Christopher Schmidt
@crschmidt.net
Software engineer (currently at Google). Founding member, Alphabet Workers Union. Advocate for sustainable cities through urban development. E-bike evangelist. Currently in Somerville, MA; formerly in Cambridge, MA.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today I learned that the Thanksgiving holiday was instituted to celebrate the win at Gettysburg, and the tradition of Turkey was because there was a campaign to get every Union soldier a turkey for Thanksgiving in 1864.
Forget pilgrims: Thanksgiving is about defeating slavers.
Today I learned that the Thanksgiving holiday was instituted to celebrate the win at Gettysburg, and the tradition of Turkey was because there was a campaign to get every Union soldier a turkey for Thanksgiving in 1864.
Forget pilgrims: Thanksgiving is about defeating slavers.
November 27, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today I learned that the Thanksgiving holiday was instituted to celebrate the win at Gettysburg, and the tradition of Turkey was because there was a campaign to get every Union soldier a turkey for Thanksgiving in 1864.
Forget pilgrims: Thanksgiving is about defeating slavers.
Today I learned that the Thanksgiving holiday was instituted to celebrate the win at Gettysburg, and the tradition of Turkey was because there was a campaign to get every Union soldier a turkey for Thanksgiving in 1864.
Forget pilgrims: Thanksgiving is about defeating slavers.
Reposted by Christopher Schmidt
This is a common misconception!
There's actually fairly substantial differences between rural white voters in the South and the non-mountain west North -- looking at an election map that starts at R+75 (purple) and ends at R+0 (yellow) you can see a fairly clear line between North/South
There's actually fairly substantial differences between rural white voters in the South and the non-mountain west North -- looking at an election map that starts at R+75 (purple) and ends at R+0 (yellow) you can see a fairly clear line between North/South
November 16, 2025 at 2:39 AM
This is a common misconception!
There's actually fairly substantial differences between rural white voters in the South and the non-mountain west North -- looking at an election map that starts at R+75 (purple) and ends at R+0 (yellow) you can see a fairly clear line between North/South
There's actually fairly substantial differences between rural white voters in the South and the non-mountain west North -- looking at an election map that starts at R+75 (purple) and ends at R+0 (yellow) you can see a fairly clear line between North/South
Reposted by Christopher Schmidt
Yesterday members of our community mourned the lives lost to traffic violence. We grieved, but we also joined in commiting ourselves to a world where nobody has to die on our streets. We do not accept the status quo.
youtu.be/sQkZSUo5Ug0?...
youtu.be/sQkZSUo5Ug0?...
Families call for better safety measures following Massachusetts traffic deaths
YouTube video by CBS Boston
youtu.be
November 17, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Yesterday members of our community mourned the lives lost to traffic violence. We grieved, but we also joined in commiting ourselves to a world where nobody has to die on our streets. We do not accept the status quo.
youtu.be/sQkZSUo5Ug0?...
youtu.be/sQkZSUo5Ug0?...
Reposted by Christopher Schmidt
Truly there are few things and few industries more efficient than the modern data center and we don’t really accomplish anything by having fewer of them aside from less redundancy (ie more unreliable service) and greater centralization. That this likely uses *more* power and water is unavoidable.
November 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Truly there are few things and few industries more efficient than the modern data center and we don’t really accomplish anything by having fewer of them aside from less redundancy (ie more unreliable service) and greater centralization. That this likely uses *more* power and water is unavoidable.
Not having any documentation of the procedure by which the city audits its election results seems like maybe a bad thing.
"Our process exists only as spoken lore, passed down from generation to generation" is kinda a bad approach to repeatable, reliable processes.
"Our process exists only as spoken lore, passed down from generation to generation" is kinda a bad approach to repeatable, reliable processes.
In other news, the City has responded to my request for a copy of the election auditing procedures (also some other things).
I am not sure I understand this this.
"Regarding the first portion of your request, the City has no responsive records."
I am not sure I understand this this.
"Regarding the first portion of your request, the City has no responsive records."
November 12, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Not having any documentation of the procedure by which the city audits its election results seems like maybe a bad thing.
"Our process exists only as spoken lore, passed down from generation to generation" is kinda a bad approach to repeatable, reliable processes.
"Our process exists only as spoken lore, passed down from generation to generation" is kinda a bad approach to repeatable, reliable processes.
I'm still not sure what should have been done on releasing election results, but I think the fact that city staff seem to have *known* something was off, but did not inform the Election Commissioners of that prior to releasing results was inappropriate. They're the people intended to make that call.
