Pinned
Nick
@inck.bsky.social
· Sep 3
All the Things That You Need a Billion Dollars to Buy Are Bad
One way to think about inequality.
www.hamiltonnolan.com
This and: I do not think that billionaires exist. They just want us to think that they do. There is no such thing as a billion dollars. A billion dollars does not exist in the way that three hundred dollars exists in my checking account. There are not checking accounts with a billion dollars in them
Reposted by Nick
I don’t know how it works at the New York Times, but my editors at The Guardian would never let me publish this if they knew that I was one of the elites who spent time with Epstein. And if I published it without telling them, I would be out of a job.
December 18, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I don’t know how it works at the New York Times, but my editors at The Guardian would never let me publish this if they knew that I was one of the elites who spent time with Epstein. And if I published it without telling them, I would be out of a job.
Reposted by Nick
1/ At bargaining yesterday, @propublica.org management said that they should have 100% discretion to replace workers with AI and would not commit to labeling future AI-generated content.
December 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
1/ At bargaining yesterday, @propublica.org management said that they should have 100% discretion to replace workers with AI and would not commit to labeling future AI-generated content.
The idea that equality (the powerless getting some power) involves redress (giving the powerless some power) is apparently beyond the comprehension of the new york times' marquee conservative intellectual
December 17, 2025 at 1:40 AM
The idea that equality (the powerless getting some power) involves redress (giving the powerless some power) is apparently beyond the comprehension of the new york times' marquee conservative intellectual
Movie you’ve watched more than six times, hard mode (no Star Wars or Trek, no Pixar, no LOTR, no Disney, no Marvel)
[The self-referential pick; I have like five of these.]
[The self-referential pick; I have like five of these.]
December 8, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Movie you’ve watched more than six times, hard mode (no Star Wars or Trek, no Pixar, no LOTR, no Disney, no Marvel)
[The self-referential pick; I have like five of these.]
[The self-referential pick; I have like five of these.]
Yes to this. Code is the exception that proves the rule that machine learning is not that interesting or important. It will finally realize the dream of Hyperscript! Who cares! Maybe that’ll be a big deal to future digital economies. Maybe not. But LLMs aren’t about to replace all the knowledge work
He’s right! You don’t have to use it—but it’s going to sweep through codeworld like a purifying fire. You may not care! But it’s not like when it draws you a bad picture of a large-breasted elf. It’s more like it shreds the foundation of what makes tech “valuable.”
At the risk of starting the flame war to end all flame wars...
Modern LLMs (GPT-5.1, Claude 4.5, Gemini 3) produce excellent code and can be a significant productivity boost to software engineers who take the time to learn how to effectively apply them - especially if used with coding agent tools
Modern LLMs (GPT-5.1, Claude 4.5, Gemini 3) produce excellent code and can be a significant productivity boost to software engineers who take the time to learn how to effectively apply them - especially if used with coding agent tools
November 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Yes to this. Code is the exception that proves the rule that machine learning is not that interesting or important. It will finally realize the dream of Hyperscript! Who cares! Maybe that’ll be a big deal to future digital economies. Maybe not. But LLMs aren’t about to replace all the knowledge work
If you care about local news or workers’ rights, please consider subscribing to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette through this letter writing campaign.
Make your subscription conditional on the publisher’s respect for the contracts they sign with their workers.
actionnetwork.org/letters/subs...
Make your subscription conditional on the publisher’s respect for the contracts they sign with their workers.
actionnetwork.org/letters/subs...
Subscribing with Strikers' Return
Post-Gazette strikers are back. And with them, so is my subscription to the paper. I want you to join me in both doing that AND making sure their bosses know why I'm coming back as well as how easily ...
actionnetwork.org
November 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM
If you care about local news or workers’ rights, please consider subscribing to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette through this letter writing campaign.
Make your subscription conditional on the publisher’s respect for the contracts they sign with their workers.
actionnetwork.org/letters/subs...
