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@epicureandealmaker.bsky.social

1.9K followers 300 following 3.7K posts

“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.” – H.L. Mencken My blog in desuetude: https://epicureandealmaker.blogspot.com

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · Feb 14

With all due respect to Cavafy, it now seems clear that the barbarians were a really bad kind of solution.

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Shannon Vallor @shannonvallor.bsky.social · 13d

Since it resonated with the audience, I’ll recap my main argument against AGI here. ‘General intelligence’ is like phlogiston, or the aether. It’s an outmoded scientific concept that does not refer to anything real. Any explanatory work it did can be done better by a richer scientific frame. 1/3

Shannon Vallor @shannonvallor.bsky.social · 13d

This was a truly heartening day, with deeply thoughtful challenges to the dominant narrative framed around AGI, coming from across disciplines and perspectives. Felt like the tide might finally be turning a bit, at least among the scientific community. Thanks @royalsociety.org!

Anil Seth @anilseth.bsky.social · 14d

1/2 I'm looking forward to taking part in a panel on AGI and the Turing Test, tomorrow afternoon (Thurs 2nd Oct) at the @royalsociety.org, w/ Dame Wendy Hall, Shannon Vallor, William Isaac, & Sir Nigel Shadbolt. royalsociety.org/science-even...

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · 6h

What a moron. Mamdani is almost certain to win. Ackman is setting his money on fire, but I guess he has lots of practice doing that in his day job. Putz.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 6h

Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman has donated $1mn to a Super Pac opposing Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy for New York City mayor. on.ft.com/4qbB5Kd

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · 1d

“I’ve met so many grandparents who’ve come up to me and said, ‘My grandkid told me if I don’t vote for you, then you can’t come home.’”

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d

we’ll see how his mayoral tenure shakes out but i am convinced that Mamdani has the juice. not just the charisma to win an election but the temperament to govern and the measured pragmatism of someone who genuinely believes what they’re saying and wants to accomplish real things.

Inside the Improbable, Audacious and (So Far) Unstoppable Rise of Zohran Mamdani

www.nytimes.com

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Vandy, C.A. @cavandy.bsky.social · 1d

there is *nothing* funnier than this thin-skinned buffoon unable to get over the photo that accompanies a sycophantic, boot-licking article

proof that he can never know joy or love and will remain miserable til his dying day (laudatory)

Cassie 🎃 kween, expert opinion giver, supergenius @kweencassie.bsky.social · 1d

Good Morning

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Home of the Brave @ofthebraveusa.bsky.social · 2d

On October 18th, millions of brave Americans will stand up and peacefully protest against the authoritarian disease metastasizing under Donald Trump.

No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. @gtconway.bsky.social

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Robin Wigglesworth @robinwigglesworth.ft.com · 1d

Leveraged ETFs are bad for your wealth. Tesla’s can be deadly. Features some very FTAV illustrations. www.ft.com/content/f34c...

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Thomas F. Varley @thosvarley.bsky.social · 1d

It is finally out! Have you ever wanted to get into information theory, complexity, and networks? If so, this is the paper for you: a comprehensive tutorial review on information theory for complexity scientists specifically.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Information theory for complex systems scientists: What, why, and how

In the 21st century, many of the crucial scientific and technical issues facing humanity can be understood as problems associated with understanding, …

www.sciencedirect.com

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Kieran Healy @kjhealy.co · 2d

A couple of parking signs for anyone who wants to print them out for this coming Saturday.

Parking Signs

If you want to print out a poster for October 18th, here are two; fully-guaranteed countrywide but maybe especially suitable for in and around New York. No King Anytime sign ...

kieranhealy.org

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Isa / EvilCleverDog @evilcleverdog.bsky.social · Aug 23

Using ChatGPT

Edith @edithcharles.bsky.social · Aug 23

What's something that isn't considered embarrassing but you think it should be?

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bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 2d

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · 2d

How did that title win out against Vagina Neck?

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 2d

Just in case the dramatically low Leni Riefenstahl-style angle was too subtle, they used a word from her most famous movie

Time magazine cover featuring a photo of Trump from a dramatically low angle

HIS
TRIUMPH
by ERIC CORTELLESSA
THE LEADER ISRAEL NEEDED
by EHUD BARAK
HOW GAZA HEALS

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · 2d

A case of RPGs to launch against the Department of Transportation headquarters.

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Dan McCrum @mccrum.bsky.social · 2d

For more on the Cascadia Subduction zone, and the advice that everyone in the Northwest should plan to be self-sufficient for two weeks after any disaster, see here
survivingcascadia.com/how-often-do...

Overall, 27 of the 41 intervals were less than 300 years in length. So when we tell ourselves the story of how often these earthquakes occur in the Pacific Northwest, it may be more accurate to say: *picture of time frequencies with us on the wrong side of the distribution.

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Dan McCrum @mccrum.bsky.social · 2d

Your occasional reminder that it’s been 325 years since the last very big Pacific Northwest earthquake - longer than 80 per cent of the gaps between such quakes over the last 10,000 years
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/s...

One ‘Really Big One’ After Another

www.nytimes.com

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · 2d

If we could enforce that in New York City, we’d be able to 1) cut the police force by about 35%; 2) get rid of the worst 25% of police officers; 3) reduce future police pension obligations by tens of millions of dollars; and 4) stand a real chance of reforming the department. Make our day, jerks.

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 2d

Police officers who publicly declare that they’ll quit if a mayoral candidate they dislike wins the election are (1) usually bluffing—sure buddy, toss away that paycheck and pension—and (2) exactly the sort of cops cities would be better off without, ones who don’t see themselves as public servants.

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · 2d

Sort of amazing that the comic strip artist who was clever and funny enough to publish this has now become… Dick from the Internet.

Five Minute Macro @fiveminutemacro.bsky.social · 2d

It's Economics Nobel Prize Day, and hence your annual reminder not to be That Guy.

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · 4d

CRY HAVOC AND LET SLIP THE FROGS OF WAR. www.tiktok.com/@theantifasc...

this is the war ravaged city that Trump is talking about😂😂😂 crazy #iceoutofportland #portland #portlandmusicfestival

TikTok video by TheAntifascistfrog

www.tiktok.com

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TED @epicureandealmaker.bsky.social · 4d

“The guy in the body armor will always lose to the guy in the inflatable frog suit.”

sarah jeong @sarahjeong.bsky.social · 4d

I have a theory www.theverge.com/policy/79849...

American politics has devolved into shitposting and aura farming

The Frog is owning the president.

www.theverge.com

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onion person @junlper.beer · 5d

all things considered, he’s just a really stupid guy with really stupid beliefs