Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
@kurtishanlon.bsky.social
A lecturer in premodern Japanese Language and Literature at Yale University. Researching literature, especially waka, and its intersection with play. Designated departmental baker (he/him) Signal: kurtishanlon.33
Pinned
Ok, one last minute bit of retrospective:
I am so happy this was the year I finally earned my regalia. If you're defending this next year, don't give up hope!
I am so happy this was the year I finally earned my regalia. If you're defending this next year, don't give up hope!
Wow. The Peacock stream of the parade sucks. How is it this hard to do live TV in 2025?
November 27, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Wow. The Peacock stream of the parade sucks. How is it this hard to do live TV in 2025?
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
November 26, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Re putting out there that I consider AI "music" on the same level as the Rick and Morty "human music."
This is how I feel whenever I hear AI created music. We heard some at the market earlier today. It just lacks the soul of creativity, and so is just background noise. Sure I guess it helps drown out my tinnitus, but it doesn't make me feel anything.
youtu.be/S1jWdeRKvvk?...
youtu.be/S1jWdeRKvvk?...
Rick and Morty - Human music
YouTube video by Cartoon TV
youtu.be
November 26, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Re putting out there that I consider AI "music" on the same level as the Rick and Morty "human music."
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
Tired: AI is/isn't conscious
Wired: AI "won't stand in wonder before the beauty of God's creation"
Wired: AI "won't stand in wonder before the beauty of God's creation"
November 26, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Tired: AI is/isn't conscious
Wired: AI "won't stand in wonder before the beauty of God's creation"
Wired: AI "won't stand in wonder before the beauty of God's creation"
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
November 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
LRS: yeah, using poetry to hack LLMs means that the real key to the future is studying poetry. Switch majors, you Stem Scrubs! Or at least take a dang elective!
November 20, 2025 at 6:02 PM
LRS: yeah, using poetry to hack LLMs means that the real key to the future is studying poetry. Switch majors, you Stem Scrubs! Or at least take a dang elective!
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
“Adversarial poetry.”
Love this. Obvs.
Love this. Obvs.
November 20, 2025 at 5:53 PM
“Adversarial poetry.”
Love this. Obvs.
Love this. Obvs.
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
Homestar Playing Cards and lotsa other great new crap from @fangamer.com! Check it all out here: www.fangamer.com/collections/...
November 17, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Homestar Playing Cards and lotsa other great new crap from @fangamer.com! Check it all out here: www.fangamer.com/collections/...
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
The Washington State University Cougar Marching Band freakin' played Trogdor at their halftime show this weekend! And made ME! My husky head finally gets its due! 50 freakin' yards high man!
November 17, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The Washington State University Cougar Marching Band freakin' played Trogdor at their halftime show this weekend! And made ME! My husky head finally gets its due! 50 freakin' yards high man!
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
Day 10.
カメちゃんに
伸びてあくびで
恵まれた
By my turtle
Stretching and yawning
I have been blessed.
カメちゃんに
伸びてあくびで
恵まれた
By my turtle
Stretching and yawning
I have been blessed.
November 11, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Day 10.
カメちゃんに
伸びてあくびで
恵まれた
By my turtle
Stretching and yawning
I have been blessed.
カメちゃんに
伸びてあくびで
恵まれた
By my turtle
Stretching and yawning
I have been blessed.
I was being trained to navigate these hotel room interviews right when covid hit. I breathe a sigh of relief that I never had to do them, because they're creepy sounding even as a straight white cis guy.
If you are not in academia, you might not know this, but job interviews used to be held at conferences IN HOTEL ROOMS. Women candidates in a hotel room alone with often all-male committees. People sitting on beds! The horror stories I've heard.
I thing I sometimes thing about is that university departments were still doing job interviews in hotel rooms in the mid aughts
November 16, 2025 at 9:27 PM
I was being trained to navigate these hotel room interviews right when covid hit. I breathe a sigh of relief that I never had to do them, because they're creepy sounding even as a straight white cis guy.
Don't make me tap the sign.
Sure, purity politics may in few instances cause the terminally online to close themselves to the idea of personal growth and reconciliation. But I'm pretty sure being a sex pest is a decent enough line to draw. I mean, it's so easy to *not* be a sex pest; you have to consciously act on that.
November 16, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Don't make me tap the sign.
Had a very productive tag sale today. By random chance, an undergrad came by after seeing us on their jog, and it turned out to be someone in their last year studying Japanese mingei art history. We had a lovely chat about that.
