David Raikow
@david.raikow.online
I think about international policy, politics, conflict, and political corruption. Trying to harness Machiavellian cynicism for the common good.
What *is* so funny 'bout peace, love, and understanding?
What *is* so funny 'bout peace, love, and understanding?
Reposted by David Raikow
Unspoken rule of judicial ethics: if you have a Dog Case in a court where you are a judge, you need to take judicial notice of the fact that it is a Very Good Boy/Girl/Dog.
VC David gets an entry in the unofficial Delaware Footnote Hall of Fame
November 14, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Unspoken rule of judicial ethics: if you have a Dog Case in a court where you are a judge, you need to take judicial notice of the fact that it is a Very Good Boy/Girl/Dog.
Reposted by David Raikow
[To the tune of Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison]
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Walking down the street
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵House with chicken feet
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Walking down the street
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵House with chicken feet
🎵Baba Yaga
November 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM
[To the tune of Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison]
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Walking down the street
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵House with chicken feet
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Walking down the street
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵House with chicken feet
🎵Baba Yaga
Reposted by David Raikow
I like how full text search of every book and human thought ever was a SOLVED PROBLEM in 2001, and now dicks at search engines and my own phone – a piece of silicon faster to respond than God was ever imagined in scripture – prevent it from working, _as a retroactive infantilizing design choice_.
November 14, 2025 at 12:42 AM
I like how full text search of every book and human thought ever was a SOLVED PROBLEM in 2001, and now dicks at search engines and my own phone – a piece of silicon faster to respond than God was ever imagined in scripture – prevent it from working, _as a retroactive infantilizing design choice_.
Entirely reasonable! But counterpoint:
The way most of the world interacts with written language today bears very little resemblance to the way it did even 100 years ago. If large parts of the population read 10,000+ words/day, consistency in spelling becomes a significant cognitive load issue.
The way most of the world interacts with written language today bears very little resemblance to the way it did even 100 years ago. If large parts of the population read 10,000+ words/day, consistency in spelling becomes a significant cognitive load issue.
Incidentally, this is why I’m against strict spelling. Words should be spelled the way they sound & we spell words as if we’re speaking Middle English for ridiculous class reasons
In ME you’d pronounce the k in “knight” but some dumbass needed to prove he was cool & now we have a literacy problem
In ME you’d pronounce the k in “knight” but some dumbass needed to prove he was cool & now we have a literacy problem
ever since I learned about three-cueing I've developed infinitely more patience for replies on social media. mfers literally do not know how to read. people are walking around conjuring random meanings into words they don't know, and they don't know a lot of words. it's crazy
November 13, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Entirely reasonable! But counterpoint:
The way most of the world interacts with written language today bears very little resemblance to the way it did even 100 years ago. If large parts of the population read 10,000+ words/day, consistency in spelling becomes a significant cognitive load issue.
The way most of the world interacts with written language today bears very little resemblance to the way it did even 100 years ago. If large parts of the population read 10,000+ words/day, consistency in spelling becomes a significant cognitive load issue.
To the extent that there’s an answer, I’m pretty sure it’s this:
This is what the NYTimes is, and what it has been for a very long time. By any reasonable standard it should have failed completely generations ago. Its vaunted credibility and objectivity have always been a myth.
This is what the NYTimes is, and what it has been for a very long time. By any reasonable standard it should have failed completely generations ago. Its vaunted credibility and objectivity have always been a myth.
Stop me if you've heard this before:
If the NYT still had a public editor, that person would have official standing to ask, WTF???
They axed the public editor. So it's up to the rest of us to ask, unofficially, WTF???
If the NYT still had a public editor, that person would have official standing to ask, WTF???
They axed the public editor. So it's up to the rest of us to ask, unofficially, WTF???
To recap: Jeffrey Epstein offered a NY Times reporter photos taken in Epstein's kitchen of Donald Trump and girls in bikinis *and* implored the NYT reporter to put this information in the public discourse in 2015
What did the NY Times editors know about this offer?
What did the NY Times editors know about this offer?
November 13, 2025 at 1:17 AM
To the extent that there’s an answer, I’m pretty sure it’s this:
This is what the NYTimes is, and what it has been for a very long time. By any reasonable standard it should have failed completely generations ago. Its vaunted credibility and objectivity have always been a myth.
This is what the NYTimes is, and what it has been for a very long time. By any reasonable standard it should have failed completely generations ago. Its vaunted credibility and objectivity have always been a myth.
Reposted by David Raikow
It didn’t go far enough. It never went far enough.
Today is a good day to remember, and to say, that the #MeToo movement was right, and was righteous, and has been vindicated over and over again. There was no overreach. There was no excess. There was no they-went-too-far.
So much work remains to be done.
So much work remains to be done.
November 13, 2025 at 12:19 AM
It didn’t go far enough. It never went far enough.
Context:
Back channels like this are pretty much standard procedure.
The interesting parts of this story are
1) The channel was at a very high level, and
2) The Russians publicly burned the channel, essentially a very blunt middle finger to the Brits and Powell in particular.
