MrBarrington
@mrbarrington.bsky.social
Stockholm-based, London-born book/language nerd 🤓
Reposted by MrBarrington
Tomorrow I am going to go walk around in the outside world and try and find three things I could put in a story. They might be people, places, a scrap of conversation, an interesting cloud, or something else.
December 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Tomorrow I am going to go walk around in the outside world and try and find three things I could put in a story. They might be people, places, a scrap of conversation, an interesting cloud, or something else.
Reposted by MrBarrington
That video you’re sharing is AI-gen and we gotta start bullying people to look at the comments for confirmation of this before they reskeet like making people read the replies before they comment with the same joke fifty other people already made.
December 7, 2025 at 4:14 PM
That video you’re sharing is AI-gen and we gotta start bullying people to look at the comments for confirmation of this before they reskeet like making people read the replies before they comment with the same joke fifty other people already made.
Reposted by MrBarrington
Who has made this 🤣
December 7, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Who has made this 🤣
Reposted by MrBarrington
In Ukraine the state itself is investigating the government, the cabinet, even the president’s closest advisers. By contrast, it is impossible to imagine Kash Patel’s FBI investigating anyone in Trump’s White House. Any Russian who investigates Putin goes to jail. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Trumpian Corruption Is Worse Than Ukrainian Corruption
The people of Ukraine want an honest government, even as American and Russian kleptocrats circle their country.
www.theatlantic.com
December 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM
In Ukraine the state itself is investigating the government, the cabinet, even the president’s closest advisers. By contrast, it is impossible to imagine Kash Patel’s FBI investigating anyone in Trump’s White House. Any Russian who investigates Putin goes to jail. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Reposted by MrBarrington
"They say that I have no hits, and I'm difficult to work with. And they say that like it's a bad thing."
Happy Birthday to Tom Waits, born 7 December 1949.
Happy Birthday to Tom Waits, born 7 December 1949.
December 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
"They say that I have no hits, and I'm difficult to work with. And they say that like it's a bad thing."
Happy Birthday to Tom Waits, born 7 December 1949.
Happy Birthday to Tom Waits, born 7 December 1949.
Reposted by MrBarrington
By “sovreignty” he means “states should be weak enough so that billionaires like me should be able to treat them as feudal vassals” bsky.app/profile/lora...
Elon Musk is against the European Union being the European Union —he posted this after X (fka Twitter) was fined for violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act.
December 6, 2025 at 10:16 PM
By “sovreignty” he means “states should be weak enough so that billionaires like me should be able to treat them as feudal vassals” bsky.app/profile/lora...
Reposted by MrBarrington
I am very proud of the book trailer I made. I did the filming, the editing, and even made music for it. Am I good at those things? No. But each time I do them, I learn more and that's really cool. Which is one reason why I hate AI. I wish the joy of creating and learning for everyone.
Every Galaxy A Circle Book Trailer
YouTube video by Chloe Clark
youtu.be
December 7, 2025 at 3:01 AM
I am very proud of the book trailer I made. I did the filming, the editing, and even made music for it. Am I good at those things? No. But each time I do them, I learn more and that's really cool. Which is one reason why I hate AI. I wish the joy of creating and learning for everyone.
Reposted by MrBarrington
Reposted by MrBarrington
Finland has emerged as a global leader in countering “fake news”. Here's how they've done it
Teaching when to trust
As fake news accelerates, we need to teach our children how to think critically. Finnish schools are leading the charge
newhumanist.org.uk
December 7, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Finland has emerged as a global leader in countering “fake news”. Here's how they've done it
Reposted by MrBarrington
At some point we might realise this isn’t just about race, but about the biggest social problem we face: the belief that only rich people are worth anything, that the world must bend to their needs and wants and that the richer you are, the more important and valuable you are to the species
Saw this being shared, didn’t look closely and assumed it was about the US… but no, it’s the U.K.
This is so disgusting.
December 7, 2025 at 9:24 AM
At some point we might realise this isn’t just about race, but about the biggest social problem we face: the belief that only rich people are worth anything, that the world must bend to their needs and wants and that the richer you are, the more important and valuable you are to the species
Reposted by MrBarrington
This is so perfect. No one have any doubts at this point about what Elon Musk really represents.
December 7, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This is so perfect. No one have any doubts at this point about what Elon Musk really represents.
Reposted by MrBarrington
'Good enough that you could pitch it as a fitting finale for an entire era of rap, the album actually creates the opposite problem: it’s too alive to be an ending, too rich with ideas and sonic pleasures. These guys might just have to keep on going.'
De La Soul - Cabin in the Sky
buff.ly/KlsHTMR
De La Soul - Cabin in the Sky
buff.ly/KlsHTMR
December 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM
'Good enough that you could pitch it as a fitting finale for an entire era of rap, the album actually creates the opposite problem: it’s too alive to be an ending, too rich with ideas and sonic pleasures. These guys might just have to keep on going.'
De La Soul - Cabin in the Sky
buff.ly/KlsHTMR
De La Soul - Cabin in the Sky
buff.ly/KlsHTMR
Reposted by MrBarrington
A Palantir billionaire just called for public hangings.
“It's time to bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable,” writes Joe Lonsdale.
This is where Silicon Valley authoritarianism is heading:
www.thenerdreich.com/joe-lonsdale...
“It's time to bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable,” writes Joe Lonsdale.
This is where Silicon Valley authoritarianism is heading:
www.thenerdreich.com/joe-lonsdale...
Joe Lonsdale Calls For Public Hangings
Silicon Valley radicalization escalates
www.thenerdreich.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:15 PM
A Palantir billionaire just called for public hangings.
“It's time to bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable,” writes Joe Lonsdale.
This is where Silicon Valley authoritarianism is heading:
www.thenerdreich.com/joe-lonsdale...
“It's time to bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable,” writes Joe Lonsdale.
This is where Silicon Valley authoritarianism is heading:
www.thenerdreich.com/joe-lonsdale...
Reposted by MrBarrington
Everything about this is as exactly as bad as you think it's going to be www.ft.com/content/b127...
Tech elites are starting their own for-profit cities
They want to escape from regulation and ‘failing’ democracy — but are they more opportunistic than libertarian?
www.ft.com
December 7, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Everything about this is as exactly as bad as you think it's going to be www.ft.com/content/b127...
Reposted by MrBarrington
Washing down a multi-vitamin and a cod liver oil tablet with black coffee like a detective in a failed attempt by Richard Osman to write a noir novel.
December 6, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Washing down a multi-vitamin and a cod liver oil tablet with black coffee like a detective in a failed attempt by Richard Osman to write a noir novel.
Reposted by MrBarrington
Most gratuitous erasures from Peter Jackson’s LotR trilogy?
Bombadil
Erkenbrand
Imrahil
Bombadil
Erkenbrand
Imrahil
Círdan erasure
December 6, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Most gratuitous erasures from Peter Jackson’s LotR trilogy?
Bombadil
Erkenbrand
Imrahil
Bombadil
Erkenbrand
Imrahil
Reposted by MrBarrington
Painting created by Anthony Dare, December 1964, in the art therapy studio at Netherne hospital in Surrey, where he was compelled to live.
This is one of four surviving works by him & no biographical information is currently known to us
This is one of four surviving works by him & no biographical information is currently known to us
December 20, 2024 at 6:45 PM
Painting created by Anthony Dare, December 1964, in the art therapy studio at Netherne hospital in Surrey, where he was compelled to live.
This is one of four surviving works by him & no biographical information is currently known to us
This is one of four surviving works by him & no biographical information is currently known to us
Reposted by MrBarrington
Things that make generative AI dangerous:
1. Job market impact. As a cutting measure it's being used to generate "boilerplate". This is putting writers out of work.
2. Stock market bubble. When this inevitably crashes it will take out pension funds and savings.
1/
1. Job market impact. As a cutting measure it's being used to generate "boilerplate". This is putting writers out of work.
2. Stock market bubble. When this inevitably crashes it will take out pension funds and savings.
1/
April 13, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Things that make generative AI dangerous:
1. Job market impact. As a cutting measure it's being used to generate "boilerplate". This is putting writers out of work.
2. Stock market bubble. When this inevitably crashes it will take out pension funds and savings.
1/
1. Job market impact. As a cutting measure it's being used to generate "boilerplate". This is putting writers out of work.
2. Stock market bubble. When this inevitably crashes it will take out pension funds and savings.
1/
Reposted by MrBarrington
Swedish navy encountering Russian submarines ‘almost weekly’ – and more could be on the way
Swedish navy encountering Russian submarines ‘almost weekly’ – and more could be on the way
Moscow ‘continuously reinforcing’ its presence in the region, says Swedish chief of operations Capt Marko Petkovic
The Swedish navy encounters Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea on an “almost weekly” basis, its chief of operations has said, and is preparing for a further increase in the event of ceasefire or armistice in the Ukraine war.
