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Philip Brewer

@philipbrewer.net
400 followers 537 following 474 posts

Writer. Dog-walker. Sword fighter. Someone who spends way too much time thinking about exercise, fitness, sleeping well, etc.

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Reposted by Philip Brewer
Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 20h
This is quite generous of Republicans to voluntarily give up House seats from Texas.
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Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · 15h
Ah yes, the mind is boggled by immigrants and tourists who don’t want to get abused and thrown into a secret nightmare prison for weeks or months before eventually being whisked away to a country they didn’t come from in the first fucking place. What a mystery!
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Marissa Lingen @marissalingen.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
IT'S TODAY!!! My fantasy novella, A DUBIOUS CLAMOR, is out today! From here on out, if you suddenly have the urge to read about harpies, opinionated weapons, and a bunch of misfits fighting the fash, you can just DO THAT! Order direct or from bookstores: hornedlarkpress.com/product/a-du...
Happy author Marissa Lingen, a long-haired white woman, holds up a copy of her book, A DUBIOUS CLAMOR
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 22/09/2026
Recommended reading: A Dubious Clamor by @marissalingen.bsky.social A glorious book dense with charm, whimsy, fantasy, song, excitement, danger, and more modest amounts of intrigue and sword fighting. www.philipbrewer.net/2026/09/22/r...
philipbrewer.net
Recommended reading: A Dubious Clamor
After a gap during which I quit following numerous friends, acquaintances, fellow writers, etc. due to a collapse of my RSS feed reader, I have gotten set up with a new feed reader, and am beginning t...
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Steven D. Brewer @stevendbrewer.com · 22/09/2026
Elegant Lich is gettin' real! @philipbrewer.net and I are looking forward to seeing your submissions!
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 19/09/2026
This is exactly my take on making all this AI stuff okay.
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Liz Fong-Jones (方禮真) @lizthegrey.com · 19/09/2026
Oh yeah, I forgot, also we killed Google Reader to fund the social button everywhere thing for Google Plus
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PoliticsJOE @politicsjoe.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Comrade Trump is out there convincing people American IT is not fit for purpose." "He's doing more to get people to stop using oil than Greta Thunberg if she lives to 100." Cory Doctorow doesn't hold back on Donald Trump's complete ineptitude. @doctorow.pluralistic.net
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Æðelwułf @iamdarkink.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
@doctorow.pluralistic.net is right. The safety scare is largely about inviting regulation that will lock out cheap competitors more than do anything for real 'safety,' like who has access to your prompts and under what terms? 1/3 pluralistic.net/2026/09/16/b...
This is a disaster all around: the AI companies are locked in a Red Queen's Race, a fatal beggar-thy-neighbor doom-loop. The only way they could escape that trap is by signing a nonaggression pact amongst themselves promising not to compete anymore. But there's two giant problems with this: first, it is incredibly, fantastically illegal under antitrust law, because it represents a conspiracy among the dominant players to cease to compete with one another, and; second, it leaves the field open for the further development of Chinese "open weight" models that customers can run on their own modest, low-powered computers, which are presently lagging the US "frontier models" by a mere four months:
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 15/09/2026
And don't forget, unless you are quite unlucky, however young you are when you get the surgery, you will soon enough be over 40.
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 15/09/2026
Of course, that's going to make red meat a whole lot more expensive. Probably healthier though. And much, much better for the planet.
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 15/09/2026
I'm not a vegan. In fact, I rather like red meat. But spending that much on, and burning, fossil fuels, just to feed cattle seems like a poor long-term plan for us and the planet. Cattle are perfectly capable of feeding themselves, if given enough grasslands in the right climate zone.
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Alex de Campi @alexdecampi.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
it’s K-Slop Demon Hunters (and I regret to inform you that it bangs)
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Asakiyume/Morinotsuma @asakiyume.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
@tinyantennas.bsky.social
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 05/09/2026
People can quit arguing about whether companies are hiring immigrants because of their skills, or just because they're cheaper or more willing to work long hours, or whatever. www.philipbrewer.net/2026/09/05/f...
philipbrewer.net
Fixing immigration without a police state
Many Americans want fewer immigrants, primarily because they worry that immigrants are competing with native-born U.S. citizens for jobs. There are of course other reasons. Some people are racists. So...
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Steven D. Brewer @stevendbrewer.com · 05/09/2026
I read "A Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI" by @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy. He makes several insightful points about how creative workers should respond to "AI" that I hadn't considered. Recommended. stevendbrewer.com/review-a-rev...
stevendbrewer.com
Review: A Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI by Cory Doctorow - Steven D. BREWER
I read Cory Doctorow's newsletter Pluralistic regularly and this book was essentially an expanded version of a number of his columns. But I found several points insightful. Recently I cited Cory when ...
