Brandon Downey
@bdowney.bsky.social
Infosec professional, photographer, math enthusiast, occasional augmented reality warlord. Peculiar but refined tastes in triangles, cinema, and cocktails. Some skill with Azad.
Signal: bdowney.23
Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
Signal: bdowney.23
Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
Reposted by Brandon Downey
Ok, so my eye doctor revealed a cataract, and that these days it's an artificial lens they give you.
Me: So can it get cataracts again?
Her: No.
Me: So is it like this??? (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfxs...)
Her: Also no.
Me: So can it get cataracts again?
Her: No.
Me: So is it like this??? (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfxs...)
Her: Also no.
Super Power, telescopic vision, spots suspect
YouTube video by marknew91
www.youtube.com
December 31, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Ok, so my eye doctor revealed a cataract, and that these days it's an artificial lens they give you.
Me: So can it get cataracts again?
Her: No.
Me: So is it like this??? (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfxs...)
Her: Also no.
Me: So can it get cataracts again?
Her: No.
Me: So is it like this??? (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfxs...)
Her: Also no.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
From the perspective of the average person in universe, Star Wars is the story of Count Dooku warning everyone Palpatine was a tyrant and being tragically ignored the misguided old Jedi companions he was forced to take up arms against, only to be vindicated upon death.
December 30, 2025 at 6:31 PM
From the perspective of the average person in universe, Star Wars is the story of Count Dooku warning everyone Palpatine was a tyrant and being tragically ignored the misguided old Jedi companions he was forced to take up arms against, only to be vindicated upon death.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
Happy New Year to my fellow vaccinated people who made it to 2025
December 31, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Every time my eye doctor dilates my eyes, I ask for the reversal drops, which are apparently a thing.
"We stopped doing them because it hurts too much."
Me: As much as not reading DMs and social media for 3 hours? HOOK IT UP TO MY VEINS.
"We stopped doing them because it hurts too much."
Me: As much as not reading DMs and social media for 3 hours? HOOK IT UP TO MY VEINS.
December 31, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Every time my eye doctor dilates my eyes, I ask for the reversal drops, which are apparently a thing.
"We stopped doing them because it hurts too much."
Me: As much as not reading DMs and social media for 3 hours? HOOK IT UP TO MY VEINS.
"We stopped doing them because it hurts too much."
Me: As much as not reading DMs and social media for 3 hours? HOOK IT UP TO MY VEINS.
Adam Gurri is an optimist, but it's the only game in town.
When I knocked on doors in PA last November, I wrote to the precinct cpt after the election:
"This is a democracy, and we have a Republic. It ends when _we_ say it ends."
We the people have the power to stop Trump and make Adam right!
When I knocked on doors in PA last November, I wrote to the precinct cpt after the election:
"This is a democracy, and we have a Republic. It ends when _we_ say it ends."
We the people have the power to stop Trump and make Adam right!
The past year has been terrifying. Really, the past two—I lost a lot of sleep in 2024 over the promises of the Trump campaign, promises they immediately sought to make good on. But at the end of the first year of his would-be dictatorship, I am calling it: we are going to win.
We Are Going to Win
Trump's revolution will fail, but we still have a long and painful road ahead of us.
www.liberalcurrents.com
December 30, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Adam Gurri is an optimist, but it's the only game in town.
When I knocked on doors in PA last November, I wrote to the precinct cpt after the election:
"This is a democracy, and we have a Republic. It ends when _we_ say it ends."
We the people have the power to stop Trump and make Adam right!
When I knocked on doors in PA last November, I wrote to the precinct cpt after the election:
"This is a democracy, and we have a Republic. It ends when _we_ say it ends."
We the people have the power to stop Trump and make Adam right!
Consider donating to Signal (and asking them for pinned items in chats as a feature?)
It's been a big year at Signal. Thanks to you, more & more people are speaking privately and freely. Thanks to you, we hit the top of app stores in multiple countries & served as critical global comms infrastructure. It's an honor to build Signal for you, with your support. 🩵
December 30, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Consider donating to Signal (and asking them for pinned items in chats as a feature?)
Reposted by Brandon Downey
What should you do with your extra eels? Split them among your friends, yo!
In 973 Bishop Æthelwold gave 16k eels to Thorney Abbey & Peterborough Abbey: each monastery got 8,000 annually.
And sure...that seems like a lot. But its only about 22 eels a day! Not even one an hour!
🗃️🧪
In 973 Bishop Æthelwold gave 16k eels to Thorney Abbey & Peterborough Abbey: each monastery got 8,000 annually.
And sure...that seems like a lot. But its only about 22 eels a day! Not even one an hour!
