another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls

No one has ever been able to adequately explain what Putin is meant to have thought NATO expansion would threaten him with, apart from limiting his expansionist ambitions. "He was worried they'd invade Russia." No he wasn't. He just wasn't. That's not a thing anyone thought might happen.

Made a conscious decision to focus on AI/bigtech in early 2025 and I'm glad I did It's a systemic attack on both the means of climate action (evidence-based facts, the written / spoken word, visual communication) and the ends (trying to stop fossil fuel use). I think it's starting to sink in, now

I always think about the maya Angelou quote because it’s really true, “People will always remember how you made them feel,"

Sigh. #Volkswagen blog.consumerguide.com/volkswagen-i...

163 years ago in Mankato, 38 Dakota men were hung in the largest mass execution in our nation’s history. I’m grateful to the riders who continue to remind us the importance of fighting for accountability and healing for the Dakota people. www.mprnews.org/story/2025/1...

Just a reminder that in 1989, the BBC was still soft-soaping straight-up holocaust-denying Nazis. But she was terribly, terribly posh and had a title, so listen up, peasants.

Eating less meat is a really easy way to do your bit to help mitigate the effects of climate change and other harms we do to the planet. You don’t have to go entirely meat free and it’ll be cheaper for you and help you get laid more. Have shared some of my favourite veggie / vegan recipes here:

There’s an old folks horror film in this…

I don't know if you heard that Jimmy Kimmel was invited to give the "Alternative Christmas Message" to run opposite the one from King Charles. This is it, and I, personally, got a kick out of his last line.

I am currently watching the Star Wars holiday special in full for the first time and all I can think is that the cocaine in the 70’s was amazing.

This year saw the great Grinch sky art showdown. See both in full size and let us know which Grinch is your favorite at www.flightradar24.com/blog/flight-...

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Russia was using ordinary apartment blocks on the territory of its ally Belarus to attack Ukrainian targets and circumvent Kyiv's defences. www.reuters.com/business/aer...

Kyiv this morning‼️ At least 1 person died and at least 27 were injured in russian attack on our capita.

Russia has attacked Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones ahead of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would be a crucial meeting with US President Donald Trump to work out a deal to end nearly four years of war.

Possum o’clock.

Hate when this guy shows up in my feed

I've just uploaded some of the Aurora Cam LIVE stream recording from 12th Dec to YouTube. It's a real-time video showing the movement of the aurora. www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1-0... You can watch the live Sky Cameras here... www.youtube.com/@Northumberl... #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights

even beyond being camera-ready I know a few women who hate going on video podcasts because it ups the harassment by like 10x

also this, yes! as a woman online, past a certain level of popularity, you're unable to remain a neutral being - you can either be sexualised, called ugly or, if you're lucky, a mix of the two the written internet was - briefly - a nice equalising space but well, RIP to all that!

One of my favorite presents ever—my dad found and framed this pic of my mother @sunminkimes.bsky.social at a Seattle courthouse after she passed her US citizenship test in 1981. Like so many of the people who come here to start a new life, she is the best of us—the bravest, strongest person I know.

😯

will also add - yes, this is my personal crusade - that turning podcasts into videos implicitly asks women to once again make more effort than men, as the bar for "camera-ready" for one gender is obviously higher than for the other

David Brooks is a conservative thinker that I could listen to for days. I don't agree with everything he says, but I really appreciate the thought and care and kindness he brings to the conversation: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

The Russian economy is on its knees. So, Putin might well agree to some kind of peace plan to give him time to rebuild until he can reignite the war. Dictators can only survive if they keep their countries perpetually at war and invoke a feeling of patriotism.

The aurora during a geomagnetic storm.

Cat Clinging To Side Of Christmas Tree Admits That Was Extent Of Plan https://theonion.com/cat-clinging-to-side-of-christmas-tree-admits-that-was-1849899567/

The framing that countering lies and disinformation, even just calling it out or analyising it, is some sort of attack on free speech comes from Michael Shellenberger, whose destiny was always going to be the role of the slimy, vengeful PR guy in a soviet-style collapsed state

I don't get the press excitement over these "peace talks." It feels like Ukraine is just trying to keep Trump's favor while maintaining manageable conditions, while Russia remains unwilling to accept anything less than Ukraine’s surrender.

UK campaigner targeted by Trump accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’ Exclusive: Imran Ahmed says US companies are ‘corrupting the system’ of politics by seeking to avoid accountability www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

The most haunting phrase in John Gray’s New Leviathans is his recounting of the (pseudonymous) Simon Leys’ description of the Cultural Revolution aftermath “The problem is not that they were not identified; on the contrary, it is simply that there are too many of them.”

Why, what happened? Spend all your money on murdering your neighbors, didn’t you, bastards?

NEW Jane Austen as a writer about law Some notes on Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, by me (And also why there is only one good adaptation of her works.) emptycity.substack.com/p/jane-auste...

"omnidirectional incoherence" captures Trumpism perfectly

Not sure I understand why the Trump administration cares about Christians in Nigeria and not Christians in Ukraine

Note to self: it’s Saturday. Day 2 of the Ashes Boxing Day test. It’s going to be warm here so #Abla & I are walking early.

This is terrific ⬇️

Imagine watching Sinatra, son of Dolly & Antonini born in Genoa & Sicily, respectively, and Martin, son of Gaetano & Angela, born in Montesilvano, Italy & Ohio respectively, (Angela to parents born in Monasterolo, Italy), and crusading against the value of children of immigrants to the U.S.

"tell me we didn't just fire a dozen $500,000 missiles at a $200 camel" "sir, no evidence of any camel present, sir!"

🇩🇪🇺🇦President Zelenskyy: I spoke with Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz. We are coordinating our positions, and everyone in Europe must be on the same page in defending our European way of life, the independence of our states, and peace in Europe. There must be peace.

Poland has warned several incidents regarding airspace during the holiday season may signal a provocation.

Don't need to imagine, Sinatra had something to say about multicultural liberal democracies 🧵

💔Footage from Bilytske, Pokrovsk District, destroyed by Russia under the guise of “liberation.” Russia is a terrorist state!

Today, thoughts inevitably turn to a man whose life and death will always be associated with this time of year – a man whose purity of heart and good works alike contain, I think, the true spirit of the season.

Watching THE GREEN KNIGHT again

I worked for DOJ. I don't think people realize how dangerous it is for the White House to takeover the daily operations of the Justice Department.