Michael E. Gruen
@gruen.us
Excited to be here. More at michaelgruen.com/now
Reposted by Michael E. Gruen
No matter what they say, it’s always oil.
January 3, 2026 at 11:34 PM
No matter what they say, it’s always oil.
New rule: if your support agent is an AI and it doesn’t allow me to connect to a human, I’m reaching out to your CEO direct.
Honestly, CEOs (especially at smaller companies) are often more accessible than customer support agents.
Make them feel the pain.
Honestly, CEOs (especially at smaller companies) are often more accessible than customer support agents.
Make them feel the pain.
December 28, 2025 at 12:11 AM
New rule: if your support agent is an AI and it doesn’t allow me to connect to a human, I’m reaching out to your CEO direct.
Honestly, CEOs (especially at smaller companies) are often more accessible than customer support agents.
Make them feel the pain.
Honestly, CEOs (especially at smaller companies) are often more accessible than customer support agents.
Make them feel the pain.
All I want for Christmas is a NYC that accommodates bicycles half as well as it accommodates out-of-state 2-ton trucks.
December 9, 2025 at 1:34 PM
All I want for Christmas is a NYC that accommodates bicycles half as well as it accommodates out-of-state 2-ton trucks.
The difference between “engineered” and “over-engineered” is a matter of opinion.
December 6, 2025 at 7:08 PM
The difference between “engineered” and “over-engineered” is a matter of opinion.
New rule: if you're tempted to send me generated prose, copy, or positioning, just send the prompt instead.
Signal-to-noise matters, now more than ever.
Signal-to-noise matters, now more than ever.
December 3, 2025 at 6:19 PM
New rule: if you're tempted to send me generated prose, copy, or positioning, just send the prompt instead.
Signal-to-noise matters, now more than ever.
Signal-to-noise matters, now more than ever.
It'd be great if I could use a software product that costs $100/user/year for without the constant, in-app notifications suggesting I upgrade for features I do not want.
My response? I downgrade and churn.
🤝
My response? I downgrade and churn.
🤝
December 2, 2025 at 4:59 PM
It'd be great if I could use a software product that costs $100/user/year for without the constant, in-app notifications suggesting I upgrade for features I do not want.
My response? I downgrade and churn.
🤝
My response? I downgrade and churn.
🤝
Not even enough to cover my 2025 Claude Code bill.
December 1, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Not even enough to cover my 2025 Claude Code bill.
Today’s inbox:
Remember we exist? Happy Thanksgiving! Buy our shit.
Remember we exist? Happy Thanksgiving! Buy our shit.
November 27, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Today’s inbox:
Remember we exist? Happy Thanksgiving! Buy our shit.
Remember we exist? Happy Thanksgiving! Buy our shit.
Wordle 1,615 4/6*
⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I share this only because my grid looks like a cross section of the solution.
💀
⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I share this only because my grid looks like a cross section of the solution.
💀
November 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Wordle 1,615 4/6*
⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I share this only because my grid looks like a cross section of the solution.
💀
⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I share this only because my grid looks like a cross section of the solution.
💀
It’s not immediately clear why a 10+ year annual 5K at Yankees Stadium—which raised funds for cancer research—couldn’t get things going again since the pandemic.
What is clear is that the @yankees.com decided to run their own, non-philanthropic 5K in its place.
I guess that’s to be expected. 👎
What is clear is that the @yankees.com decided to run their own, non-philanthropic 5K in its place.
I guess that’s to be expected. 👎
November 17, 2025 at 8:13 PM
It’s not immediately clear why a 10+ year annual 5K at Yankees Stadium—which raised funds for cancer research—couldn’t get things going again since the pandemic.
What is clear is that the @yankees.com decided to run their own, non-philanthropic 5K in its place.
I guess that’s to be expected. 👎
What is clear is that the @yankees.com decided to run their own, non-philanthropic 5K in its place.
I guess that’s to be expected. 👎
Why don’t parking wardens ride along with street cleaners to direct re-parkers and issue tickets to unoccupied vehicles? They’d (both) clean up. (And maybe save our ears.)
