Simon St.Laurent
@simonstl.com
"Enraged hermit" aspiring to chaotic good. Tech, gardening, politics, Quakerism, Green, and more. Cis, he/his. Also @[email protected]
Pinned
Simon St.Laurent
@simonstl.com
· Nov 18
When times are bad, help people.
When times are good, help people.
When times are good, help people.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
"The deliberate killing of survivors at sea represents one of the most clearly defined war crimes in international humanitarian law."
www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops...
#hegseth
www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops...
#hegseth
Orders to Kill Survivors at Sea
www.globalsecurity.org
November 30, 2025 at 8:35 PM
"The deliberate killing of survivors at sea represents one of the most clearly defined war crimes in international humanitarian law."
www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops...
#hegseth
www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops...
#hegseth
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
The right wing male loneliness crisis is such a mystery when they're such nice guys.
November 30, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The right wing male loneliness crisis is such a mystery when they're such nice guys.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
There’s also an element of elitism to centrist ideology:
Govt shouldn’t help people *too much* bc reasons.
But history shows big govt programs/direct relief are *incredibly* popular. Almost like there’s an ulterior motive here—like centrism is an excuse to serve capital.
Who’da thought?
Govt shouldn’t help people *too much* bc reasons.
But history shows big govt programs/direct relief are *incredibly* popular. Almost like there’s an ulterior motive here—like centrism is an excuse to serve capital.
Who’da thought?
November 30, 2025 at 6:45 PM
There’s also an element of elitism to centrist ideology:
Govt shouldn’t help people *too much* bc reasons.
But history shows big govt programs/direct relief are *incredibly* popular. Almost like there’s an ulterior motive here—like centrism is an excuse to serve capital.
Who’da thought?
Govt shouldn’t help people *too much* bc reasons.
But history shows big govt programs/direct relief are *incredibly* popular. Almost like there’s an ulterior motive here—like centrism is an excuse to serve capital.
Who’da thought?
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
There is no “centrist” solution to MAGA.
November 30, 2025 at 6:33 PM
There is no “centrist” solution to MAGA.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
WHAT
now is the time of morbid symptoms?
the morbs!
zizek strikes again
now is the time of morbid symptoms?
the morbs!
zizek strikes again
I was trying to track down the source of Gramsci's "time of monsters" quote and found that it's a "mistranslation" (ie he just made it up) by Slavoj Zizek. Gramsci's line clearly translates as "morbid symptoms" instead. Mad that you can just rewrite a famous quote and get it widely accepted.
November 30, 2025 at 6:51 PM
WHAT
now is the time of morbid symptoms?
the morbs!
zizek strikes again
now is the time of morbid symptoms?
the morbs!
zizek strikes again
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Strong floor. No ceiling. Rain wet. Me sneeze. What bronchitis mean? Oh no. Me dead.
November 30, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Strong floor. No ceiling. Rain wet. Me sneeze. What bronchitis mean? Oh no. Me dead.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
late to see this but gratified nonetheless
November 30, 2025 at 7:06 PM
late to see this but gratified nonetheless
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
The president is a political cartoon of corruption come to life, a gaudy grifter who is selling off pardons and lining his pockets, building a golden ballroom and protecting his fellow sex predator elites, all the while regular Americans are suffering and struggling to make ends meet.
Run on *that*
Run on *that*
November 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
The president is a political cartoon of corruption come to life, a gaudy grifter who is selling off pardons and lining his pockets, building a golden ballroom and protecting his fellow sex predator elites, all the while regular Americans are suffering and struggling to make ends meet.
Run on *that*
Run on *that*
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Remember when it was imperative that we take Haidt seriously?
November 30, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Remember when it was imperative that we take Haidt seriously?
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Unfortunately, in US journalism it is considered neutral to spread a lie, but it is considered "biased" to call out a lie. So, there is a structural asymmetry that rewards colorful lies with virality.
November 30, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Unfortunately, in US journalism it is considered neutral to spread a lie, but it is considered "biased" to call out a lie. So, there is a structural asymmetry that rewards colorful lies with virality.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
This is a huge part of why so many people think we're in the middle of a widespread "anti-woke backlash": Small movements opposed to social progress are collected into trend stories by conservative media. Far larger movements that want more diversity are ignored or cast as threats.
"Woke is ruining D&D". Meanwhile Dimension 20, one of the wokest real play shows around, just sold out Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl for live shows and brings armies of new players to RPGs.
November 30, 2025 at 3:38 PM
This is a huge part of why so many people think we're in the middle of a widespread "anti-woke backlash": Small movements opposed to social progress are collected into trend stories by conservative media. Far larger movements that want more diversity are ignored or cast as threats.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
[visibly sawing off my own arm with a bread knife] this is the healthiest I’ve ever been, by the way. and last week? when you thought I was *super* healthy just because I was walking around with two fully-functioning arms? yeah, I actually had earache. makes you think.
November 30, 2025 at 7:19 PM
[visibly sawing off my own arm with a bread knife] this is the healthiest I’ve ever been, by the way. and last week? when you thought I was *super* healthy just because I was walking around with two fully-functioning arms? yeah, I actually had earache. makes you think.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
To a non-trivial number anti-anti-Trump pundits, Trump's chaotic response to COVID-19 was preferable to the liberals telling them that the response to a pandemic would require some rules and sacrifices
November 30, 2025 at 7:10 PM
To a non-trivial number anti-anti-Trump pundits, Trump's chaotic response to COVID-19 was preferable to the liberals telling them that the response to a pandemic would require some rules and sacrifices
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
"No ceiling" results in what we have: a couple dozen psychopaths control several trillion dollars and the power has made them go stark raving mad. They are obsessed with using their concentrated wealth to punish the population and remake the country into a failed state and international pariah.