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 04/09/2026
Playing at being poor: The difference is a matter of capital. Having capital is frugal. If you have capital you can play at being poor and actually live more cheaply than a real poor person. www.philipbrewer.net/2026/09/04/p...
philipbrewer.net
Playing at being poor
I had completely forgotten about this post, written more than 20 years ago, even though I went on to write about exactly this topic for Wise Bread for years. This post was about the difference ...
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Steven D. Brewer @stevendbrewer.com · 02/09/2026
The Hero waited outside the bathroom, tapping his foot impatiently, as his need grew ever more urgent. Finally the door opened and the Lich stepped out. The Hero started to go in, but then felt compelled to turn and ask a question. "Hey!" he called. "What were you even doing in there?" (1/3) #wss366
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Caleb Wilson @astrobolism.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Very excited for this! A perfect game for these times...
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Elegant Lich @elegantlich.com · 30/08/2026
Coming Soon Elegant Lich is coming soon! We plan to open for submissions in October and publish our first issue in Q4 of 2026. elegantlich.com/posts/2026/coming-s…
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 27/08/2026
Start running really long errands, where your car is someplace else for hours whenever your mom is likely to want it?
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kimdrury2.bsky.social @kimdrury2.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
How is this not bigger news? Armed agents entering a tribal nation without authorization and very much opposed by the tribe. www.kvoa.com/video/armed-...
kvoa.com
Armed CBP agents, border wall contractors enter Tohono O'odham Nation
Armed federal agents and border wall contractors entered Tohono O'odham Nation land without authorization Wednesday morning, according to the Tohono O'odham Nation Office of the Chairman and Vice Chai...
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SK Winnicki, PhD 🏳️‍⚧️ @skwinnicki.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
companies stop switching my personalized settings when I update your apps and devices challenge
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Steven D. Brewer @stevendbrewer.com · 17/08/2026
My brother, @philipbrewer.net, and I are having fun planning to launch a fantasy magazine: stevendbrewer.com/elegant-lich...
stevendbrewer.com
Elegant Lich: Refined Fantasy for a More Civilized Age - Steven D. BREWER
My brother shared a post that used the word "eigentlich" (which in German just means "actually"). I said it looked like "elegant lich." And then a few minutes later, we both said, "That would make a g...
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Elegant Lich @elegantlich.com · 17/08/2026
Elegant Lich is a fantasy magazine in very early stages of planning. Visit our blog at blog.elegantlich.com for updates as we develop our plans.
blog.elegantlich.com
Elegant Lich Blog
Planning for Elegant Lich magazine—Refined fantasy for a more civilized age
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Tim Dickinson @timdickinson.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
we're at the "they're arming unaccountable masked men with electric torture gloves" stage of fascism
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 13/08/2026
I’ve been warning about the current stagflation since the beginning of last year. It’s good to see others are catching up. www.philipbrewer.net/2026/08/13/s...
philipbrewer.net
Stagflation mention in the New York Times
The one bright spot in the economy—the stock market—is actually (as I've been saying about how the markets have this all completely wrong) "severe systemic risk."
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 11/08/2026
Living off Capital: People who come from wealthy families learn how to live off capital. The rules are taught along with all the other things they learn from their parents. Even though most people don't learn the rules, living off capital is just a skill. www.philipbrewer.net/2026/08/11/l...
philipbrewer.net
Living off capital
If you're wealthy, living of capital is easy. Not trivially easy, of course, but generally, living off your investment income is straightforward. But there are many circumstances where the barely-weal...
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 07/08/2026
by inflation or deflation.
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 07/08/2026
Maybe. I think it's more a matter of who was a debtor (farmers and small businessmen who needed to borrow to buy seeds or raw materials) versus a creditor (the wealthy). Since there were no credit cards and virtually no consumer debt, ordinary people didn't have debts to be wiped out or made ruinous
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 07/08/2026
You don't need a gold standard, but a gold standard made it somewhat automatic, unless you explicitly revalued. And I'm not really arguing for or against, so much as pointing out that "kids these days" don't know what they're asking for, when they want prices to go back to what they were.
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 07/08/2026
Back when we were on a gold standard, inflation was often undone, to back to the (usually pre-war) gold parity. The result was usually a years-long grinding depression. Could we do that again? Yes we could! www.philipbrewer.net/2024/05/26/u...
philipbrewer.net
Undoing inflation is possible. It's just bad.
Looked at properly, inflation is the money getting less valuable, which shows up as rising prices. It's opposite, deflation, is the money getting more valuable, leading to falling prices. Something th...
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#BruceSterling @bruces.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
*Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's open season on drone techs
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some-rss-feeds.bsky.social @some-rss-feeds.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
[some-subscribed-rss] New Post: I 🩷 RSS, by jcs irreal.org/blog/?p=13989
Teaser:

