Ross
@rosstmcd.bsky.social
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Original flavor, not that any of the other flavors are that much different.
The canonical example of mid food, but I love it. I've probably eaten close to a thousand boxes of the stuff in my lifetime.
The canonical example of mid food, but I love it. I've probably eaten close to a thousand boxes of the stuff in my lifetime.
What's an objectively mediocre or downright garbage food that you will love forever?
February 22, 2026 at 5:54 AM
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Original flavor, not that any of the other flavors are that much different.
The canonical example of mid food, but I love it. I've probably eaten close to a thousand boxes of the stuff in my lifetime.
The canonical example of mid food, but I love it. I've probably eaten close to a thousand boxes of the stuff in my lifetime.
Way down near the bottom of the article:
"It was not clear what advantages the U.S. government portal would offer users that are not available from commercial VPNs."
...which is the part I was wondering about.
"It was not clear what advantages the U.S. government portal would offer users that are not available from commercial VPNs."
...which is the part I was wondering about.
Exclusive: The US State Department is developing an online portal to enable people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments including alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda, sources told Reuters reut.rs/4cySsA6
Exclusive: US plans online portal to bypass content bans in Europe and elsewhere
The U.S. State Department is developing an online portal that will enable people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments including alleged hate speech and terrorist propagan...
reut.rs
February 19, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Way down near the bottom of the article:
"It was not clear what advantages the U.S. government portal would offer users that are not available from commercial VPNs."
...which is the part I was wondering about.
"It was not clear what advantages the U.S. government portal would offer users that are not available from commercial VPNs."
...which is the part I was wondering about.
I feel like there's story potential in combining "vast fleets" of AI datacenter satellites with Pournelle's fantasy of orbital crowbar kinetic weapons with Skynet. Something something malevolent AIs de-orbit themselves onto cities to destroy civilization, hijinks ensue.
This would have been a good point for someone to have asked, is that really how things work? Or is vacuum in fact an excellent insulator? www.ft.com/content/a5cf...
February 11, 2026 at 12:16 AM
I feel like there's story potential in combining "vast fleets" of AI datacenter satellites with Pournelle's fantasy of orbital crowbar kinetic weapons with Skynet. Something something malevolent AIs de-orbit themselves onto cities to destroy civilization, hijinks ensue.
"Don't worry, we've already harvested enough information about you to figure out your age" is not the reassuring statement they seem to think it is.
Discord is already starting to walk things back a little, so people should keep doing what they're doing (cancel Nitro, leave feedback/criticism, direct contact through support tickets/phone/email/etc)
February 10, 2026 at 4:32 AM
"Don't worry, we've already harvested enough information about you to figure out your age" is not the reassuring statement they seem to think it is.
If somebody ran for president with the same level of genuine enthusiasm and fun that Mamdani has, they would sweep fifty states.
Child at the podium: “A woo woo woo.”
Mamdani: That’s how I felt when we came up with this plan. Together, we will expand the idea of what is possible in our city—and what sounds and noises we can make at a press conference.
Mamdani: That’s how I felt when we came up with this plan. Together, we will expand the idea of what is possible in our city—and what sounds and noises we can make at a press conference.
February 6, 2026 at 4:45 AM
If somebody ran for president with the same level of genuine enthusiasm and fun that Mamdani has, they would sweep fifty states.
This series is fantastic. "We live in a post-apocalyptic dystopia ruled by corporations and tech bros; let's build community and fight fascism and have hot sex about it."
In 2020 @totallydonna.kitrocha.com & I started a trilogy about 3 book nerds (w/ superpowers) who just want to build a library for their community but shitty tech bros suck so they have to keep doing crimes.
Tor was kind enough to put book one on sale for $5.99!
www.kitrocha.com/book/deal-wi...
Tor was kind enough to put book one on sale for $5.99!
www.kitrocha.com/book/deal-wi...
February 5, 2026 at 6:43 AM
This series is fantastic. "We live in a post-apocalyptic dystopia ruled by corporations and tech bros; let's build community and fight fascism and have hot sex about it."
New compromise: ICE agents MUST wear masks at all times, that cover their entire face including their eyes and are 100% opaque from the inside.
Democrats today used new caveats in their demands for ICE masks www.huffpost.com/entry/democr...
Democrats Are Softening Their Demand To Ban Masks For ICE
Masks might still be OK in "extraordinary and unusual circumstances," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
www.huffpost.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:40 AM
New compromise: ICE agents MUST wear masks at all times, that cover their entire face including their eyes and are 100% opaque from the inside.
Abolish ICE. There is no legitimate reason for it to exist.
If an undocumented immigrant is not committing any crimes - apart from the technicality of being in the country illegally, a "crime" about which I do not give a shit - then there is no problem to solve.
If an undocumented immigrant is not committing any crimes - apart from the technicality of being in the country illegally, a "crime" about which I do not give a shit - then there is no problem to solve.
