Brendan Riley
@wombat929.bsky.social
(he/him)
pop culture, digital rhetoric, board gaming
Assoc Prof of Communication and Culture
Columbia College Chicago
pop culture, digital rhetoric, board gaming
Assoc Prof of Communication and Culture
Columbia College Chicago
I just learned about the principle of Chesterton's Fence, and I already know it will go into my logic banks alongside Occam's Razor, Cargo Cult Thinking, Poe's Law, and "Be Mindful of the Work You Leave for Others" as good ways to approach the world that not enough people use.
December 10, 2025 at 11:11 AM
I just learned about the principle of Chesterton's Fence, and I already know it will go into my logic banks alongside Occam's Razor, Cargo Cult Thinking, Poe's Law, and "Be Mindful of the Work You Leave for Others" as good ways to approach the world that not enough people use.
After slacking a bit this week, I spent 90 minutes or so clearing snow and ice from our walks and driveway. So in keeping with my great rules of weather (such as 'it only rains when you don't have an umbrella' and 'the hottest day is the one where you forget your water bottle') it snowed last night.
December 7, 2025 at 1:14 PM
After slacking a bit this week, I spent 90 minutes or so clearing snow and ice from our walks and driveway. So in keeping with my great rules of weather (such as 'it only rains when you don't have an umbrella' and 'the hottest day is the one where you forget your water bottle') it snowed last night.
Je m'appelle Archibald Dankworth.
December 3, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Je m'appelle Archibald Dankworth.
Reading MIGHTY FITZ by Michael Schumacher, I'm realizing that Gordon Lightfoot really didn't have much evidence to declare that dinner was too rough to eat, the main hatchway caved in, or even that the captain radio'd they were "in peril." Now I'm wondering if Arlo Guthrie ever even got arrested.
December 1, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reading MIGHTY FITZ by Michael Schumacher, I'm realizing that Gordon Lightfoot really didn't have much evidence to declare that dinner was too rough to eat, the main hatchway caved in, or even that the captain radio'd they were "in peril." Now I'm wondering if Arlo Guthrie ever even got arrested.
Reposted by Brendan Riley
Never seen it put this way and it's really powerful.
I think the shortest version of why LLMs are an anti education technology is that education is fundamentally about making shared context to understand ourselves, each other, and the world
And by design LLMs destroy shared context
And by design LLMs destroy shared context
November 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Never seen it put this way and it's really powerful.
Hardest work moment of the week: When your last meeting on Friday ends and you have work to do but ... it's Friday at 2pm.
November 21, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Hardest work moment of the week: When your last meeting on Friday ends and you have work to do but ... it's Friday at 2pm.
Goddamn it. I really hate grading GenAI shit.
November 18, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Goddamn it. I really hate grading GenAI shit.
I got some footage of the Democrats in December asking when the Republicans will, in good faith, bring Health Care reform to the floor, now that they've caved on the shutdown. #sigh
a cartoon girl in a blue dress is kneeling in a field holding a bag
ALT: a cartoon girl in a blue dress is kneeling in a field holding a bag
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:40 PM
I got some footage of the Democrats in December asking when the Republicans will, in good faith, bring Health Care reform to the floor, now that they've caved on the shutdown. #sigh
More weird choices from AI transcripts. Talking about rolling and resolving dice, whenever I referred to a single one, the AI apparently thought I meant "a person trained to help women give birth to babies or employed to feed another woman's baby with her own breast milk," as it wrote 'dai.'
October 31, 2025 at 1:16 PM
More weird choices from AI transcripts. Talking about rolling and resolving dice, whenever I referred to a single one, the AI apparently thought I meant "a person trained to help women give birth to babies or employed to feed another woman's baby with her own breast milk," as it wrote 'dai.'
Coincidence makes the universe seem ordered. Today, for no particular reason, I decided I should play DOWNFALL OF POMPEI on the anniversary of the titular Vesuvius eruption. Off I went to find the date. Turns out there's some scholarly dispute, but the current best guess: Oct 24-25, AD 79. Today.
October 24, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Coincidence makes the universe seem ordered. Today, for no particular reason, I decided I should play DOWNFALL OF POMPEI on the anniversary of the titular Vesuvius eruption. Off I went to find the date. Turns out there's some scholarly dispute, but the current best guess: Oct 24-25, AD 79. Today.
I always get anxious when characters in media don't watch the road while they drive. That anxiety is amplified as I watch #FinalDestinationBloodlines
September 21, 2025 at 12:07 PM
I always get anxious when characters in media don't watch the road while they drive. That anxiety is amplified as I watch #FinalDestinationBloodlines
In the ads for Hulu's THE LOWDOWN, Ethan Hawk looks a lot like Stephen McHattie circa #Pontypool. Makes me want to watch, but also to see what McHattie is up to. OH DANG. There's a movie called DREAMLAND based on the gonzo last 45 seconds of PONTYPOOL. Not great ratings, but I'm gonna watch anyway.
