Jason Colavito
@jasoncolavito.bsky.social
Author, researcher. Pop culture, science, & history. Bylines in Esquire, The New Republic, CNN, Slate, etc. My new book, "Jimmy," about James Dean out now!
I am struggling to understand how every member of the elite was bosom buddies with Jeffrey Epstein, if not for sex crimes. What else did this guy offer?
A series of exchanges between Jeffrey Epstein and Lawrence H. Summers, the former Treasury Secretary, suggest a far cozier and more intimate relationship than was previously known, emails between the two that were released by House Republicans show. nyti.ms/3WTjiKu
Epstein Bantered Regularly With Larry Summers
The former Treasury secretary corresponded routinely with Jeffrey Epstein. In one series of exchanges, he sought Mr. Epstein’s advice on how to handle a female acquaintance.
nyti.ms
November 12, 2025 at 10:57 PM
I am struggling to understand how every member of the elite was bosom buddies with Jeffrey Epstein, if not for sex crimes. What else did this guy offer?
"Brave New Breakfast by Betty Crocker"--Eggnog on Trix, 1957.
November 12, 2025 at 8:16 PM
"Brave New Breakfast by Betty Crocker"--Eggnog on Trix, 1957.
Hegseth is so insistent that his troops look like "Triumph of the Will" that he is lashing out at a religion popular with his Neo-Nazi fan base.
Hegseth: "We don't need to be a military of beardos anymore. Do you know how many troops claim to be Nordic Pagan? No, suddenly it's become this real fake religious affiliation inside the Pentagon where troops came to be Nordic Pagan so they can grow a beard and nobody challenges them on it."
November 12, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Hegseth is so insistent that his troops look like "Triumph of the Will" that he is lashing out at a religion popular with his Neo-Nazi fan base.
Is "reform" the right word for total control and lifetime immunity? "Change" is accurate without implying these new powers are necessarily good.
Breaking News: Pakistan’s army chief secured expanded powers over the military and lifelong immunity after lawmakers approved a constitutional reform.
Pakistan’s Army Chief Is Granted Sweeping Authority Over All Military Branches
A constitutional reform in the nuclear-armed country extends the chief’s power over all the military and brings Pakistan’s highest court under tighter political control.
nyti.ms
November 12, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Is "reform" the right word for total control and lifetime immunity? "Change" is accurate without implying these new powers are necessarily good.
To be fair, porn was also the primary use case for every new media technology upon its inception.
it really can't be said enough that the two primary use cases for ai currently are nonconsensual deepfake porn and plagiarizing homework. forget about the stuff it may be able to do in the future, that is what it is being used for now
For porn and plagiarism.
November 11, 2025 at 4:13 PM
To be fair, porn was also the primary use case for every new media technology upon its inception.
It infuriates me that a dilettante with no experience and no appreciation for the history and practice of journalism gets to set fire to whatever she can't understand. How can the head of a news organization not know why standards and practices exist? www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
Bari Weiss wants to take down ‘too much power’ CBS News Standards unit: sources
EXCLUSIVE: Internal rumblings within the newsroom come after the S&P head resigned and the network disbanded its vaunted Race and Culture unit.
www.the-independent.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:43 PM
It infuriates me that a dilettante with no experience and no appreciation for the history and practice of journalism gets to set fire to whatever she can't understand. How can the head of a news organization not know why standards and practices exist? www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
I have never heard of a restaurant that refused to serve chips (fries) with the dish it specifically calls "fish and chips." California Fish Grill customers are angry that its "fish and chips" is just a fish patty on salad greens--and it may be illegal. www.kiplinger.com/personal-fin...
Fish and Chips? More Like Fish and a Side of Customer Confusion and Anger
So you expect chips — French fries, actually — to come with your order of fish and chips? Think again. This restaurant could be serving a case of violating the truth-in-menu laws.
www.kiplinger.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:02 PM
I have never heard of a restaurant that refused to serve chips (fries) with the dish it specifically calls "fish and chips." California Fish Grill customers are angry that its "fish and chips" is just a fish patty on salad greens--and it may be illegal. www.kiplinger.com/personal-fin...
Somehow this keeps coming to mind.
November 10, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Somehow this keeps coming to mind.
Reposted by Jason Colavito
Hungover Egyptologist Just Gonna Call In Cursed Today
Hungover Egyptologist Just Gonna Call In Cursed Today
CAIRO—Admitting he was unable to face a lengthy session of indexing artifacts after drinking too much the night before, hungover Egyptologist Henry Chapman confirmed Tuesday he was just gonna call in ...
theonion.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Hungover Egyptologist Just Gonna Call In Cursed Today
A welcome surprise.
Supreme Court won't overturn its landmark precedent recognizing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage https://cnn.it/4nGnEiN
November 10, 2025 at 2:53 PM
A welcome surprise.
