Graham Webster
@gwbstr.com
Chinese tech policy and US-China relations at Stanford
Newsletter: herecomes.transpacifica.net
Basics: gwbstr.com
Also: #filmphotography
Newsletter: herecomes.transpacifica.net
Basics: gwbstr.com
Also: #filmphotography
Pinned
Graham Webster
@gwbstr.com
· Nov 10
Photography (especially film) has been a source of peace and joy these last few years. For now I mostly post it on ig at @grahamophoto (more independent site coming eventually). Come check out what I've caught in the emulsions. www.instagram.com/grahamophoto/
I'm going to call it for the year on social media. See you back here if and only if I have new work to announce, which is more likely if I'm not here.
Here's a picture I liked, in some weather I didn't like, in Beijing recently, on #kodacolor200.
#filmphotography
Here's a picture I liked, in some weather I didn't like, in Beijing recently, on #kodacolor200.
#filmphotography
November 10, 2025 at 5:22 PM
I'm going to call it for the year on social media. See you back here if and only if I have new work to announce, which is more likely if I'm not here.
Here's a picture I liked, in some weather I didn't like, in Beijing recently, on #kodacolor200.
#filmphotography
Here's a picture I liked, in some weather I didn't like, in Beijing recently, on #kodacolor200.
#filmphotography
“A.I. is no less a form of intelligence than digital photography is a form of photography.” Lol
Bahahahahaha The New York Times just printed an opinion piece declaring "AI is intelligent, so long as we redefine what intelligence means to include it. And soon AI will be conscious, because we'll just redefine consciousness too!"
Nothing means anything! Yay!
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/o...
Nothing means anything! Yay!
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/o...
Opinion | A.I. Is on Its Way to Something Even More Remarkable Than Intelligence
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM
“A.I. is no less a form of intelligence than digital photography is a form of photography.” Lol
Reposted by Graham Webster
the "buy nothing project" has a trademark registration (actually 6) for BUY NOTHING & persuaded facebook to kill some of the 1,000s of community groups all over the country through which people give away stuff they don't need & get local stuff free
sf.gazetteer.co/the-fight-to...
sf.gazetteer.co/the-fight-to...
November 9, 2025 at 3:16 PM
the "buy nothing project" has a trademark registration (actually 6) for BUY NOTHING & persuaded facebook to kill some of the 1,000s of community groups all over the country through which people give away stuff they don't need & get local stuff free
sf.gazetteer.co/the-fight-to...
sf.gazetteer.co/the-fight-to...
Reposted by Graham Webster
hey remember when we were told we needed to be super worried about TikTok data falling into the wrong hands and that surely having Oracle hold onto it would be safer
New: Washington Post is the latest organization to confirm a data breach linked to the mass-hacks of Oracle E-Business apps, which companies use to store their business/HR data.
Google previously said that over 100 organizations have been hacked as part of the campaign.
Google previously said that over 100 organizations have been hacked as part of the campaign.
Washington Post confirms data breach linked to Oracle hacks | TechCrunch
The Washington Post is the latest victim of a hacking campaign by the notorious Clop ransomware gang, which relied on vulnerabilities in Oracle software used by many corporations.
techcrunch.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:44 PM
hey remember when we were told we needed to be super worried about TikTok data falling into the wrong hands and that surely having Oracle hold onto it would be safer
so very much not about the governor
Never change, NYT politics staff!
Hint: Main thing Calif voters were thinking yesterday was *not* "Hmmm, what does this mean for Gavin Newsom?" But that is clearly main/only thing on mind of politics staff, or unnamed people laying out front page.
Voters: Doing their job! Media: .... sigh.
Hint: Main thing Calif voters were thinking yesterday was *not* "Hmmm, what does this mean for Gavin Newsom?" But that is clearly main/only thing on mind of politics staff, or unnamed people laying out front page.
Voters: Doing their job! Media: .... sigh.
November 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
so very much not about the governor
How has no one interviewed the person who made this apparently resilient sandwich
November 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
How has no one interviewed the person who made this apparently resilient sandwich
An even more expected outcome of the meeting--to "consummate" of a TikTok deal, in Bessent's phrasing--also did not occur. Was it torpedoed?
Hard to parse this story. Sounds like the question of selling a decreased-capability version of Nvidia's new generation of AI chips is still open, and only "torpedoed" as to the Korea meeting.
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
Exclusive | Trump Officials Torpedoed Nvidia’s Push to Export AI Chips to China
The president decided against discussing the matter with Chinese leader Xi Jinping after top aides opposed it.
www.wsj.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:40 PM
An even more expected outcome of the meeting--to "consummate" of a TikTok deal, in Bessent's phrasing--also did not occur. Was it torpedoed?
Hard to parse this story. Sounds like the question of selling a decreased-capability version of Nvidia's new generation of AI chips is still open, and only "torpedoed" as to the Korea meeting.
