Doctora Malka Older

@older.bsky.social

18309 Followers 5423 Following

nerd with narrative disorder • humanitarian • sociopunk • evidence-based creativity • speculative resistance • predictive fictions • INFOMOCRACY • THE MIMICKING OF KNOWN SUCCESSES • …AND OTHER DISASTERS • GlobalVoices.org • opinions my own

Infomocracy by Malka Older What frightening witchcraft did Malka Older tap into to predict our age of oligarchy and corruption? Science fiction is a genre known for often unnervingly prescient tales, and we count this fast-paced and thinky sci-fi political thriller among them. Debuts don't always make a big splash but when you publish a book that both entertains and sharply points to growing rot within our political system in a year like 2016, you're bound to get attention. This book landed on so many Best Ofs and I suspect we'll be pointing back at it (all too often) in the years to come. - S. Zainab Williams
"Jenerasyon pa nou an gen espwa. Se yon kriz ayisyen, li dwe rezoud ant ayisyen. Fòk jenn yo ak fanm yo fè pati solisyon peyi a." [English translation in the body of the post]
a deep cut: screenshot from sirens showing the stellar cast around a table
"There is a moment that many stateless people know well. It comes when someone asks for a passport, a birth certificate, a national ID card, or proof of nationality. For most people, these are routine documents, bureaucratic details of modern life. For a stateless person, that simple request can unravel into a conversation far more complicated than anyone expects."
"Sublimation by Isabel Kim" matching replies 20 minutes apart
"Sublimation by Isabel Kim" matching replies 20 minutes apart
screenshot from part of a google translate page, with on one side: "tomto druhu premyslenej sci-fi. Našla som presne tie miesta, kde sú príležitosti pre túto sériu. Je jedna vec, o ktorej si myslím, že ťa prekvapí, ako slovenskí čitatelia vnímajú politickú fikciu v porovnaní s českými čitateľmi. Môžem ti to poslať do hodiny." on the other: "found exactly the places where there are opportunities for this series. There is one thing I think will surprise you about how Slovak readers perceive political fiction compared to Czech readers. I can send it to you within the hour.'
the outside of the international criminal court including the sign identifying it as the Cour Pénale Internationale/International Criminal Court
Global Voices Lingua Our community translates Global Voices stories into dozens of languages. Learn more about Lingua » русский Коренное сообщество Пакистана торвали борется за спасение реки Written (English) by Zubair Torwali Translated (русский) by Anastasia Pestova Español ¿Por qué no funcionaron la desinformación rusa, la propaganda del Gobierno y la campaña generada por IA en las elecciones de 2026 en Hungría? Written (English) by Guest Contributor Translated (Español) by Allison Llantén srpski Смеће као ресурс: Како заједнице у Мозамбику претварају отпад у климатска решења Written (Português) by Tirso Sitoe Translated (English) by Liam Anderson Translated (srpski) by Dijana Djurickovic
1. GOP Bill Delay - Politics
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a triangle showing the rear of a bovine and a presumably related puddle
the cryptography genius in Sneakers, giving his lecture
George Newburn in Scandal (2012)
Global Voices Lingua Our community translates Global Voices stories into dozens of languages. Learn more about Lingua » Italiano Le donne dovrebbero affamare i loro neonati per paura di allattare in pubblico? Written (English) by Ndesanjo Macha Translated (Italiano) by Sara Scibetta Română În comunitățile ascunse ale tulburărilor de alimentație din China Written (English) by Lina Ma Translated (Română) by Alina Negotei русский Интерактивная карта: история ЛГБТК+ людей в Праге Written (Français) by Filip Noubel Translated (English) by Laura Translated (русский) by Anastasia Pestova
Global Voices Lingua Our community translates Global Voices stories into dozens of languages. Learn more about Lingua » Yorùbá Kò sí ìbáṣepọ̀ láì sí ọmọ-ènìyàn: Ohun tí ó fi pọn dandan láti mọ rírì ọgbọ́n àtinúdá ọmọ-ènìyàn láyé AI Written (English) by Daria Dergacheva Translated (Yorùbá) by Ọmọ Yoòbá عربي كيف وصلت كتابات صحفية أفغانية إلى قلوب القراء في الصين؟ Written (English) by Lina Ma Translated (عربي) by Wessam Osama Italiano Guarire una regione: l'assistenza sanitaria che sta portando la pace ad Arauca, in Colombia Written (English) by Peace News Translated (Español) by Gabriela García Calderón Orbe Translated (Italiano) by Barbara Foggiato
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I’m just really happy that it’s bringing attention to The Boston Globe and to the news in general. Especially in these times where there’s a lot of mistrust in legacy media, so it’s good to see.
Probably several reasons. I think news is hard to take these days, there’s a lot of really hard news to hear all the time. And a lot of it is delivered in the same way. I think people want to hear a real person’s authentic voice. I’m still trying to figure it out, honestly, because it’s been, like, just over a
"quietly. The real political test for 2028 will be whether any candidate has the courage to stop treating mobility — both the physical freedom of affordable automobile transportation and the economic promise of upward social movement — as a lost cause."
