MJ Berends
@apprxlinear.bsky.social
Reposted by MJ Berends
I find it hard to square the preciousness about "why would someone ever stay on Twitter?" when everyone on this site knows that the community here intentionally chased off lots of people.
January 5, 2026 at 5:41 PM
I find it hard to square the preciousness about "why would someone ever stay on Twitter?" when everyone on this site knows that the community here intentionally chased off lots of people.
Reposted by MJ Berends
“… for no kingdom can maintain itself by force alone. Force does not work the way its advocates seem to think it does. it does not, for example, reveal to the victim the strength of his adversary. On the contrary, it reveals the weakness, even the panic of his adversary…” - James Baldwin
January 5, 2026 at 2:43 AM
“… for no kingdom can maintain itself by force alone. Force does not work the way its advocates seem to think it does. it does not, for example, reveal to the victim the strength of his adversary. On the contrary, it reveals the weakness, even the panic of his adversary…” - James Baldwin
Reposted by MJ Berends
It is true that anyone with an internet connection can do horrible things to another person. But it does matter if you make it easier to do harassment at scale and that 50% of Grok requests are harassment should be a broad source of shaming
January 4, 2026 at 9:01 PM
It is true that anyone with an internet connection can do horrible things to another person. But it does matter if you make it easier to do harassment at scale and that 50% of Grok requests are harassment should be a broad source of shaming
Reposted by MJ Berends
Rough vibes on this website today, likely because people feel Hopeless and Helpless Because Can't Stop It and No One Who Is Supposed To Is Trying To So Now We're Fighting Each Other™. I recommend activities such as book, or potentially instrument if you like instrument, or even do talk on phone.
January 5, 2026 at 12:03 AM
Rough vibes on this website today, likely because people feel Hopeless and Helpless Because Can't Stop It and No One Who Is Supposed To Is Trying To So Now We're Fighting Each Other™. I recommend activities such as book, or potentially instrument if you like instrument, or even do talk on phone.
Reposted by MJ Berends
The end goal of Grok sexual harassment is to make women afraid to be visible. It’s a punishment for daring to exist in a way the perpetrators can’t control. There’s no one solution to this, because the problem isn’t just technological. It’s cultural. It’s misogyny. This is just one expression of it.
January 5, 2026 at 1:10 AM
The end goal of Grok sexual harassment is to make women afraid to be visible. It’s a punishment for daring to exist in a way the perpetrators can’t control. There’s no one solution to this, because the problem isn’t just technological. It’s cultural. It’s misogyny. This is just one expression of it.
Reposted by MJ Berends
Remember a few weeks ago when Mark Kelly & a few others released a video reminding troops, “Our laws are clear — you can refuse illegal orders,” & Trump/Republicans melted down & called him a traitor
Turns out we didn’t have to wait long for another preview of future courts martial
Turns out we didn’t have to wait long for another preview of future courts martial
January 4, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Remember a few weeks ago when Mark Kelly & a few others released a video reminding troops, “Our laws are clear — you can refuse illegal orders,” & Trump/Republicans melted down & called him a traitor
Turns out we didn’t have to wait long for another preview of future courts martial
Turns out we didn’t have to wait long for another preview of future courts martial
Reposted by MJ Berends
Himes: "I was delighted to hear that Tom Cotton, chairmen of the Senate Intel Committee, has been in regular contact with the admin. I've had zero outreach and no D I'm aware of has. So apparently we're now in a world where the legal obligation to keep Congress informed only applies to your party."
January 4, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Himes: "I was delighted to hear that Tom Cotton, chairmen of the Senate Intel Committee, has been in regular contact with the admin. I've had zero outreach and no D I'm aware of has. So apparently we're now in a world where the legal obligation to keep Congress informed only applies to your party."
Reposted by MJ Berends
Reposted by MJ Berends
It’s fairly concerning that just 2-3 people have managed to buy and flip many of the major news sources in the US. Like, the economic value of all news is not that much, they could buy the rest too
January 4, 2026 at 5:12 AM
It’s fairly concerning that just 2-3 people have managed to buy and flip many of the major news sources in the US. Like, the economic value of all news is not that much, they could buy the rest too
Reposted by MJ Berends
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Reposted by MJ Berends
Tonight, the President of the United States has launched an unconstitutional war of aggression, dooming another generation to spill their blood for oil, and lay waste to a sovereign nation.
I demand that Congress exercise its power, halt this conflict, and impeach this war criminal president.
I demand that Congress exercise its power, halt this conflict, and impeach this war criminal president.
January 3, 2026 at 7:41 AM
Tonight, the President of the United States has launched an unconstitutional war of aggression, dooming another generation to spill their blood for oil, and lay waste to a sovereign nation.
I demand that Congress exercise its power, halt this conflict, and impeach this war criminal president.
I demand that Congress exercise its power, halt this conflict, and impeach this war criminal president.
Reposted by MJ Berends
The same editorial board described Seattle’s mayor raising taxes to pay for childcare as a totalitarian power grab
The Washington Post editorial board comes out in favor of the Venezuela attack/operation to capture Maduro
January 3, 2026 at 5:51 PM
The same editorial board described Seattle’s mayor raising taxes to pay for childcare as a totalitarian power grab
Reposted by MJ Berends
You're god damned right. Every word.
