Kurt Smith
@kurtosis0.bsky.social
Reposted by Kurt Smith
I’ve said this before but white guilt is useless. I don’t want people to feel guilty for things they had no part in, and guilt easily curdles into resentment. But everyone regardless should feel an obligation to correct injustice, especially if you somehow benefit. bsky.app/profile/mich...
I found this piece sad too, but mostly because it is part of a years-long effort by progressives to understand what "really" animates Trump voters.
We already know! It is racism, misogyny and misinformation. I know that sounds condescending or whatever but it's simply what all evidence suggests.
We already know! It is racism, misogyny and misinformation. I know that sounds condescending or whatever but it's simply what all evidence suggests.
October 31, 2025 at 11:12 AM
I’ve said this before but white guilt is useless. I don’t want people to feel guilty for things they had no part in, and guilt easily curdles into resentment. But everyone regardless should feel an obligation to correct injustice, especially if you somehow benefit. bsky.app/profile/mich...
Reposted by Kurt Smith
I wrote in february that the administration had an apartheid refugee policy. As usual though in this business it's better to be wrong in a way that powerful people like rather than right in a way they don't. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Afrikaner ‘Refugees’ Only
Trump wants to “promote the resettlement” of white South Africans.
www.theatlantic.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:12 PM
I wrote in february that the administration had an apartheid refugee policy. As usual though in this business it's better to be wrong in a way that powerful people like rather than right in a way they don't. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by Kurt Smith
“Trump is a gift that keeps on giving to China, and his latest trade brinkmanship is likely to end in another climbdown.” on.ft.com/48Y7wFK
US-China déjà vu all over again
Trump’s latest piece of brinkmanship is likely to result in another climbdown
on.ft.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:15 PM
“Trump is a gift that keeps on giving to China, and his latest trade brinkmanship is likely to end in another climbdown.” on.ft.com/48Y7wFK
Reposted by Kurt Smith
Some people on the left inability to separate wanting to get married and have children from fascism is why we can’t have nice things.
The Life of a...Tradwife?
The conservatism that's resurgent in the U.S. wants women to get married and have babies—so Taylor Swift's latest lyrics about getting married and having babies genuinely bummed me out.
www.jezebel.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Some people on the left inability to separate wanting to get married and have children from fascism is why we can’t have nice things.
Reposted by Kurt Smith
"The authoritarian will hurt you if you do not cooperate with them. But a liberal regime will not punish you for having cooperated with authoritarians. So your incentives are clear." How do you fix this?
Here’s How Trump Loses the Shutdown
God help us but Gavin Newsom is the only Democrat who understands power.
www.thebulwark.com
October 8, 2025 at 2:30 AM
"The authoritarian will hurt you if you do not cooperate with them. But a liberal regime will not punish you for having cooperated with authoritarians. So your incentives are clear." How do you fix this?
Reposted by Kurt Smith
Occupational licensing boards don’t protect the public; they protect incumbents. Stacked with industry insiders, they block competition, raise prices, and hurt workers.
The long term fix is to end licensing laws. The short term fix? End licensing boards.
The long term fix is to end licensing laws. The short term fix? End licensing boards.
The Case Against State Occupational Licensing Boards
www.cato.org
October 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Occupational licensing boards don’t protect the public; they protect incumbents. Stacked with industry insiders, they block competition, raise prices, and hurt workers.
The long term fix is to end licensing laws. The short term fix? End licensing boards.
The long term fix is to end licensing laws. The short term fix? End licensing boards.
Reposted by Kurt Smith
There are these WAFFLES places in Berlin that, in a nice touch, will write your name in chocolate sauce. This was a good effort! Lebanese (I think) staff working in Germany trying to understand an American guy's name. I love this world.
(Strawberries, nutella, whipped cream, iykyk)
WAFFLES
(Strawberries, nutella, whipped cream, iykyk)
WAFFLES
October 3, 2025 at 1:33 PM
There are these WAFFLES places in Berlin that, in a nice touch, will write your name in chocolate sauce. This was a good effort! Lebanese (I think) staff working in Germany trying to understand an American guy's name. I love this world.
(Strawberries, nutella, whipped cream, iykyk)
WAFFLES
(Strawberries, nutella, whipped cream, iykyk)
WAFFLES
Reposted by Kurt Smith
Amazing breakfast this morning. I love waffles
October 2, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Amazing breakfast this morning. I love waffles
Just here for the waffles at this point
October 7, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Just here for the waffles at this point
Reposted by Kurt Smith
There's the substance of the signal issue, and then there's the pattern of behavior that jay was responding to -- the constant, _constant_ off topic responses that make this tedious.
On the substance, it's really just that the guy didn't violate the ToS. I'm sorry, that's just it
On the substance, it's really just that the guy didn't violate the ToS. I'm sorry, that's just it
October 1, 2025 at 11:10 PM
There's the substance of the signal issue, and then there's the pattern of behavior that jay was responding to -- the constant, _constant_ off topic responses that make this tedious.
On the substance, it's really just that the guy didn't violate the ToS. I'm sorry, that's just it
On the substance, it's really just that the guy didn't violate the ToS. I'm sorry, that's just it
Reposted by Kurt Smith
October 3, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by Kurt Smith
I have used the forbidden term (WAFFLES) so it is now a "Nazi dog whistle"
Do BlueSky powerusers understand what a laughingstock this place is?
Do BlueSky powerusers understand what a laughingstock this place is?