February 5, 2026 at 1:45 AM
Abolish ICE. There is no legitimate reason for it to exist.
If an undocumented immigrant is not committing any crimes - apart from the technicality of being in the country illegally, a "crime" about which I do not give a shit - then there is no problem to solve.
If an undocumented immigrant is not committing any crimes - apart from the technicality of being in the country illegally, a "crime" about which I do not give a shit - then there is no problem to solve.
I only know when one component of my family tree came here, and it's far enough back that it's somewhere on the order of 1/8000th of my ancestry. I only know about it from the patronym.
But the answer to the question for that particular root was "money," so far as I can tell.
But the answer to the question for that particular root was "money," so far as I can tell.
Genuinely curious: If your family is American, what brought them here?
Mine: religious nuttery & primogeniture
Mine: religious nuttery & primogeniture
February 3, 2026 at 4:33 AM
I only know when one component of my family tree came here, and it's far enough back that it's somewhere on the order of 1/8000th of my ancestry. I only know about it from the patronym.
But the answer to the question for that particular root was "money," so far as I can tell.
But the answer to the question for that particular root was "money," so far as I can tell.
Dear Lord we have *got* to start lining up people for the Dem primaries who are not this fucking pathetic.
What makes Gavin Newsom such a skilled politician is that he stands up to Trump’s bullying with piping hot memes AND is able to agree with Trump about policy
www.sacbee.com
www.sacbee.com
Gov. Gavin Newsom: ‘I disagree’ with calls to abolish ICE
The 2028 presidential contender came out against calls to dismantle ICE after an agent fatally shot a Minneapolis woman.
www.sacbee.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:24 AM
Dear Lord we have *got* to start lining up people for the Dem primaries who are not this fucking pathetic.
I saw that movie at a special screening in Ankrhan-Annatis, the howling abyss before time began, where yet-unnamed gods huddle with each other against the cold winds of pre-being. 4/5 stars.
I saw it three weeks before they filmed it.
I saw that movie weeks ago
January 28, 2026 at 5:21 AM
I saw that movie at a special screening in Ankrhan-Annatis, the howling abyss before time began, where yet-unnamed gods huddle with each other against the cold winds of pre-being. 4/5 stars.
Reposted by Ross
At long last, we are reforming the Torment Nexus from the classic sci-fi novel You Can’t Reform the Torment Nexus.
January 27, 2026 at 3:35 PM
At long last, we are reforming the Torment Nexus from the classic sci-fi novel You Can’t Reform the Torment Nexus.
Reposted by Ross
The ocean freighting industry is woke now (the containers spell Renee, for Renee Good).
www.reddit.com/r/Tacoma/com...
www.reddit.com/r/Tacoma/com...
January 27, 2026 at 4:13 AM
The ocean freighting industry is woke now (the containers spell Renee, for Renee Good).
www.reddit.com/r/Tacoma/com...
www.reddit.com/r/Tacoma/com...
I see some people are talking about "reforming" or "retraining" ICE. In the spirit of helpfulness, here are my suggestions:
Reforming: Update the ICE agent job description to, "This page intentionally left blank."
Retraining: Unemployment.
Reforming: Update the ICE agent job description to, "This page intentionally left blank."
Retraining: Unemployment.
January 27, 2026 at 12:43 AM
I see some people are talking about "reforming" or "retraining" ICE. In the spirit of helpfulness, here are my suggestions:
Reforming: Update the ICE agent job description to, "This page intentionally left blank."
Retraining: Unemployment.
Reforming: Update the ICE agent job description to, "This page intentionally left blank."
Retraining: Unemployment.
Generalize your skeets. What's your most typical, most average skeet?
Skeet: [anecdote from my life that relates vaguely to the skeet I'm responding to]
Brain, 30 seconds later: OMG that was so cringe why did I do that
Skeet: [anecdote from my life that relates vaguely to the skeet I'm responding to]
Brain, 30 seconds later: OMG that was so cringe why did I do that
Generalize your skeets. What's your most typical, most average skeet?
Hey look at my dogs. They’re perfect. I love them so much. They’re being such assholes.
Hey look at my dogs. They’re perfect. I love them so much. They’re being such assholes.
January 26, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Generalize your skeets. What's your most typical, most average skeet?
Skeet: [anecdote from my life that relates vaguely to the skeet I'm responding to]
Brain, 30 seconds later: OMG that was so cringe why did I do that
Skeet: [anecdote from my life that relates vaguely to the skeet I'm responding to]
Brain, 30 seconds later: OMG that was so cringe why did I do that
But if you spent time workshopping it you might not be able to jump to, "You're not providing adequate health care so the United States of America is stepping in" in the next breath.
I would workshop "You mistreated indigenous people so now the United States of America is stepping in"
Waltz: "Denmark has ignored Greenland from a defense standpoint and they have ignored the Greenlandic native iniut people ... if you get a cancer diagnosis in Greenland right now, it's darn near a death sentence. Denmark has not invested in the way it should've over the years."