Back channels like this are pretty much standard procedure.
The interesting parts of this story are
1) The channel was at a very high level, and
2) The Russians publicly burned the channel, essentially a very blunt middle finger to the Brits and Powell in particular.
UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell tried to open a back channel to Putin as Britain and its closest EU allies feared the Trump administration could sideline their interests over Ukraine. The Kremlin confirmed our reporting on the outreach.
Scoop w/ FT comrades
on.ft.com/4nWDWnX
Scoop w/ FT comrades
on.ft.com/4nWDWnX
UK’s Jonathan Powell contacted Moscow in bid to build back channel to Vladimir Putin
One-off phone call between national security adviser and Russia’s foreign policy aide said to have ‘not gone well’
on.ft.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Context:
Back channels like this are pretty much standard procedure.
The interesting parts of this story are
1) The channel was at a very high level, and
2) The Russians publicly burned the channel, essentially a very blunt middle finger to the Brits and Powell in particular.
Back channels like this are pretty much standard procedure.
The interesting parts of this story are
1) The channel was at a very high level, and
2) The Russians publicly burned the channel, essentially a very blunt middle finger to the Brits and Powell in particular.
The fear that keeps me awake at night is the possibility that Oates and @dieworkwear.bsky.social will somehow end up in some sort of posting war. I’m pretty confident that Derek would win decisively, but the fallout could leave the world a smoking chunk of ash.
My theory about Joyce Carol Oates is that all her bad posts are her charging up like Godzilla's spines until she lets loose with a radioactive blast that leaves the world's richest Nazi a pile of ash
November 9, 2025 at 8:59 PM
The fear that keeps me awake at night is the possibility that Oates and @dieworkwear.bsky.social will somehow end up in some sort of posting war. I’m pretty confident that Derek would win decisively, but the fallout could leave the world a smoking chunk of ash.
I don’t remember having ever done (9), but it’s entirely possible I did at some point in my youth and have blacked it out. I’ve done all the rest.
I have never done (9) (it's anti-social), (13) (Blockbuster never operated in my country), or (20) (those things were *expensive*).
I am teh oldz.
I am teh oldz.
November 8, 2025 at 10:58 PM
I don’t remember having ever done (9), but it’s entirely possible I did at some point in my youth and have blacked it out. I’ve done all the rest.
For all of you Weapons fans, I wanted to make sure that you’re aware that this is Amy Madigan circa 1983.
Yes, that’s young Gladys.
youtu.be/7DtpV128N9Q
Yes, that’s young Gladys.
youtu.be/7DtpV128N9Q
Streets of Fire - McCoy
YouTube video by Leeksss
youtu.be
November 8, 2025 at 8:25 PM
For all of you Weapons fans, I wanted to make sure that you’re aware that this is Amy Madigan circa 1983.
Yes, that’s young Gladys.
youtu.be/7DtpV128N9Q
Yes, that’s young Gladys.
youtu.be/7DtpV128N9Q
LLMs literally do not and *can* not know shit. The only thing they can do is calculate the probability of the next word to appear in a sentence.
That’s actually a super complicated thing to do, but it’s not knowledge or reasoning or insight.
That’s actually a super complicated thing to do, but it’s not knowledge or reasoning or insight.
i've tried talking to chatgpt a few times (because people are always like "how do you know it sucks if you haven't tried it) and the thought I can never get over is "damn this thing does not know shit"
November 7, 2025 at 5:57 PM
LLMs literally do not and *can* not know shit. The only thing they can do is calculate the probability of the next word to appear in a sentence.
That’s actually a super complicated thing to do, but it’s not knowledge or reasoning or insight.
That’s actually a super complicated thing to do, but it’s not knowledge or reasoning or insight.
The nihilism is appealing, but I suspect he’d have a Bill Kristol arc instead. That could be interesting if they had his parents as post-hippy RFK Jr. fans.
I want to see a Family Ties reboot called "Keaton" about a mid 50's Alex Keaton selling his soul out to MAGA while secretly hating himself.
November 7, 2025 at 4:56 PM
The nihilism is appealing, but I suspect he’d have a Bill Kristol arc instead. That could be interesting if they had his parents as post-hippy RFK Jr. fans.
Entirely plausible, but also I suspect a lot of the people they're talking about are just lying. They need the media buzz to have any hope of delaying the impending bubble burst.
As a neuroscientist, I’d suggest there is a profound disconnect between what *some* computer scientists think is representative of “intelligence”, cognitive ability, or descriptions of consciousness from some in AI work.
LLMs are not how neural systems process information, nor how brains function.
LLMs are not how neural systems process information, nor how brains function.
🤷🏿♂️
November 6, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Entirely plausible, but also I suspect a lot of the people they're talking about are just lying. They need the media buzz to have any hope of delaying the impending bubble burst.
Bluesky blocklists are a fantastic tool.
Like any powerful tool, they can be used in bad ways.
These really aren’t a major problem except for people who can’t stand being blocked.
