Brian Thompson
@brianthompy.bsky.social
I’m a different Brian Thompson from the health insurance CEO who famously passed away in an act of vigilante justice. I write fiction (for the page) and comedy (for stage, screen, and audio). brianthompsonwriting.com
As someone who has been in arts education an embarrassingly long time, I know there’s always been a lot of tension and animosity between artists who MAKE things and wannabe artists who are desperate TO HAVE MADE a thing. But AI enthusiast culture has really lathered these losers up.
Why tech likes AI and doesn't understand why artists don't
February 17, 2026 at 4:35 PM
As someone who has been in arts education an embarrassingly long time, I know there’s always been a lot of tension and animosity between artists who MAKE things and wannabe artists who are desperate TO HAVE MADE a thing. But AI enthusiast culture has really lathered these losers up.
Step one of this recipe is instructions for making the “wolf tooth potato strips” but it says you can skip the step if you’re using crinkle cut fries…
It’s the Lunar New Year, and this week’s Guest Recipe from the #CookbookCorner archive is the Wolf Tooth Potato from Vegan Chinese Food by Yang Liu!
www.nigella.com/recipes/gues...
www.nigella.com/recipes/gues...
February 17, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Step one of this recipe is instructions for making the “wolf tooth potato strips” but it says you can skip the step if you’re using crinkle cut fries…
Point taken, but I guess I’m also a ghoul.
I’m not some ghoul. I’m not looking forward to Donald Trump’s death. I’m looking forward to the happiness his death is going to give to so many good people. The joy. The celebration. The fun. That’s what I’m looking forward to.
February 15, 2026 at 11:09 PM
Point taken, but I guess I’m also a ghoul.
Friendship expert?
Friendship expert Kat Vellos shares tips on how to make a new friendship stick, including what to do together, how often to hang out — and what to do if the vibes just aren't there.
How to turn an acquaintance into a friend — and make the friendship stick
Friendship expert Kat Vellos shares tips on how to make a new friendship stick, including what to do together, how often to hang out — and what to do if the vibes just aren't there.
n.pr
February 15, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Friendship expert?
Why has no one on the subway made it past page 25 of their book?
February 15, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Why has no one on the subway made it past page 25 of their book?
CHRIST (on the cross): You’re all just jealous.
February 14, 2026 at 3:43 PM
CHRIST (on the cross): You’re all just jealous.
I’m way behind on my magazines.
February 14, 2026 at 3:06 PM
I’m way behind on my magazines.
Reposted by Brian Thompson
Hello! I wrote (what I think is) a very fun piece about The Washington Post, THE POST, and most specifically ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN for Foreign Policy. This link should launch you over the paywall. foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/12/a...
‘All the President’s Men’ Is 50—and Still Remarkable
This film makes cold calling names from the phone book look as thrilling as Indiana Jones outsmarting the Nazis.
foreignpolicy.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Hello! I wrote (what I think is) a very fun piece about The Washington Post, THE POST, and most specifically ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN for Foreign Policy. This link should launch you over the paywall. foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/12/a...
Absurd. However, the wheels shouldn’t be attached to the seat and should instead be floating at its sides.
I have a friend who said, of Starfleet Academy, that this took them out of it - that seeing a person in a wheelchair in the 32nd century seemed unrealistic, since medicine in Star Trek "should be able to cure whatever was wrong with them."
That's not the case, for any number of possible reasons.
That's not the case, for any number of possible reasons.
February 13, 2026 at 1:37 AM
Absurd. However, the wheels shouldn’t be attached to the seat and should instead be floating at its sides.
As usual, I agree with Nigella Lawson. Helen DeWitt is one of our best living writers. The Last Samurai made me cry. Lightning Rods made me laugh out loud. Just finished Your Name Here, and it made me feel like an absolute idiot (compliment).
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt is a pitch-perfect piece of writing. I think I’ve given more copies of this to people than any other book.
“This was precisely the sort of idiocy one would expect from someone who wore white patent-leather shoes.”
February 12, 2026 at 3:36 AM
As usual, I agree with Nigella Lawson. Helen DeWitt is one of our best living writers. The Last Samurai made me cry. Lightning Rods made me laugh out loud. Just finished Your Name Here, and it made me feel like an absolute idiot (compliment).
Not mentioned often enough in this debate: Any form of required voter identification that costs money to obtain (driver’s license, even a debit card) is tantamount to a poll tax.
Too many people agreeing w me so: My position for years has been that voter ID requirements are fine so long as they're forgiving (oops, I forgot my ID but here is a debt card with my name on it), when they're unforgiving it's because they're being designed to depress low-propensity Dem voters.
You definitely don’t need to show ID before you get on a train.
I’ve actually flown without a license before* and you can fly if you have some other proof that it’s your ticket (like a credit card) and get patted down.
I’ve actually flown without a license before* and you can fly if you have some other proof that it’s your ticket (like a credit card) and get patted down.
