That Lucky Loser
@thatluckyloser.bsky.social
Just another guy looking around and vibing
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
as so often, the explanation is probably 'animals feel emotions that are similar to ours, and when we disregard the evidence to avoid 'anthromorphism' it's fundamentally ideological, not scientific'
this might be the saddest story I've ever written, about a seal that I will be thinking about for a long, long time.
defector.com/why-wont-nor...
defector.com/why-wont-nor...
Why Won’t Nora The Leopard Seal Abandon Her Dead Pups? | Defector
In the fall of 2021, Renato Borras-Chavez, a marine mammal ecologist at the University of Rhode Island, spotted a leopard seal on an ice floe. Borras-Chavez was on a research expedition to a glacial f...
defector.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:23 PM
as so often, the explanation is probably 'animals feel emotions that are similar to ours, and when we disregard the evidence to avoid 'anthromorphism' it's fundamentally ideological, not scientific'
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
i would push rogue one down and bring solo and the last jedi up. i’d also place attack of the clones at the bottom.
haven’t seen ROS or Solo but this seems like a pretty ball-knowing list from Pritzker, particularly if he volunteered the name “Star Wars” rather than “A New Hope”
November 24, 2025 at 7:37 PM
i would push rogue one down and bring solo and the last jedi up. i’d also place attack of the clones at the bottom.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
You can do it in game or in the meta or however you like, but once you do it, you’re going to discover a really neat behavior shift.
“Survival” is such an overwhelming goal that it overshadows everything else. Once it’s out of play, everyone starts thinking a lot more about stakes and motives.
“Survival” is such an overwhelming goal that it overshadows everything else. Once it’s out of play, everyone starts thinking a lot more about stakes and motives.
November 13, 2025 at 3:14 AM
You can do it in game or in the meta or however you like, but once you do it, you’re going to discover a really neat behavior shift.
“Survival” is such an overwhelming goal that it overshadows everything else. Once it’s out of play, everyone starts thinking a lot more about stakes and motives.
“Survival” is such an overwhelming goal that it overshadows everything else. Once it’s out of play, everyone starts thinking a lot more about stakes and motives.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
oh yes, this is why I have proposed "My Dinner With Andre, but with superheroes"
November 8, 2025 at 6:34 PM
oh yes, this is why I have proposed "My Dinner With Andre, but with superheroes"
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
As much as we rag on these games for having horrible models of history/politics/military theory and the fanbases they attract, there isn't anything inherently wrong with enjoying them because if you look hard enough *everything* is problematic
November 8, 2025 at 1:51 AM
As much as we rag on these games for having horrible models of history/politics/military theory and the fanbases they attract, there isn't anything inherently wrong with enjoying them because if you look hard enough *everything* is problematic
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
I think the Republican pitch for midterms is going to sound something like this
November 5, 2025 at 6:46 AM
I think the Republican pitch for midterms is going to sound something like this
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
I mean the big reason to want a public opinion is that it serves as a rate setting mechanism for the insurance market & also as a backstop for Medicaid in states that opted out of the expansion. It is in fact good public policy.
November 4, 2025 at 11:30 PM
I mean the big reason to want a public opinion is that it serves as a rate setting mechanism for the insurance market & also as a backstop for Medicaid in states that opted out of the expansion. It is in fact good public policy.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
The "dirty" secret of the Public Option is that it wouldn't drive private insurance out of business as right wingers feared & left wingers hoped, it would simply force insurers & providers to standardize the rates paid for healthcare & help keep those low across the board.
I mean the big reason to want a public opinion is that it serves as a rate setting mechanism for the insurance market & also as a backstop for Medicaid in states that opted out of the expansion. It is in fact good public policy.
November 4, 2025 at 11:43 PM
The "dirty" secret of the Public Option is that it wouldn't drive private insurance out of business as right wingers feared & left wingers hoped, it would simply force insurers & providers to standardize the rates paid for healthcare & help keep those low across the board.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
there's a picture of the 2024 PHB in the dictionary next to the word "mid" and it literally does not matter because the people hunger for Third Space The Game.
November 3, 2025 at 12:45 AM
there's a picture of the 2024 PHB in the dictionary next to the word "mid" and it literally does not matter because the people hunger for Third Space The Game.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
Food insecurity is also likely to escalate disordered eating patterns among marginalized groups, as my first longform story was about how oppression factors into mainstream treatment for eating disorders, so this will cost BIPOC LGBTQIA+ disabled lives in particular: prismreports.org/2023/09/13/b...
October 26, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Food insecurity is also likely to escalate disordered eating patterns among marginalized groups, as my first longform story was about how oppression factors into mainstream treatment for eating disorders, so this will cost BIPOC LGBTQIA+ disabled lives in particular: prismreports.org/2023/09/13/b...
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
a hot take about academia: it is both too activist and not activist enough. the endless focus on problematizing critiquing, etc etc often degenerates into navel gazing, while there is often a lack of high-quality outcome oriented empirical work on "what could make social institution XYZ work better"
October 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
a hot take about academia: it is both too activist and not activist enough. the endless focus on problematizing critiquing, etc etc often degenerates into navel gazing, while there is often a lack of high-quality outcome oriented empirical work on "what could make social institution XYZ work better"
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
My own solution in the past has been to speak of a political structure - vassalage - which connected kings, aristocrats and retainers, and then an economic system - manorialism - which connected aristocrats and peasants.
I can explain that in a simple, foundational model, which we can build on.
