Ian McLean
@mrthewalrus.bsky.social
Fond of real science and imaginary worlds, cursed with a knowledge of software engineering.
Staff Engineer for state government.
Might have coined the term 'Dire Millennial'. He/him.
Staff Engineer for state government.
Might have coined the term 'Dire Millennial'. He/him.
Reposted by Ian McLean
Voting should not be something you have register to do. Voting should be something you’re legally required to do. It should be incredibly easy to vote and against the law to not do so. It should also be constitutionally protected; no disenfranchisement under any circumstance.
"my least woke opinion is---"
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
November 14, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Voting should not be something you have register to do. Voting should be something you’re legally required to do. It should be incredibly easy to vote and against the law to not do so. It should also be constitutionally protected; no disenfranchisement under any circumstance.
Reposted by Ian McLean
There is no opposition party too evil for moderate democrats to find common ground with
November 10, 2025 at 1:58 AM
There is no opposition party too evil for moderate democrats to find common ground with
Reposted by Ian McLean
File under: things you usually don’t have to say if it’s true
NEW: Border Patrol boss Gregory Bovino tells agents in LA, "It’s our f–king city" in newly released video. blockclubchi.co/4oU0lTF
November 8, 2025 at 1:42 AM
File under: things you usually don’t have to say if it’s true
Simultaneously winning the Best Chart and Dumbest Chart categories for the day.
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
November 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Simultaneously winning the Best Chart and Dumbest Chart categories for the day.
Reposted by Ian McLean
The key thing to watch here: they fired a Wired political reporter. That’s the title doing the most effective, pointed work. Teen Vogue’s stuff was culturally impactful, but less focused on investigating the administration. Within the Condé portfolio, Wired and the New Yorker are the canaries.
New: Conde Nast fired four employees who were among a group that confronted the company's head of human resources on Wednesday over the decision to fold Teen Vogue into Vogue/recent cuts. Employees who were fired included journalists from the New Yorker, Wired, and Bon Appétit.
November 6, 2025 at 6:08 PM
The key thing to watch here: they fired a Wired political reporter. That’s the title doing the most effective, pointed work. Teen Vogue’s stuff was culturally impactful, but less focused on investigating the administration. Within the Condé portfolio, Wired and the New Yorker are the canaries.
Biden may have been old but he never needed a sign to find his office.
November 5, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Biden may have been old but he never needed a sign to find his office.
Reposted by Ian McLean
the entire twitter and group chat poisoned elite of American society who decided Trump winning an election by 1.5% heralded a thousand year reich may have miscalculated a bit
November 5, 2025 at 3:50 AM
the entire twitter and group chat poisoned elite of American society who decided Trump winning an election by 1.5% heralded a thousand year reich may have miscalculated a bit
Reposted by Ian McLean
Zohran is cool and awesome and I’m thrilled for him and all of us
but at my core this is who I am: the Jewish guy who shows up to be a world class hater in support of his friend
but at my core this is who I am: the Jewish guy who shows up to be a world class hater in support of his friend
Brad Lander is at the victory party and, folks, he has the custom one-of-one “GOOD FUCKING RIDDANCE” shirt.
November 5, 2025 at 4:27 AM
Zohran is cool and awesome and I’m thrilled for him and all of us
but at my core this is who I am: the Jewish guy who shows up to be a world class hater in support of his friend
but at my core this is who I am: the Jewish guy who shows up to be a world class hater in support of his friend
Reposted by Ian McLean
Reposted by Ian McLean
did he lie about the onions and mustard?! my faith in law enforcement is shattered, I don’t know how I can recover from this
The defense team presses Lairmore on whether the sandwich really 'exploded.' They return to the photo of the sandwich and wrapper on the ground.
"That sandwich hasn't exploded at all, has it?" defense asks.
"It looks like a little bit is coming out towards the bottom," Lairmore replies.
"That sandwich hasn't exploded at all, has it?" defense asks.
"It looks like a little bit is coming out towards the bottom," Lairmore replies.
November 4, 2025 at 4:43 PM
did he lie about the onions and mustard?! my faith in law enforcement is shattered, I don’t know how I can recover from this
Reposted by Ian McLean
Lettuce pray for him
Border Patrol agent Lairmore testifies that he was not injured by the sandwich, but he felt the impact through his ballistic vest.
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
November 4, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Lettuce pray for him
Reposted by Ian McLean
Big day at U.S. District Court in D.C. where Sean Dunn, the D.C. Sandwich Guy, is on trial for misdemeanor assault of a federal officer.
Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore is on the stand narrating surveillance video of the sammie toss.
'Now he’s struck me with the sandwich,' Lairmore says.
Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore is on the stand narrating surveillance video of the sammie toss.
'Now he’s struck me with the sandwich,' Lairmore says.
November 4, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Big day at U.S. District Court in D.C. where Sean Dunn, the D.C. Sandwich Guy, is on trial for misdemeanor assault of a federal officer.
Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore is on the stand narrating surveillance video of the sammie toss.
'Now he’s struck me with the sandwich,' Lairmore says.
Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore is on the stand narrating surveillance video of the sammie toss.
'Now he’s struck me with the sandwich,' Lairmore says.
