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Nerd Inferno

@nerdinferno.com
17 followers 18 following 54 posts

Commentary regarding the omnishambolic polycrisis. Current mood: Werner Herzog's penguin. Also working on the blog. That's right. A blog. Coming soon.

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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
JosephScrimshaw @josephscrimshaw.bsky.social · 12h
Last night’s Dead Media screening in Portland went great and I rewarded myself with a trip to Powell’s bookstore and a signed copy of Kyle MacLachlan’s autobiography. All theaters should be next to giant bookstores
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 12h
Here's another podcast advertising breakdown -- this time for the 09/30 episode of the Vergecast. Since the site paywalled most of their content I've come to rely on their podcasts to keep up with their reporting. Their switch to daily podcasts hasn't been great, in my opinion.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 14h
Another recommendation from my movie-watching project: Crimes of the Future (2022). This one feels like a return to form, which makes sense because Cronenberg wrote it in 1998, just before Existenz came out. The 'breakfaster' chair is a hoot. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimes_...
en.wikipedia.org
Crimes of the Future (2022 film) - Wikipedia
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 15h
One of the big reasons I went hard for podcasts was that it wasn't radio. But when radio got into the podcasting game it brought all of its awful advertising with it and it makes for a terrible listening experience. Example: Better Offline with Ed Zitron. This thread breaks down the ad content.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 30/09/2026
I haven't recorded any music for a long while, but what about an updated approach to 'Friends of P.' focused on @hcrichardson.bsky.social ? www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi-H...
youtube.com
The Rentals - Friends Of P. (Video)
YouTube video by Warner Records Vault
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 30/09/2026
Here's another one I watched last week: Dead Man (1996), also from Jim Jarmusch. If you can get past Johnny Depp you'll be rewarded by a pretty insane cast. Gary Farmer is great. The family comprised of Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop and Jared Harris, for example. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Man
en.wikipedia.org
Dead Man - Wikipedia
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 30/09/2026
All year long I've been trying to get away from the 'puter in the evenings and engage in some old-school art. It's been great for my creative impulses, mental health and soul. From last week's viewing: Down by Law (1986). Afterwards listen to some Waits and Lurie. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_by...
en.wikipedia.org
Down by Law (film) - Wikipedia
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 29/09/2026
Now THIS is what I would expect from a contemporary Missouri Republican. '“I think you’ve already perjured yourself,” Schmitt declared.' "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." -- Inigo Montoya www.thedailybeast.com/maga-senator...
thedailybeast.com
MAGA Senator Humiliates Himself With Botched Gotcha Moment
He’s just been tipped as JD Vance’s “intelligent” running mate—then the wheels came off.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 29/09/2026
This is not at all what I would expect from a contemporary Missouri Republican. '...consistently kept Bailey at arm's length and cut him out of meetings the deputy FBI director should attend because Bailey was constantly flagging things that were unconstitutional.' www.cbsnews.com/news/top-fbi...
cbsnews.com
Top FBI official Andrew Bailey, who was once widely seen as Patel successor, resigns
Bailey was originally brought in to help ease tensions between former Attorney General Pam Bondi and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 29/09/2026
Yeah, this will make a difference. Like it or not, it's almost certainly fair use to train AI on podcast content and I would be astonished if iHeart isn't training internal AI on non-iHeart podcast content. Because everyone is. The image depicts MP3 metadata wherein AI training is forbidden.
The image depicts MP3 metadata wherein AI training is forbidden.
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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 28/09/2026
I’m not sure why Andrew Bailey is leaving the FBI, but we know it’s not for engaging in bestiality.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 26/09/2026
Maybe this time it will stick. Keep in mind that every complaint MO Republicans have about this situation is the result of their own actions in a scheme to steal Cleaver's seat and hand it to Brattin. Missouri Republicans are fundamentally antidemocratic. missouriindependent.com/2026/09/25/u...
missouriindependent.com
US Supreme Court again blocks Missouri’s gerrymandered congressional map • Missouri Independent
The U.S. Supreme Court weighted in for the third time on Missouri’s gerrymandered congressional map and whether it can be used in November.