The author of Irreal explains why they prefer RSS over social media: no algorithm dictating what you read, and full access to all content from sites you follow. They lament how Google and others tried to kill RSS because it wasn't monetizable, but note that it has survived and is thriving among those who haven't been "lobotomized by social media." The post highlights Andrew Shell's site where like-minded people can list their webpages and show their support for RSS. If you have a website and share this love, you can send your URL to Shell to join his list.

teaser for https://irreal.org/blog/?p=13989
generated by deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash
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Marissa Lingen @marissalingen.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
New essay out today in @uncannymagazine.bsky.social ! www.uncannymagazine.com/article/midd...
uncannymagazine.com
Middle-Aged Love: Rereading in Your Forties and Beyond - Uncanny Magazine
If you last reread one of your favorite books for comfort during lockdown, congratulations, that was six years ago and counting. A major event like lockdown is likely to stand out no matter how old yo...
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 04/08/2026
Light exposure is good for you. All the different frequencies are good for you. This has led many people to try to tweeze them apart: tanning beds, red-light panels and masks, therapy lights, etc. It turns out, sunlight is best consumed whole, just like food. www.philipbrewer.net/2026/08/04/r...
philipbrewer.net
Recommended reading: In Defense of Sunlight
The prescription is almost trivially easy: Get outside at dawn. Get as much sunlight as you can without burning during the day. Within a couple of hours after sunset make your space as dark as possibl...
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JJ in DC @jjindc.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Oh great. An untreatable, possibly fatal virus passed by ticks is spreading in the USA. Good thing we have the CDC looking out for us, am I right?
people.com
First Case of Bourbon Virus, Which Is Untreatable and Potentially Fatal, Confirmed in New York
The first confirmed case of the tick-borne Bourbon virus, which is extremely rare and potentially fatal, has been identified in New York.
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 30/07/2026
“Exit through the state” could fail A toxic Trump trying to hand another bunch of taxpayer money over to billionaire tech bros might actually be very unpopular. www.philipbrewer.net/2026/07/30/e...
philipbrewer.net
"Exit through the state" could fail
AI firms are on the ropes, having spent way too much money building infrastructure for tools that are valuable, but not nearly valuable enough to support the money already spent, let alone what they'r...
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Steven D. Brewer @stevendbrewer.com · 23/07/2026
Boxer dogs are the best, because of course they are! stevendbrewer.com/boxer-dogs-a... #DogsOfBluesky
stevendbrewer.com
Boxer Dogs are the Best - Steven D. BREWER
When I was about seven years old (circa 1970), my family got a boxer dog. I recollect that we paid $100 (about $860 today) for a flashy fawn from a breeder, who let her go because she was the runt of ...
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Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
We've been increasingly hearing about this new invasive mealybug in central Texas.
fox7austin.com
Invasive pasture mealybug spreads to 70 Texas counties, threatening hayfields and pastures, report says
An invasive insect is rapidly spreading across Texas, threatening millions of acres of pastureland and raising new concerns for the state's cattle and hay producers.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Crude Oil has 43 days of supply left in the U.S. — the lowest inventory in 45 years @barchart.com ⛽️
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#BruceSterling @bruces.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
*Iran has already shot down a billion dollars worth of old-fashioned, ultra-fancy, Global-War-On-Terror American Reaper drones #exquisite *The answer is to mass-build cheap drones that terrorists can afford arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026...
arstechnica.com
US seeks cheaper hunter-killer drones after Iran destroys $1B worth of Reapers
US military drone losses in Iran war spur Pentagon call for cheap replacements.
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 14/07/2026
Thank you!
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 13/07/2026
“The poll should be ‘After Charlie Stross, what author next best immanentizes the eschaton?'” www. philipbrewer.net/2026/07/13/wh
philipbrewer.net
Who best immanentizies the eschaton?
My brother asked me today, "Which author do you think best immanentizes the eschaton?" Not being a moron, I immediately replied, "Obviously it's Charlie Stross." Before I could finish typing tha...
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Steve Randy Waldman @interfluidity.com · 05/07/2026
"If your website has a “See more” link, I assume that indicates that the rest of the article or site is unimportant or uninteresting, so I basically never click on it. Why would I?" @philipbrewer.net www.philipbrewer.net/2026/07/05/s...
philipbrewer.net
See more? Or not see more?
If your website has a "See more" link, I assume that indicates that the rest of the article or site is unimportant or uninteresting, so I basically never click on it. Why would I? Now, if you share...
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Ole @olepetter.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
There was this a while back, I don't think they got approved
etf.com
New ETF Filing Aims to Capitalize on 'Government Grift'
- The Tuttle Capital Government Grift ETF (GRFT) was filed with the SEC this week. - The fund plans to hold a concentrated portfolio of 10 to 30 positions.
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Philip Brewer @philipbrewer.net · 28/06/2026
At this point, there’s no good solution for the economy as a whole, because the smart moves by individuals (dramatically changing the cost structure of the business or the household to enable lower spending) all act to deepen the recession... www.philipbrewer.net/2026/06/28/w...
philipbrewer.net
Welcome to the recession phase of the current stagflation
The result is going to be a recession, very possibly a severe recession, and one that goes on for a very long time. It’s not obvious yet, because businesses are still spending huge amounts of money on...
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 27/06/2026
Hmm... www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/our...
mcsweeneys.net
Our Open-Plan Office Failed, So We’re Moving to a Towering Panopticon
“The panopticon is absolutely not a fad. It is an idea whose time in the tech world has come.” Feb 21, 2022 9/17/23 9/24/24
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