John Ruch
@johnruchatlanta.bsky.social
civil rights paralegal, fantasy novelist, ex-journalist
A Boston media must-read: Faraone on the passing of Jeff Lawrence binj.news/2025/12/12/m...
Media Farm: Remembering Jeff Lawrence, Co-Founder Of Dig Publishing
Jeff trusted and believed in oddballs in ways that nobody else in our lives had ever believed in us, and probably more than he should have
binj.news
December 12, 2025 at 2:20 PM
A Boston media must-read: Faraone on the passing of Jeff Lawrence binj.news/2025/12/12/m...
Reposted by John Ruch
Memo to @ajc.com 😂
Folks! We did it! The Onion has 60,000 subscribers!
We're that much closer to reaching our goal of beating The Washington Post's print circulation by the end of next year. (They were last reported at 97k, but it's probably lower now.)
Thank you all. Democracy died in darkness but we're still here.
We're that much closer to reaching our goal of beating The Washington Post's print circulation by the end of next year. (They were last reported at 97k, but it's probably lower now.)
Thank you all. Democracy died in darkness but we're still here.
December 12, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Memo to @ajc.com 😂
The Weekly Dig would let me write wacko stuff like the political history of the Clark candy bar, insist I overwrite to fill space, then never pay me. Insane, but a crucially different fecund insanity from the poseurs and tech bros who seized alt media to chase clout. Jeff made Boston better. RIP man
Some more thoughts here on the loss of Jeff and of alt-weeklies write large. www.welcometohellworld.com/he-gave-a-lo...
December 11, 2025 at 4:32 AM
The Weekly Dig would let me write wacko stuff like the political history of the Clark candy bar, insist I overwrite to fill space, then never pay me. Insane, but a crucially different fecund insanity from the poseurs and tech bros who seized alt media to chase clout. Jeff made Boston better. RIP man
“These political parties, they're like shipwrecks: metal structures, they’re dead. Street protests, youth politics come into them like shoaling fish, to turn them into living reefs.”
We asked activists from authoritarian regimes what they wish they’d known sooner. Here’s what they said www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
We asked activists from authoritarian regimes what they wish they’d known sooner. Here’s what they said
Activists from Hungary, El Salvador and Turkey offer advice to the US about what they’ve learned about authoritarians
www.theguardian.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:21 PM
“These political parties, they're like shipwrecks: metal structures, they’re dead. Street protests, youth politics come into them like shoaling fish, to turn them into living reefs.”
Reposted by John Ruch
Glad that DeKalb PD is at least acknowledging that transphobia is misconduct. Thanks @decaturish.bsky.social for reporting this story.
www.decaturish.com/public_safet...
www.decaturish.com/public_safet...
December 8, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Glad that DeKalb PD is at least acknowledging that transphobia is misconduct. Thanks @decaturish.bsky.social for reporting this story.
www.decaturish.com/public_safet...
www.decaturish.com/public_safet...
The Chunklet Music Preservation Project had a cool and important ATL punk/rock/no-wave history event last night featuring unseen photos of Sex Pistols' ATL show and early RuPaul, plus Gordon Stevenson/Lydia Lunch stuff we apparently will soon read about in the Guardian. 🤘 www.chunklet.org
December 7, 2025 at 5:59 PM
The Chunklet Music Preservation Project had a cool and important ATL punk/rock/no-wave history event last night featuring unseen photos of Sex Pistols' ATL show and early RuPaul, plus Gordon Stevenson/Lydia Lunch stuff we apparently will soon read about in the Guardian. 🤘 www.chunklet.org
December 5, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Sports megaevents like World Cup literally create mini authoritarian states around themselves and have well-documented symbiosis with similarly draconian and corrupt governments. This fake-naive posturing is the worst activism, pointless waste of donor money. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
‘Fifa cannot be silent’: human rights groups speak out over 2026 World Cup concerns
Fifa risks becoming “a public relations tool of an increasingly authoritarian US government,” human-rights organisations have warned
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Sports megaevents like World Cup literally create mini authoritarian states around themselves and have well-documented symbiosis with similarly draconian and corrupt governments. This fake-naive posturing is the worst activism, pointless waste of donor money. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Just noticing that Atlanta Roller Derby's current fundraiser supports their purchase of an unnamed historic Atlanta venue! 🤘 (They used to jam at the Yaarab Shrine Center but who knows.) www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
Atlanta Roller Derby Finds A Home And Preserves History! $225 - 300 Donations
Atlanta Roller Derby and Atlanta Junior Roller Derby are doing the biggest thing we have ever done: buy our own venue. We are currently under contract to buy and iconic Atlanta facility that will not ...
