Brent Scales
@boiler40.bsky.social
Midwest Coast. Automotive industry lifer. Still learning.
While I’m acquainted with the wealthiest (for the moment) charlatan in the world attacking democracy daily, I had not considered the possibility of him kicking off chapter 1 of Seveneves.
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 21h agoSpaceX rocket hours away from crashing into the moon in unintentional collision
Bradbury’s stories are now a Choose Your Own Adventure for current times: A) Post-Apocalyptic wasteland - pg 76 B) Sad isolation on a distant planet - pg 22 C) Book burnings and snitching on neighbors that don’t meet fascist directives - pg 112
Aaron Meyers@aaronmeyers.bsky.social · yesterday"Today is August 4, 2026" There Will Come Soft Rains By: Ray Bradbury
I wrote about There Will Come Soft Rains last year ( a year too early). The date wasn’t always 2026 but we still have time to sit and think with the story open.substack.com/pub/musgrave...
There Will Come Soft Rains
Living in the future of the past
open.substack.com
Aaron Meyers@aaronmeyers.bsky.social · yesterday"Today is August 4, 2026" There Will Come Soft Rains By: Ray Bradbury
this plus falling battery prices equals The Great Unlock (economic, social, geopolitical, etc.) of the 21st century
Sarah Taber@sarahtaber.bsky.social · 2d agoAbsolutely unbelievable how solar power has taken off worldwide during the Hormuz oil crisis. You don't have to hand it to him, but Trump may have done more to finally kick off a global civilization of effete librul solar users than anyone else in the West
public rail transit in the US wasn't killed by greedy private companies with no public mandate, it was all just greedy private companies with no public mandate in the first place
Jake Berman@lostsubways.com · 3d agothis is not true. there was no conspiracy. it didn't matter whether the streetcars were publicly owned (seattle, detroit) or private (los angeles, atlanta). a thread (because i wrote a whole-ass book on this): 1/?
Part of the reason that despite all of the winds blowing against the service (expense, convenience), I still get at least one print edition of the news.
Christopher Mims@mims.bsky.social · 2d agoThis is why I still love email newsletters. The best filter for What to Pay Attention To remains a thoughtful, human Knower
Fun thread by @mtmcgurk.bsky.social . Even Vicksburg gets a mention.
MTMcGurk@mtmcgurk.bsky.social · 3d agoOne like = one random Army story.
"The Pentagon has treated the trans separation board hearings with levels of security and silence usually reserved for state secrets... In some cases, service members’ spouses and even the service members themselves are kept out." w/ Dave Philipps www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/u...
Inside the Secretive Boards Deciding Trans Troops’ Fate (Gift Article)
The Pentagon is relying on closed-door hearings to kick out transgender service members. An Army Reserve lawyer is one of the few who have seen how they really work.
nytimes.com
Hard to take any rightist hawk on China seriously ever again. Congratulations, you played yourself www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...
Opinion | Trump, TikTok and Federal Devices
The Justice Department green lights the app for U.S. officials, despite spying worries.
wsj.com
So Poseidon can’t order the new Carnitas Elote Market Bowl from Panera? Fresh food for all, peeps.
Lauren McKenzie@themckenziest.gay · 3d agoHopecore
I don't think this is an unpopular opinion at all, and I think it's actually extremely predictable consumer behavior seen in light of the Stanford marshmallow experiment and the economic concept of satisficing.
Max Dubler 🏳️🌈@maxdubler.com · 3d agoI think my most genuinely unpopular take is that a widely held and genuine consumer preference for cheaper, lower-quality goods, not private equity, is driving the decline in quality of consumer goods like clothing and housewares.
I read “The Sympathizer,” I have an idea where this is headed thekabultribune.com/en/0010566
Sami Sadat Seeks Political Support from U.S., NATO After Claiming Armed Operations in Kandahar
Gen.Sami Sadat, head of the United Front of Afghanistan, has called on the United States, NATO and other countries to provide “political” support following reports of the group’s armed activities in K...
thekabultribune.com
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ohio Sen. Moreno says Rep. Max Miller should not serve in House after abuse allegations from Moreno’s daughter.
Im going Nirvana Unplugged. Apex of Grunge. From my primitive music mind, this was the not necessarily the best, but the beginning of the end. “You have a month to write a 33 1/3 book about the album of your choice. Which record are you going to write about?”
Brian Tallerico@briantallerico.bsky.social · 5d agoHi, economics expert here! This is not funny, venture capitalists only do this when they’re in extreme distress.
