Propriety

Brazil and Serbia!!! A good night.

phillymag.comFight at the Museum: Inside the Collapse of the Academy of Natural Sciences“This is 50-plus years in the making.” Can anything still save the beloved Philadelphia institution?

Finally, a thorough article about the Academy's tangled problems. Some truly boneheaded stuff in here (removing the dinosaurs???) but also decades of deferred maintenance and neglect.

Bradford Pearson@bradfordpearson.bsky.social

Decades of financial mismanagement. Leadership that never seemed to truly understand the museum and its audience. A study that—shockingly—recommended ripping out all the dinosaur exhibits. Kyle Bagenstose delivers the story that I've been waiting to read about the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Any solution to the Academy's problems needs to understand and address the tangle of issues that lead here, if there's any hope of success. I am very, very worried that some of the stakeholders involved aren't interested in fixing these fundamental issues, they just want the problem to go away.

This whole thread is wild and fucked up Policing ruins lives and sucks up so many resources so that cops can play pretend being heroes in a video game with their expensive gadgets.

Chris Dwan (he/him)@somershade.bsky.social

To sum up: The MA state police decided to include extra, non-required video in their response to my request for protest surveillance. What they showed was a cyclist being tracked from above and eventually tackled and shackled. I say this from my heart and with clear enunciation: Fuck that. 18/?

@thornmarch.bsky.social 🎈🎂🎈

theguardian.comLarge shark stuck in South Korean city canal draws 600,000 visitorsPort city of Busan inundated with tourists keen to see the 3.5-metre animal close up

@shoona.bsky.social do you know about Bukang-i??? www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

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New Merch Alert!! Fish. The ocean's full of 'em. And protecting the ocean is a global job, so we better learn the word for fish in as many languages as we can fit on a tote bag. Support @skypeascientist.bsky.social by getting a *sturdy* tote bag with a zipper (with a zipper!!!) at SquidFacts.net

LRP: the same thing happening in Mathematics is happening in Computer Science/Computer Engineering, but because the latter is so thoroughly under corporate capture, the enshittification hailed as major success.

link.springer.comThe Enshittification of Mathematics - The Mathematical IntelligencerThe Mathematical Intelligencer -

I hadn't heard the reverse-centaur analogy, but it echoes one of my concerns from the beginning: writing code can be boring or fun, but reviewing code for errors is arduous AND often joyless/thankless. Writing seems to be where real understanding comes. LLMs corrupt the whole system.

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Fenner Tanswell

@fennert.bsky.social

My short viewpoint article "The Enshittification of Mathematics" is out now in the Mathematical Intelligencer! link.springer.com/article/10.1... Gift link here: rdcu.be/5uYGc2uo454a Check it out and share it with anyone who might be interested! 💩🥳

inquirer.comPhilly sheriff’s office reneges on court-supervision deal, tells judge it found $20 million in city money

It is a little baffling to me to be working in an open office space, with plenty of open and available private meeting rooms, and people just take calls and meetings from their desks? Talking loudly? What the hell has happened to people's sense of norms and decorum?

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Ben S

@bensh3.bsky.social

Bilal and the Sheriff's office is the prime example of the political elite all going "yeah this sucks, so shameful haha", no one doing anything meaningful about it, and thus affecting zero people's political careers

Philadelphia Inquirer@inquirer.com

Under oath, Rochelle Bilal acknowledged that her office hadn't met its obligations until recently. She blamed staffers and technology. The office is now fighting a judge over outside supervision.

They went back ONE YEAR and found TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS that the sheriff was withholding from the city. The sheriff's office must be abolished. Insane that this level of incompetence is tolerated.

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Every time the obviously AI generated "this is X, not Y" textslop cliche pops up at work I lose another ounce of sanity. Friends I am on my last few marbles. It is EVERYWHERE. Every other sentence. The rage it inspires in me.

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If you care about keeping the Academy of Natural Sciences open to the public in Philadelphia, I need you to read and share this thread. Trish Wellenbach was sent from the mayor's office to oversee the Academy of Natural sciences situation. She needs to hear from us. Here comes the action item:

inquirer.comThe micro Museum of the Philadelphian celebrates Philly’s macro personalityThe 300-square-foot temporary museum in Fishtown is an absurd and heartwarming love letter to the people who make Philadelphia, Philly.

