A MAGA-Tok Halloween joke claimed progressives want to “take half the candy.” Funny—but also a perfect snapshot of propaganda. Progressives don’t want your treats; we want the bullies to stop hoarding the bowl. Because kids trick-or-treat if they can. Adults work and thrive if they can. And when everyone has enough, fairness isn’t a trick—it’s the real treat.

Eve’s curiosity cracks the silence of paradise. The Knowing reimagines the moment awareness enters the world—not as a fall, but as the birth of consciousness. It’s the ache and the beauty of becoming: the instant we see ourselves and can never go back. Through myth, memoir, and Dust’s quiet testimony, this chapter explores what it means to wake up—to know, to wonder, and to choose.

This post is being published on what much of the country still calls Columbus Day—a day that reminds us no one is illegal on borrowed land. It’s also a day to decide what kind of American one chooses to be: obedient or awake, fearful or free. As protests rise again, I’m writing about how peaceful resistance protects truth, community, and our collective calm.

Chapter 1 of Remembered by Dust begins where all stories begin — with breath. Part memoir, part myth, and part midrash, this hybrid novel in verse reimagines creation as a stirring, a whisper, a beat, and a glow. Join Meridith Byrne as she claims her place in the universe — and the universe’s place within her.

We argue with logic, but our beliefs come from emotion. The Righteous Mind shows how six moral foundations—Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, Sanctity, and Liberty—shape what feels “right” to each of us. Take the Moral Compass Quiz to see which values guide you and how they compare across America’s moral landscape. Curiosity might just be the bridge we’ve been missing.

I set out to write my memoir, but it became something else—a midrash in verse, narrated by a speck of stardust. Remembered by Dust reclaims faith and story from those who weaponize them, weaving kindness, justice, science, and memory into one tapestry. This preface introduces my author’s note and Dust’s first letter, the beginning of a story that will unfold chapter by chapter.

You didn’t plan to fall through the cracks—but here you are. This no-shame survival guide is for anyone sliding out of middle-class stability and into a system that says poverty is your fault. It’s not. You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re just seeing the scaffolding now. Welcome to the Rabbit Class.

When students are given scaffolding—time, tools, and support to climb the ladder of learning—they don’t just survive Shakespeare or Poe, they enjoy them. From Wimpy Kid to Julius Caesar to The Tell-Tale Heart, I’ve seen students connect when teachers have the freedom to adapt. Scaffolding isn’t extra; it’s the bridge that makes real learning possible.

After just a few days offline, the headlines hit like an arctic wind: another school shooting, a young Black student found hanging, free speech under fire. We are not okay—and pretending otherwise only deepens the fracture.

Wordrise graphic defining “empathact” as taking action motivated by compassion and empathy. Illustration shows one child helping another stand up. Example sentence reads: “Our community empathacted to start a food drive when my neighbor lost her job.” Boxes explain why it matters and word history.

“World Mostly Okay” doesn’t make headlines, but it’s the truth. Scarcity is a script designed to keep us scrambling. Let’s flip it. Let’s live like there’s enough, act like there’s enough, and preach the Word of Enough until fearmongers lose their grip.

Most of us are workers—the backbone of this nation. Yet billionaires profit from our labor while pitting us against each other. This September 16–20, 2025, workers across the U.S. will join Blackout the System—a 5-day labor and economic protest. Whether you can go all in or take small steps, you can be part of reminding those in power: without us, nothing runs.

Being real: school can feel like a burrito explosion—messy, confusing, sometimes even hostile. But education is still your sharpest defense against people who want you docile. Frederick Douglass said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” That’s the survival skill. AI won’t replace your brain, but if you use it wisely, it can help you learn faster, think sharper, and protect your freedom of thought.

Commentators are seizing on the Minnesota shooter’s transgender identity to fuel culture-war attacks. The evidence tells a different story: supportive school climates, restorative practices, and safe gun storage prevent violence. Scapegoating trans kids does not.

AI won’t know your kids—but it can help you prep smarter, adapt lessons, and even brainstorm feedback when your brain is fried. The trick is steering with better questions. This post explores how teachers can use AI as a copilot—saving time, sparking ideas, and modeling responsible use for students. Don’t panic. AI isn’t replacing you—it’s waiting for your instructions.

AI isn’t magic—it’s a tool, like a car, and it only goes where you steer it. The real secret isn’t in faster answers, it’s in asking better questions. From dinner ideas to lesson plans, the sharper your question, the sharper the result. We may be in the democratized age of AI, but access isn’t the same as power. Don’t panic—practice curiosity, clarity, and courage in your questions, and remember: you’re the human.

High-masking neurodivergence can make someone seem ‘too good to be believed’—meeting expectations on the surface while burning out underneath. The cost is real: exhaustion, recovery days, and long-term harm. Belief, early support, and fair systems can lift the mask so people can thrive on their own terms.

In Defining My Ws, I name the people I’m creating for—neurodivergent thinkers, soul-tired rebuilders, and anyone brave enough to question the script. Byrne Alive is built on fire, truth, and the belief that full authenticity might just be the key to freedom.

Policies that target homelessness, addiction, and mental illness are being used to criminalize poverty and expand authoritarian control. This post unpacks how civil commitment orders, media manipulation, and coded language are leading us down a dangerous path—with echoes of the past we can't afford to ignore.

Relax, Guys – South Park Reveals Narrative Diffusion in its wild Season 27 premiere, using satire, shock, and Satan to expose how mass gaslighting works. From Trump in bed with the devil to the tactics of audience asphyxiation, this episode doesn't hold back, inspiring me to do the same.