Cars available int eh US for around $25,000 or less in 2026 Hyundai Venue, Kia Soul, Nissan Sentra, Nissan Versa Since then, many have been discontinued. Today, there are only four cars available at that price point, and Detroit has no plans to add more.
Decades of protectionism shielded Detroit from the robust global competition that would have forced it to match the quality, fuel efficiency and pricing of its foreign rivals — and had the unintended consequence of forcing millions of Americans to pay well above market prices elsewhere in the world.
from outside North America. During this period, lawmakers set fuel economy standards for trucks and S.U.V.s that were roughly 6 to 8 miles per gallon less stringent than those for cars. They’d hoped the change would keep costs low for farmers and tradespeople who needed larger engines for heavy work, but it ultimately helped drive Detroit to dump the fuel-efficient sedan for the large, high-profit margin S.U.V.
That’s part of the reason manufacturers started rolling out so many higher-priced, higher-tech vehicles: The profits generated by an inexpensive car pale in comparison to what can be earned from a souped-up midsize S.U.V. or a light truck. Beginning with the
"She was willing to tell her story, but the overwhelming majority of people I interviewed felt such a profound sense of social shame associated at being carless that they wouldn’t speak on the record. Over and over, they described the missed play dates and doctor’s appointments, the day-to-day stress of planning a commute and the shame they felt about falling behind their peers."
Book Launch & Panel Conversation WE WILL RISE AGAIN Cultivating Just Futures with/through Speculative Imagination with Steven Gonzalez Monserrate Federico Cuatlacuatl Karma Abudagga Annalee Newitz Malka Older Karen Lord SPECULATIVE STORIES AND ESSAYS ON PROTEST, RESISTANCE, AND HOPE WE WILL RISE AGAIN EDITED BY KAREN LORD, ANNALEE NEWITZ, AND MALKA OLDER Sunday 12.04. - 2 pm MGGU - Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität This event is part of the exhibition Multispecies Members Club: New alliances between living and artificial systems at Museum Giersch. www.mggu.de www.fixingfutures.eu FIXING FUTURES Gefördert durch DFG Deutsche KÄTE HAMBURGER CENTRE Forschungsgemeinschaft CAPAS FOR APOCALYP IIC AND POST-APOCALYPTIC STUDIES GOETHE UNIVERSITÄT FRANKFURT AM MAIN MG • Museum Giersch der GU Goethe-Universität
Book Launch & Panel Conversation WE WILL RISE AGAIN Cultivating Just Futures with/through Speculative Imagination with Steven Gonzalez Monserrate Federico Cuatlacuatl Karma Abudagga Annalee Newitz Malka Older Karen Lord SPECULATIVE STORIES AND ESSAYS ON PROTEST, RESISTANCE, AND HOPE WE WILL RISE AGAIN EDITED BY KAREN LORD, ANNALEE NEWITZ, AND MALKA OLDER Sunday 12.04. - 2 pm MGGU - Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität This event is part of the exhibition Multispecies Members Club: New alliances between living and artificial systems at Museum Giersch. www.mggu.de www.fixingfutures.eu FIXING FUTURES Gefördert durch DFG Deutsche KÄTE HAMBURGER CENTRE Forschungsgemeinschaft CAPAS FOR APOCALYP IIC AND POST-APOCALYPTIC STUDIES GOETHE UNIVERSITÄT FRANKFURT AM MAIN MG • Museum Giersch der GU Goethe-Universität
"From the Earth to the Moon Annotated for Our Spacefaring Age Edited by Anastasia Klimchynskaya Essays by Samit Basu, Jordan Bimm, Erika Nesvold, Adam Oyebanji, Malka Older, Adam Roberts, and Asif Siddigi" [the graphics on this are pretty low-key: a side-bar with a pale moon and stars image, and the cover of the book which is basically the title and two circles representing Earth and Moon in white on a dark background]
Sabrina Tavernise National Writer at Large Tim O’Harrow is a Republican who knows immigration well: he owns a dairy farm. I started talking to him in 2019, because I was interested in how he saw immigration, as a Republican with skin in the game on the issue.
To Joel, these sacrifices are profound, and make the public debate about immigration sound shallow and cruel. “These are problems that are real,” he said. “Nobody talks about them. And then a friend of mine, a good friend says, ‘Well, they’re just illegals, right? That’s what you’re hiring?’”
families are. Deb O’Harrow, Tim’s wife, who worked on the farm for nearly 30 years and is now retired, said that to pass the time during long days, she liked to ask workers about their children. Some went to school with the O’Harrow grandchildren. One
The O’Harrows, then, do not know the precise immigration status of many of their workers. They know only that they have fulfilled the government’s requirements.
