toastykitten

reading

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:44:45 GMT

Some Americans are withholding their federal taxes to protest against Trump and illegal wars. The potential consequences of withholding.
Welp, that viral story of dogs escaping a truck to travel hundreds of miles home was fake. Apparently the German shepherd was in heat and the dogs were just following her around.
Apparently Trump is now bored with the Cuba embargo and is allowing a Russian oil tanker to enter.
Reading is currently cool in pop culture. Man I really hope so.
Stanford University models how many people could die if vaccines were no longer available. We're also going to have to talk about the culpability Stanford has for championing anti-vaccine professionals, though, and the long-term consequences of that.
MAHA may not guarantee Republican victories anymore.
How to search for things on the Internet, via Google and other search engines.

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stream of consciousness

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:33:48 GMT

To be discussed later - realizing that my current favorite writers are all Asian American men - Ed Yong, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu, with very different sensibilities, but all with a deep thoughtfulness to them.

I just finished reading Ken Liu's translation of the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), which takes a less traditional approach, and sprinkles throughout the chapters anecdotes and a little history and context. I really liked it.

Came across his Substack, and this entry in which he talks about his frustrating experience of trying to get his AI assistant to do what he wants it to do and failing. Made me reflect on how even the smartest people I come across, especially if they are pro-AI, lapse into attributing qualities to AI that are human and not machine. Like...the AI is not lazy. The AI is incapable of processing the request you keep trying to make it do, and is also incapable of telling you when it cannot do something. Like, it just sounds exactly like this Meta exec who went viral when her "agentic AI" went ahead and tried to delete her entire inbox, ignoring instructions to stop.

In other AI news, apparently there was a mistranslation of a Korean analysis of the war, where the original text said that the US "could" be moving military assets out of South Korea, when the AI English translation said the US was actually "considering" moving it, and the mistranslation went viral.

I can't tell if this is the administration trying to get out of taking the blame or they're just stupid (why not both?), but I guess Rubio et al are going with "we bombed Iran because Israel was going to do it anyway and we needed to defend Israel first", which is now prompting outrage from...Gavin Newsom and Sen Ruben Gallego...of all people.

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running list of things in my head

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 15:34:47 GMT

Don't know how to describe it, but I attended this Zoom event with Viet Thanh Nguyen and two other academics/writers on the connection between Vietnam and Palestine. It will air in a future episode of his podcast Accented; I had no idea, but apparently in the seventies, during the Vietnam War (the American War to Vietnamese living in Vietnam), Palestinians were so inspired by the Vietnamese fighting Americans that some number of them traveled there to learn tactics and study them. Additionally, there's a small Vietnamese refugee population that got taken in by Israel after the war. It was a really interesting discussion, but one part of it stood out to me was when they discussed Asian American "identity" and how focusing on that fails people, when what we should really be focusing on is "community". And I really felt that; I've long been frustrated that the pinnacle of Asian American activism seems to be more "representation" in media and it fails in this moment when there are multiple genocides going on and Michelle Yeoh is being asked to speak on US politics at the Berlinale and she declines but tells people to focus on "diversity" which somehow isn't politics?

On identity politics, people online are trying to pit Olympic champions Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu against each other; Eileen Gu gets a lot of suspicion from both the Chinese side and the American side because she is rumored to have been offered millions under the table to play for China, and also offered Chinese citizenship without having to give up her American citizenship. She's been kind of cagey about it, and she was already rich anyway. Alysa Liu - I mean I will say I have been nothing but inspired by her skating - she looks like a fairy having so much fun - it feels so light and free - she's also from Oakland and going to UCLA and has spoken up against ICE and protested for Palestine so how could I not adore her? Anyway, she's got an interesting family history, in which her dad organized Tiananmen Square protests and was later smuggled out of China through to Hong Kong via "Operation Yellowbird" and came to the US. He wanted kids and was pushing 40, so opted to have them via surrogate, and he brought his mom out here to help raise them. I think Liu's most famous right now for doing skating on her terms - she quit when she was younger and came back only on the condition that she could skate when she wanted, how she wanted, etc. Fun fact about Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu - apparently they grew up in the same social circles - I forgot where I saw it, but there was a clip of the two of them at the same social event when they were kids. Both of them are quintessential American stories but people are acting like they're actual contradictions.