Why an A.I. Bubble Might Not Be a Bad Thing
As fears spread over a possible artificial intelligence bubble, some tech investors say: Bring it on.
nytimes.com
Unintended consequences are everywhere. POTUS supercharging the transition to renewables in some regions (possibly accelerating in China), despite all intentions of working toward the opposite result, is high on the list for me.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 6d agoPresident Trump keeps predicting Cuba will collapse after he cut off its oil — but it’s still standing. Our reporter Jack Nicas visited to see how Cubans are adopting solar to offset the power shortage.
US real factory construction continued declining in data released this morning, as CHIPS Act projects complete, IRA projects get cancelled, and tariffs weigh on investment Total manufacturing construction is now down more than 25% from its 2024 highs
Incredible stuff going on with the Cybertruck in this piece via @roadandtrack.bsky.social but here’s the money quote: “unable to manufacture several thousand Cybertrucks…, most, if not all, of which are already committed to customers.” www.roadandtrack.com/news/a732847...
Tesla Sues Supplier Over Plant Closure, Alleged Lockout That Could Halt Cybertruck Production
The pickup’s build process can’t go on without specific tools, Tesla claims — tools that are being kept behind closed doors away from the carmaker.
roadandtrack.com
“Beijing saw the Strait of Hormuz crisis as an opportunity to show the world that it could successfully withstand an oil shock…Perhaps Beijing wants to subtly warn the rest of the world that it could not be brought to its knees by an energy blockade.” www.theatlantic.com/economy/2026...
The Great Chinese Oil Mystery
America’s greatest rival is single-handedly averting a global energy crisis. No one knows how the country is doing it—or why.
theatlantic.com
The dulcet tones of @alexhorton.bsky.social discussing this very subject on @npr.org this morning.
Alex Horton@alexhorton.bsky.social · last wk.What do you get when you merge the failures of the war on terror and the failures of the war on drugs? A boat strike campaign where the U.S. concedes privately what it won't tell you publicly: it's not accomplishing its goals. In fact, it's sharpening cartel strategies. wapo.st/4yHb0qF
Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.
Darin Self@darinself.com · last wk.Getting a job in Wall Street must mean you lose object permanency
When you want to join in on the convo but not sure it’s appropriate.
Philip Bump@pbump.com · last wk.when you are being good and quietly watching the family eat but still offering some hints that you might want a treat
Apple's trying to decide whether it's OK to put a camera on their glasses
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · last wk.“Apple executives are acutely aware that simply entering the same category [as Meta’s Pervert Glasses] risks undermining a privacy reputation the company has spent more than a decade building.”
iain banks seems, like tolkien, to have been completely misinterpreted by a certain set of people (that's not the biggest takeaway here but as a guy who enjoys good science fiction, it stood out) gizmodo.com/elon-musk-ec...
Elon Musk Melts Down Over Perfectly Normal Questions in Wild New Interview
"Maybe some people do loathe me. And that's probably true. I don't care," said Musk.
gizmodo.com
This is not about Iran. It’s about @tmgneff.bsky.social relationship to the war he fought in and wars he has covered. However, with troops in harm’s way, it’s a short leap to our current conflict. Personal piece worth your time. 🎁 link via @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/w...
Why I Sought Out a Taliban Commander I Had Fought (Gift Article)
First as a Marine and then as a journalist, I spent years tied to Afghanistan. I returned one last time to speak to a former enemy in search of answers, and perhaps closure.
nytimes.com
I've seen some folks try to frame OpenAI's unreleased model hacking a company that tests its abilities as a cynical marketing ploy but reporting says that absolutely was not the case: This was a real-deal escape of an AI agent that could have done vastly more damage. www.wsj.com/tech/ai/how-...
How the Futuristic Hack by Rogue OpenAI Models Unfolded
The incident serves as an early example of loss-of-control scenarios long feared by artificial-intelligence safety researchers.
wsj.com
From the great TM Gibbons-Neff: “Regarding the mujahedeen who were killed by your side, I do not know whether they or their families would forgive you,” Mr. Gulab said. “Those civilians may not forgive the foreign forces, but for me personally, I have my own authority and I have forgiven you.”
Why I Sought Out a Taliban Commander I Had Fought (Gift Article)
First as a Marine and then as a journalist, I spent years tied to Afghanistan. I returned one last time to speak to a former enemy in search of answers, and perhaps closure.
nytimes.com
