A Gardner
@plorry.bsky.social
tokens may now only be redeemed on food products bearing the Exalted One's "apprehensive face" (or better)
The nihilism gets me. Honour, decency, things you can't see, and so hold no sway with them. If there's advantage to be had, it is taken
I'm as physicalist & atheist as they come, but there's something missing from their souls; & because they lead, they give everyone else permission to live likewise
I'm as physicalist & atheist as they come, but there's something missing from their souls; & because they lead, they give everyone else permission to live likewise
"If I don't get a prize for being good, I won't be good"
These people claim to want to "preserve western values", but have never cracked a Greek philosophy text
They love the buildings and busts, but wouldn't recognize virtue ethics if it whacked them over the head (it wouldn't - spitefulness)
These people claim to want to "preserve western values", but have never cracked a Greek philosophy text
They love the buildings and busts, but wouldn't recognize virtue ethics if it whacked them over the head (it wouldn't - spitefulness)
January 19, 2026 at 10:50 PM
The nihilism gets me. Honour, decency, things you can't see, and so hold no sway with them. If there's advantage to be had, it is taken
I'm as physicalist & atheist as they come, but there's something missing from their souls; & because they lead, they give everyone else permission to live likewise
I'm as physicalist & atheist as they come, but there's something missing from their souls; & because they lead, they give everyone else permission to live likewise
"If I don't get a prize for being good, I won't be good"
These people claim to want to "preserve western values", but have never cracked a Greek philosophy text
They love the buildings and busts, but wouldn't recognize virtue ethics if it whacked them over the head (it wouldn't - spitefulness)
These people claim to want to "preserve western values", but have never cracked a Greek philosophy text
They love the buildings and busts, but wouldn't recognize virtue ethics if it whacked them over the head (it wouldn't - spitefulness)
January 19, 2026 at 10:37 PM
"If I don't get a prize for being good, I won't be good"
These people claim to want to "preserve western values", but have never cracked a Greek philosophy text
They love the buildings and busts, but wouldn't recognize virtue ethics if it whacked them over the head (it wouldn't - spitefulness)
These people claim to want to "preserve western values", but have never cracked a Greek philosophy text
They love the buildings and busts, but wouldn't recognize virtue ethics if it whacked them over the head (it wouldn't - spitefulness)
Catching up, but I gotta say, I'm a fan.
(src: Homestar Runner)
(src: Homestar Runner)
January 13, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Catching up, but I gotta say, I'm a fan.
(src: Homestar Runner)
(src: Homestar Runner)
Our society was ripe to be plagued by AI-generated hallucinations. We are already accustomed to, and comfortable interacting with, sequences of words that resemble expression, but that are completely devoid of meaning, grounding, reference to real things.
January 12, 2026 at 6:48 AM
Our society was ripe to be plagued by AI-generated hallucinations. We are already accustomed to, and comfortable interacting with, sequences of words that resemble expression, but that are completely devoid of meaning, grounding, reference to real things.
Utterly depraved. We are scared to engage with expression and creation in a way that can't be reduced to a monetizable outcome. We are shrinking our world and us inside it.
“probabilities on polymarket”
polymarket and online gamblification of every aspect of our lives is the worst new development of the world in 2025
polymarket and online gamblification of every aspect of our lives is the worst new development of the world in 2025
January 12, 2026 at 6:22 AM
Utterly depraved. We are scared to engage with expression and creation in a way that can't be reduced to a monetizable outcome. We are shrinking our world and us inside it.
Reposted by A Gardner
“Overthrowing a dictator sounds morally right. No one mourns a tyrant. But international law wasn't built to protect the good, but to restrain the powerful… …if each country decides whom to ‘liberate’ by force, the world reverts to the law of the strongest.”
Best thing I’ve read this morning, from a human rights lawyer in Mexico. Translation is in the ALT-text.
January 3, 2026 at 3:24 PM
“Overthrowing a dictator sounds morally right. No one mourns a tyrant. But international law wasn't built to protect the good, but to restrain the powerful… …if each country decides whom to ‘liberate’ by force, the world reverts to the law of the strongest.”
