Time blind hyperfixation machine
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phantomcobra.bsky.social
Time blind hyperfixation machine
@phantomcobra.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.3K following 7K posts
writer and critic (Paste, Endless Mode, Vague Visages, Blood Knife, People’s World, Baseball Prospectus, Dangerous to Go Alone, Movie Jawn, The Imaginary Engine Review); a better world is possible (socialist). he/him pcvulpes.wordpress.com
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phantomcobra.bsky.social
Got to work and this was on my desk (in a mysterious Bookshop.org box) =D @ckunzelman.bsky.social
Everything is Permitted: On Assassin’s Creed by Cameron Kunzelman
November 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
This is factual tho
Rather than seeking ways of reinventing a system in which America has lost faith, Democrats are betting on Trump’s defeat in next year’s congressional elections. The odds are that Republicans will lose the House of Representatives in 2026 and retain control of the Senate. Such midterm success would be a pyrrhic victory for Democrats. Biden based his 2024 re-election bid on his party’s relative success in the 2022 midterms. Look where that led.
September 10, 2025 at 2:43 AM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Don’t feel like screenshotting the whole thing, so here are a few highlights
America has a conservative establishment. Its formal name is the Democratic party. Whether it be the federal government, universities, welfare or the regulatory state, Democrats fight to preserve the world as it is or was. “America is already great,” liberals cry, which is another way of saying that things were fine until Donald Trump came along. Their lodestar was Joe Biden, who personified nostalgia. Much of the party is now nostalgic for Biden. You have to be imprisoned in old ways of thinking to believe this is how US liberalism will rebound. An invigorated US opposition would now be making hay. Trump’s team maintains a “promises kept” tally sheet. To be sure, he has in effect closed the border, demolished DEI quota culture, assaulted the deep state Democrats also face a deeper philosophical problem. Nobody knows how to reinvent 20th-century liberalism. In the US that was Franklin D Roosevelt’s 1930s New Deal, with updates over the next couple of generations. FDR built that world with “bold persistent experimentation”. His would-be heirs are stuck in a timid, persistent conservatism. They do not “welcome the hatred” of financial and business monopolists as Roosevelt did. They are the party of corporate America. No party in history could ever boast of so many expert fundraisers and humane philanthropists. Lack of fresh ideas and cloistered demography are definitions of conservatism. If Trump did not exist, would Democrats want to reform the US administrative state? They should want to reinvent it but are now its militant defenders. A system that is so riddled with veto points that it takes years to execute simple projects and requires a PhD to navigate the tax system does not deserve to be defended. The same goes for a housing market that has priced younger voters out of the American dream and elite universities that are biased towards the children of alumni and donors. If Trump is attacking something, it must be defended to the hilt.
September 10, 2025 at 2:43 AM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
The apparent crux of the argument
What occurred to me was the possibility that what had seemed, to me, like it could only come from a chilling and impossible level of cynicism might come instead from a perverse and even more chilling variety of mostly genuine belief. Not in the transformative power of AI! I'm talking about something wider and deeper and more frightening than that: a genuine and horribly earnest belief in not believing in anything. My suspicion, my awful awful newfound theory, is that there are people with a sincere and even kind of innocent belief that we are all just picking winners, in everything: that ideology, advocacy, analysis, criticism, affinity, even taste and style and association are essentially predictions. That what a person tries to do, the essential task of a person, is to identify who and what is going to come out on top, and align with it. The rest—what you say, what you do—is just enacting your pick and working in service to it.
September 6, 2025 at 5:34 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
I could probably do this list forever. Wanna start me off?
1 like = 1 game I want to play
September 1, 2025 at 6:49 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Not gonna platform that little fashy nobody, but I do actually think this car looks cool
A cream-colored sedan sitting pretty in a field
August 31, 2025 at 5:23 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Why is it so funny than New Hampshire doesn’t want in?
Health officials from Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania met this week to consider coordinating their own vaccine recommendations, separate from the federal government. Map of the U.S. northeast with the following states highlighted: Vermont Maine New York Pennsylvania Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New Jersey
August 30, 2025 at 2:54 AM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Final relevant highlighted paragraph
Saw it or abetted it finally convinced themselves that it was, at best, an unimportant snafu, since the major information had, in fact, been given. I suspect if it was ever questioned, excuses of time and programming were given, and however absurd the excuses sounded, heads were shaken and the thing was more or less internalized, repressed, and forgotten. But it remains one of the most direct and terrifying manipulations of the media that I have ever seen.
August 22, 2025 at 5:53 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Samuel R. Delany in The Motion of Light in Water discussing his terror at the blatant media manipulation of US TV producers hiding the UN General Assembly’s response to the Cuban ambassador’s address after the Missile Crisis.
