Ben Aldred
@sleepingscholar.bsky.social
Author, Librarian, Folklorist, Storyteller, Game Writer, Genderqueer, City Wizard.
https://www.sleepingscholar.com/
https://www.sleepingscholar.com/
Sometimes having the right name for a project is almost enough for me to want to do it. Case in point, a choir that does only They Might Be Giants songs known as the Countless Screaming Argonauts.
November 22, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Sometimes having the right name for a project is almost enough for me to want to do it. Case in point, a choir that does only They Might Be Giants songs known as the Countless Screaming Argonauts.
Useful information for what to do if someone you know gets detained. Good to share with folks ahead of time.
November 10, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Useful information for what to do if someone you know gets detained. Good to share with folks ahead of time.
The central issue with AI in higher education is that we don’t assess our specific goals properly. The key goal for higher education is comprehension and analysis. We want students to be able to encounter information, understand it and react intelligently.
November 3, 2025 at 12:12 AM
The central issue with AI in higher education is that we don’t assess our specific goals properly. The key goal for higher education is comprehension and analysis. We want students to be able to encounter information, understand it and react intelligently.
We’re coming up on the holidays. If you have a family member in ICE, they don’t get to eat with you, they don’t get to visit, they don’t get the comforts that they deny others. And tell them why.
October 10, 2025 at 1:46 PM
We’re coming up on the holidays. If you have a family member in ICE, they don’t get to eat with you, they don’t get to visit, they don’t get the comforts that they deny others. And tell them why.
Key thing about the Kimmel censorship debacle. Part of the point was how milquetoast the joke was. They want the overton window so authoritarian that they can censor anyone.
September 24, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Key thing about the Kimmel censorship debacle. Part of the point was how milquetoast the joke was. They want the overton window so authoritarian that they can censor anyone.
I was eating a salad with cherry tomatoes earlier today and accidentally Denethored my iPad
September 7, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I was eating a salad with cherry tomatoes earlier today and accidentally Denethored my iPad
@xplainthexmen.bsky.social so, in the recent discussion of Pyro, Miles mispronounced the name St. John, which misses the terrible pun. In Australia it would be pronounced sin-jin like the gerund form of singe.
August 20, 2025 at 10:48 PM
@xplainthexmen.bsky.social so, in the recent discussion of Pyro, Miles mispronounced the name St. John, which misses the terrible pun. In Australia it would be pronounced sin-jin like the gerund form of singe.
So, everyone is freaked out by AI's capacity to make sense, but Outlook's pattern recognition suggested this to me. As I tried to name a second well known brand of sparkling water, it decided that instead of waterloo, what I was most likely to type was "waterless water".
August 8, 2025 at 10:08 PM
So, everyone is freaked out by AI's capacity to make sense, but Outlook's pattern recognition suggested this to me. As I tried to name a second well known brand of sparkling water, it decided that instead of waterloo, what I was most likely to type was "waterless water".
A peek into my brain: I am describing how the milk and cheerios ratio is important for the infusion of cereal with liquid. My brain goes, the word for that with water is hydrate, so just substitute the root for milk!
Fortunately, my brain works fast enough to keep me from lactating my cheerios.
Fortunately, my brain works fast enough to keep me from lactating my cheerios.
July 27, 2025 at 6:56 PM
A peek into my brain: I am describing how the milk and cheerios ratio is important for the infusion of cereal with liquid. My brain goes, the word for that with water is hydrate, so just substitute the root for milk!
Fortunately, my brain works fast enough to keep me from lactating my cheerios.
Fortunately, my brain works fast enough to keep me from lactating my cheerios.
One of my favorite things to do as a librarian is un-shush people. “You don’t have to whisper here, this isn’t a quiet floor”
July 18, 2025 at 5:37 PM
One of my favorite things to do as a librarian is un-shush people. “You don’t have to whisper here, this isn’t a quiet floor”
ICE are scared little babies who won’t show their faces because people might be mean to them.
They are snowflakes.
They are snowflakes.
July 8, 2025 at 10:26 PM
ICE are scared little babies who won’t show their faces because people might be mean to them.
They are snowflakes.
They are snowflakes.
One of the biggest problems of society today is the assumption that the mid 20th century is 'normal'
The post-war era in the US was a massive change from other parts of history.
1. We had an energy boom. The world had access to more energy from more sources than ever before.
The post-war era in the US was a massive change from other parts of history.
1. We had an energy boom. The world had access to more energy from more sources than ever before.
July 8, 2025 at 5:41 PM
One of the biggest problems of society today is the assumption that the mid 20th century is 'normal'
The post-war era in the US was a massive change from other parts of history.
1. We had an energy boom. The world had access to more energy from more sources than ever before.
The post-war era in the US was a massive change from other parts of history.
1. We had an energy boom. The world had access to more energy from more sources than ever before.
One of the fundamental problems with us politics is the differing difficulty levels.
The right’s goals are to make a small group rich and hurt people they hate. That’s easy.
The left wants to build a more sustainable and lasting system that benefits the most people. That’s governing in hard mode.
The right’s goals are to make a small group rich and hurt people they hate. That’s easy.
The left wants to build a more sustainable and lasting system that benefits the most people. That’s governing in hard mode.
July 5, 2025 at 6:13 PM
One of the fundamental problems with us politics is the differing difficulty levels.
The right’s goals are to make a small group rich and hurt people they hate. That’s easy.
The left wants to build a more sustainable and lasting system that benefits the most people. That’s governing in hard mode.
The right’s goals are to make a small group rich and hurt people they hate. That’s easy.
The left wants to build a more sustainable and lasting system that benefits the most people. That’s governing in hard mode.
So, this is the day America dies. 45 billion a year for ICE enforcement and detention.
The budget of the FBI is 10.1 billion a year.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is 8 billion.
The Marines are 57.2 Billion.
FEMA is 33 Billion.
The budget of the FBI is 10.1 billion a year.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is 8 billion.
The Marines are 57.2 Billion.
FEMA is 33 Billion.
July 3, 2025 at 6:43 PM
So, this is the day America dies. 45 billion a year for ICE enforcement and detention.
The budget of the FBI is 10.1 billion a year.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is 8 billion.
The Marines are 57.2 Billion.
FEMA is 33 Billion.
The budget of the FBI is 10.1 billion a year.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is 8 billion.
The Marines are 57.2 Billion.
FEMA is 33 Billion.
The flight time between philly and chicago is almost always .85 movies.
In other news, I have watched Conclave up to just before the reveal of the final twist.
In other news, I have watched Conclave up to just before the reveal of the final twist.
July 2, 2025 at 9:51 PM
The flight time between philly and chicago is almost always .85 movies.
In other news, I have watched Conclave up to just before the reveal of the final twist.
In other news, I have watched Conclave up to just before the reveal of the final twist.
Nothing like waking up super early to get to your flight, only to get the delay notification once you drop off the rental car.
July 2, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Nothing like waking up super early to get to your flight, only to get the delay notification once you drop off the rental car.
@xplainthexmen.bsky.social “close to the violence machine” sounds so much like an album title and it makes me think what musical genre each X-team would be. X-force being metal, classic X-factor being easy listening suitable for zz105. What would other iterations be?
June 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
@xplainthexmen.bsky.social “close to the violence machine” sounds so much like an album title and it makes me think what musical genre each X-team would be. X-force being metal, classic X-factor being easy listening suitable for zz105. What would other iterations be?
The corporation I wish did something for Pride is Spirit Halloween.
June 15, 2025 at 3:44 AM
The corporation I wish did something for Pride is Spirit Halloween.
Here's something to think about with GenAI. How long until they include product placement and ads. Until your report favorably mentions whatever company pays OpenAI the most. Don't think it'll happen? Look at google searches.
June 13, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Here's something to think about with GenAI. How long until they include product placement and ads. Until your report favorably mentions whatever company pays OpenAI the most. Don't think it'll happen? Look at google searches.
May 20, 2025 at 1:17 PM
I'm gonna talk about myself for a change here. I'm in the process of being reluctantly promoted to being in charge of my department at work. I'm also in the process of sending out a ton of agent queries for my book. I also got elected to the ALA council and to the Exec. Comm of my library. Whee!
May 12, 2025 at 11:53 PM
I'm gonna talk about myself for a change here. I'm in the process of being reluctantly promoted to being in charge of my department at work. I'm also in the process of sending out a ton of agent queries for my book. I also got elected to the ALA council and to the Exec. Comm of my library. Whee!
My shorthand for my gender: They revoked my man card and I decided not to apply for a replacement.
May 6, 2025 at 3:57 PM
My shorthand for my gender: They revoked my man card and I decided not to apply for a replacement.
Welp, got a new favorite vampire movie.
May 6, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Welp, got a new favorite vampire movie.
So, we’re facing down economic chaos, but the administration will not fix it. They will use it to declare a national emergency and impose terrible measures. Don’t believe the emergency.
May 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM
So, we’re facing down economic chaos, but the administration will not fix it. They will use it to declare a national emergency and impose terrible measures. Don’t believe the emergency.
What if I told you, there's a mundane word that if I say it just right, I can make you cry?
May 5, 2025 at 8:26 PM
What if I told you, there's a mundane word that if I say it just right, I can make you cry?