Simon Batistoni
@simon.batistoni.net
Professional nerd for nearly a quarter-century. Dad, complete with dad jokes.
Hits pretty much all the main reasons Florida sucks, but I'll add that planning to retire here now means you're submitting to 20-40 years of increasingly gonzo hurricane seasons, getting stronger as you get frailer and frailer.
www.patreon.com/posts/broken...
www.patreon.com/posts/broken...
The Broken Logic of "The Best Place to Retire" | Culture Study
Get more from Culture Study on Patreon
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November 11, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Hits pretty much all the main reasons Florida sucks, but I'll add that planning to retire here now means you're submitting to 20-40 years of increasingly gonzo hurricane seasons, getting stronger as you get frailer and frailer.
www.patreon.com/posts/broken...
www.patreon.com/posts/broken...
We need to take away billionaires' money *as a public health intervention* because all these rich boys' brains are cooked
November 11, 2025 at 5:31 PM
We need to take away billionaires' money *as a public health intervention* because all these rich boys' brains are cooked
Population shrinkage is only a problem for Boomers because there’s too many of them, and they haven’t exactly motivated younger folks to care about them, so a lot of them will die alone.
For subsequent generations, the benefits of fewer people are likely to be high, especially on a hot planet.
For subsequent generations, the benefits of fewer people are likely to be high, especially on a hot planet.
November 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Population shrinkage is only a problem for Boomers because there’s too many of them, and they haven’t exactly motivated younger folks to care about them, so a lot of them will die alone.
For subsequent generations, the benefits of fewer people are likely to be high, especially on a hot planet.
For subsequent generations, the benefits of fewer people are likely to be high, especially on a hot planet.
They finally made Fortnite into Glitch (Giant-themed pre-Slack version) www.theverge.com/games/607646...
World of Warcraft finally tackles the housing crisis
And fires shots at the massive corporate landlord up the street: Square Enix.
www.theverge.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:49 PM
They finally made Fortnite into Glitch (Giant-themed pre-Slack version) www.theverge.com/games/607646...
I'm driving the gas-powered loaner equivalent of my etron, while it gets serviced.
And holy SHIT, gas drive trains SUCK.
Where's the power? It takes forever for the engine to respond. And gas cars smell weird. Like, "this seems like an environment that is poisoning me" weird.
I'd never go back.
And holy SHIT, gas drive trains SUCK.
Where's the power? It takes forever for the engine to respond. And gas cars smell weird. Like, "this seems like an environment that is poisoning me" weird.
I'd never go back.
November 7, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I'm driving the gas-powered loaner equivalent of my etron, while it gets serviced.
And holy SHIT, gas drive trains SUCK.
Where's the power? It takes forever for the engine to respond. And gas cars smell weird. Like, "this seems like an environment that is poisoning me" weird.
I'd never go back.
And holy SHIT, gas drive trains SUCK.
Where's the power? It takes forever for the engine to respond. And gas cars smell weird. Like, "this seems like an environment that is poisoning me" weird.
I'd never go back.
I'd be down for this marking the launch of a whole 3-year pop genre.
Bring back orchestras! Let's get weird!
Fascists hate weird, if nothing else.
Bring back orchestras! Let's get weird!
Fascists hate weird, if nothing else.
Berghain by Rosalía, feat. Björk & Yves Tumor. Amazing surrealist classical pop + Björk as a tiny bird. “I feel this needs to replace whatever was stolen from that museum in France.” [kottke.org]
Berghain by Rosalía, feat. Björk & Yves Tumor
I don’t even know what this is — classical pop? surrealist orchestral? — but it goes hard and is kind of fantastic. Wow. A few comments from YouTube:
This is the most insane lead single from a pop artist I’ve ever com
kottke.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:41 PM
I'd be down for this marking the launch of a whole 3-year pop genre.
Bring back orchestras! Let's get weird!
Fascists hate weird, if nothing else.
Bring back orchestras! Let's get weird!
Fascists hate weird, if nothing else.
I said it the moment Trump won, and it is 100% inevitable now. This is the Chinese Century.
I’m serious, get your kids Mandarin lessons.
I’m serious, get your kids Mandarin lessons.
While US venture capitalists were buying monkey jpegs, and DOGE coins, and figuring out how to get Black women fired, and tweeting about white birthrates, and trying to mandate which bathroom trans kids should use, China was making progress on climate change and taking the lead in a real industry.
China has made cheap, clean energy available in huge quantities. The world should take the win econ.st/4oqFszB
Photo: Eyevine
Photo: Eyevine
November 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I said it the moment Trump won, and it is 100% inevitable now. This is the Chinese Century.
I’m serious, get your kids Mandarin lessons.
I’m serious, get your kids Mandarin lessons.
Reposted by Simon Batistoni
It's good that public sentiment flipped as soon as people saw the consequences of the things they thought they wanted, but we have a serious problem if we're going to keep cycling through this process forever.
November 7, 2025 at 11:29 AM
It's good that public sentiment flipped as soon as people saw the consequences of the things they thought they wanted, but we have a serious problem if we're going to keep cycling through this process forever.
Reposted by Simon Batistoni
It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points
November 7, 2025 at 12:02 PM
It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points
All *wealth* over $1bn should be. That alone might curb the profit motive enough for other incentives to reenter the market, without taking anything out of life for… anyone, honestly.
SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND times the median American annual income.
I'm with Bernie on this -- all income over a billion dollars should be taxed at 100%.
I'm with Bernie on this -- all income over a billion dollars should be taxed at 100%.
Jeff Bezos’ wealth grew by $24 billion *yesterday.*
Meanwhile, the VA now is asking for donations so veterans can *eat.*
www.va.gov/northern-ind...
Meanwhile, the VA now is asking for donations so veterans can *eat.*
www.va.gov/northern-ind...
November 7, 2025 at 1:04 AM
All *wealth* over $1bn should be. That alone might curb the profit motive enough for other incentives to reenter the market, without taking anything out of life for… anyone, honestly.
Pie Factories! Agricultural Drones! Fraudulent Religions! Climate-optimised umbrella design! Jewellery, but it’s designed kinda badly by an algorithm!
Can I get $20bn from the Government now too?
Can I get $20bn from the Government now too?
Altman named a long list of upcoming business he thinks will generate significant revenue.
Sam Altman says OpenAI has $20B ARR and about $1.4 trillion in data center commitments | TechCrunch
Altman named a long list of upcoming business he thinks will generate significant revenue.
techcrunch.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Pie Factories! Agricultural Drones! Fraudulent Religions! Climate-optimised umbrella design! Jewellery, but it’s designed kinda badly by an algorithm!
Can I get $20bn from the Government now too?
Can I get $20bn from the Government now too?
"The jury — which feasted on sandwiches for lunch Thursday, according to a person familiar with jury lunches — deliberated the charges for several hours Wednesday and Thursday before delivering the verdict."
Love how thoroughly everyone's enjoying this
Love how thoroughly everyone's enjoying this
BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Jury acquits D.C. 'sandwich guy' charged with chucking a sub at a federal agent
Sean Dunn faced single misdemeanor offense after federal grand jurors refused to indict him on the felony charge sought by prosecutors.
www.nbcnews.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:24 PM
"The jury — which feasted on sandwiches for lunch Thursday, according to a person familiar with jury lunches — deliberated the charges for several hours Wednesday and Thursday before delivering the verdict."
Love how thoroughly everyone's enjoying this
Love how thoroughly everyone's enjoying this
After the Reckoning, we need to take every last cent of Zuckerberg's money away.
Like, his fines for all the damage he's done to the world will just equal to his current net worth on that day.
He can live in a bare earth pit for the rest of his life, and serve as a warning to others.
Like, his fines for all the damage he's done to the world will just equal to his current net worth on that day.
He can live in a bare earth pit for the rest of his life, and serve as a warning to others.
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state.
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:35 PM
After the Reckoning, we need to take every last cent of Zuckerberg's money away.
Like, his fines for all the damage he's done to the world will just equal to his current net worth on that day.
He can live in a bare earth pit for the rest of his life, and serve as a warning to others.
Like, his fines for all the damage he's done to the world will just equal to his current net worth on that day.
He can live in a bare earth pit for the rest of his life, and serve as a warning to others.
Reposted by Simon Batistoni
The Dangerous Ones (@thedangerousones)
I wish every American would watch this video.
substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:16 PM
When you’re trying to foment violence so you can become a junta, but you’re incompetent so you invite a coup instead.
That’s the second reported and sourced story on US soldiers not being fed today
Army closes only dining facility on Kansas base due to government shutdown trib.al/5WGvUOq
November 6, 2025 at 12:48 AM
When you’re trying to foment violence so you can become a junta, but you’re incompetent so you invite a coup instead.
If he's acquitted, does that establish case law that thrown sandwiches categorically *aren't* assault?
Because that might get very literally messy, pretty quick.
Because that might get very literally messy, pretty quick.
“This case, ladies and gentleman of the jury, is about a sandwich.”
Closing arguments from the defense in the DC sandwich guy case are now underway.
Closing arguments from the defense in the DC sandwich guy case are now underway.
November 5, 2025 at 8:09 PM
If he's acquitted, does that establish case law that thrown sandwiches categorically *aren't* assault?
Because that might get very literally messy, pretty quick.
Because that might get very literally messy, pretty quick.
I wish Prop 50 wasn’t necessary, I hope it wins, and this unprincipled ghoul-man must never be president www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Could a win on California’s Prop 50 aid Gavin Newsom’s presidential hopes?
The ballot measure win would be a significant political gain for the Golden state governor eyeing the White House
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:01 AM
I wish Prop 50 wasn’t necessary, I hope it wins, and this unprincipled ghoul-man must never be president www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
One of the very few small blessings of this era is that the Onion are at the absolute top of their game
Man Wouldn't Have Worn Costume To Work If He'd Known He Was Getting Laid Off
October 31, 2025 at 2:09 PM
One of the very few small blessings of this era is that the Onion are at the absolute top of their game
Reposted by Simon Batistoni
Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
October 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Change one letter, ruin a candy.
Wounds
Wounds
Change one letter, ruin a candy.
Milky Wad
Milky Wad
Change one letter, ruin a candy.
Nards.
Nards.
October 30, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Change one letter, ruin a candy.
Wounds
Wounds
I always knew they'd do this to smart fridges, and was never remotely interested in one as a result. But I'm still infuriated to be proven right.
Relatedly, I'm still glad I kicked Alexa out of my house when I did.
www.theverge.com/report/80679...
Relatedly, I'm still glad I kicked Alexa out of my house when I did.
www.theverge.com/report/80679...
Here’s what ads on your $2,000 Samsung smart fridge will look like
Here’s how to opt out.
www.theverge.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:22 PM
I always knew they'd do this to smart fridges, and was never remotely interested in one as a result. But I'm still infuriated to be proven right.
Relatedly, I'm still glad I kicked Alexa out of my house when I did.
www.theverge.com/report/80679...
Relatedly, I'm still glad I kicked Alexa out of my house when I did.
www.theverge.com/report/80679...
If you look at the internet as an imperfect model of what humanity actually *is*, then the failure of LLMs to become AGI seems more obvious since they are, ultimately, a model of a model.
Rarely do 2 levels of fidelity-loss return great results.
Hallucinations are the jpeg artifacts of GenAI?
Rarely do 2 levels of fidelity-loss return great results.
Hallucinations are the jpeg artifacts of GenAI?
October 25, 2025 at 3:20 PM
If you look at the internet as an imperfect model of what humanity actually *is*, then the failure of LLMs to become AGI seems more obvious since they are, ultimately, a model of a model.
Rarely do 2 levels of fidelity-loss return great results.
Hallucinations are the jpeg artifacts of GenAI?
Rarely do 2 levels of fidelity-loss return great results.
Hallucinations are the jpeg artifacts of GenAI?
Reposted by Simon Batistoni
Absolutely obsessed with framing your employees sleeping on the floor as a humble brag
“Look how hard my team works” no dude you’re just bad at project management.
Competent companies ship products without cosplaying being homeless
“Look how hard my team works” no dude you’re just bad at project management.
Competent companies ship products without cosplaying being homeless
October 23, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Absolutely obsessed with framing your employees sleeping on the floor as a humble brag
“Look how hard my team works” no dude you’re just bad at project management.
Competent companies ship products without cosplaying being homeless
“Look how hard my team works” no dude you’re just bad at project management.
Competent companies ship products without cosplaying being homeless
Not sure these findings are terribly useful--note that the largest model they used was the 8bn parameter version of Llama3.
I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the "effect" they're describing becomes undetectable with more params.
gizmodo.com/clickbait-gi...
I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the "effect" they're describing becomes undetectable with more params.
gizmodo.com/clickbait-gi...
Clickbait Gives AI Models 'Brain Rot,' Researchers Find
Brain rot doesn't require a brain, just this one simple trick.
gizmodo.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Not sure these findings are terribly useful--note that the largest model they used was the 8bn parameter version of Llama3.
I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the "effect" they're describing becomes undetectable with more params.
gizmodo.com/clickbait-gi...
I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the "effect" they're describing becomes undetectable with more params.
gizmodo.com/clickbait-gi...