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
Exclusive | Trump Officials Torpedoed Nvidia’s Push to Export AI Chips to China
The president decided against discussing the matter with Chinese leader Xi Jinping after top aides opposed it.
www.wsj.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Hard to parse this story. Sounds like the question of selling a decreased-capability version of Nvidia's new generation of AI chips is still open, and only "torpedoed" as to the Korea meeting.
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
this is like reporting “over my dead body” and ”I will die on this hill” as genuine promises to sacrifice one’s life
Nearly a million New Yorkers ready to flee NYC if Mamdani becomes mayor — possibly igniting mass exodus: poll
Nearly a million New Yorkers ready to flee NYC if Mamdani becomes mayor — possibly igniting mass exodus: poll
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are prepared to bolt from the Big Apple if socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins Tuesday's mayoral race — potentially setting the stage for the largest population flight in US history, a new poll warns.
nypost.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:02 PM
this is like reporting “over my dead body” and ”I will die on this hill” as genuine promises to sacrifice one’s life
Reposted by Graham Webster
NEW: On Oct. 28, China passed the first amendments to its 2016 Cybersecurity Law, effective Jan. 1, 2026: www.npc.gov.cn/npc/c2/c3083...
Bill page with legislative records and past drafts: npcobserver.com/legislation/...
Bill page with legislative records and past drafts: npcobserver.com/legislation/...
Cybersecurity Law - NPC Observer
Texts, legislative records, translations (if any), and related coverage of China's Cybersecurity Law. - Cybersecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China中华人民共和国网络安全法 Full text of the Law as a
npcobserver.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:26 PM
NEW: On Oct. 28, China passed the first amendments to its 2016 Cybersecurity Law, effective Jan. 1, 2026: www.npc.gov.cn/npc/c2/c3083...
Bill page with legislative records and past drafts: npcobserver.com/legislation/...
Bill page with legislative records and past drafts: npcobserver.com/legislation/...
I'm not a fan of the word "hallucinating" for LLMs. It's more apt here, though still a reminder: This system doesn't know anything about reality. It doesn't know what a gun is or isn't. And apparently the humans using it don't look at the pic before initiating a possibly deadly situation with a kid.
Baltimore high school student Taki Allen was swarmed by police after an artificial intelligence system apparently mistook his bag of Doritos for a gun www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
October 24, 2025 at 5:09 PM
I'm not a fan of the word "hallucinating" for LLMs. It's more apt here, though still a reminder: This system doesn't know anything about reality. It doesn't know what a gun is or isn't. And apparently the humans using it don't look at the pic before initiating a possibly deadly situation with a kid.
Ideal visual aid for my apparently unpopular take: tearing down part of a historic building is not among my top 10 concerns about the president, his party, and the government.
![Hillary Clinton
@HillaryClinton
If you're hopping mad about Trump destroying the White House, we've got a new hat or sticker for you.
Your purchase supports progressive groups working to build a fairer, more inclusive America for everyone—and win elections!
[hat and sticker say: not his house our house]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bvxlatkw4wkprzydcpkgb44o/bafkreibi5mc3uhqpnvbd7qyypthgcziwqzo2kjhb2svagkxqurinsrdfaa@jpeg)
October 24, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Ideal visual aid for my apparently unpopular take: tearing down part of a historic building is not among my top 10 concerns about the president, his party, and the government.
I keep thinking about the Chinese officials on the receiving end of decades of US lectures about the rule of law. Wonder why that is.
Greg Bovino Immediately Flouts Chicago Court Order, Lawyers Say talkingpointsmemo.com/news/greg-bo...
Greg Bovino Immediately Flouts Chicago Court Order, Lawyers Say
For two weeks, CBP commander Greg Bovino was gone from the streets...
talkingpointsmemo.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:16 PM
I keep thinking about the Chinese officials on the receiving end of decades of US lectures about the rule of law. Wonder why that is.
“I want to make it clear that if anyone attempts to enter your house or detain you, and they’re not in uniform or they don’t show credentials, please call 911 immediately,” [OPD Asst Chief James] Beere said.
Mayor Barbara Lee and other East Bay leaders reaffirmed their support for immigrants after Trump called off a crackdown in San Francisco.
‘Don’t take the bait’: Oakland leaders urge calm as possible Trump immigration crackdown looms over region
Mayor Barbara Lee and other East Bay leaders reaffirmed their support for immigrants after Trump called off a crackdown in San Francisco.
oaklandside.org
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 PM
“I want to make it clear that if anyone attempts to enter your house or detain you, and they’re not in uniform or they don’t show credentials, please call 911 immediately,” [OPD Asst Chief James] Beere said.
Any conspiracy theories about what's below the White House getting blown up today?
October 23, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Any conspiracy theories about what's below the White House getting blown up today?
Reposted by Graham Webster
We're in court today to stop the unlawful detention of people who aren't citizens at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
The Trump administration thinks they can evade the law by sending people to an offshore prison, to scare people into giving up their rights. They're wrong.
