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Brian McNett

@bmcnett.bsky.social

690 followers 630 following 3.5K posts

Radical Mycologist and Gnome Appreciator on full disability. Occasional writer of EXTREMELY short fiction. Pronouns: he/him. Rather more than a bit ace. Will likely not notice you flirting with me.

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 28d

I honestly think that @lanedraws.bsky.social knocked it out of the park, but this ebook edition doesn't do the full cover justice. The paperback will have the ENTIRE graphic including the back. But for now, the ebook is both economical and available for pre-order this very minute.

Releases 9/26.

Reliably Narrated Armageddon and Other Stories

Reliably Narrated Armageddon and Other Stories - Kindle edition by McNett, Brian. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Reliably Narrated Armageddon and Other Stories.

www.amazon.com

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 4h

Oh yes, all the cats adore pets. The one in the picture curls up on mom's lap while she's in her easy chair.

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 5h

In fact, there are THREE cats who hang out at our house now. Two from next door, and one from down the street.

Our neighborhood has raccoons and coyotes. No cat should be allowed outside here. I'm not going to argue with the neighbors about it. So here we are.

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 5h

This cat specifically belongs to our nextdoor neighbors who have flat out told me of their two cats "They're indoor/outdoor cats." Setting aside that you shouldn't do that to your cats, no they aren't: They're indoor/NEXTDOOR cats. Neighbors set them out. They come straight to our back porch.

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 5h

I don’t own a cat.

A gray cat curled up next to my foot under my desk

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 8h

"The'S' in Generative AI stands for 'security,'" as one wag put it.

"ASCII smuggling" is a trick to get commands past the filters companies place in front of their AI LLMs to pretend they have security and guardrails against unethical uses.

Google shows no interest if fixing this particular flaw.

Google won’t fix ‘ASCII smuggling’ hack in Gemini AI

YouTube video by Pivot to AI

youtu.be

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 9h

Actually it’s more of the turbo-supercharged version of this where AI will take away all of the thinking and creativity, reducing your job to writing prompts for the AI and absorbing the responsibility for its mistakes. You’re never seeing your child again.

Techbro paradise.

Andrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 16h

every single tech idea is like “soon our robots will be capable of playing catch with your kid, freeing you up to spend more time working on your employers’ spreadsheets”

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 9h

I may have them confused with The Master Singers, but then again memory is fragile.

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 9h

During their singing of either the British Highway Code, or the Weather Report.

Reposted by Brian McNett

rahaeli @rahaeli.bsky.social · 18h

Yes, the underlying reason for the need for this is horrifying, stipulated, but watching so many people stand up and defend their neighbors and their community is a heartening reminder that the people who suck are not the majority even if they are the power

Slackermom @slackermom.bsky.social · 1d

Was just at a neighborhood school at dismissal. Hundreds of people with whistles surrounding the school and stationed down every block making sure ICE doesn’t snatch anyone. The same is happening at all the schools around here. I love my neighborhood and I love Chicago.

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 9h

You’ll find me shambling in mossy forests with my wicker basket filled with mushrooms. Likely I’ll talk your ears off about the finer points of mushroom ID.

Edmonds Scanner @edmondsscanner.bsky.social · 19d

Remember, you are not alone.
Your community is out there.
Find them in quiet bookstores & noisy cafes.
Find them shambling in mossy forests.
Find them haunting crumbling castles on the coast, under the dim light of stars.

Reposted by Brian McNett

David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 17h

A classic case of irresponsible both-sidesism from the NYT. The story is that Trump and MAGA propagandists are lying about Portland to incite a conflict, not that there are different views of the matter.

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 10h

I’ve spent the afternoon distributing flyers for the upcoming mushroom show in November. I’ll be doing my usual gig of identifying every single mushroom placed in front of me until I pass out or the show ends.

I get a token stipend for my efforts. Totally worth it.

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 10h

I’m fairly certain that @seananmcguire.bsky.social can’t be convicted of any culinary offenses here. The Swedes put BANANAS on pizza.

Who are we to judge?

Also Seanan isn’t AI.

Seanan McGuire @seananmcguire.bsky.social · 17h

The Magic community: The TMNT pizza lands must be AI, because who puts raspberries on pizza?
I: So like, last week I paid someone to make me a pizza with strawberries AND blueberries on it. Am I AI?

...I may be AI. My pizza says so.

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 10h

I had fun during Legion. I maxed out crafting. I raided. I actually raided! I got deeply involved in the lore and story. I was sad that it didn’t carry over into the next expansion.

Reposted by Brian McNett

Django Wexler @djangowexler.bsky.social · 1d

My boss: so how's our fourth quarter looking?

Me, the sales manager at the company that makes inflatable frog suits: well, you're never going to believe this, but

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

Keeping the fall snacking tradition alive.

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

Is it safe to admit there's a book by @jeremycshipp.bsky.social I haven't read? Don't be like me! Read this book!

Jeremy Ghost Shipp @jeremycshipp.bsky.social · 1d

I'd love for you to read my Shirley Jackson Award-nominated gothic fiction book during the Halloween season.

us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

This is a photo of a paperback copy of The Atrocities by me (Jeremy C. Shipp). The cover features a creepy old manor house, storm clouds, and a hedge maze. The book is against a brick wall with vines growing around and over the book.

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

Someone mentioned that nobody believes Tron: Ares has an audience.

Ian Coldwater 👻🌿 @lookitup.baby · 1d

I had two different credit card fraud departments flag me today for buying movie tickets. Is there something about movie tickets as a fraud risk? Why is that a thing?

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

It’s a sandwich, you see… It has… Italian ingredients.  Stracciatella,  Mortadella, Mozzarella, Umbrella...

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

Regarding the 150-year-old Italian "founder of antifa," I've previously posted the names of said (multiple) persons plus the fact that the actual Italian fascists had them murdered in 1924.

The @thebhp.bsky.social is largely correct.

The British History Podcast @thebhp.bsky.social · 3d

Regarding the alleged arrest of “the girlfriend of one of the founders of Antifa.”

1) it’s not illegal to date someone.

2) antifa is a leaderless and loosely organized ideology, not a group

3) if antifa did have a founder, I’m pretty sure it would be a 150 year old Italian person.

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

I've never been the greatest fan of Harlan Ellison, but he said something once that's stuck with me.

"Pay the writer."

I've taken this to heart. I don't work for free. I may not have designs on wealth or fame, but I would like to afford to go down the street and buy a burrito now and then. PAY ME.

Harlan Ellison’s Wonderful Rant on Why Writers Should Always Get Paid

In a perfect world, I could write this post for free.

www.openculture.com

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

Enshittification isn't a given. There are circumstances in which the consumer has the power to walk away and take all of their business with them, forcing an enshittifier to de-enshittify.

Pluralistic: A disenshittification moment from the land of mass storage (10 Oct 2025) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

pluralistic.net

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Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

This costume is going to be showing up at protests nationwide on Oct 18.

Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 1d

Hot new item. Flying off the shelves.

Silence 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @b-dogood.bsky.social · 1d

Brian McNett @bmcnett.bsky.social · 1d

Are you sure you haven’t swapped places with @nytpitchbot.bsky.social?

Reposted by Brian McNett

J. C. Cantwell 🌻 @segfaultvicta.aludel.xyz · 1d

FROG 🐸 SEMIOTICS 🐸 REDEMPTION 🐸 ARC

Ariella Elm @ariellaelm.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t think we’re talking enough about the fact that we successfully took back the frog. Like it has been a meme for the alt right for years now, and thanks to these Portland inflatable costumes, we’re taking it back

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