Mededitor
@mededitor.bsky.social
As a medical editor, language - usage - lexicography - culture - memes - all meet someplace. And that place appears to be my desk.
I campaigned against this directly to the WaPo board. Their assessment was that if “Black” is to be capitalized, and the majority consensus was that it should be, then lowercasing “White” would be a political statement, othering blackness. I’m not arguing for them, but that’s how they explained it.
January 19, 2026 at 10:42 PM
I campaigned against this directly to the WaPo board. Their assessment was that if “Black” is to be capitalized, and the majority consensus was that it should be, then lowercasing “White” would be a political statement, othering blackness. I’m not arguing for them, but that’s how they explained it.
No big shockers here. On a second try, I might drill down into one category and look at subcategories in that genre.
January 19, 2026 at 9:52 PM
No big shockers here. On a second try, I might drill down into one category and look at subcategories in that genre.
Here’s the reply:
1. Romance
2. Fantasy
3. Thriller / Suspense
4. General & Literary Fiction
5. Nonfiction – Self Help
6. Nonfiction – Memoir
7. Children’s & Middle-Grade Books
8. Science Fiction
9. Mystery / Crime Fiction
10. History & Other Nonfiction
11. Poetry & Puzzles / Miscellaneous
1. Romance
2. Fantasy
3. Thriller / Suspense
4. General & Literary Fiction
5. Nonfiction – Self Help
6. Nonfiction – Memoir
7. Children’s & Middle-Grade Books
8. Science Fiction
9. Mystery / Crime Fiction
10. History & Other Nonfiction
11. Poetry & Puzzles / Miscellaneous
January 19, 2026 at 9:50 PM
Here’s the reply:
1. Romance
2. Fantasy
3. Thriller / Suspense
4. General & Literary Fiction
5. Nonfiction – Self Help
6. Nonfiction – Memoir
7. Children’s & Middle-Grade Books
8. Science Fiction
9. Mystery / Crime Fiction
10. History & Other Nonfiction
11. Poetry & Puzzles / Miscellaneous
1. Romance
2. Fantasy
3. Thriller / Suspense
4. General & Literary Fiction
5. Nonfiction – Self Help
6. Nonfiction – Memoir
7. Children’s & Middle-Grade Books
8. Science Fiction
9. Mystery / Crime Fiction
10. History & Other Nonfiction
11. Poetry & Puzzles / Miscellaneous
Let’s look at a prompt for Q1:
You are an acquisition editor at a major publishing house. Your employer wants to spot niche trends in modern publishing. Please review the top 1,000 books sold in 2024 and list the genres of the books, ordered from most to least popular.
You are an acquisition editor at a major publishing house. Your employer wants to spot niche trends in modern publishing. Please review the top 1,000 books sold in 2024 and list the genres of the books, ordered from most to least popular.
January 19, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Let’s look at a prompt for Q1:
You are an acquisition editor at a major publishing house. Your employer wants to spot niche trends in modern publishing. Please review the top 1,000 books sold in 2024 and list the genres of the books, ordered from most to least popular.
You are an acquisition editor at a major publishing house. Your employer wants to spot niche trends in modern publishing. Please review the top 1,000 books sold in 2024 and list the genres of the books, ordered from most to least popular.
From my own experiments, I’d say number 2 is very doable. Number 3 can be done, but not well. Number 1 seems possible, if the query were formulated correctly. Might need some trial and error.
January 19, 2026 at 9:38 PM
From my own experiments, I’d say number 2 is very doable. Number 3 can be done, but not well. Number 1 seems possible, if the query were formulated correctly. Might need some trial and error.
Well let’s say you had a hopped-up Tony Curtis, a Madonna tripping on something, and a 4-martini Dorothy Parker going through boxes of my books.
The result is “Referencing stuff over there, old stuff thataway, smoosh the noir down there…”
The result is “Referencing stuff over there, old stuff thataway, smoosh the noir down there…”
January 18, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Well let’s say you had a hopped-up Tony Curtis, a Madonna tripping on something, and a 4-martini Dorothy Parker going through boxes of my books.
