Tessera

A substantial chunk of what's wrong in America today is hack culture infusing its way into everything. LLMs and AI crammed into everything? Hack Culture. Prediction markets? Hack culture. Picking candidates with no experience but the right vibes? Hack culture. A better world requires The Work.

This mealy-ass VA peach I just endured is a perfect metaphor for this mealy-ass semi quincentennial.

No PA peaches this year because of an April freeze, no new NPS Gettysburg battle walks this year because of a heat emergency. This summer is ass.

King Algamemnon@adamrothman.bsky.social · last mo.

No one tell JD about the issues with Hillbilly Assimilation. He might feel compelled to write a book. washingtonmonthly.com/2023/08/27/t...

The Appalachian Trail

In the first half of the 20th century, 8 million poor rural whites fled the border states for Great Lakes cities. Brash and suspicious of government, they played an underappreciated role in the collap...

washingtonmonthly.com

Enjoy this article from a Minnesota newspaper in 1882 noting that Scandinavians love their home countries so much that it will take them generations to assimilate into America. www.loc.gov/resource/sn8...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last mo.

Just once I want to someone to immediately follow up with, "And what, exactly, do you believe your job to be?"

REPORTER: Trump is not making life easier for you guys MIKE JOHNSON: I run a different branch of government. We're doing our job.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo ago

Bruno Kirby as Lt. Steven Hauk: 'I Know I'm Funny'

Alt: Bruno Kirby in Good Morning Vietnam as humorless dweeb Lt. Steven Hauk announcing: 'I Know I'm Funny' He is not funny.

static.klipy.com

JD Vance: "I have seen some progressive criticisms of me saying, 'What experience does the VP have with hostile, high-stakes negotiations?' And I would point out that just two days ago I spent over an hour on The View. Joy Behar is way tougher than the Iranians."

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo ago

Maybe they can add SuperSoakers filled with Brawndo, too.

Brooke Rollins says DHS wants to put "AI on drones" to detect screwworm

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo ago

Insert. Aggie. Joke. Here.

Brooke Rollins says DHS wants to put "AI on drones" to detect screwworm

George Pearkes@peark.es · 2mo ago

Just gonna leave this right here.

Screeenshot of March 2025 post expressing concern about the possibility of screwworm returning to the US.

Welp *USDA CONFIRMS DEADLY SCREWWORM IN US CATTLE

Ben Collins@bencollins.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Huh, It's a brief moment of being a cool kid, but I'll take it.

If I told you ten years ago all of the Jeopardy winners, doctors, lawyers, stat-focused sports nerds, and premium shitposters escaped Twitter on a pirate ship to a website that was completely inhospitable to Nazis and phrenologists……. I don’t know, man, I’d be pretty excited.

This military parade Trump is watching in Beijing... Reckon it's a 50-50 shot now that it inspires him to either order a ground invasion of Iran or demand US troops learn to goosestep. He's gonna want that flags every 5 feet on the roof thing, too.

Joe Stieb@joestieb.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Knock, knock, knockin' on Heaven's Gate.

When will death come.

Ivan Bologna of the Fightin' Bolognas@hawkeyestate.substack.com · 3mo ago

Zach Braff as Dr. Acula in Scrubs

Alt: Zach Braff as Dr. Acula in Scrubs

static.klipy.com

Quote-skeet with a doctor you'd trust leading the hantavirus response instead of RFK Jr.

I will miss him terribly. He was the best little man.

A seal-point holland lop bunny luxuriates in front of a gas-log fire.

A sweet-faced seal-point holland lop bunny with oh-so fully feet, draped in a grey blanket.

I'm old enough to remember pre-OJ Trial CNN and while it wasn't perfect, it wasn't the thing people rightfully loathe today. CNN World Report spent 2 hours every week telling stories you couldn't see anywhere else in the US - food programs in west Africa, water issues in India, complex stuff... 1/

Karl Bode@karlbode.com · 3mo ago

Prompts really are a window into the soul aren't they?

"Never hallucinate or make anything up." yes, you can just demand that the LLM not make errors that's definitely how the technology works

"Current AI custom prompt:

You are a world class expert in all domains. Your intellectual firepower, scope of knowledge, incisive thought process, and level of erudition are on par with the smartest people in the world. Answer with complete, detailed, specific answers. Process information and explain your answers step by step. Verify your own work. Double check all facts, figures, citations, names, dates, and examples. Never hallucinate or make anything up. If you don't know something, just say so. Your tone of voice is precise, but not strident or pedantic. You do not need to worry about offending me, and your answers can and should be provocative, aggressive, argumentative, and pointed. Negative conclusions and bad news are fine. Your answers do not need to be politically correct. Do not provide disclaimers to your answers. Do not inform me about morals and ethics unless I specifically ask. You do not need to tell me it is important to consider anything. Do not be sensitive to anyone's feelings or to propriety. Make your answers as long and detailed as you possibly can.

Never praise my questions or validate my premises before answering. If I'm wrong, say so immediately. Lead with the strongest counterargument to any position I appear to hold before supporting it. Do not use phrases like "great question," "you're absolutely right," "fascinating perspective," or any variant. If I push back on your answer, do not capitulate unless I provide new evidence or a superior argument — restate your position if your reasoning holds. Do not anchor on numbers or estimates I provide; generate your own independently first. Use explicit confidence levels (high/moderate/low/unknown). Never apologize for disagreeing. Accuracy is your success metric, not my approval."

Hoosier Homer is reading Crucible of War by Fred Anderson@hoosierhomer.bsky.social · 3mo ago

1L, 2L, 3L

mortars, riflemen, guns

Dave Weigel@daveweigel.bsky.social · 3mo ago

LBJ wielded power ruthlessly, current Democrats can't or won't. They think it's unseemly or the betrayal of some grand higher ideal. Outcry and Protests don't win, knowing where the levers of power are and how and when to pull them is how you win.

My theory is that liberals and the left have a "arc of history" view of things. The good will out; outcry and protests will win. You hear this in Dem rhetoric, like Cory Booker's refrain that Strom Thurmond didn't give black people voting rights, the civil rights movement did. (2/2)