Francis Volpe
@francisvolpe.bsky.social
Former bureaucrat, former journalist, aspiring singer-songwriter
Friend of mine posted a litany of clickbait links and jokingly called it a "found poem." I said it should be set to some loops in GarageBand, and so I did. Here's "Just Watch, Here's Why" by Jenny and Andrew (names of the AI voices I had read the links aloud).
JustWatchHeresWhy
Listen to JustWatchHeresWhy by Francis Volpe #np on #SoundCloud
soundcloud.com
March 25, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Friend of mine posted a litany of clickbait links and jokingly called it a "found poem." I said it should be set to some loops in GarageBand, and so I did. Here's "Just Watch, Here's Why" by Jenny and Andrew (names of the AI voices I had read the links aloud).
When do we send a platoon of macrame artists from Santa Fe into Apartheid Clyde's companies to second-guess and sabotage everything there?
March 4, 2025 at 5:12 PM
When do we send a platoon of macrame artists from Santa Fe into Apartheid Clyde's companies to second-guess and sabotage everything there?
I'm skeptical that the posts about a Feb. 28 consumer boycott will be effective. But here's a better idea for a boycott. Elon's flagship company has long been wildly overvalued and dependent upon federal grants (tax incentives for purchasers, trading of carbon credits to other carmakers for money).
Americans Are Actually in a Position to Make Elon Musk Feel Our Rage
His car company is in a precarious spot.
slate.com
February 12, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I'm skeptical that the posts about a Feb. 28 consumer boycott will be effective. But here's a better idea for a boycott. Elon's flagship company has long been wildly overvalued and dependent upon federal grants (tax incentives for purchasers, trading of carbon credits to other carmakers for money).
I'm disinclined to post about every illegal, unconstitutional and incompetent outrage being perpetrated by the Felonious Punk administration and its ridiculous cast of cartoon supervillains. But I would like to note one thing that is being overlooked in all of this.
February 9, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I'm disinclined to post about every illegal, unconstitutional and incompetent outrage being perpetrated by the Felonious Punk administration and its ridiculous cast of cartoon supervillains. But I would like to note one thing that is being overlooked in all of this.
That's my wife doing a scarf bomb at a Ukrainian church in Carnegie, PA. Every scarf had a sunflower pattern on it. The scarves are intended for needy people.
February 1, 2025 at 9:41 PM
That's my wife doing a scarf bomb at a Ukrainian church in Carnegie, PA. Every scarf had a sunflower pattern on it. The scarves are intended for needy people.
Reposted by Francis Volpe
I've been posting in comments about DEI that until the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Act, every job in America was a DEI set-aside for white males. Oh and don't forget that Pete Hegseth is a DUI hire.
January 28, 2025 at 9:18 PM
I've been posting in comments about DEI that until the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Act, every job in America was a DEI set-aside for white males. Oh and don't forget that Pete Hegseth is a DUI hire.
While tracking this season's new Christmas music, I encountered several providers offering AI-generated Christmas songs -- mostly humorous novelty recordings with R-rated lyrics. Click through to read my thoughts (ignore any "dangerous site" warnings).
More holiday hijinks with AI - Mistletunes
www.mistletunes.com
January 15, 2025 at 7:51 PM
While tracking this season's new Christmas music, I encountered several providers offering AI-generated Christmas songs -- mostly humorous novelty recordings with R-rated lyrics. Click through to read my thoughts (ignore any "dangerous site" warnings).
My annual Christmas playlist is up, complete with Spotify link. www.mistletunes.com/mix-discs/do...
December 22, 2024 at 10:00 PM
My annual Christmas playlist is up, complete with Spotify link. www.mistletunes.com/mix-discs/do...
This is from a NY Times op-ed: "For all the tolerance and enlightenment that modern society claims, Americans are losing hold of a fundamental right as citizens of a free country: the right to speak their minds and voice their opinions in public without fear of being shamed or shunned." Horseshit.
December 13, 2024 at 8:46 PM
This is from a NY Times op-ed: "For all the tolerance and enlightenment that modern society claims, Americans are losing hold of a fundamental right as citizens of a free country: the right to speak their minds and voice their opinions in public without fear of being shamed or shunned." Horseshit.
Authorities believe they have identified a suspect in the UnitedHealth CEO's murder.
December 10, 2024 at 6:40 PM
Authorities believe they have identified a suspect in the UnitedHealth CEO's murder.
Apropos of nothing, I'd like to note that the billionaires of the 19th and 20th century turned to philanthropy because they were afraid that the working class they exploited would storm their mansions and hurt them and their families. (cough Luigi Mangione cough)
December 10, 2024 at 3:18 PM
Apropos of nothing, I'd like to note that the billionaires of the 19th and 20th century turned to philanthropy because they were afraid that the working class they exploited would storm their mansions and hurt them and their families. (cough Luigi Mangione cough)
I'm really trying not to be That Guy Who's Not Following The News. Especially as I'm a former journalist and a guy who has morning and afternoon news crawls as part of his routine, and back in the dead tree era read at least three papers a day.
December 3, 2024 at 5:56 PM
I'm really trying not to be That Guy Who's Not Following The News. Especially as I'm a former journalist and a guy who has morning and afternoon news crawls as part of his routine, and back in the dead tree era read at least three papers a day.
I've told people that putting JD "Eyeliner" Vance in as VP was a pure cryptocurrency play. Apparently US gold reserves are valued, by statute, at about $42, but the market price is north of $2600, so the upcoming administration of comic book villains is going to sell US gold and buy crypto with it.