Make your subscription conditional on the publisher’s respect for the contracts they sign with their workers.
actionnetwork.org/letters/subs...
Underrated possible input to the facism these days imo is that over the last decade a bunch of insecure dudes got swole off podcast-scam roids and lead-protein shakes www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...
Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports
CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.
www.consumerreports.org
October 16, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Underrated possible input to the facism these days imo is that over the last decade a bunch of insecure dudes got swole off podcast-scam roids and lead-protein shakes www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...
The lost children of STEM discovered liberal arts education and, shockingly, assume they invented it from first principles
The Techno Optimist’s Guide to Futureproofing Your Child
AI doomers and bloomers are girding themselves for what’s coming — starting with their kids.
nymag.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:04 AM
The lost children of STEM discovered liberal arts education and, shockingly, assume they invented it from first principles
Reposted by Nick
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
October 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
Reposted by Nick
‼️🚨KICKSTARTER WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE🚨‼️
As of 8am this morning, the workers of Kickstarter United/OPEIU Local 153 are on strike.
WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A BOYCOTT! Creators and allies, please continue using and supporting the platform.
As of 8am this morning, the workers of Kickstarter United/OPEIU Local 153 are on strike.
WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A BOYCOTT! Creators and allies, please continue using and supporting the platform.
October 2, 2025 at 12:15 PM
‼️🚨KICKSTARTER WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE🚨‼️
As of 8am this morning, the workers of Kickstarter United/OPEIU Local 153 are on strike.
WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A BOYCOTT! Creators and allies, please continue using and supporting the platform.
As of 8am this morning, the workers of Kickstarter United/OPEIU Local 153 are on strike.
WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A BOYCOTT! Creators and allies, please continue using and supporting the platform.
Subtly downgrade a band:
Dinosaur III
Dinosaur III
Subtly downgrade a band:
Grouse Against the Machine
Grouse Against the Machine
Subtly downgrade a band:
Samsara
Samsara
September 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Subtly downgrade a band:
Dinosaur III
Dinosaur III
I am medium, I contain a multitude or two.
September 22, 2025 at 9:02 PM
I am medium, I contain a multitude or two.
Reposted by Nick
Found poetry: Trump on how AI is going to make job numbers go up, up, up!
September 21, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Found poetry: Trump on how AI is going to make job numbers go up, up, up!
Reposted by Nick
"In DC a pilot (banning right turn on red) at 74 intersections led to a 92% reduction in failure-to-yield incidents and a 97% drop in vehicle conflicts"
Why cities like DC, Raleigh, Ann Arbor, Cambridge & Seattle are rethinking right turn on red @schlthss.bsky.social tooledesign.com/insights/202...
Why cities like DC, Raleigh, Ann Arbor, Cambridge & Seattle are rethinking right turn on red @schlthss.bsky.social tooledesign.com/insights/202...
Right Turn on Red: It’s Time to Reconsider - Toole Design
Toole Design's Bill Schultheiss and Mariel Colman unpack why it's time to move away from a blanket approach to right turn on red (RTOR).
tooledesign.com
September 12, 2025 at 12:37 PM
"In DC a pilot (banning right turn on red) at 74 intersections led to a 92% reduction in failure-to-yield incidents and a 97% drop in vehicle conflicts"
Why cities like DC, Raleigh, Ann Arbor, Cambridge & Seattle are rethinking right turn on red @schlthss.bsky.social tooledesign.com/insights/202...
Why cities like DC, Raleigh, Ann Arbor, Cambridge & Seattle are rethinking right turn on red @schlthss.bsky.social tooledesign.com/insights/202...
Reposted by Nick
Very big news!
SB 79 PASSED!
APARTMENTS NEXT TO ALL RAPID TRANSIT STATIONS IN CALIFORNIA ARE NOW LEGAL! THIS IS HUGE!!!
