Grant Rayner
@grantrayner.bsky.social
Multidisciplinary professional based in Asia for 20+ years. Crisis management consultant, author, application developer and bag designer. Passionate about resilience, travel, and photography.
Good advice for writers
This set of observations is produced by my scrolling Reddit and otherwise listening to people talk about "how to write."
A) there is no requirement that any of your characters has any sort of "arc" let alone a redemption.
B) there is also no requirement that your fiction has a plot.
A) there is no requirement that any of your characters has any sort of "arc" let alone a redemption.
B) there is also no requirement that your fiction has a plot.
January 1, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Good advice for writers
Just extraordinary
“The Trump administration has publicly and privately signaled that it does not believe Russia represents a cyber threat against US national security or critical infrastructure, marking a radical departure from longstanding intelligence assessments”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump administration retreats in fight against Russian cyber threats
Recent incidents indicate US is no longer characterizing Russia as a cybersecurity threat, marking a radical departure: ‘Putin is on the inside now’
www.theguardian.com
December 31, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Just extraordinary
They should make you point to the country on an unmarked map before you can make decisions affecting the future of that country.
US at the UNSC today, claimed that recognizing part of Somalia as an independent state is equal to Palestinian statehood.
In short: NO.
In short: NO.
December 30, 2025 at 4:09 AM
They should make you point to the country on an unmarked map before you can make decisions affecting the future of that country.
Trump isn’t been fooled by Putin or tricked by him. Trump will do whatever Putin tells him, even if it’s against US interests.
It seems like Trump is falling again for questionable Putin promises, even though Putin still doesn’t want a ceasefire. Like why would a future free Ukraine want to turn to or rely on Russia for energy?
December 28, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Trump isn’t been fooled by Putin or tricked by him. Trump will do whatever Putin tells him, even if it’s against US interests.
One of several lines of revenue for Trump as he builds wealth for himself and his family.
GOP operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, convicted election fraudsters, were paid $960,000 in the second quarter to secure a pardon for a former nursing-home operator who defrauded the government of $38 million. Trump pardoned the man, Joseph Schwartz, last month.
Inside the New Fast Track to a Presidential Pardon
Even some of the president’s closest advisers have been surprised by a number of the recent series of pardons.
www.wsj.com
December 26, 2025 at 12:55 AM
One of several lines of revenue for Trump as he builds wealth for himself and his family.
Diplomacy is woke.
Context for Trump withdrawing dozens of ambassadors
*China has invested heavily in expanding diplomacy
*The US has significantly degraded soft power
*The US already has scores of diplomatic vacancies
*China has invested heavily in expanding diplomacy
*The US has significantly degraded soft power
*The US already has scores of diplomatic vacancies
December 25, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Diplomacy is woke.
The US now has the same values as Russia.
December 24, 2025 at 1:13 PM
The US now has the same values as Russia.
Tulsi Gabbard is doing exactly what she was hired to do.
It’s impossible to overstate how much conspiracism drives the Trump regime’s agenda.
Here Tulsi Gabbard, the head of ODNI, claims that “NATO and the EU really want…to pull the United States military directly into war with Russia.”
Which is a Russian talking point, spread by conspiracy sites.
Here Tulsi Gabbard, the head of ODNI, claims that “NATO and the EU really want…to pull the United States military directly into war with Russia.”
Which is a Russian talking point, spread by conspiracy sites.
December 23, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Tulsi Gabbard is doing exactly what she was hired to do.
Reposted by Grant Rayner
Y’all know we have a tool for finding exactly these kinds of bad redactions, right? free.law/open-source-...
December 23, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Y’all know we have a tool for finding exactly these kinds of bad redactions, right? free.law/open-source-...
What happened to these people to make them like this? As white “Christian”
Americans, they have had literally every privilege bestowed upon them. What more do they need to feel whole?
Americans, they have had literally every privilege bestowed upon them. What more do they need to feel whole?
JD Vance: "They are not sending their best. Omar Fateh was Ilehan [sic] Omar's candidate for mayor of Mogadishu-- I mean Minneapolis. Little Freudian slip there."
December 22, 2025 at 5:15 AM
What happened to these people to make them like this? As white “Christian”
Americans, they have had literally every privilege bestowed upon them. What more do they need to feel whole?
Americans, they have had literally every privilege bestowed upon them. What more do they need to feel whole?
The political war has been largely won. The culture war continues apace.
Republicans control literally every lever of federal power right now.
JD Vance: "If you miss Charlie Kirk…do you promise to take the country back from the people who took his life?"