Stanford is developing a universal vaccine (currently in clinical trials) that could be delivered nasally! The dream!

Tucker Carlson right now is going viral for his interview with Mike Huckabee, and apparently Huckabee is trying to do damage control. I have zero affinity for Carlson and do not trust that he is in any way "pro-Palestine", and still think he's a racist bigot, but what being kicked out of mainstream media afforded him is the actual ability to ask "what do you mean by that" and call out his subject on their contradictions, something that most liberal media have failed to do or can't get access to do so. What do you mean the IDF are better than the US at protecting civilians? What do you mean by "this land"? Congrats now all of Carlson's clips have gone viral.

A bunch of PACs seem to have sprung up in the past months to counter-act AIPAC, which has succeeded in pissing off one of the most moderate, pro-Israel Dems, and led him to endorse his anti-Zionist opponent who beat him in the primary. Do not support the PAC one that welcomes Hitler apologists. PAL-PAC is supported by IMEU, a legitimate Middle Eastern think tank that has made lots of good policy recommendations. The American Priorities PAC appears to have money from Zohran Mamdani supporters but it's kind of unclear where its money comes from. They still don't have as much money as AIPAC though, which is currently trying to hide its support for its candidates through shell organizations and not mentioning Israel in their ads.

No Bad Days in LA is a new to me Substack that is very entertaining but right now it's getting a lot of attention for this exploration of how the LA Review of Books imploded. And the answer, is, as it was with PEN America, ArtForum, the BBC, and others, is Gaza and the willingness, or honesty, to call things what they are: a genocide.

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my thoughts are in a million places right now

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:09:49 GMT

Thinking about:

Whether the AI agent social network Moltbook is more evidence of dead internet theory or a baby Skynet in the making?
Hasan Piker getting a ban from Twitch over him using the phrase Zionist pigs and then jumping over to YouTube to do streaming and netting an even bigger audience.
UpScrolled moving to #1 downloaded app after TikTok switched to US ownership. (I am on there right now mostly to just observe for now. The draw of it is that it is created by a Palestinian-Australian former tech guy who wanted a space for people to express themselves without getting censored. Before this increase in adoption, though, they only had a part-time moderator, and they have plans to establish a trust and safety board.)
The strike and protests yesterday.
The former head of the IDF basically comparing Israelis to Nazis.
The Overton window moving on "Abolish ICE" even though the Dems continue to hedge on this. Every single Democrat + Collins and Murkowski voted for Sanders' amendment to repeal $75 billion in additional funding for ICE even though it failed.

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stuff

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 04:21:48 GMT

Canceled my Hilton Honors account. (If you want to mess around some more, here's a suggestion from Sunrise Movement. I'm not doing it because I will NOT remember to cancel. They definitely asked for a reason, and it took me 3 phone calls and being transferred to 3 different people before I could confirm that it was gone.
ADC set up a legislative tracker that is very useful for tracking anti-speech and legislation related to Palestine and Israel. It is disappointing to see so many anti-boycott laws on the books.
Beyond Israelism's latest podcast episode is with B’Tselem Executive Director Yuli Novak. Currently the video is behind a paywall, but on the audio podcast you can listen to the whole episode. (They'll probably put the whole interview on YouTube in a few weeks.) It is a very good discussion of how apartheid and genocide is a system, and her own journey from reckoning with how she grew up and the cost of her telling the truth in a society that she thinks has become "completely genocidal".

