ICE defeated by SNOW

I actually think it's time to bring back the approach of curated lists and webrings from the early web again. Huge opportunity space for hand curation of information

It's still unreal to me that a week later, we still don't know if the claim by the sitting COMMANDER IN CHIEF about a *military strike* in a country WE'RE NOT AT WAR WITH is real or not.

This is a thread of major media outlets falsely anthropomorphising the "Grok" chatbot program and in doing so, actively and directly removing responsibility and accountability from individual people working at X who created a child pornography generator (Elon Musk, Nikita Bier etc) #1: Reuters

welp

Ex-Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun has Lunch with the FT and in one of those instances so rare that you know he didn't sign an NDA, says exactly why as.ft.com/r/e503690d-8...

you say "i asked chatgpt" i hear "i asked [an improv comedy group]" an improv group wrote this report instead of a therapist i use an improv comedy group

I wrote about Grok's CSAM problem and how journalists keep fumbling the story www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...

uh holy SHIT?

A reminder that I've a book illustration course starting in a couple of weeks in the Irish Writers Centre. You only need basic drawing skills; illustration is a form of communication first, and an art second.

A delicious takedown of AI, plus encouragement to be my weirdest self? Oh hell yes! Writers, this one's a must-read:

What does it mean when your doctors keep insisting you redo the cognitive exam

I usually wait to share my favorite panel but - COME ON LOOK AT WALPURGIS 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

"X generates images of child abuse on demand" would be a more accurate headline

You've probably been following the story about fraud in MN. I wrote about the people who provide services who are being driven into bankruptcy, thanks to the Walz' administration decision to hire Optum AI to screen all payments. It's a disaster.

Also we really need to encourage any official accounts (particularly gov’t accounts and representatives) to get off that site. It’s abhorrent when they not only remain there but remain ONLY there.

One of the ways I have tried to make my Bluesky experience better than my twitter experience was is by not reading people's posts/comments in the worst possible light. If someone says "CSAM is bad" and your retort is "but revenge porn is ok?!"—that's twitter behavior and you should stop it.

so x dot com’s ai generated CSAM and they admitted it may violate US law and … i haven’t seen in anyone in power say much at all or call to stop using the platform

“I’m sure you’re aware of our connections with the Trump Administration,” the North Carolina Republican Party's communications director wrote in an email response to us. “I would strongly suggest dropping this story.” We didn't. #ICYMI, read the story that he wanted dropped:

Quick reminder that THE RISE: Tales From The Gulp 3 is out on Feb 13th and up for pre-order now at all good stores, including signed copies directly from me right here: alanbaxter.com.au/my-books/the... I hope you'll enjoy this next visit to The Gulp. #Booksky

It’s time to start planning your galette des rois and I’ve got the step-by-step instructions how and a choice of 3 fillings! On my Substack, of course. Plus a bit of the history of this traditional French Epiphany treat. jamieschler.substack.com/p/a-cake-fit...

This does seem just a little bit bad! Idk the sort of thing you’d think politicians might distance themselves from or something!

i am rooting as much as is appropriate for mamdani to be an effective mayor because if he manages it, he will be an important model and national leader for american progressives — one part fiorello la guardia, one part robert la folette

“pivot to video” no thanks I’m gonna pivot to the woods

Starting the year out strong. Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social I've heard nothing but good things and I've come to expect nothing less than a damn fine story, if it do ya fine.

Mayor Mamdani has nullified every executive order issued by Eric Adams after he struck his corrupt bargain with Trump to secure dismissal of the indictment against him.

Zohran Mamdani: "If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor."

Okay, might as well get this started. It's January 1, which means, as I'm sure you all know, that there's a whole new bunch of characters who have entered the public domain. This time around, it's characters created in 1930. The following is a list of pulp & pulpy characters now in the p.d. 1/

Again, the man who’s next in line for the presidency after this walking corpse has said he’s deeply influenced by this outright Nazi, so maybe we could get a little more attention on that?

The tl;dr for writers is — we are human, we write the books, and we are going to fucking win.

"we're here to inspect your daycare center"

Reupping this one for New Yorkers who likely didn't see this news when it dropped right before the holidays...

just so it's clear: this is the exact core function of genAI Fascist government and climate deniers love it because it can produce the aesthetics of knowledge without any actual tendency towards truth. It is automated denialism. Shame on every climate scientist promoting its use (there are lots)

ANYWAY, HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS AND READERS AND FELLOW WEIRDOS *holds up the carcass of 2025 to let 2026 know we are without mercy, so it better be on its best goddamn behavior*

Goo morning, monsters. The chrysalis squirms in its great resinous cradle. Transformation takes time, and often a change in position. The insensible sliding of cells will continue for some time, their busy squirming creating a two-part pulse that grows deeper with each iteration. New year. New you.

Wall Street Journal ⁦ @wsj.com << Central Intelligence Agency found no attempted attack against Putin had occurred, according to a U.S. official briefed on the intelligence. CIA declined to comment. >> www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

“Can’t believe NYC elected a Muslim as mayor.” In truth—a Black American Christian woman swearing in a Ugandan American Muslim of South Asian ethnicity as his Syrian American wife holds the Qurans he swears in on, all while standing on the steps of a subway station—is the most NYC thing imaginable.

"As the data center industry grows across the country, concerns about noise and light pollution, water consumption and energy use are also spreading to largely Black and Brown communities like Prince George’s, whose residents have wrestled with a legacy of environmental racism."

If this is to be believed, he’s taking high dose aspirin against his doctors orders. He’s trying very hard to give himself the stroke y’all have been hoping for

The tl;dr for writers is — we are human, we write the books, and we are going to fucking win.

In which the President decides to call and chat on the record with a newspaper he’s suing for a billion dollars, for libel. (gift link) www.wsj.com/us-news/as-s...

Marked safe from whatever nonsense this is. 🫠

I don’t love that NYE every year leans harder and harder into being a “fireworks” holiday.

"WE HAVE THESE BOOKS That’s a miracle — but not a rare miracle. A miracle like a sunrise, or a strange cloud, or a weird bird. A miracle that happens often, that maybe we don’t appreciate enough. It’s special." What a fucking great send off. Happy 2026, everyone. Make it human. Make it weird.

Smith: I think who should be accountable for this is Donald Trump. These records exist because, in the case of the senators, Donald Trump directed his co-conspirators to call these people to further delay the proceedings. He chose to do that.

Resisting him almost always works, trying to bargain with him never ever works

orcas have the chance to do the funniest thing

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

I love making this list every year, and I never have any trouble coming up with 50 things I think were genuinely wonderful.

Happy New(s dump) Year!