Penn
@penn-fp.bsky.social
Frater Providence. Critic. Anti-fascist. King of the HideBehinds, and the Wizard-Priest of Ahania.
I’m getting a really high score at midlife crisis.
Find me (and El) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/elizabethsandifer
I’m getting a really high score at midlife crisis.
Find me (and El) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/elizabethsandifer
Listened to Bragg and Springsteen’s Minneapolis songs back to back. If you told me Bragg wrote Springsteen’s I’d believe you. If you told me Springsteen wrote Bragg’s I’d probably have to get in your face, as it were.
January 31, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Listened to Bragg and Springsteen’s Minneapolis songs back to back. If you told me Bragg wrote Springsteen’s I’d believe you. If you told me Springsteen wrote Bragg’s I’d probably have to get in your face, as it were.
There’s a general consensus that 70s rock guys made bad records in the 80s, and I’m coming to the impression that—no, they made 80s records in the 80s. Y’all just don’t like the 80s.
Brought to you by my having not gotten around to Young’s 1986 Landing on Water until this morning. And it slaps.
Brought to you by my having not gotten around to Young’s 1986 Landing on Water until this morning. And it slaps.
January 29, 2026 at 4:27 PM
There’s a general consensus that 70s rock guys made bad records in the 80s, and I’m coming to the impression that—no, they made 80s records in the 80s. Y’all just don’t like the 80s.
Brought to you by my having not gotten around to Young’s 1986 Landing on Water until this morning. And it slaps.
Brought to you by my having not gotten around to Young’s 1986 Landing on Water until this morning. And it slaps.
This morning, I’m looking at that pristine snow out my window. In a moment, my dog will cut Family Circus tails all through it. I’m thinking about Minnesota, and how cold this winter seems, about my lovely fire night, and my crushing depression.
I’m sitting with an old friend, tonight, in front of a fire while Paul Simon sings from my record player. “Still Crazy After All These Years.” Outside my window is nothing but snow all the way to clouded city lights.
Wanna get some more years in, but I like where this is going.
Wanna get some more years in, but I like where this is going.
January 26, 2026 at 5:50 PM
This morning, I’m looking at that pristine snow out my window. In a moment, my dog will cut Family Circus tails all through it. I’m thinking about Minnesota, and how cold this winter seems, about my lovely fire night, and my crushing depression.
I’m sitting with an old friend, tonight, in front of a fire while Paul Simon sings from my record player. “Still Crazy After All These Years.” Outside my window is nothing but snow all the way to clouded city lights.
Wanna get some more years in, but I like where this is going.
Wanna get some more years in, but I like where this is going.
January 26, 2026 at 7:43 AM
I’m sitting with an old friend, tonight, in front of a fire while Paul Simon sings from my record player. “Still Crazy After All These Years.” Outside my window is nothing but snow all the way to clouded city lights.
Wanna get some more years in, but I like where this is going.
Wanna get some more years in, but I like where this is going.
Reposted by Penn
It has gotten so bad that the @nytimes.com has stopped using the passive voice to describe the violence.
January 24, 2026 at 5:15 PM
It has gotten so bad that the @nytimes.com has stopped using the passive voice to describe the violence.
Here, have little a hope as a treat.
I came to Minneapolis to report on what's going on, and one of the main questions I showed up with is "just what is the scale of the resistance?" After all, we're all used to the news calling Portland a "war zone" or whatever when it's just some protests in one part of town.
January 22, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Here, have little a hope as a treat.
…
Home Alone With Big Naturals
Home Alone With Big Naturals
Improve a movie title by adding "With Big Naturals"
January 22, 2026 at 1:52 AM
…
Home Alone With Big Naturals
Home Alone With Big Naturals
The little guy who lives in my head and scripts my nightmares for me is like
a man in a black jacket and purple tie says i know writers who use subtext
Alt: “I know writers who use subtext and they’re all cowards”
media.tenor.com
January 18, 2026 at 4:13 PM
The little guy who lives in my head and scripts my nightmares for me is like
I just saw an ad on the side of a bus advertising veganism explicitly to dairy farmers…
I…
I…
January 14, 2026 at 8:20 PM
I just saw an ad on the side of a bus advertising veganism explicitly to dairy farmers…
I…
I…
I’d stalled out on smoothly reading sheet music—more or less because I have a better ear than visual processing. This is only really a problem for me because I am annoyed by it, but I sure am.
So I decided to try learning by transcribing things by ear. Early returns are positive.
So I decided to try learning by transcribing things by ear. Early returns are positive.
January 5, 2026 at 5:25 AM
I’d stalled out on smoothly reading sheet music—more or less because I have a better ear than visual processing. This is only really a problem for me because I am annoyed by it, but I sure am.
So I decided to try learning by transcribing things by ear. Early returns are positive.
So I decided to try learning by transcribing things by ear. Early returns are positive.
Do your records ever have panic attacks? ‘Cause my vinyl of Computer World is currently back skipping on the lyric “I don’t know what to do” and… mood.
January 1, 2026 at 4:43 AM
Do your records ever have panic attacks? ‘Cause my vinyl of Computer World is currently back skipping on the lyric “I don’t know what to do” and… mood.
The textbook I’m reading got existential.
December 29, 2025 at 5:52 PM
The textbook I’m reading got existential.
Reposted by Penn
Reading @eruditorumpress.com’s Neoreaction: A Basilisk was genuinely life-changing, and ever since I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the idea that embracing things that terrify and disgust reactionaries — the transformation of self, the leaving-behind-of-honor — is shockingly powerful.