November 15, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Had a very productive tag sale today. By random chance, an undergrad came by after seeing us on their jog, and it turned out to be someone in their last year studying Japanese mingei art history. We had a lovely chat about that.
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
I just remembered a very lovely DnD plot device that worked perfectly well for me as a DM, so I wanted to share it with all my TTRPG people.
So, in act 1, I knew that a certain character would want to visit the shop in town because that's his character's schtick: merchant man.
So, in act 1, I knew that a certain character would want to visit the shop in town because that's his character's schtick: merchant man.
November 14, 2025 at 11:01 PM
I just remembered a very lovely DnD plot device that worked perfectly well for me as a DM, so I wanted to share it with all my TTRPG people.
So, in act 1, I knew that a certain character would want to visit the shop in town because that's his character's schtick: merchant man.
So, in act 1, I knew that a certain character would want to visit the shop in town because that's his character's schtick: merchant man.
I just remembered a very lovely DnD plot device that worked perfectly well for me as a DM, so I wanted to share it with all my TTRPG people.
So, in act 1, I knew that a certain character would want to visit the shop in town because that's his character's schtick: merchant man.
So, in act 1, I knew that a certain character would want to visit the shop in town because that's his character's schtick: merchant man.
November 14, 2025 at 11:01 PM
I just remembered a very lovely DnD plot device that worked perfectly well for me as a DM, so I wanted to share it with all my TTRPG people.
So, in act 1, I knew that a certain character would want to visit the shop in town because that's his character's schtick: merchant man.
So, in act 1, I knew that a certain character would want to visit the shop in town because that's his character's schtick: merchant man.
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
You guys wanna see a dead body?
November 10, 2025 at 4:29 PM
You guys wanna see a dead body?
Sometimes I ponder if I should stop taking my phone into the washroom with me; is it screen addiction? But then I remember in 5th grade I would take in a Calvin and Hobbes anthology and sit there for just as long as I do now.
November 11, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Sometimes I ponder if I should stop taking my phone into the washroom with me; is it screen addiction? But then I remember in 5th grade I would take in a Calvin and Hobbes anthology and sit there for just as long as I do now.
Ahhhh, I am so close to being able to announce some good news that I've been sitting on for months! The wait is killing me!
November 10, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Ahhhh, I am so close to being able to announce some good news that I've been sitting on for months! The wait is killing me!
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
me when the AI bubble bursts
November 10, 2025 at 6:04 PM
me when the AI bubble bursts
Well, I was disappointed enough with last night's political fumble that I got out a pad and a fountain pen and wrote a physical ass letter to Schumer letting him know how angry and disgusted I was with his latest Charlie-Brown run at the football.
Unbelievable.
Unbelievable.
November 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Well, I was disappointed enough with last night's political fumble that I got out a pad and a fountain pen and wrote a physical ass letter to Schumer letting him know how angry and disgusted I was with his latest Charlie-Brown run at the football.
Unbelievable.
Unbelievable.
If you're not playing your DnD characters like this, what are we even doing here?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMaQ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMaQ...
The Necromancer Sisters - The Complete Series | Audio by @Gnome_Anne Art by @PunkeyDoodles8
YouTube video by Punkey Doodles
www.youtube.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:57 PM
If you're not playing your DnD characters like this, what are we even doing here?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMaQ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMaQ...
I am once again putting out there the analogy of dragons: unsympathetic hoarders of wealth extracted via great violence to the populace which they sit on and do nothing. And we celebrate cultural narratives where this wealth is forcefully reclaimed and distributed among the people.
Something deeply fucked up when you can blindly break basic state functions and condemn millions to death and then people make you the richest man in the world instead of a pariah
November 7, 2025 at 1:47 PM
I am once again putting out there the analogy of dragons: unsympathetic hoarders of wealth extracted via great violence to the populace which they sit on and do nothing. And we celebrate cultural narratives where this wealth is forcefully reclaimed and distributed among the people.
My spouse's addition to the rejoicing puns about sandwich guy's acquittal: "guess it was a cold-cut and dry case."
November 6, 2025 at 8:48 PM
My spouse's addition to the rejoicing puns about sandwich guy's acquittal: "guess it was a cold-cut and dry case."
Reposted by Dr. Kurtis Hanlon
Good morning! AI is being force-fed to you by a handful of billionaires who will lose a bunch of money if they fail to convince you that you need it. You do not need it 🫶
November 6, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Good morning! AI is being force-fed to you by a handful of billionaires who will lose a bunch of money if they fail to convince you that you need it. You do not need it 🫶