September 18, 2025 at 11:37 AM
In the ads for Hulu's THE LOWDOWN, Ethan Hawk looks a lot like Stephen McHattie circa #Pontypool. Makes me want to watch, but also to see what McHattie is up to. OH DANG. There's a movie called DREAMLAND based on the gonzo last 45 seconds of PONTYPOOL. Not great ratings, but I'm gonna watch anyway.
Say what you want about me, folx, but I just spelled the name of the fjord designer from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy correctly on the first try: Slartibartfast ftw, baby.
September 12, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Say what you want about me, folx, but I just spelled the name of the fjord designer from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy correctly on the first try: Slartibartfast ftw, baby.
"If I Can't Change Your Mind" by Bob Mould in his SUGAR days is a dang good song. Just in case you were wondering.
If I Can't Change Your Mind
YouTube video by Sugar - Topic
www.youtube.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:58 PM
"If I Can't Change Your Mind" by Bob Mould in his SUGAR days is a dang good song. Just in case you were wondering.
Reposted by Brendan Riley
Update to this chart that I share a lot. Not breaking news: Game design teams are still OVERWHELMINGLY all men. About 7% of the top 500 games have a woman or non-binary person credited as a designer. A 🧵of related charts: (1/6)
🎲✂️
🎲✂️
September 4, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Update to this chart that I share a lot. Not breaking news: Game design teams are still OVERWHELMINGLY all men. About 7% of the top 500 games have a woman or non-binary person credited as a designer. A 🧵of related charts: (1/6)
🎲✂️
🎲✂️
Listening to the Flashback #CultClassicPod episode about GI Joe the Movie with @gamenightpicks.com and @boardsalive.bsky.social, I couldn't help but think Cobra Commander sounds a lot like Robert Kennedy Jr. I suspect COBRA was probably pro Vaxx though.
September 8, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Listening to the Flashback #CultClassicPod episode about GI Joe the Movie with @gamenightpicks.com and @boardsalive.bsky.social, I couldn't help but think Cobra Commander sounds a lot like Robert Kennedy Jr. I suspect COBRA was probably pro Vaxx though.
A student emailed me yesterday to let me know they'll miss our first class meeting because of an emergency dental situation. Fine, no biggie. But they ended their email with 'sorry not sorry.' I replied with this PS. Right? or too cranky? #profadvice #oldman #emailettiquette
September 6, 2025 at 11:52 AM
A student emailed me yesterday to let me know they'll miss our first class meeting because of an emergency dental situation. Fine, no biggie. But they ended their email with 'sorry not sorry.' I replied with this PS. Right? or too cranky? #profadvice #oldman #emailettiquette
Today's banger: "Stolen Dance" by Milky Chance. I know I've heard this before, but it sounded extra good to me today. Thanks to the DJs at #WCRX 88.1FM Chicago for reminding me of it. @columbiachi.bsky.social
Milky Chance - Stolen Dance (Official Video) [HD Version]
YouTube video by Milky Chance Official
www.youtube.com
September 4, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Today's banger: "Stolen Dance" by Milky Chance. I know I've heard this before, but it sounded extra good to me today. Thanks to the DJs at #WCRX 88.1FM Chicago for reminding me of it. @columbiachi.bsky.social
Re-watching a bit. Portlandia holds up.
September 4, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Re-watching a bit. Portlandia holds up.
Whoo! Exciting move-in week at @columbiachi.bsky.social !
#newyear #letsgo
www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news...
#newyear #letsgo
www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news...
Columbia College freshmen express excitement, nerves on move-in day: 'I've always wanted to live in Chicago'
WBBM’s Carolina Garibay stops by Columbia College to chat with new students on move-in day. The new school year begins amid uncertainty following lay offs and department cuts.
www.audacy.com
August 26, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Whoo! Exciting move-in week at @columbiachi.bsky.social !
#newyear #letsgo
www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news...
#newyear #letsgo
www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news...
@thingsgetdicey.bsky.social What a treat to start listening to the new Ross Bryant podcast and find one of my favorite people, Paula Deming, as part of the cast!
August 13, 2025 at 10:29 PM
@thingsgetdicey.bsky.social What a treat to start listening to the new Ross Bryant podcast and find one of my favorite people, Paula Deming, as part of the cast!
I just successfully resisted the impulse to correct someone who was using SIMPLISTIC when they meant SIMPLE. Pedantic restraint demands constant vigilance.
July 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
I just successfully resisted the impulse to correct someone who was using SIMPLISTIC when they meant SIMPLE. Pedantic restraint demands constant vigilance.
At some point in the last couple years, I turned into a "shout sneeze" guy.
May 1, 2025 at 12:56 PM
At some point in the last couple years, I turned into a "shout sneeze" guy.
