Ian Bogost
@ibogost.com
PREORDER The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life: http://bit.ly/49gyZmp
Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor at WashU; Contributing writer at The Atlantic; author of 11 books. https://bogost.com
Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor at WashU; Contributing writer at The Atlantic; author of 11 books. https://bogost.com
Pinned
Ian Bogost
@ibogost.com
· 19h
🚨 PLEASE PREORDER MY NEW BOOK 🚨
It's called The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life, and it's about the sensory enchantment of everyday life.
Click here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sm...
… or go wherever you buy books
(More info in the next post)
It's called The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life, and it's about the sensory enchantment of everyday life.
Click here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sm...
… or go wherever you buy books
(More info in the next post)
Who can cure the NYT Cooking’s white-bean fever? No one can.
November 11, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Who can cure the NYT Cooking’s white-bean fever? No one can.
Apropos of this, even if you are willing to pay more it has become almost impossible to book a cancelable hotel room anymore. Even the most flexible bookings become nonrefundable 2-3 days out.
Also used to be easy to call a hotel if your flight was canceled and be forgiven, but not really anymore.
Also used to be easy to call a hotel if your flight was canceled and be forgiven, but not really anymore.
Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends, as the Federal Aviation Administration moves ahead with deeper cuts to flights at 40 major U.S. airports, officials said Monday.
https://to.wttw.com/4hYevkG
https://to.wttw.com/4hYevkG
While Trump Threatens Controllers, US Flight Cancellations Will Drag on Even After Shutdown Ends
Some air traffic controllers — unpaid for nearly a month — have stopped showing up, citing the added stress and need to take second jobs.
to.wttw.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Apropos of this, even if you are willing to pay more it has become almost impossible to book a cancelable hotel room anymore. Even the most flexible bookings become nonrefundable 2-3 days out.
Also used to be easy to call a hotel if your flight was canceled and be forgiven, but not really anymore.
Also used to be easy to call a hotel if your flight was canceled and be forgiven, but not really anymore.
Specifically, there are no external websites anymore.
Meta plans to discontinue its Like and Share buttons for external websites in February 2026 as their usage "naturally declined as the digital landscape evolved" (Anna Washenko/Engadget)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
November 10, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Specifically, there are no external websites anymore.
I rebuilt my personal website for the book preorder launch, and with it finally killed my old, abandoned blog. (I kept a few random deeplinks that still get Google juice.)
I know the blogging era has been dead for some time but now it's finally and truly dead for me, too. RIP blogging.
I know the blogging era has been dead for some time but now it's finally and truly dead for me, too. RIP blogging.
November 10, 2025 at 7:39 PM
I rebuilt my personal website for the book preorder launch, and with it finally killed my old, abandoned blog. (I kept a few random deeplinks that still get Google juice.)
I know the blogging era has been dead for some time but now it's finally and truly dead for me, too. RIP blogging.
I know the blogging era has been dead for some time but now it's finally and truly dead for me, too. RIP blogging.
Ah yes the days of cchinges at McDonald’s, and when Shloske was only $9.50.
November 10, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Ah yes the days of cchinges at McDonald’s, and when Shloske was only $9.50.
🚨 PLEASE PREORDER MY NEW BOOK 🚨
It's called The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life, and it's about the sensory enchantment of everyday life.
Click here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sm...
… or go wherever you buy books
(More info in the next post)
It's called The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life, and it's about the sensory enchantment of everyday life.
Click here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sm...
… or go wherever you buy books
(More info in the next post)
November 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
🚨 PLEASE PREORDER MY NEW BOOK 🚨
It's called The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life, and it's about the sensory enchantment of everyday life.
Click here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sm...
… or go wherever you buy books
(More info in the next post)
It's called The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life, and it's about the sensory enchantment of everyday life.
Click here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sm...
… or go wherever you buy books
(More info in the next post)
Worshiping the Devil is no more insane than worshipping God.
November 9, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Worshiping the Devil is no more insane than worshipping God.
“The concept of an ornate couch appears to be an exciting novelty for homeowners under 40.”
The Reign of the Maximalist Couch
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:34 PM
“The concept of an ornate couch appears to be an exciting novelty for homeowners under 40.”
By his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.
November 8, 2025 at 8:51 PM
By his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.
That time I made a queue in Animal Crossing.
November 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
That time I made a queue in Animal Crossing.
I have learned about Dr. Lou, via this found object.
November 7, 2025 at 6:15 PM
I have learned about Dr. Lou, via this found object.
I think @damonberes.com right that chatbots shouldn’t be your friends, and insidious stuff arises from treating them as such.
But that doesn’t doom LLMs, which are useful and (sorry to ppl here) not purely evil.
It would be nice to try to sort out the jumble, but our culture isn’t great at that!
But that doesn’t doom LLMs, which are useful and (sorry to ppl here) not purely evil.
It would be nice to try to sort out the jumble, but our culture isn’t great at that!
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I think @damonberes.com right that chatbots shouldn’t be your friends, and insidious stuff arises from treating them as such.
But that doesn’t doom LLMs, which are useful and (sorry to ppl here) not purely evil.
It would be nice to try to sort out the jumble, but our culture isn’t great at that!
But that doesn’t doom LLMs, which are useful and (sorry to ppl here) not purely evil.
