Larson Lee
@larsonlee.bsky.social
Distracted lawyer, lapsed reporter, occasional songwriter. Longtime Iowan in New York; current New Yorker in Iowa.
Is there anyone—anywhere—who actually *wants* to sit down and watch AI-generated realistic video? Even if it’s visually indistinguishable from reality, if you know it’s fake, cheap, and made up by a computer, that takes all the joy out of watching it, right?
December 19, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Is there anyone—anywhere—who actually *wants* to sit down and watch AI-generated realistic video? Even if it’s visually indistinguishable from reality, if you know it’s fake, cheap, and made up by a computer, that takes all the joy out of watching it, right?
Reposted by Larson Lee
One thing I think popularists have failed to grapple with is that for Republicans and aligned independents, policies being associated with Dems makes them unpopular basically regardless of what they are on the merits.
seems the permitting reform bill might go down in Congress because Republican hardliners are mad it will enable some renewables projects heatmap.news/politics/all...
The Party of ‘All of the Above’ Is Now ‘Anything But’
The tension between the two GOP energy philosophies — one admitting renewables, the other firmly rejecting — could tank a permitting reform deal.
heatmap.news
December 17, 2025 at 2:31 PM
One thing I think popularists have failed to grapple with is that for Republicans and aligned independents, policies being associated with Dems makes them unpopular basically regardless of what they are on the merits.
Reposted by Larson Lee
When I see an ad boasting of all that A.I. can create for me
December 13, 2025 at 4:12 AM
When I see an ad boasting of all that A.I. can create for me
Reposted by Larson Lee
How it started vs How it’s going (vibe coding edition)
December 13, 2025 at 4:14 AM
How it started vs How it’s going (vibe coding edition)
Reposted by Larson Lee
I have a theory that doing opinion writing on a regular basis actually makes you a worse writer and thinker.
No one has that many good opinions. The best among us have three or four a year, at most.
Sooner or later, you hit Andy Rooney territory.
No one has that many good opinions. The best among us have three or four a year, at most.
Sooner or later, you hit Andy Rooney territory.
December 12, 2025 at 4:24 AM
I have a theory that doing opinion writing on a regular basis actually makes you a worse writer and thinker.
No one has that many good opinions. The best among us have three or four a year, at most.
Sooner or later, you hit Andy Rooney territory.
No one has that many good opinions. The best among us have three or four a year, at most.
Sooner or later, you hit Andy Rooney territory.
Reposted by Larson Lee
Population of the Metro Tokyo Area Compared To US Cities (based on city borders)
By the numbers: brilliantmaps.com/tokyo-vs-...
By the numbers: brilliantmaps.com/tokyo-vs-...
December 11, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Population of the Metro Tokyo Area Compared To US Cities (based on city borders)
By the numbers: brilliantmaps.com/tokyo-vs-...
By the numbers: brilliantmaps.com/tokyo-vs-...
Reposted by Larson Lee
Real Country Sizes Shown on Mercator Projection
Credit: Engaging Data
Animated Map: brilliantmaps.com/mercator-...
Credit: Engaging Data
Animated Map: brilliantmaps.com/mercator-...
December 11, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Real Country Sizes Shown on Mercator Projection
Credit: Engaging Data
Animated Map: brilliantmaps.com/mercator-...
Credit: Engaging Data
Animated Map: brilliantmaps.com/mercator-...
It would surely be gross and cynical of me to respond to this excellent thread by linking to one of the four original Christmas songs I’ve written, including one released just last month. And yet…
All right, so I have been a little busy and stressed to do the annual Christmas song explainer, but I’m laid up today without much better to do, so here you go.
Every single year, my mother complains: “nobody can write a new Christmas song anymore? It’s all the same stuff!”
She’s right. 🧵
Every single year, my mother complains: “nobody can write a new Christmas song anymore? It’s all the same stuff!”
She’s right. 🧵
December 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
It would surely be gross and cynical of me to respond to this excellent thread by linking to one of the four original Christmas songs I’ve written, including one released just last month. And yet…
I swear to you I have not successfully read a single piece from NYMag in over a year, and have not clicked on a link there in months. How is it that I have always reached my monthly article limit?
December 10, 2025 at 9:12 PM
I swear to you I have not successfully read a single piece from NYMag in over a year, and have not clicked on a link there in months. How is it that I have always reached my monthly article limit?
