JK
@miniver.bsky.social
user experience strategist ✦ hermeticist ✦ flâneur ✦ recovering natural philosopher ✦ nerdy & geeky
Pinned
JK
@miniver.bsky.social
· Apr 28
Arizona Public Service killed my mother
www.APSKilledMyMom.com
I put together a proper website
❝
My mother Kate Korman owed $500 to Arizona Public Service, so shortly before her 82nd birthday they cut off her electricity.
Temperatures were in the 90s and climbing. Without air conditioning, the heat killed her within a few days.
❞
www.apskilledmymom.com
❝
My mother Kate Korman owed $500 to Arizona Public Service, so shortly before her 82nd birthday they cut off her electricity.
Temperatures were in the 90s and climbing. Without air conditioning, the heat killed her within a few days.
❞
www.apskilledmymom.com
I presume that massive investment in “AI” datacenters creating component shortages is more an unintended consequence than this, but it is at least true that “AI” leaders are •inclined• toward the empire-building centralization this tech implies
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i think lots of people underestimate how badly these “AI” companies want people to be unable to afford computers. they view personal computing as a roadblock to their desire for complete end-to-end centralization. the fact that their tech is putting hardware out of reach is not just a happy accident
WD and Seagate confirm: Hard drives for 2026 sold out
February 17, 2026 at 6:50 PM
I presume that massive investment in “AI” datacenters creating component shortages is more an unintended consequence than this, but it is at least true that “AI” leaders are •inclined• toward the empire-building centralization this tech implies
< thread >
< thread >
Reposted by JK
Have started seeing vibe coded projects show up at work and, speaking as a mediocre white man, the mediocre white man energy coming off them is PALPABLE.
February 17, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Have started seeing vibe coded projects show up at work and, speaking as a mediocre white man, the mediocre white man energy coming off them is PALPABLE.
I saw ‘Silence’ again recently and was struck by its diligent and catastrophically unsuccessful attempt to avoid reïnforcing transphobia.
Honorable of Levine to step up and speak to it.
Honorable of Levine to step up and speak to it.
I don't believe I've ever seen Ted Levine speak so candidly about his regrets of portraying Buffalo Bill in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. He and some of the crew on the film were asked about the film's cultural transphobia by The Hollywood Reporter.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
February 17, 2026 at 6:16 PM
I saw ‘Silence’ again recently and was struck by its diligent and catastrophically unsuccessful attempt to avoid reïnforcing transphobia.
Honorable of Levine to step up and speak to it.
Honorable of Levine to step up and speak to it.
This election is important. We cannot afford to take any chances.
And this was interestingly unanimous— and not being that well reflected yet in the offerings from actual Dem politicians. Word to the wise
February 17, 2026 at 5:19 PM
This election is important. We cannot afford to take any chances.
Reposted by JK
I don't think society has really started to grapple with how dangerous it is to distribute AI that basically just agrees with anything you say -- even if that "anything" happens to be "viciously abusing and stalking a former romantic partner"
February 17, 2026 at 4:29 PM
I don't think society has really started to grapple with how dangerous it is to distribute AI that basically just agrees with anything you say -- even if that "anything" happens to be "viciously abusing and stalking a former romantic partner"
Reposted by JK
In neighbourhoods across Berlin, a quiet rebellion is unfolding in the form of Kiezblocks (or “neighbourhood blocks”). What began as a grassroots response to political inertia and rat-running cars has evolved into a compelling experiment in bottom-up urbanism coordinated by @ccitiesorg.bsky.social.🧵
February 17, 2026 at 10:04 AM
In neighbourhoods across Berlin, a quiet rebellion is unfolding in the form of Kiezblocks (or “neighbourhood blocks”). What began as a grassroots response to political inertia and rat-running cars has evolved into a compelling experiment in bottom-up urbanism coordinated by @ccitiesorg.bsky.social.🧵
Reposted by JK
The reason LLMs suck at chess is the same reason they initially sucked at drawing fingers and currently suck at counting to 100: state space
Hands are photographed and drawn from every angle, all chess books show every piece in every position, every list of numbers up to 100 shows every such number
Hands are photographed and drawn from every angle, all chess books show every piece in every position, every list of numbers up to 100 shows every such number
February 17, 2026 at 10:17 AM
The reason LLMs suck at chess is the same reason they initially sucked at drawing fingers and currently suck at counting to 100: state space
Hands are photographed and drawn from every angle, all chess books show every piece in every position, every list of numbers up to 100 shows every such number
Hands are photographed and drawn from every angle, all chess books show every piece in every position, every list of numbers up to 100 shows every such number
Reposted by JK
Heard an interview today where a guy said (and I'm paraphrasing) "LLMs have had years to train on every aspect of chess, read every book and article about it, review every match, but when they play, they STILL makes illegal moves. That tells you everything."
And.
Yup.
And.
Yup.
February 17, 2026 at 6:26 AM
Heard an interview today where a guy said (and I'm paraphrasing) "LLMs have had years to train on every aspect of chess, read every book and article about it, review every match, but when they play, they STILL makes illegal moves. That tells you everything."