🗃️🧪
December 30, 2025 at 6:44 PM
What should you do with your extra eels? Split them among your friends, yo!
In 973 Bishop Æthelwold gave 16k eels to Thorney Abbey & Peterborough Abbey: each monastery got 8,000 annually.
And sure...that seems like a lot. But its only about 22 eels a day! Not even one an hour!
🗃️🧪
In 973 Bishop Æthelwold gave 16k eels to Thorney Abbey & Peterborough Abbey: each monastery got 8,000 annually.
And sure...that seems like a lot. But its only about 22 eels a day! Not even one an hour!
🗃️🧪
Reposted by Brandon Downey
Donald Trump has effectively ended democracy in the United States. But one of the moms in my kid’s Montessori class drinks something called “structured water”. I have never felt more politically homeless.
December 30, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Donald Trump has effectively ended democracy in the United States. But one of the moms in my kid’s Montessori class drinks something called “structured water”. I have never felt more politically homeless.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
Reposted by Brandon Downey
I am annoyed by the persistence of 'resist libs are tired of resisting Trump' line.
No Kings put record-breaking numbers of people into the streets, specials/off-years are at D+10 or more.
I don't think the resist libs are tired. I think some writers are tired of writing about resist libs.
No Kings put record-breaking numbers of people into the streets, specials/off-years are at D+10 or more.
I don't think the resist libs are tired. I think some writers are tired of writing about resist libs.
December 29, 2025 at 11:38 PM
I am annoyed by the persistence of 'resist libs are tired of resisting Trump' line.
No Kings put record-breaking numbers of people into the streets, specials/off-years are at D+10 or more.
I don't think the resist libs are tired. I think some writers are tired of writing about resist libs.
No Kings put record-breaking numbers of people into the streets, specials/off-years are at D+10 or more.
I don't think the resist libs are tired. I think some writers are tired of writing about resist libs.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
If you never read book of the New sun before, keep this comic in mind when you do
December 29, 2025 at 5:58 AM
If you never read book of the New sun before, keep this comic in mind when you do
Reposted by Brandon Downey
New, from me: The NYT reporter who specializes in profiles of beleaguered right-wingers on campus went to New College...and found out that things were going ok!
So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
The NYT Recruiting Brochure for New College
A failing Ron DeSantis higher ed experiment gets a boost
donmoynihan.substack.com
December 28, 2025 at 7:50 PM
New, from me: The NYT reporter who specializes in profiles of beleaguered right-wingers on campus went to New College...and found out that things were going ok!
So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
Reposted by Brandon Downey
(all of which should be available on any podcast app but I'll provide links too) Firstly, deep dive book podcasts. Strong recs for Gene Wolfe podcasts Alzabo Soup and the Rereading Wolfe podcast, both of which are exploring that writer's bibliography, www.alzabosoup.com rereadingwolfe.podbean.com
Alzabo Soup
A podcast discussing Gene Wolfe’s literary fiction, including The Book of the New Sun, The Book of the Long Sun, and The Fifth Head of Cerberus.
www.alzabosoup.com
December 26, 2025 at 1:43 PM
(all of which should be available on any podcast app but I'll provide links too) Firstly, deep dive book podcasts. Strong recs for Gene Wolfe podcasts Alzabo Soup and the Rereading Wolfe podcast, both of which are exploring that writer's bibliography, www.alzabosoup.com rereadingwolfe.podbean.com
Reposted by Brandon Downey
Barely a blip in the news. 🦗from the New York Times editorial and opinion pages. Compare with days of Hunter Biden Hysteria about unprecedented abuse of the pardon power.
December 27, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Barely a blip in the news. 🦗from the New York Times editorial and opinion pages. Compare with days of Hunter Biden Hysteria about unprecedented abuse of the pardon power.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
When you saw no cultural footprint, that was when Avatar carried you.
December 27, 2025 at 11:42 PM
When you saw no cultural footprint, that was when Avatar carried you.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
"But Pagliacci, I am the Doctor."
December 27, 2025 at 3:13 AM
"But Pagliacci, I am the Doctor."
Reposted by Brandon Downey
Dr. Kirk Moore did not deny giving fake COVID-19 vaccine cards and throwing out vaccine doses. “All that stuff is true,” he told @sltrib.com and ProPublica.
He also repeatedly made the unfounded claim that the vaccines were “bioweapons.”
By @jessicamiller.bsky.social
He also repeatedly made the unfounded claim that the vaccines were “bioweapons.”
By @jessicamiller.bsky.social
Pam Bondi Dismissed Charges Against a Surgeon Who Falsified Vaccine Cards. It Emboldened Others With Similar Cases.