No value, no villain, no vision. Sounds like the tagline for the earnings call of a collapsing appliance retailer
November 30, 2025 at 6:30 PM
"No ceiling" results in what we have: a couple dozen psychopaths control several trillion dollars and the power has made them go stark raving mad. They are obsessed with using their concentrated wealth to punish the population and remake the country into a failed state and international pariah.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Just hear me out: maybe the Democratic Party’s problem is that the party leadership is full of people incapable of realizing that Matt Yglesias has terrible political instincts.
November 30, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Just hear me out: maybe the Democratic Party’s problem is that the party leadership is full of people incapable of realizing that Matt Yglesias has terrible political instincts.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Make America Great Again huh?.....
November 30, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Make America Great Again huh?.....
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Agree with nearly everything here. Cross-ideological solutions rock.
Soon small businesses won’t have to wait for Small Business Saturday to get attention from their Mayor.
Some changes that they can look forward to:
Some changes that they can look forward to:
November 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Agree with nearly everything here. Cross-ideological solutions rock.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
just a reminder that *lots* of countries have universities, and (to my knowledge) none of them but the U.S. treat their universities as largely minor league sports franchises
LSU is paying its previous football coach over $50 million NOT to coach there while likely guaranteeing Kiffin something approaching double that, all while having an academic hiring freeze and budget cuts across the board. What is the purpose of a university (rhetorical)?
SOURCES: Lane Kiffin is expected to accept LSU's offer to become the Tigers next head coach. Kiffin is set to meet with his Ole Miss team this morning at 9 AM CT. As we reported yesterday morning, LSU has been very confident it was going to land Kiffin. www.nytimes.com/athletic/684...
November 30, 2025 at 5:24 PM
just a reminder that *lots* of countries have universities, and (to my knowledge) none of them but the U.S. treat their universities as largely minor league sports franchises
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
i think it's useful to look at areas where the *tech* has gotten much better while tech *interactions* have gotten way worse. streaming has gotten worse, google search has gotten worse, digital cameras are leaps better. apple's silicone is so good it's threatening their user upgrade cycle
it’s so weird to look around and realize like, tech and media are materially worse than a decade ago
November 30, 2025 at 12:14 PM
i think it's useful to look at areas where the *tech* has gotten much better while tech *interactions* have gotten way worse. streaming has gotten worse, google search has gotten worse, digital cameras are leaps better. apple's silicone is so good it's threatening their user upgrade cycle
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
This is a legitimate scientific revolution in meteorology.
Also, to be clear, these models are not the AI LLMs that most people are familiar with. They are machine learning algorithms trained on observations (actually reanalysis).
Also, to be clear, these models are not the AI LLMs that most people are familiar with. They are machine learning algorithms trained on observations (actually reanalysis).
Meteorologists are surprised that the weather model that did the best job forecasting hurricanes this year was a new one, introduced by Google. AI may be the beginning of a new era of forecasting. n.pr/49MFa1M
As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season ends, the future of forecasting is AI
Meteorologists are surprised that the weather model that did the best job forecasting hurricanes this year was a new one, introduced by Google. AI may be the beginning of a new era of forecasting.
n.pr
November 30, 2025 at 5:55 AM
This is a legitimate scientific revolution in meteorology.
Also, to be clear, these models are not the AI LLMs that most people are familiar with. They are machine learning algorithms trained on observations (actually reanalysis).
Also, to be clear, these models are not the AI LLMs that most people are familiar with. They are machine learning algorithms trained on observations (actually reanalysis).
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
The Car and Oil industries are going to work overtime to paint ebikes as dangerous instead of a solution to the danger of cars, and legacy corporate media like the NYT are going to help them
November 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
The Car and Oil industries are going to work overtime to paint ebikes as dangerous instead of a solution to the danger of cars, and legacy corporate media like the NYT are going to help them
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
I’m not sure what to make of this survey, honestly? If you’re a young person in solidarity with Gaza, or against police killings, or you’re trans or queer, would you have reason to trust the news?
A lost generation of news consumers? Survey shows how teenagers dislike the news media
You don't have to tell Cat Murphy or Lily Ogburn about the attitudes of young people toward journalists.
apnews.com
November 30, 2025 at 1:08 PM
I’m not sure what to make of this survey, honestly? If you’re a young person in solidarity with Gaza, or against police killings, or you’re trans or queer, would you have reason to trust the news?
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
They keep booking these guests thinking that they’re informing Americans by asking “tough questions” into the air, and having them ignored.
If you want answers, invite actual experts. Look some people up. Do some “reporting” and find someone knowledgeable. Come on, already.
If you want answers, invite actual experts. Look some people up. Do some “reporting” and find someone knowledgeable. Come on, already.
Kristi Noem refuses to directly answer a question about what Trump means by "remigration" -- a word that, as Kristen Welker notes, is often invoked by white nationalists in Europe
November 30, 2025 at 3:36 PM
They keep booking these guests thinking that they’re informing Americans by asking “tough questions” into the air, and having them ignored.
If you want answers, invite actual experts. Look some people up. Do some “reporting” and find someone knowledgeable. Come on, already.
If you want answers, invite actual experts. Look some people up. Do some “reporting” and find someone knowledgeable. Come on, already.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
I feel like one of the most underrated explanations for what's happening right now in global politics is that almost everyone has lost their minds.
November 30, 2025 at 2:59 AM
I feel like one of the most underrated explanations for what's happening right now in global politics is that almost everyone has lost their minds.