And.
Yup.
And.
Yup.
Reposted by JK
These things are complicated and there is no simple comparison but in many ways, both in the UK (even more probably) and US, trans people were portrayed more favorably in popular culture/news than gay people
One of the best selling books in the UK in 1974 by one of its most well known writers
February 17, 2026 at 9:38 AM
These things are complicated and there is no simple comparison but in many ways, both in the UK (even more probably) and US, trans people were portrayed more favorably in popular culture/news than gay people
Reposted by JK
The drunk uncle theory.
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
agree with this (hah) but also think a particular mistake the left made for a long time online, and still makes to an extent, is failing to understand that the person whose mind you may actually change is the one reading the argument you're having, not the one you're arguing with
The secret to engaging in social media debate is knowing you will never win anyone over. The best you can hope for is to have people who already agree with tell you you're awesome. You might great a dopamine thrill from the righteousness of your anger! Fine benefits, all. But you will never win.
February 16, 2026 at 11:35 PM
The drunk uncle theory.
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
Reposted by JK
My default position on TikTok is that every video I see is someone saying whatever shit they think will go most viral with 0% overlap with their actual beliefs and information levels
All right, this just about wrecked me
February 17, 2026 at 12:28 AM
My default position on TikTok is that every video I see is someone saying whatever shit they think will go most viral with 0% overlap with their actual beliefs and information levels
Reposted by JK
RAM will be unaffordable soon too. AI is cancer.
Man, I'm not loving what's happened to prices on SSD hard drives in the last 3 months
February 16, 2026 at 10:28 PM
RAM will be unaffordable soon too. AI is cancer.
Reposted by JK
A thing I like to do is look up who wrote a song I love and see what else they wrote. So often, as here, the result is me going "Oh, shit! Right! Of course!"
I love humans so fucking much.
Raise a glass.
I love humans so fucking much.
Raise a glass.
Billy Steinberg RIP
You may not immediately know the name but by jingo you've heard Like A Virgin, Alone, So Emotional, True Colors, I Touch Myself, I Drove All Night, I'll Stand By You and Eternal Flame.
You may not immediately know the name but by jingo you've heard Like A Virgin, Alone, So Emotional, True Colors, I Touch Myself, I Drove All Night, I'll Stand By You and Eternal Flame.
February 16, 2026 at 11:00 PM
A thing I like to do is look up who wrote a song I love and see what else they wrote. So often, as here, the result is me going "Oh, shit! Right! Of course!"
I love humans so fucking much.
Raise a glass.
I love humans so fucking much.
Raise a glass.
It is a serious problem that we lack a good taxonomy of different places on the autism spectrum, but neurotypical psychologists have demonstrated that they cannot be trusted to offer one that isn’t harmful
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Yeah, so my feeling is NOPE, NO, NUH UH, NEVER
For one thing, IQ is bullshit. For another, there is a reason we DON’T want a streamlined way to identify “the most vulnerable”. Please see the United States for further details.
Lastly—who is this for?
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
For one thing, IQ is bullshit. For another, there is a reason we DON’T want a streamlined way to identify “the most vulnerable”. Please see the United States for further details.
Lastly—who is this for?
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
A new diagnosis of ‘profound autism’ is under consideration. Here’s what parents need to know
Category describes people who have little or no language, an IQ of less than 50 and require 24-hour supervision
www.theguardian.com
February 16, 2026 at 11:05 PM
It is a serious problem that we lack a good taxonomy of different places on the autism spectrum, but neurotypical psychologists have demonstrated that they cannot be trusted to offer one that isn’t harmful
< thread >
< thread >
Reposted by JK
By the way that is not an exaggeration, those are the literal numbers. The latest polls put support for increased and unconditional military support to Israel at roughly <5% total among Democratic voters.
I wrote about that last year.
I wrote about that last year.
Democrats Are Getting a Brutal Lesson in How Much the Politics on Israel Have Changed
From Pete Buttigieg to Gavin Newsom, party bigwigs are finding out the hard way that the old platitudes don’t work anymore.
www.thenation.com
February 16, 2026 at 10:55 PM
By the way that is not an exaggeration, those are the literal numbers. The latest polls put support for increased and unconditional military support to Israel at roughly <5% total among Democratic voters.
I wrote about that last year.
I wrote about that last year.
Reposted by JK
I'm in a...heated thread about TTRPGs, but lets give a positive example!
Unknown Armies 3rd edition is one of my favorite RPGs. Here's how the mechanics interweave to create fiction and why you cannot ignore or tweak them, because they *work.*
Our hero is Milo! Hi MIlo!
Unknown Armies 3rd edition is one of my favorite RPGs. Here's how the mechanics interweave to create fiction and why you cannot ignore or tweak them, because they *work.*
Our hero is Milo! Hi MIlo!
February 16, 2026 at 5:45 AM
I'm in a...heated thread about TTRPGs, but lets give a positive example!
Unknown Armies 3rd edition is one of my favorite RPGs. Here's how the mechanics interweave to create fiction and why you cannot ignore or tweak them, because they *work.*
Our hero is Milo! Hi MIlo!
