John Mark Ockerbloom

@JMarkOckerbloom
969 Followers
194 Following
4K Posts

A Philadelphian with professional interests in libraries, technology, copyright, and culture, and nonprofessional interests that include singing, reading, hiking, biking. Also other personal interests that you might pick up from my posts over time.

He, him, his. Lent, Easter, Pentecost. Speak out, organize, vote.

John Mark Ockerbloom6h ago

We witness
We remember
Vote this spring
Vote in November
#NoKings

(Adjust as appropriate for your state's election schedule: https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/calendar/ ) #USPol #PAPol

2026 Election Calendar: Primary and General Election Dates

Complete 2026 midterm election calendar with primary and general election dates for all 50 states. Track U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor races and more from AP News.

AP News
John Mark Ockerbloom13h ago
The two sides of my sign for today's #NoKings marches in Philadelphia. #UsPol #vote
Show threadJohn Mark Ockerbloom15h ago

My non-doctor understanding of medical consensus is that gender transition *surgery* is usually best deferred to adulthood (with non-genital surgery maybe appropriate in some teen cases), but a broader spectrum of gender-transition *care* (eg. social transition, puberty blockers, hormones, etc.) is recommended, with appropriate conditions and safeguards, for both kids and adults.

Some are trying to equate professional caution on one intervention type with government restrictions on all types.

John Mark Ockerbloom15h ago

Since some media are misreporting it, here's what the American Medical Association actually says about transgender care in minors.

2026: "AMA policy on gender-affirming care is unchanged. The AMA supports gender-affirming care as medically necessary per our policy." https://cloud.e.ama-assn.org/newsletter?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_term=3262026&utm_content=AMA_BoardNewsletter_Mar_032626&utm_campaign=MMX_Email_Newsletter_BoardChair&utm_uid=GENEM&utm_effort=GENEM#gender-affirming-care

2024 Clarification of Evidence-Based Gender-Affirming Care: https://policysearch.ama-assn.org/policyfinder/detail/%22Clarification%20of%20Evidence-Based%20Gender-Affirming%20Care%22?uri=%2FAMADoc%2FHOD-185.927.xml

2021 opposition to legislation prohibiting or penalizing gender transition related care to minors: https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-states-stop-interfering-health-care-transgender-children

AMA Board Newsletter

John Mark Ockerbloom1d ago

This Defector story on "Why I Got Out Of The Gambling Business" notes that, while ganbling firms have some safeguards for gambling addicts, they generally don't kick in until a bettor is in serious trouble. E.g.: "Customers don't set limits on their accounts until after they have done something bad, if they ever set limits at all."

Among needed reforms is requiring safeguards from the get-go. E.g.: You *have* to set a limit as soon as you open an account: https://defector.com/why-i-got-out-of-the-gambling-business?giftLink=13ad49c3e90eaccf3bb08549957f0853

Why I Got Out Of The Gambling Business | Defector

There are broadly speaking two types of gamblers: valuable and not valuable. All are referred to as customers. The latter group are dilettantes. These people deposit maybe once or twice, usually to take advantage of a first-time deposit promotion, but rarely or never again after that. Maybe they don’t care much for sports, or are turned…

John Mark Ockerbloom1d ago
Show threadAkaSci 🛰️1d ago

Find an event near you using the tool at https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/

Prep videos at https://www.youtube.com/@NoKingsMovement

Lots of helpful resources at https://www.nokings.org/

#UsPol #NoKings
3/n

No Kings March 28th · No Kings on Mobilize

What began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy. Our peaceful movement is bigger than ever.

Mobilize
John Mark Ockerbloom2d ago

Whether or not you're at #NoKings this weekend, I care more that you show up to vote afterwards. Electing candidates who will fight for the people's rights instead of cooperating with the Trump regime's wrongs is essential for peaceful change.

Start with the primaries, happening soon in many states. They may require you to register in advance, particularly if you've moved or will vote in a party's primary for the first time. Schedule & requirements by state: https://www.usvotefoundation.org/primary-election-dates #vote #USPol

Primary Election Dates | U.S. Vote Foundation

Find Primary Election dates by state. A good candidate choice is the first step to winning an election. Includes quick links to voter services.

John Mark Ockerbloom2d ago
Dorothea Salo2d ago

RE: https://mastodon.social/@JMarkOckerbloom/116295789823980822

As I think I said here a bit ago, what I'm seeing in college newspapers is very very far from universal rah-rah-AI.

It makes me happy. A lot of the kids really are all right.

Show threadJohn Mark Ockerbloom2d ago
More of the Penn sessions appear positive than critical. The editorial board of the Daily Pennsylvanian (student newspaper) is concerned about that attitude, warning "In its tireless support for AI, the University has essentially endorsed shortcuts and the outsourcing of academic thinking, threatening the very freedom of inquiry and open expression it claims to promote." https://www.thedp.com/article/2026/03/penn-ai-dominance-education
Editorial | Penn has an AI problem

The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board argues that Penn’s choice to embrace AI is detrimental to the institution of higher education. 

Editorial | Penn has an AI problem - The Daily Pennsylvanian
John Mark Ockerbloom2d ago
Penn is holding an AI Month in April, including sessions at the Libraries and the Price Lab for Digital Humanities discussing issues of copyright, geospatial and qualitiative analysis applications (presumably using machine learning/classification), and the "new political economy of writing": https://ai.upenn.edu/welcome-ai-month-penn
Welcome to AI Month at Penn

Penn AI