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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
Seth Masket @smotus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Interviewing the inventor of napalm about his hats
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 25/09/2026
BTW -- open source tech exists which allows citizens to turn the tables here -- at least to an extent. That's why they insist on wearing masks, regardless of local laws. Every Second Amendment fetishist who isn't triggered by this government tyranny is complicit. villagegreennj.com/community/ic...
villagegreennj.com
ICE Agents Use Intimidation Tactics on Bystanders During Arrest in Maplewood - The Village Green
”They were using their full names and addresses, telling them to go back inside, not to bother. It was clear that it was being done to intimidate or suppress the community from being out and being res...
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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
Benn Jordan @bennjordan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It would've been easy to bash Flock in Senate today, but the reality is that this crisis would've not happened had there been any form of regulation or guard rails. So, let's demand them. And let's vote with the same ferocity we post with.
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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
Gil Durán @gilduran.com · 25/09/2026
Politico’s owner gave Peter Thiel an award today. Hardly surprising, since Peter Thiel gave the guy’s son $50 million. Have you heard of “The German JD Vance”? www.thenerdreich.com/politico-pet...
thenerdreich.com
Politico's $50M Peter Thiel Problem
Is Axel Springer CEO's son the 'German JD Vance'?
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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
Rob Beschizza @beschizza.com · 25/09/2026
Every time I see a photo of Sam Altman it makes me think the Xenomorphs from Aliens were so appalled by Carter Burke's conduct that they put him on trial instead of cocooning him for the facehuggers to impregnate.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 24/09/2026
These assholes again. This isn't how Section 230 works. It immunizes platforms (X, Facebook) against dumb shit posted by evil idiots (Hoskins, Brattin). Posters own their speech, not platforms. Get rid of 230 and the internet gets very quiet very quickly. courthousenews.com/missouri-pol...
courthousenews.com
Missouri pols demand immunity over Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooting posts
A man mistakenly identified as the shooter claims Missouri Senator Rick Brattin and Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins falsely identified him as a violent illegal immigrant on social media.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 21/09/2026
@doctorow.pluralistic.net has me thinking about smoothness and texture. I appreciate flipping the AI discourse to see what we learn about ourselves. I've always preferred texture to smoothness. Fuzziness. Spikiness. Friction. pluralistic.net/2026/09/18/s... pluralistic.net/2026/09/21/s...
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 21/09/2026
'So why go through this history? Well, it’s because I am trying to show the problem is not a lack of AI regulation. We have AI regulation. The problem is there’s an elite consensus that the rule of law simply does not apply to the powerful.' www.thebignewsletter.com/p/ai-is-an-e...
thebignewsletter.com
AI Is an Elite Crime Spree
Documents show a Microsoft exec called AI the "largest theft of labor in human history.” New AI regulations are besides the point, the problem is we don’t apply existing laws to the powerful.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 21/09/2026
'...the OpenAI and Anthropic misalignment incidents is that they are entirely about things which went on in the computer. You would never get a flight incident report which restricted itself to mechanical issues. Human factors might be really important.' backofmind.substack.com/p/13-theses-...
backofmind.substack.com
13 theses on agentic AI and regulation
thinking out loud and showing traces of reasoning
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 20/09/2026
I'm prepared to admit that Flock and its products possess one redeeming quality: it annoys police unions. "The union filed a complaint and insisted the MPD stop using Flock to track officers. " therecord.media/dc-police-un...
therecord.media
Flock camera use by internal affairs unit puts DC police at odds with officers’ union
Washington, D.C.'s police department has used information from Flock cameras for misconduct investigations, prompting a formal complaint from its officers' union.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 20/09/2026
'...searches, such as for “vehicle with trump bumper sticker,” “don’t treat on me flag,” “coexist number sticker,” “religious cars,” and “Star of David” had a warning box pop up, but Flock says in a blog post published in April that police can bypass this...' www.404media.co/flock-city-p...
