Fred Coppersmith
@unrealfred.bsky.social
Writer, editor, just this guy. Occasional stories: https://www.unreality.net/writings. I also publish the quarterly zine Kaleidotrope. (He/him.) 😷
Pinned
Fred Coppersmith
@unrealfred.bsky.social
· Nov 15
Fred Coppersmith > Where the Prayers Run Like Weeds Along the Road > Bourbon Penn
You find the dead man waiting for you right where you left him, leaning against the old wooden fence at the side of the road. He looks like he’s smiling, a lopsided grin of too many teeth, but you’re ...
www.bourbonpenn.com
Hello, new followers! Presumably you know this, or else why would you be following me, but I'm Fred. I natter on about this and that. I work in academic publishing, have edited and published @kaleidotrope.bsky.social for almost 20 years, and very occasionally write short fiction, most recently this:
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
I have often seen masculinity, conventional version, as a constant renunciation, in return for corrosive power. All the things you're not allowed to like, enjoy, do, say, wear, but (metaphorically speaking) this straitjacket comes with a gun.
So many men go through life like that. You can play poker because it's right-coded, you can't enjoy fruity alcoholic drinks because they're women-coded, you can't lick an ice cream cone because it's gay-coded. All day, every day, choosing and judging things based on coding for narrow norms.
November 26, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I have often seen masculinity, conventional version, as a constant renunciation, in return for corrosive power. All the things you're not allowed to like, enjoy, do, say, wear, but (metaphorically speaking) this straitjacket comes with a gun.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
I find it appalling that therapists are even using AI for their notes and emails.
If AI scribes are used in practice settings, no transcript nor recording should be stored or accessible to anyone after the appointment. The privacy risks are way too big for this to be a point of compromise. Companies like mdhub.ai and Therapy Notes need to be very tightly regulated and audited.
November 26, 2025 at 4:26 PM
I find it appalling that therapists are even using AI for their notes and emails.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
American journalists could be a little more like this, tbh
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 2:50 PM
American journalists could be a little more like this, tbh
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
At this point, I wonder if he isn't lying when he says he has "my highest Poll Numbers, ever" since it's entirely possible that's what his aides are telling him. It's quite likely that there's an entire Potemkin village built around Trump right now.
Trump responds to a detailed report about his waning energy and propensity to sleep through on-camera events by calling the New York Times's Katie Rogers ugly
November 26, 2025 at 2:24 PM
At this point, I wonder if he isn't lying when he says he has "my highest Poll Numbers, ever" since it's entirely possible that's what his aides are telling him. It's quite likely that there's an entire Potemkin village built around Trump right now.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
November 22, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
“You’ll be visited by three spirits.”
November 26, 2025 at 4:13 PM
“You’ll be visited by three spirits.”
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
dry mouth after transporter webmd
November 26, 2025 at 4:04 PM
dry mouth after transporter webmd
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
the downfall of every single follower of a despot is their faith that they will be the exception to the rule that everyone but the despot is expendable. they truly all believe they will be the “final girl” in this slasher movie.
November 26, 2025 at 4:01 PM
the downfall of every single follower of a despot is their faith that they will be the exception to the rule that everyone but the despot is expendable. they truly all believe they will be the “final girl” in this slasher movie.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.
November 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
So next time people wanna ask about why authors don’t talk about their personal finances online to strangers let’s all remember how strangers online behave to writers.
Just saw someone claim that authors who want to be paid for their work are "class traitors" because we "only let the wealthy" read our books, and I think I need to go into the woods to scream into the night for a bit.
It's $5, not your first-born child! I need that $5 for health insurance!
It's $5, not your first-born child! I need that $5 for health insurance!
November 26, 2025 at 2:21 PM
So next time people wanna ask about why authors don’t talk about their personal finances online to strangers let’s all remember how strangers online behave to writers.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Additionally, OpenAI argues its not liable because Raine, by using ChatGPT for self-harm, broke its terms of service
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 AM
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
The number of decades covered in “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and the number of decades since the song’s release are almost exactly the same.
November 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM
The number of decades covered in “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and the number of decades since the song’s release are almost exactly the same.
post a famous bathroom scene
November 26, 2025 at 1:32 AM
post a famous bathroom scene
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
I don't know who needs to hear this, but you're not fucking Jean Valjean just because you gave the book you stole five stars on Goodreads.
November 26, 2025 at 1:28 AM
I don't know who needs to hear this, but you're not fucking Jean Valjean just because you gave the book you stole five stars on Goodreads.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
Also reminder: if you check out a book from the library "for free," the author still gets paid.
November 25, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Also reminder: if you check out a book from the library "for free," the author still gets paid.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
November 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
According to today's WSJ, tulip-related investment accounts for half of GDP growth. A reversal would risk recession. We can't afford to go backwards.
November 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM
According to today's WSJ, tulip-related investment accounts for half of GDP growth. A reversal would risk recession. We can't afford to go backwards.
Die Hard is a Thanksgiving movie.
November 26, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Die Hard is a Thanksgiving movie.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
Wondering which 48 stories and 28 poems Kaleidotrope published in 2025?
Well, friends, wonder no more!
Well, friends, wonder no more!
Kaleidotrope 2025
kaleidotrope.net
November 25, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Wondering which 48 stories and 28 poems Kaleidotrope published in 2025?
Well, friends, wonder no more!
Well, friends, wonder no more!
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
they're gonna give the robots human rights and healthcare before they give it to you
November 25, 2025 at 8:16 PM
they're gonna give the robots human rights and healthcare before they give it to you
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
If cars exploded more often they'd be so much cheaper
November 25, 2025 at 8:39 PM
If cars exploded more often they'd be so much cheaper
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
You can also get a sore throat with the flu which is expected to be very bad this year.
Patient came in with sore throat. While waiting for rapid Strep test result we glanced back at the Covid-19 RAT result: positive. Reminder that masking in health care makes sense, if you don’t want everyone in your waiting room to go home sick, your staff to get sick, and physicians to get sick.
November 25, 2025 at 5:06 PM
You can also get a sore throat with the flu which is expected to be very bad this year.
Reposted by Fred Coppersmith
The number of salmonella cases this year are going to go through the roof.
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet -- And Thanksgiving Dinner
Food bloggers see traffic dip as home cooks turn to AI, inspired by impossible pictures
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:16 PM
The number of salmonella cases this year are going to go through the roof.