Reposted by A Gardner
Reposted by A Gardner
Trump's comment about Rob Reiner, a beloved American, really demonstrates the rottenness of his character.
December 15, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Trump's comment about Rob Reiner, a beloved American, really demonstrates the rottenness of his character.
Anyway, tell stories that you make up to your kids. My dad did. They were bad, and we laughed.
Everyone has the potential to be creative, and I think it's important to look for opportunities to practice that, and avoid temptation to duck out from it.
Everyone has the potential to be creative, and I think it's important to look for opportunities to practice that, and avoid temptation to duck out from it.
YouTube
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world
youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Anyway, tell stories that you make up to your kids. My dad did. They were bad, and we laughed.
Everyone has the potential to be creative, and I think it's important to look for opportunities to practice that, and avoid temptation to duck out from it.
Everyone has the potential to be creative, and I think it's important to look for opportunities to practice that, and avoid temptation to duck out from it.
Here is a publication from last month: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
I can't speak to the validity of an equation for optimal creativity, but I think it highlights the main point:
An LLM's function for a "good output" is optimized to produce the most likely output according to past data
I can't speak to the validity of an equation for optimal creativity, but I think it highlights the main point:
An LLM's function for a "good output" is optimized to produce the most likely output according to past data
December 9, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Here is a publication from last month: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
I can't speak to the validity of an equation for optimal creativity, but I think it highlights the main point:
An LLM's function for a "good output" is optimized to produce the most likely output according to past data
I can't speak to the validity of an equation for optimal creativity, but I think it highlights the main point:
An LLM's function for a "good output" is optimized to produce the most likely output according to past data
I'm thinking a lot about creativity.
Having taught improv to folks of many ages, I'm of the belief that most people, most of the time are afraid to exercise creativity.
It's a negative feedback loop - fear leads to disuse, leads to poor ability, leads to fear.
The result is an uncreative person.
Having taught improv to folks of many ages, I'm of the belief that most people, most of the time are afraid to exercise creativity.
It's a negative feedback loop - fear leads to disuse, leads to poor ability, leads to fear.
The result is an uncreative person.
December 9, 2025 at 8:43 PM
I'm thinking a lot about creativity.
Having taught improv to folks of many ages, I'm of the belief that most people, most of the time are afraid to exercise creativity.
It's a negative feedback loop - fear leads to disuse, leads to poor ability, leads to fear.
The result is an uncreative person.
Having taught improv to folks of many ages, I'm of the belief that most people, most of the time are afraid to exercise creativity.
It's a negative feedback loop - fear leads to disuse, leads to poor ability, leads to fear.
The result is an uncreative person.
"Shoot, I haven't fed my grandma all week"
I turn on my virtual grandma to find her void full of unswept poop, she digivolved into a little shrunken worm out of Ursula's "poor unfortunate souls"
"One day, I will have my body back" she weakly utters
I roll my eyes and reset her to an egg
I turn on my virtual grandma to find her void full of unswept poop, she digivolved into a little shrunken worm out of Ursula's "poor unfortunate souls"
"One day, I will have my body back" she weakly utters
I roll my eyes and reset her to an egg
November 16, 2025 at 4:29 AM
"Shoot, I haven't fed my grandma all week"
I turn on my virtual grandma to find her void full of unswept poop, she digivolved into a little shrunken worm out of Ursula's "poor unfortunate souls"
"One day, I will have my body back" she weakly utters
I roll my eyes and reset her to an egg
I turn on my virtual grandma to find her void full of unswept poop, she digivolved into a little shrunken worm out of Ursula's "poor unfortunate souls"
"One day, I will have my body back" she weakly utters
I roll my eyes and reset her to an egg
Reposted by A Gardner
“You do NOT want Mr. Mamdani in power if a King Kong returns.”
November 4, 2025 at 8:42 PM
“You do NOT want Mr. Mamdani in power if a King Kong returns.”
Never make a joke about someone's name.
Do you have any extremely niche, but serious, ethical stances?
October 17, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Never make a joke about someone's name.
Reposted by A Gardner
The estimated number of northerners who identified as abolitionists is around 5%.
It’s not the job of an elected official to hold onto power by preserving a more popular status quo. It is to steer people toward what is *right* by using your supposed leadership skills to MAKE what is right popular.