www.zeffy.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Just noticing that Atlanta Roller Derby's current fundraiser supports their purchase of an unnamed historic Atlanta venue! 🤘 (They used to jam at the Yaarab Shrine Center but who knows.) www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
Figures my local post office drop box is a cool hellmouth but still did not expect to find a Feminazgul sticker inside it. 🤘 @margaret.bsky.social @kimkelly.bsky.social
December 2, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Figures my local post office drop box is a cool hellmouth but still did not expect to find a Feminazgul sticker inside it. 🤘 @margaret.bsky.social @kimkelly.bsky.social
Reposted by John Ruch
Today on my Substack ‘Old Strange Things’, a new free post that takes a deep dive into the current state of exorcism in the Church of England open.substack.com/pub/drfranci...
The devil in the detail
Understanding exorcism in the contemporary Church of England
open.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Today on my Substack ‘Old Strange Things’, a new free post that takes a deep dive into the current state of exorcism in the Church of England open.substack.com/pub/drfranci...
Reposted by John Ruch
A common theme in these comments about Shook is the high level of credit he deserves for the city's current financial security, including ensuring we have operating reserve funds, working toward fully funding pensions and a deep scrutiny over department spending.
December 1, 2025 at 6:47 PM
A common theme in these comments about Shook is the high level of credit he deserves for the city's current financial security, including ensuring we have operating reserve funds, working toward fully funding pensions and a deep scrutiny over department spending.
Reposted by John Ruch
"They couldn’t even bring themselves to pardon two turkeys. One was just there so they could make a point. There were also jokes about senators needing to stay on the Board’s good side. Incarceration is a punchline."
The Georgia Parole Board Pardoned a Turkey - Filter
Each year when the president did the White House turkey pardons it always seemed kinda funny, even from prison. Seeing ...
filtermag.org
November 26, 2025 at 4:34 PM
"They couldn’t even bring themselves to pardon two turkeys. One was just there so they could make a point. There were also jokes about senators needing to stay on the Board’s good side. Incarceration is a punchline."
Reposted by John Ruch
It is unclear to me what The Guardian has done to merit this treatment. I assure you that, at least in my own effort, I will strive to rectify the oversight of being omitted from this list.
White House launches website to excoriate media for ‘biased’ stories
Trump administration lists reporting it objects to in latest escalation of attacks on US journalism
www.theguardian.com
November 30, 2025 at 10:24 PM
It is unclear to me what The Guardian has done to merit this treatment. I assure you that, at least in my own effort, I will strive to rectify the oversight of being omitted from this list.
Reposted by John Ruch
Georgians donated $13.6 million to police foundations in lieu of taxes in 2024
The state is willing to give up $75 million in taxes for this annually but is not getting near that much interest
That's according to a new review by the Georgia Dept of Audits and Accounts
#gapol
The state is willing to give up $75 million in taxes for this annually but is not getting near that much interest
That's according to a new review by the Georgia Dept of Audits and Accounts
#gapol
# gapol Report from Georgia Dept. of Audits & Accts Law Enforcement Organization Tax Credit https://www.audits.g
November 20, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Georgians donated $13.6 million to police foundations in lieu of taxes in 2024
The state is willing to give up $75 million in taxes for this annually but is not getting near that much interest
That's according to a new review by the Georgia Dept of Audits and Accounts
#gapol
The state is willing to give up $75 million in taxes for this annually but is not getting near that much interest
That's according to a new review by the Georgia Dept of Audits and Accounts
#gapol
Reposted by John Ruch
Almost a year now since I received this absolutely classic burn from the Canadian government.