APARTMENTS NEXT TO ALL RAPID TRANSIT STATIONS IN CALIFORNIA ARE NOW LEGAL! THIS IS HUGE!!!
September 13, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Very big news!
At least a 50% chance both of them have no such ideas and are just jockeying for position to mine the moon
Musk and Bezos have different ideas of what humans’ future in space should look like, and their visions are not mutually exclusive. But each presents its own challenges — technically, financially, politically and ethically.
Mars settlements or orbital colonies? Here’s what Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos envision for our future in space | CNN
Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have spent two decades and large portions of their exorbitant wealth creating new space technologies. Their plan is to reshape how humans live.
www.cnn.com
September 13, 2025 at 1:10 AM
At least a 50% chance both of them have no such ideas and are just jockeying for position to mine the moon
Reposted by Nick
@albomp.bsky.social
@australianlabor.bsky.social
The people of Gaza have the right to receive aid through their own territorial waters even under occupation, and the Coalition ship has the right to free passage in international waters to reach the people of Gaza,
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel....
@australianlabor.bsky.social
The people of Gaza have the right to receive aid through their own territorial waters even under occupation, and the Coalition ship has the right to free passage in international waters to reach the people of Gaza,
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel....
Gaza: UN experts demand safe passage for Freedom Flotilla Coalition
GENEVA – UN experts* today called for safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s ship carrying essential medical aid, food, and baby supplies to Gaza which departed from Italy on 1 June 2025.“A...
www.ohchr.org
September 6, 2025 at 8:29 AM
@albomp.bsky.social
@australianlabor.bsky.social
The people of Gaza have the right to receive aid through their own territorial waters even under occupation, and the Coalition ship has the right to free passage in international waters to reach the people of Gaza,
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel....
@australianlabor.bsky.social
The people of Gaza have the right to receive aid through their own territorial waters even under occupation, and the Coalition ship has the right to free passage in international waters to reach the people of Gaza,
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel....
Reposted by Nick
*taps mic*
Nate Bronze
Nate Bronze
September 5, 2025 at 5:51 PM
*taps mic*
Nate Bronze
Nate Bronze
This and: I do not think that billionaires exist. They just want us to think that they do. There is no such thing as a billion dollars. A billion dollars does not exist in the way that three hundred dollars exists in my checking account. There are not checking accounts with a billion dollars in them
All the Things That You Need a Billion Dollars to Buy Are Bad
One way to think about inequality.
www.hamiltonnolan.com
September 3, 2025 at 9:16 PM
This and: I do not think that billionaires exist. They just want us to think that they do. There is no such thing as a billion dollars. A billion dollars does not exist in the way that three hundred dollars exists in my checking account. There are not checking accounts with a billion dollars in them
Reporting what an llm "says" about "itself" as fact, like you were quoting a person, is very weird. Even if you attribute the claim to "an autonomous spokesagent for Claude, Inc," it implies intent and accountability in an organization that isn't there
LLM sessions (on Claude anyway) aren’t aware of the passage of time, wouldn’t have realized if I didn’t ask:
August 10, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Reporting what an llm "says" about "itself" as fact, like you were quoting a person, is very weird. Even if you attribute the claim to "an autonomous spokesagent for Claude, Inc," it implies intent and accountability in an organization that isn't there
Reposted by Nick
It’s August! Where is van???
Stop by to pick up birth control pills, Plan B, condoms, lube, pregnancy tests, Narcan, test strips, buttons, stickers, & zines for yourself and all your besties.
Stop by to pick up birth control pills, Plan B, condoms, lube, pregnancy tests, Narcan, test strips, buttons, stickers, & zines for yourself and all your besties.
August 6, 2025 at 8:12 PM
It’s August! Where is van???
Stop by to pick up birth control pills, Plan B, condoms, lube, pregnancy tests, Narcan, test strips, buttons, stickers, & zines for yourself and all your besties.
Stop by to pick up birth control pills, Plan B, condoms, lube, pregnancy tests, Narcan, test strips, buttons, stickers, & zines for yourself and all your besties.