The dairy industry is one of the most dependent on undocumented workers, according to David Bier, an immigration expert at the Cato Institute. Visas are available for farm work, but only if it is seasonal. Rank-and-file dairy workers do not qualify because of the year-round demands, despite the industry’s efforts to get them included.
care for them. It was hard and repetitive work, with long shifts that started before dawn, including on weekends. No one wanted to do it for what he could afford to pay, which at the time was several dollars above minimum wage. He hired students, single men, working mothers, people from a prison probation program. “They would call five minutes before milking time, and say, ‘I’m not going to make it,’” Tim said. “Well, who’s going to milk the cows? We’re trying to run a business. It just wasn’t working.” In 1999, the farm’s head herdsman went to a meeting about the labor problem. One dairyman recommended Mexican workers. “He said, ‘Don’t talk about it, just do it,’” Tim recalled. Eight days later, two workers signed on. The O’Harrows never looked back.
Immigrant workers are the lifeblood of the O’Harrow farm.
Tim O’Harrow is first and foremost a dairyman, but for years, he was also a Republican, and for years those identities coexisted peacefully.
And now, after generations of feeling at home in the Republican Party, the O’Harrows feel politically homeless.
"For two decades, Tim O’Harrow, 79, the family patriarch, has tried to persuade politicians he has voted for and donated to — most of them Republican — that they need to fix the nation’s broken immigration system."
"That they need to hide strikes the O’Harrow family as morally wrong, but also as potentially bad for the country: These workers oversee America’s milk. By one estimate, dairies that employ immigrant workers produce 79 percent of the nation’s milk supply and the price of milk would double without them."
"Bite Fight, was a professional boxing match contested between the champion Evander Holyfield and the challenger Mike Tyson on June 28, 1997, for the WBA World Heavyweight Championship.[1] It achieved notoriety as one of the most bizarre fights in boxing history after Tyson bit off a part of Holyfield's ear. Tyson was disqualified from the match and lost his boxing license, though it was later reinstated."
the dashwoods surrounding Marianne as she plays music
the dashwoods
Mei and Satsuki in the catbus
Colonel Brandon to the rescue in the rain
Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon looking suave but somewhat melancholy with a hat
Elizabeth Spriggs as Mrs. Jennings
Satsuki Kusakabe looking ready for anything
kate winslet as marianne dashwood having fallen in the rain (big ol straw hat still in place)
kate winslet as marianne dashwood with a big ol straw hat
Birria
qué comemierdería, engraved on a plaque in script by peripateticmeg
perspective, I think it’s a really hard case, in both directions. I have real empathy for both sides.
But it’s not work that that person made. Hallucinating a thing that you thought I would make and then saying you’re attributing it to me, doesn’t provide me any benefit. It might actually detract from the benefits I could provide to other people. That’s the disconnect that’s in my brain. I’m not sure why this is an attribution.
Again, this wasn’t an attribution. You just made something up and put my name on it. There’s no attribution here. This isn’t anything I ever said. It’s not something I would ever say. I’m not even sure how you would get to the idea that based on my work that I would ever say anything like this. There isn’t an attribution here. There’s no work that exists that would lead you to this outcome with my name attached to it. I’ll repeat: The feature was, “Here’s a suggestion generated by a specific work from a specific person.” Everything is clearly indicated that it’s a suggestion generated from– Wait, I’m sorry. You think in my role as editor-in-chief of The Verge and co-host of The Vergecast, I emphasize the importance of crafting compelling headlines that convey urgency? I already told you it’s a bad feature. That’s not what you’re questioning. You’re telling me there’s attribution and I’m just wondering what the attribution is. Just read the rest of it. It says, “Based off of this work from you, we asked–” No. It just says, “This suggestion is inspired by Nilay Patel’s The Vergecast.” I promise you on The Vergecast, I’ve hosted that show for a long time. I have never said, “What emotional or stakes-based words could underscore why this launch matters right now?” The
Oh, they’re absolutely scandals. I understood your definition. They’re also incredibly popular and have
You pinned the reason why. The idea that you can uncover your editing style from the end work, I just think it’s not possible. It’s very hard to come back from that end work and say, “What was the editing pass before that?” To do that well, you have to do it. You have to sit down and say, “Here’s how I would edit these things.” And I think you can provide that service and you can get paid for it. And hopefully we’re one of the platforms where you choose to do that.
have is a really good one, and I think one that I would encourage experts and creators to lean into. It’s a big opportunity. Why would they lean into it if the value for that is $0? No, it should be our job to make sure the value is not $0. We want you to– How much do you think you should pay me?
At the time, the team believed they were doing that. They were looking at users and they were focused on a user need, which is, “I wish an expert could give me feedback at this moment. I wish my salesperson could give me feedback. I wish my support person could give me feedback. I wish my idol could give me feedback. I wish this expert could give me feedback.” In itself, I think that motivation that users
building a platform you should want to be on. We think we’re hopefully part of the solution for how you can take your work and make sure it’s present for people everywhere. It wasn’t our goal to be anywhere close