One reason that's massive is that a decision to withdraw results (which did not happen, and I do not know why) is much harder to make than a decision to defer releasing results.
[ Although reasonable people can differ on that! Pressure to release results is immense! ]
[ Although reasonable people can differ on that! Pressure to release results is immense! ]
November 12, 2025 at 2:22 PM
I'm still not sure what should have been done on releasing election results, but I think the fact that city staff seem to have *known* something was off, but did not inform the Election Commissioners of that prior to releasing results was inappropriate. They're the people intended to make that call.
Reposted by Christopher Schmidt
BTW: The new five-person Bike Champion majority on Cambridge City Council have all ridden multiple times with the Peabody/RAUC #BikeBus.
Kids on bikes have caregivers who vote.
Kids on bikes have caregivers who vote.
November 5, 2025 at 2:35 PM
BTW: The new five-person Bike Champion majority on Cambridge City Council have all ridden multiple times with the Peabody/RAUC #BikeBus.
Kids on bikes have caregivers who vote.
Kids on bikes have caregivers who vote.
If anyone is interested in the actual process behind how @johnhawkinson.bsky.social and other volunteers produce the "early results" for Cambridge City Council election #1s, I did a writeup of the process by which dozens of folks helped people get results last night.
www.reddit.com/r/CambridgeM...
www.reddit.com/r/CambridgeM...
From the CambridgeMA community on Reddit: how we got "early results" last night
Explore this post and more from the CambridgeMA community
www.reddit.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:45 PM
If anyone is interested in the actual process behind how @johnhawkinson.bsky.social and other volunteers produce the "early results" for Cambridge City Council election #1s, I did a writeup of the process by which dozens of folks helped people get results last night.
www.reddit.com/r/CambridgeM...
www.reddit.com/r/CambridgeM...
How I’m spending my day
November 4, 2025 at 2:47 PM
How I’m spending my day
"No, 12 million Americans don't believe the country is run by shape-shifting lizards."
foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/02/n...
foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/02/n...
November 3, 2025 at 2:26 PM
"No, 12 million Americans don't believe the country is run by shape-shifting lizards."
foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/02/n...
foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/02/n...
If you want to help on Election Day, and don’t have anything to do, I could use a few more people to hold signs for @abciepac.org on Election Day in the morning or evening; let me know if you’re interested!
November 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
If you want to help on Election Day, and don’t have anything to do, I could use a few more people to hold signs for @abciepac.org on Election Day in the morning or evening; let me know if you’re interested!
please vote in your local municipal elections on Tuesday (if you have one).
November 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
please vote in your local municipal elections on Tuesday (if you have one).
I specifically changed my work travel plans to accommodate being part of this event. I'm glad I did, because it's just a genuinely joyful thing every time.
We’ve done four Peabody #BikeBus rides with the band so far, and each one relies on an incredible selfless army of volunteers.
I’m so grateful to them without whom we couldn’t pull off this joyful madness. A true community.
Happy HONKoween 🎺🎷🎃
I’m so grateful to them without whom we couldn’t pull off this joyful madness. A true community.
Happy HONKoween 🎺🎷🎃
November 1, 2025 at 12:53 PM
I specifically changed my work travel plans to accommodate being part of this event. I'm glad I did, because it's just a genuinely joyful thing every time.
While my hotel window could use some cleaning, the view is cool.
October 28, 2025 at 1:05 AM
While my hotel window could use some cleaning, the view is cool.
This is a weird ballot.
Precinct: 9-2
4 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Totten, Azeem, Zusy, Walker
Ballot was exhausted.
This ballot is unique and no other ranked exactly these candidates.
4 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Totten, Azeem, Zusy, Walker
Ballot was exhausted.
This ballot is unique and no other ranked exactly these candidates.
October 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
This is a weird ballot.
Reposted by Christopher Schmidt
A nice moment of feeling like ‘bikes are normie here,’ getting two separate mailers from the local bike advocacy machine
October 25, 2025 at 6:47 PM
A nice moment of feeling like ‘bikes are normie here,’ getting two separate mailers from the local bike advocacy machine
i have no tattoos, does this make me eligible or ineligible for public office?
October 23, 2025 at 11:45 AM
i have no tattoos, does this make me eligible or ineligible for public office?
Sobrinho-Wheeler feels like a strange addition to this anti-bike lane ballot.
Then again, anything that includes Moree is clearly a weirdo outlier anyway.
Then again, anything that includes Moree is clearly a weirdo outlier anyway.
