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Arturo Magidin

@magidin.bsky.social

280 followers 95 following 760 posts

Mathematician. (But I read Supreme Court opinions for fun)

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Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 1m

... or is it factions?

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 5m

I think factotums create them on demand?

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 6h

They lost their complimentary Strict Scrutiny mugs?

Strict Scrutiny mug that reads "This mug is necessary to enforce the Voting Rights Act"

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 6h

Strict scrutiny mug with "State Decisis is for Suckers"

Reposted by Arturo Magidin

Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 1d

Sam Altman went from “AI will cure cancer" to "ChatGPT porn" in less than a month

ChatGPT boss predicts when AI could cure cancer

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.

In a few weeks, we plan to put out a new version of ChatGPT that allows people to have a personality that behaves more like what people liked about 4o (we hope it will be better!). If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing).

In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our “treat adult users like adults” principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.
12:02 PM · Oct 14, 2025
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Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 1d

"LA AG Elizabeth Murrill, a Republican, [...] argued that the Voting Rights Act imposes an unconstitutional race-based mandate, and that the Constitution is “colorblind,” which apparently means “unwilling to recognize harm done to people of color.” "

TPM @talkingpointsmemo.com · 1d

Callais is the conservative legal movement’s latest vehicle to persuade the Court to do away with the greatest triumph of the Civil Rights Movement.

Louisiana v Callais: The Republicans Justices Are Getting Ready to Finish Off the Voting Rights Act

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and...

talkingpointsmemo.com

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 1d

a man is making a surprised face while sitting at a table in a restaurant .

Alt: Nathan Fillion about to say something but then thinking better of it and resignedly not saying anyting.

media.tenor.com

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 1d

(Not that we would have no issues, what with the environmental damage, etc., it does; but also it would be easier to to convince people not to use it if it's just a time waster that also destroys the environment, etc...)

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 1d

If the advertising was "Here's something you can waste your time with", we would have a lot less issues than when the advertising is "Here is something that will take over the world/destroy all jobs/do anything you want it to do/make those who give us money now rich beyond the dreams of avarice".

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 2d

It's almost 9 years to the day since Black Mirror aired "Nosedive"...

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 2d

We are driving full speed ahead towards the Black Mirror episode "Nosedive".

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 2d

The cease fire is a good thing, period.

As far as credit is concerned, perhaps not so much a broken clock being right twice a day, but a clock attached to a bomb on occasion just happening to display the correct time on its way to 00:00...

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 2d

To a millenial, a Gen X is a Boomer.

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 2d

"Let epsilon < 0"

Marjorie James Keenan @unenthusiast.com · 3d

In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

rm -rf ~/

hammancheez @hammancheez.bsky.social · 3d

"The chancellor approved it"

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 4d

If you owe the bank a million dollars and you can't pay, you're in trouble. If you owe the bank a trillion dollars and you can't pay, the bank's in trouble.

China owns a hell of a lot of U.S. debt. It is not an entirely futile threat, even if it is cutting-off-nose territory...

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 4d

Yes, it was designed into the rules, not the constitutional design. And not by the "founders". Burr, and then a few folks in the 20th. And republicans have eliminated it fir two things in just the past three months...

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 4d

Not quite. Once seconded, a motion to call the previous question was voted on immediately. There is usually a higher-than-simple-majority threshhold for *it* (this was Burr's hook for elimination) but it it was a priviledged motion that required an immediate vote.

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 4d

..and the current version where you don't even need to tie up the Senate to conduct a filibuster is from 1972. Two very simple filibuster reforms that would reduce its use would be to require 40 nays to continue instead of 60 yeas to end it; and eliminate two-track so they have to tie up the Senate.

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 4d

You used to be able to "call the previous question" (force a vote). It was Aaron Burr who proposed eliminating it when he was President of the Senate, arguing that surely all those good folks should be able to talk things out.

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 4d

Also, it wasn't the "founders" who made the filibuster possible... it was Aaron Burr when, as Vice President to Jefferson, changed the Senate rules to eliminate the motion to "call the previous question". Cloture to stop it started in 1917 (needed 2/3rds) and lowered to 60 in 1975. No founders.

Reposted by Arturo Magidin

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 5d

EXCLUSIVE — DHS Acting General Counsel sent out a memo Wednesday to all Federal Protective Service staff (the sub-agency that guards federal buildings) letting officers know they could take any action necessary "in the vicinity" federal property to protect themselves.

The Handbasket reports:

DHS top lawyer says 'no legal barrier' to actions officers can take to defend federal property

In a memo obtained exclusively by The Handbasket, Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers were given free rein.

www.thehandbasket.co

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 5d

"There is no way that China should be allowed to hold world 'captive'. That's MY job! Thank you for your attention on this matter."

Reposted by Arturo Magidin

ElieNYC @elienyc.bsky.social · 5d

In my newsletter this week, I call bulls*** on Ubisoft’s decision to cancel a game because killing Klansmen is now frowned upon in this establishment.
Uhh, also the plot to bomb the Supreme Court and the vindictive stupidity of the James indictment.

But mainly freaking Ubisoft

The Plot That Could Have Deranged America

In his weekly newsletter, Elie Mystal explores everything from the foiled plot against Supreme Court justices to the ongoing plot to foil mail-in voting.

www.thenation.com

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 5d

It's a transcription error. The resolution will honor him with the "Novel Piece Prize".

Arturo Magidin @magidin.bsky.social · 5d

I really think petit bourgeois have a bad rap. Don't see what the problem is.