HEADS UP, FRIENDS!
If you’re into heavy rock and metal music and are in or able to visit Brooklyn, my band ZÁFA is playing on 3/29 at Lucky 13 Saloon. Check it!
And follow us on socials @wearezafa!
Well well well...look who's cited in this official letter from Congress to Secretary Rubio!
www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
“The FTC is not the speech police,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook on February 12. Ferguson might want to ask himself why he felt compelled to pre-empt such an accusation.
Yours truly with @aricohn.com in @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social:
thedispatch.com/article/ftc-...
I'm forced to tap the sign again.
Believing the mere utterance of syllables is damaging, regardless of *obvious* context, is infantile and infantilizing.
Words are carriers of meaning, not the sources of it. Forgetting that leads to absurd and awful behavior.
areomagazine.com/2020/11/02/w...
This arrived in the mail and it’s dope!
Want one? Become a Member of @thefireorg.bsky.social for as low as $25 and it’s all yours! You’ll be helping the nation’s premiere #freespeech organization in a time where threats are coming from all sides.
Join us at www.thefire.org/donate/membe...
The oft-used "frog in the boiling pot" metaphor is actually a myth.
When the water gets too hot, a frog *will* jump out.
But I love the metaphor, and the way people use it, *because* it's wrong.
It gives me hope that pessimists are mistaken, and that people aren't complacent.
Fair warning: This is *really* fucking heavy, but worth listening to. Pouya Nikmand's story is gut-wrenching but also very inspiring. What a brave kid.
It's a reminder of all we have and take for granted here, and how easily it can all be lost if we don't protect it.
youtu.be/ueFvrgBEDcA?...
"The clashes have demonstrated which types of speech aren’t protected, along with...speech that is protected. We’ve also gotten a chilling reminder of what goes wrong when the government pretends not to know the difference."
@glukianoff.bsky.social for The Free Press:
www.thefp.com/p/the-campai...
What occurred at Pacheco’s home raises serious concerns in a free society. A careful reading of her post reveals no call for illegal activity, nor any indication that it would prompt others to act unlawfully.
Me with Aaron Terr for @unherd.com:
unherd.com/newsroom/why...
"I was already pretty cynical about the situation over [in Europe]. The idea that it might be even worse than I thought was saying a lot."
Woof, these are really, really bad.
@glukianoff.bsky.social for the Eternally Radical Idea:
eternallyradicalidea.com/p/the-situat...
"The case illustrates the extent to which campus censorship has run amok in Texas: If some of Plato’s texts can’t be taught in a college philosophy course, what, exactly, can be taught?"
@glukianoff.bsky.social in the @nytimespr.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/o...
Ladies and gents, I've got a new band: ZÁFA.
(SAH-fah): Untie. Escape. Break free.
Latin rhythms. Metal riffs. Twin tongues.
A counter spell to hexes of the sullen sons.
wearezafa.com
Instagram & Threads: @wearezafa
On Monday, YouTube agreed to pay $24.5 million to President Trump and several others. This marks the third major social media company to capitulate this year.
And if you care about free speech, this should really piss you off.
My latest for @thefireorg.bsky.social.
www.thefire.org/news/why-you...
Yes, previous administrations have violated the First Amendment.
But rather than repudiating those violations, the Trump administration has dramatically escalated how openly and aggressively that constitutional line is crossed.
My first for @usatoday.com:
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
The nation’s top law enforcement officer doesn’t understand there is no hate-speech exception to the First Amendment — and that’s scary.
My latest for @thefireorg.bsky.social, with Aaron Terr:
expression.fire.org/p/why-everyt...
Friends, now more than ever it's important to preserve, promote, and protect the free speech values that are the bedrock of not just our democracy, but our civilization.
$25 is all you need to become a card-carrying supporter of @thefireorg.bsky.social. Join us.
www.thefire.org/donate/membe...
This should be the No. 1 story right now. Without due process or any finding of law, the U.S. just extinguished 11 civilian lives. www.theunpopulist.net/p/trumps-sta...
bsky.app/profile/ange...
What happened today is awful. People who fight against gun violence, people who loathe what Charlie Kirk stood for, must also condemn political violence. It’s a vicious cycle. This is a very dangerous moment.
If the first person to hurl an insult instead of a stone birthed civilization, then anyone who resorts to violence instead of using their words is attempting to kill it.
Fuck this.
www.bbc.com/news/live/c2...
The inimitable Lenore Skenazy of Free Range Kids has a TED Talk, which you should all check out—especially those of you with kids!
www.ted.com/talks/lenore...
The organization I am honored and privileged to work for, @thefireorg.bsky.social, profiled today @nytimes.com.
I've never met a smarter, more focused group of people, and I've never seen an organization work so hard to stick to its principles. Endlessly inspiring.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/a...
Be careful what you say in Kyle, TX, city council meetings.
During a recent public comment period, Yvonne Flores-Cale suggested city officials were trying to conceal unethical conduct. The mayor cut her off, and the police escorted her away from the mic.
And it’s all on video.👇
This super cool #Superman bookend must have popped up on everybody’s feed, because in the span of one week I received not one, not two, not three, but FOUR of them as surprise gifts from dear friends—who for some strange reason associate me with Superman.
No clue why!
Based on a recent survey by @thefireorg.bsky.social, expressions like "Sticks and stones..." aren't often heard or used.
Why does this matter? Our idioms reflect our values, and our values dictate our behavior.
My latest with @glukianoff.bsky.social:
eternallyradicalidea.com/p/these-free...
For some, the newfound capacity of AI algorithms represents the death knell of human creativity.
But I think this profoundly misunderstands the purpose of art and creative expression.
My latest for Persuasion:
www.persuasion.community/p/im-an-arti...
You stay safe too!!
Ladies and gents, @jamesgunn.bsky.social's #Superman officially hits theaters worldwide today, and I am feeling just about as happy as I look in this photograph, circa 1988.
As #Superman hits theaters, many may wonder: Can a film about goodness and rising above our daily squabbles to recognize our common humanity really make an impact?
@jamesgunn.bsky.social thinks so. I happen to agree.
Because the character has done it before.
news.fairforall.org/p/can-james-...