November 14, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Why don’t parking wardens ride along with street cleaners to direct re-parkers and issue tickets to unoccupied vehicles? They’d (both) clean up. (And maybe save our ears.)
Sometimes doing the responsible thing isn’t the responsible thing.
November 11, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Sometimes doing the responsible thing isn’t the responsible thing.
Can you name any mayor who govern the next 9 largest American cities?
(Can you even name yours?)
(Can you even name yours?)
November 4, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Can you name any mayor who govern the next 9 largest American cities?
(Can you even name yours?)
(Can you even name yours?)
Would be great if the news covered more about what good people are doing rather than casting 24/7 hot takes on the horrible ones.
You too, independent journalists.
You too, independent journalists.
November 2, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Would be great if the news covered more about what good people are doing rather than casting 24/7 hot takes on the horrible ones.
You too, independent journalists.
You too, independent journalists.
cc @raffic.bsky.social :)
I solved the 10/29/2025 New York Times Mini Crossword in 0:45! www.nytimes.com/crosswords/g...
I solved the 10/29/2025 New York Times Mini Crossword in 0:45! www.nytimes.com/crosswords/g...
Play The Mini Crossword
All the fun of the larger New York Times Crossword, but you can solve it in seconds.
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:25 AM
cc @raffic.bsky.social :)
I solved the 10/29/2025 New York Times Mini Crossword in 0:45! www.nytimes.com/crosswords/g...
I solved the 10/29/2025 New York Times Mini Crossword in 0:45! www.nytimes.com/crosswords/g...
Did no one on that mayoral campaign realize that they created a political party whose acronym is FAD?
As in:
fad – n. – a temporary interest or practice of exaggerated zeal
#votenyc
As in:
fad – n. – a temporary interest or practice of exaggerated zeal
#votenyc
October 26, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Did no one on that mayoral campaign realize that they created a political party whose acronym is FAD?
As in:
fad – n. – a temporary interest or practice of exaggerated zeal
#votenyc
As in:
fad – n. – a temporary interest or practice of exaggerated zeal
#votenyc
Co-signed.
Cory Doctorow at CF 25: How Enshittification Conquered the 21st Century and How We Can Overthrow It
YouTube video by CloudFest
youtu.be
October 22, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Co-signed.
To the box.com executive who approved that:
1. the signup TOS require auto-enrollment in marketing e-mails, with
2. no way to unsubscribe in the admin interface, requiring me to have to search to find this article: community.box.com/end-user-for...
This is asshole design. You should feel bad.
1. the signup TOS require auto-enrollment in marketing e-mails, with
2. no way to unsubscribe in the admin interface, requiring me to have to search to find this article: community.box.com/end-user-for...
This is asshole design. You should feel bad.
October 18, 2025 at 8:29 PM
To the box.com executive who approved that:
1. the signup TOS require auto-enrollment in marketing e-mails, with
2. no way to unsubscribe in the admin interface, requiring me to have to search to find this article: community.box.com/end-user-for...
This is asshole design. You should feel bad.
1. the signup TOS require auto-enrollment in marketing e-mails, with
2. no way to unsubscribe in the admin interface, requiring me to have to search to find this article: community.box.com/end-user-for...
This is asshole design. You should feel bad.
When the computer switches to dark mode, perhaps it's time to consider going home.
October 16, 2025 at 11:43 PM
When the computer switches to dark mode, perhaps it's time to consider going home.
The older I get, the more I care about cable management.
October 14, 2025 at 12:58 PM
The older I get, the more I care about cable management.
3 down in today’s mini is misspelled.
K?
K?
October 14, 2025 at 11:27 AM
3 down in today’s mini is misspelled.
K?
K?
I can't believe I'm saying this, but: can't LLMs replace all IVRs?
October 8, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I can't believe I'm saying this, but: can't LLMs replace all IVRs?
“Contestants test their knowledge of sandwich ingredients.”
September 23, 2025 at 12:24 AM
“Contestants test their knowledge of sandwich ingredients.”