Paul Riddell
@kyloboomhauer.bsky.social
New project: The Annals of St. Remedius Medical College. http://www.stremedius.com
Chef for Parker the lynx-point Siamese
Populizer of the term “Cat Piss Man.”
“…a Hunter Thompson wannabe of sorts…” - Gardner Dozois
Chef for Parker the lynx-point Siamese
Populizer of the term “Cat Piss Man.”
“…a Hunter Thompson wannabe of sorts…” - Gardner Dozois
Pinned
Paul Riddell
@kyloboomhauer.bsky.social
· Aug 13
New Perennial introduction, now Substack-free:
1989-2002: Angry young essayist for a range of now-forgotten magazines and weekly newspapers.
2008-2023: Owner/operator of Dallas’s pretty much only carnivorous plant gallery.
2024-Present: Trying this writing thing again. www.stremedius.com
1989-2002: Angry young essayist for a range of now-forgotten magazines and weekly newspapers.
2008-2023: Owner/operator of Dallas’s pretty much only carnivorous plant gallery.
2024-Present: Trying this writing thing again. www.stremedius.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by Paul Riddell
People will come to regret BlueSky’s “let’s all follow rare bug professors!” fad.
It’s all fine until we start posting the botflies.
It’s all fine until we start posting the botflies.
February 12, 2026 at 3:38 PM
People will come to regret BlueSky’s “let’s all follow rare bug professors!” fad.
It’s all fine until we start posting the botflies.
It’s all fine until we start posting the botflies.
Reposted by Paul Riddell
Person on the phone informs me that "AI says you have Chinese New Year cards". We do not, dear readers, have or have ever had Chinese New Year cards. Please, please stop using AI.
February 12, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Person on the phone informs me that "AI says you have Chinese New Year cards". We do not, dear readers, have or have ever had Chinese New Year cards. Please, please stop using AI.
Reposted by Paul Riddell
This is an accurate endorsement of Bluesky. The core user base are the kids who would whisper "wanna see a weird bug?"
And then proceed to show you the weirdest bug/thing/idea you have ever seen.
Welcome, #NewSkies
And then proceed to show you the weirdest bug/thing/idea you have ever seen.
Welcome, #NewSkies
Someone told me lately "Bluesky is just like Twitter." I argued that was untrue on the basis that last time I had a Twitter account most times I got a new follower their bio said "single & looking for fun" & here when I get a new follower it tends to say something like "professor of rare moths".
February 12, 2026 at 2:56 PM
This is an accurate endorsement of Bluesky. The core user base are the kids who would whisper "wanna see a weird bug?"
And then proceed to show you the weirdest bug/thing/idea you have ever seen.
Welcome, #NewSkies
And then proceed to show you the weirdest bug/thing/idea you have ever seen.
Welcome, #NewSkies
Reposted by Paul Riddell
This is absolutely INFURIATING because it is so relentless, and yet it's still... it's still KIND of funny because honestly who is out there trying to get money from WRITERS, that's like holding a cup underneath a Bigmouth Billy Bass and hoping for caviar to come out
The book club scam has taken an exciting new leap forward. I got one today from a "curated literary platform and newsletter" that, unusually, offered a link to its website. I'm in edits, so obviously I took the opportunity to procrastinate. /1
February 11, 2026 at 8:32 PM
This is absolutely INFURIATING because it is so relentless, and yet it's still... it's still KIND of funny because honestly who is out there trying to get money from WRITERS, that's like holding a cup underneath a Bigmouth Billy Bass and hoping for caviar to come out
Reposted by Paul Riddell
Allow me to reiterate from the last round of this Katie and I did.
It happens roughly once a year. It has been happening for almost a decade now. People are not new, creative, or cute with this.
It happens roughly once a year. It has been happening for almost a decade now. People are not new, creative, or cute with this.
It wasn't funny years ago and still isn't to make these without putting a very prominent PROP or REPLICA on them. Even better, just don't. Nothing quite invites the majesty of local, state and federal law enforcement working in tandem because people doing dumb shit triggered terrorism charges.