Bluesky could implement some small changes that would mitigate the bad.
Users can take steps to mitigate the bad.
Like any powerful tool, they can be used in bad ways.
These really aren’t a major problem except for people who can’t stand being blocked.
Bluesky could implement some small changes that would mitigate the bad.
Users can take steps to mitigate the bad.
Block early and often and don't look back. Mute if you don't have the stomach to block. But in my opinion, no one is owed an audience and no one gets to tell anyone else how they spend their time online.
I'm on tons of blocklists! Good! That's the system working.
I'm on tons of blocklists! Good! That's the system working.
Blocking hatemongers is one thing but this trend of using mass block lists to avoid hearing from people who might or might not hold points of view you expect to disagree with is unhealthy imo and hurts the platform.
Bluesky was better off with folks like Margaret Mitchell and Giada Pistilli on it.
Bluesky was better off with folks like Margaret Mitchell and Giada Pistilli on it.
November 3, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Bluesky blocklists are a fantastic tool.
Like any powerful tool, they can be used in bad ways.
These really aren’t a major problem except for people who can’t stand being blocked.
Bluesky could implement some small changes that would mitigate the bad.
Users can take steps to mitigate the bad.
Like any powerful tool, they can be used in bad ways.
These really aren’t a major problem except for people who can’t stand being blocked.
Bluesky could implement some small changes that would mitigate the bad.
Users can take steps to mitigate the bad.
Reposted by David Raikow
New York City Marathon today.
It has taken an entire year of not training, but today, I move another step closer to achieving my lifelong goal of never running a marathon.
It has taken an entire year of not training, but today, I move another step closer to achieving my lifelong goal of never running a marathon.
November 2, 2025 at 1:32 PM
New York City Marathon today.
It has taken an entire year of not training, but today, I move another step closer to achieving my lifelong goal of never running a marathon.
It has taken an entire year of not training, but today, I move another step closer to achieving my lifelong goal of never running a marathon.
Reposted by David Raikow
finally. baseball is over. we can only hope it has been defeated forever
November 2, 2025 at 4:25 AM
finally. baseball is over. we can only hope it has been defeated forever
Reposted by David Raikow
People on here will post anything. 'Baseball games have 9 innings.' No they don’t. That isn’t true.
November 2, 2025 at 4:10 AM
People on here will post anything. 'Baseball games have 9 innings.' No they don’t. That isn’t true.
Reposted by David Raikow
As someone who doesn't watch sports but does love human suffering, I'm having a great night
November 2, 2025 at 4:05 AM
As someone who doesn't watch sports but does love human suffering, I'm having a great night
World's largest cargo sailboat makes first transatlantic crossing | REUTERS
YouTube video by Reuters
youtu.be
November 1, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I don’t know if anyone still needs to hear this in late 2025, but I personally had forgotten just how horrible it is to have to do any business with PayPal. They truly suck.
November 1, 2025 at 8:21 PM
I don’t know if anyone still needs to hear this in late 2025, but I personally had forgotten just how horrible it is to have to do any business with PayPal. They truly suck.
Reposted by David Raikow
Koikichi the crow is the goodwill mascot of Karasumori Shrine in Shimbashi, Tokyo. He is said to bring good fortune in love, and if you take a photo with him, you will find romance.
November 1, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Koikichi the crow is the goodwill mascot of Karasumori Shrine in Shimbashi, Tokyo. He is said to bring good fortune in love, and if you take a photo with him, you will find romance.
I’ve reached a point in my life where I don’t care about baseball even a little, but I do enjoy everyone else completely losing their minds over it.
November 1, 2025 at 1:19 AM
I’ve reached a point in my life where I don’t care about baseball even a little, but I do enjoy everyone else completely losing their minds over it.
Same.
This feels like an “actively trying to push users to other apps and services” kind of move.
This feels like an “actively trying to push users to other apps and services” kind of move.
I will aggressively ignore all changes to the timeline until they pry the following feed from my cold dead hands
give me reverse chronological or give me death
give me reverse chronological or give me death
“As users ‘dislike’ posts, the system will learn what sort of content they want to see less of. This will help to inform more than just how content is ranked in feeds, but also reply rankings.”
October 31, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Same.
This feels like an “actively trying to push users to other apps and services” kind of move.
This feels like an “actively trying to push users to other apps and services” kind of move.
Pumpkins are for eating.
Turnips are for terrifying young children.
Turnips are for terrifying young children.
I know it's harder and more dangerous to carve a turnip but the effect is so much more disturbing, and thus in keeping with the season
October 30, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Pumpkins are for eating.
Turnips are for terrifying young children.
Turnips are for terrifying young children.
Never mind me. I’ll be watching this on a loop for the next hour or two.
youtube.com/shorts/14UGT...
youtube.com/shorts/14UGT...
The Gentlest Bite Performed LIVE
YouTube video by WeRateDogs
youtube.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Never mind me. I’ll be watching this on a loop for the next hour or two.
youtube.com/shorts/14UGT...
youtube.com/shorts/14UGT...