iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Gareth Watkins

“Democracy has been hailed as, like, the holy grail for the last couple hundred years, but democracies are inefficient,” said the crypto billionaire. “If you get a benevolent dictator, it’s actually extremely efficient." Hmm, where have I heard this before? www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/b...

nytimes.com

Inside a Billionaire’s Paradise With Crypto’s Most Powerful Ex-Convict (Gift Article)

Changpeng Zhao, jailed in the United States for a financial crime and pardoned by President Trump, is now living a gilded life in the United Arab Emirates.

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Deep Vellum @deepvellum.bsky.social · 1h

Mircea Cartarescu’s SOLENOID — the “instant classic,” the “masterwork,” the “landmark,” the “greatest surrealist novel ever written” — will be back in stock November 2026.

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Natasha Lennard @natashalennard.bsky.social · 2h

This Friday October 9th in NYC come celebrate my new book, On Un/Certainty! at Woodbine, in convo w/ Sarah Leonard. Doors at 7pm, event at the 7:30pm. 414 Broadway, 3rd Floor. www.instagram.com/p/DdcIFkeG6C...

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 2h

My last day at my current job is tomorrow and because I left voluntarily I don't get full unemployment benefits for three months. If anyone has a line on some paid freelance writing work then please reach out.

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 3h

The saving grace is, in many of these backsliding countries, only a minority want the most fascist parts. Appears to be about 30-something % into it, with another 20-30% that doesn't really object to the fascism (or necessarily care) and will swing to it if, say, prices went up. Which isn't great.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 3h

And something to bear in mind with how Rationalists/E-Accs see 'humanity' is that it doesn't necessarily mean Homo Sapiens. 'Consciousnesses' would be a better term, because to them it includes sentient AI. Humanity could be a 'bootloader' for sentient AI that can be discarded.

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 4h

Americans picked Trump II, and their biggest objection is high prices. Hungary chose Orban, and their eventual big objection was corruption. Erdogan and Modi won multiple terms. Brazilians about to go Bolsonaro again. Not always free and fair, but yeah, millions want it. Wouldn’t work otherwise.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 4h

People in the developed world have seen themselves as temporarily-embarrassed celebrities for so long that the idea of not doing something that might get you some attention (positive or negative, it doesn't matter) is intolerable. This is a subtweet of about ten different things.

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Sunshine Moon @sunshinemoon.zone · 8h

40k: this game originally started as a sci-fi twist on classic fantasy, so we have all the traditional kinds of elves Me: of course 40k: high elves Me: right 40k: dark elves Me: right 40k: clown elves Me: righ- 40k: wood elves Me: wait go back one 40k: and of course the elf cult that worships ghosts

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 8h

There should be a day in school, like when you do sex ed, where the teacher sits everyone down and explains that Rage Against the Machine are anarchists.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 21h

Have any of these people answered *how* one group of people can go to a part of the world with an existing population and say 'this is ours now' without there being racism involved?

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Does anyone remember a few months back a TERFy UK columnist wrote an editorial in, I think, The Times, arguing that while *she* deserved her PIP payment, people with ADHD were obviously undeserving? I've tried googling but the sheer volume of anti-ADHD content makes it hard.

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Patrick "Inverted Vibe Curve" Blanchfield @patblanchfield.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

the best part about living in anticipation of inevitable AI parousia is that unlike the early christians you don't have to do communism or help actually existing needy people - instead you can just accumulate obscene wealth for grandiose purposes of helping hypothetical generations of future ones!

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Chat, look at how I tried to spell 'monomaniacal'. We are so chopped and joever.

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eminemerald fennell @fireh9lly.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Got sick of the Dratini-Dragonair-Dragonite situation of the digits so I propose a new order

Discord post:

Ok I figured it out here is the correct order of the numbers

0 - circle
1 - line
7 - two lines
4 - three lines
5 - combination of straight lines and a loop
6 - same as above turned into a loop
3 - two partial loops
8 - two loops
9 - one loop facing opposite way
2 - combination of straight lines and a loop, facing other way

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Jess the Gray @jessthegray.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Did not see Slutcon breaking containment via The Economist, but here we are.