November 21, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Almost a year now since I received this absolutely classic burn from the Canadian government.
Reposted by John Ruch
In recent years the Georgia Department of Corrections has restricted or removed access to boots, jacket liners, thermal underwear, long-sleeved shirts, raincoats, knit hats and having a second blanket.
Some Prisons Have Quietly Stopped Giving Us Winter Clothes - Filter
After issuing prisoners the same lined winter jackets since 1991, last winter the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) sent them ...
filtermag.org
November 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM
In recent years the Georgia Department of Corrections has restricted or removed access to boots, jacket liners, thermal underwear, long-sleeved shirts, raincoats, knit hats and having a second blanket.
Reposted by John Ruch
“We’re broken and we’re being poached by ICE,” one official with the prison workers union told ProPublica. “It’s unbelievable. People are leaving in droves.”
New story from @keribla.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
New story from @keribla.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
As Federal Prisons Run Low on Food and Toilet Paper, Corrections Officers Leave in Droves for ICE
Many of the problems the agency is facing now are not new, but staff and prisoners fear an exodus of officers could make life behind bars even worse.
www.propublica.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:52 PM
“We’re broken and we’re being poached by ICE,” one official with the prison workers union told ProPublica. “It’s unbelievable. People are leaving in droves.”
New story from @keribla.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
New story from @keribla.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
Found my band name.
November 21, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Found my band name.
'...multiple counts of misuse of automated license plate recognition systems'
Former Braselton police chief arrested, accused of harassment and stalking, GBI says
Former Braselton police chief arrested, accused of harassment and stalking, GBI says
The GBI said a months-long investigation “revealed Steffman misused the automated license plate recognition systems to harass and stalk multiple individuals.”
www.atlantanewsfirst.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:09 PM
'...multiple counts of misuse of automated license plate recognition systems'
But seriously, did any of those trees survive?
RIP, Tom. Journalists could honor him by checking out whether any of the magnolias dug up for Marvel movie filming really survived... creativeloafing.com/content-2184...
November 16, 2025 at 1:22 AM
But seriously, did any of those trees survive?
RIP, Tom. Journalists could honor him by checking out whether any of the magnolias dug up for Marvel movie filming really survived... creativeloafing.com/content-2184...
November 12, 2025 at 6:53 PM
RIP, Tom. Journalists could honor him by checking out whether any of the magnolias dug up for Marvel movie filming really survived... creativeloafing.com/content-2184...
1st Ed also warned against asshole powergamers ruining yr group. Like I said years ago: 'D&D also taught us that a lot of people behave like dragons and belong in a dungeon—or worse, would drop you into one in a millisecond, smiling the whole damn time.' terminalia.weebly.com/articles/dol...
November 11, 2025 at 4:20 PM
1st Ed also warned against asshole powergamers ruining yr group. Like I said years ago: 'D&D also taught us that a lot of people behave like dragons and belong in a dungeon—or worse, would drop you into one in a millisecond, smiling the whole damn time.' terminalia.weebly.com/articles/dol...
The 1990s ATL noir 'Down on Ponce' by Fred Willard (not *that* Fred Willard) is its own kind of amazing document of the Olympics gentrification era, with its predatory Cobb Republican real estate lawyer villain vs. eccentric oddballs. Crazy how little info there is on this guy.
November 11, 2025 at 12:22 AM
The 1990s ATL noir 'Down on Ponce' by Fred Willard (not *that* Fred Willard) is its own kind of amazing document of the Olympics gentrification era, with its predatory Cobb Republican real estate lawyer villain vs. eccentric oddballs. Crazy how little info there is on this guy.
Reposted by John Ruch
‘We never had much fun – we were angry’: Eve Libertine on life with anarcho-punk pioneers Crass
‘We never had much fun – we were angry’: Eve Libertine on life with anarcho-punk pioneers Crass
Accused of obscenity and sued by police and Tory MPs, Libertine outraged the establishment as part of Crass. Now she’s back – and she hasn’t mellowed with age
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:35 AM
‘We never had much fun – we were angry’: Eve Libertine on life with anarcho-punk pioneers Crass