Was watching a bit of LOTR yesterday. Those are just not good movies. Good actors, good visuals, great source material, bad filmmaking. Please, we don’t need more swelling music.

There is no room in the tent for MTG—let her do ten years of penance.

Trump (well Miller) thinks he can revoke even the citizenship of naturalized individuals who don't show sufficient appreciation of the American flag? The most anti free speech presidency of our lifetimes.

Why don't churches offer high-protein communion wafers? Do they really oppose offering a more masculine option during this unprecedented era of male loneliness?

i still don't know where conservative zoomers get this from (from the Manhattan Institute voter panel of zoomer voters)

🔴 ÚLTIMA HORA | Muere Cecilia Giménez, la anciana que hizo famoso el Ecce Hommo de Borja social.elpais.com/iav…

harper’s letter 2 better be off the fucking rails

It's instructive to watch all the people "doing their own research" by asking ChatGPT (et al) and doing the most craven appeal to unqualified authority.

Here's the thing: People talk. White House reporters know what's behind the IV infusions. They're just not reporting it to the public.

A view that puts me out of alignment with many friends: I don't think the commodification of lives, babies, and women (treated as walking wombs) is a good thing.

It has and will always be true that everything Donald Trump touches dies.

One thing about philosophy is that no one can do it for you. Not even AI. #philosophy #bskyphilosophy

modesty laws prevented showing even one lousy frame of John Waters' PINK FLAMINGOS (1972) in the trailer, so the only footage in it is of people reacting to a screening they just came out of. every single type of extant queer person is contained in the specific sequences I have selected here

#PhilMind #PhilPsych #CogSci

I regret to report that this is where we are with the anti-birthright-citizenship stuff papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Are LLMs conscious? Academic, unimportant, but no. Are LLMs psychopathic? Practical, essential, and yes.

[screaming at the top of my lungs, once again] the fundamental technology of humanity is care

Tonight’s film? It’s a Wonderful Knife. Perfectly okay.

They aren't going to get a more SV-friendly candidate.

In re that New York Post article: When I was yet a toddler, my grandparents used to make fun of my big butt—the result, largely, of an uncorrected hip defect—but I only grew up gay with sorta severe OCD and social anxiety, so there.

“it is illegal for you not to like me”

"Why Peter Thiel is leaving Silicon Valley" (2018)

Of course he—or his court—were going to monetize the pardon power. Shame was never going to constrain them when profit was in sight.

With very rare exceptions, I didn’t want to listen to your podcast. I absolutely don’t want to watch it.

Not sure what it says about America that my reaction to this is "well at least it's a good thing that our military is incompetent"

"Quiet quitting" by professors when it comes to AI and student writing is a serious risk. The temptation to give up (in effect) instead of devoting *substantial* resources (of time, energy, and emotional investment) to what can seem like an unwinnable fight is real. But it *is* the good fight.

“No, this is not the Chinese takeaway, and I must ask you to keep this line open as I’m expecting RSVPs for my Daughters of the Confederacy candlelight supper.”

Just watched Phantom Thread. I’ve learned so much about a successful marriage.

Calling out a fascist for taking a hypocritical position is easy. It's also a complete waste of time. Fascist rhetoric is aesthetics— pathos, never logos. You'll never get anywhere pointing out a fascist's hypocrisy. Fascism is not to be debated, it's to be smashed. Get comfortable using power.

I mean, it’s based on a series of novels by a woman in a genre aimed at women. It’s probably more interesting that it caught on with gay men.

Walked by the fire station with the older dog last night. In the driveway, in front of an engine was a firefighter on duty for the holiday, his wife, and their newborn in a Santa hat and a friend taking first Christmas pictures. Just about made an old man tear up.

Previously, I posted that Na-ion batteries were likely to reach Li-ion battery energy density faster due to the prior advances and experience from Lithium work. Well, that’s appears to be the case. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋 www.uh.edu/news-events/...

You know, Mr Cuban can well afford to pay professionals to yell at and humiliate him—or even to pretend his ideas are interesting or worth engaging with. Why are you working for free?

I remember the phrase "they can't be allowed to melt back into society" re: the de-Baathification of Iraq after the war there. Like everything about that experience, the attempt was cynical, stupid, and botched. But there really should be a plan about what we do with guys like these in the future.

My piece on Alasdair MacIntyre for Jacobin

RFK: “Where did all this autism come from? It never existed when I was a kid!” “A Christmas Story”, a 1983 movie based on a 1971 memoir about a childhood in the 1930s: “This is my brother Ralphie. He has a ton of sensory issues and behaviors we don’t understand. Every family has a child like him.”

At least three-quarters of the time I read “Bayesian,” it’s describing either something trivially true or obviously wrong.

Surely, our very devout, man of faith*, President took a break from posting, partying with paying guests, and celebrating death to worship the Savior** this Christmas holiday, but I haven’t seen that covered. *per Cardinal Dolan **the nation’s Savior per DHS

Catholics represent fewer than 20% of U.S. adults, however, they make up 61% of the population at risk of deportation. Trump’s immigration crackdown is disproportionately hitting Catholic communities. chico.newsreview.com/2025/12/24/t...

The thing about that DHS post: I don’t want my religion tainted by the state.

Read the replies!

[butterfly meme] Is this ceremonial deism?

Christus natus est. Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate!

Pope Leo said in a Christmas Eve sermon that the story of Jesus being born in a stable because there was no room at an inn should remind Christians that refusing to help the poor and strangers today is tantamount to rejecting God himself. For @reuters.com

This is mostly where I’ve moved, combined with some oral exams and robust accommodations.

Christmas Eve State of Emergency!

Didn't realize the novels 'pon which hockey show is based are themselves based on an anime.

♥️♥️♥️🎄🎄🎄

Can we let the Norman Rockwell guy-standing-up-at-a-public-meeting thing rest now? Haven't we seen enough of it? Used it to the point where it doesn't really say anything except about the poster's laziness?