Economist banner
Some rationalists fear their association with AI safety may end up harming the cause. “I think it really does damage the credibility of a movement with 60-year-old voters in Ohio when it’s hosting Slutcon and asking questions about sex with dead cows on its application forms,” Scott Alexander, an influential blogger, has written on X. Slutcon is a conference set up by Aella, a rationalist, sex researcher and prostitute, where participants pay up to $18,000 to attend sessions on topics including “flirting for the submissive man” and “vaginal gymnastics”.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Wet mouth noises should take up 90% of the space on here.

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Nate O @nateo.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Remembering that there’s at least two direct lines between James Orr and an overtly fascist bookshop (how, precisely, did Roger Scruton’s personal library end up there? Who controls the Roger Scruton Trust? How did Orr end up giving a lecture on its premises?)

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Ann Leckie @annleckie.com · 02/10/2026

This! Which tells me, personally, that if they truly believe that its OK to make a sentient being that they enslave, well, they probably think it's ok to do that to humans.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

@fireh9lly.bsky.social you're going to want to be sitting down for this one.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Why is it whenever you go to a girl's house they always have a DVD about that lady who pirates videogames?

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Gregk Foley @gregk.co.uk · 02/10/2026

This week’s BW was heavy so if you’d like something more ‘Silly Season’ check out this week’s premium TF where we work very hard to not be in contempt of court. Thanks again to @raaleh.bsky.social, @postoctobrist.bsky.social, @hkesvani.bsky.social and @inthesedeserts.bsky.social for having me on.

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Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

New: Chris Rufo & his co-host devoted a podcast to "The Indian Question," framing Desi people as a problem to be solved. Their "solution?" Mass expulsion. For those allowed to remain: an “assimilation hazing process” w/ instances of “vulgar, defamatory racism" talkingpointsmemo.com/news/chris-r...

talkingpointsmemo.com

Chris Rufo — Known For ‘DEI’ and ‘CRT’ Panics — Tries to Make ‘the Indian Question’ a Thing

To the degree that a “respectable” or “moderate” right exists today in...

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

'Teenage boy as the ideal subject of tech-fascism' theory remains undefeated.

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Palantir shifting from hiring only "Ivy or Ivy-equivalent" degrees to hiring only out of high school is an admission that "training" and "talent" were never factors at all. They were looking for packaging & prestige, and now they're looking for ignorance & impressionability.

Tech companies launching their own programs to train grads because they ‘can’t rely’ on Ivy Leagues
By Lydia Moynihan
Published Oct. 1, 2026, 6:00 a.m. ET

As the university system increasingly becomes a wildly expensive bastion of anti-Western sentiment, key figures in Silicon Valley are betting on alternatives to higher education. They argue that even the Ivy League is no longer producing the best candidates — nor are they even accepting some of the most qualified students.

“It used to be the case that you could rely on somebody who went to an Ivy or Ivy-equivalent to be top notch,” said Jordan Hirsch, who runs Palantir’s semester-long intensive Meritocracy Fellowship, which accepts high school graduates.“But that’s not the case anymore… we suspected that there was a lot of talent being missed.”

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flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Remember how that guy said: it’s all about creating a permission structure for cuts? He didn’t mean “get it past you, the public”, he meant “convince Labour MPs to vote for it”.

EXCL: Ministers are working up sweeping plans for welfare changes including scrapping key disability benefit for under-25s & replacing it with multibillion pound package of support to get into work.
Whitehall sources said changes under debate were much bigger than previously thought, as Andy Burnham's government hopes to persuade more people on benefits back into work.
But the move could be fraught with political danger after last year's dramatic welfare rebellion by Labour MPs. Ministers have spent | weeks trying to persuade them the plans are about reform not cuts & feel confident opposition has waned.
By @rowenamason @patrickjbutler

Robert Peston Y
@Peston
X.com
Sometimes I miss important nuances of new policies, in the political mayhem. Here is one such. When I heard Andy Burnham say the triple lock would not be reformed until 2030, l assumed it would be a battle for the next general election campaign. But in fact the government has committed to legislate for the change in this parliament (see attached Downing Street statement). That will cause an almighty parliamentary row, which the UK's creditors will be watching - but should counteract the charge that Burnham has no fiscal backbone, because in theory the cost savings will be guaranteed long before the huge costs of his social care ambitions are being incurred
The current Triple Lock will be maintained throughout this Parliament, increasing the State Pension by over £2,000. From April 2030, the adjusted Triple Lock will mean the State Pension continues to rise by 2.5% or inflation - whichever is higher - and by even more if that is required to maintain its value relative to earnings. This will ensure the living standards of pensioners keep up with the rest of the population. For example, if the value of the State Pension is around a third