Precinct: 5-1
11 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Zusy, Toner, Nolan, Brown, Hanratty, Muchnik, Pickett, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Moree, Winters, McGuirk
Vote was counted for: Pickett
Identical ballots: 2 (all of which used this order).
11 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Zusy, Toner, Nolan, Brown, Hanratty, Muchnik, Pickett, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Moree, Winters, McGuirk
Vote was counted for: Pickett
Identical ballots: 2 (all of which used this order).
October 16, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Sobrinho-Wheeler feels like a strange addition to this anti-bike lane ballot.
Then again, anything that includes Moree is clearly a weirdo outlier anyway.
Then again, anything that includes Moree is clearly a weirdo outlier anyway.
Interesting to see only Wilson get left off an ABC ballot in the 2023 election. There's probably a story there.
Precinct: 8-2
8 candidates ranked.
Rankings: McGuirk, Azeem, Klein, McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Simmons, Siddiqui, Pierre
Vote was counted for: Sobrinho-Wheeler
This ballot is unique; 5 ranked the same candidates.
8 candidates ranked.
Rankings: McGuirk, Azeem, Klein, McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Simmons, Siddiqui, Pierre
Vote was counted for: Sobrinho-Wheeler
This ballot is unique; 5 ranked the same candidates.
October 16, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Interesting to see only Wilson get left off an ABC ballot in the 2023 election. There's probably a story there.
Amused that these ballots basically split 50/50 on who goes first.
Precinct: 5-3
2 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Simmons, Siddiqui
Vote was counted for: Simmons
Identical ballots: 18; 35 ranked the same candidates.
2 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Simmons, Siddiqui
Vote was counted for: Simmons
Identical ballots: 18; 35 ranked the same candidates.
October 12, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Amused that these ballots basically split 50/50 on who goes first.
Tossing in McGovern at the end of this list is pretty funny.
Precinct: 4-3
7 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Muchnik, Nolan, Pickett, Zusy, Walker, Toner, McGovern
Vote was counted for: Pickett
This ballot is unique and no other ranked exactly these candidates.
7 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Muchnik, Nolan, Pickett, Zusy, Walker, Toner, McGovern
Vote was counted for: Pickett
This ballot is unique and no other ranked exactly these candidates.
October 11, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Tossing in McGovern at the end of this list is pretty funny.
Reposted by Christopher Schmidt
cry havoc and let slip the frogs of war
October 11, 2025 at 12:32 AM
cry havoc and let slip the frogs of war
I think that it's important for everyone who moderates an online space to know that the broad opinion of people on the platform will always be "fuck the mods". Whether people perceive you as doing too much or doing too little, you will always be the object of scorn.
You just have to deal with that.
You just have to deal with that.
October 11, 2025 at 1:34 AM
I think that it's important for everyone who moderates an online space to know that the broad opinion of people on the platform will always be "fuck the mods". Whether people perceive you as doing too much or doing too little, you will always be the object of scorn.
You just have to deal with that.
You just have to deal with that.
It's interesting that although many people ranked these 6 (which was the ABC + Bike Safety combination list) *first*, fewer ranked the intersection than either the full ABC or CBS list. I talked to many folks who expressed dismay about some of ABC or CBS endorsements, but they mostly still add more.
Precinct: 11-1
6 candidates ranked.
Rankings: McGovern, Azeem, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Siddiqui, Pierre, Klein
Vote was counted for: McGovern
Identical ballots: 2; 72 ranked the same candidates.
6 candidates ranked.
Rankings: McGovern, Azeem, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Siddiqui, Pierre, Klein
Vote was counted for: McGovern
Identical ballots: 2; 72 ranked the same candidates.
October 10, 2025 at 11:02 PM
It's interesting that although many people ranked these 6 (which was the ABC + Bike Safety combination list) *first*, fewer ranked the intersection than either the full ABC or CBS list. I talked to many folks who expressed dismay about some of ABC or CBS endorsements, but they mostly still add more.
the alphabetical "Fuck bikes" ballot.
Precinct: 10-2
6 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Hanratty, Pasquarello, Toner, Simmons, Winters, Wilson
Vote was counted for: Simmons
This ballot is unique and no other ranked exactly these candidates.
6 candidates ranked.
Rankings: Hanratty, Pasquarello, Toner, Simmons, Winters, Wilson
Vote was counted for: Simmons
This ballot is unique and no other ranked exactly these candidates.
October 9, 2025 at 12:49 AM
the alphabetical "Fuck bikes" ballot.