Stephan Faris
@stephanfaris.bsky.social
Associate editor, Enterprise, POLITICO Europe. On the trail of Joan of Arc.
Mountain religion
December 28, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Mountain religion
Reposted by Stephan Faris
Final reminder for those still doing Christmas shopping: why not buy a funny and interesting book?
Rory Stewart said it was a lovely read!
www.bol.com/nl/nl/f/the-...
Rory Stewart said it was a lovely read!
www.bol.com/nl/nl/f/the-...
December 23, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Final reminder for those still doing Christmas shopping: why not buy a funny and interesting book?
Rory Stewart said it was a lovely read!
www.bol.com/nl/nl/f/the-...
Rory Stewart said it was a lovely read!
www.bol.com/nl/nl/f/the-...
This whole paragraph is 👀
how did I not know that Sarkozy met his second wife when he officiated at her wedding as the local mayor en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas...
December 17, 2025 at 7:51 PM
This whole paragraph is 👀
The most important European policymaker for the first time in a decade is not a European and, increasingly, doesn’t even much like the place anymore.
The Most Influential Man in Europe Thinks Europe is Full of Losers politi.co/44OL4fj
The Most Influential Man in Europe Thinks Europe is Full of Losers politi.co/44OL4fj
The Most Influential Man in Europe Thinks Europe is Full of Losers
The most important European policymaker for the first time in a decade is not a European and, increasingly, doesn’t even much like the place anymore.
politi.co
December 9, 2025 at 1:51 PM
The most important European policymaker for the first time in a decade is not a European and, increasingly, doesn’t even much like the place anymore.
The Most Influential Man in Europe Thinks Europe is Full of Losers politi.co/44OL4fj
The Most Influential Man in Europe Thinks Europe is Full of Losers politi.co/44OL4fj
Spending 90 minutes running around and not scoring is I guess one definition of peace
December 6, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Spending 90 minutes running around and not scoring is I guess one definition of peace
Makes sense. We were all TIME's person of the year.
Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/t...
Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/t...
Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation?
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Makes sense. We were all TIME's person of the year.
Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/t...
Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/t...
Reposted by Stephan Faris
From R. Crumb's satirical "City of the Future" in Zap Comix (1968)
December 4, 2025 at 3:52 PM
From R. Crumb's satirical "City of the Future" in Zap Comix (1968)
The overuse of delve (until recently one of my favorite words) by AI is likely because it was disproportionately trained on Nigerian English.
One of the very many great nuggets in this piece:
Why Does AI Write Like... That
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/m...
One of the very many great nuggets in this piece:
Why Does AI Write Like... That
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/m...
December 3, 2025 at 8:52 PM
The overuse of delve (until recently one of my favorite words) by AI is likely because it was disproportionately trained on Nigerian English.
One of the very many great nuggets in this piece:
Why Does AI Write Like... That
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/m...
One of the very many great nuggets in this piece:
Why Does AI Write Like... That
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/m...
AI but for knowing when I have no desire to use AI
December 3, 2025 at 6:53 PM
AI but for knowing when I have no desire to use AI
This feels like the most basic of all possible numbers
December 3, 2025 at 3:07 PM
This feels like the most basic of all possible numbers
Tracks
My most-used words in 2025 were:
1. "chatgpt" (10×)
2. "europe" (7×)
3. "trump" (7×)
4. "news" (6×)
5. "brussels" (6×)
See which words you used the most here: anisota.net/harvest
My most-used words in 2025 were:
1. "chatgpt" (10×)
2. "europe" (7×)
3. "trump" (7×)
4. "news" (6×)
5. "brussels" (6×)
See which words you used the most here: anisota.net/harvest
Anisota's Annual Bluesky Harvest 2025
A recap of your year on Bluesky. Discover patterns, connections, and insights from your journey in the ATmosphere.
anisota.net
December 3, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Tracks
My most-used words in 2025 were:
1. "chatgpt" (10×)
2. "europe" (7×)
3. "trump" (7×)
4. "news" (6×)
5. "brussels" (6×)
See which words you used the most here: anisota.net/harvest
My most-used words in 2025 were:
1. "chatgpt" (10×)
2. "europe" (7×)
3. "trump" (7×)
4. "news" (6×)
5. "brussels" (6×)
See which words you used the most here: anisota.net/harvest
I mean I know tech guys aren't copyeditors but... C'mon.
December 1, 2025 at 8:28 AM
I mean I know tech guys aren't copyeditors but... C'mon.
Reposted by Stephan Faris
Perhaps, instead of turning everything into paperclips, AI is coming to resemble Clippy.
December 1, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Perhaps, instead of turning everything into paperclips, AI is coming to resemble Clippy.
Reposted by Stephan Faris
had the intrusive thought that 30 years from now we’re going to have VC funds and military startups named after harry potter stuff and it’s going to be even more annoying than hobbit stuff
December 1, 2025 at 2:52 AM
had the intrusive thought that 30 years from now we’re going to have VC funds and military startups named after harry potter stuff and it’s going to be even more annoying than hobbit stuff
The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear
-- doesn't have the same ring to it.
-- doesn't have the same ring to it.
