Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
ICE is younger than my blog
ICE is younger than my email address
ICE is younger than at least one of my ukuleles
ICE is younger than my email address
ICE is younger than at least one of my ukuleles
I'm just going to point out that ICE is about 23 years old. It was formed as part of the response to 9/11 and was reactionary, performative, and racist from the start.
Its not eternal. This is not a thousand-year Reich.
Its not eternal. This is not a thousand-year Reich.
January 16, 2026 at 3:09 PM
ICE is younger than my blog
ICE is younger than my email address
ICE is younger than at least one of my ukuleles
ICE is younger than my email address
ICE is younger than at least one of my ukuleles
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
There’s a shop in Oxford on Ship Street which, for ages, had a handpainted a-frame board out on the cornmarket directing people to No 1 Sheep Street, which in context was absolutely an ESL error but it made me smile every time because five hundred years ago, that was indeed sheep street
What I also love are the businesses (e.g. Army Street Florists) that flatly refuse to change their names just because the street has been renamed (Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco).
January 16, 2026 at 2:20 PM
There’s a shop in Oxford on Ship Street which, for ages, had a handpainted a-frame board out on the cornmarket directing people to No 1 Sheep Street, which in context was absolutely an ESL error but it made me smile every time because five hundred years ago, that was indeed sheep street
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Worth noting that some corporations work like this already where the CEO will wake up fixated on something and everyone around them needs to look busy while hopefully changing very little so once the attention is gone there's no lasting damage.
"Privately, several executives concede they have little appetite for kowtowing to Trump. But advisers say a pragmatic playbook has emerged: show up, make a promise grand enough to flatter the president, and then do as little as possible until his attention shifts elsewhere."
‘Maga has gone Maoist’: corporate America reels as Trump turns interventionist
President’s freewheeling policy proclamations send shockwaves through companies and financial markets
www.ft.com
January 16, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Worth noting that some corporations work like this already where the CEO will wake up fixated on something and everyone around them needs to look busy while hopefully changing very little so once the attention is gone there's no lasting damage.
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Look at this absolute queen
January 16, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Look at this absolute queen
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Just imagine - you’re a cat, with presumably a house, but you ignore that house and come instead to *my* house, and you walk in like you own the place, and come and go as you please and do whatever you like whenever you like. Just imagine how smug you’d be. Pretty smug? Not as smug as this bastard.
January 16, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Just imagine - you’re a cat, with presumably a house, but you ignore that house and come instead to *my* house, and you walk in like you own the place, and come and go as you please and do whatever you like whenever you like. Just imagine how smug you’d be. Pretty smug? Not as smug as this bastard.
Oh and I also wrote a task manager to manage tasks, because the world needed another one of those. github.com/norm/whatnext
GitHub - norm/whatnext: A lister of tasks found in Markdown files
A lister of tasks found in Markdown files. Contribute to norm/whatnext development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Oh and I also wrote a task manager to manage tasks, because the world needed another one of those. github.com/norm/whatnext
Recently I’ve been using Claude Code to do the shit parts of programming — writing endless tests, refactoring, tedious boilerplate — so I can leave my brain to the good part, the thinking.
So I made a thing to make sure Claude thinks the same way on both of my computers. github.com/norm/claude_...
So I made a thing to make sure Claude thinks the same way on both of my computers. github.com/norm/claude_...
GitHub - norm/claude_settings: Tell Claude Code how to think
Tell Claude Code how to think. Contribute to norm/claude_settings development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:05 PM
Recently I’ve been using Claude Code to do the shit parts of programming — writing endless tests, refactoring, tedious boilerplate — so I can leave my brain to the good part, the thinking.
So I made a thing to make sure Claude thinks the same way on both of my computers. github.com/norm/claude_...
So I made a thing to make sure Claude thinks the same way on both of my computers. github.com/norm/claude_...
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Q: will this help?
A: yes. celebrating the misfortune of bad people is one of the ways society discourages antisocial behavior
Q: is it healthy?
A: also yes. one needs to pretend that the unaccountable can at least be laid low by chance
A: yes. celebrating the misfortune of bad people is one of the ways society discourages antisocial behavior
Q: is it healthy?
A: also yes. one needs to pretend that the unaccountable can at least be laid low by chance
Before publicly celebrating terrible things happening to bad people, maybe don't just ask yourself if such statements are "fair" or if those people "deserve" what's happening to them...