Some more relaxing, comforting things:

The latest episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler where she talks to Ryan Coogler:

Been greatly entertained recently by Kaz Rowe and watching her backlog of recounting the lives of "chaotic bisexuals" like Lord Byron:

A true comfort watch, Inga Lam's videos are really fun and actually has me considering a bread subscription? But it's pretty expensive.

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some things i read today

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 04:11:56 GMT

Ai Weiwei on "What I Wish I Had Known About Germany Earlier" - this was commissioned by Zeit Magazine, but when he turned it in, they canceled its publication. Hyperallergic published it instead:

At the heart of bureaucracy lies a collective endorsement of power’s legitimacy, and therefore, individuals surrender their moral judgment — or perhaps never developed one. They abandon challenge. They relinquish dispute.

When conversation becomes avoidance, when topics must not be mentioned, we are already living under the quiet logic of authoritarianism.

Miles Bruner - On My Last Day as an Accomplice of the Republican Party - tldr; he stuck his head in the sand until he couldn't figure out what to do without a paycheck from Republicans, and then the reality hit home with the Dobbs situation when his wife got pregnant, but he still stuck it out because he needed a job for his family.

ICE's recruits are "athletically allergic" - President Donald Trump’s plan to double the size of the ICE workforce has met a foe more powerful than any activist group. It is decimating new recruits at the agency’s training academy in Georgia. It is the ICE personal-fitness test.
More than a third have failed so far, four officials told me, impeding the agency’s plan to hire, train, and deploy 10,000 deportation officers by January. To pass, recruits must do 15 push-ups and 32 sit-ups, and run 1.5 miles in 14 minutes.

Playing dumb: on the price of our integrity - Apparently Jia Tolentino is now doing a "collab" with Airbnb, right after participating in a one-day fast for Gaza...and Airbnb is on the BDS target list. Additionally she just wrote a pretty intense review of Elizabeth Gilbert's latest messy memoir, that had some pointed criticism - On social media, many of the most chaotic and emotionally lawless people you’ve ever known are posting on a regular basis about having at long last achieved inner peace. Many among us, after observing this cringe-inducing side effect of regular self-narration at mass scale, have given up altogether on sincere ideas of personal epiphany. But even those who might seek to subvert that tone, or invoke it ironically, are negotiating the same conventions.

Anyway, from the article about Jia Tolentino's shilling for Airbnb - There could be a long read on this, but on a basic level, there is a growing temptation for journalists – thanks to social media and really, originally, thanks to Twitter – to see themselves as celebrities, and to enjoy what spoils come with lucrative brand deals and fan adoration (do you have readers or do you have stans?). It might not surprise you that the type of personalised, parasocial event Tolentino is running with AirBnb is already common amongst BookTokers and literary adjacent influencers, and Tolentino (though not seriously) could be telling herself that online figures do this all the time. There are risks when we outsource our beliefs – about ourselves, each other, the world – to those who are easily seduced by this bait; whose words we treat as gospel when they are actually very fallible, if not plainly shifty.

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random stuff

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:17:13 GMT

From the River to the Sea: A Jewish Perspective" is a daring short film that champions the Palestinian cause for liberation. In an audience heavily influenced by the Zionist narrative and conditioned to dehumanize Palestinians, this film brings forth voices from the "other side" who self-testify to the realities of occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Featuring distinguished Jewish-American and Israeli perspectives, it echoes the truths that Palestinians have long articulated, offering a powerful counter-narrative that seeks to promote liberation and genuine peace.

South Korean president has been impeached and removed from office 8-0.

I really appreciate that the Chinese swearing video features Cantonese swearing, because let's face it, it's much more versatile than cursing in Mandarin.

A former Meta employee reviews the new Facebook memoir. Revealing.

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things that happened that are good

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 05:28:42 GMT

Chris Kluwe calling MAGA a Nazi movement. He's on Bluesky and is refusing to talk to NYT unless it's with Jamelle Bouie.

