Neal
@nealkaplan.bsky.social
Technical writer but now a manager who you’d think would have more interesting opinions about the tech industry after this many years. Also cats. He/him
Reposted by Neal
Major yn Englisshe:
• focused readinge & writinge prepare you for anythinge
• research, communicacioun, creativitye, and interpretacioun will be needed for careers not even invented yet
• meaningful engagement wyth big ideas and textes that will staye wyth you forevir
• it ys awesome
• books!
• focused readinge & writinge prepare you for anythinge
• research, communicacioun, creativitye, and interpretacioun will be needed for careers not even invented yet
• meaningful engagement wyth big ideas and textes that will staye wyth you forevir
• it ys awesome
• books!
September 17, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Major yn Englisshe:
• focused readinge & writinge prepare you for anythinge
• research, communicacioun, creativitye, and interpretacioun will be needed for careers not even invented yet
• meaningful engagement wyth big ideas and textes that will staye wyth you forevir
• it ys awesome
• books!
• focused readinge & writinge prepare you for anythinge
• research, communicacioun, creativitye, and interpretacioun will be needed for careers not even invented yet
• meaningful engagement wyth big ideas and textes that will staye wyth you forevir
• it ys awesome
• books!
Reposted by Neal
Remember that NASA was only able to *start* because the rich were being taxed at 90+% marginal rates.
Now, *you* pay a greater percent of your income as taxes than any billionaire.
You're just not gonna get NASA back without billionaires paying taxes again.
Now, *you* pay a greater percent of your income as taxes than any billionaire.
You're just not gonna get NASA back without billionaires paying taxes again.
the American government is effectively ending its space program.
Over 2,000 senior staff set to leave NASA under agency push
The losses could endanger the administration’s plans for landing astronauts on the moon and Mars.
www.politico.com
July 11, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Remember that NASA was only able to *start* because the rich were being taxed at 90+% marginal rates.
Now, *you* pay a greater percent of your income as taxes than any billionaire.
You're just not gonna get NASA back without billionaires paying taxes again.
Now, *you* pay a greater percent of your income as taxes than any billionaire.
You're just not gonna get NASA back without billionaires paying taxes again.
Reposted by Neal
#Earthquake (#sismo) possibly felt 26 sec ago in #California. Felt it? Tell us via:
📱#appc.eu/#app" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">https://m.emsc.eu/#app
🌐https://m.emsc.eu
🖥https://www.emsc-csem.org
⚠ Automatic crowdsourced detection, not seismically verified yet. More info soon!
📱#appc.eu/#app" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">https://m.emsc.eu/#app
🌐https://m.emsc.eu
🖥https://www.emsc-csem.org
⚠ Automatic crowdsourced detection, not seismically verified yet. More info soon!
July 1, 2025 at 5:56 AM
#Earthquake (#sismo) possibly felt 26 sec ago in #California. Felt it? Tell us via:
📱#appc.eu/#app" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">https://m.emsc.eu/#app
🌐https://m.emsc.eu
🖥https://www.emsc-csem.org
⚠ Automatic crowdsourced detection, not seismically verified yet. More info soon!
📱#appc.eu/#app" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">https://m.emsc.eu/#app
🌐https://m.emsc.eu
🖥https://www.emsc-csem.org
⚠ Automatic crowdsourced detection, not seismically verified yet. More info soon!
I took a picture of this cat on the job, patrolling a neighborhood park
June 21, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I took a picture of this cat on the job, patrolling a neighborhood park
Reposted by Neal
The bar is high, but this might be the most batshit insane thing I’ve ever seen in the AWS documentation. “To find the address of the facility, google it.”
May 14, 2025 at 1:53 AM
The bar is high, but this might be the most batshit insane thing I’ve ever seen in the AWS documentation. “To find the address of the facility, google it.”
Reposted by Neal
Let's discuss the *actual* charges against Judge Hannah Dugan using the Complaint against her.
tl;dr - she sent the man in question into the public hallway where agents there to arrest him watched him walk by and did nothing. 1/
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
tl;dr - she sent the man in question into the public hallway where agents there to arrest him watched him walk by and did nothing. 1/
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
April 25, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Let's discuss the *actual* charges against Judge Hannah Dugan using the Complaint against her.
tl;dr - she sent the man in question into the public hallway where agents there to arrest him watched him walk by and did nothing. 1/
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
tl;dr - she sent the man in question into the public hallway where agents there to arrest him watched him walk by and did nothing. 1/
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Neal
Yes, this is all about phones and the vices they supposedly inculcate, and has nothing to do with the fact that K-12 education has been forced to teach to tests for decades and constant messaging that the humanities are useless indulgences.
Here's a real "national emergency": College kids won't, and often can't, read a book from cover to cover. The rise of what one prof calls "functional illiteracy" in the iPhone Age is happening right when our imploding democracy needs critical thinkers
My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/stud...
