Brian Gongol
@briangongol.bsky.social
Make money. Have fun. Clean up after yourself. Mind your business.
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More than borrowed books
On public stadium financing, Ben Franklin's contributions to Philadelphia, and what self-respecting communities ought to think about their libraries
issues.eveningpostandmail.com
On public stadium financing, Ben Franklin's contributions to Philadelphia, and what self-respecting communities ought to think about their libraries (480 words) ⤵️
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/more-than-...
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/more-than-...
I have to courteously but firmly disagree with this take. If forced to fundamentally change our legislative branch, I would *add* a house of Congress to Article I rather than subtracting one.
Allocate the seats proportionally by something new: Occupation, education, age, or something else.
Allocate the seats proportionally by something new: Occupation, education, age, or something else.
And to add I do think that the senate should be abolished and we should have a proportionally based unicameral legislature if we care at all about democratically elected representative government.
November 22, 2025 at 2:24 AM
I have to courteously but firmly disagree with this take. If forced to fundamentally change our legislative branch, I would *add* a house of Congress to Article I rather than subtracting one.
Allocate the seats proportionally by something new: Occupation, education, age, or something else.
Allocate the seats proportionally by something new: Occupation, education, age, or something else.
Fun fact: 28 of the states have bigger populations today than the entire USA in 1790.
The whole point of Federalism is scalability. Individual states should have lots of capacity and lots of differentiation, with the Federal government around to unify *only* what expressly requires unity.
The whole point of Federalism is scalability. Individual states should have lots of capacity and lots of differentiation, with the Federal government around to unify *only* what expressly requires unity.
When you argue for electing presidents by popular vote, you're buying into the very modern idea that the president is a monarch, the embodiment of the nation, a single person who symbolizes America. The Founders, wisely, didn't want that. The presidency was never supposed to be this poweful. /2
November 22, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Fun fact: 28 of the states have bigger populations today than the entire USA in 1790.
The whole point of Federalism is scalability. Individual states should have lots of capacity and lots of differentiation, with the Federal government around to unify *only* what expressly requires unity.
The whole point of Federalism is scalability. Individual states should have lots of capacity and lots of differentiation, with the Federal government around to unify *only* what expressly requires unity.
"Much-needed rollbar" is the understatement of the week. I'm reflexively trying to duck down into my chair just from looking at this on screen.
Vintage Friday: The designation is a mouthful, but the Swedish Pansarvärnspjästerrängbil 9031 (Pvpjtgb 9031) was quite a nimble little vehicle. Mounting a 90 mm recoilless rifle and intended to slow down Soviet mechanized forces, this unit is an early one, as it lacks the much needed rollbar.
November 21, 2025 at 5:25 PM
"Much-needed rollbar" is the understatement of the week. I'm reflexively trying to duck down into my chair just from looking at this on screen.
Never discount the possibility that cluttering up your digital footprint with a bunch of AI slop will turn out, down the road, to look like decorating your entire house in yellow linoleum and green shag carpeting.
Today's hot trends almost always look dated and dumb in retrospect.
Today's hot trends almost always look dated and dumb in retrospect.
November 21, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Never discount the possibility that cluttering up your digital footprint with a bunch of AI slop will turn out, down the road, to look like decorating your entire house in yellow linoleum and green shag carpeting.
Today's hot trends almost always look dated and dumb in retrospect.
Today's hot trends almost always look dated and dumb in retrospect.
Shared with endorsement. The same goes for all kinds of things that are distributed unequally: We also need social scripts that show how to be a good person when you are unusually intelligent or gifted in other ways.
The rogue genius and the abusive auteur should experience social correction.
The rogue genius and the abusive auteur should experience social correction.
More people are very wealthy than ever before, and it’s important to give a clear social script for how to be a good person in that position. The culture of aristocratic paternalism has died and that space has been left vacant. Encouraging pro-social behavior means abandoning relentless cynicism.
November 20, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Shared with endorsement. The same goes for all kinds of things that are distributed unequally: We also need social scripts that show how to be a good person when you are unusually intelligent or gifted in other ways.