It would be nice to try to sort out the jumble, but our culture isn’t great at that!
“Copay” is such a perverse idea. Like your insurance wants a wingman. That’s just a payment bro.
November 7, 2025 at 3:47 AM
“Copay” is such a perverse idea. Like your insurance wants a wingman. That’s just a payment bro.
Further to this: In the cinnamon-gum era, cinnamon was considered freshening (“Give your breath long lasting freshness / With Big Red”), probably because of cinnamon’s tannins and associated astringency.
Difficult to imagine cinnamon being considered “fresh” today.
Difficult to imagine cinnamon being considered “fresh” today.
Premise: Cinnamon gum and candies (Big Red, Red Hots, etc.) have now been fully supplanted by sour-flavor alternatives.
Big Red Commercial
YouTube video by commercials818
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Further to this: In the cinnamon-gum era, cinnamon was considered freshening (“Give your breath long lasting freshness / With Big Red”), probably because of cinnamon’s tannins and associated astringency.
Difficult to imagine cinnamon being considered “fresh” today.
Difficult to imagine cinnamon being considered “fresh” today.
Had my first sundubu of the season earlier this week. Made me think of this famous Hart Crane poem about sundubu:
Steam—an opal psalm—
breaks from the earthen mouth.
Tofu, cloud-anchored, drifts—
salt of the sea’s confession,
heat of a star made broth.
Steam—an opal psalm—
breaks from the earthen mouth.
Tofu, cloud-anchored, drifts—
salt of the sea’s confession,
heat of a star made broth.
November 6, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Had my first sundubu of the season earlier this week. Made me think of this famous Hart Crane poem about sundubu:
Steam—an opal psalm—
breaks from the earthen mouth.
Tofu, cloud-anchored, drifts—
salt of the sea’s confession,
heat of a star made broth.
Steam—an opal psalm—
breaks from the earthen mouth.
Tofu, cloud-anchored, drifts—
salt of the sea’s confession,
heat of a star made broth.
Reposted by Ian Bogost
On the surface, grade inflation might seem simple to address, @ibogost.com writes. But it’s a strange and wicked problem on campus, with no single cause or obvious solution: https://theatln.tc/ds5cBJAV
November 5, 2025 at 10:15 PM
On the surface, grade inflation might seem simple to address, @ibogost.com writes. But it’s a strange and wicked problem on campus, with no single cause or obvious solution: https://theatln.tc/ds5cBJAV
Reposted by Ian Bogost
The biggest day in esports has arrived. Q-UP is out. store.steampowered.com/app/3730790/...
Save 10% on Q-UP on Steam
Sick of long queues, unfair matchups, and arbitrary reflex tests? Try Q-UP, the coin flipping eSport. It's one part clicker, one part multiplayer strategy game, one part demented capitalism simulator,...
store.steampowered.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:19 PM
The biggest day in esports has arrived. Q-UP is out. store.steampowered.com/app/3730790/...
Reposted by Ian Bogost
A new digital era is emerging, and it’s even more anti-social than the last. Damon Beres reports on the false promise of AI companionship:
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 6:45 PM
A new digital era is emerging, and it’s even more anti-social than the last. Damon Beres reports on the false promise of AI companionship:
I have unearthed and am sharing this specimen.
I have 'dined' at Fresno's (which closed after multiple health-code violations). It offered "BBQ fajitas," which was sweet-and-sour meatlumps atop wet, boiled onions.
I cannot speak for Galveston's, but fear it.
I have 'dined' at Fresno's (which closed after multiple health-code violations). It offered "BBQ fajitas," which was sweet-and-sour meatlumps atop wet, boiled onions.
I cannot speak for Galveston's, but fear it.
November 5, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I have unearthed and am sharing this specimen.
I have 'dined' at Fresno's (which closed after multiple health-code violations). It offered "BBQ fajitas," which was sweet-and-sour meatlumps atop wet, boiled onions.
I cannot speak for Galveston's, but fear it.
I have 'dined' at Fresno's (which closed after multiple health-code violations). It offered "BBQ fajitas," which was sweet-and-sour meatlumps atop wet, boiled onions.
I cannot speak for Galveston's, but fear it.
Last week, Harvard released a report on curtailing "grade inflation," and (some) Harvard students kind of freaked out in an embarrassing way.
It's easy to call the students coddled, but why grade inflation became a problem is a knotty, decades-long nightmare of a problem, which I wrote about:
It's easy to call the students coddled, but why grade inflation became a problem is a knotty, decades-long nightmare of a problem, which I wrote about:
Why Students Are Obsessed With ‘Points Taken Off’
Students and professors are in a drawn-out battle over grade inflation. It may never end.
www.theatlantic.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Last week, Harvard released a report on curtailing "grade inflation," and (some) Harvard students kind of freaked out in an embarrassing way.
It's easy to call the students coddled, but why grade inflation became a problem is a knotty, decades-long nightmare of a problem, which I wrote about:
It's easy to call the students coddled, but why grade inflation became a problem is a knotty, decades-long nightmare of a problem, which I wrote about:
Sad to report that I saw some posts this morning.
November 4, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Sad to report that I saw some posts this morning.
Hertz has added koans to Gold Plus Rewards
November 4, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Hertz has added koans to Gold Plus Rewards