ido
@ido.bsky.social
Editor of The Sidechannel, a new publication from Ingeniøren.
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ido
@ido.bsky.social
· Jul 7
My photos from Kyiv are published in this month’s Marie Claire Australia, illustrating Frances Mao’s excellent and moving report on relationships during the war.
Maybe the wrongest part of a generally very wrong thread. Some of the books I’ve most enjoyed reading I picked up serendipitously from a second-hand bookshop not knowing anything about them or the author.
- Time spent in bookshops is mostly wasted (4)
Whatever you think you get from bookstores ("I didn't realise Ishiguro had a new book out!") you could get better in other ways. Read reviews. Speak to people about books they enjoyed.
Time spent browsing for books could be time spent reading instead.
Whatever you think you get from bookstores ("I didn't realise Ishiguro had a new book out!") you could get better in other ways. Read reviews. Speak to people about books they enjoyed.
Time spent browsing for books could be time spent reading instead.
January 23, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Maybe the wrongest part of a generally very wrong thread. Some of the books I’ve most enjoyed reading I picked up serendipitously from a second-hand bookshop not knowing anything about them or the author.
Reposted by ido
This piece is good on how the people running the US are pure posters. They're obsessed with posting on Twitter, finding something new to post on there, and running the FBI is just a great source of new #content. Cool vision of the 'everyone is just a content creator' future we're almost already at.
the most extraordinary piece of reporting: a year inside the FBI (and yes there are implications here for British security- the Five Eyes bit is bonkers) www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Kash Patel’s FBI Is Making America Less Safe, Current and Former Employees Say
Forty-five current and former employees on the changes they say are undermining the agency and making America less safe.
www.nytimes.com
January 23, 2026 at 7:02 AM
This piece is good on how the people running the US are pure posters. They're obsessed with posting on Twitter, finding something new to post on there, and running the FBI is just a great source of new #content. Cool vision of the 'everyone is just a content creator' future we're almost already at.
Reposted by ido
reads like the list of countries attending Russia's May 9 parades
Trump's "Board of Peace": Belarus, Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Armenia, Egypt, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Albania, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Qatar, Indonesia.
The US’s new sphere of influence.
The US’s new sphere of influence.
January 22, 2026 at 4:20 PM
reads like the list of countries attending Russia's May 9 parades
Torching your relationship with your closest allies for the square root of nothing all takes some doing.
January 22, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Torching your relationship with your closest allies for the square root of nothing all takes some doing.
Reposted by ido
“The strong do what they can" is what Athens said right before destroying itself. New piece on the Carney Doctrine, Vaclav’s grocer, and American hubris.
hegemon.substack.com/p/the-strong...
hegemon.substack.com/p/the-strong...
The Strong Will Suffer What They Must
Vaclav's Grocer and American Hubris
hegemon.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:54 PM
“The strong do what they can" is what Athens said right before destroying itself. New piece on the Carney Doctrine, Vaclav’s grocer, and American hubris.
hegemon.substack.com/p/the-strong...
hegemon.substack.com/p/the-strong...
Reposted by ido
"We have seen empires fall and civilizations crumble. But we’ve almost never seen a people renounce their leadership of the world—all at once, in full public view. That is what has happened in the 365 days since January 20, 2025."
This Is the End
Putinism abroad always morphs into Putinism at home. And we chose this path. Why? Because something-something the price of eggs.
lnk.thebulwark.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:00 AM
"We have seen empires fall and civilizations crumble. But we’ve almost never seen a people renounce their leadership of the world—all at once, in full public view. That is what has happened in the 365 days since January 20, 2025."
Is Washington’s friendship in the room with us right now?
"US President Donald Trump’s designs on the Danish territory of Greenland have forced Europe to confront an uncomfortable question: How much do they need Washington’s money, military might and ultimately its friendship?" writes Joseph Ataman and Clare Sebastian. | Analysis
Trump is crossing red lines. Why doesn’t Europe push him back? | CNN
US President Donald Trump’s designs on the Danish territory of Greenland have forced Europe to confront an uncomfortable question: How much do they need Washington’s money, military might and ultimate...
www.cnn.com
January 22, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Is Washington’s friendship in the room with us right now?
This scumbag. Article 5 has been triggered once, by America. Soldiers from allies from the UK to Denmark died because the US requested their help. And this fucking president says he’s not sure allies would come to the US’s defence.
January 21, 2026 at 2:21 PM
This scumbag. Article 5 has been triggered once, by America. Soldiers from allies from the UK to Denmark died because the US requested their help. And this fucking president says he’s not sure allies would come to the US’s defence.
What is the charge?
how advanced is your nation's sinophobia? very? extremely? you are like baby, we are inventing sinophobia the likes of which cannot be dreamt of
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
The Chinese restaurants surrounding our most sensitive military bases
The Daily Mail can reveal a bizarre anomaly in the distribution of Chinese restaurants across the country.
www.dailymail.co.uk
January 21, 2026 at 11:58 AM
What is the charge?
Reposted by ido
Wow. That's very insightful. It *is* a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of something—a wife. If you'd like, I could help you draft a "Wife Marriage Acquisition Plan" or a "Good Fortune Business Plan."