The rogue genius and the abusive auteur should experience social correction.
The rogue genius and the abusive auteur should experience social correction.
This kind of behavior needs to be crushed, ruthlessly and immediately, by the legal community itself. Fail to do that and the problem will spread faster than any weed.
November 20, 2025 at 1:11 AM
This kind of behavior needs to be crushed, ruthlessly and immediately, by the legal community itself. Fail to do that and the problem will spread faster than any weed.
Shared with endorsement.
In negotiations, it's almost always best to leave the other side an "out". The emergent problem is that the regime in question, through its own will, keeps foreclosing on every "out" that the rest of the world might want.
This bodes very, very badly for our future.
In negotiations, it's almost always best to leave the other side an "out". The emergent problem is that the regime in question, through its own will, keeps foreclosing on every "out" that the rest of the world might want.
This bodes very, very badly for our future.
"russia is not possibly dumb enough to..." okay but are you sure. the people making decisions are insulated and face perverse incentives that have nothing to do with common sense or national security
⚡ German forces have run urban warfare drills in Berlin amid growing concerns that Russia could regain the capability to strike NATO territory by 2028.
November 19, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Shared with endorsement.
In negotiations, it's almost always best to leave the other side an "out". The emergent problem is that the regime in question, through its own will, keeps foreclosing on every "out" that the rest of the world might want.
This bodes very, very badly for our future.
In negotiations, it's almost always best to leave the other side an "out". The emergent problem is that the regime in question, through its own will, keeps foreclosing on every "out" that the rest of the world might want.
This bodes very, very badly for our future.
I mostly agree with this notion, but with one caveat:
I only wish more writers understood the difference between "Long form because the content calls for it" and "Long because it feels good to say that I wrote a lot of words". Self-editing still matters.
I only wish more writers understood the difference between "Long form because the content calls for it" and "Long because it feels good to say that I wrote a lot of words". Self-editing still matters.
btw i post so many links to longer form content because i believe we can get our attention spans back but only if we actually do it, not if we sit around complaining on short form platforms about how bad our attention spans are
November 19, 2025 at 5:10 AM
I mostly agree with this notion, but with one caveat:
I only wish more writers understood the difference between "Long form because the content calls for it" and "Long because it feels good to say that I wrote a lot of words". Self-editing still matters.
I only wish more writers understood the difference between "Long form because the content calls for it" and "Long because it feels good to say that I wrote a lot of words". Self-editing still matters.
On public stadium financing, Ben Franklin's contributions to Philadelphia, and what self-respecting communities ought to think about their libraries (480 words) ⤵️
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/more-than-...
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/more-than-...
More than borrowed books
On public stadium financing, Ben Franklin's contributions to Philadelphia, and what self-respecting communities ought to think about their libraries
issues.eveningpostandmail.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 AM
On public stadium financing, Ben Franklin's contributions to Philadelphia, and what self-respecting communities ought to think about their libraries (480 words) ⤵️
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/more-than-...
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/more-than-...
Truly beyond my understanding why anyone takes a massively increased risk of burning down their house in exchange for a turkey that tastes, at best, 25% better than the conventional roasting method.
Especially when smoked turkey is just sitting right there in the grocery aisle, a full 500% tastier.
Especially when smoked turkey is just sitting right there in the grocery aisle, a full 500% tastier.
November 18, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Truly beyond my understanding why anyone takes a massively increased risk of burning down their house in exchange for a turkey that tastes, at best, 25% better than the conventional roasting method.
Especially when smoked turkey is just sitting right there in the grocery aisle, a full 500% tastier.
Especially when smoked turkey is just sitting right there in the grocery aisle, a full 500% tastier.
It's not that we should expect to get all of our news from no-name journalists.
It's that we should be getting it from those who care about credibility instead of celebrity.
The former is hard to win and easy to lose. The latter comes just as easily to bad behavior as to the good.
It's that we should be getting it from those who care about credibility instead of celebrity.
The former is hard to win and easy to lose. The latter comes just as easily to bad behavior as to the good.
November 18, 2025 at 4:50 AM
It's not that we should expect to get all of our news from no-name journalists.
It's that we should be getting it from those who care about credibility instead of celebrity.
The former is hard to win and easy to lose. The latter comes just as easily to bad behavior as to the good.
It's that we should be getting it from those who care about credibility instead of celebrity.
The former is hard to win and easy to lose. The latter comes just as easily to bad behavior as to the good.
Digital archaeology, live on your screen...
LIVE NOW: Searching for endangered and #lostmedia on #VHS that we can safeguard at @archive.org. IS THIS ANYTHING? is live now on Twitch!
twitch.tv/uncommonephe...
twitch.tv/uncommonephe...
November 18, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Digital archaeology, live on your screen...
I'm worried about the national budget deficit, but I think I'm even more worried about the national shame deficit.
Email from a student who turned in a ChatGPT essay. Not even looking at the ChatGPT output in the apology 🥴
![Dear [Professor’s Name],
I want to sincerely apologize for my actions regarding my midterm submission.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fs6z2b756buwsdsjkle6utfi/bafkreiecvhzfgr4tlwyy2mvpbvjncqkysytwsxvidaoressh7peonoso3y@jpeg)
November 17, 2025 at 9:49 PM
I'm worried about the national budget deficit, but I think I'm even more worried about the national shame deficit.
I cannot begin to say how many goosebumps this photo gives me.
There are more than a million wild alligators in Louisiana. You couldn't pay me to set foot in a plant-covered marsh in that state without a cash offer well into eight digits.
There are more than a million wild alligators in Louisiana. You couldn't pay me to set foot in a plant-covered marsh in that state without a cash offer well into eight digits.
They clog waterways, overrun marshes and make it harder for animals to find food.
The 10 worst plant invaders on the Louisiana coast: Bushkiller, water hyacinth and more
They clog waterways, overrun marshes and make it harder for animals to find food.
bit.ly
November 16, 2025 at 6:53 AM
I cannot begin to say how many goosebumps this photo gives me.
There are more than a million wild alligators in Louisiana. You couldn't pay me to set foot in a plant-covered marsh in that state without a cash offer well into eight digits.
There are more than a million wild alligators in Louisiana. You couldn't pay me to set foot in a plant-covered marsh in that state without a cash offer well into eight digits.
Let's be honest: Automotive safety has come a long way since some of us were being toted around in the rear-facing seats of Oldsmobile station wagons.
The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser:
Where Your Kids' Legs Are the Crumple Zone!™
The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser:
Where Your Kids' Legs Are the Crumple Zone!™
Everyone likes to go on about how sedans were fine for families in the 90s but we also weren't keeping kids in rearfacing carseats until they were at least 2, forward facing ones until they were at least 5, and boosters until they were 8-10 in the 90s.
November 14, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Let's be honest: Automotive safety has come a long way since some of us were being toted around in the rear-facing seats of Oldsmobile station wagons.
The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser:
Where Your Kids' Legs Are the Crumple Zone!™
The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser:
Where Your Kids' Legs Are the Crumple Zone!™
Shared with endorsement. Likewise, I find it baffling how hard Facebook, for example, tries to dehumanize its own platform by pushing endlessly for features like user avatars that look hopelessly unreal.
Who wants to see an unrecognizable cartoon copy of themselves "living" in Zuck's fantasy world?
Who wants to see an unrecognizable cartoon copy of themselves "living" in Zuck's fantasy world?
It's so strange how the tech guys think what all of us really want is conversations with others who have no internal mental states. It's like narcissism as a service.
Nightmarish idea for a startup tbh
November 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Shared with endorsement. Likewise, I find it baffling how hard Facebook, for example, tries to dehumanize its own platform by pushing endlessly for features like user avatars that look hopelessly unreal.
Who wants to see an unrecognizable cartoon copy of themselves "living" in Zuck's fantasy world?
Who wants to see an unrecognizable cartoon copy of themselves "living" in Zuck's fantasy world?
