Lou Warren 🇿🇦🏳️🌈
@persephonified.bsky.social
Historian of ancient philosophy and culture. Educator. Hoarder of facts. Occasional poet. Author of ‘Like a Captive Bird: Gender and Virtue in Plutarch’ @ Lever Press. Queer feminist. They/them
I keep forgetting this app exists because I got on TikTok and started reading again. I've read 60 novels this year. It's the only thing keeping me sane at this point.
November 17, 2025 at 5:28 PM
I keep forgetting this app exists because I got on TikTok and started reading again. I've read 60 novels this year. It's the only thing keeping me sane at this point.
Teaching my students the left-right political spectrum and seeing them get worried when capitalism goes on the right
a man in a purple shirt is sitting in the back seat of a car and the word skto is on the bottom right
ALT: a man in a purple shirt is sitting in the back seat of a car and the word skto is on the bottom right
media.tenor.com
July 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Teaching my students the left-right political spectrum and seeing them get worried when capitalism goes on the right
Fascinated that people still think you can vote your way out of fascism. You know what ended the Nazis? War against half the world. Mussolini? Executed. Japan? Fucking nukes. Please get serious.
April 14, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Fascinated that people still think you can vote your way out of fascism. You know what ended the Nazis? War against half the world. Mussolini? Executed. Japan? Fucking nukes. Please get serious.
Caught between deep diving the fallout of Trump's tariffs and deep diving the fallout of SA's controversial budget vote.
Not sure either is a wholly productive use of my time when I could instead be writing.
Not sure either is a wholly productive use of my time when I could instead be writing.
April 3, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Caught between deep diving the fallout of Trump's tariffs and deep diving the fallout of SA's controversial budget vote.
Not sure either is a wholly productive use of my time when I could instead be writing.
Not sure either is a wholly productive use of my time when I could instead be writing.
What if all the countries hit by US tariffs collectively decided to stop trading with the US entirely and fill those gaps by trading those same goods with each other? That should solve all the problems, right?
I'm good at the economy and I definitely understand what I'm talking about.
I'm good at the economy and I definitely understand what I'm talking about.
April 3, 2025 at 1:45 PM
What if all the countries hit by US tariffs collectively decided to stop trading with the US entirely and fill those gaps by trading those same goods with each other? That should solve all the problems, right?
I'm good at the economy and I definitely understand what I'm talking about.
I'm good at the economy and I definitely understand what I'm talking about.
Someone stole my card details and used them to do one of the worst things imaginable: buy an OpenAI subscription. I don't know what's worse tbh, the card or THAT.
March 19, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Someone stole my card details and used them to do one of the worst things imaginable: buy an OpenAI subscription. I don't know what's worse tbh, the card or THAT.
Happy to report that the game was a resounding success! Students had to engage deeply with political processes, learned hard lessons about language and negotiation, and experienced the consequences of their actions in real time. All while having a great time!
Tomorrow I will be running a role-playing game of my own design with my students. They’ll be working their way through the Cuban Missile Crisis. Holding thumbs it lives up to their (very high) expectations!
February 27, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Happy to report that the game was a resounding success! Students had to engage deeply with political processes, learned hard lessons about language and negotiation, and experienced the consequences of their actions in real time. All while having a great time!
Tomorrow I will be running a role-playing game of my own design with my students. They’ll be working their way through the Cuban Missile Crisis. Holding thumbs it lives up to their (very high) expectations!
February 26, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Tomorrow I will be running a role-playing game of my own design with my students. They’ll be working their way through the Cuban Missile Crisis. Holding thumbs it lives up to their (very high) expectations!
My iPhone 7+ has been hanging in there since 2016 but finally seems to be at the end of its life. What’s a good replacement that’s not Apple or Android? Bonus if it doesn’t try to shove generative AI in my face.
February 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
My iPhone 7+ has been hanging in there since 2016 but finally seems to be at the end of its life. What’s a good replacement that’s not Apple or Android? Bonus if it doesn’t try to shove generative AI in my face.
I hate that South Africa is now associated with Elon Musk rather than our case against Israel at the ICJ. Please know not all white South Africans are like that middle-aged toddler. There are few left that are *that* stupid and racist.
February 14, 2025 at 5:23 PM
I hate that South Africa is now associated with Elon Musk rather than our case against Israel at the ICJ. Please know not all white South Africans are like that middle-aged toddler. There are few left that are *that* stupid and racist.
Anybody have an archive link for this article, please? WaPo requires an account for gift links now lol
I wrote about Kendrick Lamar Superbowl performance-- its subversive messaging about America being a rigged, deadly game of survival-- especially for Black people.
But we need to stop pretending revolution is going to come from celebrities. It'll come from us.
Gift link here: wapo.st/42JVBs6
But we need to stop pretending revolution is going to come from celebrities. It'll come from us.
Gift link here: wapo.st/42JVBs6
Opinion | Kendrick Lamar’s performance was as Black and subversive as all get-out
His message at the Super Bowl was a warning and a threat.
wapo.st
February 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Anybody have an archive link for this article, please? WaPo requires an account for gift links now lol
Today a student asked me the wildest thing I have ever heard:
“Is Athens real?!”
They thought it was a storybook place.
“Is Athens real?!”
They thought it was a storybook place.
February 5, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Today a student asked me the wildest thing I have ever heard:
“Is Athens real?!”
