N.N. Scott
@nnscott.com
"A chimera bombinating in a vacuum is, nowadays, only too capable of producing secondary causes." -- Rudyard Kipling, 1905
Wondering if, after he's gone, GOP national conventions will keep on, for hundreds of years, ritualistically nominating him on the first ballot before doing the real vote.
January 23, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Wondering if, after he's gone, GOP national conventions will keep on, for hundreds of years, ritualistically nominating him on the first ballot before doing the real vote.
The USA prestige media is going to be: "The President Delivered Remarks about Economic Issues, and Other Matters" until the day he dies. After which they will soon stop mentioning him at all.
Trump's Davos speech was the act of a madman and that is the only sensible manner in which it should have been covered iandunt.substack.com/p/breaking-t...
January 23, 2026 at 12:54 PM
The USA prestige media is going to be: "The President Delivered Remarks about Economic Issues, and Other Matters" until the day he dies. After which they will soon stop mentioning him at all.
Something I just saw in my feed hints at the terrifying prospect that "Bluesky bidet discourse" is going to start up again. Oh lord no, please stop the pain
January 22, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Something I just saw in my feed hints at the terrifying prospect that "Bluesky bidet discourse" is going to start up again. Oh lord no, please stop the pain
At some point I determined to my satisfaction that the USA had nine major handed-to-us no-fault opportunities to get rid of this guy, and every single time the people with power and agency either decided to favor him, or lost their way in overthinking, frightened befuddlement.
I will never get over the fact that the Republican Party chose as its standard-bearer, and this country elected as its President, quite possibly the worst human being on the planet.
Trump: "ICE is gonna be too rough with somebody. They're gonna make a mistake sometimes. I felt horribly when I was told the young woman had the tragedy. But when I learned her father is - I hope he still is, but I don't know - was a tremendous Trump fan. It's terrible. It's so sad. It just happens"
January 20, 2026 at 7:59 PM
At some point I determined to my satisfaction that the USA had nine major handed-to-us no-fault opportunities to get rid of this guy, and every single time the people with power and agency either decided to favor him, or lost their way in overthinking, frightened befuddlement.
Today in excavations at the office: found telephone directories for Chicago and North Shore communities for the year 2000.
January 20, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Today in excavations at the office: found telephone directories for Chicago and North Shore communities for the year 2000.
Reposted by N.N. Scott
lots of Dems are leading on precisely these issues, but you're rage-farming by picking out the laggards. find people doing the stuff you want done and champion them--not as many clicks, but a lot more possibilities
January 15, 2026 at 7:36 PM
lots of Dems are leading on precisely these issues, but you're rage-farming by picking out the laggards. find people doing the stuff you want done and champion them--not as many clicks, but a lot more possibilities
I wonder to what extent these deployment choices are driven by which states have governors who are talked of as potential 2028 presidential candidates? The big pushes in Illinois and California have been reduced (though apparently not gone) and I haven't heard much recently about the South.
Maine. ICE is taking its murderous shitshow to MAINE.
There is no way this ends well for them.
There is no way this ends well for them.
January 15, 2026 at 2:43 PM
I wonder to what extent these deployment choices are driven by which states have governors who are talked of as potential 2028 presidential candidates? The big pushes in Illinois and California have been reduced (though apparently not gone) and I haven't heard much recently about the South.
I suppose he could have been drawn into the illiberal white-nationalist right at any time -- as people in the USA have been for centuries. But I can't shake the feeling that for a lot of people like him, Trump with the first taste of distilled spirits to someone genetically prone to alcoholism.
I used to follow his blog in Google Reader. I remember starting to give some of his posts the side-eye right around when it shut down. Looking it up says that was in 2013.
Hard to know how it happened, sadly
Hard to know how it happened, sadly
January 13, 2026 at 7:14 PM
I suppose he could have been drawn into the illiberal white-nationalist right at any time -- as people in the USA have been for centuries. But I can't shake the feeling that for a lot of people like him, Trump with the first taste of distilled spirits to someone genetically prone to alcoholism.
