Geoff Johnson
@geoffthejohnson.bsky.social
History and reading/writing teacher @CUNY. As a student once wrote of me in an evaluation, “CAN BE FUNNY AT TIMES." I believe that we will win.
I'm sure a large percentage of people here on Bluesky have already read this recent xkcd, but if you have not, you really ought to do so.
![Comic. Panels up to the 10-year point are grayed out. New panels since the Ten Years comic, which chronicles the first ten years of PERSON 1's journey with cancer: (1) [two people in bed] PERSON 1 (woman): One more chapter? PERSON 2 (man): Don’t we both have to get up early? PERSON 1: Nnnnnggggh PERSON 2: Sure, good point. (2) [many people wearing masks, walking while looking at graphs on their phones] (3) [birds landing on people] PERSON 2 in beanie and scarf: Hah! They like *my* seeds best. PERSON 1 in scarf holding phone with a bird sitting on it: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one? (4) [two people rowing boats with tree landscape] (5) [Person 1 carries overflowing stack of things to Person 2 in bed] PERSON 1: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a– PERSON 2: It was just Appendicitis, I’m really– PERSON 1: *It is my turn to take care of you and I am going to do it right!* (6) [Two people in car] (7) [still in car) PERSON 1: Oh my god. PERSON 2: Oh my god. (8) [car driving] PERSON 1: Pull over! PERSON 2: I am! (9) [both people get out of car] (10) [Large colored panel of aurora borealis over water with both people looking on] (11) [Person 1 sits against tree while Person 2 lies on the ground] PERSON 1: Fifteen years. No sign of the cancer. (12) I *am* having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I’m losing my close-up vision. PERSON 2: Yeah. Me too. (13) PERSON 2: I think we’re getting old. (14) PERSON 1: I guess that’s okay. PERSON 2: It’s all I wanted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihwhjblp5lyiwp63ouar7ocfea7evmckytoeo7rkfuoo4gw5rnrra@jpeg)
November 27, 2025 at 12:54 AM
I'm sure a large percentage of people here on Bluesky have already read this recent xkcd, but if you have not, you really ought to do so.
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
Honestly, I think logic and rhetoric are worth teaching on their own merits: if done right, they can be a lot of fun. I'd probably not even wait til grad school and teach it at high school in considerable depth.
If nothing else, it might improve the overall quality of political discourse
If nothing else, it might improve the overall quality of political discourse
One way I am quite philosophically conservative is I do basically think that knowledge of logic (like the traditional discipline including in its modern mathematical format) makes one better at following and reconstructing ordinary language arguments, and thus should be mandatory for grad students.
November 26, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Honestly, I think logic and rhetoric are worth teaching on their own merits: if done right, they can be a lot of fun. I'd probably not even wait til grad school and teach it at high school in considerable depth.
If nothing else, it might improve the overall quality of political discourse
If nothing else, it might improve the overall quality of political discourse
As a philosophy major I had to take Elementary Logic and enjoyed it. The professor was great--almost a textbook nutty math/philosophy prof; quirky, animated, smart--and I learned a lot, though the last third or so of the class become too difficult for me to follow (also a good experience to have!).
One way I am quite philosophically conservative is I do basically think that knowledge of logic (like the traditional discipline including in its modern mathematical format) makes one better at following and reconstructing ordinary language arguments, and thus should be mandatory for grad students.
November 26, 2025 at 9:59 PM
As a philosophy major I had to take Elementary Logic and enjoyed it. The professor was great--almost a textbook nutty math/philosophy prof; quirky, animated, smart--and I learned a lot, though the last third or so of the class become too difficult for me to follow (also a good experience to have!).
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
Public transport isn't just for Middle Earth. Narnia's getting in on the act!
I've drawn a subway map covering all 7 books of The Chronicles of Narnia. Follow the plots lines, but don't touch the third rail! #Narnia #Maps #Subway
You can buy prints on my Etsy store:
www.etsy.com/listing/4345...
I've drawn a subway map covering all 7 books of The Chronicles of Narnia. Follow the plots lines, but don't touch the third rail! #Narnia #Maps #Subway
You can buy prints on my Etsy store:
www.etsy.com/listing/4345...
November 26, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Public transport isn't just for Middle Earth. Narnia's getting in on the act!
I've drawn a subway map covering all 7 books of The Chronicles of Narnia. Follow the plots lines, but don't touch the third rail! #Narnia #Maps #Subway
You can buy prints on my Etsy store:
www.etsy.com/listing/4345...
I've drawn a subway map covering all 7 books of The Chronicles of Narnia. Follow the plots lines, but don't touch the third rail! #Narnia #Maps #Subway
You can buy prints on my Etsy store:
www.etsy.com/listing/4345...
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
From the MN Society for Professional Journalists: St. Paul police shot three photojournalists (MPR, Reuters, Sahan Journal) with "less lethal" munitions during an ICE operation yesterday. One had to go to the hospital. They say they were specifically targeted by St. Paul police.
