Michael Engard
@engard.me
Writer and web developer. Rochester, NY. Of late: WordPress, TTRPGs, the open web. You may never read my book but at least I’m writing it.
Reposted by Michael Engard
Here is my Bond idea: I'm imagining a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead treatment, where the Bond movie is background to two hapless MI5 newbies.
November 11, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Here is my Bond idea: I'm imagining a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead treatment, where the Bond movie is background to two hapless MI5 newbies.
I’m honestly trying to keep an open mind but I just don’t buy this. People are starving because Republicans chose to starve them. It’s on them by default. I can’t see any political upside for Democrats to *voluntarily* assume responsibility in whole or part.
not true that there’s nothing gained. we get SNAP for a year *guaranteed in future shutdowns*
this basically means “we go back tovshutdown in two months when they don’t agree to the tax credits, but people won’t starve because of SNAP and that will be because of Democrats”. that is a tactical win
this basically means “we go back tovshutdown in two months when they don’t agree to the tax credits, but people won’t starve because of SNAP and that will be because of Democrats”. that is a tactical win
November 10, 2025 at 1:00 AM
I’m honestly trying to keep an open mind but I just don’t buy this. People are starving because Republicans chose to starve them. It’s on them by default. I can’t see any political upside for Democrats to *voluntarily* assume responsibility in whole or part.
Reposted by Michael Engard
The lesson Dems just absolutely refuse to learn here is that more of the voting public respects villains than cowards.
November 10, 2025 at 12:14 AM
The lesson Dems just absolutely refuse to learn here is that more of the voting public respects villains than cowards.
Reposted by Michael Engard
You ever notice how many indie-darling and it-girl actresses suddenly had late stage career revivals after he got hit with that lawsuit and his power started waning?
Sean Young, Winona Ryder, Robin Wright, Jennifer Connelly, bunch of people suddenly reappeared
Sean Young, Winona Ryder, Robin Wright, Jennifer Connelly, bunch of people suddenly reappeared
jesus CHRIST i just, guys missed the whole POINT of metoo which was NOT about cases like depp v heard but about cases like "harvey weinstein literally ended and sidelined the careers of hundreds of actresses who wouldnt fuck him to advance their careers"
he spent DECADES saying "oh yeah they lying"
he spent DECADES saying "oh yeah they lying"
November 6, 2025 at 7:38 PM
You ever notice how many indie-darling and it-girl actresses suddenly had late stage career revivals after he got hit with that lawsuit and his power started waning?
Sean Young, Winona Ryder, Robin Wright, Jennifer Connelly, bunch of people suddenly reappeared
Sean Young, Winona Ryder, Robin Wright, Jennifer Connelly, bunch of people suddenly reappeared
Reposted by Michael Engard
A comment on "intelligent agents" from Donald Norman, written in 1994, still relevant in all aspects today. It's like we learned almost nothing about how to build, use, or govern software in 30 years. Except this time the anthropomorphizing is intentional.
From dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
From dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
November 7, 2025 at 12:41 AM
A comment on "intelligent agents" from Donald Norman, written in 1994, still relevant in all aspects today. It's like we learned almost nothing about how to build, use, or govern software in 30 years. Except this time the anthropomorphizing is intentional.
From dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
From dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Reposted by Michael Engard
THIS IS SO GOOD
November 6, 2025 at 4:42 AM
THIS IS SO GOOD
Reposted by Michael Engard
Democratic party leadership has been on autopilot for ten years, they weren't losing to fascism, fascism isn't popular enough for them to lose to fascism, they were allowing it to fill the void where their leadership should have been. Tonight we're seeing that we have other options. They should too.
November 5, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Democratic party leadership has been on autopilot for ten years, they weren't losing to fascism, fascism isn't popular enough for them to lose to fascism, they were allowing it to fill the void where their leadership should have been. Tonight we're seeing that we have other options. They should too.
Reposted by Michael Engard
Non-zero chance that Trump has asked his staff how he can get on the ballot in 2026.
November 5, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Non-zero chance that Trump has asked his staff how he can get on the ballot in 2026.
Reposted by Michael Engard
This victory speech from Zohran Mamdani is the most profound Dem speech of its kind since Obama at the DNC in 2004.
November 5, 2025 at 4:44 AM
This victory speech from Zohran Mamdani is the most profound Dem speech of its kind since Obama at the DNC in 2004.
Reposted by Michael Engard
I’ve got that feeling you get when you just saw something that history books are going to spend a lot of time talking about.
November 5, 2025 at 4:47 AM
I’ve got that feeling you get when you just saw something that history books are going to spend a lot of time talking about.
Reposted by Michael Engard
If you’re wondering what the future of the Democratic Party looks like, watch the young, brown democratic socialist on the TV right now.