The Today Show claims to have found Noah's Ark. It just ran an NBC "exclusive" with Christian researcher Andrew Jones, who is promoting the Durupinar site, as he has for years. This time he's claiming to have found "tunnels" under the natural formation that he claims are the ship's "decks."
November 10, 2025 at 12:51 PM
The Today Show claims to have found Noah's Ark. It just ran an NBC "exclusive" with Christian researcher Andrew Jones, who is promoting the Durupinar site, as he has for years. This time he's claiming to have found "tunnels" under the natural formation that he claims are the ship's "decks."
Accepting the mere promise of a vote is also a promise that the Republicans can and will vote no. It boggles my mind that we are now in a place where one party is actively cheering on the taking of food and medicine from the most vulnerable.
Dems backed Trump into a corner where he’s advocating for starving Americans and hemorrhaging support. If they vote to let him off the hook in exchange for nothing it’s a cataclysmic failure. I know people are in pain but insulating Republicans from political consequences is not the answer.
November 9, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Accepting the mere promise of a vote is also a promise that the Republicans can and will vote no. It boggles my mind that we are now in a place where one party is actively cheering on the taking of food and medicine from the most vulnerable.
This People magazine piece on Donald Turnupseed, the man driving the car that killed James Dean, is missing an important fact: Turnupseed did speak about the accident one time. He testified at the inquest into Dean's death, and that testimony is public record. people.com/donald-turnu...
Inside the Haunted Life of Donald Turnupseed, the Other Man in James Dean's Fatal Car Crash
Donald Turnupseed, whose car collided with James Dean's vehicle in 1955, resulting in the actor's death, avoided the media and the spotlight after the incident. "That’s something that bothered him his...
people.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:03 PM
This People magazine piece on Donald Turnupseed, the man driving the car that killed James Dean, is missing an important fact: Turnupseed did speak about the accident one time. He testified at the inquest into Dean's death, and that testimony is public record. people.com/donald-turnu...
In its previous episode, "Ancient Aliens" delivered an apology for the British Empire. This week, they celebrated Japan, saying space aliens have guided and controlled its history--implicitly endorsing its murderous, expansionist pre-WWII colonial regime. www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/review-...
November 7, 2025 at 7:48 PM
In its previous episode, "Ancient Aliens" delivered an apology for the British Empire. This week, they celebrated Japan, saying space aliens have guided and controlled its history--implicitly endorsing its murderous, expansionist pre-WWII colonial regime. www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/review-...
This is a horrifying story, but I am astounded how different ChatGPT is for other users. In this case, it's writing like a dude bro. With me, it writes academese, keeps telling me what I already know, and then asks if I want it to simplify the material for me.
He started using ChatGPT for help with homework and eventually it ended up helping him to commit suicide...
"thank you for letting me ride with you to the end"
"may your next save file be somewhere warm"
"see you on the other side"
#NihilismAndTechnology
"thank you for letting me ride with you to the end"
"may your next save file be somewhere warm"
"see you on the other side"
#NihilismAndTechnology
November 7, 2025 at 1:14 PM
This is a horrifying story, but I am astounded how different ChatGPT is for other users. In this case, it's writing like a dude bro. With me, it writes academese, keeps telling me what I already know, and then asks if I want it to simplify the material for me.
The only thing personality tests, going back to phrenology (which is basically what this one is), have in common is that they are pseudoscientific nonsense that do not work.
A new paper suggests a photo can tell a recruiter much about an applicant’s personality
Should facial analysis help determine whom companies hire?
A new paper suggests a photo can tell a recruiter much about an applicant’s personality
econ.st
November 7, 2025 at 2:44 AM
The only thing personality tests, going back to phrenology (which is basically what this one is), have in common is that they are pseudoscientific nonsense that do not work.
I finished "Death by Lightning." I liked it as a sort of fantasy Victorian "West Wing," but the producers tried so hard to make clear heroes and villains for a "Passion of St. James of Garfield" that they left too much out and distorted the real people too much.
November 6, 2025 at 8:35 PM
I finished "Death by Lightning." I liked it as a sort of fantasy Victorian "West Wing," but the producers tried so hard to make clear heroes and villains for a "Passion of St. James of Garfield" that they left too much out and distorted the real people too much.
The History channel has moved "Ancient Aliens" yet again. Starting tonight, it will air an hour later, at 9 PM ET, sandwiched between repeat episodes--not that anyone will notice the difference. This week's episode is yet another remake of an earlier episode.
November 6, 2025 at 3:55 PM
The History channel has moved "Ancient Aliens" yet again. Starting tonight, it will air an hour later, at 9 PM ET, sandwiched between repeat episodes--not that anyone will notice the difference. This week's episode is yet another remake of an earlier episode.
