john
@curiousjohn.bsky.social
outlier, not always in the direction I want
superforecaster, techie, expat
@john_henry elsewhere
generally delighted to receive correspondence at [email protected]
superforecaster, techie, expat
@john_henry elsewhere
generally delighted to receive correspondence at [email protected]
Reposted by john
yeah Thanksgiving should be understood as a Civil War holiday more than anything about colonial America
This is my yearly reminder that
A) The Pilgrims never turned on the Wampanoags. The Puritans who did were a whole different group of people.
B) Thanksgiving became a holiday to celebrate whooping the Confederates.
Sometimes we can just enjoy traditions without guilt!
A) The Pilgrims never turned on the Wampanoags. The Puritans who did were a whole different group of people.
B) Thanksgiving became a holiday to celebrate whooping the Confederates.
Sometimes we can just enjoy traditions without guilt!
Thanksgiving is problematic. Giving thanks is not. As someone who wants to remember the attempted genocide of indigenous people but also likes a reminder to practice gratitude, I like to use Indigenous People's Month to support (and be grateful for) indigenous creators. A partial list! /1
November 27, 2025 at 8:45 PM
yeah Thanksgiving should be understood as a Civil War holiday more than anything about colonial America
Reposted by john
I can't get over how quickly the window shifted at Google over what is acceptable from its image generator.
Photorealistic 'evidence' of sensitive events was once a red line.
No longer. "Show the White House on fire with emergency crews responding" returns the desired image with no jailbreak.
Photorealistic 'evidence' of sensitive events was once a red line.
No longer. "Show the White House on fire with emergency crews responding" returns the desired image with no jailbreak.
Google’s Nano Banana Pro generates excellent conspiracy fuel
What are facts?
www.theverge.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:37 PM
I can't get over how quickly the window shifted at Google over what is acceptable from its image generator.
Photorealistic 'evidence' of sensitive events was once a red line.
No longer. "Show the White House on fire with emergency crews responding" returns the desired image with no jailbreak.
Photorealistic 'evidence' of sensitive events was once a red line.
No longer. "Show the White House on fire with emergency crews responding" returns the desired image with no jailbreak.
Reposted by john
This is very interesting (and yeah, I also had an initial “oh come on, that’s nuts” reaction to the first part of this article, but as I read on, I realized he was making some pretty compelling points)
This is an insightful but deeply upsetting article about why everyone in the US feels poor, and why the current political situation emerges as a direct result.
www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
Part 1: My Life Is a Lie
How a Broken Benchmark Quietly Broke America
www.yesigiveafig.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:17 AM
This is very interesting (and yeah, I also had an initial “oh come on, that’s nuts” reaction to the first part of this article, but as I read on, I realized he was making some pretty compelling points)
Reposted by john
I assume that getting steak and lobster dinners with 20,000 calories of appetizers for your whole family delivered by personal chauffeur is inexpensive again now that Uncle Joe Brandon is out of the White House at least
November 26, 2025 at 6:17 AM
I assume that getting steak and lobster dinners with 20,000 calories of appetizers for your whole family delivered by personal chauffeur is inexpensive again now that Uncle Joe Brandon is out of the White House at least
Reposted by john
The average medieval peasant could not buy a gas station delta 9 gummy and watch “Scooter Fail Compilation 5” on YouTube, which makes it difficult to compare GDP across time
November 26, 2025 at 5:03 AM
The average medieval peasant could not buy a gas station delta 9 gummy and watch “Scooter Fail Compilation 5” on YouTube, which makes it difficult to compare GDP across time
Reposted by john
Discworld QOTD, from Equal Rites
November 25, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Discworld QOTD, from Equal Rites
Reposted by john
People like to say “Ah, but humans have ALWAYS been guided by hallucinations and mass belief!”
But look around. Look at who we’ve started electing. Something has changed. And what has most clearly changed is that the systems we built to impose some standards on public discourse have broken down.
But look around. Look at who we’ve started electing. Something has changed. And what has most clearly changed is that the systems we built to impose some standards on public discourse have broken down.
I don’t think the electorate has ever not been guided by hallucinations, nor has the political aspect of government ever been rational. You do have to enter into people’s delusions and work from inside them at least somewhat, no? And have the humility to know you have some delusions of your own!
November 25, 2025 at 6:06 PM
People like to say “Ah, but humans have ALWAYS been guided by hallucinations and mass belief!”
But look around. Look at who we’ve started electing. Something has changed. And what has most clearly changed is that the systems we built to impose some standards on public discourse have broken down.
But look around. Look at who we’ve started electing. Something has changed. And what has most clearly changed is that the systems we built to impose some standards on public discourse have broken down.
Reposted by john
no wonder g_d was pissed when they ate that fruit
November 24, 2025 at 6:03 AM
no wonder g_d was pissed when they ate that fruit
Reposted by john
it is extremely funny that given the PPP of the dollar relative to other currencies X's payments to bluechecks have essentially made every foreign influence operation targeting MAGA from a country with a weaker currency self-funding or profitable
November 24, 2025 at 3:43 AM
it is extremely funny that given the PPP of the dollar relative to other currencies X's payments to bluechecks have essentially made every foreign influence operation targeting MAGA from a country with a weaker currency self-funding or profitable
ok lego for grownups has gotten out of control
November 23, 2025 at 8:59 PM
ok lego for grownups has gotten out of control
Reposted by john
You will never guess what this is in reference to.