Maybe ask yourself:
"Will this help?" and "Is this healthy?"
And take a moment if the answer to both is "No."
Maybe ask yourself:
"Will this help?" and "Is this healthy?"
And take a moment if the answer to both is "No."
January 14, 2026 at 7:21 AM
Q: will this help?
A: yes. celebrating the misfortune of bad people is one of the ways society discourages antisocial behavior
Q: is it healthy?
A: also yes. one needs to pretend that the unaccountable can at least be laid low by chance
A: yes. celebrating the misfortune of bad people is one of the ways society discourages antisocial behavior
Q: is it healthy?
A: also yes. one needs to pretend that the unaccountable can at least be laid low by chance
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Ultimately, it's best to think of Scott Adams as another creative person who went through the full Linehanisation process.
Not a victim. That process is ALWAYS self inflicted.
But a warning.
That just because you're creatively successful doesn't mean you know more, or are better, than anyone else
Not a victim. That process is ALWAYS self inflicted.
But a warning.
That just because you're creatively successful doesn't mean you know more, or are better, than anyone else
January 14, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Ultimately, it's best to think of Scott Adams as another creative person who went through the full Linehanisation process.
Not a victim. That process is ALWAYS self inflicted.
But a warning.
That just because you're creatively successful doesn't mean you know more, or are better, than anyone else
Not a victim. That process is ALWAYS self inflicted.
But a warning.
That just because you're creatively successful doesn't mean you know more, or are better, than anyone else
I was born in a hospital on the banks of the Thames. I lived for a few childhood years by River Brain in Essex. Then back to London and I’ve been a Thames guy the rest of my life.
I can see it from my house and whenever possible commute to work on the river taxis.
I can see it from my house and whenever possible commute to work on the river taxis.
My favorite Twitter prompt was "RT this with your home river," so reskeet this with your home river.
Mine is the Patuxent.
Mine is the Patuxent.
January 13, 2026 at 6:58 AM
I was born in a hospital on the banks of the Thames. I lived for a few childhood years by River Brain in Essex. Then back to London and I’ve been a Thames guy the rest of my life.
I can see it from my house and whenever possible commute to work on the river taxis.
I can see it from my house and whenever possible commute to work on the river taxis.
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Going through my old notes, this quick list of bullets I jotted down 5 years ago, to explain tech culture to someone outside the industry, really holds up.
January 13, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Going through my old notes, this quick list of bullets I jotted down 5 years ago, to explain tech culture to someone outside the industry, really holds up.
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
My love language is reading the phrase "love language", looking it up, discovering it's some American Christian thing, saying aloud "who am I, Billy Graham?" and watching the movie "Ronin" (1998, Directed by John Frankenhiemer) instead.
January 10, 2026 at 8:53 AM
My love language is reading the phrase "love language", looking it up, discovering it's some American Christian thing, saying aloud "who am I, Billy Graham?" and watching the movie "Ronin" (1998, Directed by John Frankenhiemer) instead.
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Let me be clear - public sentiment about AI *may* be misguided. I believe the public is too scared of some things and nowhere near concerned enough about others. And I’m sure that AI boosters have a rough time here. But the point is that reflects *real societal anxiety* which *should not be avoided*
January 10, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Let me be clear - public sentiment about AI *may* be misguided. I believe the public is too scared of some things and nowhere near concerned enough about others. And I’m sure that AI boosters have a rough time here. But the point is that reflects *real societal anxiety* which *should not be avoided*
One thing I find fascinating about my aphantasia is that I couldn’t tell you anything about the contents of The Unexplained despite that I collected a bunch of them at the time. I can’t recall pictures.
But I saw this image and immediately knew where it was from before reading the text.
But I saw this image and immediately knew where it was from before reading the text.
From THE UNEXPLAINED magazine (1980): Presented without comment, save for the possessed woman giving off serious Madge Allsop vibes.
January 10, 2026 at 4:24 PM
One thing I find fascinating about my aphantasia is that I couldn’t tell you anything about the contents of The Unexplained despite that I collected a bunch of them at the time. I can’t recall pictures.
But I saw this image and immediately knew where it was from before reading the text.
But I saw this image and immediately knew where it was from before reading the text.