LOL at Purdue fans doing the “sit down” at this point in this game. Scoreboard, motherfuckers
December 6, 2025 at 6:54 PM
LOL at Purdue fans doing the “sit down” at this point in this game. Scoreboard, motherfuckers
That was all fuckin ball
December 6, 2025 at 6:53 PM
That was all fuckin ball
How does Purdue ALWAYS have an identical ridiculously tall white dude at center?
December 6, 2025 at 5:22 PM
How does Purdue ALWAYS have an identical ridiculously tall white dude at center?
Just my opinion, having read the transcript: Good on Chase Strangio for going on Ross Do*that’s podcast and doing an admirable job speaking to people skeptical of gender-affirming care.
But also, Ross Do*that is a bad faith operator to his core, and it is clear for all those with eyes to see.
But also, Ross Do*that is a bad faith operator to his core, and it is clear for all those with eyes to see.
December 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Just my opinion, having read the transcript: Good on Chase Strangio for going on Ross Do*that’s podcast and doing an admirable job speaking to people skeptical of gender-affirming care.
But also, Ross Do*that is a bad faith operator to his core, and it is clear for all those with eyes to see.
But also, Ross Do*that is a bad faith operator to his core, and it is clear for all those with eyes to see.
Reposted by Larson Lee
This has always been my personal favorite (and I can't find the damned audio version with Doyle Redland of Onion Radio News which is just... spectacular!).
December 4, 2025 at 2:52 AM
This has always been my personal favorite (and I can't find the damned audio version with Doyle Redland of Onion Radio News which is just... spectacular!).
Reposted by Larson Lee
Warranted vs. Productive seems like a defining choice for people on the left right now.
E.g., Being rude On Here to someone who has been on the wrong side of an important issue may be warranted… but it’s rarely productive.
E.g., Being rude On Here to someone who has been on the wrong side of an important issue may be warranted… but it’s rarely productive.
December 2, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Warranted vs. Productive seems like a defining choice for people on the left right now.
E.g., Being rude On Here to someone who has been on the wrong side of an important issue may be warranted… but it’s rarely productive.
E.g., Being rude On Here to someone who has been on the wrong side of an important issue may be warranted… but it’s rarely productive.
Reposted by Larson Lee
I wrote much of this several months ago, about Ezra Klein's response to the Kirk assassination, and then never ended up publishing it, but I think this UO "controversy" is a such a perfect example of how TPUSA et al actually advance conservative power that I decided to revive and rewrite it.
What Liberals Can Learn from Charlie Kirk
Over the last few days, if you’re active on political media, you have probably seen references to the “controversy” over a student’s failing grade on an essay at Oklahoma Un…
nathangoldwag.wordpress.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I wrote much of this several months ago, about Ezra Klein's response to the Kirk assassination, and then never ended up publishing it, but I think this UO "controversy" is a such a perfect example of how TPUSA et al actually advance conservative power that I decided to revive and rewrite it.
Reposted by Larson Lee
They were 8 and 11 years old
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
They were 8 and 11 years old
Reposted by Larson Lee
On “The Necessary Conversation” podcast, Chad’s Trump supporter parents tell him the military should follow Trump’s illegal orders and kill everyone in LA if Trump commanded it — even with him and his sister in the city😳
November 28, 2025 at 12:41 AM
On “The Necessary Conversation” podcast, Chad’s Trump supporter parents tell him the military should follow Trump’s illegal orders and kill everyone in LA if Trump commanded it — even with him and his sister in the city😳
Reposted by Larson Lee
March 6, 2024 at 1:23 PM
Reposted by Larson Lee
James Bond supervillains threaten to blow up the world with their big laser unless you pay them a trillion dollars.
Real American supervillains embed themselves in the economy and threaten to cause a depression unless you subsidize their sex robots and the weird chatbots they use to avoid humans.
Real American supervillains embed themselves in the economy and threaten to cause a depression unless you subsidize their sex robots and the weird chatbots they use to avoid humans.
November 26, 2025 at 7:25 PM
James Bond supervillains threaten to blow up the world with their big laser unless you pay them a trillion dollars.
Real American supervillains embed themselves in the economy and threaten to cause a depression unless you subsidize their sex robots and the weird chatbots they use to avoid humans.
Real American supervillains embed themselves in the economy and threaten to cause a depression unless you subsidize their sex robots and the weird chatbots they use to avoid humans.
Reposted by Larson Lee
There is NO FUCKING EXCUSE for this to be happening.
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
A third infant has died in Kentucky, KYDPH adds:
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
November 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
There is NO FUCKING EXCUSE for this to be happening.
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