Basically treating @whstancil.bsky.social as a primary news source now
If any MN politicians want to see what’s really happening, they’re welcome to come ride along on my ICE patrol. They can watch 20 armed goons jump out of a racing convoy and abduct a random pedestrian, tear-gassing a half-dozen onlookers in the process, and then tell me how we need this agency
January 12, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Basically treating @whstancil.bsky.social as a primary news source now
"I feel so anxious about you that I cannot rest until I have written to you and given you some advice... I would not spend much strength upon those little school boys -- you will need it all for something better and braver, when you get away."
-- Emily Dickinson, in a letter to her brother, 1851
-- Emily Dickinson, in a letter to her brother, 1851
January 12, 2026 at 1:16 PM
"I feel so anxious about you that I cannot rest until I have written to you and given you some advice... I would not spend much strength upon those little school boys -- you will need it all for something better and braver, when you get away."
-- Emily Dickinson, in a letter to her brother, 1851
-- Emily Dickinson, in a letter to her brother, 1851
"O Beloved, death comes for a man as he sits thinking: "This was not done," or "This was done," or "This still needs to be done. Undertake tomorrow's work today and tonight's work this morning. Death has no respect for any deed, whether it is accomplished or not."
- the Kularnava Tantra
- the Kularnava Tantra
January 12, 2026 at 12:13 AM
"O Beloved, death comes for a man as he sits thinking: "This was not done," or "This was done," or "This still needs to be done. Undertake tomorrow's work today and tonight's work this morning. Death has no respect for any deed, whether it is accomplished or not."
- the Kularnava Tantra
- the Kularnava Tantra
"And you will often save yourself much discouragement by remembering what I have so often asserted,--that if anything goes wrong, it is nearly sure to be refinement that is wanting, not force; and connection, not alteration."
-- John Ruskin, The Elements of Drawing I:39 (1857)
-- John Ruskin, The Elements of Drawing I:39 (1857)
January 10, 2026 at 5:40 AM
"And you will often save yourself much discouragement by remembering what I have so often asserted,--that if anything goes wrong, it is nearly sure to be refinement that is wanting, not force; and connection, not alteration."
-- John Ruskin, The Elements of Drawing I:39 (1857)
-- John Ruskin, The Elements of Drawing I:39 (1857)
Many years ago I knew a man who had a high IQ & severe nonverbal learning disorder, could talk pleasantly about anything but never keep himself fed or housed. He bounced from friend to friend, making new friends, racking up debts and moving on...
January 9, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Many years ago I knew a man who had a high IQ & severe nonverbal learning disorder, could talk pleasantly about anything but never keep himself fed or housed. He bounced from friend to friend, making new friends, racking up debts and moving on...
When you're looking up the release date of a movie thinking
"This has been out for a while, maybe 2015?" and discover it was released in 2002 and softly say the F word, drawing out the vowel.
"This has been out for a while, maybe 2015?" and discover it was released in 2002 and softly say the F word, drawing out the vowel.
January 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM
When you're looking up the release date of a movie thinking
"This has been out for a while, maybe 2015?" and discover it was released in 2002 and softly say the F word, drawing out the vowel.
"This has been out for a while, maybe 2015?" and discover it was released in 2002 and softly say the F word, drawing out the vowel.
We should quit blaming politicians simply for being measured in their speech. It's the job of politicians to make things better by calming discord & facilitating compromise. We ought to criticize them for what they do, not for their tone. There is no evidence that screaming online solves problems.
January 8, 2026 at 7:05 PM
We should quit blaming politicians simply for being measured in their speech. It's the job of politicians to make things better by calming discord & facilitating compromise. We ought to criticize them for what they do, not for their tone. There is no evidence that screaming online solves problems.
Unless Amtrak has upgraded the seats and the food since the last time I rode, the answer to the headline question is regrettably, "No"
One reason I'd be better at being rich than 99% of actually existing rich people is that I'd eschew private jets but I'd be riding luxury trains constantly www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/t...