January 26, 2026 at 1:03 AM
But if you spent time workshopping it you might not be able to jump to, "You're not providing adequate health care so the United States of America is stepping in" in the next breath.
"Grok, role-play the computer from War Games."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the integration of Elon Musk's xAI platform, Grok, into military networks as part of a new "AI acceleration strategy" during a visit to SpaceX.
January 13, 2026 at 7:26 AM
"Grok, role-play the computer from War Games."
Dang.
“I have asked the clergy of the diocese to make sure their affairs are in order and they have written their wills.,not the time for statements. It is time to put our bodies between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable”. Rob Hirschfeld, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire
Redirecting...
www.facebook.com
January 11, 2026 at 4:45 AM
Dang.
To the "If she'd obeyed orders she wouldn't have been shot!" assholes:
You're telling me that here in the land of the free and the home of the brave, if an agent of the government gives you an order, your only choices are instant obedience or death? That's the country you want to live in?
You're telling me that here in the land of the free and the home of the brave, if an agent of the government gives you an order, your only choices are instant obedience or death? That's the country you want to live in?
January 8, 2026 at 2:04 AM
To the "If she'd obeyed orders she wouldn't have been shot!" assholes:
You're telling me that here in the land of the free and the home of the brave, if an agent of the government gives you an order, your only choices are instant obedience or death? That's the country you want to live in?
You're telling me that here in the land of the free and the home of the brave, if an agent of the government gives you an order, your only choices are instant obedience or death? That's the country you want to live in?
I suspect that appetite for trying to do selected parts of the Silmarillion has declined since Rings of Power was received with the enthusiasm usually reserved for a damp paper towel. But that wasn't a problem with the source material, it was a problem with not knowing what the hell they were doing.
the only good LORD OF THE RINGS pitches remaining are "Silmarillion" and "this guy solves mysteries in the Shire"
January 6, 2026 at 4:42 AM
I suspect that appetite for trying to do selected parts of the Silmarillion has declined since Rings of Power was received with the enthusiasm usually reserved for a damp paper towel. But that wasn't a problem with the source material, it was a problem with not knowing what the hell they were doing.
"But Maduro was a dictator, they should be glad he's gone."
If, say, China suddenly sent troops into Washington DC and abducted Trump to stand trial in China, on the grounds that he was an evil dictator, and then installed a "temporary" puppet government, I would feel two emotions at the same time.
If, say, China suddenly sent troops into Washington DC and abducted Trump to stand trial in China, on the grounds that he was an evil dictator, and then installed a "temporary" puppet government, I would feel two emotions at the same time.
January 3, 2026 at 11:07 PM
"But Maduro was a dictator, they should be glad he's gone."
If, say, China suddenly sent troops into Washington DC and abducted Trump to stand trial in China, on the grounds that he was an evil dictator, and then installed a "temporary" puppet government, I would feel two emotions at the same time.
If, say, China suddenly sent troops into Washington DC and abducted Trump to stand trial in China, on the grounds that he was an evil dictator, and then installed a "temporary" puppet government, I would feel two emotions at the same time.
I stopped using Twitter when Musk took over. But it was just recently that I actually deactivated my account. I should have done it sooner.
For the last few days on X, people (mainly women, and sometimes children) have had nonconsensual images of them in swimsuits (or much worse) requested by users and created by Grok.
Musk's only apparent response thus far has been to crack jokes about it.
Musk's only apparent response thus far has been to crack jokes about it.
so x dot com’s ai generated CSAM and they admitted it may violate US law and … i haven’t seen in anyone in power say much at all or call to stop using the platform
January 2, 2026 at 5:42 AM
I stopped using Twitter when Musk took over. But it was just recently that I actually deactivated my account. I should have done it sooner.
When I lived by myself I used the True Neutral setup, now that I'm married we have Lawful Good.
How do yall have your beds set up???
I’m true neutral.
I’m true neutral.
January 2, 2026 at 5:36 AM
When I lived by myself I used the True Neutral setup, now that I'm married we have Lawful Good.
This may be too minor to count, but I was once in a community theater production with a guy who had just had a one-episode bit part on Northern Exposure where he was onscreen for like one minute playing a mechanic servicing Maggie's plane.
But it's enough to give me a Bacon number of 4.
But it's enough to give me a Bacon number of 4.
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
December 30, 2025 at 6:47 AM
This may be too minor to count, but I was once in a community theater production with a guy who had just had a one-episode bit part on Northern Exposure where he was onscreen for like one minute playing a mechanic servicing Maggie's plane.
But it's enough to give me a Bacon number of 4.
But it's enough to give me a Bacon number of 4.
How I'm walking out of 2025:
December 30, 2025 at 5:56 AM
How I'm walking out of 2025: