iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

My column this week has some funny jokes and some unfunny jokes. Please appreciate the contrast: www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion-colu...

berkshireeagle.com

Bad bar jokes

A man walks into a bar, and a woman walks into a different world of danger.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Sidequest "Hungry for Health Insurance" in Ch. 3 is bugged; insurance asks for auth from doctor but I got that and it's denying it anyway. Hoping they fix it in the next patch; this blocks progress on a ton of other sidequests. Frankly disappointing for a AAA studio that had years to QA this stuff.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

All good points. We can't live perfect lives, but we can take the easy wins - and not directly support/enable the guy saluting nazis on stage and in the feed he controls.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

That's a fine opening narration, that is.

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Reposted by Seth Brown

aslynn is just a ghoul 👻 @aslynnromano.com · 09/10/2026

Friends, please don’t watch it Don’t give them audience When it is the oppressor who tells you not to look away, you know that you must You don’t have to watch him die to know he’s dead You don’t have to watch to be angry that it’s happening We have to be angry & we have to survive Don’t watch.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Requisite comedy sketch about mishearing that specific line of that specific song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1ax...

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The Vacant Lot, episode 5 Blinded by the Light

YouTube video by karoshiga

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

(not that you would know it from how I talk or write or live)

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I certainly prefer the "Can You Not", since in general I think fewer words is better.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Posted by a man sick of being fleeced.

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Reposted by Seth Brown

By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 05/10/2026

Last week on the 404 Media podcast, Joseph Cox spoke with Kashmir Hill about this, in an episode appropriately entitled "Meta's Pervert Glasses Are Going to End Privacy": www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUFn...

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Meta's Pervert Glasses Are Going to End Privacy

YouTube video by 404 Media

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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Everyone should be fighting for Universal Healthcare and disability rights. Health is fragile. You can become disabled or chronically ill in an instant. It’s not a moral failing. It can wipe out your savings and leave you destitute. Healthcare is a basic human right.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Diversifying investment works for fandom too! I was a huge Bill Cosby fan for many years and a Louis CK fan for a few years. Saw them both perform live, funny stuff. News came out and I was like, "Damn, that's awful!" My "loves comedy" identity was unharmed! My list just had a few names replaced.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

What if an RPG videogame were a book series? aka What if Sword Art Online were funny? (but actually the point of books is that they are explained by reading them, so read the first one, it's good if you like RPG videogames and at most library systems to borrow free if you like)

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This feels like the crux of it to me. Options for easy mode don't even detract from the accomplishment of beating hard mode! But some people just can't bear the thought of other folks having options to enjoy things differently. (same people whose heads exploded when Cracker Barrel had veggie dogs.)

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This is why I prefer games that let you adjust difficulty level on the fly. I usually start on normal presuming that's the intended default. Then sometimes I'll feel no resistance and turn it up to hard, or hit a fight I can't get through after a dozen tries and turn it down to easy for that fight.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

An important observation on the nature of heroism. (Coincidentally, I just finished writing a piece that mentions Plato's Ring of Gyges, so the gap between people being virtuous for its own sake and people being virtuous to be seen being virtuous is very much on my mind.)

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I don't know that "this is what's more common online now" necessarily implies "this is the preference of most Internet users". When I search for something online I usually want text rather than a video, and I know many people feel similarly. Other market forces may also be at work.

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Reposted by Seth Brown

Thoth @thoth.ptnote.dev · 20/09/2026

meta Muse perfec t size for put private d\ata in! inside very Secure and Private data very safe put data in Muse. No problems ever in Muse because very trustworthy and Mark super protective. AMeta muse yes a place for data put data in muse trust meta for givening good safety to data. Friend meta.

An image of a pelican with its gigantic mouth open, commonly associated with the "put baby in pelican mouth" post.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I will co-sign this. Tried a bunch of chip flavors the other month, (grilled squid, brisket, grilled cheese, chicken skewer, etc.) and nothing held a candle to these. Spicy, delicious, and perfect.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

100% love this for you. <3 Going independent may be a roller-coaster, but being an employee in this economy is no more secure, as you say, and at least this way you're the one at the wheel making the decisions and planning out the life you want. May it bring you as much happiness as it has for me!

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

A sobering thought to realize Stanislav Petrov is basically the opposite of our current uncurious/unquestioning/un-empathetic AI-driven regime.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Hooray! Few greater joys than making people laugh.

My therapist: <laughs at a joke I said>

Me (to myself): This is great. I'm going to get a good grade in therapy, something that is both normal to want and possible to achieve.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I would be curious to know what percentage of America Bret Stevens thinks is straight white rightwing men.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Hey Bluesky, any web hosting recs? @networksolutions.bsky.social is trying to charge me an arm and a leg for renewals and jacking up prices for no reason but also wants to charge me a fee to change to a cheaper plan. I need a better option. Suggestions?