January 3, 2026 at 8:46 PM
You're god damned right. Every word.
Reposted by MJ Berends
I am struggling with what might be a generational experience. The gulf war was pretty politically formative for me. It’s not history so much as memory this time.
It is destabilizing to see almost the exact same gameplan but this time without the guardrails that at the time I took for granted.
It is destabilizing to see almost the exact same gameplan but this time without the guardrails that at the time I took for granted.
January 3, 2026 at 11:09 PM
I am struggling with what might be a generational experience. The gulf war was pretty politically formative for me. It’s not history so much as memory this time.
It is destabilizing to see almost the exact same gameplan but this time without the guardrails that at the time I took for granted.
It is destabilizing to see almost the exact same gameplan but this time without the guardrails that at the time I took for granted.
Reposted by MJ Berends
Eagerly awaiting the first time a pundit says it’s inappropriate to criticize the president because we’re at war
Veteran New York Times national security reporter David Sanger says what Trump is describing in Venezuela is an "American occupation."
January 3, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Eagerly awaiting the first time a pundit says it’s inappropriate to criticize the president because we’re at war
Reposted by MJ Berends
New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
January 3, 2026 at 9:42 PM
New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
Reposted by MJ Berends
It’s almost like green energy is the only way forward and a handful of oil barons are doing everything in their power to keep that from happening so they can get even richer at the cost of literally everything else in the world.
Wall Street’s biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year, even as they faced ongoing pressure to pull back from the business
Banks Notch Higher Fees From Green Bonds Than Fossil Fuel Debt
Wall Street’s biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year, even as they faced ongoing pressure to pull back from the business.
bloom.bg
January 3, 2026 at 3:00 AM
It’s almost like green energy is the only way forward and a handful of oil barons are doing everything in their power to keep that from happening so they can get even richer at the cost of literally everything else in the world.
Reposted by MJ Berends
I gave a talk on Wednesday at the Bay Area AI Security Meetup about prompt injection, MCP security and the lethal trifecta. Here are the annotated slides from my presentation, including notes on my weird hobby of trying to coin or amplify new terms of art simonwillison.net/2025/Aug/9/b...
My Lethal Trifecta talk at the Bay Area AI Security Meetup
I gave a talk on Wednesday at the Bay Area AI Security Meetup about prompt injection, the lethal trifecta and the challenges of securing systems that use MCP. It wasn’t …
simonwillison.net
August 9, 2025 at 4:36 AM
I gave a talk on Wednesday at the Bay Area AI Security Meetup about prompt injection, MCP security and the lethal trifecta. Here are the annotated slides from my presentation, including notes on my weird hobby of trying to coin or amplify new terms of art simonwillison.net/2025/Aug/9/b...
Reposted by MJ Berends
no one cares that this is illegal but it is illegal and seems like something that might trip the court’s “major questions” doctrine
Per @npr.org, the Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the White House U.S. DOGE Service, has built a searchable national citizenship register with data from the Social Security Administration & immigration records— without public notice & comment.
Infrastructure for a police state.
Infrastructure for a police state.
The Trump administration is building a national citizenship data system
The Department of Homeland Security, with help from DOGE, has rolled out a tool that purports to be able to check the citizenship status of almost all Americans.
www.npr.org
June 29, 2025 at 11:36 PM
no one cares that this is illegal but it is illegal and seems like something that might trip the court’s “major questions” doctrine
Reposted by MJ Berends
it’s even more demoralizing when the history you’re repeating is history you were around for the first time
June 22, 2025 at 1:44 AM
it’s even more demoralizing when the history you’re repeating is history you were around for the first time
Reposted by MJ Berends
Why are no headlines focusing on the unconstitutional and dictatorial nature of this action?
June 22, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Why are no headlines focusing on the unconstitutional and dictatorial nature of this action?
Reposted by MJ Berends
The soft bigotry of low expectations
June 23, 2025 at 12:11 AM
The soft bigotry of low expectations
Reposted by MJ Berends
If you were too young in 2003 here is what Bush told the American people:
1) The Iraq War won’t cost a lot of money
3) We won’t need a lot of troops
4) We’ll bring peace and freedom to Iraq
5) We’ll find WMDs
6) We’ll be welcomed as liberators
7) It will be easy
8) It won’t take long
All lies.
1) The Iraq War won’t cost a lot of money
3) We won’t need a lot of troops
4) We’ll bring peace and freedom to Iraq
5) We’ll find WMDs
6) We’ll be welcomed as liberators
7) It will be easy
8) It won’t take long
All lies.
June 22, 2025 at 2:47 AM
If you were too young in 2003 here is what Bush told the American people:
1) The Iraq War won’t cost a lot of money
3) We won’t need a lot of troops
4) We’ll bring peace and freedom to Iraq
5) We’ll find WMDs
6) We’ll be welcomed as liberators
7) It will be easy
8) It won’t take long
All lies.
1) The Iraq War won’t cost a lot of money
3) We won’t need a lot of troops
4) We’ll bring peace and freedom to Iraq
5) We’ll find WMDs
6) We’ll be welcomed as liberators
7) It will be easy
8) It won’t take long
All lies.