M R. X. Dentith
@mrxdentith.com
Philosopher (BNU-ZH): conspiracy theory theorist. Editor: "Social Epistemology" & the Journal of Contemporary Chinese Philosophy
they/them
Website: https://www.mrxdentith.com
Podcast: https://zencastr.com/The-Podcaster-s-Guide-to-the-Conspiracy
they/them
Website: https://www.mrxdentith.com
Podcast: https://zencastr.com/The-Podcaster-s-Guide-to-the-Conspiracy
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
One thing to note re the NZ election date is that in dragging things out close to as long as he could Luxon has it happening days *after* the US mid-terms.
We saw last year US election vibes can be be quite consequential in other countries. Not sure Luxon was wise to add that variable to the mix.
We saw last year US election vibes can be be quite consequential in other countries. Not sure Luxon was wise to add that variable to the mix.
January 21, 2026 at 12:15 AM
One thing to note re the NZ election date is that in dragging things out close to as long as he could Luxon has it happening days *after* the US mid-terms.
We saw last year US election vibes can be be quite consequential in other countries. Not sure Luxon was wise to add that variable to the mix.
We saw last year US election vibes can be be quite consequential in other countries. Not sure Luxon was wise to add that variable to the mix.
I’m sure the usual suspects who argue that the Greens should consider National as a potential coalition partner are now angrily denouncing National for refusing to consider the Greens in a coalition…
January 21, 2026 at 1:37 AM
I’m sure the usual suspects who argue that the Greens should consider National as a potential coalition partner are now angrily denouncing National for refusing to consider the Greens in a coalition…
I have bought an ereader about the size of an iPhone 4 and the fact it fits in a pocket means I’ll probably do a lot more reading when out and about
January 19, 2026 at 2:35 AM
I have bought an ereader about the size of an iPhone 4 and the fact it fits in a pocket means I’ll probably do a lot more reading when out and about
This summer I plan to read a whole bunch of Emma Lathen
January 17, 2026 at 2:10 AM
This summer I plan to read a whole bunch of Emma Lathen
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
I hate to burst everyone's bubble but if you think that CBS News losing ratings or prestige matters to David Ellison, you're mistaken. Murdoch ran the NY Post for 45 years without turning a profit. They want these media companies to pump propaganda, not to get ratings or make money.
January 16, 2026 at 10:53 PM
I hate to burst everyone's bubble but if you think that CBS News losing ratings or prestige matters to David Ellison, you're mistaken. Murdoch ran the NY Post for 45 years without turning a profit. They want these media companies to pump propaganda, not to get ratings or make money.
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
You obviously select for the maximum enjoyment of mediocre, affordable wine - duh.
January 16, 2026 at 9:54 AM
You obviously select for the maximum enjoyment of mediocre, affordable wine - duh.
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
The real question about the Sophie Turner Lara Croft is, will they make Lara appropriately psychotic? She is supposed to be an aristocrat who spends her life shooting endangered animals and robbing archeological sites. Some of the games play this up by making her just shy of the straight up bad guy.
January 16, 2026 at 5:49 AM
The real question about the Sophie Turner Lara Croft is, will they make Lara appropriately psychotic? She is supposed to be an aristocrat who spends her life shooting endangered animals and robbing archeological sites. Some of the games play this up by making her just shy of the straight up bad guy.
So, I designed a card game late last year, and last weekend I finally got someone other than me and @thebibliophile.bsky.social to play it. They seem to have enjoyed it enough that they've asked I bring it to their place for a game's night this Sunday
January 16, 2026 at 5:16 AM
So, I designed a card game late last year, and last weekend I finally got someone other than me and @thebibliophile.bsky.social to play it. They seem to have enjoyed it enough that they've asked I bring it to their place for a game's night this Sunday
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
In April 2024, Spotify implemented a new scheme: songs with less than 1k streams per year would no longer receive royalties.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
January 15, 2026 at 4:58 PM
In April 2024, Spotify implemented a new scheme: songs with less than 1k streams per year would no longer receive royalties.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
People talk about Star Trek as this utopian, progressive ideal of a TV series, but I put it to you that TOS featured notably racist Dr. McCoy, and TNG had Geordi, a character who had several episodes devoted to how he could not accept "No" from a woman.
January 16, 2026 at 4:27 AM
People talk about Star Trek as this utopian, progressive ideal of a TV series, but I put it to you that TOS featured notably racist Dr. McCoy, and TNG had Geordi, a character who had several episodes devoted to how he could not accept "No" from a woman.
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
Sci-fi authors love when shit is chitinous. they love a carapace
January 16, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Sci-fi authors love when shit is chitinous. they love a carapace
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
I remember how the media here covered the Kellie-Jay Keen speech in Auckland (the one where she got souped) that I attended, and how it was described as an angry mob when it was the most joyful, calm day. It was also telling that Action Zealandia turned up to support KJK and got zero mention.
One of the things about people showing up to protest for the first time, that many, many armchair theorists don't grasp, is the effect of seeing what happens with your own eyes, then seeing how media covers it, and what is said ABOUT YOU by media and political personalities/office holders.
This dude is intense and correct
January 15, 2026 at 9:32 PM
I remember how the media here covered the Kellie-Jay Keen speech in Auckland (the one where she got souped) that I attended, and how it was described as an angry mob when it was the most joyful, calm day. It was also telling that Action Zealandia turned up to support KJK and got zero mention.
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
I remember getting a job offer mid-way through the review process of a paper. My response to reviewers instantly changed. I switched from desperate willingness to accept any criticism to a more robust defence of my position. The paper was published & was better for it.
