Jay Howell
@adilegian.bsky.social
I make video games & arrange Baroque/late Renaissance music for solo banjo.
Reposted by Jay Howell
My favourite grasshopper fact: Grasshoppers first appeared on the planet 250 million years ago.
Grass did not appear on the planet until 40 million years ago
Imagine it: 210 million years, hopping around on any random surface you can find, waiting for the grass that will make you truly yourself.
Grass did not appear on the planet until 40 million years ago
Imagine it: 210 million years, hopping around on any random surface you can find, waiting for the grass that will make you truly yourself.
December 6, 2025 at 8:24 PM
My favourite grasshopper fact: Grasshoppers first appeared on the planet 250 million years ago.
Grass did not appear on the planet until 40 million years ago
Imagine it: 210 million years, hopping around on any random surface you can find, waiting for the grass that will make you truly yourself.
Grass did not appear on the planet until 40 million years ago
Imagine it: 210 million years, hopping around on any random surface you can find, waiting for the grass that will make you truly yourself.
Reposted by Jay Howell
Today I learned that NASA has a collection of free ebooks that can be downloaded as pdfs or ebub format.
The science books even include a children’s section with fun activites and coloring books!
science.nasa.gov/multimedia/s...
The science books even include a children’s section with fun activites and coloring books!
science.nasa.gov/multimedia/s...
Science e-Books - NASA Science
From Earth and the other planets in our solar system, to supermassive black holes and the distant galaxies that contain them, explore NASA science and imagery through our library of e-books.
science.nasa.gov
December 4, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Today I learned that NASA has a collection of free ebooks that can be downloaded as pdfs or ebub format.
The science books even include a children’s section with fun activites and coloring books!
science.nasa.gov/multimedia/s...
The science books even include a children’s section with fun activites and coloring books!
science.nasa.gov/multimedia/s...
Reposted by Jay Howell
truth coming out of her well to shame humanity
November 28, 2025 at 5:16 AM
truth coming out of her well to shame humanity
Reposted by Jay Howell
This just blew my mind a bit
November 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM
This just blew my mind a bit
Reposted by Jay Howell
“The engagement of the imagination is the only thing that makes any activity more than mechanical.”
— John Dewey, Democracy and Education
— John Dewey, Democracy and Education
November 25, 2025 at 3:13 AM
“The engagement of the imagination is the only thing that makes any activity more than mechanical.”
— John Dewey, Democracy and Education
— John Dewey, Democracy and Education
Reposted by Jay Howell
This is a hugely important story. I wrote about its consequences already in "Road to Unfreedom" and we know much more now. If we want to be a democracy we have to create structures of factuality rather than selling our future to the loudest yeller in another country.
Although the scale of this is still to be assessed, this is the inevitable outcome of the monetization of the algorithm. Rage-bait becomes a personal revenue model. Nothing about this should be a surprise.
NEWS: I spent the past 24 hours going through major MAGA accounts on Twitter, and a bombshell development has become clear: most of the right-wing ecosphere is being fed propaganda from foreign actors.
This impacts elections. This impacts discourse. This is major. Subscribe to support my work:
This impacts elections. This impacts discourse. This is major. Subscribe to support my work:
November 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM
This is a hugely important story. I wrote about its consequences already in "Road to Unfreedom" and we know much more now. If we want to be a democracy we have to create structures of factuality rather than selling our future to the loudest yeller in another country.
Reposted by Jay Howell
Oh you're saying I can use a riddle to confound the inscrutable creature who wants to drain my life force?
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 21, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Oh you're saying I can use a riddle to confound the inscrutable creature who wants to drain my life force?
Reposted by Jay Howell
Poetrye ys the technologye of hope
November 21, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Poetrye ys the technologye of hope
Reposted by Jay Howell
The President of the United States just called for my arrest and execution.
In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage:
In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage:
November 20, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The President of the United States just called for my arrest and execution.
In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage:
In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage:
Reposted by Jay Howell
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
November 15, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
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My last word on the matter
November 11, 2025 at 2:27 PM
My last word on the matter
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remodeling my bathroom like a king
October 31, 2025 at 7:40 PM
remodeling my bathroom like a king
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To all who wryte storyes & poemes, to everyone who doth wryte scriptes & screenplayes, to those who make art of all kyndes, and to those who designe and performe yn daunse, and theatre -- thanke yow. Whethir you make for a few friendes or an audience of millions, thanke yow. You helpe us all.
October 22, 2025 at 4:02 PM
To all who wryte storyes & poemes, to everyone who doth wryte scriptes & screenplayes, to those who make art of all kyndes, and to those who designe and performe yn daunse, and theatre -- thanke yow. Whethir you make for a few friendes or an audience of millions, thanke yow. You helpe us all.
