Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
@splainer.bsky.social
New from me for the end of 2025: the end of the decade of Trump. There is a very real chance that he won't see his second term through.
The end of the decade of Trump
2015–2025
splained.substack.com
December 31, 2025 at 7:28 PM
New from me for the end of 2025: the end of the decade of Trump. There is a very real chance that he won't see his second term through.
There are koans everywhere* for those with eyes to see.
* Will Stancil's replies
* Will Stancil's replies
When you say “last door,” are you sure it was the last? Because there are quite a few doors that feel like the last door, and only one of them is.
December 31, 2025 at 4:41 PM
There are koans everywhere* for those with eyes to see.
* Will Stancil's replies
* Will Stancil's replies
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
Over the past year, a small cluster of Emirati social media personalities have begun presenting themselves as authors. At least eight published books within a short window, all with the same vanity publisher, and all showing strong signs of #Al authorship.
December 24, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Over the past year, a small cluster of Emirati social media personalities have begun presenting themselves as authors. At least eight published books within a short window, all with the same vanity publisher, and all showing strong signs of #Al authorship.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
I've been doing this as a comedy bit for years, but I do believe it; before I die, I will see the establishment of a Royal Commission on Britain's failure to attract sufficient immigration, and many of today's broadsheet ethnonationalists will be on it
December 29, 2025 at 4:49 PM
I've been doing this as a comedy bit for years, but I do believe it; before I die, I will see the establishment of a Royal Commission on Britain's failure to attract sufficient immigration, and many of today's broadsheet ethnonationalists will be on it
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
Seven men who were violently arrested and injured by NSW police on suspicion of planning an "Islamist terror attack" near Bondi Beach have been released without charges.
No terror links were found, the men were traveling on holiday to their Airbnb.
No terror links were found, the men were traveling on holiday to their Airbnb.
‘We did nothing wrong’: seven men released from custody in Sydney deny Islamist links
After being held for 24 hours, the men say they had been driving to a holiday rental when they were detained by police
www.theguardian.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Seven men who were violently arrested and injured by NSW police on suspicion of planning an "Islamist terror attack" near Bondi Beach have been released without charges.
No terror links were found, the men were traveling on holiday to their Airbnb.
No terror links were found, the men were traveling on holiday to their Airbnb.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
So @lexialex.bsky.social filed this appeal but is only getting automated replies @support.bsky.team very disappointed given
@aaron.bsky.team also lives in Ireland. Have they not taught you anything about solidarity with Palestine?
@aaron.bsky.team also lives in Ireland. Have they not taught you anything about solidarity with Palestine?
December 29, 2025 at 7:46 PM
So @lexialex.bsky.social filed this appeal but is only getting automated replies @support.bsky.team very disappointed given
@aaron.bsky.team also lives in Ireland. Have they not taught you anything about solidarity with Palestine?
@aaron.bsky.team also lives in Ireland. Have they not taught you anything about solidarity with Palestine?
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
Exclusive 🚨
Libyan immigrant Hayat Bzezi had two miscarriages while working at Amazon's Staten Island warehouse
The Expose Amazon Campaign alleges that the company is violating the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
New for @documentedny.bsky.social
t.co/XIP0wDnKw5
Libyan immigrant Hayat Bzezi had two miscarriages while working at Amazon's Staten Island warehouse
The Expose Amazon Campaign alleges that the company is violating the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
New for @documentedny.bsky.social
t.co/XIP0wDnKw5
https://documentedny.com/2025/12/29/amazon-warehouse-worker-miscarriages/
t.co
December 29, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Exclusive 🚨
Libyan immigrant Hayat Bzezi had two miscarriages while working at Amazon's Staten Island warehouse
The Expose Amazon Campaign alleges that the company is violating the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
New for @documentedny.bsky.social
t.co/XIP0wDnKw5
Libyan immigrant Hayat Bzezi had two miscarriages while working at Amazon's Staten Island warehouse
The Expose Amazon Campaign alleges that the company is violating the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
New for @documentedny.bsky.social
t.co/XIP0wDnKw5
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
The founder of 'The Free Speech Union' has uncritically reposted excerpts from Kemi Badenoch's piece which calls for the deportation of a British Egyptian activist for hurty words online.
December 29, 2025 at 2:08 PM
The founder of 'The Free Speech Union' has uncritically reposted excerpts from Kemi Badenoch's piece which calls for the deportation of a British Egyptian activist for hurty words online.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
More than 30 pro-Palestine organisations in South Africa staged a solidarity protest outside the British Council in Johannesburg last week, calling for the immediate release of hunger-striking prisoners held in British jails ⬇️
South Africans protest UK over pro-Palestine hunger strikers
South African activists warn UK hunger-striking Palestine Action prisoners face death as protest calls grow for their release.
www.newarab.com
December 29, 2025 at 10:24 AM
More than 30 pro-Palestine organisations in South Africa staged a solidarity protest outside the British Council in Johannesburg last week, calling for the immediate release of hunger-striking prisoners held in British jails ⬇️
Tried finding newer numbers to see whether anything changed in the past few days. phillypolice.com unfortunately now counts 218 homicides YTD, but if I'm reading Detroit's Open Data Portal's Crime Incidents dashboard right, it's logged only one more homicide, on the night of Dec. 18, so still a low.
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
December 29, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Tried finding newer numbers to see whether anything changed in the past few days. phillypolice.com unfortunately now counts 218 homicides YTD, but if I'm reading Detroit's Open Data Portal's Crime Incidents dashboard right, it's logged only one more homicide, on the night of Dec. 18, so still a low.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
They have made enormous headway. The central issue is that driving isn't _really_ a rule-based process; the rules are codifications of social mores but fundamentally driving around other people is about theory of mind and social negotiation, which ML is largely hopeless at; here's a thing I wrote.
Driving is a social process
Photo by Sangga Rima Roman Selia on Unsplash There is something very strange about automobiles. They are much faster and more dangerous than our brains are...
buttondown.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:19 AM
They have made enormous headway. The central issue is that driving isn't _really_ a rule-based process; the rules are codifications of social mores but fundamentally driving around other people is about theory of mind and social negotiation, which ML is largely hopeless at; here's a thing I wrote.
Informative article about right-wing extremism & radicalization, spotlighting middle-aged men. However, in British politics, it mentions the Reform and Conservative parties, but _not_ Labour's leader Keir Starmer, middle aged and radicalized to the xenophobic right in plain sight in recent years.
🗞️ The New World has published a new article exploring the latest findings from the #SmidgeProject, following an in-depth interview with our Scientific Coordinator, Dr. Sara Wilford.
Read the full article here: www.thenewworld.co.uk/zoe-grunewal...
Read the full article here: www.thenewworld.co.uk/zoe-grunewal...
Britain’s most dangerous radicals are… middle-aged men
Middle-aged men are being radicalised – and they’re fuelling the spread of extremism, conspiracy theories and political violence
www.thenewworld.co.uk
December 28, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Informative article about right-wing extremism & radicalization, spotlighting middle-aged men. However, in British politics, it mentions the Reform and Conservative parties, but _not_ Labour's leader Keir Starmer, middle aged and radicalized to the xenophobic right in plain sight in recent years.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
Super interesting reporting on Palantir‘s efforts to be used in Swiss governmental services and the military. They decided against it, because they worried Palantir was giving information to CIA and NSA and feared a loss of national sovereignty.
www.republik.ch/2025/12/08/w...
www.republik.ch/2025/12/08/w...
December 11, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Super interesting reporting on Palantir‘s efforts to be used in Swiss governmental services and the military. They decided against it, because they worried Palantir was giving information to CIA and NSA and feared a loss of national sovereignty.
www.republik.ch/2025/12/08/w...
www.republik.ch/2025/12/08/w...
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
this part alone should be a big news story, and enough to dispel the lie the the gvt are in any way trying to 'fix the economy' or cost of living. even if you dont shop with (for eg) amazon, the stuff you buy in tesco costs more because of this stuff because thats how these things work
December 27, 2025 at 11:33 AM
this part alone should be a big news story, and enough to dispel the lie the the gvt are in any way trying to 'fix the economy' or cost of living. even if you dont shop with (for eg) amazon, the stuff you buy in tesco costs more because of this stuff because thats how these things work
Interesting detail: a human has to manually send every message (even if AI-generated) from an OF creator's outbox, but AI images are allowed if they're disclosed to be AI.
AI is shaking up OnlyFans. Chatbots are replacing the Filipino workers who pretend to be models in DMs with fans, and AI-generated images are so realistic that they cannot be distinguished from real photos
https://restofworld.org/2025/onlyfans-ai-dm-bots
https://restofworld.org/2025/onlyfans-ai-dm-bots
A hidden network handles chats for OnlyFans stars. AI could soon take over
Impersonators for OnlyFans models said their sales quotas are soaring, and once AI improves, they could be out of work.
restofworld.org
December 27, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Interesting detail: a human has to manually send every message (even if AI-generated) from an OF creator's outbox, but AI images are allowed if they're disclosed to be AI.
Will Stancil live-blogging his self-inflicted ruination of his own Christmas through force-feeding himself an R F Kuang novel.
Woke™ is so back.
Woke™ is so back.
oh no she’s unironically doing the it’s-cultural-appropriation-to-serve-bad-banh-mi-in-the-campus-cafeteria thing nooooooo
December 26, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Will Stancil live-blogging his self-inflicted ruination of his own Christmas through force-feeding himself an R F Kuang novel.
Woke™ is so back.
Woke™ is so back.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
Please join Angela Davis, Robin D.G. Kelley, Ruth Wilson Gilmore and many others in signing this call for an academic and cultural boycott of the UAE, in relation to its complicity in genocide in Sudan.
spectrejournal.com/for-a-cultur...
spectrejournal.com/for-a-cultur...
December 19, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Please join Angela Davis, Robin D.G. Kelley, Ruth Wilson Gilmore and many others in signing this call for an academic and cultural boycott of the UAE, in relation to its complicity in genocide in Sudan.
spectrejournal.com/for-a-cultur...
spectrejournal.com/for-a-cultur...
A Christmas gift from Elon "pedo guy" Musk: his platform X/Twitter forcing an AI-driven "Edit image" button under every image posted there has driven Japanese artists over here en masse. #ようこそ
UPDATE: We may see the first time English is displaced as the most popular language among Bluesky posters as soon as Americans head to sleep tonight.
Japanese users were close to achieving that feat at 7 am Eastern Time, and their activity is increasing at an exponential pace. This is remarkable.
Japanese users were close to achieving that feat at 7 am Eastern Time, and their activity is increasing at an exponential pace. This is remarkable.
December 25, 2025 at 4:06 PM
A Christmas gift from Elon "pedo guy" Musk: his platform X/Twitter forcing an AI-driven "Edit image" button under every image posted there has driven Japanese artists over here en masse. #ようこそ
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
An English local council innovates, evaluates what it did, finds it works (replicating an earlier study in Scotland) … and all councils are told by the Labour government not to try it. What message does this convey? Another victory for ideology & cowardice
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Councils warned against adopting four-day week
Local Government Secretary Steve Reed has told council leaders to not introduce four-day working weeks.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 23, 2025 at 8:13 AM
An English local council innovates, evaluates what it did, finds it works (replicating an earlier study in Scotland) … and all councils are told by the Labour government not to try it. What message does this convey? Another victory for ideology & cowardice
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
I do sometimes wonder whether the British media establishment are making a mistake by having less contempt for high profile child sex offenders than they do for the disabled, poor, and trans people.
December 9, 2025 at 11:30 PM
I do sometimes wonder whether the British media establishment are making a mistake by having less contempt for high profile child sex offenders than they do for the disabled, poor, and trans people.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
"We’re monitoring what you do online. Disseminating, writing, or publishing inciting content online is considered a terrorist crime in every sense and may lead to arrest or imprisonment. We have warned you."
Israel warns Palestinians that posting about their suffering will be considered terrorism.
Israel warns Palestinians that posting about their suffering will be considered terrorism.
December 25, 2025 at 12:06 AM
"We’re monitoring what you do online. Disseminating, writing, or publishing inciting content online is considered a terrorist crime in every sense and may lead to arrest or imprisonment. We have warned you."
Israel warns Palestinians that posting about their suffering will be considered terrorism.
Israel warns Palestinians that posting about their suffering will be considered terrorism.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
“Like Prime, but with human beings.”
December 24, 2025 at 5:42 PM
“Like Prime, but with human beings.”
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
And yet, In Covid’s Wake quotes me as saying that “the FBI went beyond strategic information sharing and made direct moderation demands” — literally the opposite of what I argue — to buttress their claim that the government was too busy censoring speech to adequately deal with the pandemic.
December 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
And yet, In Covid’s Wake quotes me as saying that “the FBI went beyond strategic information sharing and made direct moderation demands” — literally the opposite of what I argue — to buttress their claim that the government was too busy censoring speech to adequately deal with the pandemic.
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
Israel has destroyed Gaza's famous strawberry fields—once called "red gold" by farmers in Beit Lahia. The genocide wiped out 87% of Gaza's farmland, demolishing greenhouses, wells, and irrigation systems. mondoweiss.net/2025/12/isra...
Israel’s genocide has destroyed Gaza’s renowned strawberry industry
The Gaza Strip is renowned in Palestine for its bright red and delicious strawberries. Once a major agricultural export, Gaza’s fields of “red gold” have been decimated by Israel’s genocide.
mondoweiss.net
December 24, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Israel has destroyed Gaza's famous strawberry fields—once called "red gold" by farmers in Beit Lahia. The genocide wiped out 87% of Gaza's farmland, demolishing greenhouses, wells, and irrigation systems. mondoweiss.net/2025/12/isra...
Reposted by Splainer (Material Conditions Acknowledger)
Four former senior British Army officers have called on the UK's government to impose a full two way arms embargo onto Israel and to declare a ban on future involvement with any Israeli-owned or Israeli-supported defence companies.
Stop arming Israel, ex-senior British Army officers tell Keir Starmer
Letter to the prime minister calls for a ban on involvement with Israeli-owned or Israeli-supported defence companies during the war in Gaza
www.thetimes.com
December 24, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Four former senior British Army officers have called on the UK's government to impose a full two way arms embargo onto Israel and to declare a ban on future involvement with any Israeli-owned or Israeli-supported defence companies.