Foot traffic fell in Walmart and Target, rose in Costco as both stores rolled back their DEI initiatives.

The Tesla Takedown is just beginning.

Ohio Rep House Rep says Trump's executive orders are getting out of control.

The SuperBowl happened less than 2 weeks ago, but it already feels like a lifetime:

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things that are more heartwarming

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 05:30:58 GMT

Thousands of anti-racist protesters turn out to counter far-right rallies in UK - “There are many, many more of us than you,” crowds chanted at anti-racist demonstrations across the country, bolstered by a markedly stronger police presence than over the weekend, and with virtually no sign of any far-right supporters.
One Livermore man's "force of light" against illegal dumping - this guy just picks up tons of trash in Oakland in his spare time.
The Portable Feminist Reader edited by Roxane Gay looks really interesting.
Mark Twain and Helen Keller's friendship was really special.
CDC is finally taking IUD pain seriously.

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some good news

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 05:19:47 GMT

There’s some terrible things going on still, but I just wanted to share some things that are good, because sometimes we need that to keep going.

One of the neighbor’s kids, age about 10, I think, came over today and learned what it sounds like when a cat purrs. He said “It sounds like a motor.” It was kind of fun watching him observe this.

I am starting swim lessons again. Hopefully this time I get over my fear of the water for real.

An mRNA vaccine could be used to treat a type of brain cancer.

A 13 year old boy was completely cured of DIPG, the same pediatric brain cancer that killed my neighbor’s son, after completing a study on the effectiveness of different cancer drugs. The other patients in the study are also living longer than expected.

Modi did not sweep elections in India as expected.

University workers are making the connection between free speech and labor.

I just listened to a Good Food interview with Franco-Palestinian chef Fadi Karan, and immediately ordered his new cookbook Bethlehem. It’s gorgeous. I also came across his series on YouTube, which he filmed during the COVID pandemic, called “Teta’s Kitchen” where he visits various Palestinian grandmothers and talks to them about their cooking. It’s really beautiful. I also ordered the 3rd edition of The Gaza Kitchen, which contains more seafood dishes, and a couple other dishes not found elsewhere.

I’ve been delighted by this food series Did You Eat Yet? That was created by someone born and raised in Oakland, and his latest video is on the emerging food scene in Castro Valley.

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distractions

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 05:12:16 GMT

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random

Sat, 09 Mar 2019 06:35:17 GMT

I feel like cryptocurrencies are basically MLM for men.

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my recommends

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 05:29:18 GMT

My daughter likes to ask, "Can I make a recommend?" So here are a few recommends:

Before The Next Bomb Drops: Rising Up From Brooklyn to Palestine by Remi Kanazi is currently available for free as an ebook on Haymarket Books. Why? Because apparently a pro-Israeli group ran and promoted Facebook campaigns against him, sparking protests wherever he showed up. Anyway, I have not read his stuff yet, but free is free!
Also free: Sarah Jeong's Internet of Garbage.
This 82 year old white guy hangs NO ICE signs on freeway overpasses in Los Angeles.
San Francisco politics - Chinese American "liberal" politician running for office outed as a bigot by her own words in Chinese newspapers and radio. And none of the liberals who endorsed her rescinded their endorsement. (Look, I know it's not popular, but the Chinese American community has some really serious racism/all around bigotry problems.) You know what would be funny? If they asked Zhao to just translate what she wrote to English-speaking Americans, with actual Cantonese speakers to verify.
If you have Hulu, I highly recommend you binge Making It immediately. Hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, it's a very sweet crafter/maker reality contest show.

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the more i read

Thu, 03 May 2018 04:02:50 GMT

About Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, et al, the more convinced I am that they are all the same kind of idiot as Donald Trump except no one bothers to contradict their stupidity because they have money and they are smart enough in other areas where it's not glaringly obvious in the parts where they fail.

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musing

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 06:03:07 GMT

If Oprah becomes president then maybe everything will come true from the Jay-Z music video.

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