The result is “Referencing stuff over there, old stuff thataway, smoosh the noir down there…”
The result is “Referencing stuff over there, old stuff thataway, smoosh the noir down there…”
“unless they imagined, with the incoming second Trump administration, they had a shot at luring Trump supporters from Walmart.”
A deft twist of the knife, sir.
A deft twist of the knife, sir.
January 18, 2026 at 9:28 PM
“unless they imagined, with the incoming second Trump administration, they had a shot at luring Trump supporters from Walmart.”
A deft twist of the knife, sir.
A deft twist of the knife, sir.
And it is unseemly for a government official to beat their chest, yapping about how “we’re the best!”
If you’re the world’s top country, you don’t have to say it.
If you’re the world’s top country, you don’t have to say it.
January 18, 2026 at 3:09 PM
And it is unseemly for a government official to beat their chest, yapping about how “we’re the best!”
If you’re the world’s top country, you don’t have to say it.
If you’re the world’s top country, you don’t have to say it.
Kava is a strange drink.
January 18, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Kava is a strange drink.
It isn’t good. Maryland is fighting back in court to get these goons out of here. In central Baltimore, I’ve only seen one car with them in it.
January 18, 2026 at 12:46 AM
It isn’t good. Maryland is fighting back in court to get these goons out of here. In central Baltimore, I’ve only seen one car with them in it.
They aft gang agley.
January 18, 2026 at 12:40 AM
They aft gang agley.
Dayumn. I’ve worked in publishing my whole life and a good long run at a desk is closer to 27 MONTHS. You’re doing great.
January 17, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Dayumn. I’ve worked in publishing my whole life and a good long run at a desk is closer to 27 MONTHS. You’re doing great.
To complete my last move, I drove my car 14 hours up the east coast. Longest drive I’ve ever made. It was basic Americana all the way. You can still do that trip. For now.
January 17, 2026 at 8:01 PM
To complete my last move, I drove my car 14 hours up the east coast. Longest drive I’ve ever made. It was basic Americana all the way. You can still do that trip. For now.
So. There is no “deal.” Business as usual. But the Thing will now run around yapping about how he lowered drug prices because in his dying mind he imagines that he did.
January 17, 2026 at 6:12 PM
So. There is no “deal.” Business as usual. But the Thing will now run around yapping about how he lowered drug prices because in his dying mind he imagines that he did.
One of the goons cut her seatbelt. That, and towing her car will cost a lot.
January 17, 2026 at 5:01 PM
One of the goons cut her seatbelt. That, and towing her car will cost a lot.
Message boards like Fidonet and Usenet. The Web wasn’t there yet. And modems were sloooow.
January 16, 2026 at 11:11 PM
Message boards like Fidonet and Usenet. The Web wasn’t there yet. And modems were sloooow.
Somehow, I suspect that left-wing disinformation probably isn’t all that dangerous. We aren’t trying to destroy innocent people the way they are trying to justify the murder of Renee Good.
January 16, 2026 at 11:09 PM
Somehow, I suspect that left-wing disinformation probably isn’t all that dangerous. We aren’t trying to destroy innocent people the way they are trying to justify the murder of Renee Good.
Yeah, and those laughable “Goodbye, cruel Twitter” posts. Like, you wanna go? We don’t need the sign-off. It isn’t mission critical info.
January 16, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Yeah, and those laughable “Goodbye, cruel Twitter” posts. Like, you wanna go? We don’t need the sign-off. It isn’t mission critical info.
Totally agree. I’m thinking about the best messaging for this. “Defund the police” was a solid strategy but the phrase didn’t resonate. Maybe “Stop government violence”? “No troops in cities”?
January 16, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Totally agree. I’m thinking about the best messaging for this. “Defund the police” was a solid strategy but the phrase didn’t resonate. Maybe “Stop government violence”? “No troops in cities”?
This is a corollary to “Maga men upset that liberal women won’t date them.”
January 16, 2026 at 6:57 PM
This is a corollary to “Maga men upset that liberal women won’t date them.”
Hit 9/12 for 398, enough to beat the staffer and the average. Woot! Happy weekend everyone.
January 16, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Hit 9/12 for 398, enough to beat the staffer and the average. Woot! Happy weekend everyone.
