Derek Miller

@annapwilson.bsky.social Is Randall reading your work? 🤣

Madison Square Park.

I love New York City. I really do. It infuriates me every day, and it's terrific. People of all shapes and sizes and styles and ages. Pets. Live music. Conversation. Architecture. Stores. Public art. Come visit the city. It's beautiful.

This, from @perrybaconjr.bsky.social at @newrepublic.com, really squares with what I'm observing within the one set of institutions that I'm very familiar with, the universities. It's not that they are falling in line with Tr*mp's assault because they agree with his view of the world. (1/4)

Opinion | The America We Knew Is Rapidly Slipping Away

Friends. When Tom Friedman gets it—*Tom Friedman*—it's time for this to become conventional wisdom: This country is FUCKED. Non-fascist leaders (Dems, university presidents, media) need to act like it.

YouTube video by Sesame Street Sesame Street: Making Crayons

When I say “trust the process,” this is the process I’m talking about

Opinion | The America We Knew Is Rapidly Slipping Away

Friends. When Tom Friedman gets it—*Tom Friedman*—it's time for this to become conventional wisdom: This country is FUCKED. Non-fascist leaders (Dems, university presidents, media) need to act like it.

This is immoral.

I am of the firm belief that the lighting effects at MLB games look like shit. They look like shit in person. They look like shit on TV. The HR flashing lights; the closer entrance bits. The lights look uniformly bad. Stop it.

(This is not an anti-Duran post, truly.)

Here’s a 2019 story about the “model”, explains how she was pulled into Epsteins orbit, eventually raped, taken to the private islands, etc. This seems around the same time she was passed on to Trump. just say mid-90s. www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncn...

I only do Ikea and feel the same way about drawers! (Awesome that you share this work. Looks terrific.)

I remember a department meeting ca. 2015. The last agenda item: a student asks we use they/them pronouns. There was some discussion. I vaguely recall reference to a poem or two. And the room of Harvard English's faculty shrugged and said: It's a living language. We respect other people. Ok.

Ok, this is almost funny. They're literally saying, "Do what we say, or we'll make you pay!"

His Lohengrin at the Met was sublime.

A powerful, scathing summary of where we are now.

I agree.

I assumed you were in that camp. But the principles are excellent.

And all other agreements thus far pay only lip service to those principles.

Moreover, as you and I and Steve have been repeating: You cannot make a deal with an extortionist!

I am a hardliner against negotiations of any kind. But I am happy to add my name to those of the signatories with respect to this list of principles.
Thank you, @ryanenos.bsky.social @stevelevitsky.bsky.social and others!

Right?!? I quit after 1.5 episodes.

Motherfucking wind farms…

YouTube video by IGN Spinal Tap II: The End Continues - Official Trailer | SDCC 2025

There are still good things in the world:

A tsunami advisory has been issued for the West Coast of the United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Japan following a MASSIVE 8.7 earthquake near Russia. Here are the estimated tsunami start times from the National Weather Service.

Dems should vow to impeach Bove and any nominee who did not testify truthfully under oath

Twas marvelous fun. I just said "It's all about status/class." And then reinforced it once the dynamic of each chapter/situation became clear. Such an amazing read, of course.

Now we do parallel reading time. But I kinda want to read Ivanhoe to him? Just to see what it's like to read it aloud.

Democrats Clash on Senate Floor Over Policing Bills and How to Take On Trump

Every Democrat, everyone who cares about our democracy, should read this article. Booker is right. An opposition party, under these conditions, has one imperative: to oppose and thus to reduce support for the fascists. Anything else normalizes fascism. [Gift Link]

Some favorites:

LeGuin, Wizard of Earthsea (amazing prose for reading aloud)
Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby
Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon
Merrill, The Pushcart War (mid-century ethnic NY accents encouraged)
Card, Ender's Game

And, for the young ones: Marshall, George and Martha

Not all occasions to read with my kids are joyful. Sometimes I'm tired, they're distracted, the prose is mid (Rowling). Usually it's an total delight. I revisit books I love, discover new ones, and spend time connecting with my kids over books.

I still have reading time with my 8- and 12-year-olds.

This is brave and correct. Like my colleague, I wrote to President Garber. The crux of my message:

There's not much money to get back! They just slashed federal research funding to the bone and decimates the agencies. The question is: what money??? There isn't any!!! The regime simple stole it ("rescission").

Trying out a new email signature (addressed to subpoena issuers):

I regard you as an enemy of knowledge, democracy, and humanity. I will fight against your cruelty and ignorance until justice is served and evil punished. May your descendants deny your name and curse your impoverished soul.

There is pure authoritarianism, no fig leaf, no pretense. Just: You dared to disagree with us? Subpoenas.

This has nothing to do with law or equity or higher education. It's purely about power.

Congratulations!!!