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#BruceSterling @bruces.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

*How come noted New Wave SF author M. John Harrison is ending our civilization in a sci-fi dystopian novel, and that's become, like, an extremely dignified video Booker Prize event youtu.be/mwKK3VH1Wac?...

youtu.be

The Booker Prize 2026 judges discuss The End of Everything by M. John Harrison | The Booker Prize

YouTube video by The Booker Prizes

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Kenny Lauderdale @kennylauderdale.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I want to thank whoever made this image. Still one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

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Sarah Moser @sarahkmoser.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Brilliant article by @beccauliasz.bsky.social about her one-month stint in the 'Network School'.... she writes the best description I've seen of Balaji Srinivasan: '...part of an emerging techno-authoritarian intelligentsia set on dismantling American democracy' 🔥

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Kitchen Sink Technomystic @bobcluness.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

To really go into the whole plethora of why Icelandic men are veering towards the right is to much for this platform, but looking at the top list of "influencers" that Icelandic men know/trust is depressing. www.visir.is/g/2026294231...

visir.is

Sláandi hugmyndir íslenskra karla um ofbeldi - Vísir

Íslenskir karlmenn hafa íhaldssamari hugmyndir um karlmennsku en kynbræður þeirra á Norðurlöndum samkvæmt nýrri rannsókn. Doktorsnemi segir niðurstöðurnar sláandi og sérstaklega komi á óvart að mun fl...

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WIRED @wired.com · 02/10/2026

A hospital giant and radiology network turned to Palantir to streamline scheduling, but nurses and other staff say the new software is causing errors, burnout, and frustration. www.wired.com/story/health...

wired.com

Health Care Workers Are Tired of Cleaning Up Palantir’s Mess

A hospital giant and radiology network turned to Palantir to streamline scheduling, but nurses and other staff say the new software is causing errors, burnout, and frustration.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This isn't a bug, it's something that makes the game extremely relatable to the kind of people who play Dwarf Fortress.

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Raven Campbell @ravenmcampbell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

@faineg.com just saw this screenshot on r/sneerclub lol

© r/SneerClub
Scott Alexander 0 @slatestarcodex
X.com
Oh, you're worried about a Jewish guy's apocalyptic cult? You're scandalized that they consort with prostitutes? You think their message of compassion for everyone threatens normal bonds of family, community, and nation? Should we throw you a party? Should we invite Pontius Pilate?
6:24 PM • 10/1/26 • 166K Views
u/NegativeOstrich2639
Incredible

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I'm reminded of this interview with Phillip Ruch about why people voted for the Nazis. It wasn't economic anxiety (poor people didn't vote for them), or antisemitism (there were more antisemitic parties) or slick propaganda (their propaganda was bad), it was... www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

theguardian.com

‘Hitler was a lazy criminal who slept in until noon’: why most of what we think we know about the rise of the Nazis is wrong

In a new book, German artist and writer Philipp Ruch argues that viewing the ascent of Hitler’s NSDAP through the prism of the Third Reich has distorted our understanding of fascism’s electoral breakt...

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DIE ZEIT @zeit.de · 01/10/2026

Die jüdische Philosophin Susan Neiman bezeichnet Vorwürfe des Antisemitismus gegen die Berliner Linkspartei als »Hetze«. In der Stadt hofft sie auf einen Mamdani-Effekt.

zeit.de

Susan Neiman: »Der gefährlichste Antisemitismus kommt von rechts«

Die jüdische Philosophin Susan Neiman bezeichnet Vorwürfe des Antisemitismus gegen die Berliner Linkspartei als »Hetze«. In der Stadt hofft sie auf einen Mamdani-Effekt.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Making an anime is easy - just look around your desk: In the near future, an alien race called 'Water Bottles' has driven humanity to near extinction. To fight the invasion, the UN creates the elite force 'Mechanical Pencils' who wield the force known as 'Spider Plant'. There, you have an anime.

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William B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I do think that ‘Hi-def video of horrible shit’ is our generation’s version of smoking or leaded gasoline tbh. As in it’s something that future generations will look back on and be appalled that we thought it was ok to have as an environmental hazard.

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Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

You really going with 'Satanic Killer' there Independent?

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