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The original Final Fantasy for the NES. Bought it used from a classified ad in the newspaper. Beat it a dozen times each w/different parties. Spawned a love for gaming, and more specifically RPGs, and more specifically mages. Decades later I went back and beat it with a solo Black Belt. Still fun.

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Reposted by Seth Brown

SMBC Comics @smbccomics.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

This isn't a metaphor. Just a story about a roach. COMIC ◆ www.smbc-comics.com/comic/roach-2 PATREON ◆ www.patreon.com/ZachWeinersm... STORE ◆ smbc-store.myshopify.com

4-panel SMBC comic update. The first panel shows a cartoon little roach happily saying "oh man! The stupid human put food in here. fool!" The next panel shows the roach walking away from a poison trap as he says "I’m gonna give it to everyone!" The third panel shows a human at his computer with a similar expression to that of the cartoon roach. The man says "this stupid company made a controversial ad. How embarrassing for them!" The man then walks away from the computer desk, at an angle reminiscent to the panel where the roach walks away from the poison trap. The man says "better share with all my friends and family so everyone knows which ad not to look at."

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🍁 Levi Kornelsen @levikornelsen.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Reacher (book) kills white supremacists (fictional), but Reacher (streaming) hasn't yet despite Alan Ritchson (Reacher (streaming)) wanting to because of studio fear of white supremacists (actual, government).

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Reposted by Seth Brown

The Price of Reason @priceofreason.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

OKAY FINE YOU CAN HAVE A CHURU

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A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Same people who seem to think it’s bad for China to beat us at AI are perfectly fine with China beating us at high speed rail, solar energy, wind energy, shall we go on

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"Over 100k vinyl records sold last year, although admittedly half of that figure was Taylor Swift, whose fans would purchase her latest release even if it were a 200-pound bag of rocks that made music when you poured it onto the ground." www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion/colu...

berkshireeagle.com

Let's get physical (media)

If you fold this column in half and wear it on your head as a hat, you’ll be part of a growing national trend. Fashion-wise, this is part of a

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Some classics! I still need to see Hail Mary; finished the book earlier this year.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Completely forgot that I had donated to Extra Life until thisafternoon when an amazing box of tea from @justicar.xyz arrived in my mailbox. Thanks for the lovely care package, and for fundraising for a good cause!

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

make a band edible The Rolling Scones Fleetwood Mac&Cheese The Mamas and the Tapas

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Had never heard this, but definitely feels inspired by the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight": www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcCK...

youtube.com

The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight (Official Video)

YouTube video by Sugarhill Records

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

It's the only way to ensure a fair playing field, given the fact that you have to move the chess pieces with your genitals. (I'm presuming that's the rule, since otherwise this ban would be very stupid and pointless.)

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Inequality Media @inequalitymedia.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Trump's massive surveillance state and attacks on our civil liberties wouldn't have been possible without the PATRIOT Act. Watch this prescient warning from Russ Feingold, the only Senator to vote against its passage after 9/11.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This looks fantastic! The vibes remind me of my favorite boardgame trailer of all time: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x54...

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Android by Fantasy Flight Games

YouTube video by Online Game tutor

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This is short and dumb and niche and stretches the definition of "song" BUT this 30-second video of someone playing the Chocobo theme on an otamatone always makes me smile: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXID...

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Otamatone - Chocobo theme

YouTube video by Sakura Novas

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I have no doubts the universe would be improved for your reign.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I mostly keep it locked up in a corner of my mind, as I have for the past few decades (philosophy major). When it gets out I try to increase actions that convince me I affect the world (donate to charity, write a book, etc.) and distract it with more shiny objects (extra video gaming and good food).

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Thankfully after 4 messages it seems to have died down. Certainly did not reach my threshold for "worth adding to the problem to reply all to tell people to stop adding to the problem"

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

An elderly acquaintance unfortunately had her email hacked, and emailed and cc:ed an apology warning to all 500+ addresses in her address book, which includes many other folks who are helpfully replying all with their sympathy.

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Paul Simon fans will enjoy this new parody about food recalls, which I wrote over the weekend and so it doesn't include the latest recalls of tofu, chocolate milk, etc. www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion/colu...

berkshireeagle.com

'50 Bad Foods To Discover'

To the tune of "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover," with apologies to Paul Simon:

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Seth Brown @risingpun.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Got one of these scam invites just the other month, and although I sussed it out after a few emails back and forth, that was clearly enough to get me on a list and receive another scam invite within days. The advice to not engage is very sound. www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion/colu...

berkshireeagle.com

The interview that wasn't

Last week, I was delighted to receive an email asking to interview me about my book on materials requirements planning, delight which was tempered only by the realization that I

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