The Crypto Plot Against America’s Gold Reserves
National Treasure: Bitcoin Edition
prospect.org
December 1, 2024 at 6:42 PM
I've told people that putting JD "Eyeliner" Vance in as VP was a pure cryptocurrency play. Apparently US gold reserves are valued, by statute, at about $42, but the market price is north of $2600, so the upcoming administration of comic book villains is going to sell US gold and buy crypto with it.
The media's talking about Cheeto Benito's tariffs using the conventional term "protectionism." This is wrong and misleading. The correct term is "Predictive Graft." Does anybody doubt that once the tariffs go into effect, certain American businesses will petition for waivers in exchange for favors?
November 27, 2024 at 4:32 PM
The media's talking about Cheeto Benito's tariffs using the conventional term "protectionism." This is wrong and misleading. The correct term is "Predictive Graft." Does anybody doubt that once the tariffs go into effect, certain American businesses will petition for waivers in exchange for favors?
It's not in my bio, but I'm a longtime Christmas music webmaster. Every year I track down and review as many brand new Christmas music recordings as I can at www.mistletunes.com.
November 25, 2024 at 9:20 PM
It's not in my bio, but I'm a longtime Christmas music webmaster. Every year I track down and review as many brand new Christmas music recordings as I can at www.mistletunes.com.
A little tidbit to drop in your Thanksgiving dinners when your Fox News Uncles™ start railing about DEI: Until the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, every job in America was a DEI position for white males.
November 25, 2024 at 6:50 PM
A little tidbit to drop in your Thanksgiving dinners when your Fox News Uncles™ start railing about DEI: Until the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, every job in America was a DEI position for white males.
If Kamala Harris had won, do you think teenage girls would be walking up to boys in school, waving knives and saying "Your balls are mine now, little boy!" Or would black people be texting white men to surrender their possessions and report for cotton picking duty in Mississippi?
November 23, 2024 at 9:03 PM
If Kamala Harris had won, do you think teenage girls would be walking up to boys in school, waving knives and saying "Your balls are mine now, little boy!" Or would black people be texting white men to surrender their possessions and report for cotton picking duty in Mississippi?
Not seeing a lot of interest in the fact that Comcast is spinning off all its cable channels into a separate company (except Bravo). It will keep NBC/Universal and Peacock, but all the rest, like SyFy, USA, Golf Channel and especially MSNBC will be under new management.
November 22, 2024 at 4:46 PM
Not seeing a lot of interest in the fact that Comcast is spinning off all its cable channels into a separate company (except Bravo). It will keep NBC/Universal and Peacock, but all the rest, like SyFy, USA, Golf Channel and especially MSNBC will be under new management.
They flushed Matt Gaetz, so yay, but they rushed Pam Bondi, the corrupt blond sycophant, right in as a replacement. My take: Trump doesn't actually care if any of these jamokes get confirmed. See replies.
November 22, 2024 at 4:14 PM
They flushed Matt Gaetz, so yay, but they rushed Pam Bondi, the corrupt blond sycophant, right in as a replacement. My take: Trump doesn't actually care if any of these jamokes get confirmed. See replies.
Now do Pete Hegseth. Now do Stephen Miller. Now do Linda McMahon. Now do Marco Rubio. Now do Sean Duffy. Now do....
The Florida congressman was among the most controversial of the Trump administration’s cabinet picks.
Matt Gaetz Withdraws Candidacy for Attorney General
The Florida congressman was among the most controversial of the Trump administration’s cabinet picks. - Matt Gaetz Withdraws Candidacy for Attorney General
foreignpolicy.com
November 21, 2024 at 9:42 PM
Now do Pete Hegseth. Now do Stephen Miller. Now do Linda McMahon. Now do Marco Rubio. Now do Sean Duffy. Now do....
Reposted by Francis Volpe
The Florida congressman was among the most controversial of the Trump administration’s cabinet picks.
Matt Gaetz Withdraws Candidacy for Attorney General
The Florida congressman was among the most controversial of the Trump administration’s cabinet picks. - Matt Gaetz Withdraws Candidacy for Attorney General
foreignpolicy.com
November 21, 2024 at 8:30 PM
The Florida congressman was among the most controversial of the Trump administration’s cabinet picks.
I am reliably informed by this lovely social media site that Donald Trump, I mean Cheeto Benito, I mean Orange Julius Caesar, I mean the criminal rapist shitheel, is following me. We'll see if it's real or a parody account, considering he has his choice of social hellsites to pollute.
November 21, 2024 at 9:38 PM
I am reliably informed by this lovely social media site that Donald Trump, I mean Cheeto Benito, I mean Orange Julius Caesar, I mean the criminal rapist shitheel, is following me. We'll see if it's real or a parody account, considering he has his choice of social hellsites to pollute.
Reposted by Francis Volpe
This is a dark time. Many of us are grieving and scared. I learned long ago how attractive misplaced anger is—it's easier to lash out at those nearby who share our values than a distant Trumpist monolith we can't seem to wound. I get it. I hope we democracy-lovers can avoid cannibalizing ourselves.
November 16, 2024 at 9:43 PM
This is a dark time. Many of us are grieving and scared. I learned long ago how attractive misplaced anger is—it's easier to lash out at those nearby who share our values than a distant Trumpist monolith we can't seem to wound. I get it. I hope we democracy-lovers can avoid cannibalizing ourselves.
Also, I have a feeling that people might start using this place as an alternative to Zuck's increasingly hellish site, but we'll see on that count.
November 15, 2024 at 6:02 PM
Also, I have a feeling that people might start using this place as an alternative to Zuck's increasingly hellish site, but we'll see on that count.