@gauntletconundrum.bsky.social
Reposted
Sigh. Once again, if you are warning us about fascism while posting on Substack you’re asking us to do work YOU 👏 ARE 👏 NOT 👏 WILLING 👏 TO 👏 DO.
December 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Sigh. Once again, if you are warning us about fascism while posting on Substack you’re asking us to do work YOU 👏 ARE 👏 NOT 👏 WILLING 👏 TO 👏 DO.
Reposted
The judge also ordered that teachers have a right to misgender trans youth even when the parents know of and are supportive of their trans child. Just in case you thought this was actually about parental rights.
24 Dec 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Judge overturns CA school policy on outing trans kids, rules parents have right to know & teachers a right to tell them but no mention of child's rights. Case likely bound for Supremes. Weirdly CA law allows abortion w/o parental notification.
Federal judge rules California teachers are allowed to ‘out’ transgender students to parents
The ruling applies to all public schools in California and is a victory for two teachers who claimed that district policies violated their constitutional free speech and religious rights.
edsource.org
December 24, 2025 at 12:50 PM
The judge also ordered that teachers have a right to misgender trans youth even when the parents know of and are supportive of their trans child. Just in case you thought this was actually about parental rights.
Reposted
Worth noting that the student admits that she just threw the thing together in 30 minutes without reading the paper she was supposed to be responding to.
December 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Worth noting that the student admits that she just threw the thing together in 30 minutes without reading the paper she was supposed to be responding to.
Reposted
The Altadena fire was THIS YEAR for anyone else struggling with time blindness at scale.
December 22, 2025 at 12:29 AM
The Altadena fire was THIS YEAR for anyone else struggling with time blindness at scale.
Reposted
I say this ALL THE TIME
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
Seems like it's worth posting this one again.
December 22, 2025 at 1:59 AM
I say this ALL THE TIME
Reposted
The lede they bury is that AI doesnt "leave you behind" because the folks who got to it first are doing better work, it leaves you "behind" as bosses have made it clear that "dogshit with a polished façade" is preferable to quality and competency.
December 21, 2025 at 9:31 PM
The lede they bury is that AI doesnt "leave you behind" because the folks who got to it first are doing better work, it leaves you "behind" as bosses have made it clear that "dogshit with a polished façade" is preferable to quality and competency.
Reposted
but to be clear - this is a problem that wasn’t restricted to just G4TV, it was all over the games press those years.
it’s easier to find the video clips, but it was all over written coverage, too.
this was the period i was working in the industry and it’s something i constantly encountered.
it’s easier to find the video clips, but it was all over written coverage, too.
this was the period i was working in the industry and it’s something i constantly encountered.
G4 really loved the racist and xenophobic “wacky and perverted japan” perspective - they couldn’t talk enough trash about them, and made JRPG into a dirty word.
WITH SOUND. anyway damn G4TV sucked
December 22, 2025 at 12:10 AM
but to be clear - this is a problem that wasn’t restricted to just G4TV, it was all over the games press those years.
it’s easier to find the video clips, but it was all over written coverage, too.
this was the period i was working in the industry and it’s something i constantly encountered.
it’s easier to find the video clips, but it was all over written coverage, too.
this was the period i was working in the industry and it’s something i constantly encountered.
Reposted
The fact of the matter is that bad actors have exploited cis people's disgust and reticence when it comes to viewing trans existence as just as worth of dignity, respect, and support. So even when we're trying to talk about a blatant attack on our rights, people turn up with conspiracy theories.
December 18, 2025 at 6:33 AM
The fact of the matter is that bad actors have exploited cis people's disgust and reticence when it comes to viewing trans existence as just as worth of dignity, respect, and support. So even when we're trying to talk about a blatant attack on our rights, people turn up with conspiracy theories.
Reposted
Spell check existed long before genAI and in its most basic function is not genAI. Spell check is code. It's a function. It checks against a database of available words. Spell check in certain programs, however, may have been made worse by running it through genAI.
December 20, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Spell check existed long before genAI and in its most basic function is not genAI. Spell check is code. It's a function. It checks against a database of available words. Spell check in certain programs, however, may have been made worse by running it through genAI.
Reposted
It's correctly pointed out that none of this is to protect kids.
It's:
1. A giveaway to Big Tech to deepen their data mining and make it impossible to opt out
2. A tool for religious bigots to hide any and all info about being gay, trans, feminist, atheist, or just being a civilized human being
It's:
1. A giveaway to Big Tech to deepen their data mining and make it impossible to opt out
2. A tool for religious bigots to hide any and all info about being gay, trans, feminist, atheist, or just being a civilized human being
Here's an example of how useless and frustrating internet laws to "protect kids" are in practice: When I'm in Ohio, where I am during the holidays, I can't use my Bluesky DMs—unless I hand over my ID to a company owned by Epic Games. Why? To protect kids, of course!
spitfirenews.com/p/why-i-have...
spitfirenews.com/p/why-i-have...
