Ilan Muskat
@calculon.bsky.social
"And then it was now; and then I don't know what happened." It's pronounced *sigh* like it looks. Maybe tomorrow. (He/him)
Pinned
Ilan Muskat
@calculon.bsky.social
· Aug 28
Then what you do, is gather up all the feathers and stuff the pillow again
Pretty straightforward logic.
No one before Sam successfully raised a child, which is why the human species went extinct in Mesopotamia. Seriously, the best way to read this is that countless billions of humans did just fine but Sam is not as competent and self-reliant as them, and that's what AI wants us to be: dependent.
Jimmy Fallon: "And do you use ChatGPT when raising your baby?"
Sam Altman: "I cannot imagine figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT."
Sam Altman: "I cannot imagine figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT."
December 10, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Pretty straightforward logic.
This is the manufacture of psychosis on an industrial scale.
I'm frustrated that we've allowed gAI to be seen as doing research or writing knowledge, when what it was designed to do was write text that *looks* right. This is super cool technology, and can be useful in specific situations, but what it is *being* used for, and advertised for is not a good use.
Folks might not know a lot of people are getting *very* upset that the materials they request are not available in the libraries/archives they're requesting from.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
December 10, 2025 at 12:45 AM
This is the manufacture of psychosis on an industrial scale.
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
I mashup lines from #futurama with pics from #gundam every day until I don't part 291.
#unicorn #fullfrontal
#unicorn #fullfrontal
December 2, 2025 at 1:18 PM
I mashup lines from #futurama with pics from #gundam every day until I don't part 291.
#unicorn #fullfrontal
#unicorn #fullfrontal
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
it intensely angers me every time I open a book PDF in Acrobat and the software reminds me that I’m reading a Long Document and gee, wouldn’t I prefer a summary instead
I am not a first grade child who requires the easy-reader version of big kid books, demon machine
I am not a first grade child who requires the easy-reader version of big kid books, demon machine
Tech bros shocked that normal human beings enjoy thinking
December 8, 2025 at 11:13 PM
it intensely angers me every time I open a book PDF in Acrobat and the software reminds me that I’m reading a Long Document and gee, wouldn’t I prefer a summary instead
I am not a first grade child who requires the easy-reader version of big kid books, demon machine
I am not a first grade child who requires the easy-reader version of big kid books, demon machine
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
A brand new perfect holiday gift has arrived: the Homestar/TMBG collabo shirt at TMBGshop. It's dot com!
December 7, 2025 at 8:45 PM
A brand new perfect holiday gift has arrived: the Homestar/TMBG collabo shirt at TMBGshop. It's dot com!
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
Thread.
You don't need them.
The correct analysis of the value proposition right now is to walk away. It is 2025. There are a thousand ways to discover media, old and new alike, that don't involve paying digital rent to terrible landlords.
The correct analysis of the value proposition right now is to walk away. It is 2025. There are a thousand ways to discover media, old and new alike, that don't involve paying digital rent to terrible landlords.
This is buying everything now.
December 9, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Thread.
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
This state of weirdness is why, a year ago, I had to decide between hiring a fact-checker & a publicist. I chose the fact-checker and have no regrets, because an accurate (or close to it) book is forever; a publicist can only work with whatever the present media landscape happens to be at the time.
December 9, 2025 at 2:31 AM
This state of weirdness is why, a year ago, I had to decide between hiring a fact-checker & a publicist. I chose the fact-checker and have no regrets, because an accurate (or close to it) book is forever; a publicist can only work with whatever the present media landscape happens to be at the time.
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
As 2025 comes to a close, almost everyone I talk to is in agreement that the book business is really weird rn
December 9, 2025 at 2:27 AM
As 2025 comes to a close, almost everyone I talk to is in agreement that the book business is really weird rn
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar
December 8, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
one of the sorcerers Eric Adams went to was the real deal
New York City went 12 days without a murder in November / December. That's tied for the longest stretch in history, according to the NYPD. As someone who was here when there were 6+ murders per day in this town, it continues to amaze me how safe the place is.
