Reposted by Ben Leedom
An official NYT response means this is clearly a sore spot for them and people should keep hitting the target
NYT says a Trans News Network interview with ex-NYT editor Billie Jean Sweeney about NYT's gender identity coverage included "factually inaccurate criticisms" (The New York Times Company)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
January 5, 2026 at 10:32 PM
An official NYT response means this is clearly a sore spot for them and people should keep hitting the target
Reposted by Ben Leedom
claude code is fucking insane
i know literally NOTHING about Hegel. ZERO. and it just built me a complete system of German idealism
i know literally NOTHING about Hegel. ZERO. and it just built me a complete system of German idealism
January 5, 2026 at 6:49 PM
claude code is fucking insane
i know literally NOTHING about Hegel. ZERO. and it just built me a complete system of German idealism
i know literally NOTHING about Hegel. ZERO. and it just built me a complete system of German idealism
Reposted by Ben Leedom
webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1k... if you’re interested in this morning’s emergency security council meeting on Venezuela, it’ll start here at 10am. It was called by Colombia, and can help us get a sense of the public lines coming from a diverse group of countries
Threats to international peace and security - Security Council, 10085th meeting
The situation in Venezuela.
webtv.un.org
January 5, 2026 at 2:54 PM
webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1k... if you’re interested in this morning’s emergency security council meeting on Venezuela, it’ll start here at 10am. It was called by Colombia, and can help us get a sense of the public lines coming from a diverse group of countries
Reposted by Ben Leedom
very grateful to be one of the few people in a tech job that actually helps the world. on a day like today, it helps me keep going. (that, and posting)
January 5, 2026 at 6:42 PM
very grateful to be one of the few people in a tech job that actually helps the world. on a day like today, it helps me keep going. (that, and posting)
Reposted by Ben Leedom
I think the AI angle of this is obscurant. It doesn’t matter that grok is “an AI” whatever you take that to mean. Suppose X hired a team of guys to photoshop the clothes off of women and children whenever anyone asks. That’s functionally identical what happening here. It’s not complicated.
A functional country would shut Grok down permanently. Like, immediately. Right now. Last week. Whatever. Just flip the switch. Obviously.
January 4, 2026 at 11:25 PM
I think the AI angle of this is obscurant. It doesn’t matter that grok is “an AI” whatever you take that to mean. Suppose X hired a team of guys to photoshop the clothes off of women and children whenever anyone asks. That’s functionally identical what happening here. It’s not complicated.
probably a good time to log off for a while
January 4, 2026 at 9:52 PM
probably a good time to log off for a while
Reposted by Ben Leedom
Reposted by Ben Leedom
Actually I think you've touched on a key insight here: whereas before the industrial revolution, militaries might produce positive outcomes for their states, after it - and especially after the world wars - the role of militaries is not to produce positive outcomes, but to avoid negative ones.
January 4, 2026 at 8:44 PM
Actually I think you've touched on a key insight here: whereas before the industrial revolution, militaries might produce positive outcomes for their states, after it - and especially after the world wars - the role of militaries is not to produce positive outcomes, but to avoid negative ones.
Reposted by Ben Leedom
if personnel is policy, then the most fundamental questions about an institution is not "what are the policy directives" but rather "what will get you promoted" vs. "what will get you fired"
January 4, 2026 at 3:46 PM
if personnel is policy, then the most fundamental questions about an institution is not "what are the policy directives" but rather "what will get you promoted" vs. "what will get you fired"
Reposted by Ben Leedom
an interesting way to think about tools like Claude Code is what the NPV of the future cash flows of the software subscriptions you have pencil out to.
paying $100 this month feels a lot different when I don’t have to pay Podbean $12/month forever.
paying $100 this month feels a lot different when I don’t have to pay Podbean $12/month forever.
January 4, 2026 at 8:20 PM
an interesting way to think about tools like Claude Code is what the NPV of the future cash flows of the software subscriptions you have pencil out to.
paying $100 this month feels a lot different when I don’t have to pay Podbean $12/month forever.
paying $100 this month feels a lot different when I don’t have to pay Podbean $12/month forever.
Reposted by Ben Leedom
Ok. So. They anonymised the sheep.
January 4, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Ok. So. They anonymised the sheep.
Reposted by Ben Leedom
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Hooktail eats 8 Toads to recover health. The game ensures these sacrificial Toads always stay in order to be eaten in the end. They are Mario's biggest fans, will always show up, and no action can make them leave.
January 4, 2026 at 5:30 PM
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Hooktail eats 8 Toads to recover health. The game ensures these sacrificial Toads always stay in order to be eaten in the end. They are Mario's biggest fans, will always show up, and no action can make them leave.
Reposted by Ben Leedom
taking this stupid, tortured analogy seriously for a moment, the american people gave the republican party an exclusive two-year contract to handle extermination duties. you're mad at the exterminator you didn't hire because they're not doing the job you hired someone else to do.
the reason people sometimes act madder at democrats than republicans when republicans do impossibly evil shit is the same reason why, if you hired an exterminator to handle a roach infestation and he showed up to feed and play with them instead, your first instinct wouldn’t be to yell at the roaches
January 4, 2026 at 6:23 PM
taking this stupid, tortured analogy seriously for a moment, the american people gave the republican party an exclusive two-year contract to handle extermination duties. you're mad at the exterminator you didn't hire because they're not doing the job you hired someone else to do.