404media.co
‘Flock City PD:’ The Fake Flock-Owned ‘Police Department’ That Searched Real Cameras for Real People
Flock ran searches for “coexist bumper sticker,” “white truck with a trump sticker,” and “Star of David,” apparently to demonstrate what cops shouldn't search for.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 19/09/2026
I love that grievance farmers have AI to make them even crazier, but this is clearly not about Catholics. It's about resentment politics. "Surprisingly, AI was rather fair to Catholics. It mostly focused on providing rather banal conversation starters." www.catholicleague.org/artificial-i...
catholicleague.org
Artificial Intelligence’s Authentic Bigotry - Catholic League
Michael P. McDonald
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 19/09/2026
Whoops, I guess? "...AI has put pressure on analysts to produce and disseminate intelligence faster, opening the door for mistakes. Young analysts in particular, several sources said, are natives on these tools and more likely to trust them uncritically." www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/p...
cnn.com
Exclusive: US military had close call after using AI for false intelligence report, sources say | CNN Politics
The episode shows the risks of using this new, relatively poorly understood technology in the middle of the Iran war
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 18/09/2026
Quit using Chrome, y'all. It's bad for you. 'Because Google got away without any meaningful penalties in the antitrust cases, Google is continuing on the Heavy Ad Interventions/“Privacy Sandbox” path, and using the Chrome browser to squeeze out non-Google ads.' blog.zgp.org/corporate-cr...
blog.zgp.org
corporate crimeblogging in the training set
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 16/09/2026
It would be great if this guy's career ends here. missouriindependent.com/2026/09/14/f...
missouriindependent.com
Former elections official accuses Missouri secretary of state of altering results, misleading judge • Missouri Independent
Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is a used of changing local election results, trying to deceive a federal judge in a voting administration case and illegally using state funds to influence a...
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 13/09/2026
Matt Stoller's latest has some interesting takes on the state of our current AI discourse. It also has several mentions of Cal "Weedwhacker on a Dog" Newport, as these things tend to do these days. Here's a thread with some quotes that jumped out at me. www.thebignewsletter.com/p/is-artific...
thebignewsletter.com
Stop Panicking About AI
Why are big AI firm trying to create billionaires from a technology they say may end the world? There are real risks to AI, but something is very off about the latest social panic.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 11/09/2026
Nothing to laugh at, if you're a rock-ribbed, law-and-order-type. Ross Ulbricht did some shit. He got two life sentences without parole. Trump pardoned him. Check out the drug shit, money laundering and murder-for-hire stuff. No wonder the right loves this guy. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Ul...
en.wikipedia.org
Ross Ulbricht - Wikipedia
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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
David Ryan Miller @davidryanmiller.com · 11/09/2026
Did James David Vance translate this from the original German?
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 11/09/2026
I just want to go on record as saying that I do not believe in nominative determinism. www.joemygod.com/2026/09/repo...
joemygod.com
REPORT: MAGA Podcaster Arrested For Assaulting Woman Blamed Laced Joint Given To Him By Antifa - Joe.My.God.
Will Sommer reports at The Bulwark: Pro-Trump internet personality Matt Tardio has made a career out of slamming the left. He was front and center last October at the protests outside Portland’s ICE f...
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 11/09/2026
Well, well, well. Turns out Dennyboy's attempt to steal Cleaver's seat and give it partner-in-crime Rick Brattin didn't work out so well. I'd almost forgotten what good news felt like. More like this, please. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Well, well, well.

Turns out Dennyboy's attempt to steal Cleaver's seat and give it partner-in-crime Rick Brattin didn't work out so well.

I'd almost forgotten what good news felt like. More like this, please.