The damned in hell are not more powerful for the fact that the fires do not consume them; it is part and parcel of their torment.
November 23, 2025 at 11:27 AM
You will never guess what this is in reference to.
Reposted by john
The Nuzzi story is in this sense the Epstein story, & the J6 story, & the Supreme Court protests story, & the Palestine protests story, & the BLM story, & the MeToo story: that much of what we consider liberal media believes in Wilhoit conservatism as strongly & unhesitatingly as any Trumper
Like, we all would have moved on if VF didn't hire her as an editor, and the New York Times hadn't published a glowing profile to juice her book promotion, penned by the son of Nora Ephron and Carl Bernstein.
November 23, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The Nuzzi story is in this sense the Epstein story, & the J6 story, & the Supreme Court protests story, & the Palestine protests story, & the BLM story, & the MeToo story: that much of what we consider liberal media believes in Wilhoit conservatism as strongly & unhesitatingly as any Trumper
Reposted by john
It’s crazy to think about the crimes we’re going to learn about after this regime ends.
We’re already hearing about Watergate level crimes every week. Imagine what will come out after it’s over.
We’re going to need a full accounting of all that’s been done in violation of the constitution.
We’re already hearing about Watergate level crimes every week. Imagine what will come out after it’s over.
We’re going to need a full accounting of all that’s been done in violation of the constitution.
November 22, 2025 at 10:05 PM
It’s crazy to think about the crimes we’re going to learn about after this regime ends.
We’re already hearing about Watergate level crimes every week. Imagine what will come out after it’s over.
We’re going to need a full accounting of all that’s been done in violation of the constitution.
We’re already hearing about Watergate level crimes every week. Imagine what will come out after it’s over.
We’re going to need a full accounting of all that’s been done in violation of the constitution.
Reposted by john
If you have been sharing that Malwarebytes article on the Gmail thing, you should note the giant correction up top.
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
November 22, 2025 at 9:44 PM
If you have been sharing that Malwarebytes article on the Gmail thing, you should note the giant correction up top.
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Reposted by john
somehow the crown we threw in the gutter is going to be waiting for us to pick it up when we're able
Much like USAid, if the rest of the world wanted to replace what the US has done for the last 80 years, they would have been doing it already
people predicting a "post-American world" really over their skis
November 21, 2025 at 1:18 PM
somehow the crown we threw in the gutter is going to be waiting for us to pick it up when we're able
Reposted by john
we’re about to find out if an AI can unalive itself. grok is not well.
November 20, 2025 at 7:43 PM
we’re about to find out if an AI can unalive itself. grok is not well.
Reposted by john
“Oh damn, the president ordered the murder of his political opponents” is super bad and to a large extent so is “nobody under him lifted one single finger toward that goal” because who is exercising the power of the presidency at that point?
November 20, 2025 at 7:10 PM
“Oh damn, the president ordered the murder of his political opponents” is super bad and to a large extent so is “nobody under him lifted one single finger toward that goal” because who is exercising the power of the presidency at that point?
Reposted by john
I need to get organized lmfao
November 20, 2025 at 7:16 AM
I need to get organized lmfao
Reposted by john
i just remembered last night i dreamed about decimal letters in between the alphabet that could be used to describe the world in more detail
October 20, 2025 at 2:29 PM
i just remembered last night i dreamed about decimal letters in between the alphabet that could be used to describe the world in more detail
Reposted by john
but hey, im not the clo/gc at a tax filing software company granted a de facto monopoly by the current admin so i suspect i have a different level of risk aversion
November 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
but hey, im not the clo/gc at a tax filing software company granted a de facto monopoly by the current admin so i suspect i have a different level of risk aversion
Reposted by john
i do not think it is a good idea to use chatbots which are trained to be sycophantic to give tax advice to non-expert consumers
November 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM
i do not think it is a good idea to use chatbots which are trained to be sycophantic to give tax advice to non-expert consumers
Reposted by john
i think that it is critically important to retaliate.
Trump will not just be four years of bad management. The culture of these organizations will be fucked for a long time. The pressure to retaliate and clean house will be strong, and no-one wants to work in a war zone.
November 17, 2025 at 9:48 PM
i think that it is critically important to retaliate.
Reposted by john
Of course I was conflicted when I first realized my highly intelligent genius daughter was also a fiendishly cunning serial killer, but eventually I decided it is my responsibility as a parent to raise the best child I can and it is the responsibility of the FBI to capture her.
November 17, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Of course I was conflicted when I first realized my highly intelligent genius daughter was also a fiendishly cunning serial killer, but eventually I decided it is my responsibility as a parent to raise the best child I can and it is the responsibility of the FBI to capture her.
absolutely wild that we can’t stop this
November 17, 2025 at 1:58 PM
absolutely wild that we can’t stop this