For the love of god don't do this. Symbols mean things. Do not make jokey props that look exactly like real dangerous objects. THESE SHOULD NOT EXIST and I hope they were destroyed after making this video and not just put in storage. This shit is serious
www.instagram.com/reel/C77l6ro...
www.instagram.com/reel/C77l6ro...
February 12, 2026 at 1:12 AM
Allow me to reiterate from the last round of this Katie and I did.
It happens roughly once a year. It has been happening for almost a decade now. People are not new, creative, or cute with this.
It happens roughly once a year. It has been happening for almost a decade now. People are not new, creative, or cute with this.
Reposted by Paul Riddell
It wasn't funny years ago and still isn't to make these without putting a very prominent PROP or REPLICA on them. Even better, just don't. Nothing quite invites the majesty of local, state and federal law enforcement working in tandem because people doing dumb shit triggered terrorism charges.
For the love of god don't do this. Symbols mean things. Do not make jokey props that look exactly like real dangerous objects. THESE SHOULD NOT EXIST and I hope they were destroyed after making this video and not just put in storage. This shit is serious
www.instagram.com/reel/C77l6ro...
www.instagram.com/reel/C77l6ro...
Derek Lucas on Instagram: "It’s free to press this button☝️"
418K likes, 4,330 comments - medoingthings on June 7, 2024: "It’s free to press this button☝️".
www.instagram.com
June 16, 2024 at 3:01 AM
It wasn't funny years ago and still isn't to make these without putting a very prominent PROP or REPLICA on them. Even better, just don't. Nothing quite invites the majesty of local, state and federal law enforcement working in tandem because people doing dumb shit triggered terrorism charges.
Soundtrack: “Corona” by the Minutemen.
A Korean bitcoin market intended to give away prizes worth ₩620,000 or about $425. Instead, they gave away 620,000 bitcoins worth roughly $40 BILLION at the time—despite not actually holding that many tokens. It’s a massive failure of crypto safety protocols. Now they’re asking for the coins back.
A Bitcoin Blunder for the Ages: $40 Billion Accidentally Given Away
A botched prize giveaway has landed a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange in hot water.
www.wsj.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Soundtrack: “Corona” by the Minutemen.
Reposted by Paul Riddell
One reason PKD and Clive Barker and Stephen King have been so influential is that they wrote short stories, back when you could actually make a living writing short stories.
That market is dead.
That market is dead.
February 12, 2026 at 9:54 AM
One reason PKD and Clive Barker and Stephen King have been so influential is that they wrote short stories, back when you could actually make a living writing short stories.
That market is dead.
That market is dead.
Reposted by Paul Riddell
But a proper Jurassic Park project would be hellaciously expensive, it'd bankrupt every billionaire on Ea--
Ok, ok. Objection withdrawn.
Ok, ok. Objection withdrawn.
February 11, 2026 at 9:44 PM
But a proper Jurassic Park project would be hellaciously expensive, it'd bankrupt every billionaire on Ea--
Ok, ok. Objection withdrawn.
Ok, ok. Objection withdrawn.
It may be time for the celebrity version of everyone’s favorite reality show: stremedius.com/2026/02/05/s...
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
It may be time for the celebrity version of everyone’s favorite reality show: stremedius.com/2026/02/05/s...
Reposted by Paul Riddell
I've written a post about Galactosomum nagasakiense - a flashy fluke which lives rent-free in the heads of fish and literally gives them brain rot 🧪
dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2026/02/gala...
dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2026/02/gala...
<i>Galactosomum nagasakiense</i>
Galactosomum nagasakiense is a parasite that lives rent-free in fish's brain and give them " Trematode Whirling Disease " (TWD). There are ...
dailyparasite.blogspot.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:16 AM
I've written a post about Galactosomum nagasakiense - a flashy fluke which lives rent-free in the heads of fish and literally gives them brain rot 🧪
dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2026/02/gala...
dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2026/02/gala...
Reposted by Paul Riddell
An interesting read www.theguardian.com/news/2026/fe...
Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong
For many years the prevailing debate about the Maya centred upon why their civilisation collapsed. Now, many scholars are asking: how did the Maya survive?
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:19 AM
An interesting read www.theguardian.com/news/2026/fe...
Reposted by Paul Riddell
Over on threads someone just use ai;dr and we all need to adopt that right quick
February 11, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Over on threads someone just use ai;dr and we all need to adopt that right quick
New Mandatory Parker, on his outrage over last month’s ice storms. stremedius.com/2026/02/11/m...
Mandatory Parker: “The Lint-Covered Breast Implant In Winter”
Legacies of Last Month’s Ice Storm Life of the Parker runs in three modes. First is the Comfort Mode: sitting on the couch or on his favorite throne, curled up on his favorite blanket, kickin…
stremedius.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:58 AM
New Mandatory Parker, on his outrage over last month’s ice storms. stremedius.com/2026/02/11/m...
Mandatory Parker: “The Lint-Covered Breast Implant In Winter”
Legacies of Last Month's Ice Storm Life of the Parker runs in three modes. First is the Comfort Mode: sitting on the couch or on his favorite throne, curled up on his favorite blanket, kicking me in the face when he sleeps at night. The…
Legacies of Last Month's Ice Storm Life of the Parker runs in three modes. First is the Comfort Mode: sitting on the couch or on his favorite throne, curled up on his favorite blanket, kicking me in the face when he sleeps at night. The…
Mandatory Parker: “The Lint-Covered Breast Implant In Winter”
Legacies of Last Month's Ice Storm Life of the Parker runs in three modes. First is the Comfort Mode: sitting on the couch or on his favorite throne, curled up on his favorite blanket, kicking me in the face when he sleeps at night. The second is the Boredom Avoidance Mode: yelling for attention, stropping his fangs on my arm until he draws blood, insisting that I join him for a careful inspection of the garage.
stremedius.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:45 AM
Mandatory Parker: “The Lint-Covered Breast Implant In Winter”
Legacies of Last Month's Ice Storm Life of the Parker runs in three modes. First is the Comfort Mode: sitting on the couch or on his favorite throne, curled up on his favorite blanket, kicking me in the face when he sleeps at night. The…
Legacies of Last Month's Ice Storm Life of the Parker runs in three modes. First is the Comfort Mode: sitting on the couch or on his favorite throne, curled up on his favorite blanket, kicking me in the face when he sleeps at night. The…
Reposted by Paul Riddell
Happy International Women In Science Day! I had an amazing time speaking with fellow female scientists and paleoartists on todays paleoart panel with @extinctfineart.bsky.social . Pictured here is me and one of the key Diplodocus skin specimens that led to our recent discovery on Dippy Colors 🦕🌈
February 12, 2026 at 1:12 AM
Happy International Women In Science Day! I had an amazing time speaking with fellow female scientists and paleoartists on todays paleoart panel with @extinctfineart.bsky.social . Pictured here is me and one of the key Diplodocus skin specimens that led to our recent discovery on Dippy Colors 🦕🌈
Reposted by Paul Riddell
What movie moment made you exclaim...
"THIS IS CINEMA" 💗
"THIS IS CINEMA" 💗
February 12, 2026 at 1:20 AM
What movie moment made you exclaim...
"THIS IS CINEMA" 💗
"THIS IS CINEMA" 💗
Reposted by Paul Riddell
Tech executives have finally amassed their ultimate, long dreamed-of power: to summarily fire anyone who speaks ill of their desire to have sex with robots
OpenAI fired one of its top safety execs, on the grounds of sexual discrimination, after she voiced opposition to the controversial rollout of AI erotica in its ChatGPT product.
OpenAI told her the term was related to her sexual discrimination against a male colleague.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/open...
OpenAI told her the term was related to her sexual discrimination against a male colleague.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/open...