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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
kottke.org @kottke.org · 10/09/2026
Teaser trailer for Musk, a 3h45m-long documentary film on fascist businessman Elon Musk, directed by Alex Gibney. “He’s chaotic, random, capricious. He is manifestly cruel and selfish. In a science fiction novel, he would not be a hero.” [youtube.com]
youtube.com
MUSK | Official Teaser Trailer HD
A thorough and unvarnished analysis of Elon Musk, a technology billionaire who serves as the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter. Only in theatres this fall.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 10/09/2026
This is genuinely awesome and not anything I would expect to happen with this dumb state's government. I live in the district in question and the guy planning to steal Cleaver's seat is pure human garbage. Follow the thread to learn more about Shithead Supreme. washingtonsun.com/courts/conte...
washingtonsun.com
Federal Judge Greenlights Contempt Hearing Against Missouri’s GOP Secretary of State
The state Supreme Court has ordered Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to appear for a contempt hearing Thursday for defying its orders.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 08/09/2026
Christopher Sweet (Add that name to your Super-Duper Radioactive Never Ever Ever Ever Hire List), DOGE Brownshirt, wanted three hours of college credit for his vandalism of HUD. He probably could have redeemed that for an entire undergraduate degree from UATX. www.wired.com/story/doge-a...
wired.com
DOGE Affiliate Asked for College Credits for Participating in Takeover
According to new documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, an undergraduate working with DOGE requested that his work for HUD count toward his University of Chicago degree.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 06/09/2026
Surprising no one, Flock advised cops on how to use its tech to spy on protesters -- specifically No Kings rallies. www.404media.co/flock-taught... Pictured: Slope-shouldered fascist wax mannequin and CEO of comically evil and incompetent surveillance company Flock, Garrett Langley.
Pictured: Slope-shouldered fascist wax mannequin and CEO of comically evil and incompetent surveillance company Flock, Garrett Langley.
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Reposted by Nerd Inferno
Julie S. Lalonde @julieslalonde.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Gloria Steinem died with fewer rights than she had during her lifetime. That fact needs to be front and centre of every media report, every dedication, every discussion of her death.
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 03/09/2026
Banger #1 from today's dispatch from @doctorow.pluralistic.net: "These people hate each other. Nick Fuentes drifts off to sleep every night furiously fantasizing about turning Stephen Miller into a lampshade." pluralistic.net/2026/09/03/b...
pluralistic.net
Pluralistic: Preparing for a post-Trump internet (03 Sep 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 02/09/2026
I laughed out loud on the elliptical this morning when @michaelburns.bsky.social said "...Mark Andreessen, Gary Tan and Sam Altman -- I dare you to try to play Fuck, Marry, Kill with that trio". I laughed at a bunch of other things, but you know. Character limits. www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Qt...
youtube.com
They're stealing your soul!
YouTube video by Michael Burns
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 01/09/2026
This is kind of amazing. If I'd seen this as a kid I would have driven myself insane trying to get it to work on a TRS-80. boingboing.net/2026/08/31/a...
boingboing.net
ASCII CITY: a cyberpunk city explored in pseudo-3D plaintext
ASCII CITY is an explorable cyberpunk city rendered in three dimensions with plain text characters. You can run the streets, enter buildings and take lifts to see it all from…
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 01/09/2026
The Family Research Council opposes Flock cameras, even though creepy cops use the platform to track pregnant women seeking abortions across state lines. I guess their personal privacy concerns outweigh their need to more easily deny women bodily autonomy. washingtonstand.com/article/the-...
washingtonstand.com
The Tracker Wasn’t on Her Car: The AI Surveillance Network Watching America
Previous generations could wonder how authorities might identify, monitor, and enforce compliance across huge populations. Ours no longer must. AI surveillance,
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Nerd Inferno @nerdinferno.com · 01/09/2026
I love the idea of Christians proselytizing their chatbots. I'd hope this would help scratch their itch to do likewise by ambushing people on airplanes, in laundromats, etc. But I'm sure it's no fun if they don't try to fight back, so prompt accordingly. www.christianpost.com/voices/chris...
christianpost.com
Christians, don't be scared of your chatbot — evangelize it
It s like buying tasty baked goods from someone you wouldn t trust to babysit your kids That s how most American Christians feel about AI useful, but suspect One writer argues the solution isn t
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