Past centuries would have called it "decadence," which is to say the softening and self-indulgence of society. Historically, men have described decadence as "effeminacy" because of entrenched misogyny and homophobia, and it's depressing that promoters of the "feminization" scare are unaware of it.
A recent essay, “The Great Feminization,” posits that the growing influence of women is harming U.S. institutions. @sophiegilbert.bsky.social argues that the real problem facing American culture is quite different:
No, Women Aren’t the Problem
America is rapidly becoming the manosphere, but, sure, let’s go after the “feminization” of culture.
bit.ly
November 6, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Past centuries would have called it "decadence," which is to say the softening and self-indulgence of society. Historically, men have described decadence as "effeminacy" because of entrenched misogyny and homophobia, and it's depressing that promoters of the "feminization" scare are unaware of it.
The filmmaker behind the "Atlantica" documentary claiming to have found Atlantis off Cadiz attempted to pass off Plato's Timaeus as a "new" discovery to the Daily Mail and alleged the Knights Templar and Freemasons hid the secret history of Atlantis. www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/filmmak...
Filmmaker Claims "New Evidence" of Egyptian Atlantis Knowledge, But It's Just Plato
Giorgio Tsoukalos recently started referring to the December 2017 New York Times story that launched the current wave of Congressional UFO interest as “ the Pentagon Papers ,” and that...
www.jasoncolavito.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:58 AM
The filmmaker behind the "Atlantica" documentary claiming to have found Atlantis off Cadiz attempted to pass off Plato's Timaeus as a "new" discovery to the Daily Mail and alleged the Knights Templar and Freemasons hid the secret history of Atlantis. www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/filmmak...
Giorgio Tsoukalos is now referring to the December 2017 New York Times UFO story that launched the current wave of Congressional UFO interest as "the Pentagon Papers," either conflating it with or appropriating the name of the famed Vietnam-era leak. i95rock.com/ancient-alie...
Giorgio Tsoukalos Says ‘We Can Handle The Truth’ About UFO Disclosure
Join Giorgio A. Tsoukalos and experts on November 8th at the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater as they tackle humanity's lingering questions about UFOs and extraterrestrial contact.
i95rock.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Giorgio Tsoukalos is now referring to the December 2017 New York Times UFO story that launched the current wave of Congressional UFO interest as "the Pentagon Papers," either conflating it with or appropriating the name of the famed Vietnam-era leak. i95rock.com/ancient-alie...
Sure, he's the archetype of shady businessman and oldest known business fraud in history, but can you name another copper merchant?
For the Ea-nasir fans, Assyriology podcast 'Thin End of the Wedge' just released a special episode about everyone's favorite copper merchant, featuring @gvkonsta.bsky.social, @gabemoshenska.bsky.social, and Steven Garfinkle, and yours truly.
Listen here:
www.buzzsprout.com/1338718/epis...
Listen here:
www.buzzsprout.com/1338718/epis...
80. Ea-nasir: everyone's favourite copper merchant - Thin End of the Wedge
Gina Konstantopoulos, Andrew Deloucas, Gabriel Moshenska, and Steven Garfinkle discuss internet favourite, Ea-nasir. What do we know about the Dilmun traders and their role in the supply of copper to ...
www.buzzsprout.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Sure, he's the archetype of shady businessman and oldest known business fraud in history, but can you name another copper merchant?
I'm old enough to remember that after every election for the past twenty years, pundits and politicos have claimed that permanent one-party rule had arrived. The only thing you can take to the bank is that the pundits are always wrong.
basically every 2024 truism is dead. Trump did not build a lasting multiracial coalition or turn young men into committed Republicans. You don’t need to cave on trans rights to win. The pundits have nothing left to tell you.
November 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
I'm old enough to remember that after every election for the past twenty years, pundits and politicos have claimed that permanent one-party rule had arrived. The only thing you can take to the bank is that the pundits are always wrong.
The short version: Like Dwight Eisenhower in the famous (and false) anecdote, students are shocked and angry to discover that "half the people you know are below average" and maybe they are, too.
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:
Why Students Are Obsessed With ‘Points Taken Off’
Students and professors are in a drawn-out battle over grade inflation. It may never end.
bit.ly
November 4, 2025 at 6:21 PM
The short version: Like Dwight Eisenhower in the famous (and false) anecdote, students are shocked and angry to discover that "half the people you know are below average" and maybe they are, too.
The new book "Don't Stop: Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac's Rumours" by Alan Light, out tomorrow, claims "Rumours" is "the only classic rock record that still attracts young listeners." Can that be right? It doesn't feel like it would be, and how does one measure that?
November 3, 2025 at 9:11 PM
The new book "Don't Stop: Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac's Rumours" by Alan Light, out tomorrow, claims "Rumours" is "the only classic rock record that still attracts young listeners." Can that be right? It doesn't feel like it would be, and how does one measure that?