Paul Ford
@ftrain.bsky.social
Bureaucracy enjoyer. So cringe it’s meta. Aboard.com.
Pinned
Paul Ford
@ftrain.bsky.social
· Oct 21
Do a teamwork, not a screamwork.
Merry Christmas, nerds. Here’s a pretty song for you from Taylor Mac’s Christmas Album. youtu.be/TRcgJPujiXM?... .
How Can I Keep from Singing
YouTube video by Taylor Mac - Topic
youtu.be
December 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Merry Christmas, nerds. Here’s a pretty song for you from Taylor Mac’s Christmas Album. youtu.be/TRcgJPujiXM?... .
I have an almost medical level of cowlick. This morning my barber pointed to the back of my head and said: ”I can get you through Christmas. [Serious pause.] But after that no promises.”
December 22, 2025 at 11:01 PM
I have an almost medical level of cowlick. This morning my barber pointed to the back of my head and said: ”I can get you through Christmas. [Serious pause.] But after that no promises.”
I have an almost medical level of cowlick. This morning my barber pointed to the back of my head and said: ”I can get you through Christmas. [Serious pause.] But after that no promises.”
December 22, 2025 at 11:01 PM
I have an almost medical level of cowlick. This morning my barber pointed to the back of my head and said: ”I can get you through Christmas. [Serious pause.] But after that no promises.”
They can’t do this. Not now. I can’t know this exists. caligra.com
December 7, 2025 at 5:28 AM
They can’t do this. Not now. I can’t know this exists. caligra.com
The notes of the C major scale? You mean the big naturals?
December 5, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The notes of the C major scale? You mean the big naturals?
Reposted by Paul Ford
Bloomberg's Jealousy List (best articles written in other publications) is out and looks stuffed with goodies www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
The Stories We Most Admired in 2025: Businessweek’s Jealousy List
The stories we admired most this year.
www.bloomberg.com
December 5, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Bloomberg's Jealousy List (best articles written in other publications) is out and looks stuffed with goodies www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
Reposted by Paul Ford
I’m on Scott Hanselman’s podcast today, talking esolangs and code art hanselminutes.com/1026/daniel-...
Daniel Temkin and the Beauty of Esoteric Languages
What happens when code stops being useful and starts being art? Scott talks with artist and programmer Daniel Temkin about his new book Forty-Four Esolangs, a deep dive into the world of esoteric prog...
hanselminutes.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:05 PM
I’m on Scott Hanselman’s podcast today, talking esolangs and code art hanselminutes.com/1026/daniel-...
Reposted by Paul Ford
Also: there's a 20% discount for signups before January 1st!
I posted some new opinion writing workshop dates for 2026, and tried to include a few different times and one weekend slot to accommodate different time zones and schedules: www.elizabethspiers.com/workshops/
Workshops
Learn to write professional op-eds and personal essays with Elizabeth Spiers, a contributing writer for The New York Times opinion section, former columnist at Fortune and Fast Company, and opinion co...
www.elizabethspiers.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Also: there's a 20% discount for signups before January 1st!
I vibehacked a fun little sight reader app that runs in browser. Works with MIDI in Chrome; you play and if you get all the notes right you go to the next level of complexity. It doesn't save any data to a server, it just is. ftrain.github.io/sightreading/ (Source at github.com/ftrain/sight...)
December 3, 2025 at 5:51 AM
I vibehacked a fun little sight reader app that runs in browser. Works with MIDI in Chrome; you play and if you get all the notes right you go to the next level of complexity. It doesn't save any data to a server, it just is. ftrain.github.io/sightreading/ (Source at github.com/ftrain/sight...)
Save those pennies NYC !
December 2, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Save those pennies NYC !
It's time. They earned it. go.theregister.com/feed/www.the...
IETF draft suggests ham radio operators get big IPv6 stash
: Would not massively deplete IPv6, might challenge internet governance
go.theregister.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:03 PM
It's time. They earned it. go.theregister.com/feed/www.the...
Reposted by Paul Ford
NEW: DOGE is far from dead, contrary to recent reporting. Instead, its operatives have “burrowed into” federal agencies “like ticks.”
Here’s what the DOGE crew is up to now:
From @makenakelly.bsky.social @telliotter.bsky.social
Here’s what the DOGE crew is up to now:
From @makenakelly.bsky.social @telliotter.bsky.social
DOGE Isn’t Dead. Here’s What Its Operatives Are Doing Now
Contrary to popular reports, DOGE has “burrowed into the agencies like ticks,” government sources tell WIRED.
www.wired.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:27 AM
NEW: DOGE is far from dead, contrary to recent reporting. Instead, its operatives have “burrowed into” federal agencies “like ticks.”
Here’s what the DOGE crew is up to now:
From @makenakelly.bsky.social @telliotter.bsky.social
Here’s what the DOGE crew is up to now:
From @makenakelly.bsky.social @telliotter.bsky.social
Reposted by Paul Ford
Doomed out? @flaminghydra.com is a doom-counteracting machine. Help us spread solidarity, egalitarianism, camaraderie, and human values.
We're making a new print magazine at @flaminghydra.com, 2x year, on a new top tier MAGAZINE WORLD subscription (plus bonus quarterly Broadsheets)
10% off this weekend for new subscribers!!
It's going to be beautiful and weird
flaminghydra.com/enter-the-ma...
10% off this weekend for new subscribers!!
It's going to be beautiful and weird
flaminghydra.com/enter-the-ma...