January 21, 2026 at 3:48 AM
Wow. That's very insightful. It *is* a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of something—a wife. If you'd like, I could help you draft a "Wife Marriage Acquisition Plan" or a "Good Fortune Business Plan."
Reposted by ido
The Catholic archbishop of the U.S. military services said it “would be morally acceptable to disobey” orders if troops considered them against their conscience.
‘Morally acceptable’ for U.S. troops to disobey orders, archbishop says
Timothy P. Broglio, a Vatican senior cleric, expressed concern at President Donald Trump’s U.S. military policy as he pursues Greenland.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:30 PM
The Catholic archbishop of the U.S. military services said it “would be morally acceptable to disobey” orders if troops considered them against their conscience.
Pathetic. If you’re going to threaten an invasion at least have the dignity to recognise why your victims might be scared.
US Treasury Secretary Bessent brushes off 'hysteria' over Greenland reut.rs/3YKcxvr
US Treasury Secretary Bessent brushes off 'hysteria' over Greenland
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed confidence on Tuesday that the United States and European countries would find a solution over the U.S. administration's aim to take over Greenland, brushing off "hysteria" about a possible trade war.
reut.rs
January 20, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Pathetic. If you’re going to threaten an invasion at least have the dignity to recognise why your victims might be scared.
I am not sure Americans grasp the degree of damage that’s been done. Trump could leave office tomorrow and it would take a generation to fix relations with the countries that used to be the US’s closest friends.
An Arctic Mujahedeen, eh? What a time to be alive.
Canada's Global & Mail: Military models Canadian response to hypothetical American invasion. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Canada's Global & Mail: Military models Canadian response to hypothetical American invasion. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
January 20, 2026 at 2:49 PM
I am not sure Americans grasp the degree of damage that’s been done. Trump could leave office tomorrow and it would take a generation to fix relations with the countries that used to be the US’s closest friends.
Reposted by ido
Feels like something cracked today in the transatlantic alliance. Europeans have been swallowing their pride, bitting their tongues, and bending the knee. That strategy may have bought them time but it has now clearly failed. It also had a major cost - it has made the WH think Europe will cave. 1/
January 18, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Feels like something cracked today in the transatlantic alliance. Europeans have been swallowing their pride, bitting their tongues, and bending the knee. That strategy may have bought them time but it has now clearly failed. It also had a major cost - it has made the WH think Europe will cave. 1/
Enough appeasement. Europe didn’t ask for this and doesn’t want this but if the Americans want to behave like this it’s time to stand up for ourselves.
January 17, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Enough appeasement. Europe didn’t ask for this and doesn’t want this but if the Americans want to behave like this it’s time to stand up for ourselves.
Gemini is better anyway www.ft.com/content/ec16...
OpenAI brings advertising to ChatGPT in push for new revenue
$500bn start-up seeks ways to fund expansion and fend off competition from rivals Google and Anthropic
www.ft.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Gemini is better anyway www.ft.com/content/ec16...
Reposted by ido
I just don't see much of a point in pretending that it's 1993 and newsrooms with reporters who check sources and consult libel lawyers determine what people see. People are seeing a lot of propaganda instead. It is what it is.
January 15, 2026 at 6:16 PM
I just don't see much of a point in pretending that it's 1993 and newsrooms with reporters who check sources and consult libel lawyers determine what people see. People are seeing a lot of propaganda instead. It is what it is.
Search increasingly unusable. Would say over half of links I click are AI slop, if not more.
January 14, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Search increasingly unusable. Would say over half of links I click are AI slop, if not more.
Opened X The Everything App for the first time in 6 months and this was the first thing on the homepage.
January 9, 2026 at 7:38 AM
Opened X The Everything App for the first time in 6 months and this was the first thing on the homepage.
Reposted by ido
It is time for EU leaders to establish a clear (if confidential) strategy and red lines for a Trump takeover of Greenland against the will of Greenland and Denmark. /1 www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
US attack on Venezuela raises fears of future Greenland takeover
Danish ambassador posts ‘friendly reminder’ about defence ties after provocative Maga post over territory
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:44 PM
It is time for EU leaders to establish a clear (if confidential) strategy and red lines for a Trump takeover of Greenland against the will of Greenland and Denmark. /1 www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Reposted by ido
It’s a dark night when you look at the news and are forced to admit that you no longer believe in the power of the FIFA peace prize
January 3, 2026 at 7:06 AM
It’s a dark night when you look at the news and are forced to admit that you no longer believe in the power of the FIFA peace prize
Reposted by ido
There is, to my mind, no justification for the continued use by the UK Government of X as a platform for official comms. There hasn't been for some time, in fact, but if the latest developments around AI-generated image abuse and CSAM don't change the policy I really don't know what will.
NEW: People are using Elon Musk's chatbot, Grok, to alter images to depict real women being sexually abused, humiliated, hurt, and even killed.
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
Grok Is Being Used to Depict Horrific Violence Against Real Women
People are asking Elon Musk's Grok chatbot to alter images to depict women being sexually abused, humiliated, and even killed.
futurism.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:18 PM
There is, to my mind, no justification for the continued use by the UK Government of X as a platform for official comms. There hasn't been for some time, in fact, but if the latest developments around AI-generated image abuse and CSAM don't change the policy I really don't know what will.
Reposted by ido
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
December 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls