Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Chris Dwan (he/him)

@somershade.bsky.social

2.1K followers 220 following 4.8K posts

Hyper local in Somerville, MA. FOIA requests & long threads live-tweeting city meetings. Also @fdmts

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · Sep 5

The most important thing to remember about Somerville social media is that most of Somerville is not on Somerville social media.

3 5 51

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 1h

I‘m sitting with the mystery of the person who said “if only you had mentioned these points, you might have swayed some hearts and minds,” and then … um … seemingly copy pasted the points out of my post.

But yeah, it didn’t get downvoted into oblivion, so that’s progress!

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 8h

“Our domain registration lapsed.”

🏰meg⚔️ @Birthright Audiobook! @impavid.us · 4d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand

I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.

1 7

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 11h

My point, insofar as I have one, is that money by itself never creates value - and the farther you get from actual value creation the more certain it is to be a scam.

5/5

1 3

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 11h

I have no particular point or advice or call to action here.

If you keep your money under a mattress in the bubble times, smirking finance assholes eat your lunch.

If you ‘play’ the market you eventually lose.

4/?

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 11h

Unfortunately, there aren’t many good options left for those of us the financial class likes to dismissively call the ‘little guys.’

I.e: The vast majority of people, the ones creating the value that they want to harvest.

The bank is not your friend, and it’s the only game in town.

3/?

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 11h

Money doesn’t create value. People do.

When somebody tells you that they’ve got a fancy way to move money around that will somehow create value and make -everybody- rich, they’re always wrong.

2/?

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 11h

This carefully worded, long-form article doesn’t actually -say- that the finance and crypto bros are setting us up for a crash that’s likely to wipe out the retirement accounts of millions of Americans …

… not directly …

… but that’s -exactly- what it means.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/m...

The Rules of Investing Are Being Loosened. Could It Lead to the Next 1929?

www.nytimes.com

2 2 6

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 1d

A significant update to Somerville’s charter is on the ballot in November. My opinion is that we should collectively set aside the frustrations and doubts that have accumulated through five long, slow years of occasionally fractious process and vote “yes.”

medium.com/@fdmts/vote-...

Vote “Yes” on Somerville’s Charter

A significant update to Somerville’s charter is on the ballot in November. My opinion is that we should collectively set aside the…

medium.com

1 3 9

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 1d

Looks like it's going to be a banger of a weekend for protests.

Be careful out there everybody. Resist.

#NoKings

5 11

Reposted by Chris Dwan (he/him)

A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 1d

The tell is when the "free speech" warrior's argument equates to "the people criticizing me are silencing me and should therefore be made to shut up."

It's a pretty obvious tell; makes you wonder about those who keep falling for it time after time after time. Or maybe not wonder so much.

Dr Kat Day (she/her) @chronicleflask.katday.com · 1d

They always start with free speech. It sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Free speech? And they can use it to shut down anyone who criticises them, because it’s all “free speech”

After “free speech” it’s “protecting women and girls”

And then it’s whatever they actually wanted.

Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 1d

The right-wing campaign group that helped topple Roe v Wade in the US is now working to roll back abortion laws in the UK, with the help of Nigel Farage.

Its first step? Trying to create a debate around "free speech"
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/w...

6 140 550

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 1d

I’m reading about coral reefs actually no shit just up and dying, and thinking of @aptshadow.bsky.social’s take in Bee Speaker:

‘everyone still on their feet was still telling one another that it was just one storm, just one unseasonable season, just one more state collapsed into anarchic poverty.’

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 1d

Typical commuter traffic in downtown Berlin.

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 1d

‘If there’s no good faith, there should be no deference.’

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/o...

Opinion | How a Trump Judge Exposed the Trump Con

www.nytimes.com

1 3

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 2d

Amonita muscaria … in the wilds of Germany.

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 2d

Here is an impossibly adorable pair of mushrooms to brighten your day.

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 2d

I highly endorse Walles for Councilor At-Large.

www.mariannewalles.com

6/6

Marianne for at-large city council

www.mariannewalles.com

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 2d

Representation is important.

Marianne is different from me in a bunch of ways. She's had a different life from me, and connects with a different part of the city than I do.

We need diversity and competence if we want to have a functional council that doesn't just thrash around and waste time.

5/?

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 2d

For me, competence and an ability to work across differences - over months and years - is more important than ideological purity and perfect sets of answers on candidate surveys.

From that position: Marianne Walles for Councilor At-Large.

4/?

1 2

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 2d

I didn't put a lot or words down about Marianne Walles when I wrote my post endorsing her, @jake4somerville.bsky.social, and @hollyforsomerville.bsky.social.

I didn't think I needed to. Her record speaks for itself.

medium.com/@fdmts/somer...

3/?

Somerville Elections: 2025

I have found it hard to decide how to vote this year, and doubly hard to make any public endorsements. Times are weird. People are stressed…

medium.com

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 2d

Walles's endorsement list speaks to a life of service:

State - @mikeconnollyma.bsky.social, @electerika.bsky.social, Baker, and Edwards

Council - McLaughlin, @jtforward2.bsky.social, @benforward3.bsky.social, Clingan, and Sait

School Board - @andregreen.bsky.social, Phillips, and Ackman

2/?

1 1

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 2d

I want to emphasize, again, my enthusiastic support for Marianne Walles for Councilor At-Large.

Just look at the incredible collection of endorsements she's put together across our state, council, and school board elected officials.

Maryanne will be able to get things done.

1/?

1 2 10

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 3d

Shifting the problem
Into a single large pile
Maybe we should not

Reposted by Chris Dwan (he/him)

Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 3d

I like explaining to people (when I am furloughed) that basically everywhere else, if the legislature can't pass a budget the government keeps working and all the politicians get fired.

1 6 13

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 3d

Anyway, I have no particular call to action.

But do check out the google reviews. They're delightful.

11/11

1 2

Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 3d

And also, let's go -all- the way through this.

Yes the local invertebrate species list went from ~60 to 3 ... but also it's table salt. It dissolves. Measurements in local waterways and groundwater tables are within contamination limits.

Sure, it's ugly ... but ... um ...

10/?

2 4