November 26, 2025 at 5:47 PM
From the MN Society for Professional Journalists: St. Paul police shot three photojournalists (MPR, Reuters, Sahan Journal) with "less lethal" munitions during an ICE operation yesterday. One had to go to the hospital. They say they were specifically targeted by St. Paul police.
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
If you've donated to Native Organizer Alliance and want to keep giving, you can check out some of the groups I've uplifted in previous years in this newsletter edition from last year:
Must-Reads and Some Ways to Support Native People This Weekend
"Colonialism has been destroying worlds for hundreds of years."
organizingmythoughts.org
November 26, 2025 at 6:01 PM
If you've donated to Native Organizer Alliance and want to keep giving, you can check out some of the groups I've uplifted in previous years in this newsletter edition from last year:
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
Every year around this time, I ask folks to consider doing something in support of Native people. This year, please join me in supporting the Native Organizers Alliance as they build grassroots power, defend Native voting rights, and equip our people for collective struggle through skill-building.
Donate - Native Organizers Alliance
Supporting organizing and advocacy initiatives for Indigenous justice.
nativeorganizing.org
November 26, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Every year around this time, I ask folks to consider doing something in support of Native people. This year, please join me in supporting the Native Organizers Alliance as they build grassroots power, defend Native voting rights, and equip our people for collective struggle through skill-building.
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
"The current horrors are unevenly distributed. Not all of us are suffering the same effects of fascism. We have to do what we can to defend and protect the most vulnerable in our midst. We can do so while keeping grief close and tending to it." 🙏🏼
A lot of people need to read this.
We Don’t Know Where We Will End Up…
A Year Since the 2024 Election
prisonculture.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:27 PM
"The current horrors are unevenly distributed. Not all of us are suffering the same effects of fascism. We have to do what we can to defend and protect the most vulnerable in our midst. We can do so while keeping grief close and tending to it." 🙏🏼
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
This is why OpenAI is selling so aggressively to education at all levels—they want to create entire generations of users incapable of reading, writing and thinking without ChatGPT to hold their hands
And teachers and professors should call this out for what it actually is
And teachers and professors should call this out for what it actually is
To bear out this rosy projection, HSBC assumes that OpenAI will become "as ubiquitous [...] as Microsoft 365" (345mm users worldwide) while bringing in 10x the number of users (3bn).
November 25, 2025 at 11:11 PM
This is why OpenAI is selling so aggressively to education at all levels—they want to create entire generations of users incapable of reading, writing and thinking without ChatGPT to hold their hands
And teachers and professors should call this out for what it actually is
And teachers and professors should call this out for what it actually is
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
"If the power elite remains poorly understood, it may be because it is not just a financial elite or an educated elite, a noblesse-oblige elite, a political elite or a narrative-making elite. It straddles all of these, lucratively, persuaded of its own good intentions."
Free link. archive.ph/TbYs7
Free link. archive.ph/TbYs7
November 26, 2025 at 4:34 PM
"If the power elite remains poorly understood, it may be because it is not just a financial elite or an educated elite, a noblesse-oblige elite, a political elite or a narrative-making elite. It straddles all of these, lucratively, persuaded of its own good intentions."
Free link. archive.ph/TbYs7
Free link. archive.ph/TbYs7
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
When a patient tells me about rape, trauma, abuse from a spouse or parent, criminal acts, legal status, abortions, sexual identity, etc., I can choose to enter that into a clinic note or I can use judgment to decide that doing so risks harm, offense, or privacy. AI scribes allow no such discretion.
How is digitally storing a blob of AI generated text a greater risk than storing notes a doctor or an assistant would take? Corporations use AI scribes in high level meetings routinely, wouldn't the precautions they take to protect their IP when using this tech also work for health care?
November 26, 2025 at 4:49 PM
When a patient tells me about rape, trauma, abuse from a spouse or parent, criminal acts, legal status, abortions, sexual identity, etc., I can choose to enter that into a clinic note or I can use judgment to decide that doing so risks harm, offense, or privacy. AI scribes allow no such discretion.
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
I can't speak for what was said at the protests, but seeing people react to an anodyne statement like "sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law" as if it were a vicious slur is clarifying.
Zohran Mamdani chastised a Manhattan synagogue that hosted an event promoting migration to Israel and settlements in occupied territories. His stance further tested his strained relationship with pro-Israel Jews in New York.
Mamdani Response to Protest Inflames Tensions with Jewish Leaders
The mayor-elect chastised a synagogue that hosted an event promoting migration to Israel and settlements in occupied territories. His stance further tested his strained relationship with pro-Israel Jews.
nyti.ms
November 25, 2025 at 2:35 PM
I can't speak for what was said at the protests, but seeing people react to an anodyne statement like "sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law" as if it were a vicious slur is clarifying.
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
“I refuse to pretend that both of us are dumber than we are” is a tour de force insult, simultaneously respectful and brutal
If Isaac Chotiner ever said this to me, I would move to the woods.
