David Colarusso
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davidcolarusso.com
David Colarusso
@davidcolarusso.com
2.7K followers 1.2K following 1.6K posts
Co-director @suffolkLITLab.org (Legal Innov. & Tech). Attorney & science educator by training & practice. Data scientist, craftsman, & writer by experience. No mannels.

My bots: @icymilaw.org, @news.bot.suffolklitlab.org & @lolscotus.bsky.social
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davidcolarusso.com
David Colarusso @davidcolarusso.com · Sep 5
One of my favorite things about working at Suffolk is how frequently I get to walk through the Boston Public Garden. Here’s a painting based on a picture I took before class this week.
A finished watercolor and ink illustration depicts a collection of the swan boats in front of a bridge at the Boston Public Garden. The boats are painted green and red, with swan figures at their backs and rows of empty brown seats in front of them. The bridge has stone towers topped with lamps and elegant railings, leading to a staircase on the right side. Behind the bridge, lush trees in shades of green, gold, and purple fill the background under a bright blue sky. The ink outlines add sharp definition to the architectural details, foliage, and reflections in the water. The date “9/5/25” is written in the lower left corner, and a hand holds the sketchbook open against a wooden surface. A photo of the iconic swan boats docked in the Boston Public Garden lagoon. The green boats, each with a large white swan figure at the back and rows of wooden passenger seats, are reflected in the calm water. Behind them stands the elegant pedestrian suspension bridge with stone towers, white railings, and globe-topped lampposts. Lush greenery fills the background, including a large weeping willow and other trees, all under a bright blue, cloudless sky. A watercolor painting in a sketchbook shows a scenic park scene with a set of swan boats in the water. The boats are painted red and white with swan-shaped figures. Behind it stands a bridge with stone towers on either side, surrounded by lush greenery. Trees in shades of green, gold, and purple rise in the background under a bright blue sky, their colors reflected in the rippling water below. The painting is surrounded by the artist’s tools: an open watercolor palette with pans of vibrant colors, a brush, and a mixing tray with green, yellow, and purple washes.
davidcolarusso.com
A painting in four passes: yellow & blue; orange & gray; green; and black.
A watercolor sunset over a lake, with a bright yellow sky on the horizon, deep blue sky above, a few pale clouds, and soft blue water below. Early-stage washes and simple shapes set the foundation. The scene gains contrast: an orange halo surrounds the sun, clouds darken with dramatic shading. Foreground grasses and a dark green tree line are added, giving the landscape depth. The sunset glows through the trees. The final piece features bold shadows, detailed grasses, richly layered trees, glowing sunlight—bringing the whole scene to full, polished completion.
November 30, 2025 at 12:34 AM
davidcolarusso.com
Without citing Kenneth Branagh, name a Shakespeare adaptation.
Movie poster for 10 things I hate about you
November 30, 2025 at 12:26 AM
davidcolarusso.com
... or a war crime. "Even if the U.S. were at war with the traffickers, an order to kill all the boat’s occupants if they were no longer able to fight 'would in essence be an order to show no quarter, which would be a war crime,' said Huntley, now director of the national security law program...."
November 28, 2025 at 7:55 PM
davidcolarusso.com
Working on a 7yo-proof definition of a clean room.

A room is clean when: the closet can close; the floor is walkable (i.e., nothing on the floor that isn't furniture, a rug, or a container);¹ laundry is in the hamper; & it is free of food & all other "growth media."²

