Christopher
@selectstarman.bsky.social
Data sadist. High quality, high variance, galaxy-brained takes. Urbanism, rage against cruelty and inefficiency, scifi/fantasy, shoegaze, stats and programming. I live in Denver, say hi if you're on Ikon.
This tantrum is fascinating in many ways. I'd like to highlight his reliance on a latent 1-d status hierarchy. Wayne is enraged he hears moral judgement from anyone "inferior" to himself.
January 13, 2026 at 10:43 PM
This tantrum is fascinating in many ways. I'd like to highlight his reliance on a latent 1-d status hierarchy. Wayne is enraged he hears moral judgement from anyone "inferior" to himself.
If you want a "democrats bad" angle, why not go with this:
Dem's fecklessness in not passing comprehensive immigration reform allowed moderate voters to be persuaded harsher tactics were needed. Greater legal protections would help a lot of people right now.
Dem's fecklessness in not passing comprehensive immigration reform allowed moderate voters to be persuaded harsher tactics were needed. Greater legal protections would help a lot of people right now.
January 12, 2026 at 11:29 PM
If you want a "democrats bad" angle, why not go with this:
Dem's fecklessness in not passing comprehensive immigration reform allowed moderate voters to be persuaded harsher tactics were needed. Greater legal protections would help a lot of people right now.
Dem's fecklessness in not passing comprehensive immigration reform allowed moderate voters to be persuaded harsher tactics were needed. Greater legal protections would help a lot of people right now.
Worst part of any vacation is the evening you're back home, but your dog is still at the sitters/daycare kennel for the night 😕
January 12, 2026 at 11:07 PM
Worst part of any vacation is the evening you're back home, but your dog is still at the sitters/daycare kennel for the night 😕
The solemnity and goodwill I felt from the Japanese people I met in Hiroshima during the a-bomb commemoration-"this was awful and should never happen again"-was beautiful. But I also wanted to "chasing goose" mention a few other incidents from east Asia during WWII that should not be repeated.
There was an incredibly funny/offensive display at the Japanese Imperial War Museum (aside from all the other insanely offensive things there) that claimed that Japan was responsible for the independence of half of the western Pacific and just didn't mention who they gained independence from
hell, it's basically how the Imperial Japanese justified their attacks on China! the underlying sentiment behind the CPS was one that feigned de-colonialism and modernization
January 12, 2026 at 7:45 PM
The solemnity and goodwill I felt from the Japanese people I met in Hiroshima during the a-bomb commemoration-"this was awful and should never happen again"-was beautiful. But I also wanted to "chasing goose" mention a few other incidents from east Asia during WWII that should not be repeated.
This book, The Mountain in the Sea, by Ray Nayler, was pretty good but spent too long having characters philosophize about contactings strange, other minds instead of telling the story of first contact with sapient octopi. So a techno-thriller more than sci-fi.
January 12, 2026 at 3:50 AM
This book, The Mountain in the Sea, by Ray Nayler, was pretty good but spent too long having characters philosophize about contactings strange, other minds instead of telling the story of first contact with sapient octopi. So a techno-thriller more than sci-fi.
NYC should replace it's sidewalk sheds with NOLA-style covered patios
Street gets shade and rain cover (but nicer and less cluttered than the satis quo), but 2nd+ stories get nice balconies
Street gets shade and rain cover (but nicer and less cluttered than the satis quo), but 2nd+ stories get nice balconies
January 11, 2026 at 5:29 AM
NYC should replace it's sidewalk sheds with NOLA-style covered patios
Street gets shade and rain cover (but nicer and less cluttered than the satis quo), but 2nd+ stories get nice balconies
Street gets shade and rain cover (but nicer and less cluttered than the satis quo), but 2nd+ stories get nice balconies
This would be an 80/20 issue for tech bros
His company must be broken by the state for treason if we ever come back.
After the 2020 election, Larry Ellison joined a call to strategize on overturning the vote for Trump and donated to election deniers. Now he controls CBS and wants CNN’s parent, raising new questions this week as his influence grows.
My latest in @status.news www.status.news/p/larry-elli...
My latest in @status.news www.status.news/p/larry-elli...
January 11, 2026 at 5:24 AM
This would be an 80/20 issue for tech bros
The number of people on xitter who have said something like "why was Renee Good there, and not at home watching her kids" is really insane.
But it seems like ICE & their allies are now ready to treat the presence of a white woman in an unauthorized space—not home, not the grocery store, not (the right kind of) workplace—as presumptive evidence of guilt. So far this seems confined to MN, but it’s an important & worrying shift
January 10, 2026 at 11:24 PM
The number of people on xitter who have said something like "why was Renee Good there, and not at home watching her kids" is really insane.