November 5, 2025 at 4:41 AM
If you’re wondering what the future of the Democratic Party looks like, watch the young, brown democratic socialist on the TV right now.
Reposted by Michael Engard
For work I am watching a YouTube thing on ai coding and it’s honestly sickening how the very senior developers appear to be pulling up the ladder behind them even more.
I can believe it’ll work well enough until it doesn’t.
It kind of feels like financialuzation and private equity in that way.
I can believe it’ll work well enough until it doesn’t.
It kind of feels like financialuzation and private equity in that way.
October 31, 2025 at 2:38 PM
For work I am watching a YouTube thing on ai coding and it’s honestly sickening how the very senior developers appear to be pulling up the ladder behind them even more.
I can believe it’ll work well enough until it doesn’t.
It kind of feels like financialuzation and private equity in that way.
I can believe it’ll work well enough until it doesn’t.
It kind of feels like financialuzation and private equity in that way.
Reposted by Michael Engard
This is why I have a website. It’s also why everything I’ve ever written has appeared on my website with *very* few exceptions
Having a single domain name that’s YOU is invaluable. My website gets lots of compliments on its branding and appearance. My slides borrow that appearance, too
It matters!
Having a single domain name that’s YOU is invaluable. My website gets lots of compliments on its branding and appearance. My slides borrow that appearance, too
It matters!
Honestly, if you value content you've created always make sure it has a home outside of a single company. Always.
Big tech firms are shutting down programs aimed at supporting women in STEM careers. Signaling once again that the spine of corporate America is as hollow as its pockets are deep.
www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/t...
www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/t...
October 28, 2025 at 6:32 PM
This is why I have a website. It’s also why everything I’ve ever written has appeared on my website with *very* few exceptions
Having a single domain name that’s YOU is invaluable. My website gets lots of compliments on its branding and appearance. My slides borrow that appearance, too
It matters!
Having a single domain name that’s YOU is invaluable. My website gets lots of compliments on its branding and appearance. My slides borrow that appearance, too
It matters!
Reposted by Michael Engard
so the process of writing is a process of realizing how imperfect and incomplete that idea was, and actually working out all the rest of it. writing, in other words, is a process of thinking: a particularly disciplined one, that takes you from a warm feeling to a genuine reality.
October 27, 2025 at 1:05 AM
so the process of writing is a process of realizing how imperfect and incomplete that idea was, and actually working out all the rest of it. writing, in other words, is a process of thinking: a particularly disciplined one, that takes you from a warm feeling to a genuine reality.
It’s a prime case study in the power of our dumb animal brains. We know that Trump is shredding our democracy, but that’s a fundamentally abstract thing, a words-on-paper thing. The world still looks (literally *looks*) the same. As bad as it’s gotten, you always sort of think the grown-ups… 1/
what’s telling about this is the “DC is obsessed” bit
a lot of stuff doesn’t stick because the “insider savvy” crowd decides it’s not interesting anymore so off the front page it goes
the White House demolition is going to have a longer shelf life because they’re just as obsessed with it as we are
a lot of stuff doesn’t stick because the “insider savvy” crowd decides it’s not interesting anymore so off the front page it goes
the White House demolition is going to have a longer shelf life because they’re just as obsessed with it as we are
I think the ballroom story is gonna mushroom into a much much much much bigger thing. I see the visceral reaction people have towards the videos.
October 23, 2025 at 3:58 PM
It’s a prime case study in the power of our dumb animal brains. We know that Trump is shredding our democracy, but that’s a fundamentally abstract thing, a words-on-paper thing. The world still looks (literally *looks*) the same. As bad as it’s gotten, you always sort of think the grown-ups… 1/
Reposted by Michael Engard
Here's a T. Rex bored to death trying to bite their own tail. My partner asked me to animate it in stop motion, after she watched a video about the very important topic of "could T. Rex chew its own tail like a dog". The puppet is still a work in progress 🦖
October 15, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Here's a T. Rex bored to death trying to bite their own tail. My partner asked me to animate it in stop motion, after she watched a video about the very important topic of "could T. Rex chew its own tail like a dog". The puppet is still a work in progress 🦖
Reposted by Michael Engard
CHOTINER: So this movie, you already had it on bluray?
ME: That's correct.
CHOTINER: And you've bought it again.
ME: Not exactly. I bought a 4K bluray of it.
CHOTINER: Superior?
ME: Yes.
CHOTINER: Perceptibly superior?
ME: The resolution is...look, on an OLED-
CHOTINER: Do you have an OLED?
ME: That's correct.
CHOTINER: And you've bought it again.
ME: Not exactly. I bought a 4K bluray of it.
CHOTINER: Superior?
ME: Yes.
CHOTINER: Perceptibly superior?
ME: The resolution is...look, on an OLED-
CHOTINER: Do you have an OLED?
October 23, 2025 at 1:10 PM
CHOTINER: So this movie, you already had it on bluray?