December 8, 2025 at 7:49 PM
one of the sorcerers Eric Adams went to was the real deal
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
as I've remarked before, cyberpunk isn't 'I glitch into the webframe and draw my katana', it's 'the life of a man working for a criminal syndicate in Myanmar who spends his days pretending to be different women online to steal from the elderly'
People are dying over who gets to steal from a dude in Iowa who thinks the model who "accidentally" texted him has fallen in love with him.
the Thai-Cambodian conflict is at least partially about control of the scam/gambling/prostitution compounds along the border.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/12/t...
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/12/t...
December 8, 2025 at 7:00 PM
as I've remarked before, cyberpunk isn't 'I glitch into the webframe and draw my katana', it's 'the life of a man working for a criminal syndicate in Myanmar who spends his days pretending to be different women online to steal from the elderly'
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
This did 2D6 Psychic damage to me, wtf
In case you were wondering what it’s like to boot a free to play mobile game in 2025
December 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM
This did 2D6 Psychic damage to me, wtf
Inevitably, I'll make a joke about Cassandra and you'll hate it
I tried to make a joke about Ulysses but I just couldn't bring it home
I'd make a joke about Iphegenia, but I'm afraid it'd blow.
December 8, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Inevitably, I'll make a joke about Cassandra and you'll hate it
I tried to make a joke about Ulysses but I just couldn't bring it home
I'd make a joke about Iphegenia, but I'm afraid it'd blow.
I had a joke about Jacob/Yisrael, but I really wrestled with posting it
December 8, 2025 at 2:34 AM
I tried to make a joke about Ulysses but I just couldn't bring it home
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
I wasn't thrilled when BIll agreed to this debate, but it did provide us with this absolute banger of an exchange showing the difference between science and firewalled faith in nonsense.
A few years ago, Bill Nye the science guy debated creationist Ken Ham about evolution. The last question was "what would change your mind?"
Bill Nye said "Evidence."
Ken Ham said "Nothing can possibly change my mind about this."
I think about that a lot.
Bill Nye said "Evidence."
Ken Ham said "Nothing can possibly change my mind about this."
I think about that a lot.
December 5, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I wasn't thrilled when BIll agreed to this debate, but it did provide us with this absolute banger of an exchange showing the difference between science and firewalled faith in nonsense.
Don't blame it on Gnocchi
December 5, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Don't blame it on Gnocchi
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
The greatest.
the only Christmas movie to know me by
December 4, 2025 at 2:07 PM
The greatest.
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
I watched the Sesame Street short and I don’t care if I was being pandered to, Beignet Blanc is great
December 4, 2025 at 2:37 AM
I watched the Sesame Street short and I don’t care if I was being pandered to, Beignet Blanc is great
Blue skies a little grayer today
I was gonna do a FUN HOLIDAY SEASON NAME but I got verified somewhere in the interregnum between Hallowe'en and Christmas and OH NO:
December 2, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Blue skies a little grayer today
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
i will say this, if you hit play on an episode of mad men it is VERY hard to stop watching mad men
December 2, 2025 at 2:45 PM
i will say this, if you hit play on an episode of mad men it is VERY hard to stop watching mad men
Well that's Chanukah sorted
did you know that today you can go to a store and buy this cool book that people are enjoying well it’s true! happy publication date to the only book I’ll ever write that can fairly be called “fun” without further qualifications
Arrived today from @themountaingoats.bsky.social in plenty of time for NEXT year. Pleased.
December 2, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Well that's Chanukah sorted
Some people can't wait for everything to be run by Friend Computer huh
December 2, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Some people can't wait for everything to be run by Friend Computer huh
Reposted by Ilan Muskat
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Is today Giving Tuesday
December 2, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Is today Giving Tuesday