'“Embedded precarity” in higher education is diminishing research quality as staff on short-term contracts favour “safer” work to secure future employment, according to the author of a new report.'
Royal Geographical Society maps important connections between precarity and research topics. 1/3
Royal Geographical Society maps important connections between precarity and research topics. 1/3
Use of fixed-term posts ‘stifling more critical research’
Scholars with short contracts seen as more likely to favour doing ‘safer’ work, with ‘serious ramifications’ for their disciplines
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 15, 2026 at 9:29 AM
I remember getting a job offer mid-way through the review process of a paper. My response to reviewers instantly changed. I switched from desperate willingness to accept any criticism to a more robust defence of my position. The paper was published & was better for it.
Like many sensible centrists I am beginning to feel uneasy about the current US administration. I might have to pen a strongly worded letter to leftists!
January 15, 2026 at 6:33 AM
Like many sensible centrists I am beginning to feel uneasy about the current US administration. I might have to pen a strongly worded letter to leftists!
A paper of mine that ended up with four reviewers (long story short: it was originally rejected but I complained that one of the reviews made claims about the paper that weren’t in the paper itself, so it was sent out for review anew) has been accepted
January 15, 2026 at 1:46 AM
A paper of mine that ended up with four reviewers (long story short: it was originally rejected but I complained that one of the reviews made claims about the paper that weren’t in the paper itself, so it was sent out for review anew) has been accepted
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
It's been a while since I saw someone less mourned than Scott Adams. Not a judgment, just an observation. And maybe a warning.
January 14, 2026 at 4:23 AM
It's been a while since I saw someone less mourned than Scott Adams. Not a judgment, just an observation. And maybe a warning.
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
Great coverage of this. The "top secret" information was...that they wanted to get 32 testers to test *something*. RS's barrister wouldn't even discuss these messages out loud in court, but it seems RS forgot or didn't care to apply to restrict reporters from accessing this evidence.
We traveled back up to Edinburgh to be there as Rockstar Games and its fired union members took their case to court:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnui...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnui...
Rockstar vs. Union: We Went to Court and Saw the Evidence
YouTube video by People Make Games
www.youtube.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Great coverage of this. The "top secret" information was...that they wanted to get 32 testers to test *something*. RS's barrister wouldn't even discuss these messages out loud in court, but it seems RS forgot or didn't care to apply to restrict reporters from accessing this evidence.
#Galaxy4 is a very boring and slow story. It’s not a great start to #DoctorWho’s third series
January 14, 2026 at 1:16 AM
#Galaxy4 is a very boring and slow story. It’s not a great start to #DoctorWho’s third series
“Murder at the Embassy” was the unnecessary sequel to “Invitation to a Murder”, itself an inessential film. Still, lovely location work in Cairo, and it being an anti-Nazi film in this day and age is itself a miracle
January 14, 2026 at 1:09 AM
“Murder at the Embassy” was the unnecessary sequel to “Invitation to a Murder”, itself an inessential film. Still, lovely location work in Cairo, and it being an anti-Nazi film in this day and age is itself a miracle
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
TV comedy pitch: a show about a LAW & ORDER-like franchise and how frantically hard it has to work to whitewash police behaviour into successful copaganda.
January 14, 2026 at 12:57 AM
TV comedy pitch: a show about a LAW & ORDER-like franchise and how frantically hard it has to work to whitewash police behaviour into successful copaganda.
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
I am once again reminding you all that the UK government introduced an Online Safety Act that is effectively a porn ban on most adult porn websites, but is dithering over banning a website that is actually creating child porn.
January 13, 2026 at 11:03 AM
I am once again reminding you all that the UK government introduced an Online Safety Act that is effectively a porn ban on most adult porn websites, but is dithering over banning a website that is actually creating child porn.
Reposted by M R. X. Dentith
There's a ton of research showing that if moderate parties accept the premises of far-right parties on immigration, & then start copying them, support for the far-right increases. This is entirely unsurprising. Yet Labour keeps doing it, knowing this research is unequivocal.
In polling, people report being MORE LIKELY TO VOTE REFORM directly after being shown exactly this kind of video.
Labour's plan? Let's make new accounts to pump out these videos!!!🤪🤪🤪🤪
I do worry they're just one big psy-op, sometimes. www.lbc.co.uk/article/tikt...
Labour's plan? Let's make new accounts to pump out these videos!!!🤪🤪🤪🤪
I do worry they're just one big psy-op, sometimes. www.lbc.co.uk/article/tikt...
Government launches new immigration TikTok in bid to tackle Nigel Farage on social media | LBC
The new profile is intended to tackle misinformation and narratives peddled by people smugglers
www.lbc.co.uk
January 13, 2026 at 11:27 AM
There's a ton of research showing that if moderate parties accept the premises of far-right parties on immigration, & then start copying them, support for the far-right increases. This is entirely unsurprising. Yet Labour keeps doing it, knowing this research is unequivocal.
Still less money spent than that used to buy dowsing rods for hidden explosives, mind
The Department of Homeland Security spent an eight figure sum to buy what they believe is a Havana Syndrome device (lol)
January 13, 2026 at 6:33 AM
Still less money spent than that used to buy dowsing rods for hidden explosives, mind
Back to Aotearoa late next week for a summer vacation. Albeit one where I have to work on two talks and will doubtless have at least one or two revised papers to work on. But a holiday is a holiday!
January 13, 2026 at 6:08 AM
Back to Aotearoa late next week for a summer vacation. Albeit one where I have to work on two talks and will doubtless have at least one or two revised papers to work on. But a holiday is a holiday!