The Trump administration thinks they can evade the law by sending people to an offshore prison, to scare people into giving up their rights. They're wrong.
October 23, 2025 at 1:05 PM
We're in court today to stop the unlawful detention of people who aren't citizens at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
The Trump administration thinks they can evade the law by sending people to an offshore prison, to scare people into giving up their rights. They're wrong.
The Trump administration thinks they can evade the law by sending people to an offshore prison, to scare people into giving up their rights. They're wrong.
New usability hack dropped
October 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM
New usability hack dropped
Information distance… at least it would have been a few decades earlier. By 1881 the telegraph made it across the Atlantic and from London to at least coastal China.
This fantastic map by Francis Galton shows travel time from London to the rest of the world in 1881.
October 22, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Information distance… at least it would have been a few decades earlier. By 1881 the telegraph made it across the Atlantic and from London to at least coastal China.
nonexistent citations. maybe they assume we won’t notice. in reality instructors already know most of what is out there BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN NERDS IN THE AREA FOR YEARS. new cites are exciting for us! or don’t sound right. and so we check them. sometimes by texting the “authors,” whom we know.
ChatGPT gave a significant portion of my students the wrong answer to an easy quiz question that everyone used to always get right
I had two groups of students turn in annotated bibliographies that were ChatGPT generated - not a single citation actually existed
I had two groups of students turn in annotated bibliographies that were ChatGPT generated - not a single citation actually existed
October 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
nonexistent citations. maybe they assume we won’t notice. in reality instructors already know most of what is out there BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN NERDS IN THE AREA FOR YEARS. new cites are exciting for us! or don’t sound right. and so we check them. sometimes by texting the “authors,” whom we know.
“The governor had objected to the plan to fire over the freeway, Interstate 5, and ordered a 17-mile stretch closed — against the guidance of military officials, who had said it was safe for it to remain open.”
An artillery shell fired during 250th anniversary celebration of the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on Saturday detonated prematurely over Interstate 5, damaging a California Highway Patrol vehicle on JD Vance's security detail www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/u...
Artillery Shell Detonated Over Interstate 5 During Marines’ Celebration, California Officials Say
www.nytimes.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:23 AM
“The governor had objected to the plan to fire over the freeway, Interstate 5, and ordered a 17-mile stretch closed — against the guidance of military officials, who had said it was safe for it to remain open.”
Reposted by Graham Webster
On No Kings Eve, it is traditional to apologize to the great kings who will be thrown out with the bathwater for the holiday. Here are a few to start. Add your own.
Our apologies, B.B. King. The thrill is gone away.
youtu.be/0v4GV5dxOkI?...
Our apologies, B.B. King. The thrill is gone away.
youtu.be/0v4GV5dxOkI?...
BB King At Sing Sing Prison Sings Blues To The Inmates & They Respond. The Complete Film
YouTube video by David Hoffman
youtu.be
June 13, 2025 at 5:46 PM
On No Kings Eve, it is traditional to apologize to the great kings who will be thrown out with the bathwater for the holiday. Here are a few to start. Add your own.
Our apologies, B.B. King. The thrill is gone away.
youtu.be/0v4GV5dxOkI?...
Our apologies, B.B. King. The thrill is gone away.
youtu.be/0v4GV5dxOkI?...
Still on the path of US AI governance amounting to let the CEOs and investors decide what’s right.
CA governor Gavin Newsom vetoed both of the major AI bills on his desk that Silicon Valley meaningfully opposed—one making it illegal for bosses to use AI to fire workers with no oversight, one requiring chatbot sellers to ensure their products do not harm children before marketing to them.
Silicon Valley's capture of our political institutions is all but complete
The tech lobby kills off two key California AI bills, and why it matters. Plus: How Sam Altman played Hollywood with Sora 2, organized mass social media deletions, and more.
www.bloodinthemachine.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Still on the path of US AI governance amounting to let the CEOs and investors decide what’s right.
End qualified immunity. Abolish ICE. Law enforcement officers can either demand accountability in their ranks or acknowledge there's no reason to respect them.
Trial shows that ICE agents lied, concealed evidence in an illegal effort to convict the "libtard" who filmed them.
October 16, 2025 at 9:13 PM
End qualified immunity. Abolish ICE. Law enforcement officers can either demand accountability in their ranks or acknowledge there's no reason to respect them.
Headlines in Nexis Uni including the phrase "to counter China"
October 16, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Headlines in Nexis Uni including the phrase "to counter China"
good opportunity for other local billionaires to stand up and show that it’s not all billionaires
Mr. Benioff: Military troops and armed federal agents don’t make our communities safer. Advocating to bring the National Guard to San Francisco is dangerous, and instills fear in people as they go about their daily lives.
Marc Benioff Says Trump Should Send Guard Troops to San Francisco
www.nytimes.com
October 16, 2025 at 3:01 PM
good opportunity for other local billionaires to stand up and show that it’s not all billionaires