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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 22h

Ye gods. I knew it was a grift, but I didn't know it was *this* much of a grift.

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Aliette de Bodard @aliettedebodard.com · 28/09/2026

Any time we hear "AI did this and this", it's not proof programs are becoming sentient, but that the humans deploying said AI did this (which is generally failing to deploy proper sandboxing measures to prevent an AI from going against security) It's not the AI that's rogue, it's the company

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I never thought I'd end up agreeing with a piece of the background in Neal Stephenson's _The Diamond Age_ (a book I literally hate): people read the same newspapers. The diagnosis of epistemic fragmentation/isolation seems spot-on, even if the book's solution (Neo-Victorianism) seems bonkers to me.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The whole web of posts about this is interesting; I'd like to flag the Iron Law of Institutions (www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/archives/... ): "the people who control institutions care first and foremost about their power within the institution rather than the power of the institution itself."

tinyrevolution.com

A Tiny Revolution: Democrats And The Iron Law Of Institutions

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Star Wars (the original, not the "A New Hope" retcon).

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Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

You may find this content disturbing…

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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 20/09/2026

"My opponent wants to hire creeps to inspect your daughter's genitals if she wants to play soccer. I wouldn't trust him or any hired weirdo from his pedophile-protecting party alone in a room with any kid." Go on the offensive, you cowards! It's not that hard!

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

If you're a Dem who thinks you'll gain something by going anti-trans, look at Gallup's "most important problem" and Fox News' "most important issue" polling and see where trans issues rank. Whoever told you going anti-trans is a savvy or necessary move spends too much time on X and should be fired.

Gallup polling. "LGBTQ rights" moves between 0 and 1%.

Fox news polling. Wokeness/transgender issues at 0%.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I am reading (and enjoying) the final Laundry novel (_The Regicide Report_) by @cstross.bsky.social -- and for some reason I have the "What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor" stuck in my head...

Photo of 2 lines of text from a printed book:
"What am I going to do with the vampire vicar?
Quite a lot, as it turns out..."

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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

When the powerful playact powerlessness it is always a ploy to avoid accountability.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Murc's Law strikes again. whereofonecanspeak.com/2023/03/02/y... It drives me nuts when notional liberals/progressives/leftists by into this.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Or old religions, with a bit of search-and-replace: @cstross.bsky.social has been arguing this for at least a decade: www.antipope.org/charlie/blog...

antipope.org

Dude, you broke the future! - Charlie's Diary

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Perfect example of where the Bonus Panel should have been in the main comic. 😆

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I think a lot of Tech Billionaires would do it in an instant.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Just on the small chance that you haven't already come across it, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TESCREAL is the umbrella term (coined by Timnit Gebru) for these beliefs. Writer Charlie Stross (@cstross.bsky.social) has also been on this beat for years: www.antipope.org/charlie/blog...

en.wikipedia.org

TESCREAL - Wikipedia

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I had totally forgotten that! @scalzi.com 's "Imagine your testicles ... as a service" from Starter Villain makes a nice bookend there.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I'm re-reading @theodoragoss.bsky.social 's Athena Club books and this popped up in the Far Side archive (www.thefarside.com/2026/09/10) and it's remarkably on the nose.

A Far Side cartoon with the caption "The curse of mad scientist's block" - a scientist stands staring at a blackboard, chin in hand. A brain and a face float in jars behind them. The blackboard has a bunch of crossed-out ideas: "Put a gorilla brain in a cow's head", "Switch Mr. Rodger's brain with a maniac's"; "Take my cousin's brain, inject it with the DNA from a wolverine and toss it"; "Build a giant robot, install some serrated mandibles on the end of"; "Take a giant squid and cross"....

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mave @mave.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

No one is coming to save you. However, someone is coming to stand in front of what you want to look at in the grocery store

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Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com · 08/09/2026

liberal democracy is not a luxury. liberal democracy is the magic beast that ran the table on fascism and communism and totalitarianism. we did not do this by giving up on liberal democracy and embracing evil. we did this by sticking to our most dear principles.

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Gretchen McCulloch @gretchenmcculloch.com · 08/09/2026

I have received news of a perfectly named cafe located on the waterfront of Nova Scotia's capital, if you know what I mean

"Broken Man cafe" sign on a big plate glass window, through which one can see cafe tables and chairs and backs of people's heads. In the distance, a sign indicates that this is Pier 22 on the Halifax waterfront

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Why am I suddenly wondering if your cat is actually a gnole from @tkingfisher.com 's World of the White Rat? 🤔🧐

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

The worst part of the scam is that it makes me feel *better* -- not *good*, I never tip over into *good*, but significantly *less bad*. So there's never any intrinsic reward, only the prefrontal cortex marshalling the hindbrain to Do The Thing.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The only interesting thing about Amy Coney Barrett (as a SCOTUS justice) is that she didn't get her law degree from Harvard or Yale.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Homeland. Even though they actually did a decent job on season 2.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Buying and installing an ice maker in our freezer (as part of our pre-tariff retail therapy™️) was a total game changer for us. Honestly, it improved our marriage because now no one gets mad at the other for not refilling the ice trays.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Absolutely amazing soundtrack, and the companion album (Passion Sources) is astounding. Cracked open my skull (in a good way).

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Philosophers often bring up the "principle of charity": a willingness to assume good faith in an interlocutor and treat them accordingly. It's good to do in many circumstances. But it is worth formulating a principle of not being a fucking mark. If not during the rise of fascism, then when? 12/

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

The use of quotation marks instead of italics gets me every time. Our favorite tortilla chip brand has "Sea Salt" and "Pico de Gallo" and "Jalapeño Agave", all in quotes.

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Sarah Andersen @sarahseeandersen.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

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The Onion @theonion.com · 07/08/2026

Antichrist Rolls Eyes Throughout Peter Thiel Lecture theonion.com/antichrist-rolls-eyes-…

Antichrist Rolls Eyes Throughout Peter Thiel Lecture
‘This Guy Has No Idea What He’s Talking About,’ Says Son Of Perdition

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Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 27/07/2026

PIN Number ATM Machine UPC Code LCD Display We regret to inform you that this phenomenon has a name: RAS Syndrome. Redundant Acronym Syndrome…Syndrome.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

💯 Walgreens is closing everything around us so there's clearly something else (over-expansion, incompetence) going on.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Is #48 Cousin It made of books, or Doctor Who made of books? Either way, it's amazing

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

💯 Are they still using Twitter direct messaging as their chat app? 🤔

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Now I work down at the car wash, where all it ever does is rain

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I'm (weirdly?) focusing on the area code being smaller and in parentheses. Who does that any more? It's not even a single area-code area - it's got 3 overlaid! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_co...

en.wikipedia.org

Area codes 301, 240, and 227 - Wikipedia

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A couple of years ago I nope'd out of buying tickets for Peter Gabriel (one of my favorite performers) and my wife, as a gift of service, plowed through the *bananapants* process and got us (great) seats. "Phone only" tickets at the venue, no printouts.

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JD (not that one) Paul (not that one) @rantingnerd.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Holy crap, read the whole thread. (Kevin Kruse clapping back at Stephen Miller.)

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sirosenbaum.bsky.social @sirosenbaum.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Amazing that this man can perfectly execute both of the Great New York Expressions - Italian AND Jewish

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