The Cuban ambassador was introduced. In Spanish, he began to talk. In English, the translator followed him. There was a very different feel to the Cuban’s speech. It felt far less peremptory. He spoke of US atrocities committed regularly against his country. He spoke of his country’s unsettled position, geographically close to one great power, ideologically closer to a more distant one, and the huge experience of the risk this created across his island. He spoke of the pain and death of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, to which the recent buildup of Soviet missiles in Cuba was (partially) a response. The body of his speech over, he leaned back to take a breath— And something happened I’ll never forget. CBS, the major television channel on which we were watching the UN coverage, again cut to a live news analyst, who began to explain that the Cuban ambassador had said more or less what was to be expected, full of emotion but without content. Meanwhile, on Riverside Radio, the ambassador, after his breath, clearly had leaned forward again, to continue speaking. The translator ended his pause and continued translating. The actual speech came to a close perhaps half a dozen sentences on. Beyond what the TV audience heard, it ran on another—oh, a minute and a half—possibly two. Confused, though, Is already gotten up and begun switching TV channels, to see if any other TV stations were staying with the UN—as The FM radio behind me was. On channel after channel I stared at, and listened to, some analyst, talking calmly, as if, indeed, the Cuban ambassador’s speech had reached its conclusion just like the other two. All the networks shared the same picture. Behind me, on the radio, the Cuban’s speech actually ended—and I heard a sound. It was applause—the applause of the General Assembly and the whole audience. Neither of the two other ambassadors had received such an ovation. It was applause that rose, over the first two or three seconds, to a volume to equal that of the traffic on the industrial avenues in the city just before noon. The applause came on and on. There were shouts of approbation in it.i have been in theaters and know the difference between the sound of an ordinary ovation and a standing ovation. And I will tell you, though I did not see it, in the General Assembly of the United Nations, as they applauded, people stood. On TV, on all channels available, the analyst went on (do I add, in memory, a vague sense of flusteredness to his words, as if he had not been prepared to start as early as he had, and had been still making notes, considering what he was to say, when he’d been directed to go on—now!) but what had happened was that someone, sensing what the reaction to the speech would be, had decided that the American people should not see the General Assembly audience go wild with support for Cuba, and so had made a decision, given a direction; and the Cuban ambassador’s speech had been truncated, and the analyst had been purposely brought in to obliterate both the ending to the speech and the overwhelming reaction to it among the delegates from the rest of the world. I suspect whoever did this still thinks of himself as a hero. I suspect many who
August 22, 2025 at 5:53 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Documentaries from Black Star. Feel like I’m missing one.
The Sixth Borough; Anfitriões há meio século; Otherworld; Tijolo por Tijolo
August 8, 2025 at 1:47 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Came away thinking I always underestimated Cappadonna. Did the ladies go crazy when Meth took off his shirt during You’re All I Need? Of course
Philadelphia’s own Freeway performing at the last night of the Wu-Tang Clan Final Chamber tour Cappadonna of the Wu-Tang Clan performing at the last night of the Wu-Tang Clan Final Chamber tour alongside Raekwon the Chef and Ghostface Killah Method Man about to pull his tank top up at the end of performing You’re All I Need to Get By (which Method Man originally recorded with Mary J Blige) at the last night of the Wu-Tang Clan Final Chamber tour Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson giving the members of the Wu-Tang Clan special citations at the last night of the Wu-Tang Clan Final Chamber tour
July 19, 2025 at 2:55 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
I was at the Wu-Tang Clan’s last concert. It was my godson’s first concert. Run the Jewels opened. Lauryn Hill (and Zion Marley), Freeway, and LL Cool J came out as special guests. The crowd was four or five generations of hip-hop heads. Incredible stuff.
Run the Jewels performing at the last night of the Wu-Tang Clan Final Chamber tour The moment Method Man rose and announced himself at the last night of the Wu-Tang Clan Final Chamber tour Ms Lauryn Hill performing at the last night of the Wu-Tang Clan Final Chamber tour LL Cool J performing at the last night of the Wu-Tang Clan Final Chamber tour
July 19, 2025 at 2:46 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
I watched a lot of bullshit last month, but Phoenician Scheme’s only competition for my favorite of the year so far is Den of Thieves 2. (M:I:tFR is probably third place, but those stunts really were incredible, who knows how I’ll feel in December)
June 2025 Letterboxd list 20th-Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)-2.5 stars 19th-Sicario (2015)-2.5 stars 18th-The Phoenician Scheme (2025)-4.5 stars and a heart (rewatch) 13th-The Wrath of Man (2021)-2 stars 9th-Phoenician Scheme (2025)-4 stars 8th-The Nice Guys (2016)-3.5 stars and a heart 6th-28 Days Later (2002)-3 stars 3rd-Mission: Impossible (1996)-3 stars and a heart 2nd-Ballerina (2025)-2.5 stars and a heart June 2025 Letterboxd list 25th-Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)-2 stars 20th-Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)-2.5 stars 19th-Sicario (2015)-2.5 stars 18th-The Phoenician Scheme (2025)-4.5 stars and a heart (rewatch) 13th-The Wrath of Man (2021)-2 stars 9th-Phoenician Scheme (2025)-4 stars 8th-The Nice Guys (2016)-3.5 stars and a heart 6th-28 Days Later (2002)-3 stars 3rd-Mission: Impossible (1996)-3 stars and a heart
July 10, 2025 at 1:45 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Another was the environment Flamengo and Esperance’s fans brought. Especially all the Palestinian flags from Esperance, or when a huge group of fans made a Palestinian flag with balloons. They had huge FREE GAZA and FREE PALESTINE banners
Picture of the Esperánce Sportive de Tunisie fans in the Lincoln Financial Field stands; some of them holding a banner that says “Land, Freedom, Palestine” Picture of the Esperánce Sportive de Tunisie fans in the Lincoln Financial Field stands; some of them holding a banner that says “FREE GAZA” where the “A” is on a Palestinian flag Picture of the Esperánce Sportive de Tunisie fans in the Lincoln Financial Field stands; the center group are holding red, black, white, and green balloons arranged to make a Palestinian flag
June 26, 2025 at 4:01 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Pretty clear knock-on effect that if you create a bunch of people with the requisite skills for the job you’ll suppress the wages by flooding the labor market, so I’m glad they addressed that as well as layoffs and “AI”

futurism.com/computer-sci...
"We created a gold rush mentality around coding right as the gold ran out," Ryan continued, referencing the "learn to code" craze of the late 2010s and early 2020s. "Companies are cutting engineering budgets by 40 percent while CS enrollment hits record highs. It's basic economics. Flood the market, crater the wages."
June 7, 2025 at 7:25 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
How’d they decide he should have this job?
Richardson, who has no disaster response experience, said during Monday's briefing, a daily all-hands meeting held by phone and videoconference, that he will not be issuing a new disaster plan because he does not want to make changes that might counter the FEMA Review Council, the sources said. President Donald Trump created the council to evaluate FEMA. Its members include DHS head Kristi Noem, governors and other officials. In a May 15 staff town hall, Richardson said a disaster plan, including tabletop exercises, would be ready for review by May 23.
June 2, 2025 at 10:04 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
My threading isn’t working, but here’s Nix dressed like LoBot. How cute is this?
Picture from the game Star Wars: Outlaws. Adorable little alien pet with cyborg visor implants like Lando Calrissian’s buddy Lo Bot in Empire Strikes Back
May 31, 2025 at 2:36 AM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
@scumbelievable.bsky.social on the staff recommends shelf at Tattered Cover Books in Denver
Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin on a bookshelf with a recommendation blurb that says “Zombie outbreak targets cis men. Two trans women fight for their lives against flesh eaters and worse - TURFS *(should be spelled T-E-R-F*). Such a kickass debut from Gretchen Felker-Martin.”
May 23, 2025 at 7:52 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Any thoughts on how to repair a book cover damaged like this?
Paperback book - The Consumer Society: A History of American Capitalism by Peter d’A. Jones… the cover is torn off the book cleanly
May 17, 2025 at 3:04 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Marcos Martín on the second Absolute Batman arc drew a more positive initial reaction (reminds me a bit of the 70s/80s stuff)
A full two page spread of Absolute Batman #7, the central picture in which Batman is diving upside down, but other smaller panels include a pink hued helicopter interior with Gotham police astonished, and a series of yellow hued panels depicting a construction site
May 16, 2025 at 12:42 AM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
I didn’t love De Iuis’s art in their first issue (#6) of Absolute Wonder Woman (mainly Diana herself; I was really into Sherman’s art style in 1-5) but it grew on me in issue 7… also, wish parents were explaining media literacy like Circe here lol
Comic panels where Wonder Woman as a child talks through a story with an ambiguous ending; in the last exchange, her mother says “I understand you are caught up on her worthiness, but do you think that is the point of the story?” “…no,” replies Diana
May 16, 2025 at 12:29 AM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
I’m so good at making pizza (pics attached) but sometimes I just want convenience. How could the shops on the corner betray me so?
Homemade pizza with pepperoni, mushroom, and prosciutto Pepperoni and mushroom pizza with shredded basil sprinkled across it Single slice of sopressata pizza, holding firm Sopressata and mushroom pizza
May 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Finished running ten miles down Broad street about an hour ago lol nbd
2025 Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run 10 mile race finisher medal
May 4, 2025 at 3:22 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
Going through old pics. Forgot about this
ESPN College Football broadcast desk conversation with “September Storlyines in PAC 12” as the bottom label during the “Sling TV halftime report” (“storlyines” should presumably say “storylines”; this was a typo on the national broadcast of a multibillion dollar company)
March 27, 2025 at 5:12 PM
phantomcobra.bsky.social
I baked (instead of fried) wings earlier. They were good. Sauce was spicy
Chicken wing pieces fried but not fully sauced Chicken wings fried and sauced next to some homemade blue cheese dressing
March 23, 2025 at 3:09 AM