I use unique emails for services, so when I get an email about a security incident at BackerKit that doesn’t say which project was compromised I don’t have to wonder. I just check the top of the email —
> To: [email protected]
And now I know.
> To: [email protected]
And now I know.
January 10, 2026 at 10:45 AM
I use unique emails for services, so when I get an email about a security incident at BackerKit that doesn’t say which project was compromised I don’t have to wonder. I just check the top of the email —
> To: [email protected]
And now I know.
> To: [email protected]
And now I know.
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Built a palette extractor that thinks like a curator, not a pixel counter.
– Physics-based color repulsion
– Auto-detects muted vs vibrant bias
– Adaptive spacing to hit target count
– OKLCh color space (perceptually uniform)
Early Access: please break it!
chipper-otter-d6c600.netlify.app
– Physics-based color repulsion
– Auto-detects muted vs vibrant bias
– Adaptive spacing to hit target count
– OKLCh color space (perceptually uniform)
Early Access: please break it!
chipper-otter-d6c600.netlify.app
January 8, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Built a palette extractor that thinks like a curator, not a pixel counter.
– Physics-based color repulsion
– Auto-detects muted vs vibrant bias
– Adaptive spacing to hit target count
– OKLCh color space (perceptually uniform)
Early Access: please break it!
chipper-otter-d6c600.netlify.app
– Physics-based color repulsion
– Auto-detects muted vs vibrant bias
– Adaptive spacing to hit target count
– OKLCh color space (perceptually uniform)
Early Access: please break it!
chipper-otter-d6c600.netlify.app
Elon Musk decides nonces must now pay him for use of his CSAM machine and prepares to make bank until at least one government in the world decides to grow a fucking pair.
Elon Musk’s xAI restricts Grok after outcry over sexualised images ft.trib.al/7yffQnD
Elon Musk’s xAI restricts Grok after outcry over sexualised images
Start-up limits use of image generation system to paid users following spread of deepfakes and child sex abuse material
ft.trib.al
January 9, 2026 at 12:48 PM
Elon Musk decides nonces must now pay him for use of his CSAM machine and prepares to make bank until at least one government in the world decides to grow a fucking pair.
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
One reason I feel like I'm going mad is, even if Musk did immediately halt Grok and issue a grovelling apology - rather than PAYWALLING IT - he should *still* be prosecuted and his website banned. Very obviously! You don't get out of CSAM charges by just stopping. AND HE STILL HASN'T STOPPED.
Now only paying subscribers can make violent non-consenual sexual imagery of women and children -
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery
X to limit editing function to paying subscribers after platform threatened with fines and regulatory action
www.theguardian.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:46 AM
One reason I feel like I'm going mad is, even if Musk did immediately halt Grok and issue a grovelling apology - rather than PAYWALLING IT - he should *still* be prosecuted and his website banned. Very obviously! You don't get out of CSAM charges by just stopping. AND HE STILL HASN'T STOPPED.
Handpick two checklists of what is fascism, ignore many others including those by political experts that absolutely label the man a fascist, to conclude the obviously fascist President is not actually a fascist.
Because hurty name calling is worse that having people executed. Apparently.
Because hurty name calling is worse that having people executed. Apparently.
January 8, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Handpick two checklists of what is fascism, ignore many others including those by political experts that absolutely label the man a fascist, to conclude the obviously fascist President is not actually a fascist.
Because hurty name calling is worse that having people executed. Apparently.
Because hurty name calling is worse that having people executed. Apparently.
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
Reposted by Mark Norman Francis
this is how every outlet should refer to X
January 6, 2026 at 5:11 PM
this is how every outlet should refer to X
Earwormed by a GIF.
Only really cool people can hear this gif
a cartoon character is holding a wand in front of a world map
ALT: a cartoon character is holding a wand in front of a world map
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Earwormed by a GIF.
“disappeared”
The innkeeper's daughter disappeared soon after a company of adventurers passed through.
January 5, 2026 at 2:17 PM
“disappeared”
The egg in question.
January 5, 2026 at 1:23 PM
The egg in question.
Don’t you just hate it when Christmas is barely over and already the Valentine’s Day stuff comes out and … and … *buys his Easter egg*
January 5, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Don’t you just hate it when Christmas is barely over and already the Valentine’s Day stuff comes out and … and … *buys his Easter egg*