¹ no fire hazard
² no ☣️
November 28, 2025 at 7:21 PM
davidcolarusso.com
This piece from @thefordon.bsky.social captures something I've been struggling to name for some time. Many "coders" I know make these kind of "single-serve" apps all the time. I make one every couple of months, and they're incredibly useful. The trick, here, I suspect, will be checking for bugs. ;)
Thanksgiving Vibe-Coding and the Case for “Single-Serving” Legal Software - AI Law Librarians
Way back in 2023, I thought it was amazing how I could use generative AI to streamline my Thanksgiving prep: I gave it my recipes, and it gave me a schedule. It was a static list—a text document that ...
www.ailawlibrarians.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by David Colarusso
timharford.ft.com
How to get things done in a world where our devices work for Big Tech, not for us: timharford.com/2025/11/our-...
Our devices work for Big Tech, not for us
Given how many things there are to rage-tweet about these days, it was almost a pleasure to stumble upon the hate for the Analog™ to-do list system, available from a Philadelphia-based design studi…
timharford.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:31 PM
davidcolarusso.com
This list gets generated each week from a random selection of accounts with content I’ve liked. This week it produced a pretty solid list.
November 28, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by David Colarusso
waldo.net
There was a kind of a delight in being in tech after the 2000–1 crash, because it was back to us true believers. LLM-based AI has been coupled with the AI bubble. Once that bubble pops, I think we'll see the advancement of on-device, ethically-sourced LLMs, and I think they'll be fun.
November 25, 2025 at 4:42 PM
davidcolarusso.com
Best pull-quote from @ftrain.bsky.social's piece, "Part of it is the craven authoritarianism. It dampens the mood." That being said, I think this pairs well with @anildash.com's www.anildash.com/2025/10/17/t... So I'm coupling them here in my feed.
November 25, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Reposted by David Colarusso
lawfaremedia.org
Congressional Republicans are hoping to insert an AI preemption provision into the must-pass NDAA. While the specific language is not yet public, Charlie Bullock explains why a sweeping ban on state-wide regulation on this emerging technology could be a recipe for disaster.
AI Federalism: The Right Way to Do Preemption
The allocation of regulatory authority over AI between states and the federal government is a complex problem that can’t be resolved in a single stroke.
www.lawfaremedia.org
November 24, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by David Colarusso
danhon.com
One brilliant thing about Twitter was that for a lot of us, it made networking not networking.

You posted about what you were passionate about it, and it had more of a chance to get in front of someone relevant. It wasn't networking, it was caring about something in public.
hazelmonforton.com dr. hazel 🐇 @hazelmonforton.com · 6d
I made friends with game developers. I did my own work. And it happened. That’s all there is.
November 23, 2025 at 4:07 PM
davidcolarusso.com
The maxim that a good ending should feel both surprising and inevitable is really just a claim that Art should reveal something True.
November 23, 2025 at 9:43 PM
davidcolarusso.com
Not a sunrise or sunset! This is today’s mid-morning walk just as the clouds rolled in.
A tranquil late-autumn landscape showing a partially dried lake under a dramatic, cloud-filled sky. In the foreground, a shallow stream trickles over rocks and fallen brown leaves, creating small ripples as it flows toward the lake. The exposed lakebed is a mix of dark mud, scattered leaves, and patches of green moss or algae. Bare tree branches arch across the top of the image, framing the scene, with a few lingering leaves clinging to the limbs on the left. The sky is textured with dense, rippling clouds that transition from gray to soft yellow near the horizon. Distant tree lines encircle the far edge of the lake, their silhouettes muted in the cool light.
November 23, 2025 at 3:47 PM
davidcolarusso.com
I would like to double down on this idea from today’s Globe. Everyone should consider reading poetry at more meals. We keep two poetry books at the table and read from them during dinner. Few things are better for the soul than a 7yo asking for a poem.
A person is holding open a section of the Boston Sunday Globe from November 23, 2025, specifically the Ideas section. The featured article is titled “My favorite Thanksgiving recipe: Reading poems” by Daryln Brewer Hoffstot. At the top of the page is a large, playful illustration of a turkey standing among falling autumn leaves and a pumpkin, holding a sheet of paper with wavy lines to suggest poetry or song. The turkey has warm brown feathers with orange accents and an expressive, cheerful posture. The hand holding the newspaper rests near a breakfast or brunch table: part of a plate with scrambled eggs is visible in the background, along with condiments and a glimpse of a colorful cartoon section to the left. The overall scene feels cozy and domestic, as someone enjoys reading a thoughtful holiday-themed essay over a meal. Two books are displayed upright on a Jeffersonian bookstand with a wooden surface. The left book is *A Poem for Every Night of the Year* edited by Allie Esiri. Its dark blue cover features gold text surrounded by intricate, colorful illustrations of plants, animals, a moon, a sun, and stars. The right book is *Every Thing On It* by Shel Silverstein, with a white cover, black text, and a whimsical line drawing of a child holding an oversized, teetering stack of random objects, including umbrellas, instruments, and flags.
November 23, 2025 at 1:56 PM
davidcolarusso.com
If you want to stay up past your bedtime and one of your parents used to teach physics, just ask them to explain why a perpetual motion machine is impossible.
November 23, 2025 at 2:18 AM
davidcolarusso.com
We decided to do something spontaneously today as a family, and the 11yo exclaimed, “I love making plans randomly!” I really liked that framing.
November 22, 2025 at 10:21 PM
davidcolarusso.com
I was really bummed out when the NYTimes put their mini behind a paywall. So, I'm making my own. You can find the first of my Monday Minis over at The Finite Scroll.

thefinitescroll.org?crossword=20...