Reposted by Ian McLean
it's kinda funny how we've reinvented INTERCAL, down to having to say PLEASE DO
Somebody posted this prompt, which attempts to make ChatGPT responses less friendly and more critical.
Feels like a rich document for a science-and-technology-studies analysis.
Feels like a rich document for a science-and-technology-studies analysis.
November 3, 2025 at 8:13 PM
it's kinda funny how we've reinvented INTERCAL, down to having to say PLEASE DO
Reposted by Ian McLean
On DHS’s unauthorized use of Norman Rockwell’s paintings across social media, an op-ed from our family today in @usatoday.com www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
We're Norman Rockwell's family. Trump's DHS has shamefully misused his work. | Opinion
As Norman Rockwell's family, we know he'd be devastated to see the Department of Homeland Security's unauthorized misuse of his work.
www.usatoday.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:03 PM
On DHS’s unauthorized use of Norman Rockwell’s paintings across social media, an op-ed from our family today in @usatoday.com www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
not really how that works
Israel's military said the ceasefire in Gaza resumed after it carried out heavy airstrikes overnight that killed 104 people, including 46 children, according to local health officials. n.pr/48SFSKo
Israel says it's resuming the ceasefire after its strikes in Gaza kill over 100 people
Israel's military said the ceasefire in Gaza resumed after it carried out heavy airstrikes overnight that killed 104 people, including 46 children, according to local health officials.
n.pr
October 29, 2025 at 2:40 PM
not really how that works
Imagine a country so invested in racism that it’ll put up a statue of a guy no one liked, just because he fought (badly) against human rights. Twice.
It's relevant that Pike was a really shitty general.
Was a pain in everybody's ass, was prominently involved in the Confedrrate debacle at Pea Ridge, was later jailed for insubordination and treason (to the Confederacy), just sucked.
Then, after the war, he was prominently involved w/ the KKK.
Was a pain in everybody's ass, was prominently involved in the Confedrrate debacle at Pea Ridge, was later jailed for insubordination and treason (to the Confederacy), just sucked.
Then, after the war, he was prominently involved w/ the KKK.
A statue of Confederate general Albert Pike, which had been pulled down during the Black Lives Matter movement, has been put back up in Washington, D.C.'s Judiciary Square. n.pr/49pygiD
October 27, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Imagine a country so invested in racism that it’ll put up a statue of a guy no one liked, just because he fought (badly) against human rights. Twice.
Reposted by Ian McLean
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Yeah. It would raise a lot of money that could be used to do good things, but that’s a side effect. The primary benefit is not having individual assholes who are rich enough to ruin everything.
Tax billionaires into millionaires
we have a way for guys like this to fund the military
it’s called “taxes” and clearly they should go up
it’s called “taxes” and clearly they should go up
October 25, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Yeah. It would raise a lot of money that could be used to do good things, but that’s a side effect. The primary benefit is not having individual assholes who are rich enough to ruin everything.
Reposted by Ian McLean
These are not my peers
October 24, 2025 at 4:44 PM
These are not my peers
Reposted by Ian McLean
BREAKING: The Vermont state senator was the subject of a Politico story that revealed a leaked group chat between members of Young Republican chapters in four states.
Vermont Sen. Samuel Douglass will resign after participating in racist group chat
The Vermont state senator who’s been under pressure to resign since revelations surfaced this week of his participation in a racist group chat announced Friday evening that he’s leaving public office.
www.vermontpublic.org
October 17, 2025 at 9:57 PM
BREAKING: The Vermont state senator was the subject of a Politico story that revealed a leaked group chat between members of Young Republican chapters in four states.
Going to start telling the CX team that the server is throwing 500 errors on login for a greater good
1) that’s not at all how we use that phrase; 2) are you fucking losing me with this right now?
October 7, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Going to start telling the CX team that the server is throwing 500 errors on login for a greater good
Reposted by Ian McLean
Yep. We have a massive political machine for teaching normal people to feel shame & "oh I guess my opinions & needs are less Real & Important" because.... of not being landed gentry.
And it WORKS.
And it WORKS.
It‘s all just “decades of RW media have successfully convinced me that farmers are Real Americans and we City Folk are Not.” I have a lot of trouble escaping this mindset myself.
October 6, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Yep. We have a massive political machine for teaching normal people to feel shame & "oh I guess my opinions & needs are less Real & Important" because.... of not being landed gentry.
And it WORKS.
And it WORKS.
fun fact, federal judges, as a rule, really don’t like it when you try to weasel out of obeying their orders
Judge: That's what I'll do. Prohibit federalization or deployment of any NG troops into Oregon. For all reasons in prior opinion. Deployment of federalized military is ultra vires and contrary to law, violating Title 10, section 12406. I also find it's likely that defendants violate 10th Amendment.
October 6, 2025 at 3:21 AM
fun fact, federal judges, as a rule, really don’t like it when you try to weasel out of obeying their orders
Reposted by Ian McLean
Every single person involved in these murders up and down the chain of command needs to be tried for it.
Trump has blown up another fishing boat off Venezuela. Four dead.
October 3, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Every single person involved in these murders up and down the chain of command needs to be tried for it.
This is some truly next-level ’meeting could have been an email’.
September 26, 2025 at 7:32 PM
This is some truly next-level ’meeting could have been an email’.