Michael A. Gall
@shackamaxon.bsky.social
Like the Lorax, but for Urbanism, Good Government, Geography, the Phillies, Jazz, Food, Drink, Analytics, Sustainability, Democracy, Progressive Public Policy, & Folk Music.
I got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're gonna hear about it.
I got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're gonna hear about it.
Pinned
Michael A. Gall
@shackamaxon.bsky.social
· Aug 29
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed by this account are my own and do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of any entity, organization, or jurisdiction cool enough to employ me.
Reposted by Michael A. Gall
Techbros seem to love Tolkien, so here's an analogy to help you understand what genAI is.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
December 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Techbros seem to love Tolkien, so here's an analogy to help you understand what genAI is.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
Reposted by Michael A. Gall
this is not behavior becoming of a FIFA Peace Prize recipient.
December 15, 2025 at 8:18 PM
this is not behavior becoming of a FIFA Peace Prize recipient.
Reposted by Michael A. Gall
HARD BOILED DETECTIVE: another cruel sunrise over the city of the damned. another corpse. another widow. another cup of black coffee to drag my sorry ass back to life- *sputtering*
ME: do you like it? it's an ethiopian washed process single origin
DETECTIVE:
ME: are you getting apricot notes
ME: do you like it? it's an ethiopian washed process single origin
DETECTIVE:
ME: are you getting apricot notes
December 16, 2025 at 12:32 PM
HARD BOILED DETECTIVE: another cruel sunrise over the city of the damned. another corpse. another widow. another cup of black coffee to drag my sorry ass back to life- *sputtering*
ME: do you like it? it's an ethiopian washed process single origin
DETECTIVE:
ME: are you getting apricot notes
ME: do you like it? it's an ethiopian washed process single origin
DETECTIVE:
ME: are you getting apricot notes
I think the audio descriptions in the subtitles of Stranger Things are my favorite part of the series.
"Eldrich gurgles",
"Sinister rhythmic thrumming",
"Epic melancholic crescendo", etc.
"Eldrich gurgles",
"Sinister rhythmic thrumming",
"Epic melancholic crescendo", etc.
December 17, 2025 at 4:56 AM
I think the audio descriptions in the subtitles of Stranger Things are my favorite part of the series.
"Eldrich gurgles",
"Sinister rhythmic thrumming",
"Epic melancholic crescendo", etc.
"Eldrich gurgles",
"Sinister rhythmic thrumming",
"Epic melancholic crescendo", etc.
If the Phils plan includes Schwarber + a righty power bat who can play the field every day, then I'm down with this plan.
If Schwarber is considered the sole solution to our offensive woes, then Dombrowski needs to share what he's been smoking.
If Schwarber is considered the sole solution to our offensive woes, then Dombrowski needs to share what he's been smoking.
December 11, 2025 at 3:57 PM
If the Phils plan includes Schwarber + a righty power bat who can play the field every day, then I'm down with this plan.
If Schwarber is considered the sole solution to our offensive woes, then Dombrowski needs to share what he's been smoking.
If Schwarber is considered the sole solution to our offensive woes, then Dombrowski needs to share what he's been smoking.
Most of them look like this now.
November 20, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Most of them look like this now.
Reposted by Michael A. Gall
![Comic. Scatter chart with Emperor Palpatine character age on Y axis and Ian McDiarmid age during filming on X axis. Plot with descending arrow beginning from Return of the Jedi (emperor age 90, McDiarmid age 40) → Revenge of the Sith, Attack of the Clones, and The Phantom Menace (emperor age 50-70, McDiarmid age 50-60) → The Rise of Skywalker (cloned body, undefined age) with a gradient vertical line (McDiarmid age over 70) → Now (emperor age under 10, McDiarmid age over 80). [caption] To continue the trend, they should make a Star Wars movie where 81-year-old Ian McDiarmid plays the emperor as a toddler.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiddygrn45rhv3aktvxlsoc5e62uxrb2fxeojgauoe5i4j52l4rn7q@jpeg)
October 22, 2025 at 8:07 PM
You are in the house of Elrond. And it is ten o'clock in the morning, on October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know.