Are Trains Now the Most Luxurious Way to Travel?
www.nytimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Unless Amtrak has upgraded the seats and the food since the last time I rode, the answer to the headline question is regrettably, "No"
This drawing of Moomintroll and Little My celebrating the brief return of the sun after midwinter, by Tove Jansson, has lived in my mind since I first saw it as a child.
January 8, 2026 at 1:50 PM
This drawing of Moomintroll and Little My celebrating the brief return of the sun after midwinter, by Tove Jansson, has lived in my mind since I first saw it as a child.
Woke up this morning thinking "Dante's Divine Comedy is not only self-insert fan fiction of the Bible, it's also an absolute cornucopia of revenge porn"
January 7, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Woke up this morning thinking "Dante's Divine Comedy is not only self-insert fan fiction of the Bible, it's also an absolute cornucopia of revenge porn"
As small and puny as it is often claimed to be, Bluesky generates so many links to resources of interest to me that my backlog of bookmarked posts "to get back to when I have time" is frighteningly long. I can't imagine dealing with a higher-traffic micro-blog site.
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 6, 2026 at 6:41 PM
As small and puny as it is often claimed to be, Bluesky generates so many links to resources of interest to me that my backlog of bookmarked posts "to get back to when I have time" is frighteningly long. I can't imagine dealing with a higher-traffic micro-blog site.
Is this horror still going on? It fell off my feed. So sad that I feel I can no longer recommend Bluesky as an alternative to X, when I know that over one weekend two prominent posters were hounded off of here by hordes of idiots making death threats. Over nothing! Nothing!
Trying to figure out if I can mute the entirety of the “mod that gave a cartoon dog tits” discourse
Just expunge the entire concept
Just expunge the entire concept
January 6, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Is this horror still going on? It fell off my feed. So sad that I feel I can no longer recommend Bluesky as an alternative to X, when I know that over one weekend two prominent posters were hounded off of here by hordes of idiots making death threats. Over nothing! Nothing!
Americans' regular use of the phrase "I could care less" to mean "I couldn't care less" may not be the most intolerably confusing thing we do, but it's gotta be up there.
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 6, 2026 at 5:37 AM
Americans' regular use of the phrase "I could care less" to mean "I couldn't care less" may not be the most intolerably confusing thing we do, but it's gotta be up there.
Why yes, that would be me cleaning the bathroom at 6:15 on Monday morning., doing the "make self better in the new year" thing. Wonder how long that will last. Well, at least I got a clean bathroom out of it.
January 5, 2026 at 1:31 PM
Why yes, that would be me cleaning the bathroom at 6:15 on Monday morning., doing the "make self better in the new year" thing. Wonder how long that will last. Well, at least I got a clean bathroom out of it.
I think that in time it will be recognized that the major failing was: the need for return on investment extremely incentivized the builders to design LLMs to *pretend* to be sapient: to chat, flirt, encourage, etc. That did not need to be done, and it's the source of all this pernicious evil.
right, like someone else replied to the apology asking it to do a non-apology and it did that too! there is not a little guy in there who's sorry! llms do not work that way!
Also it only "apologized" because a user told it to
January 5, 2026 at 3:26 AM
I think that in time it will be recognized that the major failing was: the need for return on investment extremely incentivized the builders to design LLMs to *pretend* to be sapient: to chat, flirt, encourage, etc. That did not need to be done, and it's the source of all this pernicious evil.
Once when I worked at a tech company, they gave us all well-made black knit shirts w the company logo on the pocket. Total disaster. The next year they gave us identical shirts, except they were the mottled ash gray color, with a few dull colors mixed in, of office floor carpet tiles. Huge success.
I've got a nice pair of black casual pants that would be amazing except that the fabric can trap an entire house's worth of cat hair.
January 4, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Once when I worked at a tech company, they gave us all well-made black knit shirts w the company logo on the pocket. Total disaster. The next year they gave us identical shirts, except they were the mottled ash gray color, with a few dull colors mixed in, of office floor carpet tiles. Huge success.