ME: That's correct.
CHOTINER: And you've bought it again.
ME: Not exactly. I bought a 4K bluray of it.
CHOTINER: Superior?
ME: Yes.
CHOTINER: Perceptibly superior?
ME: The resolution is...look, on an OLED-
CHOTINER: Do you have an OLED?
ME: That's correct.
CHOTINER: And you've bought it again.
ME: Not exactly. I bought a 4K bluray of it.
CHOTINER: Superior?
ME: Yes.
CHOTINER: Perceptibly superior?
ME: The resolution is...look, on an OLED-
CHOTINER: Do you have an OLED?
Reposted by Michael Engard
Apropos of nothing: It is vitally important to always have a person in your life that will not hesitate to, honestly and kindly, tell you when you are completely full of shit.
October 22, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Apropos of nothing: It is vitally important to always have a person in your life that will not hesitate to, honestly and kindly, tell you when you are completely full of shit.
Reposted by Michael Engard
I don’t have a deeper theory beyond the fact that the core paradox of “how do we run a pro-democracy campaign that appeals to anti-democracy voters” is triggering a kind of cascade failure in establishment Democrats’ brains right now.
October 22, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I don’t have a deeper theory beyond the fact that the core paradox of “how do we run a pro-democracy campaign that appeals to anti-democracy voters” is triggering a kind of cascade failure in establishment Democrats’ brains right now.
Reposted by Michael Engard
It’s funny how I swung from “every issue is complicated and it’s important to explore all of the subtleties” in my 20s to “some moral clarity is sorely needed” in my, uh, later years
October 22, 2025 at 11:54 AM
It’s funny how I swung from “every issue is complicated and it’s important to explore all of the subtleties” in my 20s to “some moral clarity is sorely needed” in my, uh, later years
Reposted by Michael Engard
The Democratic primary in this race will be held fully eight months from now in June 2026, there are nine active Democratic candidates, and there could be more! Even the filing deadline is still months away (March 15, I believe). I don’t get the PSA crew adopting a bunker mentality this early.
“Let him among you who is without a Nazi tattoo cast the first stone.” -The Bible
October 22, 2025 at 11:32 AM
The Democratic primary in this race will be held fully eight months from now in June 2026, there are nine active Democratic candidates, and there could be more! Even the filing deadline is still months away (March 15, I believe). I don’t get the PSA crew adopting a bunker mentality this early.
Reposted by Michael Engard
Does seem like there’s a non-zero chance that the shutdown never really ends and that Congress has already abolished itself.
I find it amazing too that Republicans’ boycott of Washington isn’t the biggest story of them all.
The shutdown can’t end if they refuse to show up for work.
The shutdown can’t end if they refuse to show up for work.
October 21, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Does seem like there’s a non-zero chance that the shutdown never really ends and that Congress has already abolished itself.
Reposted by Michael Engard
it always makes me feel like I'm losing my mind whenever some absolute monster says "well ALL men do this evil thing so why are you mad at ME, it's just in our MALE NATURE to be hateful rapist Nazi homophobes" or whatever the thing is
I'm always like, the men around him should feel insulted by that
I'm always like, the men around him should feel insulted by that
People act like all the men are gone. The men are attending protests. The men are putting together scooters for their kids. The men are getting a set of turntables for the first time. The men are buying Nikes. The men are getting super into noir. They're not Nazis and they're fine. Keep your freaks.
October 21, 2025 at 11:03 PM
it always makes me feel like I'm losing my mind whenever some absolute monster says "well ALL men do this evil thing so why are you mad at ME, it's just in our MALE NATURE to be hateful rapist Nazi homophobes" or whatever the thing is
I'm always like, the men around him should feel insulted by that
I'm always like, the men around him should feel insulted by that
Reposted by Michael Engard
Genuinely, I think that’s a standard we need to adopt across the board, both legally and culturally. If you use AI’s work, it’s your work. If you use AI’s words, they’re your words. Responsibility belongs to the last human in the chain.
October 21, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Genuinely, I think that’s a standard we need to adopt across the board, both legally and culturally. If you use AI’s work, it’s your work. If you use AI’s words, they’re your words. Responsibility belongs to the last human in the chain.
Reposted by Michael Engard
“Why did you lie to me, Greg?”
“Well I asked ChatGPT and it gave me the wrong answer.”
“Right. So why did you lie to me, Greg?”
“Well I asked ChatGPT and it gave me the wrong answer.”
“Right. So why did you lie to me, Greg?”
October 21, 2025 at 10:16 AM
“Why did you lie to me, Greg?”
“Well I asked ChatGPT and it gave me the wrong answer.”
“Right. So why did you lie to me, Greg?”
“Well I asked ChatGPT and it gave me the wrong answer.”
“Right. So why did you lie to me, Greg?”