October 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
You are in the house of Elrond. And it is ten o'clock in the morning, on October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know.
I feel this line in my bones. Literally.
October 2, 2025 at 3:49 PM
I feel this line in my bones. Literally.
I wish the Mets a very happy October, sitting at home in their PJs, crying in the fetal position on giant piles of Steve Cohen's wasted hedge fund money.
September 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM
I wish the Mets a very happy October, sitting at home in their PJs, crying in the fetal position on giant piles of Steve Cohen's wasted hedge fund money.
I get it. A hobbit's gotta have standards. Tolkien describes in tender detail the little portable box of salt that Sam carried around as a reminder of home, but also for practical reasons, like because he hypothetically saw himself maybe cooking a roast chicken while on their grand adventure.
September 4, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I get it. A hobbit's gotta have standards. Tolkien describes in tender detail the little portable box of salt that Sam carried around as a reminder of home, but also for practical reasons, like because he hypothetically saw himself maybe cooking a roast chicken while on their grand adventure.
Me to wife, 7:30PM: "I'm so glad Nola is back just in time for Wheeler's injury. Makes me feel a little better going into the playoff run."
Me to wife, 7:45PM: "OH COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
Me to wife, 7:45PM: "OH COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
September 4, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Me to wife, 7:30PM: "I'm so glad Nola is back just in time for Wheeler's injury. Makes me feel a little better going into the playoff run."
Me to wife, 7:45PM: "OH COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
Me to wife, 7:45PM: "OH COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
Reposted by Michael A. Gall
To the people saying “good, let the stupid people die” that’s not how it fucking works. Unvaccinated people get other people sick. Babies too young to be vaccinated, immune compromised people, people who can’t get vaccinated for a medical reason, etc. without herd immunity, people will fucking die.
September 4, 2025 at 12:37 AM
To the people saying “good, let the stupid people die” that’s not how it fucking works. Unvaccinated people get other people sick. Babies too young to be vaccinated, immune compromised people, people who can’t get vaccinated for a medical reason, etc. without herd immunity, people will fucking die.
This country is headed in the WRONG direction, and it's dragging the Post-WWII global order along with it.
wapo.st/4g4zVvf
wapo.st/4g4zVvf
September 4, 2025 at 1:18 PM
This country is headed in the WRONG direction, and it's dragging the Post-WWII global order along with it.
wapo.st/4g4zVvf
wapo.st/4g4zVvf
Reposted by Michael A. Gall
Under Dr. Oz, Medicare is launching a pilot program that will use AI to determine whether patients would be covered for certain procedures.
Companies running the program will be paid a share of the savings from rejecting claims.
Who in their right mind voted for this? No one.
Companies running the program will be paid a share of the savings from rejecting claims.
Who in their right mind voted for this? No one.
September 2, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Under Dr. Oz, Medicare is launching a pilot program that will use AI to determine whether patients would be covered for certain procedures.
Companies running the program will be paid a share of the savings from rejecting claims.
Who in their right mind voted for this? No one.
Companies running the program will be paid a share of the savings from rejecting claims.
Who in their right mind voted for this? No one.
Confidence in institutions is already collapsing. The next frontier is that we'll increasingly not be able to believe traditionally trustworthy sources of information.
Great story by my colleagues on the constant political realignment of Grok, the generative AI chatbot over on the other site.
This change to Grok’s answer about the greatest threat to Western civilization is particularly ironic/meta.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/t...
This change to Grok’s answer about the greatest threat to Western civilization is particularly ironic/meta.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/t...
September 2, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Confidence in institutions is already collapsing. The next frontier is that we'll increasingly not be able to believe traditionally trustworthy sources of information.