Why I have to give Fortnite my passport to use Bluesky
Age verification laws are as ineffective as they are dangerous.
spitfirenews.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:18 PM
It's correctly pointed out that none of this is to protect kids.
It's:
1. A giveaway to Big Tech to deepen their data mining and make it impossible to opt out
2. A tool for religious bigots to hide any and all info about being gay, trans, feminist, atheist, or just being a civilized human being
It's:
1. A giveaway to Big Tech to deepen their data mining and make it impossible to opt out
2. A tool for religious bigots to hide any and all info about being gay, trans, feminist, atheist, or just being a civilized human being
Reposted
if you just live your life by taking the opposite stance of conor friedersdorf on nearly every issue you'll do pretty well
December 20, 2025 at 3:58 AM
if you just live your life by taking the opposite stance of conor friedersdorf on nearly every issue you'll do pretty well
Reposted
Bank of America first started offering credit cards to women in 1974
"Has feminism failed women brought to you by bank of america" is my MKULTRA sleeper agent activation phrase
December 20, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Bank of America first started offering credit cards to women in 1974
Reposted
“The old racists just have to die out”
Kids of color BEEN trying to tell you
Kids of color BEEN trying to tell you
From a focus group of Gen Z Republicans. (www.city-journal.org/article/manh...)
Tell me again about how Zohran Mamdani is the big threat to Jewish thriving in the US today.
Tell me again about how Zohran Mamdani is the big threat to Jewish thriving in the US today.
December 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
“The old racists just have to die out”
Kids of color BEEN trying to tell you
Kids of color BEEN trying to tell you
Reposted
There's really interesting social science on how white people significantly overestimate the number of people of color in a room or in a picture. A room with, like, 20% POC will be perceived as majority POC.
White men are 30% of the US and if they look around the room and see it’s less than 90% white men they think it’s affirmative action.
85% of CEOs are white men.
All but one US President has been a white man.
65% of all elected offices are held by white men.
Roughly 30% of the population is white men.
WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS TOPIC EVEN???
All but one US President has been a white man.
65% of all elected offices are held by white men.
Roughly 30% of the population is white men.
WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS TOPIC EVEN???
December 19, 2025 at 2:58 PM
There's really interesting social science on how white people significantly overestimate the number of people of color in a room or in a picture. A room with, like, 20% POC will be perceived as majority POC.
Reposted
uh
December 19, 2025 at 6:12 PM
uh
Reposted
I say this with zero irony: if you are even tangentially a part of a retro video game community, it is your civic duty to push back against this company and shun anyone who doesn't. This is fascism tapping gently at the door and as soon as you let it in, it's going to invite its friends.
December 19, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I say this with zero irony: if you are even tangentially a part of a retro video game community, it is your civic duty to push back against this company and shun anyone who doesn't. This is fascism tapping gently at the door and as soon as you let it in, it's going to invite its friends.
Reposted
So he said - no, we're not focused on retention. We're not trying to retain staff, we need to escalate churn and we need to eventually decrease the staff, we're lowing the number of permanent workers, we're changing our staffing, we're moving to a fully contracted labor force.
December 19, 2025 at 6:15 PM
So he said - no, we're not focused on retention. We're not trying to retain staff, we need to escalate churn and we need to eventually decrease the staff, we're lowing the number of permanent workers, we're changing our staffing, we're moving to a fully contracted labor force.
Reposted
They're religious. The BELIEVE. The cut costs. They fire their staff. They don't have employee retention. They use terms like "tribal knowledge" (which is insensitive but that's another thread) while not knowing what it is. They don't believe in documentation.
I mean, they're idiots.
I mean, they're idiots.
December 19, 2025 at 6:35 PM
They're religious. The BELIEVE. The cut costs. They fire their staff. They don't have employee retention. They use terms like "tribal knowledge" (which is insensitive but that's another thread) while not knowing what it is. They don't believe in documentation.
I mean, they're idiots.
I mean, they're idiots.
Reposted
This is the mindset of the upper management. They're effectively doing sleight of hand tricks with staffing, they don't believe in retention, they go through all of these management training processes but don't understand their own capitalist doctrine or their own strategies, they're illiterate.
December 19, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This is the mindset of the upper management. They're effectively doing sleight of hand tricks with staffing, they don't believe in retention, they go through all of these management training processes but don't understand their own capitalist doctrine or their own strategies, they're illiterate.