My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/stud...
Young people won’t, or can’t, read a book. Now democracy is dying. Coincidence? | Will Bunch
A viral conversation about the near-death of reading by U.S. college students in the iPhone era reveals a threat to democracy.
www.inquirer.com
April 11, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Yes, this is all about phones and the vices they supposedly inculcate, and has nothing to do with the fact that K-12 education has been forced to teach to tests for decades and constant messaging that the humanities are useless indulgences.
Reposted by Neal
Nobody who thinks empathy is a weakness should be a parent, or go anywhere near government
March 26, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Nobody who thinks empathy is a weakness should be a parent, or go anywhere near government
Reposted by Neal
Q: How evil do you have to be to cut a Dolly book program?
A: Pretty f*cking evil.
Solution: Dolly for Prez!
Dolly Parton Calls Out Indiana Gov Over Plan to Dump Her Imagination Library www.thedailybeast.com/dolly-parton... cc @drjengunter.bsky.social
A: Pretty f*cking evil.
Solution: Dolly for Prez!
Dolly Parton Calls Out Indiana Gov Over Plan to Dump Her Imagination Library www.thedailybeast.com/dolly-parton... cc @drjengunter.bsky.social
Dolly Parton Calls Out Indiana Gov Over Plan to Dump Her Imagination Library
The country singer started the “Imagination Library” nearly 30 years ago to encourage early literacy.
www.thedailybeast.com
February 22, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Q: How evil do you have to be to cut a Dolly book program?
A: Pretty f*cking evil.
Solution: Dolly for Prez!
Dolly Parton Calls Out Indiana Gov Over Plan to Dump Her Imagination Library www.thedailybeast.com/dolly-parton... cc @drjengunter.bsky.social
A: Pretty f*cking evil.
Solution: Dolly for Prez!
Dolly Parton Calls Out Indiana Gov Over Plan to Dump Her Imagination Library www.thedailybeast.com/dolly-parton... cc @drjengunter.bsky.social
Reposted by Neal
America has plenty of territory and the urge to empire is maybe the most reprehensible urge there is, the provence of wretched men who mistakenly fancy themselves magnificent. Those who desire conquest should be condemned and shamed.
January 26, 2025 at 1:40 AM
America has plenty of territory and the urge to empire is maybe the most reprehensible urge there is, the provence of wretched men who mistakenly fancy themselves magnificent. Those who desire conquest should be condemned and shamed.
Reposted by Neal
It's not that money is bad, it's that it should not accumulate in stagnant pools and it must not be allowed to control the means of production or levers of government, because then it becomes a high score in a game where the points are also the cards you play.
January 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM
It's not that money is bad, it's that it should not accumulate in stagnant pools and it must not be allowed to control the means of production or levers of government, because then it becomes a high score in a game where the points are also the cards you play.
Reposted by Neal
When I look at the fear this man thrives on. What he wants to project and sow onto so many. The fear and anger that his supporters want to sow into everyone, I immediately relax. They want fear. More fear. Fear keeps people under control. And I won’t be under their control
January 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM
When I look at the fear this man thrives on. What he wants to project and sow onto so many. The fear and anger that his supporters want to sow into everyone, I immediately relax. They want fear. More fear. Fear keeps people under control. And I won’t be under their control
Reposted by Neal
Every superhero has an origin story. Designing a better mask due to California wildfires was ours. Today, we're supporting our community in SoCal by offering @flomask.bsky.social
at cost with discount code CaliStrong30. Please help us spread the word.
at cost with discount code CaliStrong30. Please help us spread the word.
January 19, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Every superhero has an origin story. Designing a better mask due to California wildfires was ours. Today, we're supporting our community in SoCal by offering @flomask.bsky.social
at cost with discount code CaliStrong30. Please help us spread the word.
at cost with discount code CaliStrong30. Please help us spread the word.
Reposted by Neal
Ok, fine, I wrote about what is apparently going to be the dominant issue of American politics for the foreseeable future. God help us all.
The Second Time as Farce: Imperialism in the 21st Century
Hegel remarks somewhere that all great world-historic facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce. – Karl Marx, R…
nathangoldwag.wordpress.com
January 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Ok, fine, I wrote about what is apparently going to be the dominant issue of American politics for the foreseeable future. God help us all.
Reposted by Neal
🧵On the Broligarchs' Hostile Takeover of the US Government
And why this is the logical endpoint of 40+ years of marinating American minds in the anti-democratic dogma of "everything should be run like a business."
We're citizens, not customers; firms exist to produce profits, not public goods.1/x
And why this is the logical endpoint of 40+ years of marinating American minds in the anti-democratic dogma of "everything should be run like a business."