November 25, 2025 at 1:43 AM
“I refuse to pretend that both of us are dumber than we are” is a tour de force insult, simultaneously respectful and brutal
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
November 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
I keep coming back to this
November 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I keep coming back to this
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
New: @socialists.nyc narrowly votes to not endorse Chi Osse's primary challenge against Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
This comes after @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social directly urged the group to not back Osse's run.
Osse previously signaled he'd likely not run without a DSA endorsement.
This comes after @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social directly urged the group to not back Osse's run.
Osse previously signaled he'd likely not run without a DSA endorsement.
November 23, 2025 at 3:39 AM
New: @socialists.nyc narrowly votes to not endorse Chi Osse's primary challenge against Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
This comes after @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social directly urged the group to not back Osse's run.
Osse previously signaled he'd likely not run without a DSA endorsement.
This comes after @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social directly urged the group to not back Osse's run.
Osse previously signaled he'd likely not run without a DSA endorsement.
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
If you're buying gifts for the holidays, maybe consider supporting artists, writers, creators. Gift someone a Patreon, commission an art piece, buy a book, purchase handmade jewelry, etc. Your support means everything.
November 22, 2025 at 8:39 PM
If you're buying gifts for the holidays, maybe consider supporting artists, writers, creators. Gift someone a Patreon, commission an art piece, buy a book, purchase handmade jewelry, etc. Your support means everything.
Cause love's such an old-fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
November 23, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Cause love's such an old-fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries IMLS
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries
Press Release: Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island struck down the Trump Adm...
librarytechnology.org
November 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
" If you know someone who has been detained and released by ICE, our REBUILD Program provides FREE therapy to help them regain stability and support." www.darknessrisingproject.org/help-me-find...
REBUILD - Darkness Rising Project
Need help finding a Black therapist? We can help.
www.darknessrisingproject.org
November 22, 2025 at 10:32 PM
" If you know someone who has been detained and released by ICE, our REBUILD Program provides FREE therapy to help them regain stability and support." www.darknessrisingproject.org/help-me-find...
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
The part where they threatened to break a judge’s car windows should be a bigger story … they feel comfortable treating judges this way, which means they are being told that they can do literally anything to nearly everyone
#BREAKING: A student intern at Rhode Island Superior Court was briefly taken into custody by ICE this afternoon before a judge intervened, 12 News has learned. Story by @jusolyn.bsky.social and @timwhiteri.bsky.social: ⤵️
RI judge intervenes after ICE mistakenly detains Superior Court intern
A teenager was nearly taken into federal immigration custody in Providence Thursday afternoon before a Superior Court judge intervened, according to the Rhode Island Judiciary.
www.wpri.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:53 PM
The part where they threatened to break a judge’s car windows should be a bigger story … they feel comfortable treating judges this way, which means they are being told that they can do literally anything to nearly everyone
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
This is like comic book fascist dialogue. Come on.
November 21, 2025 at 2:04 AM
This is like comic book fascist dialogue. Come on.
It is genuinely odd to me that anyone with at least somewhat strong left of center politics would still be consistently active on Elon's X in 2025. I don't view it as some great moral failing (basically all social media is pretty awful), I just don't get why one would choose to stay in that space.
Honestly one has to wonder why are Dem. electeds & leaders of progressive establishment are even having this kind of exchange on Musk's platform.
What kind of strategic benefit this kind of communication offer to Dems - to get curbstomped by Musk on his own platform? h/t @brianbeutler.bsky.social
What kind of strategic benefit this kind of communication offer to Dems - to get curbstomped by Musk on his own platform? h/t @brianbeutler.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 2:27 AM
It is genuinely odd to me that anyone with at least somewhat strong left of center politics would still be consistently active on Elon's X in 2025. I don't view it as some great moral failing (basically all social media is pretty awful), I just don't get why one would choose to stay in that space.
Reposted by Geoff Johnson
Not a criticism of Mamdani in particular, but as long as we allow massively funded, heavily armed right-wing paramilitaries to have veto power over every aspect of public policy, it will be impossible to enact even the most basic social democratic reforms that a lot of liberals say they want.
Before his election, Mamdani was adamant: The CCRB should get final say in NYPD discplinary cases. Now, after retaining Tisch as NYPD commish, Mamdani's changing his tune, saying he's mainly focused on ensuring CCRB's "recommendations" are "taken seriously." www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/20/m...
Mamdani softens hard line on role of NYPD watchdog in discipline after Tisch agrees to stay on
in the wake of announcing Wednesday that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch will stay in her post under his administration, Mayor-elect Mamdani took a step back.
www.nydailynews.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Not a criticism of Mamdani in particular, but as long as we allow massively funded, heavily armed right-wing paramilitaries to have veto power over every aspect of public policy, it will be impossible to enact even the most basic social democratic reforms that a lot of liberals say they want.