Unknown Armies 3rd edition is one of my favorite RPGs. Here's how the mechanics interweave to create fiction and why you cannot ignore or tweak them, because they *work.*
Our hero is Milo! Hi MIlo!
Cars are bad for us in so many ways
Do YOU have an aging friend/relative who should stop driving? Tell them this story from San Francisco. Ask how they will feel if they kill an entire family.
But don't tell them that even then, they'll be forgiven and be able to drive again.
This verdict is obscene.
www.ktvu.com/news/woman-a...
But don't tell them that even then, they'll be forgiven and be able to drive again.
This verdict is obscene.
www.ktvu.com/news/woman-a...
Woman accused of wiping out entire family in San Francisco crash likely won't get prison time
An 80-year-old woman accused of driving at a high rate of speed and crashing into a family of four, killing them, at a San Francisco bus stop nearly two years ago, appeared in court on Friday. Mary Fo...
www.ktvu.com
February 16, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Cars are bad for us in so many ways
Reposted by JK
in some ways we are fortunate. the necessary laws are already on the books bsky.app/profile/segy...
had occasion to observe earlier today that "i think we should prosecute everyone in the government who has committed a crime to the fullest extent of the law" is, in literal fact, very close to just proposing The Terror at this point
February 16, 2026 at 6:25 PM
in some ways we are fortunate. the necessary laws are already on the books bsky.app/profile/segy...
Against Graham “SS Totenkopf” Platner
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Yeah... no.
I was in the military. 1: If you think those croatian tattoo parlors are subtle... wanna buy a bridge?
2: Should it define you for life? No. But he wore it for 15 years. He joked about it. He only got rid of it after it became a liability.
3: He covered it with a RELATED image.
I was in the military. 1: If you think those croatian tattoo parlors are subtle... wanna buy a bridge?
2: Should it define you for life? No. But he wore it for 15 years. He joked about it. He only got rid of it after it became a liability.
3: He covered it with a RELATED image.
February 16, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Against Graham “SS Totenkopf” Platner
< thread >
< thread >
Time to fire up ‘Tender Mercies’ and ‘The Apostle’
Robert Duvall, the legendary actor whose career has spanned over six decades, has died at 95, his wife announced
February 16, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Time to fire up ‘Tender Mercies’ and ‘The Apostle’
Reposted by JK
This is actually a problem for industry. Auto companies plan their production runs years if not decades in advance. They actually rely on gov't standards and regulation to create certainty in the market. Rapid deregulation for manufacturing makes it very difficult to plan. 1/n
After a year of spectacular deregulation, “the United States will essentially have no laws on the books that enforce how efficient America’s passenger cars and trucks should be.” www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/c...
With Latest Rollback, the U.S. Essentially Has No Clean-Car Rules
www.nytimes.com
February 16, 2026 at 5:57 PM
This is actually a problem for industry. Auto companies plan their production runs years if not decades in advance. They actually rely on gov't standards and regulation to create certainty in the market. Rapid deregulation for manufacturing makes it very difficult to plan. 1/n
Reposted by JK
The belief that everyone in history was a secret atheist" is one of the main keys to understanding a lot of inane stuff peddled about historical religiosity, especially when it's paired with a refusal to understand how polytheism worked (and how it wasn't just some vague tales spun around a fire).
February 16, 2026 at 10:53 AM
The belief that everyone in history was a secret atheist" is one of the main keys to understanding a lot of inane stuff peddled about historical religiosity, especially when it's paired with a refusal to understand how polytheism worked (and how it wasn't just some vague tales spun around a fire).
Reposted by JK
Since the government is about to introduce a social media ban for under-16s based largely on vibes – and Jonathan Haidt's shitty book – in the hopes it boosts its popularity (it won't), I'll re-up this.
If we're banning under-16s, why not over-60s?
If we're banning under-16s, why not over-60s?
On almost everything – fraud, polarisation, radicalisation, misinformation – evidence suggests that over 60s are in much more urgent need of online protection and education than teenagers.
But that issue gets zero political attention, and is a total non-starter. Nothing good will come of it.
But that issue gets zero political attention, and is a total non-starter. Nothing good will come of it.
This was a minor story on London news this morning - but suspect is a real cautionary (and alarming) tale of an older man getting radicalised online.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
February 16, 2026 at 9:48 AM
Since the government is about to introduce a social media ban for under-16s based largely on vibes – and Jonathan Haidt's shitty book – in the hopes it boosts its popularity (it won't), I'll re-up this.
If we're banning under-16s, why not over-60s?
If we're banning under-16s, why not over-60s?
Reposted by JK
therapist: so how are you
us: [long sigh, bitter laugh]
therapist: haha yeah but like, how are YOU
us: [long sigh, bitter laugh]
therapist: haha yeah but like, how are YOU
Sometimes I get a little upset when I live in a collapsing dystopia for many years
February 16, 2026 at 6:51 AM
therapist: so how are you
us: [long sigh, bitter laugh]
therapist: haha yeah but like, how are YOU
us: [long sigh, bitter laugh]
therapist: haha yeah but like, how are YOU