"The qualities that make a Philadelphian... 1. Does not wait for permission 2. Decides for themselves what is worth doing 3. Keeps going whether encouraged or not 4. Does not care what anyone thinks 5. Believes, in their heart, the work is needed." Hell yes this sounds incredible

Stephanie Farr@farfarraway.bsky.social

At the Museum of the Philadelphian this week, I met the Chicken Man and ran into someone I interviewed 18 years ago when his car was flipped in the wake of the Phillies 2008 World Series win. It was all very Philly, just like the museum. 🧵 www.inquirer.com/life/museum-...?

5thsqadvocacy.orgSpeed Cameras Action | 5th Square AdvocacyTell City Council to stand up for safe streets and protect Philadelphia families: Say NO to Bill 260699!

@cathygjohn.bsky.social Fox River Comics Camp arrived!!!

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5th Square Advocacy

@5thsqadvocacy.org

19 Sept

Councilmember Young wants to weaken our lifesaving speed camera program by reducing fines even for reckless drivers going 30+ mph over the speed limit! Tell City Council not to let it happen: www.5thsqadvocacy.org/Speed-camera...

17 Sept

Nerd pet peeve: when people arrange things that have NO INHERANT PERIODICITY into a "periodic table" Vegetables are not periodic! Logical fallacies are not periodic!!! You cannot create a periodic table with them!!! The structure of your table reveals nothing!!! *Muffled scream*

14 Sept

SPX is such a wonderful show. Did not get to spend as much time there this year as I would have liked for REASONS but it was so wonderful to see so much great creative energy.

11 Sept

Trying to decide if I should wear the hunky Garfield shirt to SPX Where else can I wear the hunky Garfield shirt??? But I don't want to wear it _every_ year...

fossilcrates.comThe Academy of Natural Sciences - A Financial PeekThe Financials Behind Why It Could Not Be SavedThe death spiral and the arithmetic of resurrection of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia Quick Background I study sauropod dinosaurs, most...

It is driving me a little insane seeing the comments by well meaning people suggesting the Academy is closing because nefarious real estate developers want the building. The Academy has severe financial problems. They have been losing money and donors and attendees for decades now. >

Propriety@proprietous.bsky.social

Someone did a really detailed deep dive on the Academy's finances and... oof. The problem really stretches back basically 15 years. People should have been sounding the alarm back then, but instead the museum has just basically just burned down its reserves. www.fossilcrates.com/blogs/news/a...

View full thread

I've gathered from various reddit comments from people who worked there that back of house at the museum is not great; lots of agglomerations, a bit of a maze. A design could save the historic part, build out good back of house, put a residential tower over it, and the museum would be saved.

Put a giant dinosaur mural on the side of the tower and honestly it'd be sick as hell

Propriety@proprietous.bsky.social

Absent a massive infusion of money from the government, there is a real risk not just the museum, but the _collections themselves_ will be lost. The land is basically the only thing valuable enough that it could save the museum, possibly something like an overbuild. And people are foreclosing it!

5 Sept

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3 Sept

Attention Philadelphia! We're hosting a rally to demand that Drexel University maintain The Academy of Natural Sciences Museum open to the public. Join us on Tuesday morning at 10am in front of the academy. Please spread the word, we need all hands on deck! RSVP here: luma.com/1qwnrqz2

2 Sept

My homies in Massachusetts love and respect trans people, get dunked Moulton~~~ I continue to hope Democrats learn a lesson from this!!!

Colin McMillen@mcmillen.dev

GOOD JOB EVERYONE, MOULTON GOT COMPLETELY DUNKED

Too many people in power in Philly, even people who live here, think we are at our best as a tourist destination, they want people to drive here for arts or culture or shopping or sports, and then leave. That is how you kill a city. A city has to be a place where people live AND work AND play.

2 Sept

(for reference: I want people to drive here for arts and culture and shopping and sports and then DITCH THEIR CARS AND STAY :D)

PLEASE there are so many community meetings we need your voice at!!! There is work to be done!!! Things can get better!!!

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D.@sarahmackattack.bsky.social

I've been seeing a lot of "well I guess this is the way things are now" "ah another line of evidence that we are a fallen empire", attitude that I am begging people to shake off. There are people working their butts off to make things better. Please don't give up. Join us.