Reposted by Ben Leedom
i feel like i see a lot of "mysterious new account makes big bet on insider information" news stories and not enough people-being-arrested-for-that news stories
“What appears to be a newly created account appeared to invest $30,000 Friday in Maduro's exit. After Maduro went into custody Saturday morning, that same investor netted $436,759.61.”
Someone made $400K by predicting Maduro's capture. Here's what happened
The winnings come as the rules governing prediction markets are still evolving.
www.axios.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:44 PM
i feel like i see a lot of "mysterious new account makes big bet on insider information" news stories and not enough people-being-arrested-for-that news stories
Reposted by Ben Leedom
Man this is one impressive self-cannibalizing circle of shakedowns
US officials have told oil executives that if they want compensation for seized rigs, pipelines, and other assets, they must be willing to return to Venezuela now and invest heavily in reviving the country’s damaged oil industry. -Politico
January 3, 2026 at 9:51 PM
Man this is one impressive self-cannibalizing circle of shakedowns
Reposted by Ben Leedom
thinking about how, in the Russian history elective I took in HS, every time a tsar was facing domestic weakness the teacher would turn to the assembled students and ask "so what is it time for?" and we would chant "stunning territorial annexation!" and she would respond "well, DUH, girls"
January 3, 2026 at 3:22 PM
thinking about how, in the Russian history elective I took in HS, every time a tsar was facing domestic weakness the teacher would turn to the assembled students and ask "so what is it time for?" and we would chant "stunning territorial annexation!" and she would respond "well, DUH, girls"
Reposted by Ben Leedom
let me add some nuance.
it is clear that trump cares a lot about the oil. he thinks the oil has much more latent economic value than most actual experts do.
but this didn’t happen just because of him. and the ppl around him don’t think oil is the main focus.
likely how they sold him on it tho
it is clear that trump cares a lot about the oil. he thinks the oil has much more latent economic value than most actual experts do.
but this didn’t happen just because of him. and the ppl around him don’t think oil is the main focus.
likely how they sold him on it tho
imo thinking this is “just about the oil” is not just millennial brain but it’s a form of millennial-brained cope. it wasn’t true during either iraq war and i doubt it’s especially true here. if it were, life would actually be simpler.
January 3, 2026 at 5:51 PM
let me add some nuance.
it is clear that trump cares a lot about the oil. he thinks the oil has much more latent economic value than most actual experts do.
but this didn’t happen just because of him. and the ppl around him don’t think oil is the main focus.
likely how they sold him on it tho
it is clear that trump cares a lot about the oil. he thinks the oil has much more latent economic value than most actual experts do.
but this didn’t happen just because of him. and the ppl around him don’t think oil is the main focus.
likely how they sold him on it tho
Reposted by Ben Leedom
This is why I got a degree in political science, so I can spend the rest of my life explaining- to friends, family, and strangers on the internet- that rally round the flag effects are actually rare and require specific circumstances and aren't just "presidential approval goes up when he does war"
One thing every new FP crisis makes very clear is that millennials and zoomers have adopted some very weird theories of how foreign policy intersects with public opinion as a result of the Iraq War and stories about it thereafter
January 3, 2026 at 3:25 PM
This is why I got a degree in political science, so I can spend the rest of my life explaining- to friends, family, and strangers on the internet- that rally round the flag effects are actually rare and require specific circumstances and aren't just "presidential approval goes up when he does war"
Reposted by Ben Leedom
FOLKS NEED TO REALIZE HOW HUGE THIS IS
For the first time in modern Texas history, Dems have candidates running in every state and federal race on the 2026 ballot.
That includes all congressional seats, every state House and state Senate race, plus statewide judicial and State Board of Education.
For the first time in modern Texas history, Dems have candidates running in every state and federal race on the 2026 ballot.
That includes all congressional seats, every state House and state Senate race, plus statewide judicial and State Board of Education.
January 3, 2026 at 4:33 AM
FOLKS NEED TO REALIZE HOW HUGE THIS IS
For the first time in modern Texas history, Dems have candidates running in every state and federal race on the 2026 ballot.
That includes all congressional seats, every state House and state Senate race, plus statewide judicial and State Board of Education.
For the first time in modern Texas history, Dems have candidates running in every state and federal race on the 2026 ballot.
That includes all congressional seats, every state House and state Senate race, plus statewide judicial and State Board of Education.
Reposted by Ben Leedom
I cannot emphasize enough that the attempts to anthropomorphize an algorithm is a fundamental act of journalistic malpractice and an intentional act to shield the people responsible for this. It's fucking shameful.
Musk's Grok AI bot is fixing safeguard 'lapses' after posting of sexualized images of children
Musk's Grok AI bot is fixing safeguard 'lapses' after posting of sexualized images of children
Users on X raised concerns over explicit content of minors being generated using Musk's Grok tool.
cnb.cx
January 2, 2026 at 5:03 PM
I cannot emphasize enough that the attempts to anthropomorphize an algorithm is a fundamental act of journalistic malpractice and an intentional act to shield the people responsible for this. It's fucking shameful.
Reposted by Ben Leedom
A fun new study suggests that the key to achieving your goals may be to start doubting your own doubts about achieving your goals! 🧪 skepchick.org/2026/01/stud...
Study: The Power of Doubting Your Doubts
Transcript: In my previous video, I talked about how I’ve decided to return for my third Climate Ride. My first ride was five days through Joshua Tree National Park in 2023, which I was able to do …
skepchick.org
January 2, 2026 at 4:03 PM
A fun new study suggests that the key to achieving your goals may be to start doubting your own doubts about achieving your goals! 🧪 skepchick.org/2026/01/stud...
Reposted by Ben Leedom
