Joe Carnahan

"I'm afraid I have to decline any inquiries from Meta right now, as I do not think it would be good for my career to join any team where the best and brightest of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions, and orientations did not all feel welcome."

"However, I'm keenly aware that my success depends on the success of my team. In turn, that depends on being able to attract and retain the most talented teammates and being able to provide them with the psychological safety needed to unleash their creativity and motivate their best work."

"I'm a straight white guy with a fairly traditional tech background, and I'm sure I wouldn't have any trouble feeling included at Meta (or indeed anywhere in tech) myself."

"I should let you know that Mark Zuckerberg's categorical rejection and complete disassembly of Meta's DEI programs and his bizarrely sexist recent public statements have made it impossible for me to even consider working at Meta at this time."

I just got contacted by a Meta recruiter.

This poor guy... My issues with Meta are as far above his pay grade as anything can possibly be. Still, even if there's only a small chance that someone will increment a number to track how much talent they're missing out on because of DEI, I have to do it.

Go attend a public meeting. Volunteer for a board or committee. Support your local food pantry.

If it's election season, get involved: Figure out which local candidates do and don't share your values. Sign up for their mailing lists, send them a campaign contribution, and ask how you can help.

This is your regularly scheduled reminder to go do something in local politics, government, and/or volunteering.

Tonight, I'm meeting with folks interested in adopting the Community Preservation Act in Reading. Wednesday, I have a Finance Committee meeting to review the town's FY26 school budget.

A snow-covered backyard at night

I stayed up too late last night because... you know, everything, but I got some cool pictures of the snow before finally going to bed.

It was very peaceful. A lot of us need that right now.

My 12yo wanted to hear what music I listened to back when I was their age.

Now that I think about it, I hope that they keep an "open mind for a different view" and that they always remember that
"Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words, I don't just say
And nothing else matters". 🎸

Upon seeing this meme, one of my kids asked, "Why are people trashing someone who's celebrating last place in the Olympics? None of them could get into the Olympics!"

The kid's got a point.

I hope he celebrates his own accomplishments and doesn't dismiss them even when someone else does even more.

I forgot to post last night, but I did a karate class (an activity I resumed last month after a ~30 year hiatus), put my son to bed (harder than it sounds 😕), and did some data entry for local political organizing (much more productive than doomscrolling).

That's a really great night, isn't it?

Ironically, I resolved this year to post more on social media, but Zuckerberg's outspoken turns against facts and gender equality really spoiled my appetite for the network where most of my friends were.

I'm happy to see so many people appearing here, though. So, my new goal is to post here daily.

He did also promise to be really, really awful to trans people, and he's come through on that one. 😬

TIL about Citroën intentionally sabotaging the trucks they were forced to make for the Nazis by putting the markers in the wrong place on the oil dipsticks.

It's such a tiny thing to change... and yet if your engine runs out of oil and seizes up, you are still totally screwed.

The Internet used to be known for cats, but nowadays it's mostly known for verbal mud wrestling.

I propose a compromise: Wrestling cats. Still exciting, but much cleaner and much cuter!

Meta is ending its fact-checking program in favor of a 'community notes' system similar to X Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a series of major changes to the company's moderation policies and practices, saying that the election felt like a "cultural tipping point."

I should use the end of fact-checking on Facebook as an occasion for my first post on BlueSky.

Apparently, Facebook has gone from thinking that "letting fake news influence an election" is a crisis to thinking that it's just what you have to do to stay in business.

www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-...