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Ben S

@bensh3.bsky.social

Replying to @bensh3.bsky.social

From Reddit..."New Era Philanthropy Ponzi Scheme" sounds 100% correct. The worst part of this is how the City thought it meant they were scott-free

inquirer.comHow to give up your car (sometimes), save money, and save the planetIt’s a big life change, so take things one step at a time.

Absolutely devastating

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D.@sarahmackattack.bsky.social

I feel like I’m going to throw up

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Inga Saffron

@ingasaffron.bsky.social

31 Aug

Urbanists talk a lot about reducing car use and increasing bike and transit use, but they rarely tell you how to make that work in your life. So I figured it was time for an easy step-by-step guide on how to give up your car. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

25 Aug

If you want to honor her life, continuing her work of spreading the joy of reading sounds like a great way to do it.

Alex Zalben@azalben.bsky.social

Here's the official announcement of Parton's passing from her reps, along with the request that in lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com

25 Aug

Dolly Parton was a gem. What a tragic loss.

24 Aug

I am having a thrips problem with my indoor plants and it makes me want to Not Have Indoor Plants

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Civic Grit

@civicgrit.bsky.social

22 Aug

A single bridge closing in a park shouldn't result in an 8.1 mile pedestrian / bike detour to cross a river. This is the result of the city & state removing from the park sidewalks, trails, and staircases that previously existed connecting to the alternative Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

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21 Aug

Goooood morning! The 2026 Snail Facts Calendars are OUT! We've got 24 days of scratchable snail fact goodness, designed by Philly artist Kelly Nichols! Advent calendars are cute as hell, a delightful tradition, and keep @skypeascientist.bsky.social funded! Get one at SquidFacts.net Pls repost ❤️

weareravenous.comThe Blogosphere Came and Went. Smitten Kitchen Is Still Here.Deb Perelman has kept Smitten Kitchen going through the rise and fall of blogging, the pivot to newsletters, and the looming specter of AI. She has no intention of stopping.

12 Aug

Came to Spain for the eclipse. Truly incredible! Nothing like it.

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Jaya Saxena

@jayasaxena.com

11 Aug

Got a dream piece today: I profiled Deb Perelman aka @smittenkitchen.bsky.social about 20 YEARS of food blogging www.weareravenous.com/smitten-kitc...

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Civic Grit

@civicgrit.bsky.social

1 Aug

It gets me down how many beautiful large gardens there are in the Philly area that are near transit but place their main entrance far from the transit with no sidewalk connections. It feels intentionally classist and like a relic from the past. Morris Arboretum and Stoneleigh are two examples.

23 July

Every time I think things are tough for building housing here on the east coast California comes in and reminds me it could be much, much worse.

Jordan Grimes@cafedujord.bsky.social

For the last 4 (!) years, I've been chronicling the journey of a 40 unit 100% affordable housing project for senior farmworkers in Half Moon Bay, California. Despite being approved in May, the journey sadly isn't over: a measure has qualified for the ballot this November to stop the project. 🧵

23 July

Still mad about this A system in which rich people get infinite chances to stop good things from ever happening to poor people, and it's called "community input." This happens in Philadelphia too! The number of people who show up to oppose Habitat for Humanity projects is ghastly.

18 July

I will point at your pet, it's true

shoy 🏳️‍🌈@shoy.dev

. @proprietous.bsky.social vs Elliot

15 July

Did you know that bugs... is actually shrimp??? Thank you @sarahmackattack.bsky.social for this incredible educational addition to my wardrobe from squidfacts.bigcartel.com I am gonna be telling so many people bugs is shrimp.

13 July

Me in the alternate universe where everything is the same except it's called Jimba Juice: "Wow, I could really go for a Jimba Juice."

futurism.comLearning What Substance Is Suspected of Causing Alzheimer's May Throw You Into an Existential CrisisA surprisingly common substance was found to have a causal relationship with the kind of brain damage associated with Alzheimer's disease.

12 July

In 10 years we're going find a definitive link between tire particles and Alzheimer's and in 50 years people will look back at our complete lack of care about car tire particulates the way we look back at the people who decided to put lead and asbestos in everything.

The War on Cars@thewaroncars.bsky.social

"The chemical, called 6PPD-Q, is formed when fine tire particles meet ozone. That happens anytime new chunks of tire are exposed to the air, meaning the particle may be nearly ubiquitous in car-heavy environments."