Your invitation to Flaming Hydra’s MAGAZINE WORLD
ENTER the MAGAZINE WORLD of Flaming Hydra
Our Black Friday offer for NEW SUBSCRIBERS: 10% OFF
Been wondering about subscribing to FLAMING HYDRA??
With our new top tier MAGAZINE WORLD annual sub...
flaminghydra.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Doomed out? @flaminghydra.com is a doom-counteracting machine. Help us spread solidarity, egalitarianism, camaraderie, and human values.
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 29, 2025 at 9:53 PM
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.”
Important request from my family, boosting for visibility.
Ok internet: my kid needs a new pair of nice-ish casual pants but really hates hard pants. He's very slim, & towers above me at 5'7". Adult sizes often fall off without a belt.
Any recs for extremely soft non sweatpants that won't feel like a waste of money bec he'll grow out of them in 2 months?
Any recs for extremely soft non sweatpants that won't feel like a waste of money bec he'll grow out of them in 2 months?
November 29, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Important request from my family, boosting for visibility.
First, Happy Thanksgiving. Second, I've been doing my best to really understand Claude Code so I've been building a piano practice app, and asked it to include some inspirational quotes, and the result is somewhere between “oh god no“ and “knocked it out of the park.”
November 27, 2025 at 5:31 PM
First, Happy Thanksgiving. Second, I've been doing my best to really understand Claude Code so I've been building a piano practice app, and asked it to include some inspirational quotes, and the result is somewhere between “oh god no“ and “knocked it out of the park.”
Reposted by Paul Ford
🫡 Honored to serve on the technology committee.
If you're looking to work for the next administration, submit you're resume to www.transition2025.com/apply
We're looking for the people who will bring excellence to public service.
If you're looking to work for the next administration, submit you're resume to www.transition2025.com/apply
We're looking for the people who will bring excellence to public service.
November 25, 2025 at 11:03 AM
🫡 Honored to serve on the technology committee.
If you're looking to work for the next administration, submit you're resume to www.transition2025.com/apply
We're looking for the people who will bring excellence to public service.
If you're looking to work for the next administration, submit you're resume to www.transition2025.com/apply
We're looking for the people who will bring excellence to public service.
Reposted by Paul Ford
8675309 is prime, and so is 8675311, so if you ever need a middlin'-large pair of adjacent primes to test your cryptographic suite, all you need is a 1980s earworm and a +2 and you're all set.
Man, everything is so bleak, anyone got a fun fact or little bit of trivia they want to share
November 21, 2025 at 3:28 AM
8675309 is prime, and so is 8675311, so if you ever need a middlin'-large pair of adjacent primes to test your cryptographic suite, all you need is a 1980s earworm and a +2 and you're all set.
Reposted by Paul Ford
my first WORK FRIEND column covers labor-law violation and unwritten-coworker-law violations. please submit more questions to workfriend@nytimes.com !!
What’s the Most Elegant Way to Lie to My Co-workers?
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:37 PM
my first WORK FRIEND column covers labor-law violation and unwritten-coworker-law violations. please submit more questions to workfriend@nytimes.com !!
Reposted by Paul Ford
Doctor says, 'Dont worry, parser design is simple. Great programmer Kate Compton has written the parser you seek’
November 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Doctor says, 'Dont worry, parser design is simple. Great programmer Kate Compton has written the parser you seek’
I wish political journalists would acknowledge that there is a difference between scandal and evil.
November 16, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I wish political journalists would acknowledge that there is a difference between scandal and evil.
My personal conception of horseshoe theory did not include MAGA ideologically converging with NAMBLA to form MAGAMBAGLA.
November 15, 2025 at 6:16 PM
My personal conception of horseshoe theory did not include MAGA ideologically converging with NAMBLA to form MAGAMBAGLA.
One of my best friends on earth, and the producer of some of the albums I love the most, is trying something new and awesome (producing YOUR songs): www.instagram.com/p/DRBVDMhjOnJ/
He's a Canadian socialist & self-promotion is literally his worst nightmare, so I'm boosting.
He's a Canadian socialist & self-promotion is literally his worst nightmare, so I'm boosting.
Stephen Ramsay on Instagram
20 likes, 3 comments - stephen__ramsay on November 13, 2025
www.instagram.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:53 PM
One of my best friends on earth, and the producer of some of the albums I love the most, is trying something new and awesome (producing YOUR songs): www.instagram.com/p/DRBVDMhjOnJ/
He's a Canadian socialist & self-promotion is literally his worst nightmare, so I'm boosting.
He's a Canadian socialist & self-promotion is literally his worst nightmare, so I'm boosting.
Thanksgiving conversation gonna be real quiet this year.
November 13, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Thanksgiving conversation gonna be real quiet this year.
Reposted by Paul Ford
The more democratic elements of the American constitutional and economic order are actually throwing up road blocks to Trumpism. Protests and boycotts and low level courts and juries and cetera. Elite actors on the other hand are all too frequently caving. Fascinating study in who actually cares!
BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Jury acquits D.C. 'sandwich guy' charged with chucking a sub at a federal agent
Sean Dunn faced single misdemeanor offense after federal grand jurors refused to indict him on the felony charge sought by prosecutors.
www.nbcnews.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:30 PM
The more democratic elements of the American constitutional and economic order are actually throwing up road blocks to Trumpism. Protests and boycotts and low level courts and juries and cetera. Elite actors on the other hand are all too frequently caving. Fascinating study in who actually cares!