We're citizens, not customers; firms exist to produce profits, not public goods.1/x
December 19, 2024 at 6:47 PM
🧵On the Broligarchs' Hostile Takeover of the US Government
And why this is the logical endpoint of 40+ years of marinating American minds in the anti-democratic dogma of "everything should be run like a business."
We're citizens, not customers; firms exist to produce profits, not public goods.1/x
And why this is the logical endpoint of 40+ years of marinating American minds in the anti-democratic dogma of "everything should be run like a business."
We're citizens, not customers; firms exist to produce profits, not public goods.1/x
Reposted by Neal
(Tiny Tim voice) God bless us, everyone. defector.com/the-2024-hat...
The 2024 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog | Defector
[walks out to greet you as you pull into my circular driveway] There you are! Oh my goodness, look at you! You look so festive! Why don’t you leave your bags in the breezeway for now and come on in? A...
defector.com
December 20, 2024 at 6:19 PM
(Tiny Tim voice) God bless us, everyone. defector.com/the-2024-hat...
Reposted by Neal
Not gonna be sharing any "wraps" for the years but we will share our Bandcamp. This is where it matters. This is where bands benefit. This is where fan support counts. The only streams that matter are the streams of dollars that directly flow to the artists. Wrap that!
pitchblackmanor.bandcamp.com
pitchblackmanor.bandcamp.com
Pitch Black Manor
Reanimated after 25 years. We're the right creeps for you!
Merch:
pitch-black-manor.creator-spring.com/
pitchblackmanor.bandcamp.com
December 5, 2024 at 12:53 PM
Not gonna be sharing any "wraps" for the years but we will share our Bandcamp. This is where it matters. This is where bands benefit. This is where fan support counts. The only streams that matter are the streams of dollars that directly flow to the artists. Wrap that!
pitchblackmanor.bandcamp.com
pitchblackmanor.bandcamp.com
Reposted by Neal
I wrote about the societal diseases of billionairism and narcissism that our country is suffering to a terminal degree, the reasons why building communities is the most effective treatment for it, and what that means for The Reframe.
www.the-reframe.com/we-cant-affo...
www.the-reframe.com/we-cant-affo...
We Can't Afford Billionaires
Fighting back against a grotesque perversion of our shared humanity; doing so by building community in a nation built to accommodate community-destroying narcissists. Read to the end for an invitation...
www.the-reframe.com
November 30, 2024 at 2:45 PM
I wrote about the societal diseases of billionairism and narcissism that our country is suffering to a terminal degree, the reasons why building communities is the most effective treatment for it, and what that means for The Reframe.
www.the-reframe.com/we-cant-affo...
www.the-reframe.com/we-cant-affo...
Reposted by Neal
The "bluesky is an echo chamber" think pieces that keep popping up really tickle me because they show how certain people genuinely believe social media should be for debating and arguing and not talking about the things that make you happy and sharing art with the world.
November 22, 2024 at 12:57 PM
The "bluesky is an echo chamber" think pieces that keep popping up really tickle me because they show how certain people genuinely believe social media should be for debating and arguing and not talking about the things that make you happy and sharing art with the world.
Reposted by Neal
I’ve been saying this since forever! Running from values and abandoning the most vulnerable in our communities won’t be the win folks try to paint it to be. If this election taught us nothing else, it should be this. Lean into values harder!
Governor Andy Beshear, in a Trump +30 state, gives advice to Democrats: Do not throw LGBTQ+ people under the bus, it will not work.
His advice to dems: Lead on your values.
This man ran on a fully inclusive campaign in 2023 and won. He received the same kind of ads Harris did.
His advice to dems: Lead on your values.
This man ran on a fully inclusive campaign in 2023 and won. He received the same kind of ads Harris did.
November 13, 2024 at 3:03 AM
I’ve been saying this since forever! Running from values and abandoning the most vulnerable in our communities won’t be the win folks try to paint it to be. If this election taught us nothing else, it should be this. Lean into values harder!
Reposted by Neal
I teach a class on data science here at Illinois and during the seminar I host a competition for the class called "The Hunt for the Worst Data Visualization."
This was my most popular post on Xitter, so reproducing some of the best submissions from previous years here:
This was my most popular post on Xitter, so reproducing some of the best submissions from previous years here:
November 11, 2024 at 7:02 PM
I teach a class on data science here at Illinois and during the seminar I host a competition for the class called "The Hunt for the Worst Data Visualization."
This was my most popular post on Xitter, so reproducing some of the best submissions from previous years here:
This was my most popular post on Xitter, so reproducing some of the best submissions from previous years here:
Reposted by Neal
This was the motto of every allegedly responsible institution in this nation when confronted with the task of applying the clear rule of law to Trump for the past eight years.
November 9, 2024 at 4:39 PM
This was the motto of every allegedly responsible institution in this nation when confronted with the task of applying the clear rule of law to Trump for the past eight years.