October 5, 2025 at 12:17 AM
I have used the forbidden term (WAFFLES) so it is now a "Nazi dog whistle"
Do BlueSky powerusers understand what a laughingstock this place is?
Do BlueSky powerusers understand what a laughingstock this place is?
Reposted by Kurt Smith
Ford CEO on tariffs: “I mean, it's frustrating 'cause we're the most American auto company, and we export the most, and yet, we have this $2 billion headwind, which prevents me from investing even more in the US.”
finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-ce...
finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-ce...
Ford CEO says $2 billion in tariff costs prevents more US investments
Ford CEO Jim Farley says tariffs on imported parts are driving up costs on the company's cars.
finance.yahoo.com
October 5, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Ford CEO on tariffs: “I mean, it's frustrating 'cause we're the most American auto company, and we export the most, and yet, we have this $2 billion headwind, which prevents me from investing even more in the US.”
finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-ce...
finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-ce...
Reposted by Kurt Smith
"The Dems pragmatic wing has been pleading to broaden the tent, ideally before the Trump administration stamps out all opposition. Party progressives seem determined to reeducate the public rather than compromise for their votes."
- @jonathanbchait.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
- @jonathanbchait.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Democrats Still Have No Idea What Went Wrong
The party’s progressives seem to think the problem is not with their platform but with voters.
www.theatlantic.com
October 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM
"The Dems pragmatic wing has been pleading to broaden the tent, ideally before the Trump administration stamps out all opposition. Party progressives seem determined to reeducate the public rather than compromise for their votes."
- @jonathanbchait.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
- @jonathanbchait.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Reposted by Kurt Smith
Jerry they wrote in the newspaper that you started something
October 5, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Jerry they wrote in the newspaper that you started something
Reposted by Kurt Smith
Harassing the mods into banning someone has never worked. And harassing people in general has never changed their mind.
October 3, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Harassing the mods into banning someone has never worked. And harassing people in general has never changed their mind.
Reposted by Kurt Smith
the reason the abundance side is winning the policy argument is that anti-abundance takes like this are completely devoid of any logic. just pure process fetish over outcomes
For everyone on California housing Twitter happy about CEQA reform, here’s an old environmentalist blogging friend (those were simpler days) who is furious. (He is not a wealthy homeowner. He just really cares about the desert.) Sad to see such polarization.
open.substack.com/pub/lettersf...
open.substack.com/pub/lettersf...
Letter From the Desert: CEQA Deserved Better
a.k.a. why I won't be voting for Gavin Newsom again
open.substack.com
July 9, 2025 at 9:58 PM
the reason the abundance side is winning the policy argument is that anti-abundance takes like this are completely devoid of any logic. just pure process fetish over outcomes
I tried making the move over here but seriously wtf is wrong with people on this app? Off to Substack!
After consideration, I will post occasionally, but heavily censor what I share compared to other sites.
I tried making the transition, but talking about AI here is just really fraught in ways that are tough to mitigate & make it hard to have good discussions (the point of social!). Maybe it changes
I tried making the transition, but talking about AI here is just really fraught in ways that are tough to mitigate & make it hard to have good discussions (the point of social!). Maybe it changes
July 8, 2025 at 5:59 AM
I tried making the move over here but seriously wtf is wrong with people on this app? Off to Substack!
Reposted by Kurt Smith
After consideration, I will post occasionally, but heavily censor what I share compared to other sites.
I tried making the transition, but talking about AI here is just really fraught in ways that are tough to mitigate & make it hard to have good discussions (the point of social!). Maybe it changes
I tried making the transition, but talking about AI here is just really fraught in ways that are tough to mitigate & make it hard to have good discussions (the point of social!). Maybe it changes
May 26, 2025 at 4:25 AM
After consideration, I will post occasionally, but heavily censor what I share compared to other sites.
I tried making the transition, but talking about AI here is just really fraught in ways that are tough to mitigate & make it hard to have good discussions (the point of social!). Maybe it changes
I tried making the transition, but talking about AI here is just really fraught in ways that are tough to mitigate & make it hard to have good discussions (the point of social!). Maybe it changes
Reposted by Kurt Smith
Abrego Garcia's wife: "I will not stop fighting until I see my husband alive. Kilmar, if you can hear me, stay strong. God hasn't forgotten about you. Our children are asking when you will come home ... they miss their dad so much."
April 15, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Abrego Garcia's wife: "I will not stop fighting until I see my husband alive. Kilmar, if you can hear me, stay strong. God hasn't forgotten about you. Our children are asking when you will come home ... they miss their dad so much."
Excited to share what I’ve been working on at Essential AI. RL has been successful in getting LLMs to “self-reflect”, a key reasoning capability. But could this arise even earlier in pretraining? We investigated this question and got some surprising results.
Very cool paper built on OLMo checkpoints shows that reflection in chain of thoughts emerges more frequently as pretraining compute increases. We need to do a lot more understanding on the role of base model in reasoning.
Rethinking Reflection in Pre-Training
buff.ly/VRHX8Co
Rethinking Reflection in Pre-Training
buff.ly/VRHX8Co
April 8, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Excited to share what I’ve been working on at Essential AI. RL has been successful in getting LLMs to “self-reflect”, a key reasoning capability. But could this arise even earlier in pretraining? We investigated this question and got some surprising results.
Who is writing these examples for google translate?
December 14, 2024 at 2:41 AM
Who is writing these examples for google translate?