It’s not the job of an elected official to hold onto power by preserving a more popular status quo. It is to steer people toward what is *right* by using your supposed leadership skills to MAKE what is right popular.
August 1, 2025 at 2:10 AM
The estimated number of northerners who identified as abolitionists is around 5%.
It’s not the job of an elected official to hold onto power by preserving a more popular status quo. It is to steer people toward what is *right* by using your supposed leadership skills to MAKE what is right popular.
It’s not the job of an elected official to hold onto power by preserving a more popular status quo. It is to steer people toward what is *right* by using your supposed leadership skills to MAKE what is right popular.
"Rivers" by Sugar Ray, an ode to Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, in the style of a perfect Blue-era Weezer jam.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FM9...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FM9...
May 30, 2025 at 9:59 PM
"Rivers" by Sugar Ray, an ode to Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, in the style of a perfect Blue-era Weezer jam.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FM9...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FM9...
When Duck Dynasty first started airing, and I would see it in TV listings, I imagined some kind of Disney spinoff of the duck triplets as young men, vying fecklessly against each other for the reins to the McDuck empire, as Unca Scrooge ages into senility.
I think mine's a better show.
I think mine's a better show.
May 26, 2025 at 7:10 AM
When Duck Dynasty first started airing, and I would see it in TV listings, I imagined some kind of Disney spinoff of the duck triplets as young men, vying fecklessly against each other for the reins to the McDuck empire, as Unca Scrooge ages into senility.
I think mine's a better show.
I think mine's a better show.
Reposted by A Gardner
It’s an earth day miracle! 🚲
#Breaking: Court grants injunction pausing bike lane removals on Bloor, University and Yonge
Court grants injunction pausing bike lane removals on Bloor, University and Yonge
The pause on any bike lane removals will continue until the judge in the Charter challenge case issues his decision.
www.thestar.com
April 22, 2025 at 9:38 PM
It’s an earth day miracle! 🚲
how do you all continue in a world where the Super Mario RPG soundtrack was released in 1996?
the only days I get anything done are days when I forget that Yoko Shimomura composed this singular work, days when the furious percussion of the boss battle theme doesn't march into my thoughts
the only days I get anything done are days when I forget that Yoko Shimomura composed this singular work, days when the furious percussion of the boss battle theme doesn't march into my thoughts
March 25, 2025 at 5:31 AM
how do you all continue in a world where the Super Mario RPG soundtrack was released in 1996?
the only days I get anything done are days when I forget that Yoko Shimomura composed this singular work, days when the furious percussion of the boss battle theme doesn't march into my thoughts
the only days I get anything done are days when I forget that Yoko Shimomura composed this singular work, days when the furious percussion of the boss battle theme doesn't march into my thoughts
Reposted by A Gardner
my latest newsletter piece: on how the Democrats' posture toward trans rights signals a fundamental misunderstanding of how politics work
The Tyranny of Public Opinion
The battle over trans rights shows that Democrats have forgotten the fundamentals of politics
stringinamaze.net
March 7, 2025 at 1:24 AM
my latest newsletter piece: on how the Democrats' posture toward trans rights signals a fundamental misunderstanding of how politics work
urge to revisit my 15-year-old fanmod idea for a Fallout set in the once-alluded-to "Ronto" of a post-annexed Canada...
March 4, 2025 at 7:52 PM
urge to revisit my 15-year-old fanmod idea for a Fallout set in the once-alluded-to "Ronto" of a post-annexed Canada...
White lotus - discussion aside about whether we need more stories of the ultra rich - seems to even forget that it used to be fun. Armond in season one was a delight to watch. S3 is so self-serious and grimdark, and heavy handed with its symbolism to boot.
March 3, 2025 at 6:56 AM
White lotus - discussion aside about whether we need more stories of the ultra rich - seems to even forget that it used to be fun. Armond in season one was a delight to watch. S3 is so self-serious and grimdark, and heavy handed with its symbolism to boot.
The fascism is expanding, to suppress the growing opposition to the expanding fascism.
February 24, 2025 at 5:32 AM
The fascism is expanding, to suppress the growing opposition to the expanding fascism.