December 29, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Reading @eruditorumpress.com’s Neoreaction: A Basilisk was genuinely life-changing, and ever since I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the idea that embracing things that terrify and disgust reactionaries — the transformation of self, the leaving-behind-of-honor — is shockingly powerful.
I suppose the benefit of being disowned before the rise of AI as everyone’s personal research assistant is that it took until Christmas 2025 for me to crash out at a family member about it.
December 28, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I suppose the benefit of being disowned before the rise of AI as everyone’s personal research assistant is that it took until Christmas 2025 for me to crash out at a family member about it.
Alright, so I think what’s interesting about learning drums as someone who primarily plays guitar is that suddenly you’re looking at the structure of the music from the other side.
December 26, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Alright, so I think what’s interesting about learning drums as someone who primarily plays guitar is that suddenly you’re looking at the structure of the music from the other side.
Reposted by Penn
glo-o-o-o-o-o
o-o-o-o-o
o-o-o-oria
in excelsis deo
daylight come and me wanna go home
o-o-o-o-o
o-o-o-oria
in excelsis deo
daylight come and me wanna go home
December 25, 2025 at 3:49 AM
glo-o-o-o-o-o
o-o-o-o-o
o-o-o-oria
in excelsis deo
daylight come and me wanna go home
o-o-o-o-o
o-o-o-oria
in excelsis deo
daylight come and me wanna go home
It’s a Christmas Miracle!She’s free!
December 24, 2025 at 5:17 PM
It’s a Christmas Miracle!She’s free!
Oh hey, look… at long last they invented the adolescent piss camera from the classic sci fi novel Don’t Create the Adolescent Piss Camera.
“In one horrifying case, Omnilert’s system misidentified a student’s bag of Doritos, labeling it a handgun. It wasn’t until an armed police squad detained the 16-year old student at gunpoint that they realized the system’s error.”
Officials Deploying AI Surveillance Devices in School Bathrooms
Officials at Beverly Hills High School have unleashed a panopticon of AI surveillance cameras, drones, and audio monitors on their students.
futurism.com
December 24, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Oh hey, look… at long last they invented the adolescent piss camera from the classic sci fi novel Don’t Create the Adolescent Piss Camera.
Reposted by Penn
Almost all writing advice is actively harmful, but "show, don't tell" is the worst, because it's helpful in a tiny subset of cases but closes off whole swathes of stuff you can do in prose, in particular talking about ideas.
what is your least favorite piece of writing advice and why? 👀
December 23, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Almost all writing advice is actively harmful, but "show, don't tell" is the worst, because it's helpful in a tiny subset of cases but closes off whole swathes of stuff you can do in prose, in particular talking about ideas.
My dog’s grumble of despair as I put the cone back on her was one of her more relatable moments.
(She’s fine, and will be out of face prison soon.)
(She’s fine, and will be out of face prison soon.)
December 23, 2025 at 5:51 PM
My dog’s grumble of despair as I put the cone back on her was one of her more relatable moments.
(She’s fine, and will be out of face prison soon.)
(She’s fine, and will be out of face prison soon.)
My best life advice for the spiritually inclined may be this: find the thing /you/ need to do, and define it as your spiritual calling. The god that wants that thing exists, and you’ll both be served well by the arrangement. If it doesn’t feel right, drop it. Be willing to redefine as you go.
December 23, 2025 at 1:29 AM
My best life advice for the spiritually inclined may be this: find the thing /you/ need to do, and define it as your spiritual calling. The god that wants that thing exists, and you’ll both be served well by the arrangement. If it doesn’t feel right, drop it. Be willing to redefine as you go.
The War Between the Land and Sea, or “what if instead of a coherent story we had vibes and CGI earfins?”
December 21, 2025 at 10:21 PM
The War Between the Land and Sea, or “what if instead of a coherent story we had vibes and CGI earfins?”
Listened to WNC WhopBezzy & 70th Street Carlos’ Out the Blue this morning. I loved it, but I’m realizing I just always more have time for Southern hip hop than other regions.
As a Southern exile myself, I’m not sure how to feel about that. 😵💫😅
As a Southern exile myself, I’m not sure how to feel about that. 😵💫😅
December 21, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Listened to WNC WhopBezzy & 70th Street Carlos’ Out the Blue this morning. I loved it, but I’m realizing I just always more have time for Southern hip hop than other regions.
As a Southern exile myself, I’m not sure how to feel about that. 😵💫😅
As a Southern exile myself, I’m not sure how to feel about that. 😵💫😅
Reposted by Penn
sometimes a third album is more dangerous than a sophomore album, because it's at the time when people decide "you know i think i ~do~ want them to make the same record over and over" but the third album is often when they stop
December 21, 2025 at 5:21 AM
sometimes a third album is more dangerous than a sophomore album, because it's at the time when people decide "you know i think i ~do~ want them to make the same record over and over" but the third album is often when they stop
Reposted by Penn
This is the thing that really freaks me out about LLMs. I often don't know what I think about something until I've verbalised it. The process of writing is the process of clarifying my thoughts.
Writing and talking is how I get my thoughts and ideas in order and find myself with new ones I didn't have before.
It's weird that we have to say that.
It's weird that we have to say that.
December 20, 2025 at 4:22 PM
This is the thing that really freaks me out about LLMs. I often don't know what I think about something until I've verbalised it. The process of writing is the process of clarifying my thoughts.