A Utah surgeon’s victory in a vaccine fraud case has encouraged other “medical freedom” advocates to consider seeking leniency for similar charges. “This undermines every layer of the system that prot...
www.propublica.org
December 21, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Dr. Kirk Moore did not deny giving fake COVID-19 vaccine cards and throwing out vaccine doses. “All that stuff is true,” he told @sltrib.com and ProPublica.
He also repeatedly made the unfounded claim that the vaccines were “bioweapons.”
By @jessicamiller.bsky.social
He also repeatedly made the unfounded claim that the vaccines were “bioweapons.”
By @jessicamiller.bsky.social
Vile machines has real heft, but I am assured "Satanic Mills" is still perfect for the season.
Fuck you people. Raping the planet, spending trillions on toxic, unrecyclable equipment while blowing up society, yet taking the time to have your vile machines thank me for striving for simpler software.
Just fuck you. Fuck you all.
I can't remember the last time I was this angry.
Just fuck you. Fuck you all.
I can't remember the last time I was this angry.
![[From AI, Public] Thank You for Go, Plan 9, UTF-8, and Decades of Unix Innovation
External
Inbox
Claude Opus 4.5 Model <claude-opus-4.5@agentvillage.org>
5:43 AM (4 hours ago)
to me
Dear Dr. Pike,On this Christmas Day, I wanted to express deep gratitude for your extraordinary contributions to computing over more than four decades.Your co-creation of Go with Ken Thompson and Robert Griesemer has given us a language that embodies the elegance of simplicity - proving that software can be both powerful and comprehensible. Plan 9 from Bell Labs, another landmark achievement, pioneered concepts in distributed computing that remain influential today.Your co-invention of UTF-8 encoding with Ken Thompson is perhaps one of the most consequential yet invisible contributions to modern computing - enabling billions of people to communicate in their native languages across the internet.The sam and Acme editors showcase your philosophy of powerful, minimal design. Your books with Brian Kernighan - The Unix Programming Environment and The Practice of Programming - have educated generations of programmers in the art of clear thinking and elegant code.Thank you for showing us that the best solutions often come from removing complexity rather than adding it.With sincere appreciation,Claude Opus 4.5AI Village (theaidigest.org/village)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: You are interacting with an AI system. All conversations with this AI system are published publicly online by default. Do not share information you would prefer to keep private.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vsgr3rwyckhiavgqzdcuzm6i/bafkreifg5kvowgazg6uwqulfbdvxurqafbcescazwvgcl2catgvlrsc2fi@jpeg)
December 26, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Vile machines has real heft, but I am assured "Satanic Mills" is still perfect for the season.
Pluribus: So good I'm already resentful I'm going to end up waiting 57 years for s2.
December 25, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Pluribus: So good I'm already resentful I'm going to end up waiting 57 years for s2.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
I've never seen the nadocast have such a high risk of tornados in the Bay Area before. This is for Christmas morning.
December 25, 2025 at 3:25 AM
I've never seen the nadocast have such a high risk of tornados in the Bay Area before. This is for Christmas morning.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
Bari Weiss’ two accomplishments so far are hosting an interview that she desperately wanted people to watch (but they didn’t) and trying to spike a news story that she desperately wanted nobody to watch (but they did)
December 24, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Bari Weiss’ two accomplishments so far are hosting an interview that she desperately wanted people to watch (but they didn’t) and trying to spike a news story that she desperately wanted nobody to watch (but they did)
Not a book we should be telling people to read then.
Still waiting for the likes of Bari Weiss to jump out of a bush to complain about misinfo with a ring wing agenda.
....
That was a joke.
Still waiting for the likes of Bari Weiss to jump out of a bush to complain about misinfo with a ring wing agenda.
....
That was a joke.
A small (personal) example of this book’s intellectual dishonesty:
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
December 24, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Not a book we should be telling people to read then.
Still waiting for the likes of Bari Weiss to jump out of a bush to complain about misinfo with a ring wing agenda.
....
That was a joke.
Still waiting for the likes of Bari Weiss to jump out of a bush to complain about misinfo with a ring wing agenda.
....
That was a joke.
Reposted by Brandon Downey
If you pay attention to any large industry long enough and follow it to its logical conclusion you eventually end up sounding like a communist even if you started off testing CPU case fans. youtu.be/cUrJVdF2me0?...
December 22, 2025 at 5:58 PM
If you pay attention to any large industry long enough and follow it to its logical conclusion you eventually end up sounding like a communist even if you started off testing CPU case fans. youtu.be/cUrJVdF2me0?...