They thought it was a storybook place.
“Is Athens real?!”
They thought it was a storybook place.
Reposted by Lou Warren 🇿🇦🏳️🌈
Oh no, the Chinese plagiarism machine might have plagiarized the American plagiarism machine
search.app/gLKPBELL2weQ...
search.app/gLKPBELL2weQ...
Microsoft Probing If DeepSeek-Linked Group Improperly Obtained OpenAI Data
Microsoft Corp. and OpenAI are investigating whether data output from OpenAI’s technology was obtained in an unauthorized manner by a group linked to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek, ...
search.app
January 29, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Oh no, the Chinese plagiarism machine might have plagiarized the American plagiarism machine
search.app/gLKPBELL2weQ...
search.app/gLKPBELL2weQ...
My students asked me if I’ve watched Gladiator 2. I said no but apparently historians hate it. They were SHOCKED. They loved it, don’t care about historical accuracy, and it only reaffirmed their interest in the past. I suspect there’s a lesson in here somewhere.
January 30, 2025 at 2:36 PM
My students asked me if I’ve watched Gladiator 2. I said no but apparently historians hate it. They were SHOCKED. They loved it, don’t care about historical accuracy, and it only reaffirmed their interest in the past. I suspect there’s a lesson in here somewhere.
Reposted by Lou Warren 🇿🇦🏳️🌈
Reposted by Lou Warren 🇿🇦🏳️🌈
OpenAI says it has proof that Deepseek used its work without permission to create something meant to undermine and destroy its product.
On behalf of all the authors whose novels and stories were taken as training data, oh no that must be so hard for you.
On behalf of all the authors whose novels and stories were taken as training data, oh no that must be so hard for you.
January 29, 2025 at 4:04 PM
OpenAI says it has proof that Deepseek used its work without permission to create something meant to undermine and destroy its product.
On behalf of all the authors whose novels and stories were taken as training data, oh no that must be so hard for you.
On behalf of all the authors whose novels and stories were taken as training data, oh no that must be so hard for you.
I have a senior student who wants to do their final year project on the question “Are men gay?” - essentially investigating the fluidity of masculinity and ooh boy am I excited to flex my actual research expertise to help them with this. So! Excited!!
January 22, 2025 at 6:12 PM
I have a senior student who wants to do their final year project on the question “Are men gay?” - essentially investigating the fluidity of masculinity and ooh boy am I excited to flex my actual research expertise to help them with this. So! Excited!!
Third migraine since last week Wednesday. Haven’t had a bout this bad in quite some time. I actually can’t deal with this anymore.
January 22, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Third migraine since last week Wednesday. Haven’t had a bout this bad in quite some time. I actually can’t deal with this anymore.
First day back at school. One of my students went to Stalin’s house in Georgia (I encouraged him to do something historical) and came back so damn excited to tell everyone about it. He basically voluntarily put on a 45-min presentation. Photos and everything. Teaching is awesome.
January 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
First day back at school. One of my students went to Stalin’s house in Georgia (I encouraged him to do something historical) and came back so damn excited to tell everyone about it. He basically voluntarily put on a 45-min presentation. Photos and everything. Teaching is awesome.
I just think we need to transition away from a culture of celebrity for politicians. Bob from accounting? Yeah he was president for a while, did a real shit job. Decent at cooking the books, though. Makes a mean Thai curry.
January 9, 2025 at 7:01 PM
I just think we need to transition away from a culture of celebrity for politicians. Bob from accounting? Yeah he was president for a while, did a real shit job. Decent at cooking the books, though. Makes a mean Thai curry.
I had to sit through a conversation about how great AI is and how to incorporate it into teaching today. And I realised that I’ve reached the point where even the suggestion fills me with uncontrollable rage. Which I very much failed to control.
January 9, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I had to sit through a conversation about how great AI is and how to incorporate it into teaching today. And I realised that I’ve reached the point where even the suggestion fills me with uncontrollable rage. Which I very much failed to control.
Since November, I have read 10 novels. The last time I’ve read like this was in high school. Amazing stuff. I don’t have any 2025 resolutions but I should probably acquire another bookshelf at some point…
January 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Since November, I have read 10 novels. The last time I’ve read like this was in high school. Amazing stuff. I don’t have any 2025 resolutions but I should probably acquire another bookshelf at some point…
Got this little void the only thing she really wanted: a box.
December 28, 2024 at 7:59 AM
Got this little void the only thing she really wanted: a box.
If there’s one thing I hate more than micro transactions in games it’s platform exclusives. Finding out there’s a new Fable game due but it won’t be on PlayStation is infuriating. I don’t understand how this is supposed to make business sense.
December 28, 2024 at 6:18 AM
If there’s one thing I hate more than micro transactions in games it’s platform exclusives. Finding out there’s a new Fable game due but it won’t be on PlayStation is infuriating. I don’t understand how this is supposed to make business sense.
The power is out in my area and will be until at least tomorrow. I’m grumpy about it because I can’t read by candlelight but reminded of the positives: soft candlelight and absolute quiet without the constant hum of electronics. A good night’s sleep awaits!
December 26, 2024 at 8:08 PM
The power is out in my area and will be until at least tomorrow. I’m grumpy about it because I can’t read by candlelight but reminded of the positives: soft candlelight and absolute quiet without the constant hum of electronics. A good night’s sleep awaits!