February 11, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Not mentioned often enough in this debate: Any form of required voter identification that costs money to obtain (driver’s license, even a debit card) is tantamount to a poll tax.
I don’t recommend this to anyone who has not been certified firmly sane by a medical professional or religious figure.
The latest Daily Zig podcast opens up the mailbag, exposes Tom II's unequivocal MAGA leanings (unfortunately), and features a deep dive into the comments section of Ziggy+ that sends Brian and into madness.
You may not want to miss this.
open.spotify.com/episode/7K2Y...
You may not want to miss this.
open.spotify.com/episode/7K2Y...
2/2/26-2/9/26
open.spotify.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM
I don’t recommend this to anyone who has not been certified firmly sane by a medical professional or religious figure.
I went to one of my local used bookstores yesterday evening and said the secret passphrase “Book Bowl” in exchange for a 40% discount on a mass market paperback edition of Stanislaw Lem’s Tales of Pirx the Pilot.
February 9, 2026 at 12:42 PM
I went to one of my local used bookstores yesterday evening and said the secret passphrase “Book Bowl” in exchange for a 40% discount on a mass market paperback edition of Stanislaw Lem’s Tales of Pirx the Pilot.
If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.
"Enjoy Your FOOOO-oood!"
hoffstack.substack.com/p/enjoy-your...
hoffstack.substack.com/p/enjoy-your...
February 7, 2026 at 4:21 PM
If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.
We were walking down Ventura Blvd. and saw a woman approaching in a very distinctive hat. The hat was noticeable from several blocks away. As the woman grew nearer, I realized she was Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes, and this is the hat she was wearing.
February 7, 2026 at 2:43 PM
We were walking down Ventura Blvd. and saw a woman approaching in a very distinctive hat. The hat was noticeable from several blocks away. As the woman grew nearer, I realized she was Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes, and this is the hat she was wearing.
Reposted by Brian Thompson
My thoughts on MELANIA are in this Foreign Policy's weekend edition. Here is a gift link.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/06/m...
foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/06/m...
‘Melania’ Is a Lousy Film but Forever Part of U.S. History
It’s less “Triumph of the Will,” more Jackie Kennedy’s landmark TV special.
foreignpolicy.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:52 PM
My thoughts on MELANIA are in this Foreign Policy's weekend edition. Here is a gift link.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/06/m...
foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/06/m...
In the good old days, a handsome milk man would come to your house every day and make love to your wife. Now, it’s just an Amazon driver asking your wife to hold his piss bottle while he goons.
February 6, 2026 at 2:25 PM
In the good old days, a handsome milk man would come to your house every day and make love to your wife. Now, it’s just an Amazon driver asking your wife to hold his piss bottle while he goons.
Reposted by Brian Thompson
Ian McKellen performs “The Strangers’ Case” speech from “Sir Thomas More” on Colbert.
February 5, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Ian McKellen performs “The Strangers’ Case” speech from “Sir Thomas More” on Colbert.
Important.
February 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Important.
He should ask Grok what to do. AI is very good at coming up with permanent solutions to depression.
February 5, 2026 at 2:56 AM
He should ask Grok what to do. AI is very good at coming up with permanent solutions to depression.
I summarized this story in a comment the other day, but I'll go into more detail here, in what's known as a "thread." I once had an hour long conversation with the legendary comic book artist Neal Adams about his theory that the earth is hollow.
February 4, 2026 at 9:05 PM
I summarized this story in a comment the other day, but I'll go into more detail here, in what's known as a "thread." I once had an hour long conversation with the legendary comic book artist Neal Adams about his theory that the earth is hollow.
My goal is to be so cool my child could never mistake me for being lame, and I think that’s achievable.
February 4, 2026 at 4:24 PM
My goal is to be so cool my child could never mistake me for being lame, and I think that’s achievable.
Many of our recent episodes have proven quite erotic, and this is no exception.
February 2, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Many of our recent episodes have proven quite erotic, and this is no exception.
Dumping this on a Friday night since I'm an expert at marketing. I posted a very stupid piece of very short fiction to my website. www.brianthompsonwriter.com/stepdaddy/
Stepdaddy
This might be flash fiction. Not sure. Doesn't matter.
Stepdaddy pokes his head into the boy’s room.
“You hitting the hay?” Stepdaddy asks.
“Yeah, just about to hit the hay,” the boy says.
“Sounds...
www.brianthompsonwriter.com
January 31, 2026 at 4:54 AM
Dumping this on a Friday night since I'm an expert at marketing. I posted a very stupid piece of very short fiction to my website. www.brianthompsonwriter.com/stepdaddy/
Thanks to the release of the Epstein emails, it is now uncool to be borderline illiterate.
January 31, 2026 at 4:42 AM
Thanks to the release of the Epstein emails, it is now uncool to be borderline illiterate.