Reposted
Creative solidarity means:
If you're a writer, do not use AI "art" or AI "voiceover"
If you're an artist, do not use AI "writing" or AI "references"
If you're a streamer/actor, do not use AI for backdrops, thumbnails, etc.
Never help AI steal another medium
No excuses, no shortcuts, no surrender.
If you're a writer, do not use AI "art" or AI "voiceover"
If you're an artist, do not use AI "writing" or AI "references"
If you're a streamer/actor, do not use AI for backdrops, thumbnails, etc.
Never help AI steal another medium
No excuses, no shortcuts, no surrender.
December 16, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Creative solidarity means:
If you're a writer, do not use AI "art" or AI "voiceover"
If you're an artist, do not use AI "writing" or AI "references"
If you're a streamer/actor, do not use AI for backdrops, thumbnails, etc.
Never help AI steal another medium
No excuses, no shortcuts, no surrender.
If you're a writer, do not use AI "art" or AI "voiceover"
If you're an artist, do not use AI "writing" or AI "references"
If you're a streamer/actor, do not use AI for backdrops, thumbnails, etc.
Never help AI steal another medium
No excuses, no shortcuts, no surrender.
Reposted
I would be fine if nobody ever released a video game or movie again, my backlog is impossibly large, so if you're gonna make slop, I don't have much pressure to buy your slop
December 17, 2025 at 1:54 PM
I would be fine if nobody ever released a video game or movie again, my backlog is impossibly large, so if you're gonna make slop, I don't have much pressure to buy your slop
Reposted
It's not just me. I know of many Black people who land jobs in highly visible or prestigious places and become scapegoats for the resentments of others.
I can tell you some of the most horrible experiences with racism have come downstream from the idea that I beat a out a white person for a job. Even when I in fact did not. The fantasy is enough to translate into physically threatening harrasment
December 17, 2025 at 12:33 PM
It's not just me. I know of many Black people who land jobs in highly visible or prestigious places and become scapegoats for the resentments of others.
Reposted
This man who folks want as PRESIDENT
Idolize a man who said they should send GADDAFI TO SAN FRANCISCO
The city he was MAYOR of
as a homophobic joke
while his Secretary of State wished GADDAFI would get Aids
THIS IS WHO HE HONORS?!
Idolize a man who said they should send GADDAFI TO SAN FRANCISCO
The city he was MAYOR of
as a homophobic joke
while his Secretary of State wished GADDAFI would get Aids
THIS IS WHO HE HONORS?!
The presidency once served as a reminder of our common humanity. Ronald Reagan described its purpose as building "a nation composed of good and decent people."
December 17, 2025 at 3:14 AM
This man who folks want as PRESIDENT
Idolize a man who said they should send GADDAFI TO SAN FRANCISCO
The city he was MAYOR of
as a homophobic joke
while his Secretary of State wished GADDAFI would get Aids
THIS IS WHO HE HONORS?!
Idolize a man who said they should send GADDAFI TO SAN FRANCISCO
The city he was MAYOR of
as a homophobic joke
while his Secretary of State wished GADDAFI would get Aids
THIS IS WHO HE HONORS?!
Reposted
the only question a Gaston movie should answer is if anyone fucks like Gaston, anyone sucks like Gaston, plows into you like he's a truck like Gaston
December 16, 2025 at 4:16 PM
the only question a Gaston movie should answer is if anyone fucks like Gaston, anyone sucks like Gaston, plows into you like he's a truck like Gaston
Reposted
doing video also feels particularly Problematic for those of us with gender dysphoria
many of us were I think drawn to the Internet in the first place because it was a space where we could exist and socialize without being ceaselessly visually perceived (and thus gendered)
many of us were I think drawn to the Internet in the first place because it was a space where we could exist and socialize without being ceaselessly visually perceived (and thus gendered)
I agree that it’s 100% true that the eyeballs are all on short form video - and man, it’s still really depressing how the necessity of Doing Video nowadays seriously disadvantages people who aren’t conventionally attractive (or who just genuinely can’t stand being on camera)
The one thing I keep thinking about is how much direct to camera stuff rewards physical attractiveness. I mean, that's gotta be part of the reason these wellness influencers are successful, right? And you're competing for eyeballs with them.
December 16, 2025 at 1:49 AM
doing video also feels particularly Problematic for those of us with gender dysphoria
many of us were I think drawn to the Internet in the first place because it was a space where we could exist and socialize without being ceaselessly visually perceived (and thus gendered)
many of us were I think drawn to the Internet in the first place because it was a space where we could exist and socialize without being ceaselessly visually perceived (and thus gendered)