Capt Marko Petkovic said Moscow was “continuously reinforcing” its presence in the region, and sightings of its vessels were a regular part of life for the Swedish navy. Its “very common”, he said, adding that the number of sightings had increased in recent years. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Swedish navy encountering Russian submarines ‘almost weekly’ – and more could be on the way
Reposted by MrBarrington
Nice analysis of AI’s current writing style.
"We are unearthing the echo of loneliness. We are unfolding the brushstrokes of regret. We are saying the words that mean meaning." A great, clarifying, skin-crawling piece on A.I. writing 'style' by Sam Kriss. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/m...
Why Does A.I. Write Like … That?
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Nice analysis of AI’s current writing style.
Reposted by MrBarrington
I guess we finally got the answer to "can Netflix get better at making film and TV faster than HBO can get making tech"
December 5, 2025 at 2:47 PM
I guess we finally got the answer to "can Netflix get better at making film and TV faster than HBO can get making tech"
Since Socrates’ time (C5 bce), The New Yorker?? What about Polyphemus in the Odyssey (ca C8 bce), falling for that dumbass “nobody” trick?
Can I have a job as a fact checker plz
Can I have a job as a fact checker plz
December 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Since Socrates’ time (C5 bce), The New Yorker?? What about Polyphemus in the Odyssey (ca C8 bce), falling for that dumbass “nobody” trick?
Can I have a job as a fact checker plz
Can I have a job as a fact checker plz
Reposted by MrBarrington
“One mile on a bike is a $.42 economic gain to society, one mile driving is a $.20 loss.”
“Which means that Copenhagen, a city of 1.2 million people, saves $357 million a year on health costs because something like 80% of its population commutes by bike.” #CityMakingMath
Some costs aren’t costs.
“Which means that Copenhagen, a city of 1.2 million people, saves $357 million a year on health costs because something like 80% of its population commutes by bike.” #CityMakingMath
Some costs aren’t costs.
One mile on a bike is a $.42 economic gain to society, one mile driving is a $.20 loss
Copenhagen, the bicycle-friendliest place on the planet, publishes a biannual Bicycle Account, and buried in its pages is a rather astonishing fact.
grist.org
November 21, 2025 at 12:40 AM
“One mile on a bike is a $.42 economic gain to society, one mile driving is a $.20 loss.”
“Which means that Copenhagen, a city of 1.2 million people, saves $357 million a year on health costs because something like 80% of its population commutes by bike.” #CityMakingMath
Some costs aren’t costs.
“Which means that Copenhagen, a city of 1.2 million people, saves $357 million a year on health costs because something like 80% of its population commutes by bike.” #CityMakingMath
Some costs aren’t costs.
Reposted by MrBarrington
🚨
I am hearing from multiple sources that the EU Commission is announcing its first DSA fine tomorrow against X on ad transparency, blue check & dark pattern, and researcher access to data.
The fine is in the "100s of millions of Euros."
Elon about to get big mad.
I am hearing from multiple sources that the EU Commission is announcing its first DSA fine tomorrow against X on ad transparency, blue check & dark pattern, and researcher access to data.
The fine is in the "100s of millions of Euros."
Elon about to get big mad.
December 4, 2025 at 9:39 PM
🚨
I am hearing from multiple sources that the EU Commission is announcing its first DSA fine tomorrow against X on ad transparency, blue check & dark pattern, and researcher access to data.
The fine is in the "100s of millions of Euros."
Elon about to get big mad.
I am hearing from multiple sources that the EU Commission is announcing its first DSA fine tomorrow against X on ad transparency, blue check & dark pattern, and researcher access to data.
The fine is in the "100s of millions of Euros."
Elon about to get big mad.
Reposted by MrBarrington
it was not... already listed as a high-risk country?
We are acting to safeguard the EU financial system.
Russia is now listed as a high-risk country for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.
EU entities must apply enhanced vigilance in all transactions involving Russia.
Integrity cannot be compromised.
→ link.europa.eu/G7Kvcg
Russia is now listed as a high-risk country for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.
EU entities must apply enhanced vigilance in all transactions involving Russia.
Integrity cannot be compromised.
→ link.europa.eu/G7Kvcg
December 4, 2025 at 4:57 PM
it was not... already listed as a high-risk country?