December 22, 2025 at 12:01 AM
The political war has been largely won. The culture war continues apace.
I wonder if the US will apply the same rules to other foreign military interventions.
Rubio on Russia-Ukraine: "It's not our war. It's a war on another continent."
December 20, 2025 at 6:04 AM
I wonder if the US will apply the same rules to other foreign military interventions.
Did people really expect the Epstein files to contain a single mention of Trump’s name? Any documents even alluding to him will have been redacted or destroyed.
December 20, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Did people really expect the Epstein files to contain a single mention of Trump’s name? Any documents even alluding to him will have been redacted or destroyed.
omg hahaha
December 19, 2025 at 12:38 AM
omg hahaha
Good to know
Trump: "The only time anybody could see those planes was when those bomb chutes open up, because it becomes totally un-stealth. You're going in, you go like this. As soon as it goes like this, for some reason the plane is totally visible. Not good. I watched it happening. I watched it go bing bing"
December 17, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Good to know
Trump is single handedly dismantling US dominance in science and research. Undoing decades of hard work. And for nothing.
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Trump is single handedly dismantling US dominance in science and research. Undoing decades of hard work. And for nothing.
I’m sure China is observing this operation very closely as it weighs its options for Taiwan. The US is setting a dangerous precedent.
It is international law 101 that a military blockade is not just a violation of the UN Charter, but a crime of aggression.
Unless that blockade is in response to an 'armed attack.'
None of President's Trump's list of complaints come close to an armed attack.
1/
Unless that blockade is in response to an 'armed attack.'
None of President's Trump's list of complaints come close to an armed attack.
1/
December 17, 2025 at 12:38 AM
I’m sure China is observing this operation very closely as it weighs its options for Taiwan. The US is setting a dangerous precedent.
China should consider this green light for a blockade against Taiwan.
It is international law 101 that a military blockade is not just a violation of the UN Charter, but a crime of aggression.
Unless that blockade is in response to an 'armed attack.'
None of President's Trump's list of complaints come close to an armed attack.
1/
Unless that blockade is in response to an 'armed attack.'
None of President's Trump's list of complaints come close to an armed attack.
1/
December 17, 2025 at 12:37 AM
China should consider this green light for a blockade against Taiwan.
Grok is performing as intended. Misinformation is a feature of Grok, not a bug.
Elon Musk's AI robot is spewing misinformation about the Bondi Beach shooting
Grok Is Glitching And Spewing Misinformation About The Bondi Beach Shooting
Among other problems, the chatbot is spewing misinformation about the horrific Bondi Beach shooting in Australia.
gizmodo.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Grok is performing as intended. Misinformation is a feature of Grok, not a bug.
Reposted by Grant Rayner
so far tonight msnbc has interviewed two students from brown university that are also survivors of separate high school shootings.
insanity.
insanity.
December 14, 2025 at 1:28 AM
so far tonight msnbc has interviewed two students from brown university that are also survivors of separate high school shootings.
insanity.
insanity.
The US and Russia will now support far-right groups in Europe. This will include election interference.
First Russia, now AfD
December 11, 2025 at 6:13 AM
The US and Russia will now support far-right groups in Europe. This will include election interference.
Why would anyone from Norway, Sweden or Denmark want to live in the US under the leadership of someone like this?
Trump: “Why do we take in people only from ‘shithole’ countries? Why can’t we take people from Norway, Sweden, Denmark. Send us some good people, please. But we always take people from Somalia… from places that are dirty, disgusting, criminal.”
December 10, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Why would anyone from Norway, Sweden or Denmark want to live in the US under the leadership of someone like this?
I’m sure it will be fine if you are from Russia or Belarus.
December 10, 2025 at 7:24 AM
I’m sure it will be fine if you are from Russia or Belarus.
Calibri is woke
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Calibri is woke
Incompetence and lunacy are qualifying characteristics for a role in the Trump administration. They’re not trying to support these critical institutions. They’re trying to destroy them.
SCOOP — Gregg Phillips, a conspiracy theorist with no emergency management experience who helped produce the election-denying documentary ‘2000 Mules’ with Dinesh D’Souza and has faced numerous legal inquiries, has been named head of FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery.
My story:
My story:
Conspiracy theorist election denier given FEMA’s second-most important role
Gregg Phillips will lead the Office of Response and Recovery, “the heart of what FEMA does.”
www.thehandbasket.co
December 9, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Incompetence and lunacy are qualifying characteristics for a role in the Trump administration. They’re not trying to support these critical institutions. They’re trying to destroy them.