I can explain that in a simple, foundational model, which we can build on.
October 20, 2025 at 3:44 PM
My own solution in the past has been to speak of a political structure - vassalage - which connected kings, aristocrats and retainers, and then an economic system - manorialism - which connected aristocrats and peasants.
I can explain that in a simple, foundational model, which we can build on.
I can explain that in a simple, foundational model, which we can build on.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
The biggest challenge is convincing people that things could be different and that their actions matter.
October 13, 2025 at 11:14 PM
The biggest challenge is convincing people that things could be different and that their actions matter.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
It’s been accepted as common sense wisdom from people who hold firm to the “nasty, brutish, and short” vision of humanity articulated in The Leviathan.
October 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM
It’s been accepted as common sense wisdom from people who hold firm to the “nasty, brutish, and short” vision of humanity articulated in The Leviathan.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
“Virtue signaling” has been an all-purpose tool to invalidate any form of advocacy which isn’t centered around selfishness.
her advocacy for Palestinians doesn't bother me nearly as much as she is so desperately doing all this as an actual act of transparent virtue signaling, to fill the absence she has in depth of character
October 13, 2025 at 2:59 PM
“Virtue signaling” has been an all-purpose tool to invalidate any form of advocacy which isn’t centered around selfishness.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
the post office is a public service. it doesn’t need to make money. public transit doesn’t need to make money. the library doesn’t need to make money. some things exist for the public good and we desperately need lawmakers to stop thinking about them in terms of capitalism. these are not businesses.
September 25, 2025 at 11:09 PM
the post office is a public service. it doesn’t need to make money. public transit doesn’t need to make money. the library doesn’t need to make money. some things exist for the public good and we desperately need lawmakers to stop thinking about them in terms of capitalism. these are not businesses.
"calling something pretentious is anti-intellectualism (...) we embrace pretentiousness as an attempt to move something beyond content and elevate it to art" like holy crap dude when did you get earth 2 early access
September 22, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
A vain, immoderate faith in these institutions made it possible to overlook the fact that their vitality was gone. The machine could still be heard clattering along, so no one asked if it was still doing its job” - Carl von Clausewitz on Prussia in 1806
i think a lot of american political institutions have, in years of plenty and peace, have become cargo cults that no longer understand the rituals they are suppose to perform and that there are actually costs to upholding your values
i do think a lot of traditionally really important civil society organs are de-legitimizing themselves and boy that's not great
September 16, 2025 at 12:32 PM
A vain, immoderate faith in these institutions made it possible to overlook the fact that their vitality was gone. The machine could still be heard clattering along, so no one asked if it was still doing its job” - Carl von Clausewitz on Prussia in 1806
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
it won't happen automatically. but there is very obviously an opportunity for ambitious types who want to quite literally save the American republic to have their names written in history. crowns are in the gutter waiting to be picked up
August 27, 2025 at 1:40 AM
it won't happen automatically. but there is very obviously an opportunity for ambitious types who want to quite literally save the American republic to have their names written in history. crowns are in the gutter waiting to be picked up
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
The median voter isn't a pureed balance of elite centrist takes, they're somebody who has a passionate opinion about vehicle registration fees but couldn't name the current vice president.
August 24, 2025 at 12:06 AM
The median voter isn't a pureed balance of elite centrist takes, they're somebody who has a passionate opinion about vehicle registration fees but couldn't name the current vice president.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
when I say "liberal," I mean "centrist who believes in all the basics of Western neoliberalism" but when Chris Hayes says liberal, he means "progressive who believes in a degree of regulation of capital" but when the cheeto says "liberal" he means "anyone left of Reagan"
June 25, 2025 at 8:54 PM
when I say "liberal," I mean "centrist who believes in all the basics of Western neoliberalism" but when Chris Hayes says liberal, he means "progressive who believes in a degree of regulation of capital" but when the cheeto says "liberal" he means "anyone left of Reagan"
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
The lesson to be learned from “Disco Elysium” was not the use of the second-person narrative, nor magical-realist alternate histories, nor different voices in your head. The lesson was to write deeply personal stories without compromise, to lose your fear that your own voice might not fit in.
August 20, 2025 at 8:29 AM
The lesson to be learned from “Disco Elysium” was not the use of the second-person narrative, nor magical-realist alternate histories, nor different voices in your head. The lesson was to write deeply personal stories without compromise, to lose your fear that your own voice might not fit in.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
The thing about Mamdani in this moment is that he is telling people that they do not have to simply accept what's on offer [and you see how much powerful interests HATE that]. He is doing this in just a couple of areas. Others could do the same focusing on the areas of life that most speak to them.
August 22, 2025 at 9:26 PM
The thing about Mamdani in this moment is that he is telling people that they do not have to simply accept what's on offer [and you see how much powerful interests HATE that]. He is doing this in just a couple of areas. Others could do the same focusing on the areas of life that most speak to them.
Reposted by That Lucky Loser
i believe electoralism has to be part of any political movement. but also: we are seeing in real time the limitations of a party and/or movement that simply cannot conceive of politics as anything BUT electoralism. hard
to imagine a better illustration than the nascent Posting Wars
to imagine a better illustration than the nascent Posting Wars
August 22, 2025 at 9:31 PM
i believe electoralism has to be part of any political movement. but also: we are seeing in real time the limitations of a party and/or movement that simply cannot conceive of politics as anything BUT electoralism. hard
to imagine a better illustration than the nascent Posting Wars
to imagine a better illustration than the nascent Posting Wars