Need a hint? Ask @suffolklitlab.org 😉
A screenshot of a digital crossword puzzle mini. A few shaded squares in the grid mark the start of the first Across. The clue for **1A** is shown at the top left and reads “🔥🔥🔥🔥 (slang),” with the first square shaded darker to indicate the starting point. On the right side, the Across and Down clue lists are visible. **Across clues**: 1) “🔥🔥🔥🔥 (slang),” 3) “Experiments’ home,” 5) “Scholarly domain,” 6) “To shape under heat and pressure,” and 8) “Coherent monochromatic light.” **Down clues**: 2) “Online summaries,” 4) “Daughter of Aleus,” 5) “Entry of Appearance,” 6) “27th State,” and 7) “Ambulance destination.” A timer runs at the top, and menu options such as Clues, Reveal, Check, and More appear in the header.
November 17, 2025 at 1:32 PM
davidcolarusso.com
Today’s walk: What a difference two weeks makes—very different vibes, much colder, beautiful clouds, and a biting wind.
A bright autumn landscape featuring a wide, reflective lake under a vivid blue sky filled with large, sun-lit clouds. The sun shines near the top center of the image, creating a soft lens flare and casting shimmering highlights across the water’s surface. In the foreground, dry golden grasses and reeds frame the lower edge of the scene, with a few bare branches reaching inward from the sides. Along the far shoreline, a line of trees in late-fall colors—brown, gold, and muted green—stretches across the horizon. The overall mood is crisp and serene, capturing the quiet beauty of a cool, sunny day by the water.
November 17, 2025 at 1:21 AM
davidcolarusso.com
I enjoyed this @naomialderman.bsky.social piece. I was nodding along particularly hard around rule 9 as I found it via thefinitescroll.org, an open-source RSS reader which makes it easy for me to see & hide the content I want while letting me limit my use. I mean, it's called The Finite Scroll. 👍
Don’t argue with strangers… and 11 more rules to survive the information crisis
Feeling overwhelmed by divisive opinions, endless rows and unreliable facts? Here’s how to weather the data storm
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:31 AM
davidcolarusso.com
If you read through to the end, you'll discover this call to come work with them. "If you’re a brilliant, highly-ambitious and low ego individual, you’ll fit right in..." What word choice. I would love to hear the story behind it. Proper pride = yes, hubris = no.
Towards Humanist Superintelligence  | Microsoft AI
microsoft.ai
November 16, 2025 at 4:35 PM
davidcolarusso.com
This piece is full of amazing quotes like this one describing "AI" agents' running through their $30 budget, "They’d basically talked themselves to death."
All of My Employees Are AI Agents, and So Are My Executives
Sam Altman says the one-person billion-dollar company is coming. Maybe I could be that person—if only I could get my colleagues to shut up and stop lying.
www.wired.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Reposted by David Colarusso
juliegoldberg.bsky.social
It's the first snow of the year, but none of the students are rushing over to the window! (I worked in high school libraries for 20+ years. This is my first year as a university librarian. I note some differences!)
November 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM
davidcolarusso.com
I have discovered a new level of The Sundays, one in which all the adults in the house have to go to work on Monday, but the kids have a four-day weekend.
November 10, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Reposted by David Colarusso
adapalmer.bsky.social
This is a great idea!
November 7, 2025 at 1:10 AM
davidcolarusso.com
ADMIN: We’d love to keep feeding folks if only it were legal.

JUDGES 1 & 2: It’s legal!

ADMIN: Sorry, not sure I believe you.

JUDGE: NOT feeding them is illegal! Feed them now!!

ADMIN: Let me talk to your supervisor.

APPEALS: Feed them.

ADMIN: I only really listen to one court. SCOTUS?
November 8, 2025 at 2:05 AM