Today I learned a 2020 randomized controlled trial showed that interview code tests largely filter out people who somehow weirdly find job interviews stressful
par.nsf.gov/servlets/pur...
par.nsf.gov/servlets/pur...
![Screenshot of a paragraph from the linked paper reading, "We found that participants reported high levels of stress and
often had difficulty coping with someone else being present while
they attempted to solve a cognitively-demanding task. The impact
on performance was drastic: nearly twice as many participants
failed to solve the problem correctly, and the median correctness
score was cut more than half, when simply being watched. In con-
trast, participants in the private setting reported feeling at ease,
having time to understand the problem and reflect on their solution.
Finally, measures of cognitive load and stress were significantly
lower in the private setting, and majority of participants solved
the problem correctly. We also observed that no women success-
fully solved the problem in the public setting, whereas all women
solved it correctly in the private setting. Standard NASA-TLX pro-
cedure [35] and various cognitive metrics, provided evidence that
higher rates of stress could causally explain these differences across
groups."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:s6vncnqw6zrv73fppzz2arcm/bafkreicqmbio7ujjzejfkokohwkhtdyjnidmfg4dp6qcg5lkc2at6rnwkm@jpeg)
August 9, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Today I learned a 2020 randomized controlled trial showed that interview code tests largely filter out people who somehow weirdly find job interviews stressful
par.nsf.gov/servlets/pur...
par.nsf.gov/servlets/pur...
Reposted by Nick
Reporting on the way conservatives planned to promote Prager U while they were defunding PBS would have been useful context for readers and the general public.
The White House has a preferred alternative to PBS: PragerU, a nonprofit organization that specializes in creating right-leaning educational short videos for adults and children. . It may already be in countless classrooms. www.vox.com/today-explai...
The White House has a preferred alternative to PBS. It may already be in countless classrooms.
How the right-wing network PragerU could fill the void left by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s defunding.
www.vox.com
August 8, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reporting on the way conservatives planned to promote Prager U while they were defunding PBS would have been useful context for readers and the general public.
Shouldn't feed the (even imo sincere and sometimes helpful) troll but alas
LLMs don't raise this question, nor should it be raised so trivially or at all. Because the answer is then trivial or immoral
What's special about us is just that we are us, making the question kind of misanthropic bullshit
LLMs don't raise this question, nor should it be raised so trivially or at all. Because the answer is then trivial or immoral
What's special about us is just that we are us, making the question kind of misanthropic bullshit
Obviously the way LLMs think and learn is quite a bit different from how we do it. But when your argument is that they can never have that ineffable spark of humanity, it does sort of raise the question about what is, specifically, so special about us.
August 8, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Shouldn't feed the (even imo sincere and sometimes helpful) troll but alas
LLMs don't raise this question, nor should it be raised so trivially or at all. Because the answer is then trivial or immoral
What's special about us is just that we are us, making the question kind of misanthropic bullshit
LLMs don't raise this question, nor should it be raised so trivially or at all. Because the answer is then trivial or immoral
What's special about us is just that we are us, making the question kind of misanthropic bullshit
Reposted by Nick
In the Future All Food Will Be Cooked in a Microwave, and if You Can’t Deal With That Then You Need to Get Out of the Kitchen
In the Future All Food Will Be Cooked in a Microwave, and if You Can’t Deal With That Then You Need to Get Out of the Kitchen
As a restaurant owner - I'm astounded at the rate of progress since microwaves were released a few short years ago. Today's microwave can cook a frozen burrito. Tomorrow's microwave will be able to cook an entire Thanksgiving Dinner. Ten years from now a microwave may even be able to run the country. Recently I was watching a livestream of a local microwave salesman.
www.colincornaby.me
August 3, 2025 at 8:35 PM
In the Future All Food Will Be Cooked in a Microwave, and if You Can’t Deal With That Then You Need to Get Out of the Kitchen