a challenger Margie Luczak who has garnered $141K in outside spending (mostly from INCS) (per the Chalkbeat article)

Sometimes I listen to this podcast where people talk about their cool jobs related to weather and it's amazing how many people will talk about a formative experience with nature that happened when they were a kid that still fills them with awe and curiosity.

I did and so can you! This was a good survey. It had a couple of really nice ways of framing questions and decisions. It did not ask as much about using the bus for trips with multiple stops although there were some good qs about how you plan/coordinate trips.

Block Club Chicago@blockclubchi.bsky.social

The CTA wants your input on bus service in a new survey. buff.ly/krZ1JCM

newrepublic.comHow the Consulting Class Is Eating the Democratic PartyFundraising costs gobble up most of the funds raised. Billions are spent on TV ads that have virtually no impact. Candidates may win or lose—but the consulting class always wins.

"A political party is a vehicle for groups in society—voters, activists, and politicians—to come together to elect representatives who will change the world through public policy and governance. It’s a collective enterprise in which different groups debate and negotiate the direction of the party"

Jake Grumbach@jakemgrumbach.bsky.social

Just as a private equity firm buys out a corporation and strips it for parts, a consultant class is raiding the Democratic Party and getting “generationally wealthy” along the way New from me and @adambonica.bsky.social newrepublic.com/article/2163...

chicago.suntimes.comFearing ICE, some Chicago immigrants shift work, daily life to nighttime hoursAs arrests continue in Chicago, ICE fears push work and everyday errands into the night, changing how immigrants earn a living and care for their families.

"Dávila says she often sees young people on video calls with their mothers, holding up products and asking which brand to buy. There is “so much fear that they send the kids to do the shopping,” she says."

Gregory Pratt@royalpratt.bsky.social

Fearing ICE, some Chicago immigrants shift work, daily life to nighttime hours. Great story from @almacampos.bsky.social chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Denali reposted

Oliver Darcy

@oliverdarcy.bsky.social

Scoop from @brettlogiurato.bsky.social: CBS has sold its local election night coverage to DraftKings, stirring more controversy inside the David Ellison-owned company. Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/cbs-draftk...

status.newsCBS' DraftKings GambleCBS' owned stations will carry DraftKings branding through Election Night, Status has learned, a sponsorship that has stirred concern inside the company.

I have a drop in anywhere slide about research in the civil rights movement because there is frequently someone who wants to tell me what people did and didn't used to do and if I'm standing in front of slides it's bc I ALREADY have too much ground to cover without going into this.

Tressie McMillan Cottom@tressiemcphd.bsky.social

literally the Movement's media savvy is well-documented, generally known and kind of part of their whole thing??? What are they even saying don't answer that.

This is about wedding attire but truly also everything else

Laurie! Live!@laurie-merrell.bsky.social

I am really doubtful based on the social circles involved. I think that norms have collapsed and people don't know what to do

One of the things that makes me sad about vibe coded tools is you can absolutely push data out there in a nice basic functional way but in order to do that you really need to spend time with the data and spend time with the questions and problems you think that data is positioned to address.

I saw this with BI where orgs thought we can just upload everything and magic! And I do think it's good if you have a resource like a big reference report or document to also create something people can explore interactively but don't forget all the work that went into that reference!

Administrative data is a smooth gorgeous block of tofu and you can make a lot of stuff with it. You can also just put it on someone's plate and say "I made you some tofu." (this is a pro tofu post)

Just about the only tool that you should be building just so people can do some quick lookups and move on are (1) Directories which require a TON of maintenance and validation and people forget that (2) Tools designed for access and exploration which require lots of documentation and guidance.

Denali reposted

tuck woodstock

@tuck.bsky.social

The 12th(!) Gender Reveal grant cycle is now open for applications! As always, these funds are for organizing / community projects led by trans people of color. We are particularly interested in funding existing projects that materially support trans folks, queer people of color, immigrants, etc.

I am at the library and the guy next to me is leading some kind of HR call and apparently someone is on his 5th warning about having a rabbit at work. "I know we all know this but no pets. The only pet we can have is a fish."

He finished his call and immediately left. I will never know what his deal was.

I relayed this story to a friend of mine who is a flight attendant and she said people do this stuff ON PLANES!

HR guys laptop died and there are only outlets under some of the tables here and none of the 8-10 people at the tables in this area offered him a seat. This has been a rough day for him. ... No worries he has rejoined the call from his phone.

I missed some of this conversation but something happened involving Facebook Marketplace that had "so many red flags." Amen, friend.

"A one to two minute conversation could save your job or even your life. I am not trying to be extreme but it's 2026 and people...people have a lot going on."

I thought he was just talking a lot but he is also on a work call with no headphones. Someone just asked a question. I couldn't hear it but it didn't appear to be related to the rabbit or the NyQuil.

civicfed.orgRecommendations to Strengthen the Council Office of Financial Analysis | Civic Federation

It's so weird that one time the Civic Fed read my Dream Journal (except that I think that like an IBO there should be more direct relationship and communication with the public).