Reposted by Jay Howell
Hey friends. After having open heart surgery in Dec and another procedure in July, I've been left in 10k+ debt while recovering. During this, we were also laid off from Skullgirls. To try to help dig myself out, I have begun listing things on eBay: ebay.com/usr/mshinzan
a person is holding an empty wallet with a man in a suit inside of it .
ALT: a person is holding an empty wallet with a man in a suit inside of it .
media.tenor.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:41 AM
Hey friends. After having open heart surgery in Dec and another procedure in July, I've been left in 10k+ debt while recovering. During this, we were also laid off from Skullgirls. To try to help dig myself out, I have begun listing things on eBay: ebay.com/usr/mshinzan
Reposted by Jay Howell
nōn, n.n: the ninth hour of the day, reckoned from sunrise, or about three o’clock in the afternoon. (NOAN / ˈnoːn)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
#OldEnglish #WOTD
July 12, 2025 at 7:01 AM
nōn, n.n: the ninth hour of the day, reckoned from sunrise, or about three o’clock in the afternoon. (NOAN / ˈnoːn)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
#OldEnglish #WOTD
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Today’s gamers have it so easy. Gen X only had two options
July 12, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Today’s gamers have it so easy. Gen X only had two options
Reposted by Jay Howell
Apparently so were the 50'S
July 11, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Apparently so were the 50'S
Reposted by Jay Howell
Five things to remember about war:
June 22, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Five things to remember about war:
Reposted by Jay Howell
at least he didn't do something truly reckless like try to forgive student loans
June 22, 2025 at 12:19 AM
at least he didn't do something truly reckless like try to forgive student loans
Reposted by Jay Howell
The pleasure of writing something you’re proud of only comes from the struggle of having to write a lot of things you aren’t particularly proud of. And some days you’ll feel so good while you’re writing, and other days you’ll feel horrible. That’s writing AND being a human.
June 21, 2025 at 10:07 PM
The pleasure of writing something you’re proud of only comes from the struggle of having to write a lot of things you aren’t particularly proud of. And some days you’ll feel so good while you’re writing, and other days you’ll feel horrible. That’s writing AND being a human.
Reposted by Jay Howell
cūða, m.n: one known, an acquaintance, a familiar friend, a relation. (KOO-tha / ˈkuː-θa)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
#OldEnglish #WOTD
June 20, 2025 at 7:01 AM
cūða, m.n: one known, an acquaintance, a familiar friend, a relation. (KOO-tha / ˈkuː-θa)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
#OldEnglish #WOTD
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un-getǣse, n.n: an inconvenience, a trouble. (UN-yeh-TAZZ-uh / ˈʌn-jɛ-ˌtæː-zə)
Image: Maastricht Hours; Netherlands, 1300-1325; @britishlibrary.bsky.social Stowe MS 17.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Image: Maastricht Hours; Netherlands, 1300-1325; @britishlibrary.bsky.social Stowe MS 17.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
June 18, 2025 at 7:02 AM
un-getǣse, n.n: an inconvenience, a trouble. (UN-yeh-TAZZ-uh / ˈʌn-jɛ-ˌtæː-zə)
Image: Maastricht Hours; Netherlands, 1300-1325; @britishlibrary.bsky.social Stowe MS 17.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Image: Maastricht Hours; Netherlands, 1300-1325; @britishlibrary.bsky.social Stowe MS 17.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
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I was flattered that he liked me because he was this golden child and I do not make friends often because people are strange. Like they make noises that sound like they are telling you about their rich inner lives but then they do things which suggest they do not have one.
June 18, 2025 at 8:10 AM
I was flattered that he liked me because he was this golden child and I do not make friends often because people are strange. Like they make noises that sound like they are telling you about their rich inner lives but then they do things which suggest they do not have one.
Reposted by Jay Howell
stæf-wīs, adj: skilled in letters, literate. (STAFF-WEES / ˈstæf-ˌwiːs)
Image: De natura rerum; E France, 9th century; Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Msc.Nat.1, f. 41r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Image: De natura rerum; E France, 9th century; Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Msc.Nat.1, f. 41r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
June 14, 2025 at 7:01 AM
stæf-wīs, adj: skilled in letters, literate. (STAFF-WEES / ˈstæf-ˌwiːs)
Image: De natura rerum; E France, 9th century; Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Msc.Nat.1, f. 41r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Image: De natura rerum; E France, 9th century; Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Msc.Nat.1, f. 41r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Reposted by Jay Howell
Amazing how hard it is to write: “Police shoot at journalists.”
June 11, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Amazing how hard it is to write: “Police shoot at journalists.”