After a video from @spectrum.ieee.org showed up in my Facebook feed this morning, featuring some lines from @emilymbender.bsky.social that made me stand and applaud, I went in search of her verified socials so I could give her a follow.
Then I read this, which deserves a prize in its own right:
Then I read this, which deserves a prize in its own right:
November 13, 2025 at 5:29 PM
After a video from @spectrum.ieee.org showed up in my Facebook feed this morning, featuring some lines from @emilymbender.bsky.social that made me stand and applaud, I went in search of her verified socials so I could give her a follow.
Then I read this, which deserves a prize in its own right:
Then I read this, which deserves a prize in its own right:
On John Stuart Mill, aurora photos on social media, and why human thinking will always be a little different than what we can program computers to do:
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/lights-in-...
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/lights-in-...
Lights in the sky
On John Stuart Mill, aurora photos on social media, and why human thinking will always be a little different than what we can program computers to do
issues.eveningpostandmail.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:24 AM
On John Stuart Mill, aurora photos on social media, and why human thinking will always be a little different than what we can program computers to do:
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/lights-in-...
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/lights-in-...
Technically, this is an aurora over Aurora.
Aurora just north of Urbana, IL.
My phone enhanced the colors a bit, but they were very visible to the naked eye.
My phone enhanced the colors a bit, but they were very visible to the naked eye.
November 12, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Technically, this is an aurora over Aurora.
The human capacity for wonder and awe should be treated as the precious gift it is.
Nights like this are the best. All the trouble of the world is momentarily set aside while we're collectively marveling at the pretty lights and nature together. This is how it's supposed to be. Life, I mean. Shared joy and all. 🙂
November 12, 2025 at 3:03 AM
The human capacity for wonder and awe should be treated as the precious gift it is.
He's a Catholic from Chicago. I feel like "Blues Brothers" is on his shadow list.
Pope Leo has shared his four favorite movies of all time, as the Vatican prepares to host dozens of actors and directors in a “World of Cinema” gathering on Saturday at his official residence. See which films made the pope's list. nyti.ms/4p3exK9
Pope Leo Shares His Favorite Movies Ahead of Vatican Event
The list leans heavily on uplifting classics.
nyti.ms
November 11, 2025 at 10:17 PM
He's a Catholic from Chicago. I feel like "Blues Brothers" is on his shadow list.
Software "engineering" isn't really engineering if it doesn't thoroughly and relentlessly account for the possibility of failure.
we should not be letting any company get away with blaming AI for their failures. I'm not even sure how we got to this point. people are like "it's just a tool" okay so is a forklift and we still hold somebody responsible when it goes wrong and hurts someone. this is YOUR AI!
November 11, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Software "engineering" isn't really engineering if it doesn't thoroughly and relentlessly account for the possibility of failure.
As goes Ukraine, so goes the future. The more conclusively it can defend itself (with support from friends and allies), the greater the deterrence to future malevolent actors in the future who would try to invade their neighbors.
3 years ago today, the armed forces of Ukraine liberated Kherson.
Ever since, Russia has done everything in its power to make the city uninhabitable.
From across the river, they relentlessly bombard Kherson with glide bombs, artillery, and drones.
Ever since, Russia has done everything in its power to make the city uninhabitable.
From across the river, they relentlessly bombard Kherson with glide bombs, artillery, and drones.
November 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
As goes Ukraine, so goes the future. The more conclusively it can defend itself (with support from friends and allies), the greater the deterrence to future malevolent actors in the future who would try to invade their neighbors.
Shared with endorsement.
"One of these days, I really want to use my seat cushion as a floatation device", said no one, ever.
"One of these days, I really want to use my seat cushion as a floatation device", said no one, ever.
Personally, I would like to be the guy who loses money paying for health insurance. I’d like to be that guy for a long time.
November 10, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Shared with endorsement.
"One of these days, I really want to use my seat cushion as a floatation device", said no one, ever.
"One of these days, I really want to use my seat cushion as a floatation device", said no one, ever.