Exclusive | OpenAI Executive Who Opposed ‘Adult Mode’ Fired for Sexual Discrimination
Ryan Beiermeister, who served as the vice president leading OpenAI’s product policy team, had raised concerns about the upcoming launch of erotic content.
www.wsj.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:28 PM
Tech executives have finally amassed their ultimate, long dreamed-of power: to summarily fire anyone who speaks ill of their desire to have sex with robots
Considering the number of literary scammers out there before ChatGPT (I'm thinking specifically of the "book critic" in the 2000s so determined to get ARCs to sell that she plagiarized others' reviews, and moved to new venues as she was fired from previous ones), this is going to get worse, right?
Aided by genAI models like ChatGPT, “writers” hoping to get paid for fake stories have become an even bigger problem for publications big and small. One such writer almost pulled one over on COYOTE — until @soleilho.com, who is a nerd, spotted a key idiosyncrasy.
How COYOTE Almost Got Slopped by AI
The sordid tale of the freelancer who never was.
www.coyotemedia.org
February 12, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Considering the number of literary scammers out there before ChatGPT (I'm thinking specifically of the "book critic" in the 2000s so determined to get ARCs to sell that she plagiarized others' reviews, and moved to new venues as she was fired from previous ones), this is going to get worse, right?
Absolutely, the cool kids hang out in the Egyptian exhibit hoping to be transported. Well, some: the rest of us have the same hopes either in proximity to the Burgess Shale fossils or the meteorites.
Only cool kids hang out in the @romtoronto.bsky.social's Egyptian exhibit hoping to touch a magical stone and be transported, Highlander-style, to the 18th dynasty to meet Hatshepsut...right?
February 12, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Absolutely, the cool kids hang out in the Egyptian exhibit hoping to be transported. Well, some: the rest of us have the same hopes either in proximity to the Burgess Shale fossils or the meteorites.
If you've been having fun with The Annals of St. Remedius, it qualifies for the Best Series Hugo. Just sayin'.
Members wanting to vote using a paper ballot instead of online can find one on our website: lacon.org/hugos
Nominations will close Saturday March 28, 2026, at 12:00 noon Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
Happy Nominating!
Nominations will close Saturday March 28, 2026, at 12:00 noon Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
Happy Nominating!
The Hugo Awards – LAcon V
lacon.org
February 12, 2026 at 1:02 AM
If you've been having fun with The Annals of St. Remedius, it qualifies for the Best Series Hugo. Just sayin'.
Ya KNOW, The Annals of St. Remedius Medical College doesn't have to win. Just being nominated would make several prominent genre heads explode...
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Hugo Awards!
Emails are going out to eligible nominators (those who became a member of LAcon V by January 31, 2026, or were a member of the Seattle Worldcon 2025) about how to set up their LAcon V virtual convention account.
Emails are going out to eligible nominators (those who became a member of LAcon V by January 31, 2026, or were a member of the Seattle Worldcon 2025) about how to set up their LAcon V virtual convention account.
February 12, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Ya KNOW, The Annals of St. Remedius Medical College doesn't have to win. Just being nominated would make several prominent genre heads explode...
More @texastheatre.bsky.social shenanigans, and I say that with love.
Dallas-FW! Manhunter screens Fri Feb 13 at Texas Theatre (@texastheatre.bsky.social) . Downstairs theater, INCREDIBLE sound. I'm hosting it & talking with guest @brianraftery.bsky.social, who'll sign copies of his new book Hannibal Lecter: A Life afterward. TIX: thetexastheatre.com/film/manhunt...
February 11, 2026 at 11:18 PM
More @texastheatre.bsky.social shenanigans, and I say that with love.
Reposted by Paul Riddell
Attempting to do the most base level academic history using primary sources on well documented subjects in a time period as recent as the 1980s will quickly dissuade you of the idea that everything is online.
A lot of people really don’t realize that there is a vast amount of information out there that is not online and plausibly never will be, or can’t be.
I think that's a point that will surprise a lot of people. There's a lot of calling the internet capable of accessing "the sum of all human knowledge" and such that I think gives people the impression that any and all records exist online somewhere.
February 11, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Attempting to do the most base level academic history using primary sources on well documented subjects in a time period as recent as the 1980s will quickly dissuade you of the idea that everything is online.