I was trying to track down the source of Gramsci's "time of monsters" quote and found that it's a "mistranslation" (ie he just made it up) by Slavoj Zizek. Gramsci's line clearly translates as "morbid symptoms" instead. Mad that you can just rewrite a famous quote and get it widely accepted.
December 1, 2025 at 6:22 AM
The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear
-- doesn't have the same ring to it.
-- doesn't have the same ring to it.
Reposted by Stephan Faris
Following the pattern, the next number would be 86? First digit raises by 2, second digit raises by 7 but doesn't interact with the first digit. Or 96 if it does, this is uncharted territory.
November 27, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Following the pattern, the next number would be 86? First digit raises by 2, second digit raises by 7 but doesn't interact with the first digit. Or 96 if it does, this is uncharted territory.
Gen-X: 42
Millennials: 420
Gen-Z: 69
Gen-alpha: 6, 7
Solve for the next generation
Millennials: 420
Gen-Z: 69
Gen-alpha: 6, 7
Solve for the next generation
Seen on Reddit:
"42 is just old people 6 7"
And... well... yeah. Can't really argue.
"42 is just old people 6 7"
And... well... yeah. Can't really argue.
November 27, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Gen-X: 42
Millennials: 420
Gen-Z: 69
Gen-alpha: 6, 7
Solve for the next generation
Millennials: 420
Gen-Z: 69
Gen-alpha: 6, 7
Solve for the next generation
Reposted by Stephan Faris
It’s horrifying that in the Netherlands, of all places, it’s now common for mayors and councillors of small towns to need security because of threats to their lives.
In 2024 *almost half* of public officials were threatened with violence. Understandably, many are giving up
nos.nl/artikel/2592...
In 2024 *almost half* of public officials were threatened with violence. Understandably, many are giving up
nos.nl/artikel/2592...
Maatregelen bij woning burgemeester Venlo na online dreiging rond komst azc
Morgen wordt de komst van het azc besproken in een commissievergadering.
nos.nl
November 27, 2025 at 8:15 AM
It’s horrifying that in the Netherlands, of all places, it’s now common for mayors and councillors of small towns to need security because of threats to their lives.
In 2024 *almost half* of public officials were threatened with violence. Understandably, many are giving up
nos.nl/artikel/2592...
In 2024 *almost half* of public officials were threatened with violence. Understandably, many are giving up
nos.nl/artikel/2592...
Reposted by Stephan Faris
Before Germany’s last elections, hundreds of combustion-engine cars had been vandalised, combined with pro-Green flyers left on site. State investigators now assume a Russian influence operation:
#fossilwarfare
www.n-tv.de/politik/Ermi...
#fossilwarfare
www.n-tv.de/politik/Ermi...
Ermittler vermuten Russland hinter Bauschaum-Attacken auf Autos
Hunderte Autos wurden vor einem Jahr in mehreren Bundesländern mit Bauschaum beschädigt. Die Ermittler gehen derzeit davon aus, dass damit die Grünen vor der Wahl diskreditiert werden sollten.
www.n-tv.de
November 23, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Before Germany’s last elections, hundreds of combustion-engine cars had been vandalised, combined with pro-Green flyers left on site. State investigators now assume a Russian influence operation:
#fossilwarfare
www.n-tv.de/politik/Ermi...
#fossilwarfare
www.n-tv.de/politik/Ermi...
I don't understand the bit about the bamboo?
November 18, 2025 at 2:27 PM
I don't understand the bit about the bamboo?
Reposted by Stephan Faris
French energy giant TotalEnergies was formally accused yesterday of complicity in war crimes and torture — after a criminal complaint filed in Paris over a massacre at its Mozambique gas site, first exposed by a POLITICO investigation last year.
TotalEnergies accused of complicity in war crimes over Mozambique container massacre
French legal complaint claims the firm paid and supplied soldiers who carried out mass killings first uncovered by POLITICO.
www.politico.eu
November 18, 2025 at 8:14 AM
French energy giant TotalEnergies was formally accused yesterday of complicity in war crimes and torture — after a criminal complaint filed in Paris over a massacre at its Mozambique gas site, first exposed by a POLITICO investigation last year.
Reposted by Stephan Faris
One of the biggest yet quietist trends we’re living through: the rapid death of overseas aid and diplomacy.
“For the first time in 30 years, France, Germany, the UK, and the US all cut their ODA in 2024.. the first time in history all 4 have cut aid simultaneously”
www.politico.eu/article/arms...
“For the first time in 30 years, France, Germany, the UK, and the US all cut their ODA in 2024.. the first time in history all 4 have cut aid simultaneously”
www.politico.eu/article/arms...
The West’s new arms race: Selling peace to buy war
Military spending is rising faster than at any time since the end of the Cold War, but the retreat from diplomacy and foreign aid will come at a price.
www.politico.eu
November 17, 2025 at 6:48 PM
One of the biggest yet quietist trends we’re living through: the rapid death of overseas aid and diplomacy.
“For the first time in 30 years, France, Germany, the UK, and the US all cut their ODA in 2024.. the first time in history all 4 have cut aid simultaneously”
www.politico.eu/article/arms...
“For the first time in 30 years, France, Germany, the UK, and the US all cut their ODA in 2024.. the first time in history all 4 have cut aid simultaneously”
www.politico.eu/article/arms...