I wonder if a dem congress in 2027 could get Trump to sign a bill granting statehood for DC & PR.
The latest from YouGov (n ~ 2.2k): No one's buying this Greenland shit. Trump loses virtually everyone on the threat of force. He barely gets *half of Republicans* on "purchasing" Greenland.
today.yougov.com/topics/overv...
today.yougov.com/topics/overv...
January 8, 2026 at 8:30 PM
I wonder if a dem congress in 2027 could get Trump to sign a bill granting statehood for DC & PR.
The eucharist is the most hype toast of all time. 🥂
January 2, 2026 at 2:06 AM
The eucharist is the most hype toast of all time. 🥂
Blackpill: voters stop caring about an issue when you fix it
Whitepill: you can reduce the salience of your opponents issues by fixing them, even if you fix it in a way that enrages their hyper partisans.
Whitepill: you can reduce the salience of your opponents issues by fixing them, even if you fix it in a way that enrages their hyper partisans.
No, the good approach is "solve the actual complaint to the extent it is real" - for immigration, the complex immigration system creates an impression of unfairness and lawlessness. Failure mode: government procurement hamstrung by anti-corruption bidding requirements
December 30, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Blackpill: voters stop caring about an issue when you fix it
Whitepill: you can reduce the salience of your opponents issues by fixing them, even if you fix it in a way that enrages their hyper partisans.
Whitepill: you can reduce the salience of your opponents issues by fixing them, even if you fix it in a way that enrages their hyper partisans.
youtube.com/watch?v=V4Bs...
Can't believe I hadn't heard this one until this year! I just love the increasing distance from the root chord as they are singing the lines about the storm, and then the comforting harmonic return parallels the lyrical comfort of having one's loved one.
Can't believe I hadn't heard this one until this year! I just love the increasing distance from the root chord as they are singing the lines about the storm, and then the comforting harmonic return parallels the lyrical comfort of having one's loved one.
Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Official Video)
YouTube video by LouisArmstrongVEVO
youtube.com
December 24, 2025 at 11:17 PM
youtube.com/watch?v=V4Bs...
Can't believe I hadn't heard this one until this year! I just love the increasing distance from the root chord as they are singing the lines about the storm, and then the comforting harmonic return parallels the lyrical comfort of having one's loved one.
Can't believe I hadn't heard this one until this year! I just love the increasing distance from the root chord as they are singing the lines about the storm, and then the comforting harmonic return parallels the lyrical comfort of having one's loved one.
Every cover lacks both the big, swinging bounce of this song's beat, and Dean Martin's jovial, louche, drunken intonation. Like a slow motion decent over fresh powder day moguls under a bright sun. It's like a 1:2 with a ragtime swing?
youtu.be/B9g-6Hy4qfI?...
youtu.be/B9g-6Hy4qfI?...
December 22, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Every cover lacks both the big, swinging bounce of this song's beat, and Dean Martin's jovial, louche, drunken intonation. Like a slow motion decent over fresh powder day moguls under a bright sun. It's like a 1:2 with a ragtime swing?
youtu.be/B9g-6Hy4qfI?...
youtu.be/B9g-6Hy4qfI?...
Gen AI is barred from making pictures of the patriotic exhibition of confederate bronzes. Information longs to be free!
December 19, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Gen AI is barred from making pictures of the patriotic exhibition of confederate bronzes. Information longs to be free!
Reposted by Christopher
Like, holy shit. Find a less embarrassing hobby, man
December 12, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Like, holy shit. Find a less embarrassing hobby, man
UBI, paid out on an hourly basis for socializing in meetspace with another randomly selected human
December 6, 2025 at 3:11 AM
UBI, paid out on an hourly basis for socializing in meetspace with another randomly selected human
The year is 2053
Film is when a video content flops and you only get one episode.
TV means the pilot was a hit and you get more installments.
Film is when a video content flops and you only get one episode.
TV means the pilot was a hit and you get more installments.
December 6, 2025 at 2:57 AM
The year is 2053
Film is when a video content flops and you only get one episode.
TV means the pilot was a hit and you get more installments.
Film is when a video content flops and you only get one episode.
TV means the pilot was a hit and you get more installments.
When is doordash going to cut out the middleman and just directly offer the full 1000 item SYSCO menu? Burgers, daal, greens bowl, any cuisine from one stop.
December 5, 2025 at 9:23 PM
When is doordash going to cut out the middleman and just directly offer the full 1000 item SYSCO menu? Burgers, daal, greens bowl, any cuisine from one stop.
Christmas starts on the Friday after Thanksgiving and runs through Jan 5, and every year I get love letters from the evil HOA who is fighting a war on Christmastide.
December 5, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Christmas starts on the Friday after Thanksgiving and runs through Jan 5, and every year I get love letters from the evil HOA who is fighting a war on Christmastide.
Broke: Sandwalking is only useful on Arrakis when Shai'Hulud is near
Woke: Sandwalking prevents walking from inducing waves at the resonant frequency of the mug. It is useful when walking back to your cube with a full mug.
Woke: Sandwalking prevents walking from inducing waves at the resonant frequency of the mug. It is useful when walking back to your cube with a full mug.
December 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Broke: Sandwalking is only useful on Arrakis when Shai'Hulud is near
Woke: Sandwalking prevents walking from inducing waves at the resonant frequency of the mug. It is useful when walking back to your cube with a full mug.
Woke: Sandwalking prevents walking from inducing waves at the resonant frequency of the mug. It is useful when walking back to your cube with a full mug.
One of the big missed opportunities in Rings of Power was doing time jumps. S1 showing good Númenorians sailing the world. S2, all s1 humans are dead, and the elves are no longer welcome. So many characters are immortal and it would have been great to feel the eeriness of deathless vs mortal.
HBO should reboot Rome.
Do 1-2 seasons per century. Copy Foundation & Kim Stanley Robinson's "Years of Rice and Salt" and reuse actors as reïncarnated souls continuing over the centuries to portray recurring archetypes.
Do 1-2 seasons per century. Copy Foundation & Kim Stanley Robinson's "Years of Rice and Salt" and reuse actors as reïncarnated souls continuing over the centuries to portray recurring archetypes.
December 4, 2025 at 12:55 AM
One of the big missed opportunities in Rings of Power was doing time jumps. S1 showing good Númenorians sailing the world. S2, all s1 humans are dead, and the elves are no longer welcome. So many characters are immortal and it would have been great to feel the eeriness of deathless vs mortal.
Reposted by Christopher
maybe the simplest encapsulation of the difference between childhood and adulthood is that magic as a child is something that just happens and magic as an adult is something you need to be open to experiencing
Because you're an adult you fucking muppet. You gotta pay the magic forward.
December 3, 2025 at 4:33 PM
maybe the simplest encapsulation of the difference between childhood and adulthood is that magic as a child is something that just happens and magic as an adult is something you need to be open to experiencing
I think it's expenditure flexibility. The categories getting expensive (housing, medical, education, child care) are hard to reduce spending on when times are hard. You can keep your old clothes easily, and beans instead of beef is a weekly choice.
IMO the way to square the circle of “the economy is actually really good by so many metrics and America really is a rich country” and “the American economy has deep structural issues which people are lashing out against” is to focus less on affordability and more on opportunity and mobility
I know “the world’s richest country is very rich and material life there is good” is a really boring take and doesn’t leave a lot of toeholds for mass populist revolt, but it is, broadly, pretty true
December 3, 2025 at 12:25 AM
I think it's expenditure flexibility. The categories getting expensive (housing, medical, education, child care) are hard to reduce spending on when times are hard. You can keep your old clothes easily, and beans instead of beef is a weekly choice.
Reposted by Christopher
the whole concept of "white genocide" is very funny because unlike a regular genocide where people try to butcher you with machetes or gas your family in white genocide your cousin marries an Indian guy
December 2, 2025 at 5:04 PM
the whole concept of "white genocide" is very funny because unlike a regular genocide where people try to butcher you with machetes or gas your family in white genocide your cousin marries an Indian guy
Rome:
Develops new social tech (Res Publica, to direct ambition into bureaucratic competence in service to the state and citizens)
Conquers empire
Promptly forgets the good social tek
Spends centuries reörienting empire around eastern cities, almost invents political parties (Blues/Greens)
Develops new social tech (Res Publica, to direct ambition into bureaucratic competence in service to the state and citizens)
Conquers empire
Promptly forgets the good social tek
Spends centuries reörienting empire around eastern cities, almost invents political parties (Blues/Greens)
December 1, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Rome:
Develops new social tech (Res Publica, to direct ambition into bureaucratic competence in service to the state and citizens)
Conquers empire
Promptly forgets the good social tek
Spends centuries reörienting empire around eastern cities, almost invents political parties (Blues/Greens)
Develops new social tech (Res Publica, to direct ambition into bureaucratic competence in service to the state and citizens)
Conquers empire
Promptly forgets the good social tek
Spends centuries reörienting empire around eastern cities, almost invents political parties (Blues/Greens)